ACS

  • Welcome to ACS

    Over our 10 year history, ACS has become a "powerful institution that's helping to shape the law." Hear what Sen. Tom Daschle, Sen. Al Franken, White House Director of Domestic Policy Melody Barnes, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Gov. Deval Patrick and others have to say about where we have been, where we are and where we are going.

  • ACS 2012 National Convention

    Be a part of the convention, June 14-16, 2012, in Washington, D.C. Visit the convention page now to register and for hotel information

  • Explaining Constitutional Interpretation

    Keeping Faith with the Constitution, a common-sense approach to constitutional interpretation by Goodwin Liu, Pamela S. Karlan, and Christopher Schroeder originally published by ACS, recently was republished by Oxford University Press and continues to generate media coverage.

  • Examining Health Care Reform

    ACS hosted a stimulating panel discussion and keynote address by Sen. Thomas Daschle on the Affordable Care Act, its implementation, and the legal challenges leveled against it.

  • Judicial Nominations in 2011

    An ACS-sponsored event at the National Press Club on the slow pace of judicial confirmations featured a keynote address by White House Counsel Robert F. Bauer and an engaging discussion among a panel of experts.

  • Corporations and the Courts

    The Supreme Court's recent decision in Wal-Mart v. Dukes is the latest in a series of cases in the federal courts that scholars suggest demonstrate a preference for corporate interests over individuals.  ACS has compiled a number of resources on this and related cases.

  • Addressing the Indigent Defense Crisis

    To address persistent failures to fulfill the promise of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), ACS has launched an initiative to strengthen the federal role in improving the indigent defense system.

Shaping Debate

  • Sen. Whitehouse in RI Discusses Stalled Judicial Nominations

    Senator Sheldon Whitehouse used remarks at the inaugural event of ACS’s Rhode Island Lawyer Chapter to highlight the negative impact of judicial confirmation delays on the work of the courts and the administration of justice.

  • Dawn Johnsen Addresses ACS Chapters

    Professor Dawn Johnsen, an ACS Board Member, has been a featured speaker at ACS Chapter events across the country, discussing constitutional interpretation and the obstruction of her nomination to head the Justice Department’s OLC.

  • Making News in Nashville

    ACS’s Nashville Chapter recently held a number of news-making events, including a conversation between Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Thomas Perez, and U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin.

Building Networks

  • Educating the Next Generation

    Former acting solicitor general Walter Dellinger brought the Constitution to life at Ross Elementary School as part of ACS’s Constitution in the Classroom program, which sends lawyers and law students to public schools around the country.

  • Sen. Franken Examines the Constitution

    Senator Al Franken delivered a powerful critique of the Roberts Supreme Court and criticized efforts to scuttle the Obama administration's nominations to the federal courts and administration positions.

  • New ACS Health Care Resources Web Page

    ACS has created a web page featuring the latest news, legal filings, videos, and other resources relating to the Affordable Care Act and state efforts to challenge it. Among those resources are two Issue Briefs (here and here) published by ACS, which are cited frequently in the media and policy debates.

  • ACS & Partners Release Booklet on Becoming a Federal Judge

    In an effort to illuminate the federal judicial selection process, ACS has partnered with the HNBA, Justice at Stake, NAPABA, NAWJ, NBA, NCAI, and the National LGBT Bar to produce The Path To The Federal Bench.

  • ACS Journal Article Cited at Senate Hearing

    A study on the growing challenges to employment discrimination plaintiffs in federal courts, published in the official journal of the American Constitution Society, was spotlighted by Sen. Patrick Leahy during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

  • ACS and the Obama Administration

    Many key figures in the Obama administration have engaged with the ACS network, either having been ACS leaders and members, worked with ACS chapters, or spoken at ACS events.

  • Influencing Editorials

    The Akron Beacon Journal editorial board draws from an ACS Issue Brief by Lisa Heinzerling, a Georgetown Law professor and former senior Environmental Protection Agency official, to combat claims that government regulation inhibits economic growth.

Making a Difference

Now at ACS

$10K Award for Outstanding Public Interest Lawyer

ACS is now taking applications for its 2012 David Carliner Public Interest Award. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize, plus transportation and lodging for the ACS National Convention. Click here for details and instructions.

Read Publications

Find Events

February 7 - The Continuing Judicial Vacancy Crisis

The Philadelphia Lawyer Chapter and the University of Pennsylvania Law School Student Chapter will host a discussion featuring Hon. Thomas L. Ambro (3d Cir.), Hon. Andre M. Davis (4th Cir.) and Hon. Norma L. Shapiro (E.D. Pa.). Click here to RSVP.

Read ACS News

Join ACS

CFC Giving

Employees of the federal government can now support ACS through the Combined Federal Campaign!

Find a Lawyer Chapter or Student Chapter

Join The Conversation

Health Care Reform

Click here to visit the Affordable Care Act Resource Page.

The Story Behind the Supreme Court’s Strip-Search Case

Hear plaintiff Albert W. Florence’s account of his wrongful arrest, strip search and journey to the Supreme Court.

Judicial Nominations

ACS Launches New Judicial Nominations Website

The latest developments on nominees, delays, and the continuing vacancy crisis.

Read the Constitution

Click to view the U.S. Constitution and read our founding document.