Constitutional Law examines the large body of Supreme Court decisions that have interpreted the important, but often ambiguous, phrases and concepts embodied in the United States Constitution. Typically, the course is divided into two major components: Constitutional Law I, covering issues of government structure; and Constitutional Law II, covering issues of individual rights.
Constitutional Law I explores the powers of the three branches of the national government created under the Constitution -- the judicial, legislative, and executive -- and the interrelationships and allocations of powers among those units and the various state governments. Given the unique role of the federal judicial branch in interpreting the Constitution, Constitutional Law I also pays special attention to the federal courts, including the origin and extent of the courts' "judicial review" power: the power to invalidate actions by other units of government on the grounds that they are unconstitutional.
Constitutional Law II focuses on the exercise of power by government officials, and governmental agencies, over individuals. It explores the "delicate balance" our Constitution has struck between the power of the majority, acting through elected representatives, and the rights of individuals and members of minority groups.*
*Copyright Professor Nadine Strossen. Reprinted with permission.
Law Preview's Top Study Aid Picks For Constitutional Law . . .
- University of Miami School of Law
- Duke University School of Law
- Fordham University School of Law
- Boston University School of Law
- Pepperdine University School of Law
- Northwestern University School of Law
- University of California at Los Angeles School of Law
- George Washington University Law School
- University of Texas School of Law