Law 792:  Race and Policing

This seminar will take a broad look at how policing and race interact. We will read selections from books, articles or speeches of people such as Michelle Alexander, Paul Butler, Ta-Nehisi Coates, James Comey, Alice Goffman, Jill Leovy, Tracey Meares, Jonathan Pfaff, Stephen Rushin, and William Stuntz. We will also read some primary materials and research on the DOJ’s investigation of Ferguson, stop and frisk policies, and structural reform litigation.

Sequence and Prerequisites: None

Evaluation: Students will be required to write short reaction papers for the weekly readings, due before class and published on the course website for fellow students to read. Grading will depend heavily on active participation in discussion, in addition to the reaction papers plus a short final paper.