Reproduction & the Law (LAW-876A-001)
Marya Torrez
Meets: 06:00 PM - 08:50 PM (M)
Enrolled: 16 / Limit: 22
Notices
U* Notice - This course as offered *may* be eligible to satisfy Upper Level Writing Requirement. Students must have an explicit conversation with the professor no later than the end of the add/drop period, confirming that they intend to use the course assignment to fulfill the ULWR. Students must inquire and professors must agree to supervise the ULWR in writing. Students must present a written product for grading that meets both ULWR standards and the requirements of the course assignment.
**As a reminder, this course may satisfy the ULWR, OR count toward your 6 required experiential skills credits, but you may not utilize it to satisfy both requirements.
Description
This seminar will track regulation of human reproduction and sexuality in the United States, focusing on history, law and policy. The course will cover Supreme Court jurisprudence establishing the rights to privacy and reproductive freedom and then reversing them, as well as past and current legal and legislative efforts implicating reproductive freedom. The course will incorporate a reproductive justice framework that explores the human rights to have a child, not have a child, and to raise a child in a safe and healthy environment, as well as sexual autonomy and gender freedom. The course will examine how reproductive freedom and oppression are experienced differently by different populations, as well as how the law has been used to regulate reproduction in different ways, including through withholding public assistance and involuntary sterilization. The course will also look at how reproductive rights and justice are implicated in the current legal and policy environment.
Reproduction and the Law is a three-credit research paper seminar that satisfies the research paper writing requirement. In compliance with ABA Standard 310, you are expected to spend 42 hours in class and do 90 hours of work outside of class over the course of the semester.
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.
Most readings are in these two books. Because the only text book for this topic is now 7 years old, it is supplemented by other readings. Other readings are available in the course materials, online, and linked in the syllabus. Additional course materials, course announcements, and updates to the syllabus or curriculum will be posted on the my.wcl site. Cases with page numbers provided are all in MURRAY & LUKER.
- MURRAY & LUKER, CASES ON REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND JUSTICE (Foundation Press 2015).
- LORETTA J. ROSS AND RICKIE SOLLINGER, REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE: AN INTRODUCTION (2017).
First Class Readings
- Note about language and gender: ROSS/SOLLINGER, p. 6-8.
- ROSS/SOLLINGER, p. 9-54.
- Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (1923) and notes – p. 258.
- Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510 (1925) and notes – p. 261.
- Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965) and notes – p. 536.
- Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967) and notes – p. 53.
- Eisenstadt v. Baird, 405 U.S. 438 (1972) – p. 544.
Syllabus
Use your MyAU username and password to access the syllabus in the following format(s):
Adobe Acrobat (PDF)