Constitutional Law

Can a baker choose not to make a wedding cake for a gay wedding on the grounds of religious freedom? Can a state stop people from wearing political messages on their clothes when they go to vote? Can states make laws which prevent people of different races from marrying each other? Can high school and college teachers/professors be ordered not to teach certain material? Can the federal government make laws which stop school shootings? The news and U.S. history are filled with interesting questions on legal issues. The commonality to all these questions is their basis in America’s constitutional law; specifically, freedom of speech, expression, and the press; issues involving race, religious freedom, the rights of the accused; the right to privacy, including abortion and LGBTQ+ issues; the right to bear arms; and equal protection under the law. This course will be run like a college seminar: students will read, review, and discuss decisions of the Supreme Court. Students will also debate these matters in the larger context of American society and determine for themselves the direction they would like to see the courts take going forward. This means that students will practice building formal legal arguments based on the Constitution. This course is for students who are comfortable with advanced and sensitive topics, and who wish to become young leaders in matters of public policy as they are rooted in constitutional law.