Law and Literature

SLN #: 13090
Course Prefix: LAW-791
Course Section: 010
Credit Hours: 3
Instructor(s): Murphy
Course Books: View List of Books

Course Description:
LAW AND LITERATURE: This course will concentrate on exploring two works of literature with a primary emphasis on the issues of punishment, responsibility, forgiveness, and mercy. The course will begin with a discussion of Ronald Dworkin’s essay “How Law is Like Literature” (supplied on the course blackboard)and will then move into a discussion of Herman Melville’s BILLY BUDD, SAILOR. This novella was left unfinished at Melville’s death, and many different versions have been published. For this course, it is important that the student have an edition (ordered for the course) that uses the reading text prepared by Hayford and Sealts. After Melville, we will spend several weeks--and (depending on the extent of class discussion) perhaps the remainder of the course--on Dostoevsky's novel CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. It is vital that the student use only the recent translation of this novel (ordered for the course) by Pevear and Volokhonsky. NOTE WELL: THE INSTRUCTOR DOES NOT ALLOW LAPTOP COMPUTERS TO BE USED OR EVEN OPENED DURING CLASS.

Additional Information:
Credit Hours: 3
Grading Option: Letter Grade Only
Written Assignment: None
Graduation Writing Requirement: No
Flexible/Upper-Level Writing Requirement: No
Skills Requirement: No
Simulation Course: No
Experiential Learning: No
Seminar: No
Special Withdrawal Course: No
Limited Enrollment Number: 30
Final Exam Given: No
Mid Term Or Other Exam: OBJECTIVE QUIZ ON FINAL DAY OF CLASS (THIS QUIZ WILL CONSIST OF IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ANSWERED ONLY BY THOSE WHO HAVE ACTUALLY READ THE ASSIGNED READINGS RATHER THAN, FOR EXAMPLE, CLIFF NOTES)
Paper Or In-Class Presentation: No
Participation Points: USEFUL PARTICIPATION MIGHT BE USED TO DECIDE BORDERLINE CASES
Attendance Policy: Per Statement Of Student Policies
Additional Attendance Policy: LAPTOP COMPUTERS MAY NOT BE USED OR EVEN OPENED DURING CLASS

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