Location: The Heritage Foundation's Allison Auditorium

This nation's fundamental commitment to the rule of law, as proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and embodied in the Constitution, has promoted unparalleled liberty and equality, and prosperity and justice-not to mention the safety and happiness of the American people-for more than two centuries. It has always been the case, but especially now in a time of war, that sustaining these fundamental precepts demands our eternal vigilance. There is no more critical defender of these principles than the Attorney General of the United States. As he concludes his tenure in that office, Attorney General Ashcroft will share with us his reflections on the state of our Constitution, the rule of law, and the crucial importance of our mutual work to support and defend the principles that will always make America a beacon of liberty at home and throughout the world.

Attorney General Ashcroft is a graduate of Yale University and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago. His career of public service began in 1973 as Missouri Auditor, and he was later elected to two terms as the state's Attorney General. From 1985 through 1993, he served as Governor of Missouri, and in 1991, the non-partisan National Governors Association elected him Chairman. Prior to his nomination as Attorney General in December 2000, he served one term in the U.S. Senate.