Evan Zoldan, assistant professor at the University of Toledo College of law, came to the University on Constitution Day to host a discussion at the Pallister conference room in the Jerome Library.

His speech, entitled, “The Forgotten Bill of Rights: Individual Rights in the Original Constitution” focused on specific principles in the original Constitution that he thinks “get ignored.”

“The question that I was asking today was whether the individual rights in the original Constitution including the Bill of Attainder clause, the Ex Post Factos clause, and the Title of Nobility clause can be in a way considered a forgotten bill of rights,” Zoldan said.

He also said if the principle he was describing were to have some resonance with courts and legislatures, “it would help reduce legislation that I think is not great legislation.”

Both teachers and students showed up to listen to Zoldan.

“I was here because I’m very interested in law,” said Tiara Bostock, a junior and political science major. “We were talking about Ex Post Factos law [in class] and I wanted to learn more about that.”

Bostock is taking a class on constitution law and many of her classmates also were at the event to learn about the forgotten bill.

“It was helpful,” she said. “It related to a lot of the things we’ve been talking about [in class].”

Leila Kawar, political science professor, also attended with her class for similar reasons.

“We’ve been reading the original Constitution and reading about how judges interpret it. And basically what Evan Zoldan is saying is that he thinks judges should interpret it in the way in which he has laid out,” she said.

The speech lasted about 20 minutes and was followed by a question and answer session. Attendees were able to ask specific questions related to individual rights that ranged from topics from the Patriot Act to Edward Snowden.

Zoldan provided a legal perspective and gave his personal opinions on those subjects, among many others.

During the reception at the conclusion of the event Zoldan was asked for advice to students considering a career in law. He suggests that any students considering going to law school should sit in on a class to see what its like.

“Number one, I will say that it is a great profession and law school itself,” he said. “I thought was a lot of fun.”