Course Schedule
Classes Found
SMNR: Credit Cards in Transition
- THU 2:15 – 4:05 pm ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
For most of their history, credit cards have been largely unregulated. That changed in 2009 with the passage of the CARD Act, which directly regulated their substantive terms for the first time. Credit cards are receiving even more scrutiny from the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In this seminar, we will examine how these changes have affected the credit industry and the consumers who borrow from it. Questions to be considered include: Has regulation decreased the supply or increased the price of credit? Have the new laws helped consumers, or have they negatively restricted consumer choice? What provisions have been most and least effective? What lessons can we apply to other consumer credit relationships? And perhaps most importantly, are these laws an aberration in the history of a free-market product, or is regulation the future of credit cards? We will also briefly touch on credit card fraud and the conflicts between credit card issuers and merchants. We will read a variety of materials, including CFPB publications about the agency's latest enforcement actions. Grades will be apportioned as follows: 50%, final papers; 25%, students' first draft of their papers; and 25%, class paritipcation.
SMNR: Credit Cards in Transition
- TUE 3:45 – 5:35 pm JON 6.203
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
For most of their history, credit cards have been largely unregulated. That changed in 2009 with the passage of the CARD Act, which directly regulated their substantive terms for the first time. Credit cards are receiving even more scrutiny from the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In this seminar, we will examine how these changes have affected the credit industry and the consumers who borrow from it. Questions to be considered include: Has regulation decreased the supply or increased the price of credit? Have the new laws helped consumers, or have they negatively restricted consumer choice? What provisions have been most and least effective? What lessons can we apply to other consumer credit relationships? And perhaps most importantly, are these laws an aberration in the history of a free-market product, or is regulation the future of credit cards? We will also briefly touch on credit card fraud and the conflicts between credit card issuers and merchants. We will read a variety of materials, including CFPB publications about the agency's latest enforcement actions. Grades will be apportioned as follows: 50%, final papers; 25%, students' first draft of their papers; and 25%, class paritipcation.
SMNR: Crime and Punishment
- THU 2:40 – 4:38 pm ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This course will be taught entirely online via Zoom.
SMNR: Crime and Punishment
- THU 2:15 – 4:05 pm JON 6.207
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This seminar will explore criminal and quasi-criminal proceedings with a particular focus on how the enforcement of law uniquely affects people (and communities) of color. Through assigned reading and classroom discussion, seminar participants will explore a number of topics including: the prison industrial complex and the rise of mass incarceration, family separation, the criminalization of poverty (e.g., debtors’ prisons) and immigration. How are these proceedings alike? How are they different? To what extent does the criminal justice system serve as a model for non-criminal proceedings?
This course will utilize, in part, Critical Race Theory and Social Conflict Theory - among others - as frameworks to connect emergent themes. Approximately two-thirds of the semester will be devoted to readings that will include judicial opinions, scholarly articles, as well as less traditional materials including policy briefs and proposed and enacted legislation. In addition to robust discussion, class meetings may occasionally include guest speakers directly impacted by these systems and those working to change them. The final third of the semester will be devoted to students presentations of their seminar papers. Grades for the course will be based upon class participation and completion of a paper (minimum 30 double-spaced pages, inclusive of footnotes). Students’ papers may examine any issue concerning the criminal justice system or quasi-criminal proceedings so long as a substantial focus of the paper is an examination of doctrinal, theoretical, and/or policy-based facets of a legal problem and corresponding solutions.
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
SMNR: Crime, Law, and Policy
- WED 3:55 – 5:45 pm JON 5.257
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This course surveys legal and economic analyses of the criminal legal system, exploring areas related to policing, prosecution, and incarceration. The topics of this course are structured in three parts. The first part, “How Did We Get Here,” will explore pre-1960s policies and examine how laws, policies, and institutions conditioned U.S. society for mass incarceration and racial disparities in the criminal legal system. Students will learn basic statistical concepts for quantitative reasoning and evaluation of statistical evidence. The second part of the course, “Domestic Wars and Racial Disparities,” focuses on the War on Crime and the policies and legal precedents that led to the War on Drugs. This includes legal precedent related to discretionary policing, collective bargaining and police protections, as well as the change from indeterminate to determinate sentencing guidelines, all of which have been linked to racial disparities in the criminal legal system. Lastly, we will examine several current equity-focused reforms to reduce racial disparities in the criminal legal system. This includes bail reform, algorithmic risk assessment, and community-oriented policing. Students should be prepared by reading all assigned materials and be willing to engage in active class discussion. Students will be asked to write short papers in response to readings and will be required to write a policy brief or create a proposal for criminal justice reform.
