Administrative Law Research

Catalog description

Administrative law spans an extraordinary range of legal practice areas--environmental, immigration, technology, public health, agriculture, finance, employment, and more--making regulatory navigation a vital skill for modern legal practice. This course equips students to research administrative law using both foundational and generative AI research methods. Through a hands-on approach, students will develop the ability to: (1) locate federal administrative regulations, regulatory history, administrative decisions and opinions, and administrative guidance; (2) adapt administrative law research strategies across multiple agencies and federally-regulated legal areas; (3) identify stakeholders and locate interdisciplinary research sources to deepen the analysis of regulatory actions and their broader legal, social, and economic impacts; and (4) engage in the rulemaking process. Grades are based on: class participation, in-class exercises, asynchronous class work, homework assignments, and a final project. There is no final exam. This course does not require Introduction to Legal Research or Advanced Legal Research as a prerequisite nor does taking either of those courses exempt you from taking this class. While students who have taken a previous research class will benefit from applying their research skills in new contexts, this course covers distinct materials and methods that are not addressed in other research classes, offering a complementary learning experience.