LAW 503LU.S. Constitutional Law

Catalog

This course covers the constitutional foundations of the U.S. legal system through the history of the jurisprudence of the United States Supreme Court. The three main areas of study will include: (i) the structure of the United States government and separation of powers within the federal government and between the federal government and the states; (ii) due process and (iii) equal protection. We will examine the United States Supreme Court's key rulings on the constitutional issues. We will focus on the reasoning and the doctrinal tests that the Court has applied in those rulings. The course will also focus on how the Court's approach to various constitutional issues has developed or changed over time. Being aware of this development is critical to understanding how Supreme Court Justices apply constitutional rules.