Supreme Court Justice Stevens at The Newseum

I was excited to see that I have a seat for an event next month at The Newseum in Washington, DC, a "conversation" with Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens about Marbury vs. Madison on February 26th.

I mean, to me it's just incredibly cool to be in a live audience watching one of the nine US Supreme Court Justices discuss the 1803 decision that established the Court's role in interpreting the Constitution, and made it a viable part of the checks-and-balances envisioned by the Founding Fathers.

Marbury vs Madison
Prior to the case, the Court had been a minor player in the federal government with a murkily-defined function, but in one fell swoop Chief Justice John Marshall neatly upheld a lame-duck appointment (of William Marbury to the federal judiciary) made by the outgoing John Adams administration in 1801 -- and then voided the ruling by stating that the Congressional law giving the Supreme Court jurisdiction was unconstitutional.

The specific result was far less important than the principle of judicial review that it established, whereby the courts could review and oversee the actions of the executive and legislative branches of government. It also firmly established the Supreme Court as the final arbiter in interpreting the US Constitution, a principle taken for granted today in America.

Events At The Newseum
When I bought an annual pass at The Newseum, I was motivated mainly because I was supportive of their mission and I hoped to return to tour the museum at my leisure. I saw that they offered special members' events but paid little heed, assuming they'd be mostly aimed at kids and families.

I forgot that this is Washington DC.

Within a day I started receiving newsletters, where I found that most of the events are presentations by well-known scholars or journalists, or tapings of discussions for airing on the major networks or pubic television. With the announcement that Justice Stevens would be discussing The Great Decision (a book about Marbury vs. Madison that will be released in March) I felt I had to take advantage of the opportunity.


I don't know how large the audience will be, though I assume it will be in one of the Knight Conference Center theaters that holds a few hundred, but this seems like a great opportunity to finish touring The Newseum and to see how these events are staged. If I enjoy this event I'll consider going to others that cover topics I'm interested in.

If nothing else, this is a chance to gain some insight into the thinking of a man who since 1975 has routinely played a role in deciding some of the most important issues in our country.

Update (2/27/09): Marbury vs. Madison and The US Supreme Court