The Evolution of Originalism

Georgetown Law Professor Randy Barnett is the author of A Life for Liberty: The Making of an American Originalist, a new memoir about his remarkable legal career. He joins Jeffrey Rosen to discuss his role in the evolution of originalism from a philosophy of judicial restraint to one of constitutional conservatism dedicated to restoring “the lost Constitution.” Resources: Randy Barnett, A Life for Liberty: The Making of an American Originalist (2024) Randy Barnett, Restoring the Lost Constitution: The Presumption of Liberty (2014) Randy Barnett, “Two Conceptions of the Ninth Amendment,” (1989)  Ronald Dworkin, Taking Rights Seriously (1978) Antonin Scalia, “Originalism: The Lesser Evil,” (1989)  National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012) “Originalism: A Matter of Interpretation,” NCC America’s Town Hall Program (2022) Stay Connected and Learn More: Questions or comments about the show? Email us at [e-mail].  Continue today’s conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr.  Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.  You can find transcripts for each episode on the podcast pages in our Media Library. Donate