POLI 144 SC - Legal Storytelling and the Rule of Law

This course examines the competing claims of “legalism” (with its emphasis on formal rules and neutral principles) and “legal storytelling” (which prioritizes subjective experiences of the law as actually practiced) regarding questions of race, gender, and justice in American constitutional law. Through close readings of both literary and legal texts, the course adopts a humanistic approach to legal scholarship, locating the force of law within its discursive and rhetorical dimensions. Topics to be discussed include: rights to privacy, sexuality and reproductive freedom; sexual harassment and racist speech; anti-discrimination, integration, and affirmative action.

Course Credit: 1.0

Please refer to the course schedule on the Scripps Portal for current course offerings and details.