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The University of Texas at Austin School of Law

SMNR: Property & Governance

  • Semester: Spring 2009
  • Course ID: 397S
  • Credit Hours: 3
  • Unique: 28880

Course Information

  • Course Type: Seminar

Registration Information

  • Upperclass-only elective

Meeting Times

Day Time Location
WED 3:30 - 5:20 pm TNH 3.129

Evaluation Method

Type Date Time Location
Paper

Description

In this seminar, we explore some of the most vital -- and controversial -- topics in current land-use decision-making. These will include: green building incentives, public insistence on private payment for environmental (endangered species) protection; takings/eminent domain controversies, the sprawl/development debate, and post-Katrina disaster response and relief. Our particular foci of descriptive and analytic attention are the mechanisms and institutions -- some of them bearing down on the same issues from several directions all at once -- through which decisions within areas such as these are being made, together with matters involving who should bear what kinds of costs for the resolutions these governance bodies announce. The relationships between and among law and politics, states and the federal government, populist decisional mechanisms and ones that run the gamut of democratic accountability will fall under our gaze. Course materials will be eclectic and will include popular accounts, case studies, scholarly commentary, case law, policy analyses, film, and occasional expert visitors. This is a writing seminar through which law student participants may fulfill the writing requirement. Studies will have considerable freedom to work on topics beyond those being covered, with instructor approval. Suggestions as to materials on topics adjacent to those being covered will be provided. To grant time for paper research and additional supervision, the seminar will not meet during the final two weeks of the term.

Instructors

Headshot of Rodriguez, Daniel B Rodriguez, Daniel B
Headshot of Cohen, Jane M Cohen, Jane M
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