“What makes the Constitution worthy of our commitment? First and foremost, the answer is our freedom. It is, quite simply, the most powerful vision of freedom ever expressed. It’s also the world’s shortest and oldest national constitution, neither so rigid as to be stifling, nor so malleable as to be devoid of meaning….What was revolutionary when it was written, and what continues to inspire the world today, is that the Constitution put governance in the hands of the people.” -former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 17, is the 232nd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution in 1787. Our nation’s constitution and the pursuit of justice are front and center like never before in recent history.
This week, we will have two Constitution Day speakers at the law school. On Wednesday September 18, 8am, Khizr Kahn, author of This is Our Constitution: Discover America with a Gold Star Father, will speak in our Moot Court Room. He will speak at the Cleveland City Club at noon that same day.
On Thursday, September 19, 5pm, Professor Jenia Turner, a nationally renowned Professor of Criminal Law at the SMU Dedman School of Law, will give our Constitution Day Lecture in our Moot Court Room as part of our annual Criminal Justice Forum Series. She will speak about the lack of transparency of plea bargaining, the 1st amendment right of public access to the courts, and the 6th Amendment right to a public trial.
The U.S. Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services celebrates this entire week — Welcoming Week — and encourages Americans "to reflect on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and what it means to be a U.S. citizen." Locally, Global Cleveland is organizing several Welcoming Week activities, bringing communities together to celebrate the unity and strong connection with each other as well as to exhibit and applaud the benefits of welcoming newcomers.
At Cleveland-Marshall, we provide all of our students with their own pocket copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States to serve as a daily reminder of the revolutionary power of the Constitution and why our law school’s mission, Learn Law. Live Justice., never has been more important.
Please support Cleveland-Marshall’s mission by supporting our 3rd Annual C|M|LAW Hall of Fame Celebration honoring our 2019 C|M|LAW Hall of Fame Honorees on Friday, October 25, 2019, 5:30-8pm.
The October 25 Hall of Fame event gives us the opportunity not only to honor our distinguished inductees, but also to raise much-needed funds for scholarships for our students. The Hall of Fame celebration is the only annual fundraising event sponsored by the law school. It is our single best opportunity to raise funds for much-needed student scholarships.
This Week’s Monday Moment: Constitutional Spotlight Series
Have a great day. Have a great week.
For copies of past messages, please go to this link: Monday Morning Messages.
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My views in all my Monday Morning Messages are my personal views alone and do not reflect the views of our law school or our university.
My best,
Lee