The UNC School of Law chapter of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) was recognized with a Student Chapters Programming Award at the annual American Constitution Society National Convention in Washington, D.C. This is the second national award that the chapter has received in two years.
The Programming Award is given to chapters that hold at least 20 substantive events focused on ACS policy priorities in a single academic year.
Under the guidance of faculty advisors William P. Marshall, the William Rand Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law (also an ACS Board Member), Gene Nichol, the Boyd Tinsley Distinguished Professor of Law, and Michael Gerhardt, the Samuel Ashe Distinguished Professor in Constitutional Law, the UNC chapter had a busy academic year in 2013-14. During the fall semester, Gerhardt led a discussion on the judicial vacancy crisis and its impact on access to justice. The chapter hosted assistant professor of law Robert J. Smith for a discussion on the current state of indigent defense on the 50th anniversary of the landmark decision Gideon v. Wainwright. The chapter also partnered with the UNC Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity and the Carolina Law chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union to host Marshall and Guy-Uriel Charles for a debate on campaign finance. Another event featured Representative Rick Glazier from the North Carolina General Assembly discussing the state of public education in North Carolina.
The chapter worked with the First Amendment Law Review to co-sponsor its annual symposium. This year’s symposium celebrated the 50th anniversary of New York Times v. Sullivan, bringing in First Amendment experts from across the country, including a keynote by Ken Paulson, the president of The First Amendment Center and the former editor-in-chief of USA Today.
During the spring semester, the chapter hosted Professor Joseph Kennedy for a discussion on the link between race and mass incarceration and Judge Sam Ervin from the N.C. Court of Appeals to discuss the influence of money in judicial elections. The chapter also hosted documentary film screenings on medical marijuana and immigration reform. To close out the year, the chapter hosted Dr. David Podoff, former chief economist of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, for a discussion of the economic implications of the Affordable Care Act.
-July 17, 2014