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COURTS AND SOCIAL CHANGE Fall 2011 – LSTU E-107

COURTS AND SOCIAL CHANGE Fall 2011 – LSTU E-107. Dr. Akiba J. Covitz Associate Dean & Lecturer on Law Harvard Law School CLASS 1 September 1 , 2011. A Bit About You and Me. Why Am I Interested in this “Stuff”? Some Backstory Why Are You “Interested” in this Stuff?

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COURTS AND SOCIAL CHANGE Fall 2011 – LSTU E-107

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  1. COURTS AND SOCIAL CHANGEFall 2011 – LSTU E-107 Dr. Akiba J. CovitzAssociate Dean & Lecturer on Law Harvard Law School CLASS 1 September 1, 2011

  2. A Bit About You and Me • Why Am I Interested in this “Stuff”? • Some Backstory • Why Are You “Interested” in this Stuff? • Some Backstories Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  3. The Syllabus On the course i-site: http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k81724&pageid=icb.page437832 Regular updates • Will be as communicative as possible (within the bounds of [non-Twitter] reason) • Will post my slides after class Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  4. The Syllabus • Let’s walk through the syllabus • Books and i-site • Grade: five parts (undergrad) or six parts (grad) • Not “Mr. Hart . . . .” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZJEhlIefxA&feature=related) Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  5. Three Key Questions for the Semester: • How Do Courts in the United States Work? • What Can Courts Do? • What Should Courts Do? Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  6. How Do Courts in the United States Work? First Five Classes: Judicial Mechanics Baum, American Courts Class 1 (9/1): Overview, Cases, and Opinions -Justices and Ours(Cases) Class 2 (9/8):Courts and Their Organization (Cases and Baum) Class 3 (9/15):Lawyers and the Selection of Judges (Baum) Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  7. How Do Courts in the United States Actually Work? First Five Classes: Judicial Mechanics Baum, American Courts Class 4 (9/22): The Role of Judges and the Operation of Criminal and Civil Courts (Baum) Class 5 (10/6): The Operation and Role of Appellate Courts (Baum and H & M) Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  8. What Canand Should Courts in the United States Do? Next Set of Three Classes: Application The Judicial Branch, Edited Volume (“H & M”) Class 6 (10/20):Mid-Term and The Big Questions: Where Do Judges Fit in the American System? Class 7 (10/27): Courts and American Culture Class 8 (11/3): Big Issues and Comparative Issues - Rights, Liberties, and Courts Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  9. Putting What We Have Learned to the Test Next Two Classes: Courts, Rights, and Backlash? From Jim Crow to Civil Rights, Mike Klarman http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/index.html?id=577 Read His Book and Meet Him Class 9(11/10) and Class 10(11/27) Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  10. Putting What We Have Learned to the Test Final Class Before the Final Exam: Courts and Rights The NAACP’s Legal Strategy against Segregated Education, 1925-1950,Mark Tushnet http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/index.html?id=534 Read His Book and Meet Him Class 11(12/1): Klarman Book Reviews Due andClass 12 (12/8): Tushnet Book Reviews Due Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  11. Putting What We Have Learned to the Ultimate Test Class 13 – Final Exam – 12/15 Graduate Student Papers – Due 12/22 Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  12. Current Debates • Dean Martha Minow: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/08/08/also_confirmed_marshalls_legacy/ • Professor Mike Klarman:http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-klarman-gay-marriage-20100815,0,5255573,print.story Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  13. Three Foundational Cases: • Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) • Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) • Brown v. Board of Education I (1954) Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  14. Three Foundational Cases: 1. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) Key Questions (same ones for most of our readings): • What’s the holding? • What are some of the “obiter dicta”? • What’s the impact? Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  15. Three Foundational Cases: 1. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) -- Overview: http://www.oyez.org/cases/1851-1900/1856/1856_0 -- Syllabus: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0060_0393_ZS.html -- Majority Opinion: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0060_0393_ZO.html -- Justice McLean’s Dissent (and also keep in mind Justice Curtis):http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0060_0393_ZD.html Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  16. Three Foundational Cases: 2. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) -- Overview: http://www.oyez.org/cases/1851-1900/1895/1895_210/ -- Syllabus: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0163_0537_ZS.html -- Majority Opinion: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0163_0537_ZO.html -- Dissent:http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0163_0537_ZD.html Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  17. Three Foundational Cases: 2. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  18. Three Foundational Cases: 2. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Key Questions: • What’s the holding? • What are some of the “obiter dicta”? • What’s the Impact? Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  19. Three Foundational Cases: 3. Brown v. Board of Education I (1954) -- Overview: http://www.oyez.org/cases/1950-1959/1952/1952_1/ -- Syllabus: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0347_0483_ZS.html -- Opinion: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0347_0483_ZO.html Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  20. Three Foundational Cases: 3. Brown v. Board of Education I (1954) Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  21. Three Foundational Cases: 3. Brown v. Board of Education I (1954) Key Questions: • What’s the holding? • What are some of the “obiter dicta”? • What’s the impact? Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  22. Back to Our Three Key Questions for the Semester: • How Do Courts in the United States Work? • What Can Courts Do? • What Should Courts Do? Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

  23. For Next Week: • Back to the Three Key Cases • Begin Our Overview of American Courts and Their OrganizationAssignment: Baum, Preface and Chapters 1-4. • Begin to Consider Your Chapter Presentation Choice Covitz - LSTU E-107 - Fall 2011 Class 1

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