CONSTITUTIONAL LAWLAW 602, § R / Fall 1999 / 4 Credits
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Constitutional Law | Legal Research | Sloane Home | The West Education Network (TWEN) |
REQUIRED: Farber, Eskridge & Frickey, Cases and Materials on Constitutional Law (West, 1998)
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CLASS: DATE 1999 | CASEBOOK PAGES | SUPPLEMENT PAGES | TOPICS |
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#1: Mon 23 Aug |
v-xiii; [1]-[37] | iii | Prefaces and Appendices |
#2: Wed 25 Aug |
1-43 | . . . | A Prologue on Constitutional History |
#3: Mon 30 Aug |
43-86 | . . . | An Introduction to Constitutional Decisionmaking: Brown; Marbury |
#4: Wed 1 Sep |
86-131 | . . . | Original Intent, Representation-Reinforcement, Normativist, Deference |
No Class Mon 6 Sep |
. . . | . . . | . . . |
#5: Wed 8 Sep |
133-174 | . . . | The Constitution and Racial Discrimination: After Brown |
#6: Mon 13 Sep |
174-217 | . . . | Judicial and Congressional Power to Address Racial Discrimination |
#7: Wed 15 Sep |
217-264 | 1-3 | The Affirmative Action Controversy: Benign or Discriminatory? |
No Class Mon 20 Sep |
. . . | . . . | . . . |
#8: Wed 22 Sep |
264-296 | 3-11 | Gender Discrimination and Other Equal Protection Concerns |
#9: Mon 27 Sep |
296-337 | 13-15 | Minimal Scrutiny (Rational Basis); Sex and Gender Discrimination |
#10: Wed 29 Sep |
337-379 | 15 | What Level of Scrutiny for Other "Suspicious" Classifications? |
#11: Mon 4 Oct |
379-418 | 15-21 | Protecting Fundamental Rights: Enforce Unenumerated Rights? |
#12: Wed 6 Oct |
418-452 | 23-31 | Protecting Economic Liberty and Property; "Fundamental Interests" |
#13: Mon 11 Oct |
452-490 | 31-38 | Fundamental Privacy Rights: Contraception, Marriage & Abortion |
#14: Wed 13 Oct |
490-533 | 38 | The "Right to Die": Washington v. Glucksberg |
#15: Mon 18 Oct |
533-566 | 38-47 | Procedural Due Process; The First Amendment |
#16: Wed 20 Oct |
566-610 | . . . | Free Speech and Competing Values: R.A.V. v. St. Paul; U.S. v. O'Brien |
#17: Mon 25 Oct |
610-655 | 49 | Regulation of Harmful Messages: Advocacy; Libel; Obscenity; Hate |
#18: Wed 27 Oct |
655-684 | 49-64 | Speech with a Government Nexus: Public Forum; Public Employees |
#19: Mon 1 Nov |
684-722 | 64-65 | Process-Based Protections for Speech; Association; Religion (Free Exercise) |
#20: Wed 3 Nov |
722-768 | . . . | Religion (Establishment); Federalism: McCulloch |
#21: Mon 8 Nov |
768-811 | . . . | The Commerce Clause; Taxing and Spending Powers as Alternatives |
#22: Wed 10 Nov |
811-853 | . . . | Intergovernmental Immunities; State Immunity from Federal Courts |
#23: Mon 15 Nov |
853-893 | 67-71 | The Dormant Commerce Clause: Theory and Practice |
#24: Wed 17 Nov |
893-938 | 71 | Separation of Powers: Supremacy; Federal Preemption; Steel Seizure |
#25: Mon 22 Nov |
939-977 | 73-87 | War Powers; Dames & Moore; Nixon; Nondelegation; Art. I, § 7; Chadha |
#26: Wed 24 Nov |
977-1005 | 87-89 | Gramm-Rudman Case; Independent Counsel Case |
#27: Mon 29 Nov |
1005-1050 | . . . | Limits on the Judicial Power: Jurisdiction; Political Questions |
#28 (6 pm): Wed 1 Dec |
1050-1090 | 91-92 | Standing, the Passive Virtues, and the "New Standing" |
#29: Sat 18 Dec |
9:00 a.m. | FINAL | EXAMINATION |
SCOPE AND EMPHASIS: The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with judicial/constitutional doctrine, with a focus on selected issues of contemporary importance such as discrimination, individual rights, and dispersion of governmental power.
REQUIREMENTS: (1) Students should read all of the casebook and supplement assignments according to the above schedule. (2) Students should check the course TWEN page before each class for announcements and other information posted by the instructor or by other students. (3) Students will take a traditional, in-class, closed-book final examination consisting of five essay questions, each weighted equally. The questions will be based on issues raised in the casebook and/or class discussion.
ATTENDANCE: The ABA and Widener University policy is that students must attend at least 22.4 classes without exception. No excuses can be accepted for failing to meet this residency requirement. Anyone who misses 5.7 or more classes will receive a course grade of "F"; the instructor will endeavor, but does not guarantee, to notify students who are approaching this limit. Arriving late or leaving early is counted as a partial absence (i.e., every 12 minutes or major fraction thereof = 0.1 cut). A student who misses the roll call at the beginning of class is irrebuttably presumed to be absent unless he/she makes his/her presence known to the instructor immediately after class.
COMMUNICATION: Students are encouraged to contact the instructor at any time, either privately via email or phone, or publicly via the TWEN bulletin board for the course. Individual meetings can be arranged at a mutually convenient time and place.
GRADING: The course grade will be determined by the grade received on the final examination, which may be raised or lowered by one grade (e.g., from B+ to A-, or from C to C-) on the basis of the student's class participation. The instructor will be available in January to review the final exams with any student who is interested and to suggest means for improvement in writing successful essay answers.
Minimum Fault Standard for Each LIBEL Element |
At |
After New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) |
After Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. (1974) |
After Dun & Bradstreet v. Greenmoss Builders (1985) |
After Philadelphia Newspapers v. Hepps (1986) |
Publication |
At least negligence |
At least negligence |
At least negligence |
At least negligence |
At least negligence |
Identification |
Strict liability |
Strict liability, but must actually identify |
Strict liability, but must actually identify |
Strict liability, but must actually identify |
Strict liability, but must actually identify |
Defamation |
Strict liability |
Strict liability |
Strict liability, but P who cannot prove actual malice (as to falsity) must prove actual injury |
Strict liability, but P who cannot prove actual malice (as to falsity) must prove actual injury |
Strict liability, but P who cannot prove actual malice (as to falsity) must prove actual injury |
Falsity |
Strict liability, with burden on D to prove truth |
Strict liability, with burden on D to prove truth; but if P is a public official being criticized for performance of official duties, then P must prove actual malice |
(Topic is of public concern): At least negligence, with burden on D to prove truth; if P is seeking presumed or punitive damages, or if P is a public figure seeking ANY damages, then P must prove actual malice |
(Topic is of private concern): Same as before, but as long as P is a private figure, then negligence is sufficient to receive presumed or punitive damages |
If there is a media D and the topic is of public concern, then P (public or private figure) must prove falsity
Wm. M. Sloane |