This course involves in-depth study of the topic of human trafficking, often referred to as "modern day slavery." The course will explore the definition of the crime of human trafficking in the United States and internationally, and study the debates surrounding anti-trafficking laws and policies. We will examine the similarities and differences between slavery and human trafficking in the popular imagination and the law.

Why and how is the state involved in the definition of families, access to marriage, and intervention on behalf of children? This course will address these and other questions as we explore the ways in which the legal boundaries and connections between government and family have evolved over the last century in the United States. Issues of gender, race, class and sexual orientation will naturally play a significant role in these explorations.

This course examines the persistence of inequality based on race, class, gender and/or citizenship as it relates to law, both in the U.S. and internationally. We will examine the legal system from a critical perspective, incorporating material from law, history, sociology, and other disciplines.

The course will deal with issues that are unique to each of the respective trial courts. Case studies will address the manner in which disputes are resolved by trial or settlement. Some of the issues to be examined are sex offender registration requirements, termination of parental rights, sexually dangerous person proceedings and administrative agency appeals. The course will also focus on the equitable jurisdiction of the courts as well as an introduction into real property rights including the right, or lack thereof, to access beachfront property.

Not available at this time

Not available at this time

What if a Constitution drafted in the 18th century is inadequate to the needs of a 21st century nation? How should we amend it? In this hands-on course blending team-based learning and discussion-based classes, students will jointly identify a small number of perceived deficiencies in the US Constitution, research the history, interpretation, and application of the operative provisions, explore alternative models from other constitutions, and develop proposed amendments for presentation to and discussion by the entire class.

This course provides a structured context for students to reflect on their own learning in their GenEd courses. It utilizes social and behavioral sciences - as well as natural and applied sciences, the humanities, law, and even the arts from time to time ? to practice constitutive socio-legal inquiry, and applies this theory to multiple real world settings. We are going to use the ?angle? of sight as our vehicle for attempting to gain a better understanding of the way that law shapes our realities ? and in turn how those set the parameters for law. Simply, what we see around us ?

The relationship between law and social activism. The use of court decisions to effect change and mobilize support for causes. A critical look at such strategies to determine if and when they are effectve in achieving activists' goals. How sociolegal scholars should define social change and understand the role legal professionals play in structuring movement practices.

This course explores the ways in which law affects and is affected by the movement of people across borders. An estimated three percent of the world's population are migrants, and while the United States has long been a "nation of immigrants," countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East are all becoming host to large numbers of non-citizens. We will examine the various ways in which states approach migration law-making, studying migration law as a form of national identity, a means of social control, and a way of reproducing racial hierarchies.