More than 1,000 Law Scholars Sound Alarm on Constitutional Crisis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Rodriguez, media@acslaw.org

Washington, D.C.  – More than 1,000 law scholars from around the country have signed on to a bipartisan letter decrying President Trump’s slew of illegal executive orders and actions and declared, “We believe we are in a constitutional crisis.”

The law professors who signed the letter note that they “have a variety of views on the underlying policies at issue. But we are united in our view that the President has acted unlawfully and unconstitutionally.”

The letter goes on to say, “We are saddened by the fact that we have to explain to the President this fundamental democratic principle, but we do: a president has the obligation to obey the Constitution as well as court orders enjoining his illegal and unconstitutional efforts. The law is not whatever Mr. Trump says it is. He is not king.”

The letter concludes: “We stand in support of democracy and the rule of law. We stand as allies to those individuals and institutions targeted by illegal and unconstitutional coercion. Our democracy can survive, but not without law.”

The bipartisan letter was coordinated by Kent Greenfield, Professor and Dean’s Distinguished Scholar at Boston College Law School, and the American Constitution Society. Greenfield is also the faculty advisor of Boston College Law School’s ACS Chapter.

A nonpartisan, progressive nonprofit, ACS has expressed growing concern with the president’s actions and he and his administration’s claims that he can bypass constitutional checks and balances.

“At a time when this administration is making new threats to our constitutional order and the rule of law on a daily basis, ACS is grateful for the law scholars within our network, who share ACS’s alarm and are willing to stand up for the Constitution and denounce the illegitimate and illegal power grabs that have come to characterize the Trump presidency,” ACS President Russ Feingold said.

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AMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY
The American Constitution Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-partisan legal organization. Through a diverse nationwide network of progressive lawyers, law students, judges, scholars, advocates, and many others, our mission is to support and advocate for laws and legal systems that redress the founding failures of our Constitution, strengthen our democratic legitimacy, uphold the rule of law, and realize the promise of equality for all, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and other historically excluded communities. For more information, visit us at www.acslaw.org.