Intensive Studies - Law and Politics in US History [Loyola Marymount University] {Residential}

This history course considers the law and the judiciary who apply it while examining such questions as: Should the law serve the interests of the majority or protect vulnerable minorities? To what extent should the law be interpreted independently of contemporary social context? You will learn about legal theories that inform the answers to these questions, such as formalism, realism, strict constructionism, originalism, and critical studies. You’ll study the historical and social contexts that gave rise to these theories and the cases to which they were applied. Using examples such as Plessy v. Ferguson, the Brandeis Brief, Roe v. Wade, and Bowers v. Hardwick, you’ll explore the cultures that brought these cases to the courts and the reasoning judges used in their rulings. You and your classmates will scrutinize primary documents, participate in discussions and debates, and write analytical essays to understand the many complex issues court decisions evoke.