About the Program
With more than 30 faculty members who are experts in constitutional law, UVA Law School offers an unparalleled variety of lecture courses, seminars and clinics in the field. Courses cover topics such as the First Amendment, administrative law, presidential power, federal courts, police and the law, election law, civil rights, separation of powers, race and the law, and more.
Faculty Director(s)
Charles Barzun
Professor of Law
Joel B. Piassick Research Professor of Law
Director, Program on Legal and Constitutional History
Resident Faculty
Resident Faculty
Federal courts, separation of powers, constitutional law, criminal procedure
Criminal procedure, civil rights litigation, torts and constitutional law
Administrative law, civil procedure, computer crime, federal courts, national security law
Evidence, torts, jurisprudence and legal history, constitutional law
Federal courts, constitutional law, civil procedure, legal theory
International law and litigation, national security, law of war
Intellectual property, patents, administrative law
Race and law, constitutional law, employment discrimination
Criminal law, civil rights, race
Legislation, election law, law and economics, and direct democracy
Civil rights, constitutional history and constitutional law
Criminal law, criminal procedure, policing and civil rights
Affirmative action and equal protection, constitutional law and theory
Constitutional law and history, Supreme Court
First Amendment, constitutional law and torts
Health policy, LGBTQ rights
Comparative and empirical study of public law, courts and legal texts
Property, corporations and land conservation, nonprofit organizations
Civil rights, constitutional law, legal history, law and inequality
Constitutional law, antitrust and communications regulation, national security
Constitutional law and civil procedure; federal courts
Constitutional law, administrative law, election law
Separation of powers, presidential powers, constitutional law
Criminal procedure, federal courts and constitutional law
Education law, Civil rights, Affirmative action, Desegregation and integration, Race, Sexual discrimination and harrassment
Constitutional law, election law, constitutional theory, legislation and statutory interpretation
Constitutional law, evidence and legal reasoning, philosophy of law
Separation of church and state, property, local government and land use
Law and religion, jurisprudence and political philosophy
Legal theory, constitutional theory, procedure, philosophy of law
Comparative law and human rights
Legal history, constitutional law, torts
Federal court system and civil procedure
Other Faculty
Brian J. Bill
Lecturer
Joshua S. Johnson
Lecturer
Douglas Laycock
Robert E. Scott Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus
Timothy Longo Sr.
Lecturer
Associate Vice President for Safety and Security and Chief of Police, University of Virginia
Jeremy C. Marwell
Lecturer
Gabe Rottman
Lecturer
Matthew Sanderson
Lecturer
Stefan Underhill
Lecturer
The Law School’s curriculum features two concentrations with courses in constitutional law and legal history. The following is a list of courses offered during 2021-24. Numbers in parentheses indicate which academic year(s) the courses were offered, i.e., 2021-22 is coded (22), 2022-23 is coded (23) and 2023-24 is coded (24). (SC) stands for short course and (YR) stands for yearlong.
