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Constitutional Law

Level: Open to students entering grades 11 or 12 or freshman year of college in fall 2013.

Session: I, June 24-July 12, 2013

Days & Time: Monday-Friday, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM and 2:00-4:00 PM

Instructor(s): Jeffrey Lenowitz, Luke MacInnis ,

Related Courses: Students interested in this course might also be interested in Introduction to Conflict Resolution, Debating the Ethics of War and Political Violence, Trial Advocacy, Advanced Topics in Philosophy, or Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing.

"I found the material fascinating, lectures interesting, and the curriculum all-encompassing."

- Liam Fine, 2012

Course Description

This is a course designed for students interested in law, government, and politics. It examines a wide range of contemporary issues subject to Constitutional interpretation, introducing students to the Constitution, the fundamental concepts of Constitutional law, the role of the courts, and the legal limitations on governmental policy making.

Students discuss and analyze topics including separation of powers, federalism, freedom of speech, affirmative action, the death penalty, gun control, civil rights, and abortion. They are exposed to current Constitutional challenges and are given the opportunity to explore the relationship between law and society.

Students develop skills that enable them to read and interpret Supreme Court decisions, which serve as the basis for class discussion. Debates and Moot Courts call on students to develop persuasive arguments in defense of their positions, thereby sharpening reasoning and analytical skills.

Instructor(s)

Jeffrey Lenowitz

Jeffrey Lenowitz is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University, where he also received his M.A. Concentrating on political theory, with a minor in international relations, Jeffrey's research interests include constitutionalism, democratic theory, jurisprudence, and the history of political thought. His dissertation concerns the theoretical and historical role played by ratification in constitution-making procedures. At Columbia, he has served as a teaching assistant for classes on human rights and democratic theory. Before coming to Columbia, Jeffrey received his B.A. from the University of Virginia, where he participated in the Honors Political and Social Thought Major.

Luke MacInnis

Luke MacInnis is a doctoral candidate in Columbia University's Department of Political Science, where he concentrates on political theory. He has a pre-doctoral teaching appointment in Columbia's Contemporary Civilization undergraduate program, and he instructs an undergraduate course in anglophone legal philosophy. He has been a teaching assistant for courses that examine theories of justice, free speech, and the politics of America's judiciary. His dissertation develops a theory of political legitimacy based on Immanuel Kant's moral and political philosophy.

Specific course information, such as hours and instructors, are subject to change at the discretion of the University.