Constitutional Law in Minnesota

Federal law

• U.S. Constitution

  The supreme law of the United States; its text and amendments guarantee core civil rights and liberties.

• Bill of Rights

  The first ten amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing fundamental individual freedoms.

• Amendments 11–27
• Civil Rights Act of 1871 / Section 1983 (Ku Klux Klan Act)

  Provides the principal federal cause of action for individuals to sue state and local government officials for violations of constitutional rights "under color of" state law. Co…

• Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978

  Federal law that establishes procedures for the physical and electronic surveillance and collection of "foreign intelligence information" and creates the FISA Court. Codified at…

• National Security Act of 1947

  Reorganized the U.S. military and intelligence establishment. Created the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, and the Central Intelligence Agency. Codified pri…

• Real ID Act of 2005

  Federal security standards for state-issued IDs accepted by federal agencies.

• Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000

  Prohibits land-use regulations that impose a substantial burden on religious exercise and protects religious rights of incarcerated persons. Codified at 42 U.S.C. ch. 21C.

• Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001

  Federal law passed after the September 11 attacks that significantly expanded surveillance powers of federal law enforcement agencies. Amended Title 18, Title 50, and the Bank S…

• Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993

  Federal law requiring that any federal action that substantially burdens religious exercise pass strict scrutiny. Codified at 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000bb et seq.

• Espionage Act of 1917

  Criminalized obtaining, disclosing, or losing national-defense information that injures the United States or aids a foreign nation. Codified at 18 U.S.C. ch. 37. Used in many re…

• USA FREEDOM Act of 2015

  Reformed and ended NSA bulk collection of telephone metadata under PATRIOT Act § 215; reauthorized other surveillance provisions with modifications.