Conference on “The Other Declarations of 1776”
The Institute for Justice’s Center for Judicial Engagement and the Liberty and Law Center at Antonin Scalia Law School are pleased to announce a conference: “The Other Declarations of 1776.”
While 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it also marks the anniversary of various new states issuing declarations of rights in conjunction with their new state constitutions. The conference will feature research, discussion, and debate that explores the history and ramifications of those “other” declarations of 1776. The day-long conference will be held on Friday, April 10, 2026.
We will open with Dr. Nicholas Cole, of Oxford University’s Pembroke College and director of its Quill Project, as our keynote speaker. Dr. Cole will provide an overview of the “Other Declarations” and their legacy. Then we will turn to scholars who have written papers for this conference on various aspects of the history and the meaning of state declarations of rights. Finally, we will end with a mock argument from the early days of the Republic, dramatizing how declarations of rights came to be seen as subject to judicial review. Register for your opportunity to join us. Lunch will be provided.