Profiling two Virginian Founding Fathers and parsing the differences between their constitutional visions—scholars Colleen Sheehan and Jeff Broadwater join host Jeffrey Rosen.

President Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon on September 8, 1974 generated a national controversy, but in recent years, some of the pardon’s biggest critics have changed their tunes on the unprecedented move.

On September 9, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted a new name for what had been called “the United Colonies.” The moniker United States of America has remained since then as a symbol of freedom and independence.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia recently ruled that the Terrorist Screening Database is unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause and Administrative Procedure Act claims. Striking down the Terrorist Screening Database is significant because all other watchlists used by the United States are derived from it. The database is maintained by the Terrorism Screening Center, which was formed after the 9/11 attacks to facilitate sharing of information between executive agencies and the counterterrorism community.

Constitutional cases resulting from the 9/11 attacks by Michael Boyd

"No person shall be... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law..."

The Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause by Roger Fairfax and John C. Harrison

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

Deborah Pearlstein, law professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Ben Wittes, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and John Yoo, professor of law at the University of California at Berkeley, discuss the Framers’ original vision of war powers, how presidents have viewed war powers over time, and whether this change is consistent with the Constitution. 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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