2017-2018 Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

LAW - 838 American Courts: Structure, People, Processes, Politics


(2 hrs.)

Explores the factors that shape trial and appellate courts. These factors are of major public policy interest to all lawyers and of direct practical interest to lawyers who anticipate working in the courts temporarily as law clerks or regularly as litigators. The seminar examines court organization and structure, including court personnel; the judicial selection process and roles of executive officials, legislators, political parties, the bar, judges, and would-be judges; and the ethical rules that govern judges and mechanisms for dealing with judicial disability and misbehavior. It also considers the public and private sources of education for (and influence of) judges about basic aspects of judging as well as complex scientific and technical matters, the processes and politics of adopting and amending rules of procedure, and other such topics.