Litigation and Social Change Seminar

Course Catalog Number:
5891
Course Credits:
3
Course Type:
Seminar
Course Priority:
Seminar - 3rd Year Priority
Graduation Requirements:
Upper-Level Writing
"W" Writing
Full Year Course:
No

Course Description

This seminar will explore the role litigation plays in sparking or implementing social change. The seminar is particularly suited and designed for students interested in working on public interest litigation. We will discuss the dispute over major social reform cases such as Brown v. Bd of Ed and Roe v. Wade as to whether these cases really produced the change usually attributed to them, and then look at other cases to see the ways in which litigation can spark social reform. A key aspect of the seminar will be to look at the role that social movements play in litigation, and the extent to which litigation furthers or detracts from the goals of the movement. A key aspect of the course will be to explore how to litigate cases in ways that either supports empowering clients or aiding social movements, the relationships between lawyers and their clients, and issues involving class actions lawsuits.