In Pursuit of Justice: Law, History, and Civil Rights Grounded in Montgomery, Alabama

Catalog description

This immersive course offers law students a unique opportunity to explore the legal and historical foundations of racial injustice in the United States through a field study in Montgomery, Alabama--widely regarded as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. Through on-site learning at key legacy sites and civil rights landmarks, including the Equal Justice Initiative's Legacy Museum, National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and other pivotal locations, students will examine the enduring legal structures and ideologies that enabled and sustained racial subordination from the transatlantic slave trade to contemporary mass incarceration. The course traces the evolution of racial caste systems in America, beginning with slavery and its legal codification, through the era of Jim Crow laws and legalized racial segregation, to the modern criminal legal system and its disproportionate impact on communities of color. Emphasis will be placed on the legal doctrines, court decisions, and policy choices that facilitated and perpetuated racial inequality, as well as on resistance movements and legal advocacy for racial justice. Students will engage with readings in narrative building and advocacy, constitutional law, and civil rights litigation. They will also participate in reflective writing, group discussions, and dialogue with community activists, legal practitioners, and historians. The trip to Montgomery will serve as a focal point for understanding how history informs current legal challenges and opportunities for racial justice reform.