WAVERLY, Iowa – The new dean of the University of Iowa College of Law will speak at a program to commemorate Constitution Day at Wartburg College on Tuesday, Sept. 25.

“Why Constitutions Matter” will focus on the importance, impact and challenges of constitutions in our society. Kevin Washburn began his duties at the Iowa College of Law on June 15. He is an expert in Native American law, criminal law and gambling law and has produced a prolific portfolio of books, book chapters, articles and congressional testimony.

The presentation Sept. 25 will be from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the McCaskey Lyceum on the Wartburg College campus. The audience will have a chance to ask questions at the conclusion.

Washburn will be accompanied by Brian Farrell, who teaches international law, criminal law and human rights courses at the University of Iowa. He is also the director of the Citizen Lawyer Program, associate director of the UI Center for Human Rights and co-founder and president of the Innocence Project of Iowa.

Congressional legislation passed in 2005 requires institutions of higher education receiving support from the federal government to participate in an activity recognizing Constitution Day, Sept. 17, the date the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1787. Wartburg College has developed programs focusing on timely topics of civic interest as an opportunity to serve the Wartburg and Cedar Valley communities.