MSU Law to Celebrate Constitution Day

Law College Will Host Lecture in Recognition of 220th Anniversary of United States Constitution

EAST LANSING, MI – Michigan State University College of Law will celebrate Constitution Day on September 17, 2007: a day that marks the 220th anniversary of our nation’s founding document.

In recognition of Constitution Day, Professor Matthew L.M. Fletcher, director of the Law College’s Indigenous Law & Policy Center, will give a lecture entitled "Rule of Law and Constitutional Aspects of Indian Law." His lecture, based on his paper "The Supreme Court and the Rule of Law: Indian Law Case Studies," will examine whether Supreme Court decisions are actually based on the "rule of law" as the Court suggests. Professor Fletcher argues that is not the case especially in the body of federal Indian law as demonstrated by tribes losing nearly three-quarters of their cases before the Supreme Court since 1988.

"Constitution Day is a chance to reflect upon the significance of a document that has survived the test of time and still breathes life into our legal and governing structures," Professor Fletcher said. "My talk celebrates the fact that, although we may disagree about specific questions, we all agree that the Constitution is the legitimate starting point for these discussions."

Professor Fletcher’s lecture will take place on Monday, September, 17, 2007 at noon in Room 472 of the Law College Building. His paper is available at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1013398.

MSU College of Law was in founded in 1891 and is a private institution of higher learning devoted exclusively to professional education in law. The Law College is one of only a few private law schools to be affiliated with a research university, enabling it to provide a comprehensive interdisciplinary legal education program. Classes offered in its state-of-the-art facilities provide students the benefits of a Big Ten campus while maintaining the small school culture. Its 2006 graduates achieved a 93 percent bar examination passage rate nationwide and the Law College’s Intellectual Property & Communications Law Program falls in the nation’s top-20 according to U.S. News & World Report. The Law College is one of the oldest continuously operating independent law colleges in the nation. For more information about the Law College, visit www.law.msu.edu.

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320B Law College Building
East Lansing, MI 48824
www.law.msu.edu