Prof. Philip J. Prygoski, a former administrative law judge for the State of Michigan Board of Licensing and Regulation and constitutional law professor for 35 years, provided invaluable support to the Romney Institute during the critical stages of its infancy. Not only was he the institute’s first speaker and fellow, delivering a bravura presentation on the First Amendment on Constitution Day, 2010, he was also a constant source of wise counsel and advice. During his 2010 visit to AC he spent a few hours speaking with a number of pre-law students over dinner, answering their questions and making recommendations on how to achieve their law school ambitions.
Prof. Prygoski has written prolifically on constitutional issues over the years. His constitutional law study guide, Sum and Substance Quick Review on Constitutional Law, is widely used throughout the country and is now in its 16th edition. But his unique gift for teaching an elevated and higher-ordered understanding of the Constitution, which he gave to countless thousands of students, primarily at Thomas M. Cooley Law School, whose faculty he joined in 1977, is perhaps his greatest legacy. Professor Prygoski has been recognized as one of the most respected constitutional teachers in the country, winning countless teaching awards. In 2011 he was chosen for inclusion in the latest edition of What the Best Law Teachers Do, soon to be published by Harvard University Press.
Prof. Prygoski passed away on October 5, 2019.
In recognition of his outstanding service to teaching and the Constitution, starting in 2012 every year on Constitution Day, Adrian College’s Romney Institute for Law and Public Policy will host a renowned speaker to deliver the “Annual Philip J. Prygoski Constitution Day Address,” whose topic will be a contemporary issue of constitutional concern.
