Constitutional Rights in Black and White
I designed this casebook for my students at Harvard Law School while we were all learning remotely. It is, however, appropriate for students at many levels and in many educational institutions. The 2023-24 edition contains a full criminal procedure syllabus, plus bonus videos. Future editions will expand to include more subject-matter areas and to provide access to more educational institutions.
Each case module contains a video about a key Supreme Court case; a marked-up/annotated PDF version of that Supreme Court decision; and additional materials regarding the case and that area of law, including law review articles, newspaper articles, and/or public legal documents.
Each video is a stand-alone introduction to a seminal Supreme Court decision and to that area of case law. The videos can be used to replace or supplement the standard casebook treatment. Each video is approximately 15 minutes long.
Unlike a traditional casebook, this curriculum is not a comprehensive survey of the caselaw. Rather, it is a handpicked selection of especially illuminating or influential Supreme Court cases, each of which provides insight into a broad area of constitutional law.
Students report that the videos help them master individual cases, better absorb the implications of the materials, and generally improve their ability to read and analyze Supreme Court decisions. The videos employ an array of audio, visual, and textual tools to reach all kinds of learners.
Watch a sample video on the Home page