The eighth edition of American Constitutional Law: Powers and Liberties, by Brannon P. Denning, Starnes Professor of Law at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law, has been released by Aspen Publishing. The newest edition builds on the strong foundation established in prior versions while offering timely updates that reflect the evolving landscape of constitutional law.
The comprehensive 1,430-page casebook provides a broad and accessible survey of constitutional structure, theory and doctrine. The book is designed to avoid overwhelming students by offering tightly edited cases, clear narrative introductions and contextual explanations that help readers navigate key concepts without unnecessary theoretical detours.
The eighth edition has been thoroughly updated through the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024–25 term, ensuring that students and instructors have access to the most current legal developments. The new edition includes excerpts from major recent cases, including:
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Community Financial Services Association of America, Limited
- Trump v. United States
- Students for Fair Admission, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College
- Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton
- 303 Creative v. Elonis
The edition also introduces expanded material explaining the impact of Dobbs and Students for Fair Admissions.
Like previous editions, American Constitutional Law: Powers and Liberties remains highly adaptable for one- or two-semester constitutional law courses. Its balanced, ideologically neutral presentation allows instructors of all perspectives to rely on the text, and its challenging hypotheticals, narrative case summaries and helpful organizational structure support student understanding and engagement.
With its timely updates and accessible structure, the eighth edition of American Constitutional Law: Powers and Liberties continues to serve as a trusted and influential resource in legal education. By integrating the latest Supreme Court decisions and ongoing constitutional developments, Denning’s work equips students to understand—and critically engage with—the most pressing issues shaping American constitutional law today.
Brannon P. Denning, a leading scholar in constitutional law and federal courts, has co‑authored the casebook since succeeding the late Calvin R. Massey who authored the first five editions. The result of their combined work is a resource widely appreciated by law students and faculty for its clarity, balance and pedagogical strength. Denning is also the co‑author of To Trust the People with Arms: The Supreme Court and the Second Amendment, for which he and co‑author Robert J. Cottrol received the 2025 Thomas M. Cooley Book Prize from Georgetown Law’s Center for the Constitution.
