276.82 sec. 001 - Secrecy: The Use and Abuse of Information Control in the Courts (Fall 2020)
Instructor: Rebecca Wexler (view instructor's teaching evaluations - degree students only | profile)
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Units: 1
Grading Designation: Credit Only
Due to COVID-19, this class is remote for Fall 2020.
Mode of Instruction: Remote Instruction
Meeting:
Tu 3:35 PM - 5:25 PM
Location: Internet/Online
From August 18, 2020
To September 29, 2020
Course End: September 29, 2020
Class Number (1Ls): 34336
Enrollment info:
Enrolled: 9
Waitlisted: 0
Enroll Limit: 11
As of: 12/07 09:41 AM
On July 9, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that a New York State prosecutor has the power to compel an accounting firm to disclose President Donald J. Trump's tax returns for a grand jury investigation because no one -- not even the President -- is above the law. Chief Justice Roberts opened this historic opinion with the statement: "In our judicial system, the public has a right to every man’s evidence.” Yet, in other cases, courts routinely block litigants' power to compel disclosures of relevant evidence. They do this to protect a range of conflicting interests, such as personal privacy, intellectual property, law enforcement methods, state secrets, and more. This course will explore tensions between, on the one hand, the commitment "to every man's evidence," and on the other hand, the commitment to keeping sensitive information secret, even when that secrecy undermines accuracy and fairness in the courts.
This course is designed specifically for 1Ls. We will engage in close reading of foundational cases, as well as litigation documents and legal scholarship. This course will also provide weekly tips about legal thinking and argument to help provide you with a solid footing for your law school career.
This class is among the special Fall 2020 1L elective seminars designed to give entering 1Ls an extra opportunity to form connections despite our remote form of interaction. In light of that goal, these classes will expect real-time attendance and may not be recorded. These classes will all be graded on a Credit/No Credit basis and total written work requirement will be no more than 8 double-spaced pages.
Real-time attendance at the first Zoom class is mandatory for all currently enrolled and waitlisted students; any currently enrolled or waitlisted students who are not present on the first day of class (without prior permission of the instructor) will be dropped. The instructor will continue to take attendance throughout the add/drop period and anyone who moves off the waitlist into the class must continue to attend or have prior permission of the instructor in order not to be dropped.
Prerequisites:
This course is only open to 1Ls.
Exam Notes: (None) Class requires a series of papers, assignments, or presentations throughout the semester
Course Category: Intellectual Property and Technology Law
This course is listed in the following sub-categories:
First Year Courses
Litigation and Procedure
Public Law and Policy
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Readers:
No reader.
Books:
Instructor has indicated that no books will be assigned.