American Constitutional Law

After passing my Comprehensive exams in Public Law and American Politics, I was given the opportunity to teach two upper level undergraduate courses in the Pre-Law area of study, American Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties and Rights. These courses are designed to prepare undergraduate students that are planning on attending law school in the future. I designed my courses to reflect common classroom practices in law school with a mixture of lecture and Socratic Method of case material. This course provides a broad overview of the development of constitutional law in areas related to the powers granted to and the constraints placed on each branch of government by the Constitution, the division of power between the federal and state governments, and limitations on the regulation of economic activity. During my class, I utilized Epstein and Walker’s Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints as the course text.  Below are some of my sample course materials including a syllabus, lecture slides, writing assignments, and classroom handouts.

• Syllabus:

  • Summer 2017 – American Constitutional Law Syllabus – Fairbanks

• Lecture Slides:

  • Jurisdiction, Justiciability, and Standing
  • The Legislature
  • Takings Clause

• Course Handouts:

  • Case Brief Template Handout
  • ABA Handout for Class on Reading SCOTUS opinions

• Hypothetical Essay Assignment:

  • Commerce Clause Hypothetical Essay Assignment