Spring 2027 Class Descriptions: First-Year Required
Voting Rights and Election Law (NEW) (LWPP590)
Instructor(s): Staff
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
This course surveys the law governing the political process in the United States. We will explore conceptions of the right to vote and how the electorate is defined. Topics include the evolution of constitutional and statutory vote denial and vote dilution litigation, and racial and political gerrymandering challenges, from the more expansive jurisprudence of the Warren and Burger Courts to the current environment under the Roberts Court. We will address contemporary controversies surrounding improving voter access and preventing alleged fraud, the increase in litigation as an aspect of the electoral process, and the extent of federal executive authority in elections. Beyond the case law, the course will examine how the historical context of voting rights developments affects judicial perceptions in this area. The course is intended to prepare students to litigate voting rights issues creatively and to develop arguments and evidence that persuade courts in an increasingly challenging landscape.
Note:
This course will be taught by Professor John Ulin.