Washburn Law Journal
and the Washburn Law Journal
proudly present the
33rd Annual Foulston Siefkin Lecture
John A. Garver Professor of Jurisprudence
Yale Law School
"Political Powerlessness as a Requirement for Suspect Classifications?"
Friday – March 26, 2010
12 to 1 p.m. – Room 114
Professor William N. Eskridge, Jr., received his B.A., summa cum laude, from Davidson College in 1973 and his Master's in History from Harvard University in 1974.
Professor Eskridge earned his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was the Note and Topics Editor of The Yale Law Journal (1977-78). After clerking for U.S. District Judge Edward Weinfeld in the Southern District of New York and practicing law at Shea & Gardner, he entered academia. His primary academic homes have been the Georgetown University Law Center (1987-98) and the Yale Law School (1998-present), but Professor Eskridge has also taught at NYU, Stanford, Toronto, Harvard, Columbia, Virginia, and Vanderbilt. His primary legal academic interest has been statutory interpretation. Together, Professor Eskridge and Professor Philip Frickey (a friend from Shea & Gardner) developed an innovative casebook on Legislation. Professor Eskridge has also published a monograph and several dozen law review articles (many with Frickey) on statutory interpretation theory and practice.
Professors Eskridge and Frickey's project has been to understand the dynamics of statutory evolution, and the proper methodology judges should apply when construing statutes. In 1990-95, Professor Eskridge represented a gay couple suing for recognition of their same-sex marriage. Since then, he has published a field-establishing casebook, three monographs, and dozens of law review articles articulating a legal and political framework for proper state treatment of sexual and gender minorities. The historical materials in his book on Gaylaw (Google Books preview) formed the basis for an amicus brief he drafted for the Cato Institute and for much of the Court's (and the dissenting opinion's) analysis in Lawrence v. Texas (2003), which invalidated consensual sodomy laws. Professor Eskridge has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court more than a dozen times.
has sponsored the Foulston Siefkin Lecture since 1978 to enrich the
quality of education at Washburn University School of Law.
Articles derived from the lectures are published by
the Washburn Law Journal.
The Washburn Law Journal welcomes unsolicited manuscripts for publication consideration. Note: The Washburn Law Journal does not typically accept submissions from students.
All manuscripts should be double-spaced, notes should be in footnote form, and citations should conform to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (18th ed.). A copy of the manuscript should also be available as a Microsoft Word file (preferred).
Please direct manuscripts to the attention of the Articles Editor:
- Amanda Wilwert (amanda.wilwert [at] washburn.edu)
Washburn Law Journal also accepts submissions via 
If you have questions concerning subscriptions or non-received issues, please contact Sarah Cranganu, Washburn Law Journal Secretary, at (785) 670-2460 or via e-mail at sarah.cranganu [at] washburn.edu.
