Spring 2015 Syllabus for Con Law II: Religion and the Constitution

Richard F. Duncan: Room 220 Law, email:richardfduncan@gmail.com, phone:472-6044

Office Hours: I don't maintain specific office hours; I have an open door policy and I will be in the office regularly and welcome your visits or appointments.

Class: This class meets from 3:15 until 4:45  on Thursdays and Fridays. Since the class meets for 90 minutes instead of 75 minutes, will meet 24 times rather than 28 times. Thus, we are required to cancel 4 classes during the semester.

Attendance Policy: Attendance is required.

Grading & Exam: Seventy-five percent (300 points) of your grade for this course will be based upon the final exam. Twenty-five percent (100 points) of your grade for the course will be based upon short reaction papers that you will write in response to Supreme Court oral arguments we listen to in class.

Casebook:  Varat, Amar & Cohen, Constitutional Law (14th Ed. Foundation Press 2013)

Online Materials: Professor William Linder's Exploring Constitutional Law (Link)

For Spring 2015, students should be prepared for 1 full assignment for each class. In other words, you should be prepared to discuss one complete assignments at all times. I may make a few minor adjustments to these assignments as the course progresses to include some links to recent First Amendment cases or issues.

Be sure to check this blog every day for announcements, additional required and optional reading, and discussion of cases and issues raised in the reading. 

LIST OF ASSIGNMENTS

I. Establishment Clause

1. Duncan article, Just Another Brick in the Wall: The Establishment Clause as a Heckler's Veto, is available (free download) at SSRN;  Dreisbach article; Handout No. 1 (available in Handout racks by Jan. 12); Casebook p. 1615-1620

2. casebook p. 1621-1630;  Linder Introduction (Link); Engel v. Vitale (Link); Wallace v. Jaffree (Link); Lee v. Weisman (Link).

3. Casebook p. 1630-1634; Handout 2; Lynch v. Donnelly (Link); Allegheny County case (link); Casebook p.1634-1651; Summun case (link)

4. Legislative Prayers: Marsh v. Chambers (link); Town of Greece (link); Town of Greece oral argument (listen in class)

5. Handouts 3 and 4; Widmar v. Vincent (Link);Casebook p. 1651-1665

6. Casebook p. 1665-1688; Arizona tax credit case (Link)

7. Casebook p. 1689-1701; Rosenberger Oral Argument (listen in class)

8. Newdow case (Link) ; Casebook p. 1447-1448; my "clearest command" article (Link)

II. Free Exercise Clause

1. Linder Introduction (Link); Reynolds case (Link)


2. Casebook p. 1702-1708; Goldman case (Link)

3. Casebook p. 1709-1719; Handout 5; Handout 6 (Lukumi and Axson-Flynn)

4. Hosanna-Tabor decision (link); Locke v. Davey (Handout 7); Casebook p. 1722-1724; Cutter v. Wilkinson (link);

5. RFRA & Hobby Lobby: RFRA text (link); Hobby Lobby (Link)

6. RLUIPA:  Cutter v. Wilkinson (link); Holt v. Hobbs (link) (Sup Ct opinion)

7. Capstone problem (Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses): Colorado Christian University v. Weaver (link); my "clearest command" article (Link)

III. Religion and Freedom of Expression: Public Forum Analysis, Public Schools, Subsidized Speech, Expressive Association, and Election Campaign Speech

[ Reed v. Town of Gilbert oral argument]

1. Casebook p.1329-1348; McCullen v. Coakley (Link); Scotus blog preview (link).

2.  Snyder v. Phelps (link); Casebook p. 1348-1364

3. Casebook p. 1379-1400; Dariano (flag tee shirt case)(link)

4. Casebook p. 1401-1417; (Re-read Locke v. Davey Handout 7)

5. Casebook p.1435-1442

6. Casebook p.1447-1463; Christian Legal Society v. Martinez (link)

7. Citizens United (link)