Law and the Constitution
The Honorable Bruce Reinhart was sworn in as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Florida on March 14, 2017. Prior to taking the bench, he was in private practice for 10 years, both as a solo practitioner and as the co-chair of the white-collar crime practice group of a national firm. His practice focused on white-collar criminal defense and complex civil litigation. From 1996-2008, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in West Palm Beach. From 1988-1996, he was a Trial Attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, having entered the Department as part of the Attorney General’s Honors Program. He began his legal career as the law clerk to the Honorable Norma L. Shapiro on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Judge Reinhart earned a degree in civil engineering cum laude from Princeton University in 1984 and a J.D. cum laude in 1987 from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He also taught for several years as an adjunct professor in the FAU College of Criminal Justice.
“Mr. Comey, You’re Fired!”: The Unitary Executive and Separation of Powers
The Founding Fathers designed the U.S. Constitution to create “a government of laws and not of men.” To help accomplish that goal, there is a separation of powers among the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch. They viewed a proper balancing of powers as essential to individual liberty. Too much power in any one branch could be a recipe for tyranny.
Under Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, all executive power is vested in the President of the United States of America. During the 20th century, the Executive Branch expanded greatly. New administrative agencies were created and took on an increasing role in setting the rules of society. Congress delegated significant pieces of its legislative authority to the Executive. A new generation of legal thinkers and judges began to question whether the Executive branch was becoming too powerful. Other thinkers asserted that the President had robust powers to control all Executive Branch operations and foreign policy. These powers included deploying troops without a declaration of war, responding to terrorism and other national security threats, overseeing law enforcement, and making economic or social policy through Executive Orders.
This lecture will explore the historical background to the Presidential power debate. In the last few years, the Supreme Court has decided several cases addressing issues of Presidential power. The lecture will discuss those decisions and what they may indicate about future cases dealing with the structure of our Government.
Register Early! There is a $5 charge for registering on the day of a one-time lecture or event.
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| Course # W1T1 — One Time Event
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| Place: | Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Tuesday, January 21 2020 |
| Time: | 9:30 - 11 AM |
| Fee: | $30 / member; $35 / non-member |
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