My New Book

Hey DoL Readers,

Do you sometimes wish that you had a better grounding in the basics of constitutional law?  Do my references to "tiers of scrutiny" or the "dormant commerce clause" sometimes leave you baffled?  If so--or even if not--then have I got a deal for you.  Buy my new book (with Trevor Morrison) on Constitutional Law.  Get it here, here, or here.  Info below.

Thanks for reading!
Mike Dorf


Oxford University Press
Now Available!
The Oxford Introductions to U.S. Law: Constitutional Law
Table of Contents 

Key Features:
  • Provides a sophisticated theoretical framework to constitutional law that is nonetheless accessible to beginners.
  • Covers leading cases and concepts, and includes numerous real-world and hypothetical illustrations.
  • Addresses the constitutional aspects of many controversial topics, including abortion, campaign finance, capital punishment, gun control, affirmative action, the scope of executive power, and same-sex marriage.
The Oxford Introductions to U.S. Law: Constitutional Law
Michael C. Dorf with Trevor W. Morrison
ISBN: 9780195370034
Paper, Sep 2010, 264 pp.
List Price: $19.95

The Oxford Introductions to U.S. Law: Constitutional Law presents an accessible introduction to the enduring topics of American constitutional law, including judicial review, methods of interpretation, federalism, separation of powers, equal protection, and individual liberties. One of the most important functions performed by the American Constitution and the more than two centuries' worth of cases interpreting it is the allocation of decision-making.

Professor Dorf and Professor Morrison frame many of these constitutional debates with this question of authority. When should courts rule that the Constitution takes some issue outside of the domain of ordinary politics? Should courts referee disputes between the branches of the federal government? Should they referee disputes between the states and the national government? Using what standards?

This introduction to American constitutional law critically examines the work of the Supreme Court of the United States, which has resolved thousands of constitutional controversies based on the shortest national constitution on the planet. The authors also look beyond the Supreme Court, exploring the arguments for and against judicial review and various versions of popular constitutionalism. 


Review:
“It is hard to imagine a better primer on constitutional law. Perfect for law students, it is also invaluable to an audience seeking an accessible and provocative window into the mysteries of American constitutional law. Rich in its comparisons with other judicial systems, lucid in its framing of the issues, it is simply tops in its genre.”
—Barry Friedman, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law, New York University School of Law

About the Authors:
Michael C. Dorf is the Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell University Law School. Professor Dorf has written over fifty law review articles and several books on constitutional law and related subjects. In addition, he writes a bi-weekly column for FindLaw's Writ and is founder and editor of DorfonLaw.org. Professor Dorf serves on the editorial boards of Legal Theoryand Political Science Quarterly.

Trevor W. Morrison is Professor of Law at Columbia Law School. He teaches and writes in the areas of constitutional law, federal courts, and national security law. Professor Morrison was on leave from Columbia in 2009 while serving in the White House as Associate Counsel to the President. Professor Morrison received a B.A. in history from the University of British Columbia and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. He is a member of the American Law Institute.