The point of this course is to instill in students a greater understanding of how the United States legal system and politics interact and to develop students’ ability to critically evaluate commentary on the United States judiciary. It will cover the organization of courts, selection of judges, judicial decision-making and judicial policy making. It will also draw distinctions between the state and federal court systems, as well as appellate and trial courts. In short, this course is designed help students become critical consumers of information about courts in the United States.

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