Panel on State Constitutionalism

The UVA Law Chapter of the American Constitution Society (ACS), in partnership with Virginia Law Review (VLR), hosts an event discussing the importance of state constitutions and state constitutionalism.

Panelists:

Judge Dan Friedman (Appellate Court of Maryland)

Judge Lisa Lorish (Virginia Court of Appeals)

Justice Allison Riggs (North Carolina Supreme Court)

Moderator:

Jay Swanson (Brennan Center for Justice)

"Big Beautiful Bill" Debrief Panel

Panel describing how the bill was passed, and how it will affect student's access to Medicaid, SNAP, Immigrant Rights, and student loans.

Panelists: 

Brittany Shannahan, Organizer, Medicare-for-All Campaign, Public Citizen: Brittany Shannahan currently serves as a Medicare-for-All Organizer at Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that works vigorously to defend our democracy, resist corporate power, and fight to ensure the government works for its constituents. She has extensive experience organizing activist networks and campaigning for national and local civil society campaigns. As a Medicare-for-All Organizer, Brittany advocates for a single-payer healthcare system and coordinates activists locally and around the country to pass city and county resolutions. Before her time at Public Citizen, Brittany worked in various other public interest roles, including Healthcare Is a Human Right Maryland as Campaign Manager and Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake as a Development Assistant.

Tony DuLaney, Clinical Case Manager, University of Baltimore, School of Law: Tony DuLaney currently supports University of Baltimore students through the University's Office of Student Support in which he oversees the Compass Case Management Program, Student Assistance Program, and the Student Emergency Assistance Fund. In his work as the Co-Chair of the University Basic Needs Committee, he collaborates with several campus administrators in assessing and creatively supporting the holistic needs of the University of Baltimore Student Community. Prior to his time at UBalt, Tony worked in various roles within the Mental Health Nonprofit space in supporting Community Mental Health Centers and School Based Mental Health Programs throughout the Baltimore- Washington Metro Area.

Professor Valeria Gomez, Director Immigrant Rights and Immigrant Justice Clinic, UB Law: Valeria Gomez, an expert in immigration and asylum law, joined the UBalt Law faculty in 2022. She directs the University of Baltimore School of Law’s Immigrant Rights Clinic and Immigrant Justice Clinic and also teaches Immigration Law. Gomez regularly speaks on issues related to asylum and immigration law and clinical teaching. Gomez’s scholarship currently focuses on the intersection of immigration law, gender, sexual orientation, and reproductive justice, and on the effect of geography and space in the implementation and consequences of immigration law and policy. Her scholarship is informed by her experience as a practicing immigration attorney, her past experiences as a public interest attorney in under-served legal regions and her experiences as a Mexican-American woman.

Supreme Court Term Review

The American Constitution Society at Michigan Law, the Women's Law Students Association, and the ACLU at Michigan Law are proud to host our annual Supreme Court Term Review with Professor Leah Litman. Professor Litman is a Professor of Law at Michigan Law. She teaches and writes on constitutional law, federal courts, and federal post-conviction review. Her research examines unidentified and implicit values that are used to structure the legal system, the federal courts, and the legal profession.

Defending Dissent: Free Speech, Protest, and the Legacy of Texas v. Johnson

Date: Thursday, October 23, 2025

Time: 5:00 – 6:00 PM

Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Register: https://rutgers.zoom.us/meeting/register/j9KH8w_sRjKUwiUFNiOszw

Join us for a virtual conversation on the First Amendment and protest with Gregory Johnson, lead plaintiff in Texas v. Johnson (1989), the landmark Supreme Court case that held flag burning as a form of political protest is protected speech under the First Amendment.

This event will explore:

- The facts and legacy of Texas v. Johnson

- The broader implications of the case for freedom of expression

- The resurgence of laws and policies seeking to curtail protest, dissent, and other forms of constitutionally protected speech

Featured Speaker: Gregory Johnson; Lead plaintiff in Texas v. Johnson (1989)

Moderator: Professor Carlos Gonzalez, Rutgers Law School

MC Law Chapter Interest Meeting

Please join us for our chapter's very first interest meeting! This is a great opportunity to meet the executive team, learn more about who we are, and discover what our chapter is all about. We'll be sharing our goals, upcoming events, and how you can get involved. Food will be provided, beverages will be available, and we’re excited to connect with everyone who’s interested. We can’t wait to see you there!

Current Attacks on Education and Public Interest: What’s Happening, How it Affects You, and What Can You Do About It.

Join ACS at UHLC for an exciting conversation with Antonio Ingram, senior counsel at the Legal Defense Fund. He will be joining us to speak on attacks on truth happening in Texas through SB 17, SB 37 and SB 12, all of which attack higher education and or diversity, equity and inclusion. He will be speaking on career paths in public interest as well as his work at the Legal Defense Fund.