DPI-505: The Supreme Court, Law, and Public Policy

Learning how courts interpret policy has become an important component of the policymaker's toolkit. This course aims to introduce students to how Constitutional interpretation touches upon pressing policy questions of today. Students will engage with what courts expect to see from policymakers, while also learning how to read cases from a lawyer's perspective. Topics covered include federalism, LGBT rights, race and ethnicity, criminal justice issues, voting rights, and political questions. Texts will include cases decided by the Supreme Court, including recent cases from recent terms, and also contemporary scholarship on judicial politics and decision making. Throughout, the emphasis will be on what policy makers can expect from the courts in terms of federal and state policy interpretation.