The American Legal Tradition

Catalog description

This course introduces students to the American legal tradition, including its impact on the courts, the legal profession, law school, and the politics of choosing judges. Students acquire some insight into what it means to "think like a lawyer" in this tradition by learning how to write parts of a predictive legal memorandum. In it, students analyze a legal issue of concern to hypothetical clients by applying the conclusions and reasoning from prior judicial decisions to the facts of the clients' case.