17th Annual Hugh & Hazel Darling Foundation Originalism Works-in-Progress Conference

Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Constitutional Originalism, the conference will feature the presentation of a variety of new works concerning originalism. All scholars who are interested in originalism are invited to attend. The conference is open to the public but advance registration is required. This conference is made possible through support from the Hugh & Hazel Darling Foundation.

Papers and Commentators (2026)

1. Will Baude (Chicago), "Crosskey’s Legacy"
   • Commentator: Tara Grove (Texas)
2. Joseph Blocher (Duke) & Reva B. Siegel (Yale), “The Ambitions of History and
   Tradition in and Beyond the Second Amendment”
   • Commentator: Joel Alicea (Catholic)
3. Eric Claeys (Scalia), "The Police Power and the Fourteenth Amendment"
   • Commentator: Michael McConnell (Stanford)
4. Christopher Green (Ohio State), "Equal Citizenship Yes, Intermediate Scrutiny No"
   • Commentator: Jack Balkin (Yale)
5. John Harrison (Virginia), "Does the Constitution Give the United States Government General Authority to Act in the National Interest?"
   • Commentator: John Mikhail (Georgetown)
6. Ryan Snyder (Missouri), "Historical Practice at the Founding"
   • Commentator: Aditya Bamzai (Virginia)
7. Keith Whittington (Yale), "By Birth Alone: The Original Meaning of Birthright
   Citizenship and Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States"
   • Commentator: Thomas Lee (Fordham)

2026 Participants

Joel Alicea, Catholic University
Jack Balkin, Yale Law School
Aditya Bamzai, University of Virginia School of Law
Randy Barnett, Georgetown Law
Will Baude, University of Chicago Law School
Thomas Berry, Cato Institute
Andras Bethlendi, Duke University School of Law
Joseph Blocher, Duke University School of Law
Matthew Brogdon, UVU Center for Constitutional Studies
Eric Claeys, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University
Thomas Colby, George Washington University Law School
Tom Donnelly, University of Richmond School of Law
Jamel Donner, William & Mary Law School
Charles Eldred, Independent
Rob Gelles, University of Chicago
Christopher Green, Ohio State University
Adam Griffin, Department of Justice
Hon. Patrick Bumatay, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Jud Campbell, Stanford Law School
Charlie Capps, ASU Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Dale Carpenter, SMU Dedman School of Law
Hung-Ju Chen, The Institute of European and American Studies, Academia Sinica
Tara Grove, University of Texas School of Law
John Harrison, University of Virginia School of Law
Emilie Kao, Alliance Defending Freedom
David Kinnaird, Georgetown Center for the Constitution
Parker Knight, Harvard Law School
Andrew Koppelman, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Brittney Lane Kubisch, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law
Thomas Lee, Fordham Law School
Tyler Lindley, BYU Law School
Brian Lipshutz, University of Chicago Law School
Michael McConnell, Stanford Law School
John Mikhail, Georgetown Law
Christina Mulligan, Brooklyn Law School
Bradley Niedershulte, Harvard Law School
Robert Post, Yale Law School
Richard Primus, University of Michigan Law School
Bradley Rebeiro, BYU Law School
Steve Sachs, Harvard Law School
Theodore Seto, LMU Loyola Law School
Reva B. Siegel, Yale Law School
Ryan Snyder, University of Missouri School of Law
Larry Solum, University of Virginia School of Law
Horacio Spector, University of San Diego School of Law
Lorianne Updike Schulzke, NIU, Yale Law School
David Upham, St. Thomas University College of Law
Garrett West, Yale Law School
Keith Whittington, Yale Law School
Kathryn A. Woolard, UC San Diego, Department of Anthropology (Emerita)
Ilan Wurman, University of Minnesota Law School

Videos of the Conference

Recordings posted to YouTube.

Center for the Study of Constitutional Originalism Members

• Michael Rappaport — Hugh and Hazel Darling Foundation Professor of Law and Center Director, University of San Diego
• Lawrence Alexander — Warren Distinguished Professor of Law, University of San Diego (Emeritus)
• Laurence Claus — Professor of Law, University of San Diego
• Donald Dripps — Warren Distinguished Professor of Law, University of San Diego
• Michael Ramsey — Warren Distinguished Professor of Law, University of San Diego
• Erin Sheley — Professor of Law, University of San Diego
• Steven Smith — Warren Distinguished Professor of Law, University of San Diego (Retired)

Past conference recordings, agendas, and participants are available here.