Legal Studies
The Legal Studies minor is an interdisciplinary program that allows students to study the role of law and legal institutions in society.
Students who minor in Legal Studies learn about law in courses from anthropology, economics, history, philosophy, political science and other disciplines. The curriculum emphasizes the forces that shape law and the ways that peoples of different cultures and from different historical periods have used and interpreted the law.
Because Legal Studies is interdisciplinary in nature and offers a variety of courses, each student can design a course of study that addresses their individual needs and interests.
Students may choose to take advantage of internships available in law and government. Legal Studies is an excellent pre-law program. It also prepares students well for other graduate study as well as for careers in academia, business, politics or social services.
Contact Info
Phone: | 314-935-4200 |
Email: | legalstudies@wustl.edu |
Website: | https://legalstudies.wustl.edu/ |
Chair
Frank Lovett
Professor
PhD, Columbia University
(Political Science)
Professors
John R. Bowen
Dunbar–Van Cleve Professor in Arts & Sciences
PhD, University of Chicago
(Anthropology)
Elizabeth K. Borgwardt
JD, Harvard University
PhD, Stanford University
(History)
Michael Cannon
JD, Yale Law School
John Inazu
Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion
PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Neil Richards
Koch Distinguished Professor of Law
JD, University of Virginia
Professors Emeriti
David Konig
PhD, Harvard University
(History and Law)
William R. Lowry
PhD, Stanford University
(Political Science)
There is no major available in Legal Studies. Students interested in undergraduate, preprofessional preparation for the study of law should contact the pre-law advisor in the College of Arts & Sciences, who is available to help plan a course of study and prepare a strategy for students applying for admission to law school.
The Minor in Legal Studies
Total units required: 18
The minor in legal studies requires six courses (18 graded units), at least three of which must be upper-division (300- or 400-level) courses. Two of the six courses may be drawn from the student's major, but as in all College of Arts & Sciences programs, they cannot be double-counted (i.e., applied to both the major and the minor). The six courses also must be distributed across three of four thematic subject areas. For details, please visit the Legal Studies website or consult the Director of Legal Studies.
The following is a list of courses that have been offered in Legal Studies in recent years. Note that some of these courses are not currently offered and that some new courses may also count toward the minor. For a current list of courses in Legal Studies, please visit the Legal Studies website or contact the Director of Legal Studies.
Visit online course listings to view semester offerings for L84 Lw St.
L84 Lw St 105G Logic and Critical Analysis
Introduction to the elementary tools of logic required for constructing and critically evaluating arguments and the claims they support. Topics include: the nature of an argument; argument structure; how arguments can fail both in structure and in content; formal and informal fallacies; propositional logic and predicate calculus; and critical analysis of rhetorical strategies for presenting arguments. Students will be encouraged to develop critical reasoning skills that can be widely applied.
Same as L30 Phil 100G
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: NSM, AN Arch: NSM Art: NSM BU: HUM
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L84 Lw St 117 Amp:Global Population on the Move: Language + Resettlement w/Legal, Healthcare + Educational Systems
Today, the number of displaced people as its highest: one out of every 113 people on Earth. In this course, we begin with an understanding of what it means to be a refugee, and we discuss readings that lead us to an understanding of the modern refugee as we contextualize the significance of such terms as 'refugee,' 'asylum,' 'sanctuary,' 'non-refoulement,' or 'forced displacement.' With this foundation, we move to the role that language plays with resettlement into society and examine factors in the legal, healthcare and educational systems. We examine global work done through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and more, and we concentrate on the current state of refugees and New Americans in St. Louis and the USA. The course fosters critical thinking across academic disciplines, encourages practical implications of research on global citizenship, and includes invited guest lectures by local practitioners and other Washington University scholars. This course is restricted to first-year students in the Global Citizenship Program. Today, the number of displaced people as its highest: one out of every 113 people on Earth. In this course, we begin with an understanding of what it means to be a refugee, and we discuss readings that lead us to an understanding of the modern refugee as we contextualize the significance of such terms as 'refugee,' 'asylum,' 'sanctuary,' 'non-refoulement,' or 'forced displacement.' With this foundation, we move to the role that language plays with resettlement into society and examine factors in the legal, healthcare and educational systems. We examine global work done through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and more, and we concentrate on the current state of refugees and New Americans in St. Louis and the USA. The course fosters critical thinking across academic disciplines, encourages practical implications of research on global citizenship, and includes invited guest lectures by local practitioners and other Washington University scholars. This course is restricted to first-year students in the Global Citizenship Program.
Same as L61 FYP 117
Credit 3 units. A&S: AMP A&S IQ: LCD, SSC, SC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA, IS EN: S
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L84 Lw St 120A Religious Freedom in America
The intersection of religion and law in American society has sparked some of the fiercest cultural engagements in recent memory: Should a for-profit religious corporation have a right not to fund birth control for its employees? Can a public college expel campus religious groups whose membership is not open to all students? May a Muslim in prison grow a beard for religious reasons? Should a cake baker or a florist be permitted to refuse services for a gay wedding? Can a church hire and fire its ministers for any reason? These current debates and the issues that frame them are interwoven in the American story. This course introduces students to the major texts and historical arguments underlying that story. Drawing from the respective expertise of the instructors, the course will expose students to a variety of scholarly methods related to the issue: legal history and case law, intellectual history and canonical texts, social history and narrative accounts, and political philosophy and contemporary analyses. This course is for first-year (non-transfer) students only.
