Analytical Paper Optional: All enrolled students have the option of completing a research paper of at least 20-25 pages, with faculty and peer review of a substantially complete draft. This paper can be used to satisfy the analytical paper requirement for J.D. students. Students who choose to satisfy the analytical paper requirement through this course may not also count the course toward their experiential learning requirement.

Prerequisites: None

Exam Type: No Exam

This course examines the intersections of politics, law, race and social change within a historical trajectory of the evolving conceptions and representations of American identity. It analyzes such notions over time and their associated legal and political manifestations while accounting for the events and ideologies driving this transformation. Accordingly, such relevant factors as the formation of normative American identity, the contest and negotiation for power and representation, the impact of social movements, the equitable application of criminal justice, changing demographics, and relevant economic and political turmoil will be discussed through literature, journalism, and visual media.

Note: This course substantially overlaps with Ms. Robinson’s Fall 2024 course, Race & The Law: America’s Evolving Conceptions of Race & its Legal Implications. Students may not enroll in both for credit.