Constitutional Structure: Cases in Context, Fourth Edition

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Constitutional Structure: Cases in Context, Third Edition by Randy E. Barnett and Josh Blackman places primary emphasis on how constitutional law has developed since the Founding, its key foundational principles, and recurring debates. By providing both cases and context, it conveys the competing narratives that all lawyers ought to know and all constitutional practitioners need to know. It presents the highly engaging story that is American constitutional law.  Teachable, manageable, class-sized chunks of material are suited to one-semester courses or reduced credit configurations. Generous case excerpts make the text flexible for most courses. Cases are judiciously supplemented with background readings from various sources. The readings are long enough to help students understand the arguments, yet short enough not to overwhelm them. Innovative study guide questions presented before each case help students focus on the salient issues, challenging them to consider the court’s opinions from various perspectives, and suggesting comparisons or connections with other cases. Student are encouraged to think about recurring foundational principles and debates.

New to the Fourth Edition:

• New unit on Criminal Procedure cases taught from the perspective of constitutional law.
• Integration of a twelve-hour video library that brings Supreme Court cases to life
• The inclusion of decisions from the Roberts Court through June 2021

Professors and student will benefit from:

• An online library of sixty-three videos (access codes provided with purchase of the book) brings the Supreme Court’s most important decisions to life.
• This “split” can be used for Constitutional Law I (Structure) courses. The splits sell for half the price of the hardcover casebook.
• A highly accessible and engaging structure that examines the competing narratives that pervade the development of American constitutional law since the founding.
• Related cases that are grouped together into assignments making it simple for professors to construct syllabi, and assign students a reasonable amount of reading for each topic. 
• A wealth of photographs, maps, and primary documents to bring the cases to life. 
• A new supplement for Fall 2021 that includes all cases from the recently-concluded Supreme Court term.