Same as I60 BEYOND 120
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, SC Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH, HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 126 Ampersand: Law and Society
This course considers the basic aspects of the American legal system: its foundations, processes, institutions and rights. We will also study some specific substantive areas of the law. The course consists of two 90-minute Socratic lectures per week. Upon completion of this course, students should have a basic knowledge of the American legal system, which is an important part of a general education. The hope is that such knowledge will enable students to better understand and assess current legal events and to develop an increased interest in those events. This course should also enable students to consider law as a future area of study and career. Interested students may continue their study in the spring semester with an optional 1-credit seminar focusing on contemporary Supreme Court cases. Course is for first-year students in the Law and Society Program only.
Same as L61 FYP 1261
Credit 3 units. A&S: AMP A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 131F Present Moral Problems
An investigation of a range of contemporary moral issues and controversies that draws on philosophical ethics and culturewide moral considerations. Topics may include: racism, world hunger, war and terrorism, the distribution of income and wealth, gender discrimination, pornography, lesbian and gay rights, abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment. The aim of the course is to present diverse points of view regarding these topics and to provide conceptual and theoretical tools that enable the student to make headway in thinking carefully and critically about the issues.
Same as L30 Phil 131F
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H
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L84 Lw St 2020 The Immigrant Experience
This course explores the history and politics of immigrant groups in the 19th and 20th century United States. Topics include legislation, patterns of migration, comparisons of different waves of immigration, and changing social attitudes.
Same as L98 AMCS 202
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC, SC, SD Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA, HUM EN: S
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L84 Lw St 203B Introduction to Education: Disability Law, Policy, and Institutional Implications
This seminar is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of the laws and policies governing disabilities and how they impact governmental, social, economic, political, and educational institutions. This introduction to disabilities is provided from a legal perspective and will appeal to self-motivated students interested in learning more about how disability awareness might impact their everyday lives. Topics for discussion include IDEA, ADA, and Section 504 accommodations and how these laws apply to K-12 schools, higher education, immigration, housing, substance abuse, courts, employment, and access to public transit and public accommodations.
Same as L12 Educ 203B
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 203C Early Political Thought: Text and Tradition
A selected survey of the political and moral thought of Europe from the rise of Athenian democracy to the Renaissance, with emphasis on analysis and discussion of writers such as Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, Castiglione, and Machiavelli. The course aims to introduce students to basic texts in the intellectual history of Western Europe, understood both as products of a particular time and place and as self-contained arguments that strive to instruct and persuade. The texts are simultaneously used to chart the careers of such fundamental notions as liberty, virtue, and justice.
Same as L93 IPH 203C
Credit 3 units. A&S: AMP A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 2062 Sophomore Seminar in History
This course is a sophomore seminar in history; topics vary per semester. Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
Same as L22 History 2062
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: BA, IS EN: H
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L84 Lw St 207 Crossing Borders: An Introduction to Institutions and Concepts in Global Studies
This course provides an overview of the emergence of international governing institutions, the ideologies that shaped them, and concepts helpful for understanding them. Identifying the systems that have emerged to govern modern human societies at the national and international levels provides the means to consider how human beings are categorized within those systems, as citizens, subjects, asylum seekers, refugees, and the stateless. We engage a few classic works — including "The Communist Manifesto," "Imagined Communities," and "Orientalism" — and consider how they have transformed knowledge. The goal is for students to gain an empirical grasp of world institutions and a critical vocabulary that will provide the means for an informed engagement with international issues across different world regions and academic approaches.
Same as L97 GS 207
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC, SC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: IS EN: S
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L84 Lw St 207C Modern Political Thought: Text and Traditions
What is power? Why are societies divided along lines of race, class, and gender? When did politics become split between the right and the left? Can religion be reconciled with the demands of modern life? Can democracy? These are some of the questions that will be addressed in this survey of modern political thought. Thinkers covered will include Thomas Hobbes, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, WEB Du Bois, Hannah Arendt, and Michel Foucault.
Same as L93 IPH 207C
Credit 3 units. A&S: AMP A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM, IS EN: H
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L84 Lw St 2110 Social Inequality in America
Americans face different challenges and opportunities that depend on a variety of characteristics, including race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. This course examines these intersecting categories from a sociological perspective -- not simply as ways to classify people, but as social constructions that help to explain social inequality. Students will examine these systems in a variety of institutional contexts, such as popular culture, family life, education, the criminal justice system, and the labor force.
Same as L40 SOC 2110
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC, SD Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 221 Ampersand: Law and Society
This course will be a continuation of the seminar Ampersand: Law and Society. The course will apply knowledge learned in the first semester to analyze current and recent Supreme Course cases. Prerequisites: L61 1261 and admission to the Ampersand: Law and Society course.
Same as L61 FYP 221
Credit 3 units. A&S: AMP A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA, HUM EN: S
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L84 Lw St 225 Religion and Politics in American History
Throughout the twentieth century, the state was a critical arbiter over what constituted religion and religious practice in the United States. Molded by evolving notions of race, ethnicity, gender, the family, citizenship, and social inclusion, a variety of communities and institutions have strained against state perceptions of their practices and beliefs. This course traces such contestations from the turn of the twentieth century through the dawn of the new millennium. Case studies such as the Moorish Science Temple, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the Nation of Islam, among others, will guide our conversation on changing definitions of "religion" and "the state" in the US.
Same as L57 RelPol 225
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, SC, SD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: BA EN: H
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L84 Lw St 233F Biomedical Ethics
A critical examination, in the light of contemporary moral disagreements and traditional ethical theories, of some of the moral issues arising out of medical practice and experimentation in our society. Issues that might be discussed include euthanasia, genetic engineering, organ transplants, medical malpractice, the allocation of medical resources, and the rights of the patient.
Same as L30 Phil 233F
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H
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L84 Lw St 235F Introduction to Environmental Ethics
A general survey of current issues in environmental ethics, focusing on problems such as the obligation to future generations, protection of endangered species, animal rights, problems of energy and pollution, wilderness, global justice and business obligations. Students also learn some ethical and political theory.
