Cases Versus Theory

Past reviewers have noted that the large modern market for American constitutional law casebooks was not served by much diversity in approaches to the subject. More recently there has been some divergence, and teachers have more choices. Cohen & Varat’s <em>Constitutional Law: Cases and Materials</em> has changed least in the intervening years and continues to serve its part of the market very well. Case editing is excellent, and selection is good.

So if you liked the former standard, it remains a sound choice, and if you did not, you will have moved on. Notable differences among constitutional law casebooks fall into several categories. Books differ in overall organization, amount and character of secondary readings, organization and inclusion of particular subjects, and length. This Review compares Cohen & Varat with some of its prominent competitors in these respects.