Details

This course is an examination of the relationship between legal institutions (primarily the courts, but also the legislature and administrative agencies) and social change in United States. Emphasis is given to "litigation campaigns," which seek to use the courts to bring about social change. The substantive areas used to illustrate these relationships include several in which there have been substantial legal and social change in the recent past, such as race, gender, political participation, and abortion. Evaluation: Final examination. After grading the final exam, I will also take into account class participation in determining grades for the course, in exceptional cases. I will raise the grade for the course to reward consistently excellent work in class throughout the semester, e.g., from a B to a B+, or from a B+ to an A. Text: Teaching method: Lecture and discussion Prerequisites: NOTE: This course is NOT a Perspective Elective. It is an Open Elective for First-Year Students.