Same as L30 Phil 235F
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H
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L84 Lw St 2443 First-Year Seminar: The Nuremberg Trials and International Justice
This course is an exercise in understanding how professional historians and the general public discover and use the past. The main goals of this course are to understand the many different methods and standards applied to the past; to understand how and why each generation changes the past as it seeks to make it "usable"; and to develop the skills of exposition and argumentation necessary to describe and analyze complex historical issues and to express critical ideas effectively. The subject of this inquiry will be the Nuremberg trials: the innovations and critiques around the law and politics of the trials themselves as well as the trials' legacies with regard to ideas about international justice in postwar America and the world. Course is for first-year, non-transfer students only.
Same as L22 History 2443
Credit 3 units. A&S: FYS A&S IQ: HUM BU: HUM, IS EN: H
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L84 Lw St 251 Juvenile Justice in the Black Experience
This course examines the sociolegal past, present, and future of American juvenile justice, with a focus on the Black American experience. The course is organized in three parts. Part I surveys the late 19th- and early 20th-century development of the "parental state," including its institutional centerpiece (the juvenile court), its principle legal subjects ("dependents" and "delinquents"), and how these took shape alongside the contemporaneous rise of American Apartheid. Part II examines several key changes and challenges in contemporary juvenile justice, including the transformation of this institution in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement and the endurance of racialized juvenile social control in the post-Civil Rights period. Finally, Part III considers possible futures of youth justice in the United States and beyond as well as practical strategies for achieving equal protection within and beyond the law. For AFAS majors, this course counts as Area Requirement 2.
Same as L90 AFAS 251
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC, SD Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 260 Game Theory in Science and Culture
Introduces the major intellectual insights of game theory in a nontechnical fashion, and examines the influence game theory has had on geopolitics, social philosophy, psychology, art and the humanities. In addition to covering the basic machinery of the theory, the class: participates in numerous illustrative classroom games; examines game theory in film, literature and literary criticism; sees how game theory has contributed to social theory; and learns about the background of game theory and its history and perception as a hoped-for tool in the Cold War. Grades based on problems, short essays, two short-essay exams, and participation.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 260
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S
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L84 Lw St 263 Linguistics for Legal Purposes
This course exposes students to an array of legal matters in which forensic linguistic science can play a key role. It simultaneously introduces them to linguistic concepts, theories, and methods that can be differentially applied for a combination of forensic and legal purposes. Topics include trademark disputes, defamation suits, civil litigation, authorship identification, and linguistic evaluations of testimony presented during murder trials. Assignments will include the formulation of affidavits and the production of legal opinions derived from diverse linguistic analyses.
Same as L44 Ling 263
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 299 Undergraduate Internship in Legal Studies
Students receive credit for a faculty-directed and approved internship. Registration requires completion of the Learning Agreement which the student obtains from the Career Center and which must be filled out and signed by the Career Center and the faculty sponsor prior to beginning internship work. Credit should correspond to actual time spent in work activities, e.g., 8-10 hours a week for 13 or 14 weeks to receive 3 units of credit; 1 or 2 credits for fewer hours. Students may not receive credit for work done for pay but are encouraged to obtain written evaluations about such work for the student's academic advisor and career placement file.
Credit variable, maximum 3 units.
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L84 Lw St 3001 Social Theory
An overview of major theoretical frameworks used by sociologists to understand social behavior and group patterns. This course explores classical theories, including those developed by Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, along with contemporary perspectives such as functionalist, interactionist, and conflict theories. Class discussions and writing assignments emphasize students' application of theory to understand current social experiences and structures. The course has no specific prerequisites, but students should be prepared for intensive study of challenging ideas and the application of these ideas in new contexts relevant to modern society. All Sociology majors and minors must complete this core course to fulfill degree requirements.
Same as L40 SOC 3001
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC, SD Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 3012 Biblical Law and the Origins of Western Justice
This course will explore how law developed from the earliest periods of human history and how religious ideas and social institutions shaped law. The course will also illuminate how biblical law was influenced by earlier cultures and how the ancient Israelites reshaped the law they inherited. It will further analyze the impact of biblical law on Western culture and will investigate how the law dealt with those of different social classes and ethnic groups, and we will probe how women were treated by the law.
Same as L75 JIMES 3012
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD BU: ETH, HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 301U Historical Methods: United States History
This is a small-group reading course in which students are introduced to the skills essential to the historian's craft. Emphasis will be on acquiring research skills, learning to read historical works critically, and learning to use primary and secondary sources to make a persuasive and original argument. Required for history majors. Preference given to History majors; other interested students welcome.
Same as L22 History 301U
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 3040 International Law and Politics
What is international law? Does it really constrain governments? If so, how? In this course, we will examine these questions through a mixture of political science and legal theories. Students will become familiar with the major theories in both disciplines and be introduced to the basic tenets of public international law. Students will also develop basic skills in legal research by reading and briefing cases from international tribunals and through an international law moot court simulation. Enrollment priority given to Global Studies majors.
Same as L97 GS 3040
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: IS EN: S
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L84 Lw St 312 Argumentation
This advanced writing course examines the strategies of argumentation, exploring such elements of argument as the enthymeme, the three appeals, claim types and fallacies. Prerequisites: Writing 1 (Writing 100) and junior standing. A note for students and advisors: when registering refer to WebSTAC for updated information on section times and available seats.
Same as L13 Writing 312
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, WI Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 314W Topics in Composition
An advanced writing course focusing on selected topics related to writing. Topics chosen by department/instructor. Consult section description for details about specific class emphases. (Note: In some cases, this course may be cross-listed with other programs/departments and may satisfy the writing-intensive requirement.) Prerequisites: CWP 100 College Writing 1 and junior standing.
