The Declaration at 250 with Donald Kochan: The Role of the Declaration of Independence in an Originalist Constitutional Interpretation

The Orange County Federalist Society is pleased to host Professor Donald J. Kochan, Executive Director of the Law & Economics Center at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, for a timely address marking America’s 250th anniversary: “The Declaration at 250: The Role of the Declaration of Independence in an Originalist Constitutional Interpretation.”

In his characteristically rigorous and accessible style, Professor Kochan will explore how the Declaration of Independence informs constitutional meaning, what that history implies for modern governance, and where law-and-economics insights illuminate the founding era’s design. Drawing on current debates and longstanding principles, his talk will examine:

• How the Declaration’s text and structure guide an originalist approach to constitutional interpretation
• The relationship between founding-era political economy and limited government
• Practical implications for courts, legislatures, and the separation of powers today

Join us for this lively and wide-ranging conversation about the legal and civic foundations of the American experiment—and what lawyers, students, and citizens can do to preserve a constitutional order worthy of 1776.

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As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.