Constitutional Law
Administrative Law (22,23,24)
Advanced Administrative Law (SC) (22,23)
Advanced Campaign Finance Seminar (22)
After Dobbs (SC) (23)
Asian Americans and the Law (23,24)
Business and Governmental Tort Liability (23)
Civil Rights and Antidiscrimination Law (23)
Civil Rights Litigation (22,23,24)
Civil War and the Constitution (22,24)
Climate and Debt (24)
Comparative Constitutional Law (22,23,24)
Comparative Freedom of Speech Law Seminar (24)
Comparative Gender Equality (23,24)
Constitutional Law and Economics (23,24)
Constitutional Law II: Freedom of Speech and Press (22,23,24)
Constitutional Law II: Poverty (22,23)
Constitutional Law II: Religious Liberty (22,23,24)
Constitutional Law II: Survey of Civil Liberties (22,23,24)
Constitutionalism: Nation, Culture and Constitutions (22,23,24)
Courts (22,23,24)
Criminal Procedure Survey (22,23,24)
Designing Democracy: Participation (23)
Discrimination Theory (22,24)
Education Law Survey (22,23)
Federal Courts (22,23,24)
Federal Sentencing (SC) (22,23,24)
Founders and Foes (SC) (22,23)
Free Speech and the Digital Age (22)
Government Secrecy (24)
Higher Education and the Law (SC) (22)
History of American Federalism (23)
History of the American Administrative State (24)
Introduction to American Law for LL.M.s (22,23,24)
Land Use Law (22,23)
Law and Inequality Colloquium (23,24)
Law and Inequality Writing Seminar (24)
Law and Riots (23,24)
Law of Armed Conflict (23,24)
Law of Corruption (23)
Law of the Police I: Rules, Rights and Regulation (22,23)
Law of the Police II: Remedies and Reform (22)
Legislation (22,23,24)
Legislation and Regulation (22,23)
Monetary Constitution Seminar (22,23,24)
Parental Choice in K-12 Education (SC) (23)
Practical Perspectives on Policing: Fair and Effective Policymaking by Law Enforcement (SC) (24)
Presidential Powers (22)
Pretrial Litigation Skills: Civil Rights (22,23,24)
Privacy (22,23,24)
Privacy Torts (24)
Project for Informed Reform (22)
Race, Education and Opportunity (22,23)
Racial Justice and Law (22,23,24)
Regulation of Political Advocacy Seminar (24)
Regulation of the Political Process (22,23)
Religious Freedom and Reproductive Rights (24)
Religious Freedom: Current Challenges (24)
School Desegregation, School Integration (24)
Separation of Powers in the Federal Courts Seminar (22,23,24)
State Attorneys General (24)
State Constitutions (SC) (22)
Supreme Court from Warren to Roberts (22)
Supreme Court Justices and the Art of Judging (23,24)
Supreme Court: October Term (22,24)
The Great Writ (SC) (24)
The Institutional Supreme Court (SC) (22,24)
The Mueller Report and the Role of the Special Counsel (SC) (22,23,24)
Virginia and the Constitution (SC) (22)
Advanced Administrative Law (SC) (22,23)
Advanced Campaign Finance Seminar (22)
After Dobbs (SC) (23)
Asian Americans and the Law (23,24)
Business and Governmental Tort Liability (23)
Civil Rights and Antidiscrimination Law (23)
Civil Rights Litigation (22,23,24)
Civil War and the Constitution (22,24)
Climate and Debt (24)
Comparative Constitutional Law (22,23,24)
Comparative Freedom of Speech Law Seminar (24)
Comparative Gender Equality (23,24)
Constitutional Law and Economics (23,24)
Constitutional Law II: Freedom of Speech and Press (22,23,24)
Constitutional Law II: Poverty (22,23)
Constitutional Law II: Religious Liberty (22,23,24)
Constitutional Law II: Survey of Civil Liberties (22,23,24)
Constitutionalism: Nation, Culture and Constitutions (22,23,24)
Courts (22,23,24)
Criminal Procedure Survey (22,23,24)
Designing Democracy: Participation (23)
Discrimination Theory (22,24)
Education Law Survey (22,23)
Federal Courts (22,23,24)
Federal Sentencing (SC) (22,23,24)
Founders and Foes (SC) (22,23)
Free Speech and the Digital Age (22)
Government Secrecy (24)
Higher Education and the Law (SC) (22)
History of American Federalism (23)
History of the American Administrative State (24)
Introduction to American Law for LL.M.s (22,23,24)
Land Use Law (22,23)
Law and Inequality Colloquium (23,24)
Law and Inequality Writing Seminar (24)
Law and Riots (23,24)
Law of Armed Conflict (23,24)
Law of Corruption (23)
Law of the Police I: Rules, Rights and Regulation (22,23)
Law of the Police II: Remedies and Reform (22)
Legislation (22,23,24)
Legislation and Regulation (22,23)
Monetary Constitution Seminar (22,23,24)
Parental Choice in K-12 Education (SC) (23)
Practical Perspectives on Policing: Fair and Effective Policymaking by Law Enforcement (SC) (24)
Presidential Powers (22)
Pretrial Litigation Skills: Civil Rights (22,23,24)
Privacy (22,23,24)
Privacy Torts (24)
Project for Informed Reform (22)
Race, Education and Opportunity (22,23)
Racial Justice and Law (22,23,24)
Regulation of Political Advocacy Seminar (24)
Regulation of the Political Process (22,23)
Religious Freedom and Reproductive Rights (24)
Religious Freedom: Current Challenges (24)
School Desegregation, School Integration (24)
Separation of Powers in the Federal Courts Seminar (22,23,24)
State Attorneys General (24)
State Constitutions (SC) (22)
Supreme Court from Warren to Roberts (22)
Supreme Court Justices and the Art of Judging (23,24)
Supreme Court: October Term (22,24)
The Great Writ (SC) (24)
The Institutional Supreme Court (SC) (22,24)
The Mueller Report and the Role of the Special Counsel (SC) (22,23,24)
Virginia and the Constitution (SC) (22)
Clinics
Appellate Litigation Clinic (YR) (22,23,24)
Civil Rights Clinic (YR) (22,23,24)
First Amendment Clinic (YR) (22,23,24)
Project for Informed Reform Clinic (YR) (23,24)
Supreme Court Litigation Clinic (YR) (22,23)
Professor Payvand Ahdout of the University of Virginia School of Law has won an Association of American Law Schools award for her paper on federal appellate courts avoiding separation-of-powers questions.
