This 9-hour concentration provides students with an understanding of the role of courts in American government and politics, and allows them to develop a substantive background in one or more areas of law. The two required courses are designed to introduce students to the structure, process and actors involved in our legal system; to the internal and external forces that affect the operation and outcomes of the courts; and to the role of courts as political institutions. They also introduce students to important concepts such as judicial review, justiciability, and the role courts have played in defining the limits of presidential and congressional power, and in shaping federal-state relations.
The elective courses allow students to build on these introductory level classes and focus intently on a particular area of law. These include, but are not limited to, administrative law, international law, issues related to gender equality (e.g., employment discrimination, sexual harassment, domestic abuse, same-sex schools), and constitutional conflicts involving the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment.
