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This course will allow us to thor­oughly ex­am­ine lit­er­a­ture and films that are all based on dif­fer­ent lay­ers of the ju­di­cial sys­tem. To­gether, we are going to ex­am­ine the jury, the trial, the legal process, and the ef­fects of judg­ment—or lack thereof. We will look at his­tor­i­cally im­pact­ing cases, the de­vel­op­ment or dis­man­tling of es­tab­lished laws, as well as the cur­rent sta­tus of these so­cially rel­e­vant is­sues. Using phi­los­o­phy, specif­i­cally prag­matic pre­cepts, we will also place the in­ten­tions of laws along­side their ac­tual re­sults, and see who the con­flicts that emerge ben­e­fits, or fails. This course is both read­ing and writ­ing in­ten­sive. As such, to make sure we are pro­cess­ing the class­room dis­cus­sions, we will have sev­eral exams on the es­says, nov­els, and films we scru­ti­nize to­gether. Each of us will be re­spon­si­ble for mul­ti­ple short essay pa­pers and stu­dent briefs that will re­quire on­line and/or li­brary re­search, and there will also be a major style man­ual re­search paper (MLA or Chicago) as­signed that will re­quire each of us to re­view and out­line lessons learned through­out the en­tire se­mes­ter; as such, con­stant note tak­ing is not only strongly en­cour­aged but re­quired. Keep in mind that this class re­quires the abil­ity to en­gage in ma­ture con­ver­sa­tions, as we will talk openly about racism, re­li­gion, fam­ily, sex­ism, sex, Class, cul­ture, poverty, and pol­i­tics.

This course will allow us to thoroughly examine literature and films that are all based on different layers of the judicial system. Together, we are going to examine the jury, the trial, the legal process, and the effects of judgment—or lack thereof. We will look at historically impacting cases, the development or dismantling of established laws, as well as the current status of these socially relevant issues. Using philosophy, specifically pragmatic precepts, we will also place the intentions of laws alongside their actual results, and see who the conflicts that emerge benefits, or fails. This course is both reading and writing intensive. As such, to make sure we are processing the classroom discussions, we will have several exams on the essays, novels, and films we scrutinize together. Each of us will be responsible for multiple short essay papers and student briefs that will require online and/or library research, and there will also be a major style manual research paper (MLA or Chicago) assigned that will require each of us to review and outline lessons learned throughout the entire semester; as such, constant note taking is not only strongly encouraged but required. Keep in mind that this class requires the ability to engage in mature conversations, as we will talk openly about racism, religion, family, sexism, sex, Class, culture, poverty, and politics.

The course is avail­able to stu­dents in the last se­mes­ter of their bac­calau­re­ate course­work. It re­quires stu­dents to uti­lize all of the sub­stan­tive legal knowl­edge and prac­ti­cal legal re­search skills they have ac­quired to pro­duce a sig­nif­i­cant, schol­arly paper on a legal topic. Stu­dents will re­ceive an in­tense re­view of legal re­search tech­niques and legal ethics which are help­ful to them be­fore entry into the legal job mar­ket. In ad­di­tion, lec­tures, dis­cus­sions and guest speak­ers will con­cen­trate on a dif­fer­ent sub­stan­tive area of law each se­mes­ter.

The course is available to students in the last semester of their baccalaureate coursework. It requires students to utilize all of the substantive legal knowledge and practical legal research skills they have acquired to produce a significant, scholarly paper on a legal topic. Students will receive an intense review of legal research techniques and legal ethics which are helpful to them before entry into the legal job market. In addition, lectures, discussions and guest speakers will concentrate on a different substantive area of law each semester.