SMNR: Criminal Justice Policy: Corrections and Sentencing
- WED 2:00 – 5:00 pm SRH 3.314
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
- Cross-listed with:
- Public Affairs
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This is an LBJ School course, cross-listed with the Law School.
Course Overview Few policy issues have had as big an impact on the Texas political or social landscape as criminal justice, and fewer still have such a hold on the popular imagination. Yet it is only in the last decade or so that debate about criminal justice policy has started to take account of the financial and social costs of our state's incarceration policies. Time and again, public officials at all levels and in all branches of government find themselves confronting the thorny problems presented by the policy choices the state has made in the criminal justice arena, and by constantly shifting political winds. This course will force us to go beyond the simplistic debates between "tough on crime" and "soft on crime" rhetoric, and confront the hard policy questions that mirror the daily challenges faced by policy-makers and public officials. For example, how can policy- makers safely and effectively downsize our massive prison system? What role does race play in the criminal justice system, and how should public officials take into account the impact of criminal justice practices on minority communities and families? How can legislators protect the public from people who have committed serious or violent crimes, especially while facing immense budget pressures? Should the pretrial bail system be based on a person’s risk or their ability to pay money bail? Should any limits be placed on judicial or prosecutorial discretion? When is it appropriate for a court to intervene to improve prison or jail conditions? What steps should policy-makers take to protect people in custody from unsafe conditions of confinement? What forms of external oversight should exist when it comes to prison operations? Are humane prisons possible? Although the course will have a heavy focus on Texas' criminal justice policies and practices, we will often refer to the experiences of other states and other countries to examine a range of practices in this field and to explore alternative options for developing policy.
Goals Students in this interdisciplinary seminar (cross-listed between the LBJ School and the Law School) will gain a firm understanding of the key criminal justice policy challenges facing public officials. Students will begin to appreciate the complexity of these issues; understand how both good and bad policies are developed; understand the financial and social costs of criminal justice policy decisions; recognize the extent to which criminal justice issues have an impact on almost every aspect of government; and explore the relationship between law, constitutional requirements, the administration of justice, and public policy. Students will also learn practical policy research and writing skills.
Course Materials, Outside Speakers, and Legislative Hearings Each topic will be examined critically through a wide range of readings, including empirical studies, essays, books, statutes, legal cases, and official reports, as well as podcasts and videos. The reading load can be very heavy at times, but it is all interesting material. If possible, we will seek to visit prison and/or jail facilities to learn about life inside these facilities and hear from people with lived experience. We may have guest speakers such as a national expert/advocate, a prison agency official, and a person who was formerly incarcerated, all of whom have been deeply involved in policy-making or practice in this area. We also will take advantage of any legislative hearings or Sunset Commission hearings scheduled during the semester to observe the policy development process.
Additionally, there will be a major national conference on deaths in custody taking place at the LBJ School during the semester (chaired by the instructor), and students will have the opportunity to observe and network with some of the speakers.
Course Requirements This seminar is dependent upon an informed and lively discussion. Students are expected to attend all classes, do all the reading, and come to class with thoughtful comments or questions about their reading assignments. Class participation is critical and will be considered in grading. Students will be required to undertake an original research project on a topic of their choice and to write a 10-page issue brief about their topics. Additionally, students will write two policy memos on designated criminal justice issues. (A writing assignment related to the conference on deaths in custody may be substituted for one of the policy memos.) Students will also submit an ungraded reflection essay.
SMNR: Criminal Justice Policy: Corrections and Sentencing
- WED 2:00 – 5:00 pm SRH 3.312
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
- Cross-listed with:
- Public Affairs
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This is an LBJ School course, cross-listed with the Law School.
