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Authoritarianism is on the rise throughout the world. According to some estimates, as of 2022 about 72% of the world's population lived under some form of authoritarianism, up from 46% in 2012. Countries that were once democracies are backsliding into authoritarianism and those that were somewhere in between have become more closed and repressive. One of the most important tools in the toolkit of authoritarian regimes is the law. Would-be authoritarians use it to consolidate their power and eliminate enemies. But law also offers the possibility of resistance in these closed contexts.

This course explores the roles of judges through an interdisciplinary lens. We will examine perspectives on judging from a variety of disciplinary approaches, including economics, gender studies, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology. Topics include judicial decision making, the selection of judges, judicial empathy, constitutional interpretation, and the role of juries. Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BA-Legal major.

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.

The course will focus on the impact of the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments in criminal trials. The course will study the historical perspective, the current application and the likely future applications of the amendments. A fundamental understanding of the criminal trial process is required. Prerequisite: LEGAL 250

ChatGPT, Replika, and the rapid growth and innovation in the tech industry make one thing clear: Artificial Intelligence is not just the stuff of sci-fi anymore, it's quite real. However, current events also demonstrate that this space is woefully under-regulated. As we think through what shape AI laws may take, it is important to ponder the ethical implications for- and obligations of- society. In this course, we will examine the historical foundations of ethics, pertinent concepts and terms, the role of bias, social impacts, current events, laws and regulations, as they relate to AI.

Law assumes facts, creates entities, and conceals aspects of its operation in order to extend or limit the power of courts in deciding cases. Law creates and deploys fictions (e.g. corporate persons, reasonable persons, equal protection, compelling interests) in that endeavor. This social construction of law and legal phenomena may be construed as proper or improper depending upon the power of competing stories and story tellers, as well as how we the audience receives and give life to them.

The course will focus on civil law and will deal with issues that are unique to each of the respective civil 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 termination of parental rights, sexually dangerous person proceedings and administrative agency appeals. The course will also focus on the equitable jurisdiction of the courts, contract actions and an introduction to real property rights.

This course will introduce you (and hopefully get you excited about) the concept of social justice lawyering. We will explore the genres/theoretical frameworks, the legal strategies, the practice models, the motivation to practice this kind of law, and whether the law and lawyers are well suited to create social change.

In this course, we will explore the political, legal, and social implications of Big Data, artificial intelligence, and the increasing reliance on automated, machine learning algorithms across many different decision-making contexts, with a particular focus on the manifestations of bias in computationally or machine-based decisions. The course will address both the promise and perils of data-based, machine decision-making as well as the multiplicity of ways in which it already influences our daily lives.