Same as L13 Writing 314
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, WI Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 315 Introduction to Social Psychology
An introduction to the scientific study of social influence. Topics include person perception, social cognition, attitudes, conformity, group behavior, aggression, altruism, prejudice and psychology's interface with law, health, and climate change. Prerequisite: Psych 100B/Psych 1000.
Same as L33 Psych 315
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 3255 The Development of the American Constitution
The U.S. Constitution has been so long maintained because it has adapted to new circumstances. Contrary to common mythology, this adaptation goes far beyond formal amendment and court interpretation. But past performance is no guarantee of future results. The course examines the processes through which American constitutional democracy has developed, considers its successes and failures, and assesses some of its most pressing challenges. In doing so the course treats topics such as: the Electoral College; the justice system; executive powers in war and peace; Congress versus the president; reuglation and taxation; civil rights and Reconstructions; amendment politics; and constitutional rhetoric and beliefs.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 3255
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 331 Topics in Politics: Theories of Social Justice
This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 331
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: ETH, HUM EN: S
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L84 Lw St 331F Classical Ethical Theories
Intensive readings of great works in the history of ethics, especially by Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, and Mill. Topics may include: the sources of moral knowledge, the nature of practical moral judgment, the moral role of emotion and desire, weakness of will, moral autonomy, and the universality of moral norms. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor.
Same as L30 Phil 331F
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH, HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 3325 Constitutional Politics in the United States
This is a topics course in Political Science.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 3325
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 335S Poverty and the New American City
An exploration of structural changes that are transforming the American urban landscape, especially for low-income populations. The course begins with a review of classic theories of urban poverty and consider their relevance in the modern context. Students will then analyze key political, economic, demographic, and geographic shifts in how urban poverty is organized and reproduced, including gentrification, immigration, social policy reform, and the credit crisis. Special attention will be devoted to exploring the social and political implications of changing urban policy approaches, as well as the "suburbanization" of poverty. The course will conclude by discussing how urban poverty interfaces with broader social structures, including law, markets, and the state. Prerequisite: successful completion of an introductory Sociology course or consent of the instructor.
Same as L40 SOC 3350
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC, SD Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 3373 Law and Culture
We live in an age when social policy is increasingly displaced into the realm of law, when justice and equality are matters of courtroom debate rather than public discussion. Legal language has become a key resource in all kinds of struggles over livelihood and ways of life. In this course, we study the cultural dimensions of law and law's changing relationship to state power, the global economy, social movements, and everyday life. We approach law as a system of rules, obligations, and procedures, but also a cultural practice, moral regime, and disciplinary technique. How are relationships between legal, political, and economic realms structured and with what consequences? How does law provide tools for both social struggle and social control? What does anthropology contribute to research on these issues? In exploring these questions, we combine readings from classical legal anthropology with recent ethnographic work from around the globe.
Same as L48 Anthro 3373
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Art: SSC BU: ETH EN: S
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L84 Lw St 340 Topics: Environmental Justice
This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 340
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: CPSC, SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 340F Social and Political Philosophy
Study of certain fundamental issues concerning government, society, and culture. For example: what are the nature and limits of legitimate political authority? Are ordinary human beings capable of governing themselves justly? Do citizens have a duty to obey the state? If so, to what extent, if at all, is that duty grounded in consent or contract? Should the state limit or regulate the personal relationships of citizens, such as marriage, family, and sexuality? How should social institutions rectify a history of political or social injustice against oppressed groups? Readings from historical and contemporary sources. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200-level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in Philosophy & PNP.
Same as L30 Phil 340F
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH, HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 3431 Constitutional Law: Institutional Powers and Constraints
Introduction to constitutional law and practice in the United States. Emphasis on the role of the U.S. Supreme Court as an interpreter of the Constitution.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 3431
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 344 Courts and Civil Liberties
This course focuses on constitutional law principles in the Bill of Rights, and examines how Supreme Court decisions influence these principles in everyday life. We explore how the courts, and particularly the Supreme Court, have interpreted these rights in light of changing times and emerging issues. Topics include the First Amendment; free exercise of religion and the establishment clause; freedom of speech, assembly and association; freedom of the press; the Fourth Amendment and the rights of those accused and convicted of crimes; the right to privacy, including reproductive freedom and the right to die; equal protection and civil rights, including race, gender, sexual orientation; immigrants' rights and voting rights; and civil liberties after September 11. Recommended for the Liberal Arts and Business (LAB) Certificate.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 344
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA, ETH, HUM
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L84 Lw St 3441 Defendant's Rights
This course explores the operations of the American criminal justice system. Substantial emphasis on the constitutional rights accorded to the criminally accused. Readings consist primarily, but not exclusively, of Supreme Court cases.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 3441
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA, ETH EN: S
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L84 Lw St 345 Issues in Applied Ethics
Advanced study of a selected topic in applied ethics. Abstract ethical theories and methods are brought to bear on the moral problems that arise in an area of social and professional practice such as medicine, business, law, journalism, engineering, or scientific and humanistic research. Possible topics include: reproductive healthcare and policy, the just distribution of medical resources, the social responsibilities of corporations, accountability in the media and public office, and the ethics of research on or affecting human subjects. Prerequisites: one course at the 100 or 200-level in applied ethics; or permission of the instructor.
