Spring 2023 • Seminar
Legal Tools for Protecting Democracy and the Rule of Law in America
Required Clinic Component: Democracy and the Rule of Law Clinic (3-5 spring clinical credits). The clinic and course are bundled; your enrollment in the clinic will automatically enroll you in this required course.
Additional Co-/Pre-Requisites: None.
By Permission: No.
Add/Drop Deadline: December 2, 2022.
LLM Students: International students on F-1 student visas are required to have Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization; LL.M. students are not eligible for CPT.
This seminar is required for all students enrolled in the Democracy and the Rule of Law Clinic. The course will involve an introduction to the substantive issues relevant to the clinic, including risks to democracy in America, and traditional rule of law checks within and beyond the executive branch. We will then focus on the set of integrated advocacy tools available to protect our democratic institutions. This will include the development and conduct of effective litigation raising constitutional, administrative law, and statutory issues; policy advocacy and coordination; transparency promotion and government oversight; strategic communications; and other tools to prompt pro-democratic reform. Finally, the course will end with consideration of longer-term legal and policy challenges to constitutional democracy in the United States, and potential solutions. Through regular presentations and discussions, students will also have the opportunity to generate creative advocacy ideas, develop their Clinic work, and receive feedback from their Clinic colleagues.
Please see the Democracy and the Rule of Law Clinic course description for additional information.