I find the study of constitutional law to be immensely interesting.  It concerns some of the most fundamental questions about the nature of our government and our society.  In its text and caselaw, constitutional law reveals the path of our history, from the drafting of the Constitution in 1787 through the adoption of the important 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments following the Civil War, through the desegregation battles of the 1950s and 1960s, to our confrontation of the perplexing issues of today such as regulation of the Internet and euthanasia. Constitutional law, it its baffling complexity, is a reflection of our deepest values, our political conflict, and our nation's moral trajectory.

I understand, however, from years of teaching that constitutional law is not every student's cup of tea.  Some students become frustrated with its "fuzziness."  Yes, it is fuzzy--and one cannot take a clear picture of a fuzzy object.  There are relatively few clear answers in constitutional law (and those that are clear--e.g., "Can a 27-year-old be elected President?"--tend not to be very significant to lawyers).  The indefiniteness of constitutional law is a function of many things, including: (1) a text that is the product of long gone eras, (2) a text that in many cases (e.g, "due process of law," "equal protection of the laws") was intentionally vague to accomodate the needs of a changing society, and (3)  important (and often emotional) issues that tend to bring the values and politics of judges into play more than in other areas of law, where judges are more likely to think of their judging as an intellectual exercise or puzzle.

To students looking for clear rules, I say, "Stop looking."  What is important is to understand is not so much answers as it is approaches and questions.  Learn the sources that judges might rely upon to guide their constitutional interpretation (text of Constitution, intentions of framers, case precedent, policy consequences of alternative interpretations).  Learn how judges are likely to weigh these various guides in various contexts.  Understand historical trends and understand that judges are ultimately affected by the same economic and social forces as society as a whole.  With a solid knowledge of these things, students will be able to make intelligent and potentially convincing arguments--and make reasonable predictions about the likelihood of their arguments being successful in an actual case involving the same issues.