Same as L30 Phil 345F
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H
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L84 Lw St 3450 The Legislative Process
Structure and behavioral patterns of American legislative bodies. Primary emphasis on the U.S. Congress, with attention to state legislatures for comparative purposes. Representation, internal patterns of influence, and policy-making processes. Prerequisite: junior standing.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 345
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 346 Philosophy of Law
This course will first focus on the philosophical foundations of law, examining both the relationship between law and rules, as well as the types of legal reasoning. Second, the course will focus on philosophical issues that arise in the key substantive areas of law: contracts, torts, property, criminal law, and constitutional law, as well in specialized areas such as family and employment law. The course will end with a brief discussion of several problems in legal ethics. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 100 or 200 level, or permission of the instructor. Priority given to majors in philosophy and PNP.
Same as L30 Phil 346
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H
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L84 Lw St 3462 The Politics of Privacy in the Digital Age
This course explores the changing nature of privacy in contemporary society.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 3462
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: ETH EN: S UColl: PSA, PSC
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L84 Lw St 346J Islamic Law
This course will present a general overview of Islamic law and an introduction to the study of religious legal authority, which values consensus. It will then explore the formation of the major schools of law. Next, it will debate the notions of "ijtihad" and "taqlid" and discuss how open and independent legal decisions have been in the Islamic world. It will also trace the transmission of legal knowledge in religious institutions across time and place by focusing on medieval Muslim societies and by closely examining the education of a modern-day Ayatollah. Note: L75 546 is intended for graduate students only.
Same as L75 JIMES 346
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH EN: H
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L84 Lw St 347 Environmental Justice
Environmental quality varies widely across race, class, gender and other forms of social difference. This course explores how and why these differences exist. It provides an overview of the history and foundations of the environmental justice movement in the United States while covering classic environmental justice issues, such as toxic waste and pollution, along with more recent issues such as food access, urban green space, transportation and climate change. Environmental justice concerns in St. Louis are featured as part of the course. Class time will be devoted to lectures, case studies, group activities and discussion. Student learning will be assessed through exams, reflection, online assignments, a policy brief on an environmental justice issue and a group presentation. This is an advanced elective targeted toward third and fourth year students.
Same as L82 EnSt 346
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: CPSC, SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 3507 Legal Conflict in Modern American Society
Thousands of lawsuits are filed daily in the state and federal courts of the United States. The disputes underlying those lawsuits are as messy and complex as the human, commercial, cultural and political dynamics that trigger them, and the legal processes for resolving those disputes are expensive, time-consuming and, for most citizens, seemingly impenetrable. At the same time, law and legal conflict permeate public discourse in the United States to a degree that is unique in the world, even among the community of long-established democracies. The overarching objective of the course is to prepare our undergraduate students to participate constructively in that discourse by providing them with a conceptual framework for understanding both the conduct and resolution of legal conflict by American legal institutions, and the evolution of — and values underlying — the substantive law American courts apply to those conflicts. This is, at core, a course in the kind of legal or litigation "literacy" that should be expected of the graduates of first-tier American universities. Some of the legal controversies that are used to help develop that "literacy" include those surrounding the permissible use of lethal force in self-defense, the constitutionality of affirmative action in university admissions, contracts that are unconscionably one-sided, sexual harassment in the workplace, the duty of landlords to prevent criminal assaults on their tenants, groundwater pollution alleged to cause pediatric cancers, and warrantless searches of cellphone locator data by police.
Same as L98 AMCS 3507
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: ETH, HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 3510 The Supreme Court
This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 3510
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA
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L84 Lw St 3521 Anthropology of Human Rights
This course draws on anthropological scholarship to examine doctrines, practices, and institutions associated with international human rights law. Topics to be covered include: (1) colonialism and the history of international human rights low; (2) the complex theoretical issues raised by attempts to define and apply human rights concepts in different cultural contexts; (3) the role of governments, NGOs, and other international institutions in promoting human rights and humanitarianism; (4) key human rights issues such as freedom of religion, cultural rights, women's rights, and economic rights in different cultural contexts.
Same as L48 Anthro 3521
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 3522 Topics in Literature: Law and Literature
Topics course which varies by semester.
Same as L14 E Lit 3522
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: IS EN: H
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L84 Lw St 3561 Women and the Law
This course explores how social constructions of gender, race, class, and sexuality have shaped traditional legal reasoning and American legal concepts, including women's legal rights. We will begin by placing our current legal framework, and its gender, race, sexuality, and other societal assumptions, in an historical and Constitutional context. We will then examine many of the questions raised by feminist theory, feminist jurisprudence, and other critical perspectives. For example, is the legal subject gendered male, and, if so, how can advocates (for women and men) use the law to gain greater equality? What paradoxes have emerged in areas such as employment discrimination, family law, or reproductive rights, as women and others have sought liberal equality? What is the equality/difference debate about and why is it important for feminists? How do intersectionality and various schools of feminist thought affect our concepts of discrimination, equality, and justice? The course is thematic, but we will spend time on key cases that have influenced law and policy, examining how they affect the everyday lives of women. Over the years, this course has attracted WGSS students and pre-law students. This course is taught by law students under the supervision of a member of the School of Law faculty.
Same as L77 WGSS 3561
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC, SD Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S UColl: ML, SSC
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L84 Lw St 358 Law, Politics, and Society
This course is an introduction to the functions of law and the legal system in American society. The course material will stress the realities of the operation of the legal system (in contrast to legal mythology) as well as the continuous interaction and feedback between the legal and political systems. There are four specific objectives of this course: (1) to introduce students to legal concepts and legal theories; (2) to analyze the operation of the appellate courts, with particular emphasis on the U.S. Supreme Court; (3) to analyze the operation of American trial courts, especially juries and the criminal courts; and (4) to examine the linkages between culture and law.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 358
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 364 Anarchism: History, Theory and Praxis
This course analyzes the genesis, historical evolution, and current iterations of global anarchism. It examines anarchist beliefs, ethics, aims, countercultural expressions, organizations, emancipatory practices, and intersectional modes of struggle in different temporal, geographic, and cultural contexts. Special attention will be given to anarchism in the global south, cross-fertilization and relations between anarchists and the Marxist Left, anarcho-feminism, green anarchism, and anarcho-pacifism.
