Course Description: A chronological and thematic introduction to the history of U.S. fashion law from the twentieth century through today, focusing on law relating to problems that frequently arise in fashion, namely intellectual property (trademarks and counterfeiting), employment (safety, wages, workplace dress), and constitutional rights (freedom of expression and religion). Students explore the social, political, economic, and other context of these legal developments, and how the developments have impacted the business of fashion.

Professor: Dr. Alyssa Dana Adomaitis & Kerin E. Coughlin

Syllabus:

Research Paper:

The main project for this course will be a scaffolded research paper of eight to ten pages, in which each student will trace, through primary and secondary research, the historical antecedents of a contemporary legal problem in fashion, and address and evaluate potential approaches to solving the problem. The steps of this project include: (i) topic proposal and preliminary bibliography, (ii) detailed annotated bibliography (with primary and secondary sources), (iii) rough draft and/or outline, (iv) oral presentations to the class, and (v) the final revised paper.

Research Presentation:

An oral presentation of your research paper, with PowerPoint or other visual content.