Goals

1. Develop an understanding of the dimensions of the rights outlined in the course
2. Become conversant about the legal standards involved
3. Gain a deeper understanding of Constitutional jurisprudence
4. Consider multiple perspectives about these rights all the way from Supreme Court Justices to fellow students

Course Outline

Judicial Power
Constitution: Articles 1, 2, 3 & Amends. Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Introduction to Liberty, Rights, and Equality
Equal Protection Foundations:
Cruickshank (1876)
The Civil Rights Cases (1883)
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Equal Protection: Social and Economic Regulation/Rational Basis Review:
Williamson v. Lee Optical, Inc. (1955)
Massachusetts Bd. of Retirement v. Murgia (1976)
City of Cleburne, Texas v. Cleburne Living Center (1985)
Equal Protection, Race, and Strict Scrutiny
Korematsu v. United States (1944)
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954)
Loving v. Virginia (1967)
Affirmative Action on the Basis of Race:
Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Peņa (1995)
Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin (2016)
Classifications Regarding Aliens:
Graham v. Richardson (1991)
Ambach v. Norwick (1979)
Freedom of Expression:
Regulation of Fully Protected Speech:
The strict scrutiny standard of review for content-based restrictions:
Reed v. Town of Gilbert, Arizona (2015)
United States v. Alvarez (2012)
Time, place, and manner restrictions:
Ward v. Rock Against Racism (1989)

Licenses, Pemits, and Fees:
Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham (1969)
Regulation of Lesser-Protected and Unprotected Speech:
Incitement, Fighting Words, True Threats, Offensive Speech, Hate Speech:
Incitement to illegal activity:
Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969)
Fighting words:
Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942)
True threats, hate speech, and offensive speech:
Virginia v. Black (2003)
Freedom of Religion:
Free Exercise:
Reynolds v. United States (1879)
Employment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith (1990)
Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971)
School Prayer:
Lee v. Weisman, 505 U.S. 577 (1992)


Requirements for graduation:

(1) One Seminar participation, though everyone is encouraged to participate in all of them
(1) One case brief, may do two additional case briefs to count for one seminar
Participation in all unit discussions (at least three posts, unless you have extenuating circumstances)