窪蹋勛圖厙

 

Fulbright scholar headed to Columbia U

- August 18, 2008

Fulbright scholar Jon Penney.

窪蹋勛圖厙law grad Jon Penney has been awarded a prestigious Canada-U.S. Fulbright Scholarship.

A practicing lawyer now working with the Department of Justice in Toronto, Mr. Penney will return to school to pursue a masters degree at Columbia University in New York City. The Halifax native got his first degree, a BA majoring in philosophy at 窪蹋勛圖厙in 2000, followed by his law degree in 2003. He also spent a year studying law at Oxford University in 2006.

The Foundation for Educational Change, the body which administers Fulbright scholarships, is a bi-national, treaty-based organized which exists to enhance mutual understanding between Canada and the United States. Only about 20 Fulbright scholarships are awarded to Canadian students each year.

Theres a really rich body of interesting scholarship that Im raring to dig into, explains Mr. Penney, 30.

As part of his studies, Mr. Penney will look at the constitutional history of both countries and the factors that influence changes in the law.

In Canada, a lot of the focus of constitutional theory is on the Supreme Court itself, on the way the court interprets the Constitution. And theres always debate about the legitimacy of the court in striking down laws; in Canada, a lot of people believe thats the job of politicians

Though those debates also exist in the U.S., theres also a growing body of scholarship that takes a step back and looks at those external factors that affect the way the courts interpret the law, things like social movements, public opinion, and the roles that political actors, such as presidents and members of Congress, play.