First Day Reading Assignment
Constitutional Law
Spring 2015
Professor Zoë Robinson
1. Buy the two required texts from the bookstore/Amazon. The casebook for this course is
Sullivan and Feldman, Constitutional Law (18th Edition, 2013). You do NOT need to buy the
Supplement. In addition I have assigned a small (and cheap) additional book, Linda Greenhouse,
A Very Short Introduction to the U.S. Supreme Court (OUP). I also advise you to strongly
consider purchasing Chemerinsky, Constitutional Law: Principles and Policies (Aspen), it has
proved to be an excellent resource for students in past years.
2. Read the syllabus carefully – the syllabus is not just a list of reading assignments, it is also
your roadmap to this course. The headings and sub-headings provide you with a guidebook for
the entire course. Note that the syllabus is subject to revision depending on the pace of the
individual class, so be prepared for some adjustments.
3. Read the assignment for Class #1, which consists of the entirety of Topic 1: Introduction to
and Origins of the American Constitutional System, Handouts H1 to H3, inclusive (handouts are
available on D2L), and the Constitution of the United States (front of your casebook, or page
LXV). Be sure to give yourself ample time to read for class and to reflect on the material.
4. Think about, and be prepared to answer the following questions:
a. What do you think a Constitution is, and how is it different from statutes?
b. As you read the U.S. Constitution, identify those provisions which perform each of the
following functions:
(i) Set up the machinery of the national government;
(ii) Confer power on one of the three branches of the national government;
(iii) Confer power on state governments;
(iv) Limit the power of the national government;
(v) Limit the power of state governments; and
(vi) Limit the power of private individuals.
5. Be aware that I call on people at random, without warning, including in the first class. It
is a bad idea to be unprepared to answer questions and discuss the readings.
6. Be aware that a seating chart will be distributed at the beginning of the first class.