Lucy Christensen (MLS ’26) and rising 3L James Gee were selected to represent Utah at the Model Constitutional Convention hosted by the Washington University (WashU) School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 21-24. Two delegates were chosen to represent each state at this event, which is modeled after a convention described in the U.S. Constitution and requires delegates to propose, debate, and vote on amendments.
“Interestingly, while many students were assigned to represent states other than their own, I specifically requested Utah and was thrilled to be granted the opportunity to represent a state I care so deeply about on a national stage,” Gee says.
During the convention, Christensen explains, delegates moved 20 constitutional amendments out of committee for debate, revision, and floor votes.
“By the end of the convention, the national delegation passed six amendments on issues ranging from Supreme Court term limits and digital privacy rights to campaign finance reform and election law,” she says. “There’s something surreal about being on the floor, defending constitutional language, negotiating amendments, and representing your state in national debate. I left WashU Law with a much deeper understanding of constitutional law and a clearer sense of the responsibilities that come with representation.”
Gee says that the convention was an incredibly rigorous academic exercise.
“My law school education—particularly my understanding of Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure, and the practical experience of intellectual sparring in moot court—truly equipped me to engage deeply in the spirited debates required,” he says. “The biggest takeaway was appreciating the ingenuity of the original framers firsthand, and comprehending how hard it must’ve been during that hot summer in Philadelphia, 1787. As we deliberated and navigated competing state interests, the compromises we ultimately reached often looked remarkably like the solutions arrived at during the original convention in 1787. It was a fascinating way to see that foundational intellectual framework tested and validated in real time.”
Learn more about the Model Constitutional Convention.