Course Syllabus

Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course, and students are not expected to have any particular prior knowledge to be successful in it. Most students in the course will probably have little or no legal background, and that will not be a problem. I will provide the necessary background information to get you up to speed quickly.

Class Meetings
We will have a one-hour introductory meeting from 4 to 5pm on August 30, followed by two sets of class meetings:

• Regular class meetings on alternating Wednesdays from 3 to 5pm throughout the semester, beginning September 6. You should plan to participate in person or online if at all possible. The classes will be recorded for those who cannot attend in person or online.
• An intensive series of on-campus meetings in Cambridge the weekend of October 20, which all students are required to attend in person.

Course Materials
The required readings for the course are:

• Morton Horwitz, The Warren Court and the Pursuit of Justice (Hill and Wang, 1999), and
• Written opinions of the Supreme Court, which I will post on this site.

I will also post links or references to optional readings for students who want to probe a particular subject in greater depth.

Course Requirements  
The course requirements are:

• Attendance in person or online at all Wednesday class meetings, or (if you cannot attend) prompt viewing of the recording of meetings.
• Active, informed participation at the on-campus meetings the weekend of October 20.
• A choice between a written examination or a 15-page paper. Students may elect either option.

Grading  
Grades will primarily be based on the exam or paper. However, I reserve the right to reward preparation and participation by raising students' grades to reflect their contributions to class discussions. A pattern of unexplained absences will result in a lowering of a student's grade.