๐ Professor of World Constitutions @UTAustin ๐ Advisor to Governments and Parliaments ๐ Former President of @ICON__S ๐ Alum @Yale @Harvard @UniofOxford
Joined April 2009
- Tweets2.7K
- Following155
- Followers25.9K
- Likes4.8K
๐คฉ Class today in my course on "Constitutional Amendments in the U.S. and the World" here at the University of Texas at Austin.
๐ Our topic is unamendability.
๐ Some key readings include:
1. Silvia Suteu, Eternity Clauses in Democratic Constitutionalism (2021)
2. Yaniv Roznai, Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments (2017)
๐ The 9th Annual Constitutional Law Scholars Forum is now accepting submissions. Hosted and organized by Professor Eang Ly Ngov, the conference will be held at Barry University on February 19, 2027.
๐ Details and registration here: sites.google.com/view/constiโฆ
๐คฉ Great to see my classmate Larry Obhof @LarryObhof, more than two decades after our graduation from the Yale Law School @YaleLawSch.
๐๐ฝ As students, we would go to the gym early in the morning. He would leg press 1050 pounds for 3 sets of 10. Then we would go to the dining hall for the brunch buffet, and spend the next two hours trying to out-eat each other and talking about college football, professional wrestling, and the 2004 presidential election.
โ๏ธ He then represented his hometown Medina in the Ohio Legislature and later became President of the Senate.
๐๐ฝ He is most proud of marrying his high school sweetheart Nicole and raising their amazing daughters.
๐ Back in New Haven for my first meeting of the Yale Law School Executive Committee. I am serving a three-year term, expiring in 2029.
288/288
October 15, 2026
New Haven, Connecticut
Join the challenge. #Mission365
๐ A pleasure to welcome Yonatan Green @Yonatan_Green to my campus office for a discussion on the role of courts in constitutional democracies, the subject of his new book "Rogue Justice: The Rise of Judicial Supremacy in Israel."
๐คฉ Yonatan is the inaugural director of the Ackerman Program on Jewish and Western Civilization here at the University of Texas at Austin @UTAustin in the new School of Civic Leadership @UTCivics.
๐ More details on his book are available here: academicapress.com/node/663
๐คฉ A great joy to host our LL.M. Class of 2027 for a welcoming BBQ at County Line on Hill @countylinehill.
๐ These accomplished lawyers come to the University of Texas at Austin @UTAustin @UTexasLaw @UTexasGlobal from around the world, bringing experience as lawyers, scholars, and jurists. Among them are Fulbright Scholars, law firm leaders, and members of the Armed Forces.
๐๐ฝ Their analysis and insights enrich our classrooms every day!
๐ A new -- and superb! -- paper co-authored by Professor Ahmed Abdelgawad: "Constitutional Dismemberment Theory and its Application to the Egyptian Constitutional Amendments."
๐ Professor Abdelgawad was the Dean's Prize recipient in my course on "Constitutional Amendments in the U.S. and the World" here at the University of Texas at Austin @UTexasLaw in the Fall 2020 term. He is now an Assistant Professor of Public Law at the University of Dubai College of Law @uniofdubai.
๐ธ Here is a photo of Professor Abdelgawad receiving his prize (during the COVID era) and another of him now as a law professor.
๐ In his innovative study, Professor Abdelgawad offers a compelling analysis of constitutional change in Egypt, showing how reforms labeled โamendmentsโ can fundamentally transform a constitutionโs identity, rights, and distribution of power. He carefully examines and interrogates the legality and legitimacy of reforms involving religion, political participation, public property, military authority, and presidential tenure in Egypt.
๐ The significance of Professor Abdelgawad paper's extends far beyond Egypt. He advances a valuable framework for recognizing when routine reforms remake the constitutional order. And he demonstrates the need for greater scrutiny and stronger legal and political safeguards when foundational constitutional commitments are at stake.
๐ The full text of this excellent paper is available here: works.hcommons.org/records/vโฆ
๐คฉ Class today in my course on "Constitutional Amendments in the U.S. and the World" here at the University of Texas at Austin.
๐ Our topic is measuring amendment difficulty.
๐ Some key readings include:
1. Donald Lutz, Principles of Constitutional Design (2006)
2. Tom Ginsburg & James Melton, "Does the Constitutional Amendment Rule Matter at All?", 13 International Journal of Constitutional Law 686 (2015)
3. William D. Blake, Joseph Francesco Cozza, and Dave A. Armstrong II, The Social Foundations of Constitutional Innovation (2026)
๐ A fun dinner at Cava with two outstanding students in my course on "Constitutional Amendments in the U.S. and the World" here at the University of Texas at Austin @UTAustin @UTexasLaw.
1. Faramola Shonekan is a doctoral student in the Department of Government. She is interested in constitutional colonialism, particularly in relation to African states. Prior to joining the University of Texas at Austin, she graduated from the University of Missouri (where she ran track as an 800m specialist) and earned a master's degree from the University of Oxford!
2. Wilson Alexander is a doctoral student in the Department of Government. He is interested in electoral management bodies with a particular focus on Latin America. Prior to joining the University of Texas at Austin, he graduated from Taylor University (where he played football as a Quarterback) and served as a Foreign Service Officer in Mexico!
