Sunderland Attends Supreme Court Event

Lane Sunderland, Chancie Ferris Booth Professor of Political Science at Knox College, recently participated in the annual meetings of the Supreme Court Fellows.

Held at the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C., the meetings were attended by 40 fellows. This year's meetings included a reception and dinner with Supreme Court Justices and other Court personnel and a panel devoted to "Making Your Case," a topic of broad application in both legal and liberal arts settings.

The Supreme Court Fellows program selects individuals from different areas of expertise, including law and the social sciences, to work with the federal judiciary on various projects and become familiar with its policy issues and administrative structure. The program is headed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts.

The program requires applicants to have at least one post-graduate degree and to exemplify a level of excellence in law and related fields. Applicants are also required to be familiar with the functioning of the judicial system. Sunderland had been Director of Education for the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution before being selected as a Supreme Court Fellow.

Applicants for the Supreme Court Fellows Program are narrowed down through interviews, and currently only four individuals are selected each year for the prestigious fellowship.

Sunderland was one of two scholars selected in 1988 from across the nation to serve as a Supreme Court Fellow. He initiated and administered continuing educational programs for federal judges and briefed foreign Supreme Court Justices and Members of Parliament who were guests at the Supreme Court.

A nationally known expert on the Constitution and the Supreme Court, Sunderland has taught political science and headed the pre-law program at Knox since 1972. He is well-recognized for his teaching, and he specializes in American government, constitutional law, and political theory.

As pre-law program advisor, Sunderland arranges for law school admission representatives and others to visit Knox, counsels students and alumni considering law school, and helps Knox students prepare for the Law School Admission Test.