The Institute for Constitutional History is pleased to announce another seminar for advanced graduate students and junior faculty, "Rethinking the Twentieth-Century Constitution." It will be led by Jamal Greene, the Dwight Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, and John Fabian Witt, the Allen H. Duffy Class of 1960 Professor of Law, Professor of History, and Head of Davenport College at Yale University.
Much of our constitutional law today arises not out of the Founding and not out of the Reconstruction Amendments, but out of the great controversies and social mobilizations of the twentieth century. On four Fridays this fall Jamal Greene and John Fabian Witt will lead seminar participants on a guided tour through new literature on the history of the twentieth-century constitution. Topics include the invention of free speech, the making of the modern administrative state, the rise and fall of labor’s constitution, transformations in rights talk, and the significance of constitutional methods such as “originalism.” We will close with a consideration of the constitution’s future prospects.Friday afternoons, 2:00-5:00 P.M. September 20, October 4 and 18, and November 1. The seminar will be held at the New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York City. There is no tuition or other charge for this seminar, though participants will be expected to acquire the assigned books on their own.
The seminar is designed for graduate students and junior faculty in history, political science, law, and related disciplines. All participants will be expected to complete the assigned readings and participate in seminar discussions. Although the Institute cannot offer academic credit directly for the seminar, students may be able to earn graduate credit through their home departments by completing an independent research project in conjunction with the seminar. Please consult with your advisor and/or director of graduate studies about these possibilities. Space is limited, so applicants should send a copy of their C.V. and a short statement on how this seminar will be useful to them in their research, teaching, or professional development. Materials will be accepted only by email at MMarcus@nyhistory.org until June 30, 2019. Successful applicants will be notified soon thereafter. For further information, please contact Maeva Marcus at (202) 994-6562 or send an email to MMarcus@nyhistory.org.
--Dan Ernst
