Battles over the future of slavery in the nation and the territories, the nature and extent of individual rights and the meaning of equality, and whether and how the union could survive characterized the Lincoln-Douglas debates; historians Sidney Blumenthal and Lucas Morel explore the debates with Jeffrey Rosen.

On the anniversary of the 19th Amendment's ratification, August 18, we look back at a young politician whose unexpected vote in the Tennessee state legislature gave women the right to vote.

Hawaii joined the Union on August 21, 1959, an act that remains historically significant but not without controversy.

August 16 marks the anniversary of an unusual event in White House history when President John Tyler's veto of a banking bill led to violence at the president's mansion.

New developments have occurred recently in two key cases involving the legal and constitutional rights of transgender people.

Last Friday, the Justice Department filed a brief in Harris Funeral Homes v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, arguing that the federal civil rights law Title VII does not bar discrimination against transgender employees. This pits the Trump administration's Justice Department against the EEOC, which has pushed to broaden workplace protections for transgender people. The Supreme Court will hear this case in October.

In a related case, Gavin Grimm, the transgender student who was denied use of the boys' bathroom, won his discrimination lawsuit against his high school, again, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Two years ago, the Supreme Court remanded Grimm's case because the Trump administration ended the Obama-era policy of applying Title IX protections to transgender people. Grimm's alma mater now has the option to appeal the ruling to the Fourth Circuit, and the case may reach the Supreme Court again.

A high-profile legal victory on transgender rights by Lyle Denniston

A busy Tuesday morning at the Supreme Court by Scott Bomboy

Major rulings on gay and transgender rights coming by Lyle Denniston

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

The Equal Protection Clause by Brian Fitzpatrick and Theodore M. Shaw

The Interactive Constitution is the leading digital resource about the Constitution’s history and its meaning today. A free online platform, the Interactive Constitution brings scholars from across the legal and philosophical spectrum to explore the meaning of each provision of our founding document.

Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, legal scholars Erwin Chemerinsky and Frederick Lawrence, and Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick, examine the Supreme Court’s 2018-19 term, which includes significant cases regarding religious displays, the death penalty, partisan gerrymandering, the census, and more. Melissa Garlick, civil rights national counsel for the Anti-Defamation League, moderates. This program was presented in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League.

1.0 CLE substantive credit

Joan Biskupic, legal analyst for CNN and the author of highly-praised books on Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia, and Sonia Sotomayor, unveils her new biography of John Roberts, the chief justice of the United States. Taking us inside the momentous legal decisions of his tenure, Biskupic explores what she calls Roberts' divergent priorities: to follow his conservative conscience and to protect the Court's institutional legitimacy. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

The National Constitution Center's CLE programs, which can be attended in-person or on-demand online, are accredited in various states. Please check your state rules for specific forms and procedures. For more information, visit constitutioncenter.org/CLE.

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling our congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” The National Constitution Center’s educational programs are made possible through the generosity of foundations, corporations, and individual donors and members nationwide.

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