Legal Studies: the U.S. Supreme Court Docket

The power of the American Judiciary -- particularly the power of the U.S. Supreme Court -- is exercised not through policy changes or statements on broad principles, but through decisions about concrete cases involving real-world people and entities. Thus, the study of law is richest when it, too, contemplates the law through the pin-hole of a concrete, real case. Likewise, this course will focus on a single currently unresolved case from the live 2021-2022 docket of the Supreme Court of the United States. Our primary course materials will come from the court's docket, including party briefs, amicus briefs, and the Joint Appendix of facts. On the basis of what we find there, we will explore our case and the controversy it represents, digging into both the factual and legal background. Ultimately, each student will take a position on how best to resolve the case we study. We will conclude with in-class mock oral argumentation; all course assignments are steps that prepare students for that final, major assignment.