Constitutional Law: The Fourteenth Amendment

This is a course about the history, theory and doctrine of the Fourteenth Amendment. We will pay special attention to the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses and will also cover congressional authority under section 5. The course will explore many constitutional dimensions of inequality with a focus on race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity. It will also address disputes about contested liberties, including debates about abortion, sexuality and marriage. Overarching issues will include competing approaches to interpreting the Fourteenth Amendment, core questions about the role of courts in a democracy, and the implications of recent changes in law and doctrine. Class discussion will be supplemented with exercises of various sorts. Elements used in grading: Exam and class participation.