LAW7 612 - Race and the Law

With such watershed events in the civil rights movement as Brown v. Board of Education and the civil rights acts of the 1960s, the eradication of racial subordination in America seemed an achievable goal. Yet, in America today, racial minorities continue to experience social and economic disadvantages, and race relations have even deteriorated in many respects. Whether the law has aided or impeded the cause of civil rights in the past, and the extent to which the law can help to resolve racial issues in the present and future, are questions of considerable controversy. This course will examine the response of law to racial issues in a variety of contemporary legal contexts. Topics may include education, employment, criminal justice, voting, interracial relationships and adoption, and hate speech. The materials will consist of a mix of cases and scholarly commentary.

Credits: 3