Constitution Day speaker to analyze the rights to abortion, same-sex marriage

Two highly charged issues – abortion and same-sex marriage – will be examined in the Constitution Day keynote address, “Liberty and Equality: An Analysis of the Rights to Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage Under the Constitution.”

The address, by Duquesne University law professor Wilson Huhn, will be given at Williams Center Room S204 on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 2 p.m.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in its 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, redefined the Right to Privacy and overruled both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. In a concurring opinion, Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas voted to overrule both Lawrence v. Texas and Obergefell v. Hodges, cases that established that the law cannot make same-sex intercourse a crime and that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

Mr. Huhn will describe the history of the rights to liberty and equality under the Constitution, including the influence of Abraham Lincoln on the interpretation of these rights. He will also address the jurisprudential underpinnings of this debate, namely the types of legal arguments that lawyers and judges use to interpret these rights. Finally, Huhn will discuss the practical consequences of recognizing or denying these rights to women and LGBTQ+ citizens.

A 10-minute question and answer session will conclude Huhn’s address that is free and open to the public. Cookies and lemonade will be furnished.

“In light of the recent Supreme Court decisions, the American Democracy Project thought it was fitting to bring an influential legal scholar to campus to discuss a constitutional amendment that addresses many aspects of citizenship and the rights of citizens,” said Department of Communication Associate Professor Angela McGowan-Kirsch.

“The decisions of the Roberts Court will have ramifications for years to come so it's important we discuss what the decisions mean for members of our campus community,” added Dr. McGowan-Kirsch, who also is chair of the American Democracy Project.

Huhn brings sterling law credentials to campus to examine the 14th Amendment. A graduate of Yale University and Cornell Law School, Huhn has taught Constitutional Law for over 35 years. Until 2015 he taught at the University of Akron School of Law, where he attained the rank of Distinguished Professor, and has since taught at Duquesne University.

Huhn has authored many books and articles on Constitutional Law and legal reasoning, including “The Five Types of Legal Argument” (Carolina Academic Press), a book that has been in print for over 20 years.

At the University of Akron, Huhn was selected as the Outstanding Professor by seven graduating classes and received, at Duquesne University School of Law, the Excellence in Teaching award in 2018. He has pioneered several techniques for teaching law online, including the development of electronic textbooks, recorded lectures with accompanying quizzes and classes via teleconference.

A voter registration drive will be conducted adjacent to Room S204, where the address will be given, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

The Constitution Day address is sponsored by the American Democracy Project with support from the Carnahan Jackson Fund for the Humanities of the Fredonia College Foundation.