American Constitutional Law

This course provides a semester-long introduction to United States Constitutional Law for students who are trained in other legal traditions. The course covers the structure and powers of the national (i.e., federal) government; the roles of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches; the relationship between the federal and state governments; and the theory and content of equality and individual rights under the Constitution. Throughout, we will explore the values that animate these fields, the competing methods of constitutional interpretation, and the relationship between constitutionalism and democracy. LLM and ALA students only.