LAWS 2278 ‑ Law and Public Policy in Practice

CREDIT HOURS: 2

This course will immerse students in the decision-making processes that create laws so that they may be better able to impact and shape future laws and regulations. Students will be provided with the foundation necessary to be able to craft a strong public policy and legal strategy. They will then work with concrete case studies analyzing the steps, arguments and decision-making which have led to particular legislative amendments or the drafting of an entirely new law or legal framework or the failure to achieve change. Finally, they will identify an emerging public policy challenge and develop a proposed strategy to advance an argument for change. The goal of the course will be to strengthen students’ skills in defining the problem at issue, identifying one or more strategies – political, legal and social - to resolve the issue and crafting an evidence based and sophisticated public policy or legal argument to advocate on behalf of a desired result and pathway to change involving law. The course will be hands-on and practical.

Prerequisite(s): None.
Co-requisite(s): None.
Assessment Method: Assessment Method: This class will be evaluated as follows: 20% class preparation and participation; 80% written assignments (4,000 words total).
Restrictions: Students are not permitted to audit this course.