Celebrating the Birth of U.S. Constitution
“In 2004, Congress passed a law designating September 17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, commemorating the formation and signing of the Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1787,” said Dana Lee Einstein’s senior counsel as she introduced the College of Medicine’s Constitution Day lecture and panel discussion, held on Thursday, September 14, 2017, in the third-floor lecture hall of the Leo Forchheimer Medical Science Building.
Victor Kovner, a renowned First Amendment attorney, makes a point about free speech during the panel discussion
She added, “Under the law, each educational institution that receives Federal funds during the fiscal year is required to hold an educational program about the U.S. Constitution for its students.”
Ms. Lee, who heads up Einstein’s legal office, teamed with Dr. Dhanonjoy Saha, director of the office of grant support, to create a program for the Einstein community that included a presentation on “Presidential Power: From FDR to Trump” and a panel discussion addressing first amendment rights and speech on campus—two aspects of the Constitution that are particularly important to students, faculty and staff. They also provided a free U.S. Constitution booklet to all event attendees.
The panelists and event hosts, from left: David Yassky, Dana Lee, Dhanonjoy Saha, Mark Elliott, and Victor KovnerMs. Lee began by introducing David Yassky, dean of Pace University School of Law, whose presentation offered insights on the gradual expansion of governmental powers beyond the doctrine of the original constitution, and how key historical events —such as the Civil War, World War II, and the events of September 11—triggered these changes.
For the panel discussion, Mr. Yassky was joined by Victor Kovner, a renowned First Amendment lawyer and Mark Elliott, a partner at Phillips Nizer law firm who served as moderator. In the lead-up to the discussion, Mr. Kovner then referenced the recent events of Charlottesville, Virginia and how they pertain to the fundamental principles of the first and second amendments.
The panel discussion that followed focused on controversial topics such as hate speech laws and navigating the fine line between safeguarding constitutional rights and maintaining civil order.
The event concluded with a reception along Einstein’s “Main Street.” In addition, throughout the week, daily trivia questions appeared on campus monitors and Inside Einstein, the College of Medicine’s intranet. Winning participants in the trivia contest received gift coupons for purchases made in the Einstein Café.
Editor’s Note: You can view the event presentation and panel discussion, recorded on Zoom, here.
Posted on: Friday, December 01, 2017