New Center to Focus on Constitutional Law, Practice, Democracy

ATLANTA – The Georgia State University College of Law is home to the new Emmet J. Bondurant Center for Constitutional Law, Practice and Democracy. The center is named for Emmet J. Bondurant, a prominent trial lawyer, speaker and author with more than five decades of legal experience and a strong commitment to pro bono work in the areas of voting rights and the protection of democratic institutions.

The center was established by a generous gift from Bondurant, a founding partner of esteemed law firm Bondurant, Mixon & Elmore LLP, and his wife, Jane Fahey. Fahey is also a distinguished attorney and advocate for constitutional rights.

The center will serve as a nationally recognized hub for the study, practice and advocacy of constitutional law, democratic governance and civic engagement.

It addresses a critical need in the Southeastern U.S. for an institution focused on constitutional law and scholarship at a time when voting rights, trust in elections and the functioning of democratic institutions are at the forefront of national discussion.

“The center will serve our local, regional and national communities by providing an intellectual hub for the study and practice of constitutional law and election law through conferences, lectures and workshops for students, lawyers and judges, along with media contributions designed to further our democracy and the rule of law,” said Professor Eric Segall, the Ashe Family Chair Professor of Law  and executive director of the Bondurant Center for Constitutional Law.

Professor Anthony Michael Kreis, a constitutional law professor and associate director of the center, said Georgia State University’s constitutional law faculty have long been at the forefront of cutting-edge scholarship and public engagement.

“The Bondurant Center will provide the College of Law with the infrastructure needed to become a hub for constitutional law across the region and the nation through creative programming that encourages critical dialogue on democratic values and the rule of law,” he said.

In keeping with the Georgia State College of Law’s commitment to practice-based learning, the center will provide students with opportunities to engage with experts and gain real-world experience through election law work, amicus briefs and public education initiatives.

“On the ground, the center will give students hands-on experience in shaping amicus briefs on constitutional issues before the courts. They will learn that the advocacy of a single lawyer can be the Archimedean lever that changes the entire system,” said Bondurant, the founding donor and visionary for the center.

To learn more about the Emmet J. Bondurant Center for Constitutional Law, Practice & Democracy, visit law.gsu.edu/bondurantcenter or email Angie Tacker at [email protected].