Constitutional Law and Poverty Law Joint Program

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Income and wealth inequality between America’s upper-income families and its middle and lower-income families is greater than it has been for decades. Because the Supreme Court has never recognized the poor as a suspect class, they do not receive special protection under the Constitution, yet their experience in myriad areas—including education, housing, reproductive justice, and interactions with the civil and criminal justice systems—is fundamentally different from that of those of even modest financial means.  Against this backdrop, this joint program will address the ways in which the Constitution might be brought to bear on these discrepancies through its treatment of laws, regulations, policies, and practices that disproportionately impact people who live in poverty. Panelists will explore the legal strategies that have been successful, revisit questions about the poor constituting a suspect or quasi-suspect class, and discuss how we might utilize constitutional law doctrine to address the causes and consequences of poverty.