Course Overview: Few policy issues have had as big an impact on the Texas political or social landscape as criminal justice, and fewer still have such a hold on the popular imagination. Yet it is only recently that debate about criminal justice policy has started to take account of the financial and social costs of our state's incarceration policies. Time and again, public officials at all levels and in all branches of government find themselves confronting the thorny problems presented by the policy choices the state has made in the criminal justice arena, and by shifting political winds. This course will force us to go beyond the simplistic debates between "tough on crime" and "soft on crime" rhetoric, and confront the hard policy questions that mirror the daily challenges faced by policy-makers and public officials. For example, how can policy- makers safely and effectively downsize our massive prison system? What role does race play in the criminal justice system, and how should public officials take into account the impact of criminal justice practices on minority communities and families? How can legislators protect the public from people who have committed serious or violent crimes, especially while facing immense budget pressures? Should the pretrial bail system be based on a person’s risk or their ability to pay money bail? Should any limits be placed on judicial or prosecutorial discretion? When is it appropriate for a court to intervene to improve prison or jail conditions? What steps should policy-makers take to protect people in custody from unsafe conditions of confinement? What forms of external oversight should exist when it comes to prison operations? Are humane prisons possible? Although the course will have a heavy focus on Texas' criminal justice policies and practices, we will often refer to the experiences of other states and other countries to examine a range of practices in this field and to explore alternative options for developing policy.
Goals: Students in this interdisciplinary seminar (cross-listed between the LBJ School and the Law School) will gain a firm understanding of the key criminal justice policy challenges facing public officials. Students will begin to appreciate the complexity of these issues; understand how both good and bad policies are developed; understand the financial and social costs of criminal justice policy decisions; recognize the extent to which criminal justice issues have an impact on almost every aspect of government; and explore the relationship between law, constitutional requirements, the administration of justice, and public policy. Students will also learn practical policy research and writing skills.
Course Materials, Outside Speakers, and Legislative Hearings: Each topic will be examined critically through a wide range of readings, including empirical studies, essays, books, statutes, legal cases, and official reports, as well as podcasts and videos. The reading load can be very heavy at times, but it is all interesting material. If possible, we will seek to visit prison and/or jail facilities to learn about life inside these facilities and hear from people with lived experience. We may have guest speakers such as a national expert/advocate, a prison agency official, and a person who was formerly incarcerated, all of whom have been deeply involved in policy-making or practice in this area. Finally, we also will take advantage of legislative hearings scheduled during the semester to observe the policy development process.
Course Requirements: This seminar is dependent upon an informed and lively discussion. Students are expected to attend all classes, do all the reading, and come to class with thoughtful comments or questions about their reading assignments. Class participation is critical and will be considered in grading. Students will be required to undertake an original research project on a topic of their choice and to write a 10-page issue brief about their topics. Additionally, students will write two policy memos on designated criminal justice issues. Students will also submit an ungraded reflection essay.
SMNR: Criminal Justice Policy: Corrections and Sentencing
- WED 2:00 – 5:00 pm ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
- Cross-listed with:
- Public Affairs
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This is an LBJ School course, cross-listed with the Law School. This course will be taught online. Contact LBJ if you have questions about how the course will be taught.
Course Overview: Few policy issues have had as big an impact on the Texas political or social landscape as criminal justice, and fewer still have such a hold on the popular imagination. Yet it is only recently that debate about criminal justice policy has started to take account of the financial and social costs of our state's incarceration policies. Time and again, public officials at all levels and in all branches of government find themselves confronting the thorny problems presented by the policy choices the state has made in the criminal justice arena. This course will force us to go beyond the simplistic debates between "tough on crime" and "soft on crime" rhetoric, and confront the hard policy questions that mirror the daily challenges faced by policy-makers and public officials. For example, how can policy-makers safely and effectively downsize our massive prison system? What role does race play in the criminal justice system, and how should public officials take into account the impact of criminal justice practices on minority communities and families? How can legislators protect the public from people who have committed serious or violent crimes, especially while facing immense budget pressures? Should the pretrial bail system be based on a person’s risk or their ability to pay money bail? Should any limits be placed on judicial or prosecutorial discretion? What steps should the government be taking to protect people in custody from COVID? When is it appropriate for a court to intervene to improve prison or jail conditions? What forms of external oversight should exist when it comes to prison operations? Are humane prisons possible? Although the course will have a heavy focus on Texas' criminal justice policies and practices, we will often refer to the experiences of other states and other countries to examine a range of practices in this field and to explore alternative options for developing policy.
