Constitution Day Lecture: Author and Legal Scholar Kimberly Wehle

The college will observe Constitution Day with a book discussion and lecture by legal scholar Kimberly Wehle on September 16.

Wehle will lead a discussion about why the Constitution matters so much, and what citizens can do about problems in government. Her latest book, How to Read the Constitution—and Why (Harper Collins), is a guide to constitutional basics, combining a plain-language reading of the Constitution with an introduction to policy rationales and theory. 

Wehle teaches and writes on the separation of powers, federal jurisdiction, outsourcing government, and the federal administrative state. She is a lawyer, legal analyst for CBS News, and contributor to BBC World News. She is also an op-ed contributor for the Hill and the Bulwark, a commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition, and speaks on issues relating to constitutional and legal literacy on cable networks and at live events.

Wehle is currently working on What You Need to Know About the Right to Vote—and Why (Harper Collins, 2020). As an attorney, she counsels clients on issues of civil procedure, appellate practice, and administrative law. She will serve as a visiting professor of law at the American University Washington College of Law in spring 2020.

Wehle’s talk will be at 12:15 p.m. Monday, September 16, in Dye Lecture Hall in the Oberlin Science Center. The event is free and open to the public. A book signing will follow in Perlik Commons. Throughout the day, the Oberlin College Libraries will distribute pocket-size copies of the Constitution.