LAW 200

Law and Society
Fall 2024

  • You don’t need to buy any books for this course. Click on the links below to access the readings.

  • For supplemental readings on any of the cases or topics we cover, please email me at lepstein@law.usc.edu

  • Finally, the dates in parentheses are approximate. We'll try to stick to the schedule but departures may occur. At the end of each class I'll announce the readings for the next session. (Note: Dates need to be updated for 2024)

Part One. The U.S. Constitution and the Supreme Court
(August 21-August 30)

  1. The Constitution and Its Key Features (Reading 1)

  2. The Supreme Court (Reading 2, pp. 1-8 [up until Supreme Court Decision Making: Legalism])

  3. Approaches to Constitutional Interpretation (finish Reading 2, pp. 8-17)

  4. Reading and Briefing Cases

Part Two. Relations between the Courts and the Elected Branches
(August 30-September 25)
(NO class Monday, September 4. Labor Day)

  1. Judicial Power (Reading 3). The reading includes Marbury v. Madison (1803)

    • A Global Perspective on Judicial Review. Please read this article.

  2. The Court and Congress (Reading 4). The reading includes McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

  3. The Court and the President (Reading 5). The reading includes In re Neagle (1890) and Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952)

Part Three. Relations between the Federal Government and the States
(September 25-October 9)

(No class on Wednesday, September 27/Monday, October 2)
(No sections on October 11 or October 13)

Essay 1 is due on Wednesday, September 27 by Noon
The Midterm Examination is on Wednesday, October 11

  1. Perspectives on Nation-State Relations

  2. The Commerce Power (Reading 6). The reading includes Wickard v. Filburn (1942), United States v. Lopez (1995), and Gonzales v. Raich (2005)

Part Four. Relations between the Government and Individuals
(October 16-November 29)

(NO class Wednesday, November 22. Thanksgiving break)
(NO sections Wednesday, November 22/
Friday November 24. Thanksgiving Break)

Essay 2 is due on Monday, November 20 by 5 pm
The Final Examination is on Monday, December 11 from 8:00 am-10 am

  1. Freedom of Expression (Reading 7). The reading includes Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969) and Morse v. Frederick (2007). [We’ll also discuss Mahoney Area School District v. B.L. (2021).]

  2. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms (Reading 8). The reading includes District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and NYS Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen (2022)

  3. The Right to Privacy (Reading 9). The reading includes Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), Roe v. Wade (1973), and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) [We’ll also discuss Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).] (Updated on October 27, 2023)

  4. Equality

    • Foundations (Reading 10). The reading includes Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

    • Modern-Day Treatment (Reading 11). The reading includes Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (2023), Reed v. Reed (1971), Craig v. Boren (1976), and Romer v. Evans (1996) (Updated on November 12, 2023)