Goals: Students in this interdisciplinary seminar (cross-listed between the LBJ School and the Law School) will gain a firm understanding of the key criminal justice policy challenges facing public officials. Students will begin to appreciate the complexity of these issues; understand how both good and bad policies are developed; understand the financial and social costs of criminal justice policy decisions; recognize the extent to which criminal justice issues have an impact on almost every aspect of government; and explore the relationship between law, constitutional requirements, the administration of justice, and public policy. Students will also learn practical policy research and writing skills.
Course Materials, Outside Speakers, and Legislative Hearings: Each topic will be examined critically through a wide range of readings, including empirical studies, essays, books, statutes, legal cases, and official reports, as well as podcasts and videos. The reading load can be very heavy at times, but it is all interesting material. While COVID restrictions mean that we will be unable to visit prison and jail facilities in person this year, we will seek other ways to learn about life inside these facilities and hear from people with lived experience. We may have guest speakers such as a national expert/advocate, a prison agency official, and a person who was formerly incarcerated, all of whom have been deeply involved in policy-making or practice in this area. Finally, we also will take advantage of legislative hearings scheduled during the semester to observe the policy development process.
Course Requirements: This seminar is dependent upon an informed and lively discussion. Students are expected to attend all classes, do all the reading, and come to class with thoughtful comments or questions about their reading assignments. Class participation is critical and will be considered in grading. Students will be required to undertake an original research project on a topic of their choice and to write a 10-page issue brief about their topics. Additionally, students will write two policy memos on designated criminal justice issues. Students will also submit an ungraded reflection essay.
SMNR: Criminal Justice Policy: Corrections and Sentencing
- WED 2:00 – 5:00 pm SRH 3.314
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
Course Overview Few policy issues have had as big an impact on the Texas political or social landscape as criminal justice, and fewer still have such a hold on the popular imagination. Yet it is only recently that debate about criminal justice policy has started to take account of the financial and social costs of our state's incarceration policies. Time and again, public officials at all levels and in all branches of government find themselves confronting the thorny problems presented by the policy choices the state has made in the criminal justice arena. This course will force us to go beyond the simplistic debates between "tough on crime" and "soft on crime" rhetoric, and confront the hard policy questions that mirror the daily challenges faced by policy-makers and public officials. For example, how can policy-makers safely and effectively downsize our massive prison system? What role does race play in the criminal justice system, and how should public officials take into account the impact of criminal justice practices on minority communities and families? How can legislators protect the public from people who have committed serious or violent crimes, especially while facing immense budget pressures? Should the pretrial bail system be based on a person’s risk or his ability to pay money bail? Should any limits be placed on judicial or prosecutorial discretion? When is it appropriate for a court to intervene to improve prison or jail conditions? What forms of external oversight should exist when it comes to prison operations? Are humane prisons possible? Although the course will have a heavy focus on Texas' criminal justice policies and practices, we will often refer to the experiences of other states and other countries to examine a range of practices in this field and to explore alternative options for developing policy.
Goals Students in this interdisciplinary seminar (cross-listed with Law) will gain a firm understanding of the key criminal justice policy challenges facing public officials. Students will begin to appreciate the complexity of these issues; understand how both good and bad policies are developed; understand the financial and social costs of criminal justice policy decisions; recognize the extent to which criminal justice issues have an impact on almost every aspect of government; and explore the relationship between law, constitutional requirements, the administration of justice, and public policy. Students will also learn practical policy research and writing skills.
Course Materials, Prison Visit, Outside Speakers, and Legislative Hearings Each topic will be examined critically through a wide range of readings, including empirical studies, essays, books, statutes, legal cases, and official reports. The reading load can be very heavy at times, but it is all interesting material. We will also try to arrange a visit to a prison and a jail to help ground our discussion. (This "view from the inside" is a highlight of the course.) We may have guest speakers such as a national expert/advocate, a prison agency official, and a person who was formerly incarcerated, all of whom have been deeply involved in policy-making or practice in this area. Finally, we also will take advantage of any relevant interim legislative hearings scheduled during the semester to observe the policy development process.
Course Requirements This seminar is dependent upon an informed and lively discussion. Students are expected to attend all classes, do all the reading, and come to class with thoughtful comments or questions about their reading assignments. Class participation is critical and will be considered in grading. Students will be required to undertake an original research project on a topic of their choice and to write a 10-page issue brief about their topics. Additionally, students will write two policy memos on designated criminal justice issues. Students will also submit an ungraded journal entry about their responses to the prison visit.
