Constitutional Theory in a Nutshell

The ubiquitous and popular West Nutshell Series promises to deliver in each and every volume "a succinct exposition of the law to which a student or lawyer can turn for reliable guidance" published in "a compact format for convenient reference." 1 That is the purpose and function of this article: to provide the intelligent novice a beginner's guide to the considerable body of scholarly writings about the theory of American constitutional law. I. WHY THEORY?Why not?Sorry, it is a professor's habit to answer a question with a question.But then again, this article is all about trying to make some sense of a peculiar dialect of legalese that might be called "con law prof talk," which you will encounter in class discussions or out-of-class readings in treatises and law reviews.