AU kursuskatalog arkiv

6830 The U.S. Legal System - An Introduction ( efterår 2010 - 10 ECTS )

Rammer for udbud

• Uddannelsessprog: engelsk
• Niveau: Masters
• Semester/kvarter: Every autumn
• Timer per uge: 3
• Deltagerbegrænsning: 30
• Undervisningssted: Århus
• Hovedområde: Det Samfundsvidenskabelige Fakultet
• Udbud ID: 22846

Tid og sted

Monday 9-12 in building 1481, room 328
first lessons in week no. 36

Formål

This course is designed to introduce students to basic concepts of American substantive and procedural law and provide an overview of U.S. legal processes and institutions. This course will help students develop basic research and writing skills necessary for the study and practice of law in the U.S. The course will also cover substantive areas of U.S. law, including criminal law, constitutional law, antitrust law and company law. This course will not provide an exhaustive survey of each topic, but rather exposure to a large amount of foundational information in a short period of time. Students will also be introduced to the procedural aspects of both civil and criminal law in the United States. Through analytical and practical work with relevant cases and statutes, the students will develop an understanding of the U.S. legal system.

Upon completion of the course "The U.S. Legal System", it is anticipated that students will be able to:

1. Explain and analyze the relationship between statutory law and common law in the U.S., with special attention to the principles of stare decisis and statutory interpretation.
2. Read and brief a U.S. case.
3. Describe the organization of the U.S. Federal Court and State Court systems.
4. Discuss principles of federalism, including choice-of-law and jurisdictional issues.
5. Describe the procedural aspects of a civil case, with special focus on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, including an explanation of pleadings, motions, discovery, trial and appeals.
6. Possess an understanding of both the criminal justice process and constitutional criminal law.
7. Explain and analyze U.S. constitutional law, with special focus on Equal Protection, the Bill of Rights, and procedural versus substantive due process.
8. Explain and analyze U.S. Corporations Law, Antitrust Law and Bankruptcy Law.

Indhold

The first half of the course will largely address the structure of the U.S. legal system, the procedural aspects of bringing a case, and an exposition of how to interpret and understand U.S. law. The second half of the class will address substantive areas of U.S. law, including antitrust lw, tort law, constitutional law, company law and bankruptcy law.

Faglige forudsætninger

Students will be able to research, present and analyse relevant case material from U.S. cases and statutes and convey knowledge on the U.S. Legal System in a logical and well-structured manner, using relevant legal terminology.

Underviser

External lecturers John Sommer Schmidt and Christoffer Fode

Undervisnings- og arbejdsform

Lectures and discussions.

English

Litteratur

An Introduction to the United States Legal System: Cases and Comments, Alberto Manuel Benitez, Carolina Academic Press (2006). The book will be supplemented with cases and literature available on the Internet.

Studieordning og bedømmelse

Kandidatuddannelsen i jura

• Mundtlig, bedømt efter 7-skala med ekstern censur

Oral Examination.