Same as L97 GS 364
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC, SD Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 3670 The Long Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement is known as a southern movement, led by church leaders and college students, fought through sit-ins and marches, dealing primarily with non-economic objectives, framed by a black and white paradigm, and limited to a single tumultuous decade. This course seeks to broaden our understanding of the movement geographically, chronologically and thematically. It pays special attention to struggles fought in the North, West and Southwest; it seeks to question binaries constructed around "confrontational" and "accommodationist" leaders; it reveals how Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans impacted and were impacted by the movement; and it seeks to link the public memory of this movement with contemporary racial politics.
Same as L22 History 3670
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, SC, SD BU: BA, HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 3710 Sociology of Immigration
This course reviews theoretical and empirical research on how and why people migrate across international borders, and the consequences of international migration for immigrants and natives in the United States. While immigration is one of the most controversial issues in the contemporary United States, these contentious debates are not new. Americans once voiced the same concerns about the economic and social impact of Southern and Eastern European immigrants that today are aimed at immigrants from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. In this course, students will compare historical (1880-1920) and contemporary (1965-present) waves of immigration to the United States. In this, students will explore why and how people migrate; immigrant integration; the impact of immigration on native-born Americans; and how government policies - at the national, state, and local level - shape immigrant assimilation and what it means to be considered truly "American" in a social as well as a legal sense. Prerequisite: successful completion of an introductory Sociology course or consent of the instructor.
Same as L40 SOC 3710
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC, SD Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 3713 Law in American Life I: English and Colonial Foundations to 1776
Credit 3 units. BU: ETH
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L84 Lw St 373 History of U.S. Foreign Relations to 1914
This course explores the major diplomatic, political, legal, and economic issues shaping U.S. Foreign Relations in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, up until the U.S. entry into the First World War.
Same as L22 History 373
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM, IS EN: H
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L84 Lw St 3744 Law and History: Colonial Era to Reconstruction
This course analyzes the development of American law and the constitutional system from the colonial era through the era of the Civil War and Reconstruction, beginning with a general theoretical background on the study of legal history. The course concludes with an analysis of the role of law in controversies around the commemoration of the Civil War era.
Same as L22 History 3744
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: BA, HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 3866 Interrogating "Crime and Punishment"
Whether read as psychological thriller, spiritual journey, or social polemic, Dostoevsky's 1866 novel Crime and Punishment has inspired diverse artistic responses around the world. From the 19th century to the present day, writers and filmmakers have revisited (and often subverted) questions that Dostoevsky's novel poses: What internal and external forces cause someone to "step over" into crime? What are the implications of a confession? To what extent can the legal system provide a just punishment? Are forgiveness and redemption possible, or even relevant? What role does grace — or luck — play in the entire process? This course begins with our close reading of Dostoevsky's novel and then moves on to short stories, novels, literary essays and movies that engage in dialogue with the Russian predecessor. A central concern of our intertextual approach is to explore the interplay between specific socio-historical contexts and universal questions. All readings are in English. No prerequisites.
Same as L97 GS 3866
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD, SD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: BA EN: H
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L84 Lw St 389 Power, Justice and the City
This course examines normative theoretical questions of power and justice through the lens of the contemporary city, with a particular focus on American urban life. It explores urban political economic problems, questions of racial hierarchy and racial injustice in the modern metropolis, and the normative and practical dilemmas posed by "privatism" in cities and their suburbs. In addition, the course devotes considerable attention to honing students' writing skills, through class assignments that stress rewriting and revising, and also through four in-class writing workshops devoted to formulating a thesis and making an argument, revising and rewriting, writing with style, and peer consultation.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 389
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SD, WI Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 389A Power, Justice and the City
This course examines normative theoretical questions of power and justice through the lens of the contemporary city, with a particular focus on American urban life. It explores urban political economic problems, questions of racial hierarchy and racial injustice in the modern metropolis, and the normative and practical dilemmas posed by "privatism" in cities and their suburbs.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 389A
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC, SD Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 390 Gender Violence
This course explores the issue of violence against women within families, by strangers in the workplace, and within the context of international and domestic political activity. In each area, issues of race, class, culture and sexuality are examined as well as legal, medical and sociological responses. Readings cover current statistical data, research and theory as well as information on the history of the battered women's movement, the rape crisis center movement, violent repression of women's political expressions internationally, and the effect of violence on immigrant and indigenous women in the United States and abroad. Not open to students who have taken U92 (UCollege) WGSS 363.
Same as L77 WGSS 393
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC, SD Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 391 History of Political Thought I: Justice, Virtue and the Soul
This course offers a critical introduction to the main issues and debates in western political theory, including but not limited to the topics of justice, legitimacy, equality, democracy, liberty, sovereignty, and the role of history in the political and social world. This course is designed to be the first in a three-semester sequence on the history of political thought, and students are encouraged, but not required, to take the courses in chronological sequence. The first semester begins with ancient Greek political thought, and follows its development up to the early 16th century.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 391
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S UColl: ML
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L84 Lw St 392 History of Political Thought II: Legitimacy, Equality, and the Social Contract
Government is often justified as legitimate on the grounds that it is based on the consent of the governed. In History of Political Thought II, "Legitimacy, Equality, and the Social Contract," we examine the origins of this view, focusing our attention on canonical works in the social contract tradition, by Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), John Locke (1632-1704), Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), David Hume (1711-1776), and Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). This course is the second in a three-semester sequence on the history of political thought. Students are encouraged but not required to take all three courses. Prerequisite: One previous course in political theory or political philosophy.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 392
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 393 History of Political Thought III: Liberty, Democracy and Revolution
How, if at all, should the political institutions of the modern state express and secure the liberty and equality of citizens? What is the political significance of private property? Is world history to be understood as progress toward one best form of government — capitalist democracy, perhaps, or communism? What forces drive history? We address these and other timeless political questions through close reading and rigorous analysis of classic texts in the history of Western political thought. Authors studied include Kant, Hegel, Marx, Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and Nietzsche. Prerequisite: one previous course in political theory or political philosophy. The course is the third in a three-semester sequence on the history of political thought, and students are encouraged but not required to take the courses in chronological sequence.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 393
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 399 Topics in Politics: American Judicial Politics
This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 399
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA, ETH EN: S
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L84 Lw St 4002 Directed Fieldwork in Legal Research
A fieldwork project in empirical and/or archival legal research under the direction of a member of the Washington University faculty. The fieldwork may be planned and undertaken individually or as part of a formal project. Permission of supervising faculty member and director of the program is required.
