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COURSES
Fall Schedule
Spring Schedule
Bio-medical Ethics
Professor Bruce Morton
This seminar deals with legal, philosophical, and social issues associated with the delivery of health care – in particular, the effects of recent technological advances. Topics of discussion include the right to refuse treatment, the rights of incompetents and mental patients, medical research and experimentation, genetic engineering, surrogacy, and allocation of medical resources.
Disability Law
Professor William Brooks
This course provides an overview of the rights of individuals with mental and/or physical disabilities – whether confined to an institution or residing in the community. Subjects covered include the authority of the state to confine and to treat mentally disabled individuals; the role of anti-discrimination laws, including the Americans With Disabilities Act; the educational rights of handicapped children; and the legal status of persons with HIV/AIDS.
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Employment Discrimination Law
Dean Emeritus Howard Glickstein and
Professor Douglas Scherer |
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This
course covers basic principles of employment
discrimination law and examines theories of violation,
methods of proof, administrative and judicial
procedures, remedies, and litigation strategies.
Students examine Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the
Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as other
federal and state statutes dealing with workplace
discrimination based upon race, color, sex, religion,
national origin, age, disability, and sexual
orientation. (No prerequisite)
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First Amendment Seminar
The Honorable Sol Wachtler
This seminar offers and introduction to the law regarding freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The class concentrates on the importance of freedom of expression; the nature of “speech;” freedom of speech in public and private places; the relevance of the audience in determining the right of freedom of expression; censorship and permissible restrictions on freedom of expression; vagueness and overbreadth in applicable legislation; prior restraint; and symbolic speech.
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Immigration Law
Professor Neil Afran |
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This course entails study of the Immigration and
Naturalization Act and its constitutional
underpinnings. Topics covered include the exclusion
and expulsion of aliens from the United States; the
acquisition and loss of U.S. citizenship; regulation
of aliens; and policies and purposes behind
immigration legislation and regulation. (No
prerequisite)
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International Law
Professor Charles Cumming |
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This course examines the sources, methods, and
institutions of international law, as well as the
impact of international law on U.S. law. Students
consider customary international law, treaties, and
processes for legal change in connection with a
variety of substantive topics and procedural
settings, such as the United Nations, human rights,
and international trade. (No prerequisite)
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Jewish Law
Professor Chaim Povarsky |
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This
course affords an introduction to the Jewish legal
system: its common law nature, its historical
development, and its methodology. Fundamental features
of Jewish law are studied through the analysis of basic
concepts in both criminal and civil areas. The principal
focus is on Jewish family law, especially the “aguna”
(chained woman) problem, as well as the intervention by
American courts in Jewish divorces and the so-called New
York State “Get” statutes. All work is done with a
comparative view toward American law. All materials are
in English. (No prerequisite)
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Jewish Legal Philosophy
Professor Chaim Povarsky
This course deals with the basic tenets of Jewish law and philosophy by exploring the underlying moral and ethical foundations of Jewish law and the impact of Jewish theology on Jewish law. Topics of discussion include monotheism, creation versus evolution, divine providence, the relationship of Jewish faith and Jewish law, the extraterritorial aspect of Jewish law, the Jewish nation and its goals according to the Bible, the status of man in the universe, and the concept of justice.
Justice
Professor Peter Davis
This seminar examines justice in law by application of broad moral, philosophical, and political principles to real cases and controversies. Discussion topics include law and autonomy, race and justice, gender and justice, and economics and justice, as well as the scope of the criminal law and the role of justice in the international arena. The goal of the class is to construct guiding norms of justice and equity as they would be reflected in the laws that govern a model society.
Law and Religion
Professor Thomas Schweitzer
This seminar deals with issues of religious liberty in the American constitutional system, including the history of the First Amendment religion clauses; the development of law and religion in the U.S.; religion in educational institutions and in the workplace; the structure, management, and property of religious organizations; taxation of religious organizations; government regulation of religious practice; and religion in the courtroom.
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National Security and the Law
Judge Bianco |
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This
course examines the role of law in protecting U.S.
national security from threats posed by state and
non-state actors. Topics include domestic and
international legal regulation of the use of force; law
and overseas operations such as warfare and intelligence
gathering; and counterterrorism and homeland security.
(Prerequisite:
Constitutional Law I)
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Rights of Children Seminar
Professor Barbara Swartz
Central to this course are the relationships among children and their parents/guardians and various state agencies. In addition to the core constitutional issues, general topics include the juvenile justice system; child abuse; parental neglect and foster care; severely deformed newborns; and medical treatment of and experimentation on children.
Racism & American Law
Professor Dean Glickstein
Professor McQueary Smith
This course begins by examining the extent to which racism has been reflected in the country’s legal system, the ways in which the legal order has abetted racism, and the more general questions of law as an agent of social change. The course then focuses on contemporary uses of American law as a tool to reshape racially stratified economic, social, and political structures. The course examines primarily the experience of black Americans, but also addresses the experiences of other racial groups.
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Sex-Based Discrimination
Professor Eileen Kaufman |
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This
course explores the responses of courts and legislatures
to differential treatment of women and men. Subjects
discussed may include employment, education, and
discrimination concerning pregnancy. In addition to case
law, readings are assigned in the area of gender
justice. (No prerequisite)
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Sexual Orientation and Law
Professor Lewis Silverman |
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This
course addresses the place of sexual orientation in law;
ways in which society attempts to control human sexual
behavior through law; and ways in which legal
decision-makers take sexual orientation into account in
dispute resolution. Areas covered include constitutional
protection of privacy, speech, and association;
regulation under criminal law of sexual conduct;
regulation of family status and the attendant benefits;
and regulation of discrimination in the civilian sector
and in the military. (No prerequisite) |
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