The US Constitution: What You Should Know

The Constitution is a roadmap for our country. It guarantees our rights, explains what government leaders must do, and sets the rules for the relationship between the federal and state governments. Article III of the Constitution created the judicial branch, including the Supreme Court.

Judge Delaney will explore the different ideas the Constitution's writers had for our court system and discuss how those decisions have shaped the "rule of law" in America.

Carolyn K. Delaney is the Chief Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of California, a position she has held since 2025. She was appointed as a Magistrate Judge in 2011.

Before her appointment, Judge Delaney was the First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California, where she supervised both the criminal and civil divisions. She also managed a large number of criminal cases herself. Her career as a prosecutor began as a deputy district attorney in the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. She later served in the Bucks County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney's Office and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office. From 2008 to 2009, she worked for the U.S. Department of Justice as the Resident Legal Advisor at the American Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.

Judge Delaney received her undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and her law degree from Stanford Law School. Throughout her career, she has tried more than 60 jury trials. She has also served as an instructor at the Department of Justice's National Advocacy Center and as an adjunct professor at the UC Davis School of Law, where she taught trial advocacy.

Thank you for your interest! And thank you for attending this Burlingame Library Foundation event. For more information about our wonderful organization, please visit www.burlingamelibraryfoundation.org.