The complete Violence Against Women Act case website can be found here: http://cyber.harvard.edu/archived_content/events/vaw/
The Violence Against Women Act case was argued before the Supreme Court on January 11, 2000. At issue in the case was the constitutionality of Congress’s creation of the “civil right to be free from gender motivated violence.” The issue is a powerful one both because of the seriousness and importance of the substance of the Act itself and because it cuts to the core of Congress’s power to legislate under the Commerce Clause and the Equal Protection Clause at a time when the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Congress’s power to legislate may be radically changing from the precedents of the last 50 years. The Supreme Court is expected to issue its opinion in June 2000.