SMNR: Critical Conversations on Race, Racism and the Law
- TUE 4:15 – 6:13 pm ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This course will be taught entirely online via Zoom.
The United States finds itself amid a national conversation about race unlike any it has seen in a generation. Through the lens of critical, interdisciplinary, and innovative scholarship, this course will examine contemporary manifestations of racial discrimination, and will evaluate the centrality and complicity of law in upholding racial hierarchies. This course will include both discussions of more frequently examined topics such as hair discrimination as well as less explored issues at the intersection of race and disability, motherhood, and gender identification. It aims to analyze legal tests, doctrines and policies while also considering what might be necessary for change. Special guests with legal, advocacy, legislative and other expertise will be introduced as a part of a series of moderated discussions on these topics.
This seminar is dependent upon an informed and lively discussion. Students are expected to complete assigned readings and come to class with thoughtful comments and questions. Students will be evaluated on brief, weekly response papers.
SMNR: Cultures of Environmental Justice: Rights, Movements, Communities
- J. Cons
- MON 4:00 – 6:00 pm JON 6.207
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
- Cross-listed with:
- Anthropology
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This is an Anthropology course, cross-listed with the Law School.
Environmental justice sits at the intersection of some of the most pressing questions of our time. In the wake of COVID-19, against the rise of repressive governments around the globe, in the midst of the climate crisis, and in recognition of the ongoing violence of colonialism, legal and political struggles for environmental justice set an urgent agenda for reckoning with the past, present, and future of environmental change. But what is environmental justice? What kinds of cultures of practice and action guide those who strive to achieve it? How does it work across scale? Does it chart a coherent agenda or a multitude of incommensurate claims? And how might it shape solidarities and responses across communities on the bleeding edge of environmental and climate devastation?
This seminar engages these and related questions to rethink possible responses to environmental change. The seminar defines environmental justice capaciously—as a set of struggles to identify, address, and repair the histories and presents environmental harm. And it explores the challenges of environmental justice across domains of engagement. Putting scholarship from law into dialogue with anthropology and environmental humanities, we will consider both the possibilities and limits of environmental justice as a framework for acting against and repairing diverse forms of environmental harm at local, national, and global scales. We will pay particular attention to three themes that have come to structure conversations around environment justice: repair and reparations; detectability, evidence, and the representation of harm; and action and response.
The seminar will be organized around the visits of leading scholars who will present their research to the university community in a public forum. Students will spend roughly two weeks considering work by each speaker as well as related scholarly materials. Students are expected to participate actively in class discussions, write short critical responses to assigned reading by visiting scholars, and write a longer essay on a topic related to the themes that arise during the semester. Readings for the seminar will come from a variety of disciplines. The seminar is open not only to anthropology and law students but to non-law graduate and professional students with relevant background.
SMNR: Cybersecurity and Issues at the Intersection of Privacy, National Security, and Technology
- E. Greenwald
- THU 10:30 am – 12:20 pm TNH 3.129
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Prof. keeps own waitlist
Description
Advancements in technology are having outsized impacts on law, national security, foreign policy, and national (as well as international) economic policy.
In this course, we will assess these impacts to date and attempt to gauge how nations will adjust legal and policy regimes to address actual or perceived threats. Cybersecurity will serve as the focal point for our analysis – how the protection of information (whether as a function of privacy, economics, or national defense) is driving individuals, companies, and countries to alter critical behaviors. Each class will be structured around a specific policy decision (modeled after the National Security Council decision-making process).
Students’ grade for this class will be based on in-class participation and on written work.
Prerequisites: At least one of the following- Law 379M, Cybersecurity Law & Policy, Law 179P, The International Law of Cyber Conflict, or Law 279M, Privacy Law Personal Data Under US and EU Law.
SMNR: Disaster and Emergency Law
- TUE 4:15 – 6:13 pm ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This course will be taught entirely online via Zoom.
Disasters and emergencies can strain the capacities of governments and the resilience of societies. They can exacerbate inequalities but also strengthen feelings of social solidarity. The United States’ legal system has various mechanisms, at federal and state levels, for preventing, preparing for, and responding to disasters and emergencies. This seminar explores those mechanisms, as well as general concerns with the regulation of risk and the differential social impacts of catastrophes. To fulfill the seminar writing requirement, students will write a series of short papers plus a longer final paper. Students will be expected to participate actively in class discussions, including by helping to present certain assigned material in class.
