The Declaration of Independence: Origins & Relevance
A Toll-free Teleconference
with Online Powerpoint
Thurs., Sept. 16, 2010,
Noon-1:30 pm PDT – 1.5 Live MCLE Credits (Approved #263813)
$89 first attorney / $69
each add’l attorney (same line)
Special with “Constitutional Convention”: $149 first att’y / $109 each add’l att’y (same line)
September is “Constitution Month,” and Rubric celebrates with a two-part examination of our founding documents. In this first class, we look at the Declaration of Independence, which Lincoln called the “anchor of American republicanism.” We will examine the origins of the Declaration in English and American political experience, dig deep into the “negative constitution” of the Declaration, and consider its historical and current relevance as a source of law. We will also explore the fascinating question of whether the Declaration created one nation or thirteen independent sovereignties, with its implications for the never-ending debate over Federalism.
Faculty:
Michael Schein, WSBA 21646, Appellate Litigator with Sullivan &
Thoreson; Speakers’ bureau, ACLU of Washington; former adjunct Professor of
American Legal History, Seattle University School of Law; Author of Bones
Beneath Our Feet (forthcoming
historical novel)), and Just Deceits:
A Historical Courtroom Mystery (Bennett & Hastings 2008).
To register: First attorney (opens the conference line):
Special combined price with Constitutional Convention ($149):
Declaration of Independence only ($89):
Add'l attorney (same line) (you must have a first att'y to join):
Special combined price with Constitutional Convention ($109):
Declaration of Independence only ($69):
Notice to registrants: You will receive course materials and instructions for accessing the conference by email about 48 hours prior to the CLE start time. If you register closer to the CLE start time do not fear - you will receive your materials before the CLE begins.
SCHEDULE
12:00 – 12:30 Origins of Our Founding Documents. This segment discusses the importance of historical analysis of founding documents in ascertaining original intent, and then embarks on a detailed examination of precursors to the Declaration, including the 1689 English Declaration of Rights, and the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights.
12:30 – 1:00 The “Negative Constitution” in the Declaration. An examination of the oft-neglected charges against the King, and what they tell us of the views of the Continental Congress on the primacy of the Rule of Law.
1:00 – 1:30 The Declaration: One Nation, or Many?
What
the Declaration reveals on the perpetually vexing question of Federalism.
Go to Constitutional Convention.
Go to Course Offerings.