Books & Treatises
The Law Library has hundreds of books on U.S. constitutional law. The following titles offer overviews.
You can also search the catalog for books on specific topics, from freedom of speech to presidential power.
A Companion to the United States Constitution and Its Amendments, 6th ed. by Publication Date: 2015
Hornbook on Constitutional Law, 8th ed. by Publication Date: 2009Also available in West Academic Study Aids.
Mastering Constitutional Law, 2d ed. by Publication Date: 2015
The Oxford Handbook of the U. S. Constitution by Publication Date: 2015Print. Also available online through Oxford Handbooks
Treatise on Constitutional Law: Substance and Procedure, 5th ed. by Publication Date: 2012-13Available on Westlaw.
CALI Lessons
CALI (Computer Assisted Legal Instruction) includes lessons and tutorials related to many key aspects of constitutional law. These lessons are available to the UW Law community (students should visit the law student restricted databases page if you need the CALI authorization code). Examples of relevant lessons include:
- Marbury v. Madison (CALI Lesson)This lesson concerns Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803), a difficult and important case in Constitutional Law. It is contained in every Constitutional Law casebook and usually appears as one of the first cases. This lesson is designed to assist students to understand Marbury v. Madison and its relevance.
- Early Commerce Clause (CALI Lesson)This lesson covers the historical evolution of Congress's authority to enact legislation pursuant to the Commerce Clause. Congress's contemporary Commerce Clause authority is covered in a separate lesson.
- Executive Privilege - Presidential Privilege (CALI Lesson)This lesson focuses on the presidential version of executive privilege. The lesson examines the justifications for the privilege, the requirements for its invocation, and judicial handling of that privilege.
- Hearing Procedures Required by Due Process - The Basic Analysis (CALI Lesson)This lesson presents a schematic flowchart or algorithm illustrating one approach to determining whether due process applies to a particular agency hearing and, if it does, how one determines what procedures are required and the time at which they must be made available. It references several of the basic Supreme Court cases (Goldberg, Roth, Perry, Goss, Mathews, etc.).
You can see all of the available CALI lessons related to constitutional law here:
- CALI Constitutional Law Subject OutlineLists all of the available lessons related to constitutional law.
Selected Websites
- The Constitution [White House]Briefly describes the Constitutional Convention, the ratification process, and the Bill of Rights.
- The Court and Constitutional Interpretation [U.S. Supreme Court]Transcript of an address by then Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes.
- National Constitution CenterEstablished by Congress to provide nonpartisan information. Includes historical documents, exhibits, podcasts, and videos.
Research Guides
- Constitutional Law and History Research Guide [Georgetown Law Library]Covers history, judicial interpretation, law reviews, state constitutions, and treatises.
- Presidential PowerResources about the presidency and limits on presidential power.
- United States Constitution [Law Library of Congress]Links to text and commentaries, judicial decisions, and related material.