Final Exam now open until December 16th. Click here to begin.

Judicial Opinion Responses and Lecture

Grade Explanation and Tips for Judical Opinion Assignment:

Judicial Opinion Writing Assignment. 30 points.Click here for the Assignment Sheet, Case Hypo, Template for your Opinion, and Grading Rubric.

Due November 20th. Email me your Judicial Opinion or share a google document with me at jasonmleggettkbcc@gmail.com. Instructions are in the video below.

Click here to begin the Midterm. You may only enter your answer one time. Due no later than November 3rd.

Prepare for the Midterm Exam (worth up to 20 points). A google form will be open until November 3rd. You may only enter your answer one time so please give yourself an hour to complete. You may want to practice your answer in a separate document before you open the form. Below you will find instructions in the image and in the video. You can review the hypothetical: click here. You need to cite to at least one of these readings when making your argument.

Readings:

Declaration of Independence & Lincoln’s Portrait
Behavioral Theory of Organizations
Marbury v. Madison
Federalist Paper 47
Originalism, the Lesser Evil

Final Assignment 1 Due by December 10th: Click here

Final Assignment 2 Due by December 10th: Click here instructions below

30 points for completed assignments that follow instructions; 20 points for incomplete assignments; 10 points for assigments that do not include your reflection. First Write a Law; Then collect 3 or more interpretations of that law from family, friends, co-workers, social media; Next categorize those interpretations: what do they have in common? What makes them different? How do those interpretations relate to the intent you had of your written law? Think about how these all relate to common social norms portrayed in media: news, entertainment, social.

Final Exam Review Guide: Click here

Final Exam Will Open on December 10th.

Extra Credit:

Law as a Social Tool: Click here to complete this form for 10 points.

CRJ Satisfact: Click here to complete this form for 10 points.

Education as Legal Right: Click here to complete this form for 20 points.

Political Science 6600

Constitutional Law with Jason M. Leggett, J.D. jasonmleggettkbcc@gmail.com. jleggett.commons.gc.cuny.edu

If you have not ordered the required book please click here to review ordering information.

This is a scroll-down webpage. Continue to Scroll down to see more…

Learning Outcomes

66 (Constitutional Law): Students will need to become familiar with: 1) Cases as Law; 2) Judicial interpretation (exegesis) and the relationship with Politics; 3) The inter-relationship of identity, agency, and the democratic practice of advocacy.

Overview and Rules of the Game.

I designed this semester to adapt to the new reality of working online instead of in person. This means we will not go in order of the Reader (Law and Identity) and you will have choices about which readings you will complete. For a more detailed explanation click here.

Grading.

This is NOT a read and take a multiple choice kind of class. This is a critical thinking and civically engaged class. If this is not interesting to you or you do not want to complete rigorous college work you should talk to your advisor and register for a different teacher. While the overwhelming number of students over the last 10 years have expressed appreciation for the structured learning opportunities I design, some have found this class to not be a good match for them. In general, I will work with you to deal with most of the obstacles you encounter; however, I cannot tolerate disrespectful behavior and will immediately forward your information to relevant school officials.

Grading will be based on a number of assignments and will be measured in part on how you develop over the course of the semester.

Part 1 Responses. 10 points.

Participation in Zoom Discussions or 1 page write ups to make up for scheduled zoom meetings. 10 points.

Reading Group Assignments and Application of Course Materials and Outside Research on Midterm Examination Long Term Answer. 20 points.

Judicial Opinion Writing Assignment. 30 points.

Assignments and Activities. 10-40 points. See rubric.

Final Exam. 40 points.

Extra Credit Work. You must email or zoom with me to discuss the extra credit work before you complete it and get my permission.

Total Points Possible: 150 = A+

“Suggested” Pre-Requisite: Pol 51 and Soc 31.

