Civil Rights Litigation

2 Credit Hours

Class description: This seminar explores how litigants vindicate federal constitutional rights in the courts. Topics include 42 U.S.C. 1983, which provides the primary cause of action to remedy constitutional violations; defenses and immunities of individuals and municipal governments; and various forms of monetary and injunctive relief. Class instruction is a mix of in-class discussion of doctrinal topics and in-court observation (when scheduling allows) and discussion of actual civil-rights trials, pretrial conferences, and other court hearings presided over by Judge Chang. Grading: Grades are based on a final exam, with class participation as a possible basis to improve (not reduce) the final grade. Location: The class meets in Judge Chang's courtroom in the federal courthouse at 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago. Maximum enrollment: 14. Pre-requisites: None. ***Please note the Location: the class meets in Judge Chang's courtroom in the federal courthouse at 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago.