Current instructor
Original student reviews · all captured dates
Always a plus to have a professor who genuinely cares about what he teaches & goes out of his way to explain the nuance, especially in a topic like constitutional law. Assignments aren't easy, but he makes himself available for questions and cares about your success. Good resource if you want to go into law, too.Rate My Professors ↗
My favorite professor at UW Madison. For as long as you attend class and ask questions, you'll be fine! I don't understand the negative comments whatsoever. He is very enthusiastic about what he teaches, and it makes lectures all the more enjoyable.Rate My Professors ↗
Amazing professor, brought great energy to every lecture and was always available as a resource for assignments and any law-related questions students would have. By far my favorite professor and course at UW. I don't understand the negative comments below. If you are curious and engaged, you should do fine in the course.Rate My Professors ↗
Comments below sound like they are salty they are never going to make it as lawyers. Fischer is hands down the most enthusiastic and caring professor at UW. His lectures and slides do a great job of summarizing pretty difficult SCOTUS cases. If you attend lectures and review sessions, you won't have to leave ratings like the people below.Rate My Professors ↗
I was genuinely excited for this class. But the professor cannot teach. He crushes 5 hour energy drinks before class and you can tell. He cannot explain the material, because he is too busy jumping around and yelling. The grading expectations and assignments were also so confusing.Rate My Professors ↗
Assignments were poorly structured. Expectations were vague. Constantly felt like I was being evaluated on criteria that were never made clear. Professor struggled to explain material. Little effort to connect individual cases to overarching precedents. Asking for clarification often led nowhere. Unfortunate, would not recommend.Rate My Professors ↗
Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.
Examines First Amendment cases and literature, focusing on basic principles, purposes, and assumptions within historical and contemporary controversies.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Craig Fischer
Craig Fischer made complex court cases accessible through enthusiastic lectures, though students disagreed on clarity, with some finding his energy overwhelming and assignment instructions vague. The course required heavy reading and three papers, which were described as challenging or poorly structured by critics, but Fischer remained available for advice and support.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2025Distinct courses recorded per term
Explore courses taught by this instructor →| Term | Course | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2027 | POLISCI 470 | The First Amendment |
| Fall 2026 | POLISCI 470 | The First Amendment |
Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.
{
"instructor_uid": "instructor_8306071a3871c8a3e62c41dd",
"source": "enrollment",
"source_instructor_id": "cbfischer",
"identity_basis": "netid",
"identity_status": "source_identified",
"name": "Craig Fischer",
"email": "CRAIG.FISCHER@WISC.EDU",
"first_observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
"last_observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00",
"ratings": {
"review_count": 11,
"quality": 4,
"difficulty": 2.82,
"quality_count": 11,
"difficulty_count": 11,
"profile_id": "rmp:3000444",
"source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/3000444",
"match_basis": "exact_name",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 19:20:21.814267+00:00",
"courses": {
"course_e7b4fd0e5787ff4ba6a21cc2": {
"review_count": 11,
"quality": 4,
"difficulty": 2.82,
"quality_count": 11,
"difficulty_count": 11
}
},
"bayesian_quality": 3.7801248906428837,
"prior_mean": 3.65919358049647,
"prior_weight": 20
},
"current": true,
"courses": [
{
"course_uid": "course_e7b4fd0e5787ff4ba6a21cc2",
"course_id": "POLISCI 470",
"title": "THE FIRST AMENDMENT",
"credits_min": 3,
"credits_max": 4,
"gpa": 3.221
}
],
"revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
"instructor_url": "/instructors/CRAIG_FISCHER"
}