The Law of the United States Territories

The Law of U.S. Territories fills a long-standing gap in U.S. legal education as the first-ever legal casebook focused on the unique legal issues that impact people in U.S. territories. With a clear and comprehensive approach, this casebook explores the constitutional, statutory, and judicial frameworks governing Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

As we approach the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 125th Anniversary of the Insular Cases, The Law of U.S. Territories offers a timely examination of how the founding principles of "consent of the governed" and "all … created equal" rest in tension with the colonial legal framework established following the 1898 Spanish-American War. Through primary legal sources, case law, and scholarly commentary, the book engages students and scholars in critical questions of sovereignty, federalism, colonialism, equality, and democratic legitimacy.

This casebook will allow more law schools to offer stand-alone courses focused on U.S. territories. It is also structured so that excerpts may be used for courses in Constitutional Law, Federal Courts, Race and the Law, Human Rights, Election Law, and more, offering professors an opportunity to ensure their courses reflect the full scope of the U.S. legal landscape. Designed for accessibility, relevance, and critical engagement, The Law of U.S. Territories invites readers to grapple with some of the most pressing (and often overlooked) questions of law, equity, and democracy in the United States today.