There are no formal requirements for Justice Academy and Liberal Arts students as to pre-requisites although students who have a strong foundation in American Government, State Government, and Sociology will already be familiar with much of the course content. If you have not taken these courses yet or have time to review some big principles before the course begins (or during the course if you so desire) I have prepared resources that you can access on the Student Resources page (click here). I will also include some background teaching information throughout the course on these major principles listed below:

Structures of Modernism: Enlightenment (Truth through Reason; Agora for Dialogue): Legislature not Monarchy; Self-Rule, Reliance, Freedom not Dependency and Servitude. Interpretation, Norms, and Exegesis: an Independent Judiciary as Par Excellence of Enlightenment. Leviathan, Devil we Know-Limits on the Abuse of Power, Federalism, and The Presidency.

Sociological Investigations: Institutions, Ideology, Instrumentalities. Social Construction. Norms, Rules, and Wonderlands. Deconstruction of Modernism.

Legal Change: A synthesis of a 3rd way. Beyond duality.

Announcement: Office Hours: Extra Credit Video and Google Form: Click me

Grading for Part 1 will be based on your responses. Click here to record your responses. You have until the DUE DATE of OCTOBER 4th to record your responses. I will provide a grade on Blackboard by October 15th. 10 points.

Questions and Answers for Part 1:

an interactive syllabus… has now moved. Click here to review.

Anatomy of the Course: Course Outline

The Course is organized into three parts with grading after each part: 1) Cases as Law; 2) Judicial Interpretation as Law, Exegesis, Politics; 3)The inter-relationship of identity, agency, and the democratic practice of advocacy.

PART ONE (Weeks 1-4). September 12th – October 10th.

Cases as Law

In Part One you will need to think about an “injustice group” that is important or interesting for you to learn more about. You may review the options in Table 1 below before you decide. Links to resources for learning follow the table.

Injustice Group Resources

You must pick one reading group from the options below, review the resources provided, and be prepared to cite to them on October 1st for your assessment. The resources for your initial research can be found by clicking the relevant link below and our Course Reader: Law and Identity.

Racism. If you are intersted in Racism as a legal injustice: click here for resources.

Gender. If you are interested in Gender as a legal injustice: click here for resources.

Ethnic. If you are intersted in Ethnic/Citizenship as a legal injustice: click here for resources.

Poverty. If you are interested in Poverty as a legal injustice: click here for resources.

Check in – Please tell me which injustice group you are working on by clicking here.

Part one Assessment (Grading): By the end of Part 1 you should be able to:

Grading for Part 1 will be based on your responses (click here on October 1) to the questions below. Click here to record your responses. You have until the DUE DATE of OCTOBER 4th to record your responses. I will provide a grade on Blackboard by October 15th. 10 points.

1. How do legal cases apply to injustice in American Society?

2. What do you remember best about the resources you reviewed?

3. What is power? How does your idea of power apply to the resources your reviewed?

4. What is law? How does your idea of law apply to the resources you reviewed?

5. Where can we look to see power? Where can we look to see law?

6. What interests you about law? What interests you about power?

7. How can you move beyond your own opinion? Think about what kind of data you might want to consider – statistics, surveys, observations, laboratory studies, judicial decisions, scholarly commentary.

If you are confused, please review this video or email me at jasonmleggettkbcc@gmail.com

Prepare for Major Assignment: Judicial Opinion Assignment. 30 points.

Video Lecture: OVERVIEW OF JUDICIAL INTERPRETATION

Judicial Opinion Assignment Due: Review the CASE HYPOTHETICAL and WRITE A JUDICIAL OPINION. Instructions are in the Video Lecture: Overview of Judicial Interpretation.

EXTRA CREDIT/HONORS ENRICHMENT Thought Paper: GREEK INFLUENCES<LATOUR-REL/POL/LAW<EXEGESIS. 10 points.

EXTRA CREDIT Lecture Responses: LECTURE: LAW & SOCIETY – Politics of Legal Exclusion, Consciousness, Social Change (Identity, Agency, Advocacy). 10 points.

Part two Assessment (Grading): By the end of Part 2 you should be able to:

Apply legal reasoning (abduction) to specific cases of injustice using relevant case law and constitutional interpretation. Review the following Rubric (click here) to prepare for the final assessment.

PART THREE (Weeks 10 – End) November 15th – End of Semester.

3. The inter-relationship of identity, agency, and the democratic practice of advocacy.

LECTURE: What was the Enlightenment? Legal Theory, Foucault, Butler and the Journey from Modernism to Post-Modernism.

