This lesson covers the historical evolution of Congress's authority to enact legislation pursuant to the Commerce Clause. Congress's contemporary Commerce Clause authority is covered in a separate lesson.
This exercise is designed for use in conjunction with any Federal Courts, Federal Jurisdiction, or Civil Rights course that covers the Eleventh Amendment. The exercise takes the student through attempts to bring a federal lawsuit to rectify substandard conditions at a home for the mentally ill.
The lesson concerns the applicability of the Equal Protection Clause to the federal government, a constitutional doctrine often known as "reverse incorporation." It can be used as class preparation, review, or as a supplement.
This lesson is designed to introduce you to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. It is one of a number of lessons on the religion clauses (which include the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause), and the first of several lessons on Establishment Clause issues. It is intended for students who have studied these issues and wish to refine their knowledge.
This lesson focuses on the presidential version of executive privilege. The lesson examines the justifications for the privilege, the requirements for its invocation, and judicial handling of that privilege. The lesson is intended for students who have studied this privilege in class, and who wish to further refine their understanding of the topic.
This lesson is designed to introduce students to the Fourth Amendment prohibition against "unreasonable searches and seizures." The goal is to provide students with an overview of the history of the Fourth Amendment, as well as an introduction to the warrant requirement and the concept of warrantless searches.
This lesson addresses freedom of speech issues for public school employees at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels.
This lesson focuses on the justifications for giving Freedom of Speech, as protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, a privileged and preferred position vis-à-vis other rights. It begins with an analysis of historical antecedents, and concludes with an analysis of the justifications themselves. The lesson is intended for students who have studied these issues in class and wish to refine and enhance their knowledge.
The Lesson concerns the constitutional doctrine and theories of incorporation regarding whether the federal government, the state government, or both are bound by the specific individual constitutional rights in the Bill of Rights.
It can be used as class preparation, review, or as a supplement in a Constitutional Law course. It is also suitable for a Criminal Procedure course.
This is the third in a series of lessons on injunctions against speech. This lesson focuses on injunctions against invasions of privacy. The lesson is intended for students who have studied this material in class and who seek to refine their knowledge.
This lesson concerns Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803), a difficult and important case in Constitutional Law. It is contained in every Constitutional Law casebook and usually appears as one of the first cases. This lesson is designed to assist students to understand Marbury v. Madison and its relevance.
This lesson covers the basic constitutional issues and arguments in marriage with an emphasis on same-sex marriage litigation, including Hollingsworth v. Perry, United States v. Windsor, and Obergefell v. Hodges. It is best used as a supplement or review. This lesson has been updated to reflect changes in the law through April 2018.