Rights, Liberties and Justice in the U.S.

Description:
“The past is never dead. It is not even past.”
(William Faulkner, Requiem for a Nun, Act I, Scene III)

This five-credit interdisciplinary seminar engages students in the processes of critical and reflective thinking, reading, and writing. It is a place to explore what these processes are, why they are valued, how they work, and where they fit into a Fairhaven education.

This class introduces students to the US Constitution, its history, and current issues of constitutional law. We will read selected Federalist papers and passages from the Magna Carta to understand our legal system's beginnings. We will dissect the US Constitution and learn its structure, federal powers, individual liberty, Due Process, Equal Protection clauses, first amendment speech, religion, and privacy. In the process, we will discuss contemporary issues and explore the role of precedent.

Learning Objectives:
• Students explore the foundation documents in the formation of the structure of government in the U.S.
• Continue to practice and learn about case reading and case briefing
• Expand knowledge of and practice legal research and writing, practice APA citation
• Explore themes of Rights, Liberties, & Justice historically and in the present time
• Understand the connection between the Constitution of the US, case law, and ordinary life
• Foster independent researchers and engaged learners
• Continued familiarity with how courts use precedent
• Practice oral presentations and public speaking
• Strengthen critical and analytical skills