Approaching the US Constitution: Sacred Covenant or Plaything For Lawyers and Judges

Program Description: In this talk, Dr. Hunter will be examining the question of how best to approach the US Constitution. Among other things, he takes on the position of Chief Justice Roberts who argues that justices should approach the Constitution as neutral umpires calling balls and strikes.

Bio: Dr. Hunter began teaching at The College of Idaho in 1988 and was named the Idaho Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement in Teaching in 2008. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

Hunter teaches political philosophy and constitutional law and holds a biannual Mock Supreme Court course in which nine students are selected to play the role of a current justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. For this course, the students study cases currently before the Court, hear oral arguments on the cases presented by attorneys in the area, and write opinions as if they were sitting on the Court. Students find this course particularly challenging and rewarding. Past participants include a Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman Scholar.