On September 16, 2025, New York Law School (NYLS) held its inaugural Constitution and Citizenship Day Summit. This event brought together over five hundred lawyers, professors, community advocates, law students, and jurists to discuss ways community members are taught the information and skills they need to be informed and involved in the important issues that affect them. United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor opened the summit in conversation with Judge Joseph Bianco of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Judge Victor Marrero of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Anthony Cannataro of the New York State Court of Appeals, and NYLS Dean and President Anthony Crowell. The discussion centered on the importance of strong civics education in enabling community members to understand and identify rule of law issues. The panel also discussed the critical role law schools should play in educating not only their law students but also the larger community. The daylong Summit examined: the importance of strengthening civic literacy to combat misinformation and disinformation; including civics education across all age groups and communities; the responsibility of the legal profession in promoting civics; and seven examples of cross-disciplinary civics work happening in New York City. The day was enormously successful in highlighting the incredible work being done in the civics area and also the work left to be done, all while motivating attendees to take action.
The Summit was a monumental effort and one that is needed in jurisdictions across the country. Immediately following the Summit, Rebecca Fanning (National Educational Outreach Manager - Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts) and Amy Wallace (NYLS Assistant Professor of Law and Street Law Director) began working on a toolkit that will enable law schools to replicate the Summit while adapting and scaling it for their needs. The toolkit will be completed in time for the AALS meeting. It will include the most important points to consider when organizing a summit, a checklist for organizers, as well as resources and contacts. The toolkit is designed to simplify the process for law schools considering hosting a summit either on their own or in partnership with a court or community group.
This session will bring together Judge Bianco, Dean Crowell, Rebecca Fanning, and Amy Wallace for a panel discussion on the successes and lessons learned from the first NYLS Civics Summit. The session will also include an examination of the Civics Summit Toolkit and how law schools can adapt the NYLS example to fit their own needs. The panelists will seek feedback from participants from other law schools who have hosted similar events and those interested in organizing a Summit. In addition, the discussion of civics education has become even more central to discussions in recent weeks in light of the announcement of the America 250 Civics Education Coalition and questions about how to ensure a factually accurate dialogue on civics education. Indeed, law schools will play an increasingly central role in that process.