Conference to explore unique makeup of U.S. Constitution

The U.S. Constitution is a unique and ironic document. 

That's the premise of an upcoming conference hosted by the Brandeis School of Law and The Filson Historical Society. 

"The People's Constitution: Our 18th Century Constitution in Modern Context" will examine how the United States has functioned under this unique constitution for the past 229 years.

The conference, Nov. 4-5 at The Filson Historical Society, is free to the public.

"In the Declaration of Independence, the signers staked out a new path for government that rejected the concept of the Divine Right of Kings. Instead, they opted for a democratically-based approach to governmental legitimacy: that the power to govern flows from the consent of the governed," states the conference's description. "Despite this commitment to the consent of the governed, the framers of the Constitution did not fully embrace democratic principles. While they adopted and integrated Baron De Montesquieu’s notion of the separation of powers, they at the same time prevented democratic majorities from exercising their will."

Speakers include attorneys and law professors, including Russell Weaver and Justin Walker from Brandeis Law. 

To reserve your spot and learn more about the conference, visit The Filson Historical Society.