Prerequisites: None

Exam Type: Please refer to the Spring 2021 Exam Schedule

This course is one of the two basic courses in the field. It focuses on the structure of the United States government, including the doctrines of separation of powers and federalism. The course also involves an in-depth study of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses. There are two things about this course that you should know in advance-which might distinguish it from other courses on the same topic. First, I teach mostly by lecture; though student participation is encouraged, this is not a conventional Socratic class. Second, while I do cover the conventional constitutional law doctrine, this class also emphasizes historical context, different normative theories of constitutional interpretation, and political science-type questions such as the consequences of the Court’s rulings. Those with an interest mainly in conventional legal doctrine might be well advised to look elsewhere.

Note: This course is not available for rising 2Ls due to substantial overlap with the 1L Constitutional Law course.