Political scientist James L. Gibson discusses his survey data suggesting the U.S. Supreme Court lost some legitimacy in the eyes of the public after overturning Roe v. Wade .
Students in the Appellate Litigation, First Amendment and Supreme Court Litigation clinics grapple with constitutional issues from real or potential litigation. These clinics often give students a firm grounding in issues they may tackle as clerks or as practicing attorneys.
Appellate Litigation Clinic
This yearlong clinic allows 12 students to engage in the hands-on practice of appellate litigation through actual cases before various federal circuit and/or state courts of appeals. The students are teamed up and assigned to handle primary responsibility for work on at least one appellate case during the course of the year. In addition, the students work together as a small law firm to provide secondary-level assistance to each other. More
Civil Rights Clinic
Students work on cases that have potential to provide real and concrete relief and legal support to people and communities that have been harmed by the criminalization of poverty and other forms of discrimination or deprivation of rights. More
First Amendment Clinic
Run in conjunction with the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression and the law firm Baker Hostetler, the yearlong First Amendment Clinic gives students practical legal experience involving timely free speech and press issues. Students work in teams to conduct legal research, meet with clients and co-counsel, and draft legal memoranda and briefs. Assignments typically involve appellate-level litigation, although there are occasional trial-level opportunities. Students also work on a variety of non-litigation projects, such as reviewing proposed municipal ordinances for potential First Amendment flaws. More
Supreme Court Litigation Clinic
Working in teams, students in this yearlong clinic handle actual cases, from seeking Supreme Court review to briefing on the merits. Students identify candidates for Supreme Court review; draft petitions for certiorari, amicus merits briefs and party merits briefs; and attend moots and Supreme Court arguments. More
Professor Payvand Ahdout of the University of Virginia School of Law has won an Association of American Law Schools award for her paper on federal appellate courts avoiding separation-of-powers questions.
Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit discusses the importance of diversity and accountability in the legal profession, then joins a conversation with Mark C. Jefferson, UVA Law’s assistant dean for diversity, equity and belonging. The event was part of the Breaking Grounds Speaker Series, sponsored by the Black Law Students Association as part of Black History Month.
Student organizations such as the American Constitution Society, the Student Legal Forum and the Federalist Society often host speakers on constitutional law topics and provide networking opportunities for those interested in the field. Recent events have included a talk focusing on the anatomy of a Supreme Court case by an experienced litigator, a lecture by the Obama campaign general counsel Robert Bauer '76 on the anti-election-reform movement, and the annual Supreme Court roundup, in which Virginia Law professors analyzes cases from the past court term.
In a new book, Professor George Rutherglen of the University of Virginia School of Law looks at three of the most high-profile recent Supreme Court decisions — on abortion, affirmative action and religious accommodations — and attempts to predict how they might play out in future employment litigation.
Does the U.S. Supreme Court need more oversight in light of recent ethics concerns? UVA Law professors Amanda Frost and Richard M. Re join host Dean Risa Goluboff to discuss whether more rules are needed.