"This is hands-down the best seminar/conference I have attended."
"I never had the chance to learn any of this in law school."
"This was one of the most impactful weeks of my professional life."
"This seminar made me think about the law more than some of the semester-long law school classes did."
"The originalism boot camp is the premiere forum to educate the next generation of constitutionalist lawyers."
"If I am presented with an originalism question during my clerkship, I have a good understanding of how to approach the question and begin the applied research."
"Considering how widely accepted textualism and, to a lesser extent, originalism has become in recent years, I think every participant has a leg-up on other law students/clerks/practicing lawyers."
Originalism Summer Seminar
Through lectures by the nation’s preeminent originalist scholars and litigators, luncheon discussions, and visits to the United States Supreme Court, the Originalism Summer Seminar--a “Boot Camp” on the Theory and Practice of Originalism--exposes elite law students and recent graduates to state-of-the-art originalism and alternative approaches to constitutional interpretation.
Originalism Summer Seminar
The Georgetown Center for the Constitution will offer a week-long “Boot Camp” on originalism in theory and practice, open to students and recent graduates (within 5 years) from all law schools.
The seminar takes place each May and begins with an opening reception followed by academic sessions taking place each day of the week.
| The application to the 2026 Originalism Summer Seminar is available here. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 13, 2026 at 11:59pm EST. Preference will be given to applicants who have accepted clerkships that commence in 2026 and beyond, with consideration for highly qualified candidates in relevant fields. |
Requirements
- Current law students who will have completed their first year of law school by the start of the program or recent graduates (within 5 years); PhD candidates are also eligible
- Interest in a judicial clerkship is not required but is preferred
Learn About the Seminar
2025 Summer Seminar Highlights
- Meeting with Associate Justices of the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett
- Originalism Summer Seminar Alumni Panel
- Debate: The Positivist Case For and Against Originalism
(Professors Stephen Sachs and Sherif Girgis) - Originalism Applied: Research Project with Professor Mark Moller
- How to do Originalist Research with Jud Campbell
- Corpus Linguistics Exercise with James Heilpern
2026 Summer Seminar Lecture Topics
- Overview of Originalist Theory (Professor Lawrence Solum)
- Construction (Professor Stephanie Barclay)
- Normative Rationales For Originalism (Professor Randy Barnett)
- Progressive Criticisms of Originalism (Professor Tom Colby)
- How to Choose a Theory of Constitutional Interpretation (Professor Cass Sunstein)
- Public Meaning Originalism (Professor Lawrence Solum)
- Framework Originalism (Professor Jack Balkin)
- Original Law & Positivism (Professor Stephen Sachs)
- Original Methods Originalism (Professor Mike Rappaport)
- Natural Law & Originalism (Professor Joel Alicea)
- History & Tradition (Professor Sherif Girgis)
- How to Think About Constitutional Rights (Professors Stephanie Barclay & Randy Barnett)
- Corpus Linguistics Exercise (Professor James Heilpern)
- How to do Originalist Research (Professor Jud Campbell)
- Originalism Applied Research (Professor Mark Moller)
- Police Power (Professors Christina Mulligan & Christian Gonzalez-Rivera)
- Precedent & Party Presentation (Professors Lawrence Solum & Randy Barnett)
- Birthright Citizenship (Professors Ilan Wurman & Michael Ramsey)
- Was the Federal Government One of Limited and Enumerated Powers? (Professors John Mikhail & John Harrison)
- Humphrey’s Executor (Eli Nachmany & Professor Christopher Walker)
