 |
| Fulbright scholar Jon Penney. |
AV俱乐部 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 master鈥檚 degree at Columbia University in New York City. The Halifax native got his first degree, a BA majoring in philosophy at AV俱乐部 in 2000, followed by his law degree in 2003.聽 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.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a really rich body of interesting scholarship that I鈥檓 raring to dig into,鈥� 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.
鈥淚n Canada, a lot of the focus of constitutional theory is on the Supreme Court itself, on the way the court interprets the Constitution. And there鈥檚 always debate about the legitimacy of the court in striking down laws; in Canada, a lot of people believe that鈥檚 the job of politicians 鈥�
鈥淭hough those debates also exist in the U.S., there鈥檚 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.鈥