Legislation Clinic Conference

Legislative Constitutionalism

April 14, 2011
Vern Riffe Center
77 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio

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This one-day conference in Ohio's state capital will consider the opportunity and responsibility that legislatures have to contribute to constitutional discourse.

Over the years many have reflected on how courts in the United States have come to dominate constitutional discourse through the familiar "adjudicated constitution." But what of the "legislated constitution"? Can legislatures take a more active role in developing constitutional legisprudence and reclaim something closer to an Aristotlean politics from the courts? This conference will bring together a mix of academics, legislators, jurists, and observers to discuss these and other questions.

Robin L. West, Frederick J. Haas Professor of Law and Philosophy and Associate Dean (Research and Academic Programs) at the Georgetown University Law Center, will provide the conference's keynote luncheon address.

In addition, two afternoon panels will probe such issues as:

• How can legislators best take constitutional principles into account?
• What affirmative obligations do constitutions impose on legislators?
• Have legislatures ceded control over constitutional interpretation to courts?
• What can legislative institutions do to increase constitutional discourse?
• How might law schools better prepare constitutional lawyers for greater involvement in legislative processes?

CLE Credit: This conference has been approved by the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Continuing Legal Education for 3.0 total CLE hours of instruction.

This conference is co-sponsored by The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, the Legislation Clinic at the Moritz College of Law, and the Center for Interdisciplinary Law and Policy Studies at the Moritz College of Law

The Legislation Clinic, in conjunction with the Moritz College of Law and the Center for Interdisciplinary Law and Policy Studies, hosts one-day conferences every two years.

Past Conferences

• 2008 - The Functioning of Separation of Powers in State Government
• 2006 - The People as Legislators: The Influence of Direct Democracy
• 2004 - Medicaid, Medicines, and Malpractice: Issues in State Health Care
• 2002 - Early Returns on Legislative Term Limits