Major Recent Supreme Court Cases to be Reviewed at UA

By La Monica Everett-Haynes, University Communications | September 13, 2010

Constitution Day events, hosted by the UA's James E. Rogers College of Law, will include a presentation by members of the U.S. Supreme Court with a review of a number of important court cases.

Constitution Day is celebrated nationwide to commemorate the day in 1787 that the U.S. Constitution was approved by the state delegations to the Constitutional Convention and signed by 39 of its framers.
Constitution Day is celebrated nationwide to commemorate the day in 1787 that the U.S. Constitution was approved by the state delegations to the Constitutional Convention and signed by 39 of its framers.
Sally Rider, the William H. Rehnquist Center director, will moderate the discussion on four recent major U.S. Supreme Court cases during the 12th annual Constitution Day event at the UA.
Sally Rider, the William H. Rehnquist Center director, will moderate the discussion on four recent major U.S. Supreme Court cases during the 12th annual Constitution Day event at the UA.

A number of important recent Supreme Court cases will be reviewed during Constitution Day, which will be held at the University of Arizona this month.

University professors and former deans will review the cases with judges from courts in various parts of the U.S. during the event, hosted by the William H. Rehnquist Center.

The center, located at the UA's James E. Rogers College of Law, has coordinated Constitution Day events for 12 consecutive years.

The Sept. 16 event will be 2-5 p.m. in Room 164 of the College of Law, located at 1201 E. Speedway Blvd. A reception will follow the event. 

Reservations are not required to attend the event, but space is limited. Individuals who are interested in earning continuing legal education credit for attending the event should contact Donna Shafer at 520-626-1629 or donna.shafer@law.arizona.edu.  

A panelists of experts will review four U.S. Supreme Court cases.

The first is Christian Legal Society Chapter of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, AKA Hastings Christian Fellowship vs. Martinez et al.

The case questioned whether the Christian Legal Society at the University of California had violated First Amendment rights and whether student-led organizations must be all inclusive of members regardless of sexual orientation or "status."  

The second is McDonald vs. Chicago, which questioned ordinances that served to prohibit having handguns at one's home.

Free Enterprise Fund vs. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board concerned the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's formation as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The court ruled the formation unconstitutional. 

And Citizens United vs. Federal Election Committee was concerned with independent corporate and union spending for political broadcasts during elections. 

The panelists include:

  • Maureen Mahoney, a member of the Supreme Court and appellate practice in the Washington, D.C. office of Latham & Watkins. Mahoney also is a former U.S. Deputy Solicitor General and member of the Rehnquist Center Advisory Board.
  • The Honorable Neil V. Wake of the U.S. District Court in the District of Arizona.
  • Toni Massaro, UA Regents' Professor, Dean Emerita and the Milton O. Riepe Chair in Constitutional Law at the UA law school. 
  • David Marcus, a UA associate professor of law at the UA law school

Also, Sally Rider, the Rehnquist Center director, will moderate the discussion. 

The free public presentation is being held in conjunction with a nationwide commemoration of Constitution Day.

The UA event, which received support from the Wings Like Eagles Foundation, is sponsored by the non-partisan Rehnquist Center at the James E. Rogers College of Law with the generous support of the Marshall Foundation.