US Law and Legal Methods

This course will meet live via Zoom and is designed to introduce the non-law student to the fundamentals of US law and legal methods. It serves as both a required core foundational course for the ML degree and the Certificate in Law and as a stand-alone course for Penn juniors, seniors and graduate students seeking a greater understanding of the US legal system, and a point of entry into the Law School’s upper level curriculum for those students pursuing joint degrees, certificates or ad hoc coursework. 
The course will use case law to illustrate and teach all topics. It will feature the Socratic method, which utilizes questioning and debate between professor and student to stimulate critical thinking and to develop understanding of the matter under discussion. The course will begin with an inquiry into the structure of government and the foundations of the US legal system. It will consider the sources of US law, and the concepts of federalism and separation and balance of powers. As it examines the US Constitution, it will review the fundamental notions of due process, equal protection, freedom of speech and religion, and other constitutionally protected rights. The course explores the difference between the civil and criminal justice systems, between public and private enforcement, and between the state and federal judicial systems. It will survey civil procedure and the litigation process, personal injury and tort law, contracts and business law, property law, criminal law and criminal procedure, family law and estates, and administrative law and procedure. This rigorous course demands significant class preparation time and will require robust class participation by all students. 
JD, LLM, and LLCM students are not permitted to take this class.