SMNR: Constitutional Litigation

Course Information

Registration Information

Meeting Times

Day Time Location
THU 3:30 - 5:20 pm JON 5.204

Evaluation Method

Type Date Time Location
Paper

Description

This seminar explores in depth the major constitutional issues that occur in contemporary litigation and appellate work. The course focuses on a wide range of current substantive and procedural civil rights topics. Those issues include governmental liability, sovereign and qualified ("good faith") immunity, damages against municipalities, punitive damages against officials, claim preclusion (res judicata and collateral estoppel) between federal and state courts, exhaustion of administrative remedies, supplemental state constitutional claims, interlocutory appeals from denial of qualified immunity, limited discovery on immunity for summary judgment motions, abstention, standing, and mootness. There is one class session on the Americans with Disabilities Act. The seminar also examines current directions of Supreme Court constitutional development, such as the state's duty of care in non-custodial situations (such as schools) and custodial settings (including jails), and how these issues are handled by Circuit Courts of Appeals, particularly the Fifth Circuit. The course looks at evolving Fourteenth Amendment decisional law affecting fundamental rights, suspect classes, and affirmative action. Finally, the seminar emphasizes practical problems that arise at trial and appellate levels. These involve pleading practice, class certification, creating and protecting structural reform injunctive relief, and safeguarding attorneys' fees. The seminar is led by a civil rights attorney with thirty-five years' experience in complex constitutional litigation. The seminar often does actual constitutional problem solving through hypothetical cases. Three credit hours. Written paper, topic of student's choosing. May be taken for writing credit. Text: Jeffries, Karlan, Low and Rutherglen's Civil Rights Actions: Enforcing the Constitution, 2nd Edition (University Casebook Series.). There will be some supplemental materials. For further information, please call Jim Harrington (512-474-5073).

Instructors

Headshot of Harrington, James C Harrington, James C
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