Credit variable, maximum 6 units. EN: H
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L84 Lw St 4013 Negotiating Major Legislation in Congress
This course examines the outcomes of the legislative process in the United States. The first third of the course examines key concepts and major determinants of the negotiation process: majority rule instability, agenda control, political parties, the amendment process and the uncovered set. The rest of the course examines the negotiations that led to some of the most significant legislation in the past 100 years, from the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 through the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to the immigration bill of 2006. Along with other assignments, each student writes several drafts of a major research project on a major piece of legislation. Each research project examines the amendments offered, the strategic intentions of the amendments' sponsors, the agenda process and the role of party. Prerequisite: Pol Sci 101B.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 4013
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, WI EN: S
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L84 Lw St 4030 Political Theory of Education
This course explores issues of authority, legitimacy, citizenship, freedom and equality through contemporary readings in the political theory of education. What is to be done when parents, citizens, and educational experts make conflicting judgments about the proper education of children? When should the state defer to parental judgments and what are the grounds for legitimately refusing to do so? How should public schools aim to equip their students for the responsibilities of citizenship in a diverse liberal democratic state? What do the concepts of equality and equality of opportunity mean in the context of education, and (how) should governments pursue these values through education policy? We explore these issues through contemporary works of political theory as well as through considering a number of important U.S. court cases, including those dealing with the schooling of children from minority religious and cultural groups, affirmative action in university admissions, and school desegregation plans. Prerequisite: one previous course in political theory or political philosophy.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 4030
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: ETH EN: S
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L84 Lw St 4070 Global Justice
This course examines contemporary debates and controversies regarding global justice. Seminar discussions are arranged around significant issues in the current literature. For example: What (if anything) do we owe to the distantly needy? Do we have special obligations to our compatriots? Do political borders have normative significance? And so on. This course is of interest not only to political theorists, but also students in other fields interested in social justice or international relations generally.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 4070
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC EN: S
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L84 Lw St 4080 Voting Rights
This course will study legal concepts of voting rights and election law that impact the ability of citizens to access and participate in the democratic process. It will include the opportunity for students to directly engage in observing, monitoring, or advancing the right to vote during the 2008 elections. Election law changes rapidly and is the subject of legal and political dispute in a number of areas that will affect the franchise during the 2008 elections. This course will examine federal constitutional and statutory law governing the right of suffrage and assess current controversies in these areas. While there is no specific "right to vote" explicitly stated in the U.S. Constitution, over time, it has been amended or interpreted to protect the right of franchise from being abridged based on race, gender, property ownership, age and other qualifications. Legislative enactments have also established rights with respect to voting. Each extension of voting rights has been a product of and resulted in social and political change. This course will examine the interplay of law and politics in the right to vote. The course will begin with the study of constitutional foundations, statutory protections and case law. We will then apply these principles to current issues in voting rights, including voter registration, voter identification, provisional ballots, voting machines, access for people with disabilities, felony disenfranchisement, voter suppression and voter fraud. Students will apply this knowledge to voting rights during the 2008 elections through hands-on involvement in voter education, monitoring or advocacy. The course will conclude with an assessment of the current issues in light of observations made by students during the 2008 elections, with an eye toward the advancement of election law and full enfranchisement in the future. The course involves the study of fundamental Supreme Court cases, interactive discussion of contemporary debates, and review of current litigation and legislative proposals. The course will be supplemented by occasional guest visits by election officials, lawyers, legislators, voting rights advocates or others.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 4080
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 425A Law, Religion, and Politics
What is the role of religious argument in politics and law? What kinds of arguments are advanced, and how do they differ from one another? Are some of these arguments more acceptable than others in a liberal democracy? This course will explore these questions through the work of legal scholars, theologians and political theorists. Our topics include the nature of violence and coercion in the law, constraints on public reason, the relationship between religion and government, and the nature of religious practice and tradition.
Same as L57 RelPol 425
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: BA, ETH EN: H
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L84 Lw St 429 Feminist Political Theory
This course asks how feminist thinkers from various political and intellectual traditions critique,adopt and transform political theories of justice, citizenship, property and the state. To uncover how different feminist theories have been adopted in the struggle for political transformation and social justice, we will pursue two main lines of inquiry. The first asks how feminist thinkers from various traditions critique and engage the history of political thought within the social contract tradition. We will ask, in particular, how gender, race, slavery, colonialism and empire shape conceptions of citizenship and property. We will also examine transnational feminist critiques of the public/private division in the Western political theory canon as it impacts the role of women and the social construction of women's bodies. During the second half of the semester, we will ask how various transnational social movements have engaged and adopted feminist theories in efforts to resist state violence, colonialism, labor exploitation and resource extraction. In following these lines of inquiry we will draw from postcolonial, decolonial, liberal, Black, radical, Marxist and Chicana feminist perspectives. Part of our goal will be to uncover how various feminist theories treat the relationship between politics and embodied experience, how gendered conceptions of family life affect notions of political power and how ideas about sexuality and sexual conquest intersect with empire-building. Majors and minors in WGSS receive first priority. Other students will be admitted as course enrollment allows.
