American Legal System

Hunter College - Spring 2020
POLSC 238

Course Description:

This course is a general introduction to the United States legal system. The course will examine the structure of the legal system including its division into state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels. It will explore the basic aspects of litigation in those courts. It will introduce the tools of legal reasoning including the use of precedent and reasoning by analogy. It will also examine the sources of law relied on in American courts including the United States Constitution as well as state constitutions, federal and state statutes, regulations, common law principles, and judicial decisions. Finally, the course will explore selected concepts in core areas of the law including constitutional law, criminal law, criminal procedure, torts, and contracts.

Textbook:

I prepare a textbook for this course which is printed and available for sale at Shakespeare & Co. (Spring 2020 edition). The book is currently in stock. While the book is also available for online ordering through the Hunter College online bookstore, the most reliable way to purchase the book is by direct purchase at Shakespeare & Co. It is not only more reliable, but it is also cheaper since the book costs $39.95 at Shakespeare & Co. as compared to $47.65 through Hunter's online bookstore.

Syllabus:

The syllabus contains a list of assignments for the semester, grading information, and other information about the course.

Classroom Material:

All classroom material projected in class on the white board will be available to students on this website throughout the semester.

Questions and Answers About the Final Exam:

This is a link to student questions and my answers related to the Final Exam. There is currently 1 question and answer posted as of 10:45 a.m. on May 19.

Questions and Answers About Writing Assignment 2:

This is a link to student questions and my answers relating to writing assignment 2. There are currently 2 questions and answers posted as of 11:45 a.m. on April 30. I will change this number as well as the date and time if additional questions and answers are posted.

Activities Recommended by Students or for Students:

This is a link to activities recommended by students or recommended for students (last updated on May 20 at 5 p.m. to add a new item for number 3 which is an article for pre-law students on how to have a productive summer even if your summer internship fell through). If you have something, academic or extracurricular or related to education in some way you would like posted, please send me information about the activity.

Optional Reading Material:

In addition to the assigned reading, I will prepare a list of links to material related to each chapter of the required reading as well as some additional categories of links. This list of optional class material will be updated frequently.

Getting to Know You Questionnaire

I have prepared a “getting to know you” questionnaire I would like members of the class to fill out. It is an online form that is available at http://www.lharpaz.com/americanlegalsystem/questionnaire/form-page.html. Please fill it out promptly.