Appellate Law & Policy (Seminar)

This seminar covers a broad range of appellate topics of interest to appellate lawyers, appellate judges, and academics including: issues of current debate (judicial independence, judicial selection methods, judicial free speech, and judicial ethics); the judicial decision-making process (jurisdiction/appellate writs, judicial opinion writing, judicial strategy, en banc v. panel decisions); the structure, performance, and reforms of state and federal appellate court systems (such as dividing large courts, adding judges, staffing/funding appellate courts); and miscellaneous topics (such as technology in and media coverage of appellate courts). Appellate clerkship skills will also be included. Students choose topics on which to write seminar papers and they must present current events for discussion throughout the semester. This seminar provides an opportunity to satisfy the Advanced Writing Requirement.