Constitutional Law
Level: Open to students entering grades 11 or 12 or freshman year of college in fall 2010.
Session: I, June 28-July 16, 2010
Days & Time: Monday-Friday, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM and 2:30-4:30 PM
Instructor(s): Kate Krimmel, Jeffrey Lenowitz, Kelly Rader
Related Course: Students interested in this course might also be interested in Debating the Ethics of War and Political Violence, Trial Advocacy, and Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing, offered in Session II.
"Both of my instructors were incredibly thorough and I’m so grateful to have been here!"
-Cristina Lara, 2009
"I loved the debates. They were quite spirited and people had a wide variety of opinions."
–Lili Siegal, 2009
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)
Faculty
Kate Krimmel
Kate Krimmel is a Ph.D. candidate in political science at Columbia University, where she also received her M.A. After graduating with honors from Northwestern University, Kate worked as a paralegal for two years at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP and for one year at DLA Piper LLP. While at Columbia, she has served as a teaching assistant for American Parties and Elections, Labor and American Politics, and the Senior Honors Seminar. Her dissertation examines social movement influence in American government.
Faculty
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.
Faculty
Kelly Rader
Kelly Rader is a Ph.D. candidate in political science at Columbia University, where she also received an M.A. from the inter-disciplinary Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences program. She was awarded a B.A. in mathematical economic analysis with department and university honors from Rice University. Her research investigates the institutional and political determinants of Supreme Court decision making, including collegiality, hierarchy, and inter-branch constraints.
Specific course information, such as hours and instructors, are subject to change at the discretion of the University.
