GOD SAVE THIS HONORABLE COURT

The Supreme Court is in the headlines everyday.  Whether it be school vouchers or abortion, same sex marriage or God in the Pledge, these and other thorny and provocative questions beg for understanding.  A new Chief Justice is about to be nominated but surely not without a confirmation battle. The sitting justices are going to change but not without a realignment of priorities for this country.   How do we make sense of all this?  How best do we come to appreciate and respect the proffered arguments?

Without  partisanship and devoid of advocacy, we will examine in depth  a few fascinating topics in Supreme Court constitutional law.  This effort is designed to help us understand and interpret a changing Court.   Four to five pages of reading will be required weekly and participation in discussion will be encouraged.

Topics will include:

• The legacy of three Boston justices:  Holmes, Brandeis and Frankfurter
• The jurisprudence of Antonin Scalia - rigid originalism?
• The ethics of Supreme Court justices - when is fly fishing O.K?
• The basis of decisions - what we can expect from whom and why
• The tenuous connection between the right to choose abortion and a woman’s right to be treated equally
• The constitutional origins of a right of “privacy.�?

Class is limited to 125 members.

DAVID BISNO, after practicing ophthalmology for 25 years and teaching ILEAD History of Science courses for 13 years, has changed his focus, at least temporarily.  After auditing Laurence Tribe’s course in Constitutional Law at the Harvard Law School during autumn 2003 in preparation for future endeavors, David taught The Bill of Rights for ILEAD last year.  Having further immersed himself in the rigors of constitutional law, he will now help us understand a changing Court.