Institute of Bill of Rights Law

“Where the press is free, and  every man able to read, all is safe.” - Thomas Jefferson to Charles Yancey, 1816.

2013-4 Supreme Court Preview Date Set
September 27 & 28, 2013

Mission

The mission of the Institute of Bill of Rights Law (IBRL) is to contribute to the ongoing national dialogue about issues relating to the U.S. Constitution and our Bill of Rights. One of the guiding philosophies of the Institute is the conviction that our collective understanding of constitutional issues is enhanced significantly when experts from diverse disciplines—lawyers, journalists, historians, political scientists, economists, sociologists, and politicians—are brought together for serious discussion and debate. Following this interdisciplinary approach, the Institute provides a forum for airing and debating matters of law and policy as a means of increasing our understanding of important constitutional issues. The Institute has been actively involved in its mission since 1982, when it was founded at the law school.

The Institute performs its functions in a manner consistent with its ties to a professional school and an institution of higher education. It undertakes no lobbying and adopts no partisan political stance.

• Director:
  Neal Devins, Goodrich Professor of Law; Professor of Government; Director, Election Law Program  (nealdevins@cox.net)
• Assistant Director:
  Rebecca Green, Professor of the Practice of Law; Co-Director, Election Law Program, Assistant Director, CLCT  (rgreen@wm.edu)
• Assistant Director:
  Melody Nichols  (IBRL@wm.edu)