Professor of Law
Co-Director of the William C. Wefel Center for Employment Law
Saint Louis University School of Law
Curt and Linda Rodin Professor of Law and Social Justice
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
William R. Jacques Constitutional Law Scholar
Professor of Law
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law
Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development
Professor of Law
University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
Lillie Myers Professor of Law
Professor of History
Saint Louis University School of Law
The 2024 Richard J. Childress Memorial Lecture will explore the future of U.S. constitutional interpretation with a presentation by keynote speaker Madiba K. Dennie, author of The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back, as well as several presentations by other renowned constitutional scholars.
Courts often must ascertain the meaning of a constitutional provision before applying it to the facts of a case. In addition, the text of the Constitution is silent on fundamental questions of constitutional law, including questions that its drafters could not have foreseen. There is significant debate over which sources and methods courts should use in exercising the power of judicial review. This year’s Childress Lecture speakers will discuss and debate various methods of constitutional interpretation, including the history and principles of constitutional interpretation, textualism, originalism, structuralism, pragmatism, and more.
Madiba K. Dennie is an attorney, columnist, and professor whose work focuses on fostering an equitable multiracial democracy. Her debut book is The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back. Ms. Dennie is the Deputy Editor and Senior Contributor at the critical legal commentary outlet Balls and Strikes.
