LAW 660LEC - Legislation

While most traditional law school courses focus on case law, the vast majority of American law is statutory. This course will accordingly examine legislatures, particularly Congress, and legislation. Specifically, we will address the structures and procedures of legislatures, and how these influence the legitimacy and quality of legislation. We will also consider how legislative decisions translate into actual law, looking at how courts interpret new statutes against the backdrop of common law and existing statutory frameworks. In examining these issues, we will focus on whether, and how, the legislative process affects how courts interpret statutes.

Credits: 3