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Reconstituting 'Original Intent:' A Constitutional Law Encyclopedia For The Next Century, David Skover

Faculty Articles

In this article Professor Skover reviews the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution. The Encyclopedia describes, in a fairly balanced and accurate manner, the contemporary understanding of the American constitutional heritage. The Encyclopedia exhibits the important functions that an encyclopedic work may serve in the legal culture of the twenty-first century. This review essay explores this thought. Part I describes the Encyclopedia's organizational structure, the interdisciplinary nature of its commentaries, and the divergent characters of its contributors. Part II considers the potential for its use and explores its role as the record of "original intent" for this century's constitutional "founders."