Bioethics and the Law

3 Credits.

This course introduces students to the U.S. legal system and analyzes the relationship between law and bioethics. During the course, students will: (1) develop an understanding of the relevance of law for bioethics as a scholarly field and as a profession; (2) become familiar with legal structures, mechanisms, institutions, functions, and sources of law; (3) develop a critical appreciation of the complexity, flexibility, and evolution of law; and (4) develop a set of core legal skills applicable to bioethics scholarship and practice. Specific topic areas include legal duties of health care providers, end-of-life decisionmaking, ownership in body parts and informed consent, health inequities, assisted reproduction, and public health. No background in law is required to take this course.