LAW 752LEC - Law, Economics and Racial Justice

John Rawls reminds us that justice is to social institutions, what truth is to systems of thought. This course seeks to move in and from critical legal theory to legal action. Engaging key constitutional and other cases, the course specifically focuses on a number of different economic theories to explore the world in which we live, centering race and class (among other identitarian categories) to anchor issues and discussions of contemporary law, policy, practice, and theory. For instance, what does Citizens United mean in the context of democracy? What does the federal deficit debate mean in the context of monetary sovereignty? Why is access to food and water racialized and what legal framework and tools can be used to combat this. What happened to usury laws with regard to credit card debt and who is most impacted by this state of affairs? What is the relationship between the FDA and the milk industry and should lawyers challenge this? If so, how? The aim of the course is to aid students in developing critical, legal and strategic thinking about various policy and justice projects, at the end of which students should be able to (1) read cases with increased analytical ability; (2) critically question various social, economic and legal policies informed by multiple economic theories; 3) analyze and discern the impact of various laws, policies, and practices on the environment and people, particularly marginalized groups and individuals; and (4) discuss and plan with others, strategic methods for using law and other tools to address various in/justice challenges. Students will be required to respond weekly to questions or provide reflections on the course materials and maintain a journal. There is no exam in this course. Attendance is required.

Credits: 3