Leading legal scholar and “West Wing” consultant Akhil Reed Amar will present “The Constitution at a Crossroads,” an engaging 45 minute talk and 20 minute Q&A on Thursday, February 16 at 6:15 pm. It will be held at the UNM School of Law, located at 1117 Stanford NE, Albuquerque with a reception to follow.   

For the first time in our lifetime — and for one of the few times in modern history — all four major federal institutions of power were in play in the last election. As last year’s election approached, the Democrats had a real chance to win control of the House, Senate, Presidency and Supreme Court. Instead, the Republicans swept the field and now control all four institutions, even though Donald Trump lost the (legally irrelevant) national popular presidential vote.

In this talk, based in part on his recently released book, “The Constitution Today,” Yale Law Professor Amar will discuss the constitutional significance of various modern cases and controversies — from gun control to gay rights, from the electoral college to campaign finance — and  will discuss the American constitutional project more generally. Come prepared to ask any question you like about America’s constitutional system — past, present, and future.

This program has been approved by the New Mexico Minimum Continuing Legal Education Board for 1.0 General hours of credit. It is free and open to the public, with free parking available in the Law School “L” parking lot.

Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, where he teaches constitutional law in both Yale College and Yale Law School. His work has won awards from both the American Bar Association and the Federalist Society, and he has been favorably cited by Supreme Court justices across the spectrum in more than 30 cases—tops in his generation.

The presentation is co-sponsored by The University of New Mexico School of Law and the Yale Alumni Association of New Mexico.

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