200
An examination of the role of laws in society, the fundamental sources of law, and the legal system and its procedures. Develops the skills for legal research, writing and analysis. Introduces the substantive areas of constitutional, contract and criminal law and torts.
Credit Hours: 4
This course will introduce students to legal research and writing, general legal terminology and various legal concepts. It will also introduce students to composing and editing legal writing.
Credit Hours: 4
This course examines the connections between race and the law in the United States, from colonial times to the present, using court cases, primary sources, and secondary legal and historical scholarship. Students will be asked to critically examine the intersection of the law and race in U.S. society and how this intersection has changed over time. As a part of this critical analysis, the course will explore major legal landmarks concerning race, including the fight over “Indian Removal,” the Reconstruction amendments, the development of de jure segregation (and challenges to that segregation), the 1924 Immigration Act and racially-informed legal battles over citizenship, legal decisions of the mid-20th century Civil Rights Movement, and the development of mass incarceration.
Credit Hours: 4
This course explores the intersection of law, science, and policy, examining how legal mechanisms are used to address environmental challenges such as pollution, climate change, and resource management. Students will gain insights into key legislation, landmark cases, and regulatory agencies that shape environmental protection. The course begins with an overview of the U.S. legal system and the place of case law and statutory law within that system. The course then explores the roots of environmental law, from early common law decisions to the growth of the 1970s environmental movement, before tackling pressing issues of environmental law in our current day.
Credit Hours: 4