Family Law
Future Offerings
Family Law (7021): The course will examine how the law regulates a range of major life decisions: entering or ending adult intimate relationships, marrying (or choosing not to marry), deciding to bring children into one's life, and whether one has a legal relationship with those children. These laws, a mix of constitutional and statutory, state and federal, touch all of our lives. In addition to exploring the existing legal doctrine, we will also grapple with normative questions undergirding it: how should the law regulate these relationships, and why? Class sessions will be discussion oriented. Throughout the course, we will use problem scenarios as a basis for discussion and as a means to more deeply understand the doctrine we are learning. Grading is based on a final exam, with minor adjustments possible related to class attendance and participation.
Sections
Past Offerings
Family Law (7021): This course will explore how the law regulates intimate relationships among adults and parent-child relationships. These laws, a mix of constitutional and statutory, state and federal, touch all of our lives, when we marry or divorce, or decide not marry an intimate partner, when we become parents, or decide not to become parents. Family Law provides the legal context, the background rules, pertaining to what are unquestionably the most important decisions in our lives-- the choice of a life partner, and whether to become a parent. In probing this body of law, we will also explore big questions about how the government should regulate people with respect to their intimate lives. Our first question: If marriage did not exist as a legal institution, would there be any good reason to create it as one? The class will be very interactive, with many actual and hypothetical problem scenarios providing a basis for discussion. Elements used in grading: Exam, with minor adjustments for class participation.
Sections
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2025-2026 SpringSchedule No Longer Available
Family Law (7021): This course will explore how the law regulates intimate relationships among adults and parent-child relationships. These laws, a mix of constitutional and statutory, state and federal, touch all of our lives, when we marry or divorce, or decide not marry an intimate partner, when we become parents, or decide not to become parents. Family Law provides the legal context, the background rules, pertaining to what are unquestionably the most important decisions in our lives-- the choice of a life partner, and whether to become a parent. In probing this body of law, we will also explore big questions about how the government should regulate people with respect to their intimate lives. Our first question: If marriage did not exist as a legal institution, would there be any good reason to create it as one? The class will be very interactive, with many actual and hypothetical problem scenarios providing a basis for discussion. Elements used in grading: Exam, with minor adjustments for class participation.
Sections
-
2024-2025 SpringSchedule No Longer Available