Statutory Interpretation

Catalog description

This course, taught by the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of NH, offers instruction in statutory interpretation, with emphasis on three areas: (1) practice, meaning advocacy in litigation and judicial opinions; (2) doctrines: textual and substantive canons of statutory construction; and (3) competing theories: textualism, intentionalism, purposivism (legal process theory), and pragmatism. Despite its theoretical aspects, this is a highly practical course.