Originalism Summer Seminar

In May, the Georgetown Center for the Constitution will offer a week-long “Boot Camp” on originalism in theory and practice, open to students from all law schools. The five-day Seminar will run from Sunday, May 22 to Friday, May 27. Morning sessions start at 8:00 a.m. followed by a daily luncheon and afternoon meetings. The week concludes with a farewell reception on Friday, May 27. Students who successfully complete the Originalism Summer Seminar will receive a $1,000 honorarium. The application cycle opens Friday, December 9, 2021 and ends Friday, February 4, 2022.

New Zoom Option

To allow more participants in the Originalism Summer Seminar, the Center will offer an additional 25-student Zoom section led by Professor Evan Bernick. All students in the Zoom section who fully participate in the virtual seminar will receive the same honorarium of $1,000 as those who participate live. In your application, please specify if you prefer to participate in person or by Zoom.

Learn About the Seminar

Instructions to Apply to the 2022 Summer Seminar

To apply, please submit the following items in a single PDF file titled [Last Name, First Name]:

1. Cover page	Name Law School GPA J.D. Graduation Year Journal Affiliation Clerkship (including dates) Preference for live or Zoom option
2. Résumé
3. 500-750 word statement	The statement should explain your career plans and answer the following questions: What constitutional law courses have you taken? What is your understanding of originalism? Why do you want to attend the boot camp? What role will originalism play in your career?
4. Transcripts from all degree-granting institutions	(unofficial OR official)

 

Applications are due by Friday, February 4, 2022 at 5:00 PM (EST). The application must be submitted as a single PDF file to Elana Quint at elana.quint@georgetown.edu 

Requirements

• Current law students who will have completed their first year of law school by the start of the program or recent graduates less than 5 years; PhD candidates are also eligible
• Interest in a judicial clerkship is not required, but is preferred

Honorarium

Up to forty accepted applicants will receive a $1,000 honorarium for their participation in the Summer Seminar. To receive the honorarium, participants must attend all sessions for the entirety of the week.

2022 Summer Seminar Highlights

• Luncheon Talk on Gouverneur Morris and the Committee of Style: Dean William M. Treanor (Wed)
• Originalism Seminar Alumni Clerk Panel (Wed)
• Meeting with Associate Justice of the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch (Thurs)
• Meeting with Associate Justice of the Supreme Court: Clarence Thomas (Thurs)
• Luncheon Lecture on Corpus Linguistics: Utah Supreme Court Justice Thomas Lee (Thurs)

Summer Seminar Lecture Topics

• Overview of Originalism (Solum)
• Normative Rationales For Originalism (Barnett)
• Progressive Criticisms of Originalism (Colby)
• Responses to Progressive Criticisms of Originalism (Solum and Barnett)
• Discussion of Conservative Criticisms of Originalism (Solum and Barnett)
• Public Meaning Originalism (Solum)
• Original Methods Originalism (Rappaport)
• Living Originalism (Balkin)
• Original Law Originalism (Sachs)
• Diverse Originalism (Mulligan)
• Stare Decisis (Solum and Barnett)
• Constitutional Construction (Bernick)
• Originalism & the Philosophy of Language (Soames)
• Originalist Sources (Campbell)
• Original Meaning of “Cruel and Unusual Punishment” (Stinneford)
• Original Meaning and the Establishment Clause: A Corpus Linguistic Analysis (Barclay)
• Original Meaning of ‘Officers of the United States’ (Mascott)
• Original Meaning of the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the 14th Amendment (Bernick)