Law Courses
Constitutional Law (Online)
University of Southern California, Gould School of Law
The Constitution of the United States it the second oldest written constitution in current use. It has been interpreted and reinterpreted by the Supreme Court on numerous occasions creating a wide range of guidelines, tests, and rules not contained in the original document. This course therefore will focus heavily on the case law that created the current usage of the constitution. Certain parts of the constitution are not traditionally studied in Constitutional law courses, for example the rights of persons accused of criminal offenses, therefore this course will not cover all parts of the Constitution. The course will focus on the civil liberties and civil right guaranteed in the constitution and how those rights have expanded over time. In addition, we will discuss the division of power between the Federal and state governments as well as the role of the Constitution in times of war and crisis. By the end of this course you will have been exposed to the major areas of Constitutional law with an emphasis placed on those most often tested on the bar exam.
Comparative Criminal Procedure
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago-Kent College of Law
This
course will compare the contemporary criminal procedure of the United States,
England, India, and South Africa in order to illuminate trends and divergences
among common law jurisdictions. The course will examine both the investigative
and adjudicative process of these four systems. As part of this we will examine
the balancing among rights of the various parties involved in the criminal
process.
These jurisdictions were chosen because they are all part of the common law legal tradition, but have developed slightly differently over the course of time. The jurisdictions also reflect varying degrees of influence by civil law concepts and procedures. Although the primary aim of the course is the contemporary criminal procedure at different points the historical developments of the concepts presented in the course will also be discussed to illuminate the differences between the systems.
These jurisdictions were chosen because they are all part of the common law legal tradition, but have developed slightly differently over the course of time. The jurisdictions also reflect varying degrees of influence by civil law concepts and procedures. Although the primary aim of the course is the contemporary criminal procedure at different points the historical developments of the concepts presented in the course will also be discussed to illuminate the differences between the systems.
University of Southern California, Gould School of Law
This course introduces students to the distinctive process and methods of American law, and the structure in which it operates. The course will emphasize the American method of making, finding, and enforcing law. It also will examine the basic structure of government in the United States and the role of the legal system in American society. The course also includes a brief introduction the procedures in both civil and criminal cases.
History Courses
America in World Civilization
The University of Chicago, The College
This courses examines the American historical experience within the context of World Civilizations, to 1) introduce students to the principles of historical thought, 2) probe the ways political and social theory emerge within specific historical contexts, and 3) explore some of the major issues and trends in early American historical development. The course is not a general survey of American history, but a sequential study of primary sources from colonial America.
Historiography
The University of Chicago, Department of History
The Senior Seminar is designed to assist students with the
design and implementation of their senior thesis projects. The senior thesis is
a required part of the BA degree for the University Chicago, Department of
History; it is an original piece of academic research on the topic of the
student’s choice. Students work closely with the preceptor assigned to them and
their faculty advisor who assist students with the completion of their project.
The course is also designed to introduce students to some basic styles of
writing history and themes of historical scholarship. A comprehensive
historiographic review is not possible, instead major schools and trends in
historiography from the early 20th century to the present are
examined.
The University of Chicago, Graham School
What is considered a crime or misdeed under most Western legal systems has remained fairly static. What has changed dramatically over the last thousand years is the way criminally accused are processed by the state. The safeguards that we take for granted today are the result of centuries of historical processes that have shaped the Common Law. The American legal tradition has deep roots in the English law since the Norman Conquest (1066) and although civil law traditions have influenced both the English and American Common Law these two countries share a common history of legal development. This course is designed to examine the origins of modern criminal procedures in the common law. The course has been broken into two parts. This quarter will examine the medieval criminal trial in England and the initial transformation that shaped Anglo-American criminal trials.
