RESOURCES ON THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

With SCOTUS [The Supreme Court of the United States] back in session, this edition of YFJ Net News focuses on three wonderful resources devoted to the Constitution of the United States of America.

FindLaw Annotated Constitution The FindLaw Annotated Constitution is just that - a complete copy of the United States Constitution, explained almost line by line. Prepared by the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, the public policy research arm of the United States Congress that "works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a confidential, nonpartisan basis," this site provides relevant sources, precedents, analysis, and interpretation for all. An excellent resource for both professional development background readings and student overviews. Highly recommended. [continue to site]

The Founders' Constitution For anyone not familiar with this extraordinary resource, you are in for a treat. Edited by Philip B. Kurland and Ralph Lerner of the University of Chicago and first printed in 1986, this unique anthology features "the writings of a wide array of people engaged in the problem of making popular government safe, steady, and accountable." Documents range from the early seventeenth century to the 1830s and include philosophical reflections, popular pamphlets, public debates, and private correspondence. Selections are arranged, first, "according to broad themes or problems to which the Constitution of 1787 has made a significant and lasting contribution," and then by article, section, and clause of the U.S. Constitution, "from the Preamble through Article Seven and continuing through the first twelve Amendments." If you can't afford [or are physically unable to lift] the original printed version, this is a must. Highly recommended. [continue to site]

Legal Information Institute Lexicon Just what do the Justices of the Supreme Court really MEAN when they say something is raised "sua sponte"? Is "promissory estoppel" something Falstaff said in "Henry IV"? Is an "affirmative defense" more sensible than "jumbo shrimp"? For those who scratch their heads occasionally when reading the sometime arcane terminology of the law, this web site provides a short but very useful list of legal terms, along with their meaning and usage. Recommended. [continue to site]