Comparative Constitutions
Students in this course will focus on reading and analyzing fundamental legal texts to discern various states’ and nations’ political structures, processes and culture.   Among these are their forms of government (parliamentary or presidential), separation of powers, judicial review, rights and liberties and federalism. Students will be required to pursue an independent research and analysis project of a constitution, domestic and/or foreign, depending on whether undergraduate or graduate student.

This course will examine some of the great “[In]Famous” trials of antiquity and more recent history. What makes a trial a “Great Trial?” What do “Great Trials” teach us about societal values and cultures? What can we learn from the trial process as a mirror to those values and our culture? We will read the legal record of trials and examine the historical context for those trials. Comparing trials across time, we will look for the themes that connect them and determine if we can relate those connections to modern society. The course is organized around six (6) topics and the trials and readings that relate to those topics.