This course will examine how lawyers, social activists, and everyday people have used litigation to change the social and legal landscape in the post-war United States. Through reading numerous in-depth case studies of seminal civil and criminal cases, we will explore such questions as: How and why have social movements used "the law" to advance their causes? What are the pros and cons of using litigation to achieve social change (or right a wrong), versus other tools such as direct action, lobbying, and community organizing?