Constitutional Litigation

Catalog description

This is a course in advanced and applied constitutional law. It focuses on one of the central ways in which constitutional claims are actually litigated: in lawsuits against public officials and local governments. The bulk of the course looks at litigation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. We will consider topics such as what it means to act "under color of state law;" absolute and qualified immunities; government liability for the acts of individual officials; and remedies for constitutional violations. This course is particularly useful for students who plan to clerk on federal courts, as much of their dockets involves §1983 litigation. This course complements Federal Courts. Elements used in grading: Participation, Attendance, Exam.