Adv Con Law: Supreme Court (LAW-707-001)
Wermiel
Meets: 03:00 PM - 05:50 PM (M) - Room 602
Enrolled: 36 / Limit: 36
Notices
There are no notices at this time.
Description
The seminar examines in detail the way the Supreme Court operates as an institution. Topics include the nomination process, the granting of certiorari and shaping of the docket, the role of law clerks, the purpose of oral arguments, the influence of briefs and amicus briefs, the impact of the media and public opinion, and the process for deciding the cases. There will be role-playing exercises designed to promote critical thinking about the business of the Court, including voting on certiorari petitions and drafting short, collaborative opinions. The seminar requires a research paper of at least 18 pages; if you wish to use the seminar to satisfy the upper-level writing requirement, the paper will need to be 30 pages in length. The course qualifies as a skills course for those who successfully complete the role-playing/writing exercises.
Textbooks and Other Materials
The textbook information on this page was provided by the instructor. Students should use this information when considering purchases from the AU Campus Store or other vendors. Students may check to determine if books are currently available for purchase online.
First Class Readings
The first class reading is available at http://www.wcl.american.edu/faculty/wermiel/fall_2009_law-707-001_first_reading.pdf.
Syllabus
Use your MyAU username and password to access the syllabus in the following format(s):
Microsoft Word (DOC)
Corel Wordperfect (WPD)