Catholic Law’s Professor Derek Webb recently appeared on Fox 5 DC to discuss an upcoming symposium at Ford’s Theatre on Saturday March 21, 2026. Appearing on “In the Courts” with Katie Barlow, Webb discussed a full-day symposium at Ford’s Theatre that will focus on the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The interview, which begins at approximately 14:45 in the segment, can be viewed here.
The Abraham Lincoln Institute, a nonpartisan and nonprofit group of scholars dedicated to the study of the life and times of Lincoln, organizes this annual symposium. Webb has served on the board since 2019 and is the program chair for the 2026 symposium.
The symposium will feature panels of prominent law professors and historians from across the ideological spectrum, including multiple Pulitzer Prize and Lincoln Prize winning authors. These panels will be moderated by prominent journalists and public intellectuals like Judy Woodruff of PBS, Steve Inskeep of NPR, and Jeff Rosen, the CEO emeritus of the National Constitution Center. It will also feature a conversation between Walter Isaacson, the author of the new book “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written,” and David Rubenstein, the recipient of the ALI’s 2025 Legacy Award. Akhil Amar will receive the ALI’s Book Award for his new book “Born Equal: Remaking America's Constitution, 1840–1920.” And the symposium will feature live music provided by the legendary fiddle and guitar duo Jay Ungar and Molly Mason who created the song the “Ashokan Farewell” made famous in Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary.
Webb described the day as a unique “constitutional variety show,” a cross between Firing Line, Prairie Home Companion, and a book festival.
The 2026 symposium was funded by a generous grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities, the law firms of Hogan Lovells, Hunton Andrews Kurth, Perkins Coie, Sidley Austin, and Skadden Arps, as well as the Jack Miller Center and the Wheatley Institute of BYU.