Constitutional Spring Break
By Julia L . Ernst ¹
Although legal professionals excel at prioritizing work , many could benefit from greater work-life balance , myself included . Therefore , when our daughter , Cosette , learned she would have a week-long vacation corresponding with the University of North Dakota ( UND ) School of Law ’ s spring break , my husband , Rich , and I jumped at the opportunity to take her on a family trip . As she completes her senior year and will soon head to college , making the most of our time together tops our priorities during these last few months together . Cosette chose to visit our nation ’ s capital , where her childhood memories developed before moving to North Dakota after first grade .
Over the years , we have discovered taking a break from life ’ s daily routine can integrate with fulfilling work and school obligations . Since 2003 , Rich has worked with the Washington , D . C . -based Association of American Medical Colleges ( AAMC ), like the Association of American Law Schools , which UND holds memberships in both , remotely since we relocated to North Dakota in 2011 . The pandemic suspended his annual visits to AAMC headquarters , so Rich took this opportunity to return – just one week after the office re-opened . I brought my work , too , making use of travel , mornings , and evenings . Since Cosette is taking online courses to supplement her final year at Red River High School , she also appreciated this productive time .
Exhibits at the National Museum of African American History and Culture included scenes from the documentary " Eyes on the Prize ," left , and mementos honoring Rosa Parks , right .
Julia Ernst , left , and her daughter , Cosette , right , at the Library of Congress .
As a constitutional law professor , I eagerly anticipated re-exploring Washington , D . C ., a region richly entrenched in United States history and democracy . I realized a legal theme connects each seemingly disparate site Cosette and I toured – the International Spy Museum , National Museum of African American History and Culture , Library of Congress , National Portrait Gallery , Georgetown University Law Center , and Gadsby Tavern Museum . These examples highlight the outstanding civic educational opportunities throughout the capital region , showcasing the significance of the U . S . Constitution in nearly every aspect of life .
We first scouted the International Spy Museum . Each visitor assumes a new identity , unique badge , passcode , and secret mission , engaging with interactive exhibits throughout their journey . Observing hordes of students playing spy games , I fleetingly mused if this were an elaborate scheme devised by national security entities to secure new recruits , recording their scores on various skill tests throughout the building . The U . S . government ’ s need for information to keep our nation safe from terrorism , economic espionage , cyber-sabotage , and other forms of foreign and domestic aggression entailed a central theme . The exhibits also raised thoughtful questions concerning the extent to which Americans concede to relinquish privacy in the name of security , conundrums frequently spotlighted in the news .
How much protection from unreasonable search and seizure remains within the Fourth Amendment ? Even if the government cannot secure a warrant to obtain certain information about U . S . citizens , could it simply purchase such information from data brokers who mine the Internet and place cookies on computers , cellphones , gaming consoles , home electronic assistance devices , and watches ? What new technologies are emerging to augment government surveillance domestically as well as globally , including enhanced drones , satellites , and listening apparatuses ? These sobering tradeoffs raise complex constitutional , as well as moral and philosophical , issues with which U . S . citizens will continue to contend .
We next explored the National Museum of African American History and Culture , the newest Smithsonian Museum prominently
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