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Model Constitutional Convention

This national event invites undergraduate, law, and master’s students from across the United States with an interest in constitutional law, history, design, and reform to take part in a transformative learning experience focused on the constitutional amendment process, civic engagement and dialogue, and democratic principles and procedures.

2026 Model Constitutional Convention voting
Attendees networking at round tables during a WashU Law event
About the Event

Fostering Constitutional Imagination for Students

The Model Constitutional Convention (MCC) is the nation’s first student-led simulated constitutional convention of its kind. Founded by WashU Law’s Dean Stefanie Lindquist, it launched at ASU School of Law in May 2024 and was hosted at WashU Law in May 2026. Modeled after a form of Convention described in Article V of the U.S. Constitution, the premise of the simulation is that pursuant to Article V of the Constitution, Congress has heeded a call from 2/3 of the states to call a convention for proposing amendments. Delegates – undergraduate and law students from 80 institutions around the country – are assigned to represent a particular state and to gather for a 3-day simulation where they propose, debate, and vote on amendments to the U.S. Constitution. See our Guidebook for more details about the MCC’s structure, our 2026 speakers, and our 2026 student delegates.

For a glimpse at the impact that the MCC has had on its participants, we invite you to view these short videos:


2026

Convention Speakers

Erwin Chemerinsky Dean Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law

Erwin Chemerinsky

Dean and Distinguished Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law

Richard Albert Hines H. Baker and Thelma Kelley Baker Chair in Law Professor

Richard Albert

Professor of Law and Government, Director of Constitutional Studies, The University of Texas at Austin

Justin Weinstein-Tull Professor of Law, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Justin Weinstein-Tull

Professor of Law, Co-Director of the Center of Constitutional Design, Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law

Location and Logistics

The constitutional convention comes to St. Louis.

This year’s MCC will take place May 21–24, 2026 at WashU Law in St. Louis. Students who are selected to participate in this event will receive a stipend to cover the cost of their travel, and they will be provided food and lodging while at the Convention. 

Please reach out to MCC2026@wustl.edu with any questions about the event.

Students holding WashU Law signs at a campus event

Perpetuating the MCC Vision at WashU Law

The 2026 MCC hosted at WashU Law built on the success of the inaugural convention. The video is a short documentary that captures the evolution and impact of the event.

Where it Began: The Inaugural MCC at ASU Law

The inaugural convention was hosted in 2024 by the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. In addition to the video, this essay, published in the Florida Law Review, provides a detailed summary and reflection.

The Model Constitutional Convention is made possible by:
Our partner institutions:
  • Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and its Center for Constitutional Design
  • The University of Texas at Austin School of Law’s Program on Constitutional Studies
Team

Meet our team.

Portrait of WashU Law Dean Stefanie Lindquist

Stefanie Lindquist, Founder

Stefanie Lindquist is the Nickerson Dean and Professor of Law at WashU Law, and is the creator and faculty director of the MCC. She piloted the first MCC in May 2024 at ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where she served on the faculty and was Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Design.

Neta Borshansky

Neta Borshansky, Director

Neta Borshansky is a consultant and lawyer and serves as the staff director and strategic advisor to the MCC, working alongside all members of the WashU Law team to execute this project.

2025 Constitution Convention Workshop
Resources

Prepare for the convention.

Students interested in familiarizing themselves with the basics of the Constitutional amendment project can refer to this National Constitution Center resource as a short primer.
 
Students may also find the Harvard Amendments Project helpful as an orientation. The project is a searchable archive of the full text of nearly every amendment to the U.S. Constitution proposed in Congress between 1789 and 2022 (more than 11,000 proposals); records of petitions introduced in Congress between 1789 and 1949 that propose, support, or oppose constitutional amendments (more than 9,000 petitions); and thousands of proposed amendments that never made it to Congress.” The Amendments Project’s searchable database may be found here.
 
Students who are accepted as delegates to the next MCC will be given more background reading and will be required to participate in a preparatory course delivered virtually in advance of the convention, covering: the Constitutional amendment process; Constitutional amendment drafting; and Roberts Rules of Order. 

2024 Event

Convention highlights.

