Law School for Everyone: Constitutional Law

By: Eric Berger, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Eric Berger

Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

Americans wage many of today’s fiercest policy debates and culture wars as battles over constitutional meaning. It’s because constitutional law is so fundamental to our democracy that law schools across the country teach the subject. It's the area of law that determines what federal and state governments are permitted to do, and what rights you have as an individual citizen of the United States. 

In these 12 lectures, you'll get the same accessible, well-rounded introduction to constitutional law as a typical law student - but with the added benefit of noted constitutional scholar Eric Berger's brilliant insights. Taking you through all three branches of the federal government, Professor Berger uses some of the most important legal cases in the United States to probe the open-ended nature of the Constitution’s language and illustrate how legal reasoning has defined the power relationships that the Constitution governs. 

You’ll examine pivotal Supreme Court cases to learn how interpreting the Constitution has radically affected American society. You’ll consider the Supreme Court’s role in deciding - and sometimes avoiding - questions of constitutionality. And you’ll investigate how changes in public opinion can influence how the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution. 

While the open-ended nature of the Constitution’s language makes constitutional law often uncertain, these lectures offer you a better understanding of its many nuances, as well as its profound importance for the future of the United States. 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 The Great Courses (P)2019 The Teaching Company, LLC

Read with this Neil Gorsuch!

Mr. Berger is clearly a liberal legal scholar.

I enjoyed much of his analysis, but in particular was put of by the last lecture, where his sympathy for electoral reform, doing away with the electoral college and giving more power to the extreme liberal and populist states in the Senate and in Presidential elections, would have catastrophic consequences for the USA. However, these are “reforms” supported by far left politicians.

Any listener to this series should for balance and reason read Neil Gorsuch: A Republic, if You can Keep it.

Junk. Way overpriced for what it is

Stuff on youtube available for free is way better then this
Way overpriced. For $1 bin maybe, but not more

Great background to constitutional law

Easy to understand background of some of the basics behind constitutional law. Eric Berger did a great job in both preparing and presenting a clearer understanding of some of the meanings behind current constitutional law practices. Thank you

Superb overview of Constitution fundamentals

Narration: clear pronunciation: paced just right to allow thoughtful comprehension of content; tenor voice slightly. Narration quality facilitates comprehension. Constution precepts, function, empowerments, and limitations.

Highly recommended reference to which one can refer repeatedly to review Constitution precepts; functions; and powers. Informative delineation of state versus federal government empowerments and limitations. Also explains why individuals as distinct from state and individuals’ rights and responsibilities, which by design and incremental emendation addressed by state rather than federal law.

Too bad not available in ebook format.

Accessible, illuminating, important

I found this to be a solid analysis of Supreme Court process, with chapters focusing on a variety of topics -- state/federal balance, affirmative action, women's rights, commerce, etc. In each chapter we see how logical, crisp, restrained, and also how arbitrary and political the process can be. It's a good introduction to law at the highest level. I came away feeling a bit worried but definitely better informed.

Understandable, informative, and a bit saddening

I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy a lecture series such as this, possibly thinking that it might be boring or too involved. Berger does a good job keeping every lecture understandable, showing the importance and impact of precedents that have been set. I didn't suspect how much of this was going to be about Supreme Court rulings. Moreover, what stands out most to me is how vague and indecisive the constitution actually is in regards to people's rights and the status of institutions like the executive and legislative branches, or the state governments' authority verses the federal government's authority. Frankly, many things come down to the opinions of Supreme Court Justices, precedents set, and which avenue of interpretation one prefers to take.

Great author

Have read 3 of the volumes/series of law school for everyone and have never been so happy. Have a law school student who has actually studied cases mentioned in the series and now know the value of knowing this info. 👍👍⚖

Constitutional Law?

should be called case history. Speakers voice is annoying. made it hard to listen to for very long.

repeat

Had I not just finished the History of the Supreme Court, this would have been better. However, it seemed just a reader's digest version of Professor Irons course.

my Tjpigjts on this book

I thoroughly enjoye listening to this book. It doesn't tell you how to apply the law but rather ow it has BEEN applied over the years. If you like law-based books, like knowing how verdicts were reached in very popular cases, you will enjoy this book