Brunswick School Dr. John
R. Van Atta
Department of History john_van_atta@brunswickschool.org
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND
LOGIC: LIBERTIES OF THE PEOPLE (Spring 2004)
Content: The U. S. Supreme Court faces tough
questions involving the fundamental rights of citizens and the boundaries of
their freedoms. Some of the Court's
greatest decisions concerning the Bill of Rights will become the foundation of
our study of the growth of liberty in America and its judicial
manifestations. For the most part, the
class will operate as a mock U. S. Supreme Court, with students expected to
argue cases and work toward improvement of oral and writing skills necessary
for mature, effective discourse. In
addition to the readings listed below, everyone is urged to keep up with
current political events through some of the major newspapers and to attend the
films offered to emphasize particular themes that we will be studying.
Assignments: The principal skill involved in this course
is learning to pull logical conclusions from complicated sets of facts and
conflicting principles. Starting very
early in the semester, students are expected to write one short case decision
per week (limited, please, to just 2 for 3 word-processed pages,
double-spaced). The final examination
at the end of the semester will, in part, call upon each student to rely upon
his/her personal view on the limits of American liberty in relation to judicial
decision-making.
Course policies: Since we are departing from the usual
quiz/test format, a student's marking period grade will be based for the most
part on the average of his/her paper grades.
Because much class time is devoted to case arguments, responsible class
participation is necessary and is also likely to influence marking period
grades. Barring exceptional
circumstances, any paper submitted after deadline must be penalized 5 percent
for each day of lateness. If a student
is out of school on the day a paper is due, every effort should be made to have
it delivered in his absence. In cases
of prearranged absence (college visits, athletic commitments, etc.),
assignments should be finished and turned in ahead of time whenever
possible. I would appreciate being
notified of any plans a student may have to be missing from class. Plagiarism
on a paper is defined as a student's representing another person's work as his
own. Anyone found guilty of plagiarism
is liable to severe punishment according to school rules.
Reading: The following books are available for
immediate purchase at the Brunswick bookstore:
Peter Irons, The
Courage of Their Convictions: Sixteen
Americans Who Fought Their Way to the Supreme Court.
Bartholomew, Paul C.
and Joseph F. Menez, eds. Summaries
of Leading Cases on the Constitution.
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WEEK ONE
Irons, The Courage of Their
Convictions.
WEEK TWO
Irons, The Courage of Their
Convictions.
WEEK THREE
Wallace v. Jaffree (1985).
WEEK FOUR
Rosenburger v. University of
Virginia (1995).
WEEK FIVE
Welsh v. United States
(1970).
WEEK SIX
New York Times v. United States.
WEEK SEVEN
Hazelwood School District v.
Khulmeier (1988).
WEEK EIGHT
Miller v. California (1973).
WEEK NINE
Wygant v. Jackson Board of
Education (1986).
WEEK TEN
Rotary International
v. Rotary Club of Duarte (1987).
WEEK ELEVEN
Harris v. Forklift Systems
(1993).
WEEK TWELVE
Lawrence v. Texas (2003).
WEEK THIRTEEN
Roe v. Wade (1973).
WEEK FOURTEEN
Gregg v. Georgia (1976).
WEEK FIFTEEN
Final examination for seniors.
WEEK SIXTEEN
End of semester film.