SMNR: Election Law and Policy
- TUE 3:55 – 5:45 pm JON 6.257
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This seminar concerns the laws, policies and politics that define political participation rights in our American democracy and therefore influence the ability to build and exert power in our society. We explore these rights from a variety of vantage points, considering what our democracy means for individuals, communities and governmental actors and how those understandings have evolved over time. As much as possible, current political events and policy debates — particularly those impacting our Texas democracy — are used to challenge and dissect the legal principles and ideas we discuss. Particular focus is given to the communities who have been excluded from positions of power over the course of this country’s history, particularly Black Americans and other persons of color, immigrants, young Americans, and less wealthy Americans.
No background in politics or political science is required.
At the end of the course, you should have a strong baseline understanding of the constitutional and federal law that shapes election administration and political participation rights, and recognize how that law has evolved over time. You are also expected to hone your ability to critically analyze and deliver legal arguments through classroom discussion and debate. Finally, the essay assignments and your final paper are intended to sharpen your written communication skills, especially your ability to express novel ideas and persuade a reader of your position.
SMNR: Election Law and Policy
- MON 3:45 – 5:35 pm JON 5.257
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This seminar concerns the laws, policies and politics that define political participation rights in our American democracy and therefore influence the ability to build and exert power in our society. We explore these rights from a variety of vantage points, considering what our democracy means for individuals, communities and governmental actors and how those understandings have evolved over time. As much as possible, current political events and policy debates — particularly those impacting our Texas democracy — are used to challenge and dissect the legal principles and ideas we discuss. Particular focus is given to the communities who have been excluded from positions of power over the course of this country’s history, particularly Black Americans and other persons of color, immigrants, young Americans, and less wealthy Americans.
No background in politics or political science is required.
At the end of the course, you should have a strong baseline understanding of the constitutional and federal law that shapes election administration and political participation rights, and recognize how that law has evolved over time. You are also expected to hone your ability to critically analyze and deliver legal arguments through classroom discussion and debate. Finally, the essay assignments and your final paper are intended to sharpen your written communication skills, especially your ability to express novel ideas and persuade a reader of your position.
SMNR: Election Law and Policy
- MON 4:00 – 5:50 pm JON 6.206
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This seminar concerns the laws, policies and politics that define political participation rights in our American democracy and therefore influence the ability to build and exert power in our society. We explore these rights from a variety of vantage points, considering what our democracy means for individuals, communities and governmental actors and how those understandings have evolved over time. As much as possible, current political events and policy debates — particularly those impacting our Texas democracy — are used to challenge and dissect the legal principles and ideas we discuss. Particular focus is given to the communities who have been excluded from positions of power over the course of this country’s history, particularly Black Americans and other persons of color, immigrants, young Americans, and less wealthy Americans.
No background in politics or political science is required.
At the end of the course, you should have a strong baseline understanding of the constitutional and federal law that shapes election administration and political participation rights, and recognize how that law has evolved over time. You are also expected to hone your ability to critically analyze and deliver legal arguments through classroom discussion and debate. Finally, the essay assignments and your final paper are intended to sharpen your written communication skills, especially your ability to express novel ideas and persuade a reader of your position.
SMNR: Election Law and Policy
- MON 4:15 – 6:05 pm ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This course will be taught entirely online via Zoom.
SMNR: Endangered Species Act
- WED 3:55 – 5:45 pm TNH 3.114
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
The Endangered Species Act has been labeled "the pit bull of environmental statutues" because of the strong protection it provides to imperiled plants and animals. But almost 50 years after its near-unanimous passage by Congress, the Act is a lightening rod for controversy. It is often criticized by developers for causing delays and higher costs, and by environmentalists for failing to live up to its full potential, because it seldom stops projects altogether. This seminar will explore Act's record and the data that elucidate the effectiveness of the Act and the extent to which it hinders (or not) economic development in the United States. We will focus on the key legal issues associated with implementation of the federal Endangered Species Act and examine the unique challenges associated with addressing the threats to biodiversity that are posed by climate change, especially during a time that portions of the public and some policy makers are expressing skepticism about science. Students will read and discuss articles and excerpts from books about the Endangered Species Act, biodiversity protection, and climate change. After an introductory session on the structure of the Endangered Species Act, the seminar will focus on: (1) the importance of the Endangered Species Act in preventing species extinctions and the Act’s track record; (2) the responsibilities of federal agencies and non-federal actors to avoid harm to endangered species and promote species’ recovery; (3) conflicts between water and land development and endangered species protection; (4) incentives for private landowners to protect rare species; (5) the challenges of enforcing the Act; and (5) legal approaches to addressing climate change within the context of the Endangered Species Act. We will also discuss the recent regulatory changes adopted by the Trump Administration, some of which were withdrawn by the Biden Administration, and their implications for endangered species management. During the last several weeks of class, students will present their seminar papers on topics related to endangered species protection. Students may choose to develop papers about a range of subjects related to the act, including the challenges of balancing species protection with economic development, the tensions between federal and state/local control over activities that affect species, and the track record of past administrative efforts to update/reform the ESA's implementation.
