A Thousand Ways to Define Busy and Involved

William & Mary law students are in the midst of completing another busy semester. Classes ended on April 23rd and spring semester examinations are underway.  Many students will participate in the journal write-on program the week following exams, others are off for summer clerkships, jobs, internships or study abroad programs while third-years are preparing for family and friends to join them for graduation programs and festivities. 

I continue to be amazed with the variety of projects and programs that benefit from the interest and energy of our students.  These "extras" are in addition to their classes,  journal articles, moot court competitions, special lectures, community activities, job interviews and real personal lives.  For example, did you know that William & Mary law students are helping transcribe early drafts of the Constitution?  The Constitutional Sources Project, a Washington-based nonprofit organization, recently completed its first volunteer-based documentary transcription program.  Students from William & Mary Law School volunteered to transcribe early drafts of the Constitution.  These students are responsible for transcribing a unique collection of manuscripts that has never before been transcribed or published.  Drafts of the Constitution annotated by George Washington are included!  ConSource is the first organization to collect, transcribe and make digitally available these unearthed treasures of Constitutional history.  The digital collection ConSource is creating, with the help of W&M students, will make new scholarship possible and bring much needed attention to archival institutions across the country.   We are thankful to students for their generous work and support of this project; particularly the efforts of Julie Silverbrook, whose drive and initiative made the pilot program a great success!