Constitutional Rights and Remedies

Learning to litigate federal constitutional rights—in and out of the classroom

Through the program, you will develop a sophisticated understanding of the interaction between state and federal courts, determine the available and appropriate vehicles for constitutional litigation, develop an increased understanding of the content of our constitutional protections, and may increase your likelihood of obtaining a federal clerkship and a career in constitutional litigation.

• What are Constitutional rights and remedies?

  Disputes over the scope and substance of federal constitutional rights have been central to racial justice, education, housing, voting, employment, reproductive rights, land use, law enforcement and criminal justice, and numerous other areas of profound social importance. The important rights developed in each of these areas, however, are not always enforceable. The law of constitutional remedies includes numerous procedural hurdles that significantly limit the opportunities for injured parties to receive a full hearing of their constitutional claims, much less a favorable one. An understanding of the procedures that govern the litigation of federal constitutional rights has thus become essential to the process of constitutional enforcement.

• Integrated learning

  The Constitutional rights and remedies program at the Sturm College of Law is an academic program that allows students to focus on the nature, scope, viability, and limits of litigating federal constitutional rights through traditional classes, simulation courses, conferences, public lectures, and pro bono litigation. Our proximity to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, as well as the regional offices of multiple federal agencies, is another draw for our Constitutional rights and remedies students. The program offers a full array of doctrinal courses as well as experiential learning opportunities in the Civil Rights Clinic, the Criminal Defense Clinic, and Externships, taught by full-time faculty and by adjunct professors drawn from the community of local practitioners. 

• World-class faculty

  The program is staffed by our full-time faculty, but draws on a rich background of resources offered by both a local and national advisory board. Our experienced faculty actively research, publish, lecture, litigate and work on other activities involving constitutional rights and remedies. In addition, many of our professors spent their pre-teaching careers clerking for federal judges and engaging in litigation of constitutional rights claims.

• Recent CRRP Events
  • March 28, 2023: Constitutional Law Conversations, cosponsored with the Denver Law ACLU chapter, featuring Professors Laura Rovner, Alan Chen, Marty Katz, Laurent Sacharoff, Viva Moffat, Justin Marceau and Nancy Leong. Each gave a 5 minute overview of their CRR certificate class.
  • November 10, 2022: A Discussion with Professor Paul Gowder about his book, "The Rule of Law in the United States: An Unfinished Project of Black Liberation." Moderated by Professor Rebecca Aviel. Co-Sponsored by the Associate Dean for Faculty Scholarship and the Denver Law Review.
  • August 31, 2022: How to Publish Your Seminar Paper, featuring Professors Marty Katz and Nancy Leong
  • April 5, 2022: Certificate Program Advising Session
  • March 4, 2022: Panel Discussion: Nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court, featuring Professors Rebecca Aviel, Alan Chen and Ian Farrell. Moderated by Professor Nancy Leong