EXTRA CREDIT/HONORS ENRICHMENT: GREEK INFLUENCES<AGORA-Augustine, King, Agamben, Bateson. 10 points.

LECTURE: Structural Historical Analysis: Understanding the Progression of Social History – Why a Legislature and Not a Monarchy – or a terrible mistake: apology letter of dependence?

ACTIVITY: Freedom, not Dependency, Servile Mind. 10 points.

ASSIGNMENT: SURVEY (10, 20, 30): Write a Law, Collect Interpretations, Create Categories based on common societal norms in media. 10-30 points.

LECTURE: Exegesis, Social Construction of Identity, Structural Agency, and the Decision Making Apparatus of Advocacy — a brief history of an independent judiciary as Par Excellence of Enlightenment, res ipsa loquitur.

EXTRA CREDIT/HONORS ENRICHMENT: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, Federalism, the Devil we Know, and the Presidency of the Leviathan.

A Framework for your Final Exam Analysis: Institutions, Ideology, Instrumentalities, and Social Construction.
Repeated Fact Pattern to Analyze (3-4 times throughout): Norms, Rules, and Wonderlands. To view and download, click here. For the video click here.

Reflection: Deconstruction of Modernism and the Excavation of Power 1. To complete this Google Form, click here.

EXTRA CREDIT/HONORS ENRICHMENT: Legal Change – a synthesis of a 3rd Way – Beyond Duality or counting past 2…maybe up to 9.

Part 3 Assessment Final Exam. To take the final exam click here on December xx.

Click here for the worksheet

Review this worksheet for Legal Reasoning/Abduction and then complete this form: click here

Read: Chapter 5: The Political Resonance of the Myth of Rights in Scheingold, The Politics of Rights.

Choose 1 to read below:

CSI Science as Wishful Thinking: click here to download PDF reading or
Basketball in the Key of Law: click here to download PDF reading

Study Guide Questions:

How is the Myth of Rights so easy to believe?
What can we do to educate the public about the myth of rights and what they can do to resist the abuse of power?
What are some of the ways that popular culture either misrepresents how law and criminal justice works in real life or mimics the court/policing process?

Political Science 6700

Legal System: Courts with Jason M. Leggett, J.D. jasonmleggettkbcc@gmail.com jleggett.commons.gc.cuny.edu

Course Materials: Politics of Rights available for $9-30 at Amazon.com, Articles, Assignments, and Video Lectures are on this webpage.

Course Book:Click here

Learning Outcomes

67 (American Legal System): Students need to be familiar with:

1) The Language of Law, Lawyers, and Courts;

2) The Judicial Processes;

3) The inter-relationship of legal thinking (abduction) and other governmentalities (justice system, legislation, and the social construction of reality.

Common Research Question:-Structural Historical (Foucault) Investigations of Legal Systems: How can social groups apply knowledge from previous generations to use LAW as a tool for justice/equity/change?

Overview and Rules of the Game.

Attendance Verification. We are required to verify attendance of students who are active in the class at the beginning of the semester. Pleae complete this assignment (click here) to verify your attendance. Failure to complete this form may result in you being dropped from the course.

Grading.

This is NOT a read and take a multiple choice kind of class.

This is a critical thinking and civically engaged class. If this is not interesting to you or you do not want to complete rigorous college work you should talk to your advisor and register for a different teacher. While the overwhelming number of students over the last 10 years have expressed appreciation for the structured learning opportunities I design, some have found this class to not be a good match for them. In general, I will work with you to deal with most of the obstacles you encounter; however, I cannot tolerate disrespectful behavior and will immediately forward your information to relevant school officials.

Grading will be based on a number of assignments and will be measured in part on how you develop over the course of the semester.

A. Major Assignments (30 points each; 120 points total);

Your major assignment is centered around a cumulative project that will result in a researh based zine. (what is a Zine, click here). This project will be broken up into four parts and will will build up to your final work which you will share in small peer groups over Zoom. Each part of this project is worth up to 30 points each. The first of these assignments will begin in October and will be due October 22nd. More information will be provided in the course outline (by scrolling down) and through content delivered through Blackboard Annoucements.

