To celebrate the signing of the United States Constitution 219 years ago, the University of Colorado at Boulder will stage a constitutional interpretation debate before faculty and students on Sept. 21.
The debate will take place in the dining area next to the food court at the University Memorial Center from noon until 1:30 p.m. CU-Boulder's Institute for Ethical and Civic Engagement is organizing the event.
"The theme of the debate will address concepts of constitutional interpretation with special emphasis on the rather simplistic distinction between those who advocate a 'living document' approach to interpretation and those who advocate a more stable, 'strict constructionist' approach to interpretation," said Michael Grant, associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education and the campus coordinator for Constitution Day.
The debate will feature two teams, each consisting of one CU-Boulder law professor and one state legislator.
Taking part in the debate will be Clare Huntington, an associate law professor who has clerked at the U.S. Supreme Court, Rothgerber Professor of Constitutional Law Robert Nagel and Colorado Sens. Shawn Mitchell and Ken Gordon. Huntington will team with Gordon and Nagel will team with Mitchell.
The moderator of the debate will be James Symons, a professor in the CU-Boulder department of theatre and dance and a Presidential Teaching Scholar.
On Sept. 17, 1787, 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention adopted the Constitution of the United States of America. The Constitution officially took effect on March 4, 1789.