Categories: Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Instructor(s)

Althouse, Ann

Course Data

Room 5223
TR 4:10pm-5:30pm

Pass/Fail: Yes

Course Description

This course deals with the role of the federal courts in our system of federalism and separation of powers, with special attention to the way jurisdictional doctrines affect the enforcement of federal constitutional rights.

Among the doctrines we will study are justiciability (standing, mootness, ripeness, political question), Congress's power over the jurisdiction of the federal courts, the role of state courts in the enforcement of federal law, the Supreme Court's power to review state court decisions, habeas corpus, state sovereign immunity, official immunity, and abstention.

Although this course, like Civil Procedure II, satisfies the "jurisdiction of courts" requirement, it does not overlap with Civ Pro II and it is not a substitute for Civ Pro II. You can profitably take both courses. Civ Pro II is especially valuable to anyone who plans to litigate. Fed Jur is a good second jurisdiction course for litigator, and it's also a great course for anyone who is interested in constitutional rights and the U.S. Supreme Court.

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