Sullivan and Gunther's Constitutional Law, 15th (University Casebook Series)

I used this text in my first amendment class so I only read pp. 740 ish to the end of the text. For the most part this is your standard Constitutional law text, with few principal cases, and pages after pages of note cases to follow. Unlike most law textbooks, Sullivan does a good job of doing what most law book don't do--she gets to the point and doesn't waste much time getting there. The material flows together quite nicely, although some the cases could have been edited better, as some of the editing leaves some important information, but all in all, if this is your con law text, then you shouldn't have too much trouble getting through it.

Kathleen M. Sullivan edited CONSTITUTIONAL LAW as a law school text. This book is indeed comprehensive, and Miss Sullivan presents both older cases to give readers a background of more recent cases. This book gives readers considerable legal thinking. Miss Sullivan gives the reader both comprehensive presentations of the cases plus a historical background of the thinking that the "Founding Fathers" used in writing and defending the United States Constitution. Such background is useful to historians, legal scholars, and practising attornies. This material is detailed but important for those who want more than a superficial understanding of the Constitution. Two cases that are cited in this book that impressed this reviewer were GITLOW VS NEW YORK (1925) and THE WEST VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION VS BARNETTE (1943). While these cases are mentioned in other legal texts, the other texts do not give the verbatum opinions of the justices. For example, Miss Sullivan cites Justice Sandford's opinion in the cased titled GITLAW VS NEW YORK which is important. One must note that Justice Sandford's acknowlegement that the first paragraph of the Fourteenth Amendment applied the Bill of Rights to the states is crucial in understanding why unconsitutional state laws can be successfully challenged. Readers should read this opinion to have insight into "The Incorporation Doctrine." She also cites Justice Jackson's majority opinion in the case titled THE WEST VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION VS BARNETTE which was rendered in 1943, in the middle of World War II. This opinion is an articulate expression about compelling those who dissent to agree with established opinion. Some folks are shocked when jurists rule against school authorities who attempt to compel students to say the Pledge to the Flag. They would be less surprised if they read this opinion. One should note that Miss Sullivan gives a good historical background to these cases. Miss Sullivan's CONSTITUTIONAL LAW should be compared to John E. Nowak's and Ronald D.Rotunda's book also titled CONSTITUTIONAL LAW. Both texts are comprehensive and helpful to those who are interested in Constitutional Law. Another useful text is Terry Eastland's book titled FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE SUPREME COURT. For those who may find Miss Sullivan's book "too big," Eastland's book is easier to read. Some reviewers critisized Miss Sullivan for "leftest bias" (whatever this phrase means). This may be true, but this reviewer did not detect such bias. If there is such bias, comparisons with other law texts will help those interested in making such comparisons. While Miss Sullivan's CONSTITUTIONAL LAW is not "perfect," this text is comprehensive and useful. Kathleen Sullivan and John Gunther did a credible job in giving the interested student a thorough examination of Constitutional Law which many have argued has taken a beating recently.

This is a classic Law school Constitutional Law case book. It's very complete, with A LOT of cases, but some useful explanations and the latest development in constitutional history.

This is as good a constitutional law casebook as it gets. Nobody ever said that this area of the law is even remotely clear and easily accessible. Gunther and Sullivan have managed to put together a comprehensive list of cases that does justice to the, sometimes, mind - boggling complexity of the law. Those that just want to get through law school will be satisfied reading Emanuels; those that are scholars of the law will enjoy the challenge of this casebook.

Unfortunately, law school is not for everyone (see the reviews below). However, I would not lay the blame at the feet of what is an excellent casebook. If one is looking for a quick and shallow statement of the blackletter law then I recommend reading Emmanuel's (full disclosure: I was a paid reviewer for Emmanuel's). If you want to understand Constitutional Law without having to read the cases, then I highly recommend American Constitutional Law by Laurence Tribe, which is an excellent book in its own right, and I would strongly recommend it in addition to the Gunther and Sullivan casebook. However, it is necessary in order to gain a full understanding of the law to go through the process of case analysis. This is especially true in the field of Constitutional Law. While it is perhaps possible for one to become an expert on the topic of Criminal Law or Torts on Emmanuel's alone, it is necessary to read the cases to fully understand Constitutional Law. This is because Constitutional law is composed of primarily three things: first, the text of the Constitution itself; second, historical documentation such as the Federalist Papers (I strongly recommend the Mentor edition); and third, the cases themselves, precedent. This is the stuff that con law is made of, Justice Brennan and the "spirit" of the Constitution notwithstanding. If you have the capacity and the desire to learn constitutional law, I would strongly recommend purchasing this casebook. Gunther and Sullivan do an excellent job of structuring the cases, and the notes will probe and challenge your understanding of the material, and even provide a synopsis of the "law" in case you failed to read the case as thoroughly as perhaps you should have.