ABOUT

The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy

Who We Are and What We Believe

        Founded in 2001, The American Constitution Society (ACS) is a national organization of law students, lawyers, scholars, judges, policymakers, and activists.  The organization is driven by the goal of ensuring that important principles of human dignity, individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, and access to justice retain a central place in American law.  We believe that those who create, interpret, and enforce our laws must have a greater concern for the way in which it affects the personal lives of those it governs.  Members of ACS recognize the direct relationship between legal theory and the broader debate about the kind of society in which we live.  We hope to revitalize and transform the legal debates in classrooms, federal courtrooms, and the media into one that encompasses the broad range of interests at stake in our nation.  We view law as an integral mechanism for governing the relationship between and among the individuals and institutions that form our society.

       The American Constitution Society is a non-partisan, non-profit educational organization.  The Society does not lobby, litigate, or take positions on specific issues, cases, legislation, or nominations.  We do, however, encourage our members to express their unique viewpoints.  For more information on National and the goals of our parent organization, please visit www.acslaw.org or click here to view their promotional flier.

ACS at Penn Law:

       Formed in 2001, the Penn Law Chapter of ACS is an important member of the national organization.  Our Chapter hosts interesting and prominent speaker events on campus, along with a wide variety of academic and educational panels.  Through these events, we strive to create a forum for discussion and debate, and foster networking between students and professionals in the Philadelphia community.

       As one of the most established chapters, Penn is also responsible for running the National Student Writing Competition.  For more information on this unique event, visit the Writing Competition sections of this website.

       The 2009-2010 Board looks forward to continuing to provide the Penn Law campus with high-caliber programs throughout the school year.  For updates on our events, please visit the Events page or join our mailing list on the Membership page.