2023 Symposium

Join us for the 2023 North Carolina Law Review Symposium: Walter Dellinger and the Path of Constitutional Law.

Date: October 6, 2023
Time: 8:30am to 4:30pm
Location: University of North Carolina School of Law
Livestream: bit.ly/NCLR2023SymposiumLive

Walter Dellinger stands as one of the most important figures in the history of American Constitutional Law. In addition to being a law professor, Dellinger served as the Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Department of Justice, as the acting United States Solicitor General, and as an attorney in the Office of the White House Counsel. He testified before Congress 25 times, authored numerous op-eds in leading publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, and argued 24 cases before the Supreme Court, including some of the most important cases of the last thirty years. These include District of Columbia v. Heller (second amendment), Clinton v. Jones (presidential immunity from suit), Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC (the ministerial exception to Civil Rights laws), Washington v. Glucksberg (physician-assisted suicide), Hunt v. Cromartie (North Carolina racial gerrymandering), Turner Broadcasting v. FCC (FCC must-carry rules), Schenck v. Pro-Choice Network (abortion protests), Printz v. United States(anti-commandeering), and City of Bourne v. Flores (Congress’s power under Section V of the Fourteenth Amendment). 

This Symposium brings together a diverse group of scholars and judges to analyze and critique Dellinger’s work and to show how his thinking relates to current developments in Constitutional Law. 

Dellinger’s work spanned virtually the full panoply of Constitutional Law so topics will range from Civil Rights and Reproduction to Government Lawyering and the Presidency. Thus, the Symposium will essentially capture the trajectory of Constitutional Law over the last fifty years – up to and including how those developments have led to our current constitutional moment. Dellinger had deep interests in constitutional history, the meaning of the rule of law, the constitutional amendment process under Article V, and the duties of the Office of Legal Counsel in constraining presidential power, and we’re excited to be presenting this Symposium this year.

Join us in honoring Walter Dellinger’s legacy through our Fall 2023 Symposium, Walter Dellinger and the Path of Constitutional Law, featuring top scholars and leaders in Constitutional law on topics including the Presidency, governmental lawyering, civil rights, and Constitutional theory.

Tentative Schedule:

  • Panel 1 (9:15-10:30am): Civil Rights (Reproduction, Race, & Religion)
  • Panel 2 (10:45am-12:00pm): The Presidency
  • Lunch & Keynote Dialogue (12:00-1:15pm)
  • Panel 3 (1:15-2:30pm): Government Lawyering
  • Panel 4 (2:45-4:15pm): The Past and The Future of Constitutional Law

Please contact Amy Price, arprice@unc.edu, and Libby Brown, esbrown@unc.edu, with any questions.