The New Jersey Constitution: A Case Study of a Modern State Charter in Design and in Action

This seminar will present a case study of one state's constitutional structure by examining the design and operation of the 1947 New Jersey Constitution. The seminar will explore (1) the Constitution's remarkable history from its modern creation in 1947 and ensuing amendments adopted by the voters; (2) the distribution of state powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches, and resultant inter-branch tensions; (3) a sampling of individual rights that are afforded greater protection under the NJ Constitution than under federal constitutional law; and (4) the importance of state constitutions co-existing within a federal system.