12-week course honoring the late Nancy Meyers Marsiglia will engage residents of all backgrounds in exploring and debating elements of the U.S. Constitution
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and United Way of Southeast Louisiana will announce at a 10 a.m. press conference on Wednesday, May 30, the launch of theNancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice - a 12-week course on the U.S. Constitution named in honor of the late Nancy Meyers Marsiglia.
“We are excited to partner with Loyola in this opportunity to engage and empower the people of Southeast Louisiana in memory of Nancy,” said Michael Williamson, UWSELA President and CEO. “Nancy valued equity in all facets of life, and we look forward to advancing her belief for a better, brighter future for all among the next generation of advocates.”
The Institute will be conducted through 12 two-hour sessions to be held on Thursday evenings at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Each session will explore the U.S. Constitution through its articles, Bill of Rights and amendments.
The semester-long course will be offered in the fall of 2018 and spring of 2019.![](/sites/unitedwaysela/files/marsigliainstitute_2018.5.30-139_2.jpg)
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“Nancy Marsiglia understood that the current political climate was making it difficult for people of good will to engage in civil but passionate debate necessary to a democracy,” said Madeleine Landrieu, Dean of Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. “She also had a great admiration for our constitution and our nation’s founding principles. Loyola is proud to partner with United Way to launch this Institute in her name.”
Marsiglia devoted her entire life to social and political justice. Whether advocating for better educational opportunities for children or equal rights for women, she passionately threw herself behind every effort to make equality under the law a reality.
Marsiglia was a founding member of United Way’s Women United, formerly the Women’s Leadership Initiative. She was an enthusiastic participant in the pilot program that led to the Institute at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.
Her countless civic endeavors included leadership roles at the Louisiana Children’s Museum, the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, Agenda for Children, the Audubon Nature Institute, Metairie Country Day School, Jewish Children’s Regional Service, the drive to build the Aquarium of the Americas and Women of the Storm.
Marsiglia’s son, Michael J. Marsiglia, a 2005 Loyola University New Orleans College of Law graduate, remembered his mother as a tireless community activist. “To her, uplifting the entire community was more than a vague societal goal it was a personal calling, a moral imperative incumbent on every individual.”
The Institute’s principal mission is to educate members of our community about the founding principles of our government and foster civil discourse regarding the American Experiment – the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The course curriculum was designed and prepared by Martha Lemoine Palmer, Mentor Teacher and National Judge for the Center for Civic Education’s “We The People” program. Expert guest lecturers will be invited to weigh in on important topics.
“Nancy’s friends and family can think of no better way to honor her legacy of service than for Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and United Way of Southeast Louisiana to promote a more respectful civil discourse, engage a more informed public in our community, and attempt to inspire civic engagement in the future,” said Madalyn Schenk, Marsiglia’s friend.
Applications for the inaugural class will be accepted now through Wednesday, July 4, at UnitedWaySELA.org/MarsigliaInstitute.
Upon completion of the course, participants will be recognized as a “Distinguished Fellow of the Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice.”