If you could change anything about the United States Constitution, what would it be?
College students from around the country will have an opportunity to debate that question when the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis holds a national Model Constitutional Convention May 21–24.
Bringing together undergraduate, graduate and law students from across the country, the convention will allow them to examine the process of constitutional change in the United States firsthand. It is the only national, student-led convention dedicated to amending the Constitution.
The three-day program simulates an Article V constitutional convention, with students serving as state delegates responsible for proposing, debating and voting on amendments. The event is designed to deepen understanding of constitutional structure while encouraging rigorous, civil discourse on complex legal and policy issues.
The convention will include 110 students from 81 academic institutions throughout the country.
“This is a rare opportunity for students to grapple with fundamental questions about constitutional change in a structured, collaborative environment,” said Stefanie Lindquist, the Nickerson Dean of WashU Law and founder of the Model Constitutional Convention. “By simulating the amendment process, participants gain a deeper understanding of both the possibilities and challenges of constitutional reform.”
Participants will follow procedures modeled on those governing a real convention. Proposed amendments must receive support from three-fourths of delegates to advance, reflecting the high threshold required for constitutional change.
The program builds on a previous convention held at Arizona State University in 2024 and continues a broader effort to expand experiential learning opportunities in constitutional law.
In advance of the event, participants complete preparatory coursework focused on constitutional design, amendment procedures and parliamentary rules to support informed and substantive debate.
The convention will feature lectures and discussions with leading constitutional scholars and practitioners, including Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley Law; Richard Albert, professor of law at the University of Texas at Austin; and Justin Weinstein-Tull, professor of law at Arizona State University.
The Model Constitutional Convention is supported by the John Storr Fund and the Frick Initiative at WashU Law, with additional collaboration from partner institutions Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and its Center for Constitutional Design and The University of Texas at Austin School of Law’s Constitutional Studies Program.
Read more information on the WashU Law website.
