Commemorating Constitution Day? There’s an app for that

Just in time for Constitution Day, there is now an app for constitutional case law.

The new app and improved web page gives easier access to the nearly 3,000-page publication, “The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation,” and allows for updates of new cases three or four times a year.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, the Library of Congress and the Government Printing Office launched the app Sept. 17, 2013, to mark Constitution Day. Release of the app also coincides with the 100th anniversary of the printed version of the analysis and interpretation popularly known as “Constitution Annotated.”

“The premise of the Constitution Annotated for 100 years has been to reflect our current interpretation and application of America’s most fundamental law,” Librarian of Congress James Billington stated in a press release. “These new 21st century methods of distributing, accessing and updating this important document mean that the insightful and timely analysis our Library of Congress experts produce each year is easily and freely accessible to anyone.”

Using the app and new website, everyone can locate constitutional amendments, federal and state laws that were ruled unconstitutional, and tables of recent cases with corresponding topics and constitutional implications.

The new “Constitution Annotated” along with a suite of constitutional resources can be viewed at http://beta.congress.gov/constitution-annotated/. The page features links to the app stores, an interactive table listing recent cases of interest, a bibliography of Constitution-related primary documents in American history, and tips for searching the website.

Also, the app can be downloaded free from iTunes. However, Android users will have to put their mobile devices away. An app for that operating system is still under development.