B. Secondary Assignments (10 points each: 70 points total)

These assignments will show me how well you are understanding the processes of legal reasoning and the language of law. More information will be provided in the course outline (by scrolling down) and through content delivered through Blackboard Annoucements. The first of these assignments will be begin in the first week of class and you will need to complete three academic article readings as PDF’s (provied below in the Course Outline) and write a three page thought paper – responding to my guided questions – about those readings. That first assignment will be due no later than October 8th. You will email the thought paper to me at jasonmleggettkbcc@gmail.com . Other assignments will be in the form of a video lecture and google form response. Cumulative grades will be posted at set times throughout the semester.

C. Final Exam. (30 points total)

The final exam will be based on applied action research. You will first work in a pair or a small group (your choice) and I will provide both an instruction sheet and a case hypothetical for you to analyze. You will discuss what you have learned in the class all semester with your pair or group and then make a new zine for the case hypo; 2) You will compare your zine to one other zine and complete three short answer responses about what you learned on a google form.

I will be offering Zoom Question and Answer sessions (Q&A) throughout the semester and you can schedule a zoom to check in and ask about your grade with me.

Final Grades will be posted on CUNY FIRST during finals week.

You will need to FIRST review a Youtube Video Overview and then complete the Google Form by clicking here for attendance verification.

PART ONE (Weeks 1-4). September 12th – October 10th.

1.See Lecture Overview ABOVE and complete diagnostic form Above BEFORE continuing on.

2. Read Blackstone’s Commentaries. Click here for the reading.

3. Review the Judiciary Act. Click here for the reading.

4. Read a Law and Society article about Black Lives Matters. Click here for the reading.

5. Assignment (10): Submit your first thought paper (3 pages) by emailing me at jasonmleggettkbcc@gmail.com no later than October 8th 11:59 PM: You need to cite to the three sources above. Talk about what you understood and write a narrative with these three articles. How did Blackstone influence the Judiciary Act and how is “law” being understood in the Black Lives Matters Movement and the Counter-movement?

6. Zoom Q&A (date and time will be provided at a later date)

Grades will be available on Blackboard by October 20th.

Final Exam open until December 16th. Click here to begin.

Extra Credit Due by December 10th:

Extra Credit:
Make a Video for me to post on Youtube to Re-Present the work you did for the Zine. In this short video (less than 3 minutes): Explain how the zine addresses a law or legal principle, how it relates to injustice or justice, and what a logical remedy to the social conflict might be. Finally, to receive credit (20 points) you must Integrate Peer Feedback from any of the comments and specify which one: https://jasonmleggett.commons.gc.cuny.edu/zine-peer-review/

Next assignment (30 points) Due by November 25th. https://forms.gle/3HxX46k6jNAWvJo39

See below: Assignment 1 Due by November 7th; Assignment 2 Due by November 12th; Draft Zine emailed to me by November 17th.

Announcement: Read: Scheingold, The Politics of Rights Chapter 9: Legal Rights and Political Mobilization.

now watch these video to prepare for your final assignment; each assignment is worth 10 points.

Answers to Legal Zine Brainstorm Assignment and Next Steps

Then continue…

Legal Zine Elements Part 1

Click here to complete the assignment (10 points) by November 7th.

Then continue…

Watch the 2nd video and then click here to complete the assignment (10 points).

Finally,

Watch this video below and then email me your draft.

Once you have completed the assignments above – email me a draft of your Zine by November 17th for full credit. Jasonmleggettkbcc@gmail.com

an interactive syllabus… can be found by clicking here.

This is a scroll-down webpage. Continue to Scroll down to see more…

Course Outline

PART TWO (Weeks 5-9). October 11th – November 14th: Purpose of a Legal System?

1. Why have courts? Read: Scheingold, The Politics of Rights Chapter 12: The Political Relevance of Legal Rights.

2. Courts as Conflict Resolution. Legal Reasoning. Video Lecture

ASSIGNMENT (30) Zine Brainstorm due by October 15th: Click here to begin.

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