Constitution Day is a College of DuPage faculty initiative to commemorate the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution. Louise Leigh shared her love of the United States Constitution throughout the country when she rallied for recognition of Constitution Day as a national holiday. Her efforts along with Senator Robert Byrd culminated in amending the Omnibus Spending Bill in 2004 and officially named this day – Citizenship and Constitution Day. In May 2005, the United States Department of Education backed this law extending its application to any school receiving federal funds of any kind.
Taken together, the laws provided that the head of every federal agency provide each employee with Constitution educational materials and that each educational institution which receives Federal funds should hold a program for students every Constitution Day.
Constitution Day 2022
The Supreme Court: The Final Word?
Students who attend the event can earn credit. Learn more about Constitution Day student credit.
Have you ever desired to be in the room where it happened? On September 17, 1787, meeting in a secret room in Philadelphia, the signers of the United States Constitution finalized the creation of Article III, the judicial branch of our government, and a Supreme Court of the United States. Article III envisioned an independent judiciary, equal in power to the executive and legislative branches. Chief Justice John Marshall soon established judicial review, granting the Supreme Court the extraordinary power to decide on the Constitutionality of acts of Congress. Recent Supreme Court decisions have raised questions about the direction of the Court, and its role in governance. Speakers City of Chicago Department of Law attorney Maggie Mendenhall Casey, and Adjunct Faculty of Justice Studies and attorney Richard Forst will address the history, composition, and impact of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Past Constitution Day Events
2021 Constitution Day
Voting Laws: Suppression or Avoiding Fraud?
2020 Constitution Day
Dialogue Over Distance - Dr. Christina Rivers
2019 Constitution Day
Rebuilding, Maintaining Hope and Persevering: From Wrongful Conviction to Exoneration
2012 Constitution Day
Defending a Serial Killer: The Sixth Amendment and John Wayne Gacy
2009 Constitution Day
Watch video of Constitution Day 2009 Activities
Constitution Day Resources
- National Constitution Center
- National Archives: Celebrating Constitution Day
- United States Courts: Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
- National Center for State Courts: Constitution Day
Contact Information
Professor, Justice Studies
(630) 942-3019