Reproduction, Reproductive Technologies and the Law

Catalog description

When it comes to the creation of human life, yesterday's science fiction has become today's reality. Stories about baby sellers, egg freezing, runaway surrogate mothers, genetic enhancement and octomoms have exposed the lack of meaningful legal regulation of assisted reproductive technologies and have spurred calls for reform. But the extent to which the State should regulate who can reproduce and under what circumstances raises a host of difficult questions. This course searches for answers to those questions by considering the role the Constitution, tort, contract, property and criminal law have traditionally played in advancing the State's interest in reproduction and discussing how those doctrines should adapt to new technologies and family configurations. Topics covered include abortion, gamete donation, In Vitro Fertilization, surrogacy, genetic screening and enhancement, eugenics, medical ethics, and alternative family formation.