Legislative Drafting Practicum

Catalog description

Student who successfully complete the requirements for this course will receive, in addition to their grade, three (3) experiential credits. This practical course in legislative policymaking focuses on developing students' analytical and research capabilities while contributing to a large-scale legislative project. Under the professor’s direction, students will research laws and draft reports evaluating policy. They will submit progressive drafts throughout the semester, present their research in class, engage in individual editing meetings, and participate in group critique sessions. At the end of the semester, each student will have produced several written reports examining state and local laws as part of a larger research project offering detailed legislative analysis. Additionally, students will learn how to assess laws for effective implementation. Readings will cover the principles of rule-based legislative process and will provide methodological tools for creating strong regulatory frameworks. All materials for reading assignments will be provided by the instructor.