lawyers, law students and judges - a poll

  1. Have you read the constitution of the United States.

Yes

  1. Have you read your states Constitution.

Only relevant parts

  1. In what state do you reside?

IL

  1. Did you study the Constitution in law school or is precedent case law more emphasized? (feel free to expand a bit on this point if you like)

Yes. Con law was a required class.

  1. Are you a judge, practicing lawyer, retired lawyer or law student?

lawyer. Don’t need to practice any more - I’ve got it down! :wink:

  1. Have you read the constitution of the United States?

Yes

  1. Have you read your states Constitution?

In its entirety; took a law school class on it, actually.

  1. In what state do you reside?

NJ

  1. Did you study the Constitution in law school or is precedent case law more emphasized? (feel free to expand a bit on this point if you like)

Con Law was required; I also took a few advanced Con Law classes to enhance my skills as a volunteer attorney for the ACLU.

  1. Are you a judge, practicing lawyer, retired lawyer or law student?

Practicing lawyer.

If you want a discussion on that crazy woman’s 10 Commandments, I’m welcome to it, however, as you can see by these posts, she is factually wrong on all counts. She might have a more nuanced argument, though I doubt it.

As for the rest of the questions, my experience, from what I remember, mirrors Mr. Excellent’s and Hello Again’s experience.

  1. Yes
  2. Yes, and CA and NY and IL
  3. Currently in London.
  4. Both. See Aangelica’s answer.
  5. Practicing lawyer, licensed in NY, IL, and DC.

I have always wondered why MA judges never seem to refer to the constitution-they regularly violate the separation of powers clause, and also have little respect for the bill of Rights.
I also think the framers of the Constitution never envisioned the way that judges have taken over the functions of the legislative branch!

  1. Yes, of course.

  2. Yes, but not in law school.

  3. KY

  4. Studied both. I think you’re creating a false dichotomy here – a great deal of the case law is interpreting Constitutional principles and issues.

  5. Practicing lawyer.

  1. Have you read the constitution of the United States.

Oh my laws yes. Used to tutor Con law.

  1. Have you read your states Constitution.

Yes, but mostly out of curiosity. It’s considerably longer and more boring than the U.S. Constitution. The state Bill of Rights is neat, but there’s a lot of stuff about taxation and airport authorities and hospital districting that’s about as interesting as watching paint dry.

  1. In what state do you reside?

Texas.

  1. Did you study the Constitution in law school or is precedent case law more emphasized? (feel free to expand a bit on this point if you like)

You study both, but I wouldn’t say one or the other is more emphasized. To understand Constitutional law you have to understand the many decades of case law interpreting it, but you also have to be familiar with the text to understand what it is that’s being interpreted. The term “case law” also covers a lot of law having little or nothing to do with the Constitution.

  1. Are you a judge, practicing lawyer, retired lawyer or law student?

Former federal judicial law clerk, now practicing lawyer.

  1. Yes
  2. Yes
  3. Florida
  4. Both
  5. Lawyer

It looks like this is remaining more or less a poll, so I’m going to correct my mistake and shove it on back. And there it’ll stay even if y’all start arguing. So there!

Moved from GD to IMHO.

  1. Have you read the constitution of the United States.

YES
2. Have you read your states Constitution.

Yes - But I believe that state constitutions are not emphasized in law schools, just as state law is not. I read Ohio’s Constitution as part of a legislation class (one of my favorites in law school)

  1. In what state do you reside?

Ohio

  1. Did you study the Constitution in law school or is precedent case law more emphasized? (feel free to expand a bit on this point if you like)

Both - Can’t imagine how one would do otherwise.

  1. Are you a judge, practicing lawyer, retired lawyer or law student?

Studying for the Ohio bar.

While you seem to be trying to fight the good fight, you might be tilting at windmills. The person you are debating seems to have little grounding in reality, I would be rather surprised if that person had attended law school and actually knew what she was talking about. Besides, the British/American historical tradition has always been to litigious, nothing new under the sun here and it beats solving the dispute with weapons.

I posted the results of the survey and have not been responded to. Though she did respond to someone else in the thread, so it seems it’s going to be nowhere. Thanks for the help guys.

  1. The constitution isn’t that long. I think most law students have read through it. I certainly have.
  2. Not in its entirety, but I’ve read portions of many constitutions from the US and abroad.
  3. See location
  4. My law school started by going into the modalities theory of con law and then spent the bulk of the course examining case law, but every case was explained in light of the modalities.
  5. Practicing lawyer

Umm, your location field really doesn’t tell me anything. :wink:

Sorry it was Philadelphia went I posted… :slight_smile:

  1. Have you read the constitution of the United States.

Yes

  1. Have you read your states Constitution.

Yes, as needed. It’s pretty good actually.

  1. In what state do you reside?

Washington

  1. Did you study the Constitution in law school or is precedent case law more emphasized? (feel free to expand a bit on this point if you like)

as others have said, but I can add that it is also a pretty important part of the three bar exams I have taken (WA, AK, and MT). Lawyers definately need to understand the Constitution. And, in my short career as a Judge Pro Tem, I actually had a few constiutional issues come up (confrontation clause, search and seizure, etc)

  1. Are you a judge, practicing lawyer, retired lawyer or law student?

Practicing lawyer