From the Campaign Trail to the Courtroom: Political Law Controversies in the 2024 Presidential Election

• Semester: Spring 2024
• Course ID: 296W
• Credit Hours: 2
• Unique: 28691

Description

This two-credit writing class centers upon the most critical political law controversies that will arise during the course of the 2024 presidential election, from the campaign trail through Election Day! Topics include: the roles and responsibilities of major and minor political parties; campaign lies and election-related misinformation; the influence of — and public transparency around — big money in politics; problems with the electoral college; and the spike in election law litigation generally, including post-election contests. For each issue, students will first learn the relevant foundational law — typically, rooted in the U.S. Constitution and, in particular, guided by the First Amendment. Then, the class will explore modern controversies, drawing heavily from the events of the 2024 election cycle as they unfold and hearing, at times, directly from practitioners.

Students will be evaluated on: (a) their robust participation in class, including debates and hypothetical exercises rooted in real-world dilemmas facing election lawyers and campaign counsel; and (b) a series of 4-5 page essays assigned throughout class.

There are no prerequisites, although as an upper-level offering the class assumes students have successfully completed at least one course in constitutional law. The class is structured to complement, and not duplicate, Professor Marziani’s fall “Election Law and Policy” seminar.