First Amendment: Cases, Comments, Questions

This book is very good at editing the cases to give you only the parts of the opinions that you need. On the other hand, the comments are often useless as they only pose question after question for about half a page rather than offering any useful insight into the materials.

It's hard to write a good, concise First Amendment text - there's just too many nuanced areas of free speech law, church and state, and miscellaneous protections like expressive association. But Chopper does a pretty good job of covering what he wants to cover and also covering all that those areas need covered. First, the cases are well-edited and deliver the essential information in the cases. There have been many times where I've gone to read the rest of the case, but that's because -as someone who likes to write on the topic- I'm more interested in the full versions than a short version. But often, the core of the case holdings are in the textbook effectively, which is what I think most comprehensive law school classes are aiming for. Second, the book is pretty good (though not perfect) at avoiding bombarding the reader with questions to promote thought on various topics ("Should the First Amendment protect [insert difficult item here]?"). Generally, I've found that law students just don't have time to stop and contemplate all the questions that text book "notes and comments" sections ask. Other books certainly take this too far, but Choper does well in keeping it pretty reduced. Finally, the case selection is generally excellent. I haven't yet encountered any sections that are lacking a foundational case. Sometimes cases are given only footnote or comments and notes status, but again, in First Amendment law that may be inevitable (unless you want to do a multi-volume set). All in all, a pretty good book and review of the applicable law. First Amendment litigants or those specializing in First Amendment law will obviously need to read beyond the pages of this book. [...]