About Us

The National Constitution Center (NCC) has quickly become one of America's most respected institutions welcoming Presidents, Supreme Court Justices and foreign dignitaries. It was established by Congress in 1988 to increase public understanding of, and appreciation for the Constitution. NCC is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit organization.

THE PURPOSE OF NCC ONE HOUR AUDIO CONFERENCES FOR THE LEGAL PROFESSION

The purpose is to keep lawyers current, knowledgeable, and effective. The practice of law is heavily influenced by new laws, new regulations, recent case law interpretations, and skills of individual lawyers. NCC Conferences bring reliable, practical, up-to-date information to lawyers and others in the legal profession to help them be more informed and more effective. Attendance at NCC Conferences in the past 12 months was 42,000, up from 34,000 in the prior 12 months.

THE SPEAKERS

NCC attracts speakers who are among the most accomplished legal practitioners from around the country. They include lawyers who have won arguments before the Supreme Court, as well as recognized experts in their respective practice areas. The major criteria in speaker selection are that they have the knowledge and demonstrated track record illustrating their competence.

The Distinguished Board of The National Constitution Center

• Chairman

  President William J. Clinton

• Chairman of the Executive Committee

  Lawrence J. Kent

• Chair Emeriti

  President George H.W. Bush

  John C. Bogle

  A.E. Wolf

• President & Chief Executive Officer

  David Eisner

• Board of Trustees

  Ellen Alemany

  Richard R. Beeman, Ph.D.

  David Boies, Esq.

  Daniel R. Butler

  Douglas DeVos

  Richard M.DeVos, Sr. - Vice Chairman

  W. Joseph Duckworth

  The Honorable Peter G. Fitzgerald

  Steven M. Galbraith

  The Honorable Slade Gorton

  Amy Gutmann, Ph.D.

  Stephen J. Harmelin, Esq.

  Lewis Katz

  Paul Levy

  Ira M. Lubert

  Francis M. Milone, Esq.

  Dikembe Mutombo

  The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor

  Marc Platt

  Stuart J. Rabin

  The Honorable Edward G. Rendell

  Derrick A. Roman

  Helen Ryu

  Jeff Shell

  William A. Slaughter, Esq.

  The Honorable Gordon Smith

  Stephen D. Steinour

  The Honorable Peter Terpeluk, Jr.

  Stanley B. Tulin

  
  

• Trustee Emeritus

  Alan L. Reed, Esq.

Distinguished Scholars Advisory Panel

• • Gordon S. Wood, (Chair) Professor of History Brown University
  • Richard R. Beeman, (Vice Chair) Professor of History and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences University of Pennsylvania
  • Akhil Reed Amar, Professor of Law Yale University Law School
  • Michael Les Benedict, Professor of History The Ohio State University
  • Stephen Breyer, Justice United States Supreme Court
  • Lonnie Bunch, President Chicago Historical Society
  • Spencer Crew, Executive Director National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Cincinnati
  • Rex Ellis, Vice President Williamsburg Foundation
  • John E. Fleming, Vice President of Museums Cincinnati Museum Center
  • Brent Glass, Director National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
  • Sarah B. Gordon, Professor University of Pennsylvania Law School
• • Sheldon Hackney, Professor of History University of Pennsylvania
  • Eugene W. Hickok, U.S. Under Secretary of Education U.S. Department of Education
  • James Horton, Professor of History George Washington University
  • Stanley N. Katz, Professor Woodrow Wilson School Princeton University
  • Linda K. Kerber, Professor of History University of Iowa
  • Douglas W. Kmiec, Professor of Law Pepperdine University School of Law
  • Sanford Levinson, Professor of Law University of Texas Law School
  • Bill Moyers, Documentary maker/author
  • William E. Nelson, Professor of Law New York University Law School
  • Sandra Day O'Connor, Justice United States Supreme Court
  • Jack N. Rakove, Coe Professor of History and American Studies Department of History Stanford University
• • Michael J. Sandel, Professor of Government Harvard University
  • Antonin Scalia, Justice United States Supreme Court
  • Kim Scheppele, Professor of Law and Sociology University of Pennsylvania Law School
  • Reva Siegel, Professor of Law Yale Law School
  • Harold Skramstad, (ret.) Director Henry Ford Museum
  • Nancy W. Streim, Associate Dean Graduate School of Education University of Pennsylvania
  • Kathleen M. Sullivan, Dean Stanford Law School
  • Cass Sunstein, Professor of Law University of Chicago Law School
  • G. Alan Tarr, Professor of Political Science Rutgers University
  • John Yoo, Professor of Law University of California at Berkeley Deputy Assistant Attorney General US Department of Justice

When Credibility Counts

When credibility matters, the National Constitution Center is increasingly chosen as the venue for national and international leaders. For example:

In 2008, the NCC played a significant role in the 2008 Presidential Campaign, hosting:

• President Barack Obama's seminal Race Relations in America speech
• The final and most-watched Presidential Primary Debate between the two history-making Democratic candidates, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and then-Senator Barack Obama
• The key campaign stop for two of John McCain's critical town hall rallies.

NCC also hosts:

• The Peter Jennings "Project for Journalists and the Constitution"
• The Liberty Medal, beginning in 2006. This annual award, established in 1988, recognizes those who have devoted their lives to pursuing liberty and promoting freedom throughout the world. The 2006 Medals were presented to Presidents George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton for their historic partnership to raise awareness and funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Southeast Asia.

Education For Nonlawyers

In addition to conferences that help keep lawyers current, knowledgeable, and effective, the NCC has a vast education program fostering a greater understanding of our nation's most cherished document, the Constitution. School children and families from across the globe visit these interactive exhibits in an unforgettable way.

LAWYER SCHOLAR AWARDS

Commitment to Learning - Earned by attending 5 NCC legal conferences in a given year - signed certificates awarded.

Commitment to Excellence - Earned by attending 10 NCC legal conferences in a given year - signed certificates awarded.

Commitment to Superior Legal Knowledge - Earned by attending 20 NCC legal conferences in a given year - signed certificates awarded.

Eligibility for these awards is limited to either paid attendees or those who paid the charge for their CLE credits.

If you have qualified for a Lawyer Award and have not received it, please contact us at: