2024--The Future of Constitutional Interpretation

The 2024 Childress Lecture will explore the future of U.S. constitutional interpretation with a presentation by keynote speaker Madiba Dennie, author of The Originalism Trap, as well as several presentations by other renowned constitutional scholars. Courts often must ascertain the meaning of a constitutional provision before applying it to the facts of a case. In addition, the text of the Constitution is silent on fundamental questions of constitutional law, including questions that its drafters could not have foreseen. There is significant debate over which sources and methods courts should use in exercising the power of judicial review. This year’s Childress Lecture speakers will discuss and debate various methods of constitutional interpretation, including history and principles of constitutional interpretation, textualism, originalism, structuralism, pragmatism, and more.