Same as L77 WGSS 429
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, SC, SD Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: BA EN: H
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L84 Lw St 440 Religion, Politics, and the University
This course explores in depth current issues related to pluralism, difference, and belonging in matters pertaining to religion and other important issues, with a particular focus on how these play out in the university context. The instructors, John Inazu and Eboo Patel, are two of the leading national commentators on these issues. Prerequisite: Students enrolling in this class must submit a brief statement of interest to Professor John Inazu.
Same as L57 RelPol 440
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 4400 Advanced Social and Political Philosophy
A selective investigation of one or two advanced topics in the philosophical understanding of society, government and culture. Readings may include both historical and contemporary materials. Possible topics include: liberalism, socialism, communitarianism, citizenship, nationalism, cosmopolitanism, social contract theory, anarchism, and the rights of cultural minorities. Prerequisites: one course in Philosophy at the 300 level, graduate standing, or permission of the instructor.
Same as L30 Phil 4400
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 4402 Topics in Political and Social Theory: Constitutionalism
This course is intended primarily for sophomores and juniors. The topic of this course varies by semester, dependent on faculty and student interests.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 4402
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 4510 Race, Ethnicity, and Migration
This course will explore theoretical and empirical analyses of race, ethnicity and migration through a sociological lens, focusing on children of immigrants and later-generation descendants of migrants in the United States. Students will compare the experiences and outcomes of various racial and ethnic "groups," including whites/Europeans, Blacks/African-Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, and Asians, investigating how migration processes and patterns shape racial/ethnic group formations and inequalities. Examples of specific topics related to these issues include: assimilation; ethnic and racial identities; multiraciality; language; legality; intergroup relations; and education. This course will be taught in a seminar style where student engagement within class discussions is required and one's participation is central to the learning process.
Same as L40 SOC 4510
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: LCD, SSC, SC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA, IS EN: S
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L84 Lw St 461A Intro to Environmental Law
Survey of the most prominent federal laws designed to control pollution and protect human health and the environment. Examines laws applicable to environmental impact statements, biodiversity, air pollution, water pollution, and hazardous waste. Discusses the role of state law and cooperative federalism, as well as the roles of the courts, the legislature, and the administrative state in protecting the environment.
Same as L82 EnSt 461
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC Arch: SSC Art: SSC BU: BA EN: S
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L84 Lw St 4646 Democracy: Theory And Practice
What does it mean to govern democratically? Why value democratic government? What role, if any, should notions of rights, representation, and deliberation play in theorizing about and empirical research into problems of democratic governance? What lessons can we learn about democracy from scholars writing in the traditions of feminist theory and critical race theory? What is the relation between democracy and knowledge? Should democracy extend beyond the boundaries that define the nation-state? Should (some aspects of) the economy be democratized? During the fall of 2018, we will have the opportunity to ask these and related questions in the context of the U.S. midterm election. We will engage in debates about contemporary democratic theory while we follow developments in the campaigns leading up to the November election.
Same as L32 Pol Sci 4646
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC EN: S
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L84 Lw St 470 Interdisciplinary Topics: The Idea of the Law: Text & Traditions
Various interdisciplinary topics are explored that may includes around the humanities, social sciences and data sciences.
Same as L93 IPH 470
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM Arch: HUM Art: HUM BU: HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 472 Social Theory and Anthropology
A seminar on social theory and its ethnographic implications. Course combines major works of modern social theory, including Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, with current work by contemporary anthropologists, such as Clifford Geertz, Eric Wolf, Marshall Sahlins, and Fredrik Barth, and ethnographers from related disciplines, such as Pierre Bourdieu and Paul Willis. Prerequisite: previous anthropology course work or permission of instructor.
Same as L48 Anthro 472
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: SSC, SC, SD Arch: SSC Art: SSC EN: S
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L84 Lw St 487 Topics in American History: Race and Drugs in American History
This course explores the racial construction of the use of legal and illegal substances in American history from the mid-19th century to the present. We will spend time engaging in a historical analysis of the social, economic, and racial dynamics that defined drug addiction in popular imagination, and examine how these factors contributed to discussions about legality, access to substances, one's ability to be rehabilitated, and criminal status. Regarding criminality we will particularly explore sociological and theoretical perspectives of labeling, habitual and occasional offenders, and moral panic in order to understand how racial minority groups were targeted for different rhetorical, legislative, and economic purposes. One major goal of the course will be to outline the early 20th century beginnings of the war on drugs and connect it to the century long growth of a militarized police system and prison industrial complex. We will secondly work to understand the role of local and national political actors, law enforcement, and the media in manufacturing and maintaining connections between race, crime and drugs. Ultimately, we will use our study of drugs to contextualize 21st century issues of police violence, increases in homicide in minority communities, mass incarceration, poverty, segregation, and mass movements of protest.
Same as L22 History 487
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM BU: HUM EN: H
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L84 Lw St 4981 Advanced Seminar: Historical Perspectives on Human Rights
This course offers a historical perspective on the modern international human rights regime, using materials drawn from diplomatic, legal, political, and cultural studies. Successful completion of this seminar involves designing, researching and writing a 25-30 page paper on a historically-oriented, human-rights-related topic of student's choice.
Same as L22 History 4981
Credit 3 units. A&S IQ: HUM, LCD Arch: HUM Art: HUM EN: H
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