Amer Cts:Strctr,People, Proc (LAW-838-001)
Wheeler
Meets: 04:00 PM - 05:50 PM (T) - Room 313
Enrolled: 10 / Limit: 12
Notices
There are no notices at this time.
Description
This seminar explores the factors that shape United States trial (a slight misnomer) and appellate courts, with a non-exclusive emphasis on federal courts. These factors are of major public policy interest to all lawyers and of direct practical interest to lawyers who anticipate working in the courts temporarily as law clerks or regularly as litigators or judges. The seminar examines - court organization and structure, including court personnel; - how courts govern themselves, to the extent they do, including the process for making and amending rules of procedure and evidence; - the judicial selection process and roles of executive officials, legislators, political parties, the bar, judges, and would-be judges, as well as the public and private sources of education for (and influence of) judges about basic aspects of judging as well as complex scientific and technical matters; - the ethical rules that attempt to guide and govern judges and mechanisms for dealing with judicial disability and misbehavior; - courts’ relations with important players in their environment, including the legislature and the communications media in their traditional and new forms, and; - court performance and case management in both trial and appellate courts.
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.
The seminar does not use a standard textbook (there really are none) but rather readings posted on mywcl, including court decisions, articles, policy statements, statutes, and news clips, as well as substantial descriptive and analytical material that I have prepared and keep updated.
First Class Readings
Not available at this time.
Syllabus
Use your MyAU username and password to access the syllabus in the following format(s):
Adobe Acrobat (PDF)