Constitutional Law I

HOW TO STUDY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL LAW I

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7. Do not be daunted by the number of cases, as well as the number of pages per case assigned for Constitutional Law. Expect to read cases which span for 300 pages or more. YOU DO NOT NEED TO READ EVERY PAGE. Issue spotting is key. Know why the case is assigned, and only read the part of the case which corresponds to this.

As much as possible, try to write your own digests for Constitutional Law. Several professors require their students to handwrite their digests. Ensure that your digests are as concise and straight to the point as possible.

It is highly recommended that you read the entire Constitution at least once before starting Constitutional Law 1. This will allow you to have a broad picture of the landscape of the subject. Make sure to know the different branches of government and the different Constitutional Commissions by the end of your first read.

When reading cases under Constitutional Law where the question is whether or not a law is constitutional, there may be discussions on judicial review. You may skip this part for all subsequent cases you will read when you are already familiar with the concept of judicial review and its elements.

Before reading the SCRA copies of the cases, browse your syllabus and the assignment/s for the day. Then, read through the syllabus part of the SCRA. This is the part with the following format: “Constitutional Law; (topic, doctrine, or concept).” Check under what topic the case is assigned, take note of it, and read the rest of the case.

Read Fr. Joaquin Bernas’ commentary, “The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines: A Commentary”. As an alternative, Cruz' commentary on Constitutional Law and Political Law are also good reference materials.

For midterms and/or exams review, make sure to go over your own notes for the semester. Your notes are supposed to remind you about the key things your professor says in class. Moreover, always remember to reread your Constitutional Law codal, and familiarize yourself with the powers of the different branches and agencies of government. Also, it would be a good idea to make a reviewer for yourself as the semester goes along, as this might help you consolidate the topics of the subject faster.