A Message from Pam Karlan, ACS Board Chair

As Chair of the Board of the American Constitution Society (ACS), I have been honored to work in close partnership with ACS’s President, Caroline Fredrickson. For nearly a decade, Caroline has provided excellent leadership to ACS and has been completely devoted to its mission of advancing democracy, equality, liberty, access to justice, and the rule of law. During her tenure, ACS has grown our network to include over 200 student and lawyer chapters throughout the United States. At the same time, our organization has doubled in budget and staff size. Under her leadership, ACS has become a central player on high-profile issues involving constitutional interpretation, the rule of law, and many other policy matters of concern through scholarly thought leadership and pro bono engagement.

It is with much gratitude for her service and her many contributions that I share the news that Caroline has decided to step down as ACS President to pursue other interests. ACS is finishing its first formal strategic planning process, and Caroline believes that the new plan will help the next president further strengthen ACS.

Caroline will become President Emeritus on September 1, 2019 and continue at ACS through the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition. Zinelle October, ACS’s Vice President for Network Advancement, will serve as Interim President as the board conducts a nationwide search for ACS’s new president.

The board has retained the global executive search and talent solutions firm, Korn Ferry, to partner with us on our search. We look forward to welcoming a battle-tested leader to strengthen our network and advance the mission of ACS.

Pam Karlan
ACS Board Chair