Intro to U.S. Law & Methods II

1 unit

[Enrollment open only to LLM, MLS and exchange students; visiting scholars, international judges, and JSD students may audit.] Prerequisite: Intro to U.S. Law and Methods I. This is the second in a two course sequence of instruction and practice in distinctive aspects of U. S. law and methods begun in the fall. The goal remains to learn how law is made, found and enforced in the U.S.; the objective is to do so by assuming the role of a U.S. lawyer who researches, analyzes and persuasively argues a case. The hypothetical problem is designed to illustrate distinctive aspects of U.S. constitutional law and federalism, and is set in federal court. Problem resolution entails understanding judicial constitutional review powers as well as substantive doctrine, oral and written client advocacy and the analysis of U.S. Supreme Court opinions. The course seeks to illustrate the dominating role of federal constitutional law and the U.S. Supreme Court in the development of U. S. law. Research and persuasive writing instruction, including individual conferences on drafts, is included. Grading is based on revised drafts previously discussed with professors and therefore is not anonymous. Grading basis: Modified Pass/Fail system.