June 24, 2026
9:00 AM to 12:15 PM
State Capitol, Room EW05
(In-person only)
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson described the people’s right to representation in legislatures as “inestimable” to them and “formidable to tyrants only.” But what exactly is the right to representation, and what does it entail?
In this lecture, Legislative Legal Counsel Elizabeth Bowen will trace the development of the legal right to political representation from medieval Britain to modern America. The first hour will cover the rise of Parliament as a representative body, with a particular focus on Magna Carta, the Model Parliament of 1295, and the conflicts between Crown and Parliament that culminated in the English Bill of Rights and the doctrine of parliamentary supremacy.
The second hour will cover the events leading up to the American Revolution, with a particular focus on the royal prerogatives and acts of Parliament, such as the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts, that attempted to suppress representative government in the colonies. The 27 Grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence will be discussed in detail.
The third hour will cover the federal and state constitutional provisions intended to protect the right to representation in America, with a particular focus on: (1) the guarantee of a republican form of government; (2) legislative privilege; (3) redistricting; (4) the right to petition; and (5) the right to instruct. The lecture will conclude with a 15-minute question and answer period.
Though intended as continuing legal education for attorneys, the lecture is open to interested members of the public as well. A request for three CLE credits is pending.