Overview

• Judges, lawyers and scholars at events from a San Francisco federal courthouse to Montana’s Capitol marked the 238th anniversary with reflections on the Constitution’s strength and vulnerability.
• UC Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky cautioned that democratic guardrails are at acute risk and criticized recent unexplained Supreme Court orders, including one described as enabling ICE profiling, that reversed lower courts.
• Former California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye called on the legal community to actively defend and refine constitutional protections through advocacy and the courts.
• Civic institutions such as the National Constitution Center and Mount Vernon promoted a “civic renaissance” ahead of 2026, arguing that robust civic learning should become a lifelong national priority.
• Commentary showcased sharp divides, with conservative writers blaming an expansive administrative state and activist judges, others spotlighting court oversight and low civic literacy, and some linking recent political violence to renewed First Amendment concerns.