The 2024 MCC included speakers:

  • Richard Albert, University of Texas at Austin
  • Erwin Chemerinsky, UC Berkeley
    School of Law
  • Jill Lepore, Harvard University and the Amend Project
  • Jeffrey Rosen, National Constitution Center
2025 Constitution Convention Panel
2025 Constitution Convention Audience
In the Media

2026 Convention Coverage

KMOX Interview with Stef Lindquist

The Fulcrum

2024 Convention Coverage

PBS Interview with Stef Lindquist

JURISTnews: Creating Constitutional Community: ASU Law to Host the First Student-Led Model US Constitutional Convention

JURISTnews: Takeaways From the First Student-Led Model US Constitutional Convention

Day 1 – JURISTnews: Arizona dispatch: US university students convene for a Model Constitutional Convention at a critical juncture in a divided country

Day 2 – JURISTnews: Arizona dispatch: students from 70 law schools and universities debate 20 proposed amendments to the US Constitution at model convention

Day 3 –  JURISTnews: Arizona dispatch: student delegates to Model Constitutional Convention pass proposed amendments on equal rights, tribal sovereignty, gerrymandering and eminent domain limits

FAQs

Your questions answered.

Yes, you must be enrolled as a student at the time of applying to the MCC, in an undergraduate, master’s, or J.D. program. If you will have graduated by May 2026, you can still apply, so long as you are enrolled at the time of your application.

Unfortunately, we will only be accepting students who have not had the opportunity to participate in an MCC. If you were a participant in the 2024 MCC and would like to assist us with the event as a volunteer, please reach out at MCC2026@wustl.edu.

Yes, we welcome your application. Please be sure to update your application with relevant information about your interest and experience.

All student delegates must arrive by Thursday evening May 21st, and must stay through mid-day on Sunday May 24th (exact details will be provided closer to the event). There will be no exceptions to our attendance policy and you will forfeit your spot if you cannot commit fully to the event.

If you are accepted to participate in the Convention, you will be notified by February 15th, 2026, and we will ask you to confirm acceptance by February 20th. We will maintain a waitlist in case any admitted students decline their offer to participate. Waitlisted students will be notified by the end of February if they are accepted.

Great question. Over the course of March, April, and May, you will be asked to dedicate approximately 10 hours to ensuring that you are prepared for the Convention.

In March, you will be asked to complete an online preparatory course that will orient you to the constitutional amendment process, the history of constitutional amendments, constitutional amendment drafting, and Roberts Rules of Order. The modules will be recorded so that you can
complete them in your own time, and you will need to certify completion before receiving your state delegate and committee assignments. We anticipate that the time commitment for the online learning modules in March will be approximately 5 hours.

Once you complete the online course, you will receive your delegate and committee assignment, and there will be some pre-Convention committee work leading up to the Convention. There will be a couple of mandatory zoom meetings with your committees and mentors, and you will be tasked with developing and submitting your proposed amendments by a certain date in advance of the convention. The time commitment for this pre-convention work is also approximately 5 hours.

Every student participant will be assigned a single dorm room on WashU’s campus, within walking and/or shuttle-ride distance to the MCC. If you require special accommodations, you will have the opportunity, once admitted, to submit those to us. The MCC is a fully immersive experience and participants are not permitted to bring travel companions with them, absent extenuating circumstances which will require advanced approval.

You will receive a travel stipend of $1000 if you are traveling by air to St. Louis, and $500 if you are local or traveling by vehicle. Your stipend will be disbursed to you upon completion of the MCC. Students who are unable to pay for their travel up front will have the option to request that we arrange their travel for them, in which case they will not receive the travel stipend. All food and lodging will be provided from dinner on May 21st through lunch on May 24th.

While we value relevant prior experience and knowledge, our selection committee prioritizes students who are curious and excited to engage with the U.S. Constitution and the amendment process, and will approach this experience with professionalism and enthusiasm. Moreover, we are looking for student delegates who will respect their peers and mentors even if they hold differing views and values from their own, and will be fully present and engaged during all phases of the MCC, from preparation through program completion.

Observer Policy

In keeping with the educational mission of the Model Constitutional Convention (MCC), educators from other institutions —including high schools, colleges, and law schools—who are interested in learning more about our simulated constitutional convention model, may attend the MCC as observers with prior request and approval from the MCC’s organizers.

Observers are responsible for all travel, lodging, and meal expenses associated with attending the MCC. Approved observers will be issued a name badge identifying them as Observers and will be asked to view the Convention from a designated area. Observers will be allowed to attend plenary sessions only.

During the MCC, Observers are expected to refrain from engaging with student delegates and from advancing or promoting their own views regarding constitutional amendments. Observers are also asked to limit interactions with MCC faculty and staff during program hours, except as necessary for logistical purposes.

Observers may not record, photograph, or livestream MCC proceedings or participants without prior approval from the MCC organizers.

The MCC organizers reserve the right to require any Observer to leave the Convention premises and to deny further attendance if, in the organizers’ judgment, the Observer engages in behavior that is inappropriate or inconsistent with the goals of the program.

All requests to attend as an Observer should be directed to mcc2026@wustl.edu. We also invite members of the press to attend the MCC. All media requests should be directed to Megan Spence, mspence@wustl.edu.  

MCC Schedule of Events