EXP: Federal Civil Rights Law Bootcamp (Clarke)
Additional Information
Experiential CourseYes
Skills Training
Expository Writing
Other Professional Skills:
No
Class meets in person.
Meeting Times/Location
FS 9:00AM - 5:00PM
Silverman Hall 240A
Category
Upper-Level
Credits
2.0
Federal civil rights laws are critical tools for safeguarding individual rights and combatting discrimination. Many of these laws were adopted by Congress in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement including, but not limited to, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act (1968). More recent laws include the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act and the National Voter Registration Act. These laws help shape and inform mass impact litigation, a vehicle for safeguarding civil rights.
By combining practice and theory, this Bootcamp will provide a general overview of several federal civil rights statutes, including an examination of statutory text, legislative history and key Supreme Court cases that have informed the interpretation and application of these laws. The course will provide students with a basic understanding of civil rights lawyering in federal courts and the role of mass impact litigation as a vehicle for safeguarding rights. The course will cover a wide array of statutes that concern prohibitions on race and gender discrimination, and discrimination faced by other communities including people with disabilities, families with children, members of the military and others. While we will not be able to cover every area of federal civil rights, the goal is to provide students with a general overview of these laws and exposure to the kinds of issues that arise in complex litigation generally.
Lawyers, regardless of their practice area, need to be able to address constitutional and statutory rights effectively and handle the kinds of issues that arise in complex civil rights litigation. Having familiarity with many of our civil rights laws will aid in these tasks. Topics that will arise during the Bootcamp include federalism, private right of action, remedies for violations and more. The course will enhance literacy of federal civil rights statutes and their use in modern day mass impact litigation. To achieve this goal, a significant portion of class time will be spent engaged in discussion regarding contemporary civil rights challenges that will provide students the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and develop a feel for the issues faced by civil rights lawyers today. While we will focus primarily on litigation, we will briefly consider other relevant tools including coalition building, communications campaigns, legislative advocacy and more.
Credit/fail grading will be based on a mid-course reflection paper, final paper and class participation.
The class will meet on Friday, September 12, Saturday, September 13, Friday, September 19, and Saturday, September 20, 9:00-5:00 in S240A.
Constitutional Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of constitutional law; Perform legal analysis in the context of constitutional law; Communicate effectively on topics related to constitutional law; Demonstrate an understanding of constitutional law affects other areas of law.
Courts and the Judicial System Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of both substantive and procedural issues in the operation of our legal system; Perform legal analysis in the context of procedural issues and the judicial process; Communicate effectively on topics related to procedure and the judicial process; Demonstrate an understanding of how procedural issues and the judicial process affect all other area of our legal system.
Perspectives on the Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of how the law affects, and is affected by, the individual course topic; Perform legal analysis in the context of the individual course topic; Communicate effectively on the legal and other aspects of the individual course topic; Demonstrate the ability to use other disciplines to analyze legal issues relevant to the individual course topic, including economics, philosophy, and sociology, as appropriate.
Equity and Inclusion Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of the varied legal aspects of equity and inclusion; Perform legal analysis in the context of topics related to equity and inclusion; Communicate effectively on the legal aspects of equity and inclusion; Demonstrate an understanding of how equity and inclusion are connected to and affected by a wide variety of legal and regulatory structures and doctrines.