New York State Courts Launch Constitution Day Essay Contest to Promote Civic Engagement

News Advisory:

In celebration of the signing of the United States Constitution on (September 17) in 1787, the New York State Unified Court System (UCS) is launching an essay contest to highlight the importance of this vital document and inspire civic pride and engagement among young New Yorkers. The aim of the competition is to energize high schoolers statewide to critically examine the principles set forth in our nation’s Constitution. Essay contest participants will receive a Certificate of Participation and a pocket size U.S. Constitution, with the essays of the first, second and third place winners to be featured on the New York State Unified Court System’s public website.

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Essay submissions must underscore the Constitution’s significance in fostering civic >participation. Submissions must not exceed 500 words and only one submission per student is allowed. Each entry must be original and composed by the student submitting it; must not have won a prize before; and must not violate any copyright laws. Participants must email their essay as a PDF to civic-engagement@nycourts.gov with the subject line “Constitution Day Essay Contest.” The submission deadline is October 27, 2024

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For more information on the contest, click here.

Schuyler County Honors Sept. 17 as Constitution and Citizenship Day

 

The Schuyler County Legislature is recognizing Tuesday (September 17) as Constitution and Citizenship Day.

 

The legislature’s resolution, drafted by County Attorney Steven Getman, urges civil and educational authorities of states, counties, cities and towns to make plans for the proper observance of the day and “for the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the United States, and of the state and locality in which they reside.”

 

The resolution was approved at the legislature’s September 9 meeting.

 

September 17 is the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution, which, the county resolution notes, "is the supreme law of the land and the document by which the people of this country self-govern."

 

In remembrance of the signing of the Constitution and in recognition of the Americans who strive to uphold the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, the Congress, by joint resolution on Feb. 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106), designated September 17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.

 

A complete copy of the county’s resolution is available here.

Schuyler County Honors Sept. 17 as Constitution and Citizenship Day

The Schuyler County Legislature is recognizing Sunday (September 17) as Constitution and Citizenship Day.

The legislature’s resolution, drafted by County Attorney Steven Getman, urges civil and educational authorities of states, counties, cities and towns to make plans for the proper observance of the day and “for the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the United States, and of the state and locality in which they reside.”

The resolution was approved at the legislature’s August 14 meeting.

September 17 is the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution, which, the county resolution notes, "is the supreme law of the land and the document by which the people of this country self-govern."

In remembrance of the signing of the Constitution and in recognition of the Americans who strive to uphold the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, the Congress, by joint resolution on Feb. 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106), designated September 17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.

A complete copy of the county’s resolution is available here.

RECOGNIZE SEPTEMBER 17, 202... by Steven Getman

Schuyler County Honors Sept. 17 as Constitution and Citizenship Day

The Schuyler County Legislature is recognizing Thursday (Sept 17) as Constitution and Citizenship Day.

The legislature’s resolution, drafted by County Attorney Steven Getman, urges civil and educational authorities of states, counties, cities and towns to make plans for the proper observance of the day and “for the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the United States, and of the state and locality in which they reside.”

The resolution was approved at the legislature’s Sept. 14 meeting.

Sept. 17 is the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution, which, the county resolution notes, "is the supreme law of the land and the document by which the people of this country self-govern."

In remembrance of the signing of the Constitution and in recognition of the Americans who strive to uphold the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, the Congress, by joint resolution on Feb. 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106), designated Sept.17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.

SCHUYLER COUNTY LEGISLATURE... by Steven Getman

New web platform helps users research meanings of words used in Constitution, Supreme Court opinions

A web platform that provides law-related historic linguistics information was announced recently:

Corpus linguistics involves the use of naturally occurring language in large collections of texts—called corpora—to help determine the meanings of words and phrases, according to a press release about the platform.

The unveiling of the Law and Corpus Linguistics Technology Platform, which is free to use, ties in with Constitution Day, the anniversary of the document’s ratification.

The Corpus of Founding Era American English, which allows users to examine how words from the Constitution were used from 1750 to 1799, is searchable on the platform; as is the Corpus of Early Modern English, which has more than 40,000 texts from 1485 to 1800; and the Corpus of the U.S. Supreme Court, which has more than 32,000 court documents. BYU Dean D. Gordon Smith said in the release that this is “the first corpora featuring all United States Supreme Court rulings (up to the most recent term).”

Georgetown University law professor Lawrence Solum said the new corpora will be helpful to those who want to research the meaning of the Constitution. “The method of corpus linguistics … provides an important tool for the recovery of the original public meaning of the constitutional text.”

The platform is available here. For more on the program, click here.

Schuyler County recognizes September 17 as Constitution and Citizenship Day

The Schuyler County Legislature has enacted a resolution recognizing September 17 as Constitution and Citizenship Day.

The resolution, drafted by County Attorney Steven Getman, urges civil and educational authorities of states, counties, cities and towns to make plans for the proper observance of the day and “for the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the United States and of the State and locality in which they reside.” It was passed by the legislature at its September 10 meeting.

September 17 marks the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution, which, the resolution notes, "is the supreme law of the land and the document by which the people of this country self-govern."

In remembrance of the signing of the Constitution and in recognition of the Americans who strive to uphold the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, the Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106), designated September 17 as “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day."

The complete text of the resolution appears below.

SCHUYLER COUNTY, NEW YORK: RECOGNIZE SEPTEMBER 17 AS CONSTITUTION AND CITIZENSHIP DAY—COUNTY ATTORNEY by Steven Getman on Scribd