The most direct influence on my style as a teacher was my experience as a law student. In my last semester, I took the course on the Law of Democracy and was forever smitten with the subject. I had already been interested in politics and constitutional law, so it was not surprising that I would enjoy a subject that combined them. But the class itself—the areas of the law that were covered and the way in which they were covered—showed me how

exciting law could be. Here was a subject that was crucial to every substantive area of law because it focused on the rules for selecting policymakers. It presented fundamental questions of federalism, separation of powers,

individual rights, and equal protection, all in the context of high-stakes politics. What could be more fun?