Especially since Harvard Law School is in Massachusetts, but apparently not.
An alert reader notes HLS is advertising a talk by the author of new book on the US Constitution - its very own Lawrence Lessig - with a page that begins:
The fundamental fact about our Constitution is that it is old - the oldest written constitution in the world. The fundamental challenge for interpreters of the Constitution is how to read that old document over time.
Only, it isn't the oldest written constitution in the world. That honor belongs to the Massachusetts constitution, which Massachusetts voters approved on June 15, 1780 - after John Adams wrote most of it - and which replaced the previous colonial charter on Oct. 25, 1780.
In fact, the Massachusetts constitution served as a model for the federal constitution, which didn't go into effect until almost nine years later.
Any Harvard associates who go to Lessig's talk on Sept. 25 (a light lunch will be provided) want to ask him about that?
H/t Bob.
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Comments
Also an alumni who wrote it
By Matt
Thu, 09/12/2019 - 2:00pm
When does Hahhh vahhd miss an opportunity to boast?
*cough*
By Magna Carta
Thu, 09/12/2019 - 2:02pm
*cough*
Have a Sucret!
By adamg
Thu, 09/12/2019 - 2:30pm
The whole point of modern British democracy is that it has an unwritten constitution, so while the carta may indeed be magna, it's not really part of a written constitution.
The Mayflower Compact...
By KevinS
Thu, 09/12/2019 - 5:14pm
agrees with your estimation.
(I know, semantics, "governing document" and not constitution)
Various places on the interwebs
By eekanotloggedin
Sat, 09/14/2019 - 1:30pm
say that Corsica's, Saudi Arabia's, and Connecticut's are older.
Oops
By perruptor
Thu, 09/12/2019 - 2:19pm
Not that one, either, because there's an older one.
Maybe a little-known fact,
By anon
Thu, 09/12/2019 - 2:57pm
Maybe a little-known fact, but Suffolk is a way better law school. (Also happens to be closer to the State House.)
Little-known
By SamWack
Thu, 09/12/2019 - 3:44pm
I think, on careful consideration, that that is an opinion, not a fact. While "little-known fact" is an ever-popular phrase, "little-known opinion" doesn't have quite the same ring.
How do you know someone graduated from Harvard?
By StillFromDorchester
Thu, 09/12/2019 - 4:14pm
They tell you.
You can always tell
By Nowy Liberté
Thu, 09/12/2019 - 6:06pm
Probably now applies equally well to however many genders that the WGU recognizes
Got to drop me into every
By The "H" bomb
Thu, 09/12/2019 - 7:12pm
Got to drop me into every conversation.
the spy who dumped me joked
By schneidz
Fri, 09/13/2019 - 7:38am
[u]the spy who dumped me[/u] joked on that alot.
Other tell-tale sign:
By CraigInDaVille
Fri, 09/13/2019 - 9:08am
"I went to college near Boston."
#humblebrag
Not quite right
By Patrick McCabe
Fri, 09/13/2019 - 9:51am
Massachusetts has the oldest constitution still in use. There are older constitutions, but they have been replaced by newer ones.
Sorry, still wrong
By perruptor
Sun, 09/15/2019 - 7:34am
Please stop ignoring the real and significant history of Native Americans.
If I'm asking any question to Lessig,
By tape
Sat, 09/14/2019 - 8:44pm
It's going to be why he thinks it's ok for MIT to have taken Jeffrey Epstein's money.
He doesn't think that
By perruptor
Sun, 09/15/2019 - 11:53am
You can read what he does think, if you want. Includes the following:
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