The Preamble of the United States Constitution states, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

This seminar examines the historical and contemporary role of law in achieving the goals outlined in the Preamble of the United States Constitution. It will focus on membership and belonging as an aspect of forming a more perfect union. Students will explore legal rules governing membership in American society, how access to material and non-material resources is shaped by conceptions of membership and belonging, and how conceptions of membership and belonging have changed over time. Topics to be explored will include access to U.S. citizenship status, healthcare, education, and housing.

Grades will be based on class participation, leading a class discussion, a paper, and a paper presentation.

Additional Information:
Credit Hours: 2
Grading Option: Letter Grade Only
Written Assignment: Yes, see course description
Graduation Writing Requirement: Yes*
Flexible/Upper-Level Writing Requirement: Yes*
Skills Requirement: No
Simulation Course: No
Note: Only one of the above listed requirements can be fulfilled with this course.
Experiential Learning: No
Seminar: Yes
Special Withdrawal Course: No
Limited Enrollment Number: 16
Final Exam Given: No
Mid Term Or Other Exam: No
Paper Or In-Class Presentation: Yes, see course description
Participation Points: Yes
Attendance Policy: Per Statement Of Student Policies
Teaching Method: Remotely

* The law school has a policy that is used to calculate credit hours. Please see the Statement of Student Policies.