Class Information
Spring 2027
5397 Constitutional Law ( FLLM ONLY) - KNAKE JEFFERSON- 25157
Professor(s):
Renee Knake Jefferson (FACULTY)
Credits: 3
Course Areas: Foreign LLM
Time: 2:30p-5:30p F Location:
Course Outline: This three-credit introductory course provides foreign-trained LL.M. students with an overview of the structure, principles, and operation of the United States Constitution. The course examines the constitutional text, the role of judicial review, and the allocation of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government. It also considers the scope and limits of federal authority, including powers arising under the Commerce, Spending, Taxing, War, and post-Civil War Amendments.
The course introduces major constitutional protections for individual rights and liberties, including freedom of speech and religion under the First Amendment and the guarantees of due process and equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. Throughout the course, students will develop familiarity with the distinctive role of courts and constitutional interpretation in the U.S. legal system. The course will also briefly address the constitutional status and treatment of Native American tribes and peoples, immigrants, and U.S. territories.
Course Syllabus: Syllabus
Course Notes: (Synchronous Online) The UH registration system instruction mode for this course is listed in parenthesis. Contrary to the UH information, some student materials may not be available online, such as an assigned casebook. A physical classroom may be assigned for this course to give students a location in the Law Center to join the virtual class sessions. If the course has a final examination, the final and any other assessment for the course, such as a mid-term exam, will be conducted without the need to physically come to the Law Center, such as, for example, via the EBB portal as a take home exam or under remote proctoring.
Prerequisites:
First Day Assignments:
Final Exam Schedule:
This course will have:
Exam:
Paper:
Satisfies Senior Upper Level Writing Requirement: No
Experiential Course Type: No
Bar Course: No
DistanceEd ABA: No
Pass-Fail Student Election: Unavailable (Instructor Preference)
Course Materials
Book(s) Required
Constitutional Law: Foundations, Interpretations, and Commentaries, 1st Edition (West Academic) Charles W. Rhodes | Renee Knake Jefferson ISBN: 9798887868226 (10% off with LAW10 + free shipping)
You must also register for TWEN; I will regularly use TWEN to communicate about the course and to post our weekly assignments (including weekly readings) and lectures.
