As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, Michigan State University College of Law is launching a speaker series designed to examine one of the nation's enduring questions: How does the Constitution continue to shape American democracy?
The inaugural Leaders in Law series will bring four of the country’s most influential legal thinkers to campus during the 2026-27 academic year.
Cecillia Wang, National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, comes to MSU Law after winning a closely watched birthright citizenship case before the U.S. Supreme Court. In June, the Supreme Court agreed with her position that the 14th Amendment extends to “every free-born person in this land.” On September 1, Wang will share insights from arguing before the Supreme Court in a time of constitutional change.
Wang is National Legal Director of the ACLU, and in April argued a closely watched birthright citizenship case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
In late June, the Court issued a ruling that favored the position advanced by the ACLU, prompting the organization to declare that “the Constitution—not the President—defines who gets to be a citizen.”
In April, Wang argued in support of birthright citizenship before the Supreme Court. In late June, the Court handed down a 6-2 decision agreeing with her.
“This historic decision reaffirms that the Constitution – not the president – defines who gets to be a citizen,” said Wang.
Defending immigrants’ rights is personal for Wang. She told the New York Times in April 2026 that her parents moved to the United States from Taiwan in the late 1960s to attend graduate school. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which lifted race-based quotas on immigration from Asia, allowed her parents that opportunity.
She was born in 1971 in Oregon when her parents were still on student visas, making her a U.S. citizen by birth.
She grew up in Fremont, Calif., and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and Yale Law School.
After clerking for Judge William A. Norris of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Wang served as a law clerk to retired Justice Harry A. Blackmun while working in the chambers of Justice Stephen G. Breyer during the Supreme Court’s 1996–97 term.
As the ACLU’s National Legal Director, Wang oversees more than 200 attorneys and legal professionals. In addition to immigration law, she has worked on cases involving due process, equal protection and civil rights.
Future speakers include Professor Richard Pildes of New York University School of Law, on October 12; Professor Harold Hongjui Koh of Yale Law School on February 11, 2027; and Professor Barbara L. McQuade of the University of Michigan Law School next spring.
The Leaders in Law series is supported by a generous gift from Clarkson Law Firm, P.C.
Open to the campus community and the public, the series is expected to draw participants from across disciplines, including political science, public policy, international relations, history, and James Madison College, as well as alumni and members of the profession.
The inaugural Leaders in Law series will bring four of the country’s most influential legal thinkers to campus during the 2026-27 academic year.
Cecillia Wang, National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, comes to MSU Law after winning a closely watched birthright citizenship case before the U.S. Supreme Court. In June, the Supreme Court agreed with her position that the 14th Amendment extends to “every free-born person in this land.” On September 1, Wang will share insights from arguing before the Supreme Court in a time of constitutional change.
Wang is National Legal Director of the ACLU, and in April argued a closely watched birthright citizenship case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
In late June, the Court issued a ruling that favored the position advanced by the ACLU, prompting the organization to declare that “the Constitution—not the President—defines who gets to be a citizen.”
In April, Wang argued in support of birthright citizenship before the Supreme Court. In late June, the Court handed down a 6-2 decision agreeing with her.
“This historic decision reaffirms that the Constitution – not the president – defines who gets to be a citizen,” said Wang.
Defending immigrants’ rights is personal for Wang. She told the New York Times in April 2026 that her parents moved to the United States from Taiwan in the late 1960s to attend graduate school. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which lifted race-based quotas on immigration from Asia, allowed her parents that opportunity.
She was born in 1971 in Oregon when her parents were still on student visas, making her a U.S. citizen by birth.
She grew up in Fremont, Calif., and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and Yale Law School.
After clerking for Judge William A. Norris of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Wang served as a law clerk to retired Justice Harry A. Blackmun while working in the chambers of Justice Stephen G. Breyer during the Supreme Court’s 1996–97 term.
As the ACLU’s National Legal Director, Wang oversees more than 200 attorneys and legal professionals. In addition to immigration law, she has worked on cases involving due process, equal protection and civil rights.
Future speakers include Professor Richard Pildes of New York University School of Law, on October 12; Professor Harold Hongjui Koh of Yale Law School on February 11, 2027; and Professor Barbara L. McQuade of the University of Michigan Law School next spring.
The Leaders in Law series is supported by a generous gift from Clarkson Law Firm, P.C.
Open to the campus community and the public, the series is expected to draw participants from across disciplines, including political science, public policy, international relations, history, and James Madison College, as well as alumni and members of the profession.
