The Supreme Court (QWC)
795. Supreme Court* (Harpaz) (3 credits)
The focus of the course will be on the
United States Supreme Court. Students will take turns
playing the roles of Supreme Court Justices and advocates
before the Court. Each student will be assigned the task
of filing a petition for a writ of certiorari to convince
the Court to review a lower court decision. Each student
also will write a brief and present an oral argument in a
case before the Court. The course “docket” will consist of
4 cases raising unresolved constitutional issues. Priority
in case selection for the docket will be given to cases
already granted review by the Supreme Court for
consideration during the current Term. The cases will be
selected by the instructor during the spring and summer.
As they are selected, they will be posted at
www.wneclaw.com. Student preferences for assignment to one
of the four cases briefed and argued during the semester
will be taken into account in the case assignment process.
When not playing the role of advocate before the Court,
students will have the opportunity to serve as a Justice,
questioning the advocates during oral argument and writing
an opinion in a case. In addition to the study of Supreme
Court practice and procedure and oral and written advocacy
skills, the course will include material on the role of
the Supreme Court, the judicial philosophies of the
current Justices, the selection of nominees to fill
vacancies on the Court and the Court’s opinion writing
process. The class will meet one afternoon a week for 2
1/2 hours. Prerequisite: Successful completion of the
required LAW 501 Constitutional Law course.
Course
Materials
from Fall, 2006
- Docket
- Syllabus
- Case Assignments
- Case Selection
Form
- Supreme Court Rules
- Certiorari
Readings
- Cert Petition Assignment
- Readings on Brief Writing
- Cert Assignment Grading Form
- Biographies of the Justices
- Brief Writing Instructions
- Draft a Cert Question
- First Draft Grading Form
- Readings on the 2005-06 Supreme Court Term
- Selection of a Supreme Court Justice
- Readings on Oral Argument
- Oral Argument Instructions
- Oyez
Opening of Supreme Court Session
- Oral Argument Evaluation Form
- Final Brief Grading Form
- Readings on Opinion Writing
- Instructions for Opinion Writing Assignment
- Opinion Grading Form
Materials About 2009-10 Supreme Court Term
Watch as We Make This Law Disappear: How the Roberts Court Disguises its Conservatism (Oct. 4, 2010)Stays Were Common at High Court by Howard Bashman (July 9, 2010)
Related Links
https://www.oyez.orghttp://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/index.html
http://www.supremecourthistory.org
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/courts/supremecourt/