SMNR: Endangered Species Act
- TUE 4:15 – 6:13 pm ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This course will be taught entirely online via Zoom.
The Endangered Species Act has been labeled "the pit bull of environmental statutues" because of the strong protection it provides to imperiled plants and animals. But almost 50 years after its near-unanimous passage by Congress, the Act is a lightening rod for controversy. It is often criticized by developers for causing delays and higher costs, and by environmentalists for failing to live up to its full potential, because it seldom stops projects altogether. This seminar will explore Act's record and the data that elucidate the effectiveness of the Act and the extent to which it hinders (or not) economic development in the United States. We will focus on the key legal issues associated with implementation of the federal Endangered Species Act and examine the unique challenges associated with addressing the threats to biodiversity that are posed by climate change, especially during a time that portions of the public and some policy makers are expressing skepticism about science. Students will read and discuss articles and excerpts from books about the Endangered Species Act, biodiversity protection, and climate change. After an introductory session on the structure of the Endangered Species Act, the seminar will focus on: (1) the importance of the Endangered Species Act in preventing species extinctions and the Act’s track record; (2) the responsibilities of federal agencies and non-federal actors to avoid harm to endangered species and promote species’ recovery; (3) conflicts between water and land development and endangered species protection; (4) incentives for private landowners to protect rare species; (5) the challenges of enforcing the Act; and (5) legal approaches to addressing climate change within the context of the Endangered Species Act. We will also discuss the recent regulatory changes adopted by the Trump Administration and their implications for endangered species management. During the last several weeks of class, students will present their seminar papers on topics related to endangered species protection. Students may choose to develop papers about a range of subjects related to the act, including the challenges of balancing species protection with economic development, the tensions between federal and state/local control over activities that affect species, and the track record of past administrative efforts to update/reform the ESA's implementation.
SMNR: Energy Law and Policy
- TUE 5:55 – 7:45 pm TNH 3.129
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This seminar on energy policy, transactions, litigation, and regulation will cover both conventional energy sources such as oil and gas as well as newer alternative sources such as wind, solar, and biofuels. This seminar will emphasize the practical application of common principles across energy boundaries.
SMNR: Energy Law and Policy
- TUE 7:00 – 9:00 pm TNH 3.129
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This seminar on energy policy, transactions, litigation, and regulation will cover both conventional energy sources such as oil and gas as well as newer alternative sources such as wind, solar, and biofuels. This seminar will emphasize the practical application of common principles across energy boundaries.
SMNR: Energy Law and Policy
- TUE 7:00 – 8:50 pm TNH 3.129
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This seminar on energy policy, transactions, litigation, and regulation will cover both conventional energy sources such as oil and gas as well as newer alternative sources such as wind, solar, and biofuels. This seminar will emphasize the practical application of common principles across energy boundaries.
SMNR: Energy Law and Policy
- TUE 7:00 – 8:50 pm ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This course will be taught entirely online via Zoom.
This seminar on energy policy, transactions, litigation, and regulation will cover both conventional energy sources such as oil and gas as well as newer alternative sources such as wind, solar, and biofuels. This seminar will emphasize the practical application of common principles across energy boundaries.
SMNR: Energy Law and Policy
- TUE 7:00 – 8:50 pm TNH 3.129
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 397S
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This seminar on energy policy, transactions, litigation, and regulation will cover both conventional energy sources such as oil and gas as well as newer alternative sources such as wind, solar, and biofuels. This seminar will emphasize the practical application of common principles across energy boundaries.