Active Outline

General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
PARAD011.
Course Title (CB02)
Federal Courts and Constitutional Law
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
Federal court procedure and the impact of U.S. Constitutional law on federal and state law. Read and analyze the Constitution. Effect of U.S. Supreme Court cases on current constitutional interpretation.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course is in a CTE program and is UC and CSU transferable. The course belongs in the Administration of Justice certificate and degree programs. This course was developed in response to an advisory board recommendation that students be provided knowledge on the relationship between the constitution and the protections provided to individuals. This course provides students with an advanced understanding of the federal criminal justice system and law. This course is cross-listed.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.08.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
48.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
96.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
96.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

ESL D272. and ESL D273., or ESL D472. and ESL D473., or eligibility for EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

(Not open to students with credit in the cross-listed course(s).)

(Also listed as ADMJ D011. and POLI D011.)

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Discussion and problem solving performed in class

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Homework and extended projects

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Assignments

  1. Oral
    1. Prepare for class discussions
    2. Prepare for individual and/or small group presentations of course material
  2. Writing
    1. Create course notebook containing brief outline of U.S. Constitution and collection of media articles on Constitutional topics
    2. Prepare a research paper covering an area of Constitutional procedure or controversy of interest to the student
    3. Prepare selected case analysis or briefs
    4. Objective and essay midterm and final examinations
  3. Reading
    1. Reading from text and other references
    2. Analyze selected Supreme Court cases

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Oral and written assignments that demonstrate students ability to read and analyze key constitutional law cases and apply constitutional precedents to new factual situations
  2. Written midterm and final examinations testing the students knowledge of the constitution and its interpretation based upon Supreme Court decisions
  3. Participation in class discussion where students will be able to show their ability to read and apply case precedents

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None.
Essential College Facilities:
  • None.

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Chemerinsky, Erwin. "Constitutional Law: Principles and Policies" 5th ed. New York: Wolters Kluwer, 2015.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Bailey, Suzanne and Barron, Chana. "Constitutional Law." 1st Ed. New York: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2006.
Hames, Joanne and Ekern, Yvonne. "Constitutional Law, Principles and Practice.", 2nd Edition, New York: Delmar Cengage Learning, 2013.
"Constitutional Law", Legal Information Instituted at (www.law.cornell.edu/wex/Constitutional_law).

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Describe and evaluate Article I of the U.S. Constitution
  • Describe and evaluate Article II of the U.S. Constitution
  • Describe and evaluate Article III of the U.S. Constitution
  • Analyze the constitutional bases for federalism
  • Analyze and discuss the major protected "civil rights" and their impact on women and minorities in a diverse society
  • Analyze current constitutional controversies
  • Examine attitudes toward human rights by governments outside the United States

CSLOs

  • Analyze the substantive Constitutional amendments pertaining to individual civil rights and evaluate their impact on protected classes.

  • Describe writs of error and certiorari and define their use within the appellate process.

Outline

  1. Describe and evaluate Article I of the U.S. Constitution
    1. Legislative organization under the Constitution
    2. Powers of the legislative branch - Article I, Section 8
    3. Investigative powers and cases such as U.S. v Nixon
    4. Contempt powers of Congress
    5. Legislative immunity
  2. Describe and evaluate Article II of the U.S. Constitution
    1. Express Powers of the executive branch
      1. appointments
      2. war powers
      3. treaty power
    2. Implied powers of the executive branch
    3. Executive privilege and cases such as U.S. v. Nixon and Clinton v. Jones
  3. Describe and evaluate Article III of the U.S. Constitution
    1. Article III: The judicial branch of the federal government
    2. Appellate and original jurisdiction: federal questions, standing
    3. Trial court and appellate procedure;
      1. Writs of error and certiorari
      2. Historical development of the lower courts
    4. Doctrine of judicial review and Marbury v. Madison
    5. "Political questions"
  4. Analyze the constitutional bases for federalism
    1. Delegation of powers; doctrine of reserved, express and implied powers
    2. Interstate commerce and the dormant commerce clause
    3. Taxation - direct v. indirect taxes; doctrine of reciprocal immunity
    4. Contract clause; doctrine of vested rights, development of the doctrine of substantive due process
  5. Analyze and discuss the major protected "civil rights" and their impact on women and minorities in a diverse society
    1. Amendments 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 14: criminal procedure and the nationalization of the Bill of Rights
      1. the doctrine of incorporation
      2. citizenship, person-hood and the development of the doctrine of procedural due process
      3. the exclusionary rule, searches and confessions including cases such as Mapp v. Ohio and Miranda v. Arizona
    2. Individual rights under the First and Ninth Amendments
      1. nationalization of the First Amendment: speech, association, commercial speech, electoral process, press and religion
      2. privacy and penumbral rights including right to choose (Roe v. Wade), right to die (Cruzan v. MHD)
    3. Amendment 14: The Equal Protection Clause
      1. evolution from "separate but equal" (Plessy v. Ferguson to Brown v. Bd. of Educ.)
      2. doctrine of suspect categories; state action, affirmative action
    4. Amendments 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22-27: rights of suffrage
      1. evolution of the definition of "citizen"
      2. evolution of which citizens entitled to vote
      3. national rights v. states rights revisited: doctrine of one-man, one-vote (Baker v. Carr)
    5. Impact of Supreme Court decisions on society
  6. Analyze current constitutional controversies
    1. Recent Court decisions
    2. Cases under consideration
  7. Examine attitudes toward human rights by governments outside the United States
    1. International human rights organizations
    2. Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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