Constitutional Law Overview
Constitutional Law Resources
What is constitutional law?
Generally, constitutional law is the foundation of all law in a specific jurisdiction. It establishes governmental authority and power, as well as limitations and grants of rights. The Constitution of the United States established a system of government and serves as the primary source of law. While each individual state has its own constitution, "Constitutional law" generally refers to such law of the federal government.
Show Extended SummaryFeatured Cases 
- Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd. et al v. Wikileaks et al
California Northern District Court
P.I.: Other
Filed: February 6, 2008
Plaintiff: Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., Julius Baer Bank and Trust Co. LTD.; Defendant: Wikileaks, Wikileaks.Org, Dynadot LLC
Last Docket Report Change Found: May 12, 2008
(May 11, 2008) - Faith Center Church Evengelist Ministries et al v. Glover et al
First Amendment claim by religious group who claims that a public library is not allowing it to hold services in the meeting room. 6/07 Plaintiff has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn 9th Circuit decision.
California Northern District Court
Civil Rights: Other
Filed: July 30, 2004
Plaintiff: Faith Center Church Evengelist Ministries, Faith Center Church Evengelist Ministries, Faith Center Church Evengelist Ministries, Faith Center Church Evengelist Ministries, Hattie Hopkins and others... Defendant: Federal D. Glover, Federal D. Glover, Mark DeSaulnier, John M. Gioia, John M. Gioia and others...
Last Docket Report Change Found: May 12, 2008
(May 11, 2008) - BIG HAT BOOKS et al v. PROSECUTORS:
Plaintiffs Big Hat Books, Boxcar Books and Community Center, Inc., American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana Foundation, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, Association of American Publishers, Entertainment Merchants Association, Freedom to Read Foundation, National Association of Recording Merchandisers, Great Lakes Booksellers Association, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis Downtown Artists and Dealers Association challenges the constitutionality of House Enrolled Act No. 1042, which requires that persons and entities that intend to offer for sale or to sell literature and other matters deemed harmful to minors under Indiana law register with the Secretary of State and pay a fee.
Indiana Southern District Court
None
Filed: May 7, 2008
Plaintiff: BIG HAT BOOKS, BOXCAR BOOKS AND COMMUNITY CENTER, INC., AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF INDIANA FOUNDATION, AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS FOUNDATION FOR FREE EXPRESSION, ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN PUBLISHERS and others...; Defendant: PROSECUTORS:
Last Docket Report Change Found: May 7, 2008
(May 6, 2008) - Video Software Dealers Association et al v. Schwarzenegger et al
Plaintiffs Video Software Dealers Association and Entertainment Software Association sought declaratory and injunctive relief against enforcement of a California statute that penalizes the sale or rental of "violent" video games to persons under the age of 18.
California Northern District Court
Constitutional - State Statute
Filed: October 17, 2005
Plaintiff: Video Software Dealers Association, Entertainment Software Association; Defendant: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Lockyer, George Kennedy, Richard Doyle, Ann Miller Ravel and others...Amicus: Common Sense Media
Last Docket Report Change Found: December 31, 1969
(October 17, 2007) - Entertainment Software Association et al v. Foti et al
Plaintiffs Entertainment Software Association and Entertainment Merchants Association sought declaratory and injunctive relief against enforcement of a new Louisiana statute that criminalizes the sale or rental of violent video games to persons under 18.
Louisiana Middle District Court
Constitutional - State Statute
Filed: June 16, 2006
Plaintiff: Entertainment Software Association, Entertainment Merchants Association; Defendant: Doug Moreau
Last Docket Report Change Found: December 31, 1969
(August 5, 2007)
Legislation 
- Bill Introduced: S.J.Res.31 A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of ...
A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to United States citizenship.
(April 7, 2008) - Bill Introduced: H.Res.1076 Calling upon the courts to uphold the fundamental and ...
Calling upon the courts to uphold the fundamental and constitutional right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.
(April 1, 2008) - Bill Introduced: H.Con.Res.317 Condemning the Burmese regime's undemocratic draft constitution ...
Condemning the Burmese regime's undemocratic draft constitution and scheduled referendum.
(March 12, 2008) - Bill Introduced: S.Con.Res.70 Budget resolution FY2009
An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2009 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2008 and 2010 through 2013.
(March 5, 2008) - Bill Introduced: S.Res.460 A resolution to authorize representation by the Senate Legal Counsel ...
A resolution to authorize representation by the Senate Legal Counsel in the case of National Association of Manufacturers v. Taylor, et al.
