UCLA School of Law

This casebook offers a concise yet comprehensive overview of the legal relationship between government and individuals or organizations. Using selections from court cases and commentaries, the text guides students through the constitutional and statutory analysis of legal disputes in their historical and contemporary contexts. In class, students will explore the cases and discuss the hypothetical problems that follow. The casebook first covers U.S. constitutional law, including judicial review, interpretation; the federal structure; standing; the Commerce Clause; the taxing power; presidential foreign affairs and military roles; checks on the executive; economic regulation and takings; equal protection; the First Amendment; and criminal due process rights. Then it focuses on specific areas of government regulation, including state constitutional law; statutory interpretation; administrative law; environmental law; immigration law; corporate criminal liability; employment law; and the public trust doctrine. For each class session, a teacher’s manual summarizes the readings, addresses the discussion questions, and is accompanied by explanatory PowerPoint slides.