LAW3 628 - Constitutional History II: From Reconstruction to Brown

This course examines, from an historical perspective, constitutional developments from the enactment of the Civil War amendments to the Brown decision involving school desegregation. The emphasis is on the historical perspective and the integration of social and political history with legal developments. Some of the issues addressed include: the enactment and early judicial interpretation of the Civil War amendments, the rise and demise of the Lochner era, the Court-packing crisis, the origins of the modern judicial concern with civil rights and civil liberties (including rights of free speech, criminal procedure, and free exercise of religion), and the Brown decision. In addition to placing constitutional developments into their broader historical perspective, the course focuses on the consequences of Supreme Court decision making and how influential were particular Court rulings at transforming social reality.

Credits: 3