(February 23, 2008)
Articles 
- Court Upholds Lethal Injections
Trial Magazine, June 2008, Indiana Legal Studies Research Paper No. 107 Craig Bradley Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington Date Posted: May 16, 2008 Last Revised: May 16, 2008
(May 15, 2008) - Defending Saucier
Ross B. Goldman University of Virginia - School of Law Date Posted: May 15, 2008 Last Revised: May 16, 2008
(May 15, 2008) - Transatlanticisms: Constitutional Asymmetry and Selective Reception of U.S. ...
Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law (JICL), Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 101-161, 2008, American University, WCL Research Paper No. 08-51 Fernanda Nicola American University - Washington College of Law Date Posted: May 14, 2008 Last Revised: May 16, 2008
(May 15, 2008) - Thinking About Law and Creativity: On the 100 Most Creative Moments in American Law
Valparaiso University Legal Studies Research Paper No. 08-04 Robert F. Blomquist Valparaiso University - Law School Date Posted: May 16, 2008 Last Revised: May 16, 2008
(May 15, 2008) - Sweet Land of Property?: The History, Symbols, Rhetoric, and Theory Behind the Ordering of the ...
TJSL Legal Studies Research Paper No. 1131503 Steven Semeraro Thomas Jefferson School of Law Date Posted: May 13, 2008 Last Revised: May 15, 2008
(May 14, 2008)
News 
- Why The First Amendment Protects What Offends
North Country Gazette, NY - 4 hours ago
By Gene Policinski Why does the First Amendment protect those who are showing and saying things many of us would rather not see or hear? ...
(May 15, 2008) - RNC Posts New Web Video: 'Obama and the Second Amendment'
Reuters - 2 hours ago
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, ...
(May 15, 2008)
Boston Globe
John McCain's remarks to the National Rifle Assn.
Los Angeles Times, CA - 55 minutes ago
The Second Amendment isn't some archaic custom that matters only to rural Americans, who find solace in firearms out of frustration with their economic ...
McCain Criticizes Obama, Clinton on Gun Control New York Times
McCain Embraces Gun Rights As He Visits NRA Convention Wall Street Journal Blogs
RNC Posts New Web Video: 'Obama and the Second Amendment' NewsBlaze
Los Angeles Times - New York Timesall 235 news articles
(May 15, 2008)- PUPs want Barrow to call a referendum on constitutional changes
Amandala, Belize - 6 hours ago
The claimants are saying that since the Government intends to make certain changes to the Constitution via the Belize Constitution (Sixth Amendment) Bill, ...
(May 15, 2008) - MU professor says protect mourners’ rights, but not at expense of ...
Nodaway News Leader, MO - 9 hours ago
According to Wells, the First Amendment allows some regulation of protests near funerals, but how and why government officials restrict such protests also ...
(May 15, 2008)
Blog Posts 
- Human Rights Watch's Credibility:
Responding to an NGO Monitor Report accusing Human Rights Watch of anti-Israel bias (a topic that has been covered here before), HRW's Middle East Director Sarah Leah Whitson
(May 15, 2008) - Does Bush Equate Diplomacy with Appeasement?
"Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." ---John F. Kennedy While clearly the worst foreign policy president in the nation's history, Mr. Bush is unabashed in criticizing Senator Obama's new politics of principled leadership ,including a commitment to negotiation and diplomacy: "President Bush used a speech to the Israeli Parliament on Thursday to denounce those who would negotiate with 'terrorists and radicals' a remark that was widely interpreted as a...
(May 15, 2008) - Marriage Spat: Calif. Supreme Court Decision Sparks Church-State Discussion
The California Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage has opened an important discussion about the relationship between religion and government. The justices in the court majority made it clear that they were ruling in favor of civil-marriage equality and not religion. Religious communities will remain free to perform same-sex marriages or not, as [...]
(May 15, 2008) - Federalist Society Consumer Credit Protection Conference:
The program and participants list for the Federalist Society Consumer Credit Protection Conference has been updated. The program will be Tuesday May 20 at the National Press Club. Information and registration...
(May 15, 2008) - Czech President Vetoes Anti-Discrimination Law
CeskeNoviny reports today that Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus has vetoed a broad anti-discrimination law designed to assure equal access to education, work, health care and social advantages. The law would ban discrimination on the basis of religion, as well as on the basis of numerous other grounds (age, race, nationality, sexual orientation, health handicap, sex, and world outlook). Even though such legislation is mandated by the European Union, Klaus in vetoing it said that it merely...
(May 15, 2008)