In a few months we will observe the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. That document announced the formation of a new nation and laid the foundation for the rule of law in that new nation. With its soaring, aspirational proclamations that all persons “are created equal” and “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,” the Declaration laid the groundwork for federal courts to interpret the Constitution and give meaning to concepts such as liberty, equality, and justice.