Using We the People: A Progressive Reading of the Constitution for the Twenty-First Century, by constitutional scholar and dean of UC Berkeley School of Law, Erwin Chemerinsky, as our text, this course will explore the false claim of “value-neutral judging” and, in its stead, consider an alternative progressive vision. As Chemerinsky writes “The Constitution belongs to all of us—to ‘We the People.’ . . . Each of us needs to interpret the document for ourselves in evaluating government actions, as well as court decisions.”  

Using the Preamble, whose core six phrases establish the Constitution’s purpose, the class will compare Supreme Court decisions and their implications, with how such a progressive interpretation might have led to results more in keeping with the foundational principles the founders wrote into the preface to the Constitution.

This 8-week course will begin on Friday, September 19th and will continue for the next eight Fridays (except no class on September 26th), ending Friday, November 21st.

The course is taught by Dr. Jane Scarborough, a retired professor of Constitutional Law. She holds a PhD in American Constitutional History from Rice University, and a Juris Doctor degree from Northeastern University School of Law.

The class is open to 65 participants. Registration is required below or by calling 508-539-1435, extension 3003. Participants should register for the first class only, but will be signed up for the entire series.