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Unit of study_
LAWS5196: United States Constitutional Law
2024 unit information
The United States Constitution and the United States Supreme Court exert significant influence on constitutionalism globally. This unit provides an in-depth introduction to the principles, core concepts, key cases, and current developments in US Constitutional Law. It traces the structure and role of the US Supreme Court, and the development of US constitutional reasoning from the post-revolutionary period to the present. It considers debates about constitutional interpretation, and the significance of different approaches to key provisions of the Constitution. Topics may include all or any of: judicial review; legislative power; substantive due process; the commerce clause; freedom of speech, race and the Constitution; sex equality; reproductive rights; presidential power.. Students will also be introduced to, and encouraged to engage in, normative debates about constitutional values.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Law |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
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LAWS5011 |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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|
LAWS3496 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Critically analyse the U.S. Constitution, its principles, the various approaches to its interpretation.
- LO2. Critically evaluate key concepts, theoretical resources, and significant cases in U.S. constitutional law.
- LO3. Engage with and articulate normative debates about constitutional values.
- LO4. Apply relevant legal research skills to construct logical, well-structured legal analyses on topics in U.S. constitutional law and communicate these to diverse audiences.
Unit availability
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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