AMH 3558, American Legal History
© Elizabeth Dale 2002
Fall semester
Professor: Elizabeth
Dale
office phone: 352-392-0271 ex. 226
Required reading:
American
Legal History, 2d edition
Dayton,
Women Before the Bar
Horwitz, Transformation of American Law, 1780-1860
Cover,
Justice Accused
Bergstrom,
Courting Danger
Posner,
The Essential Holmes
Graded assignments:
2 short
papers (5-7 typed pages)
analyzing cases, due on dates assigned (see course expectations, below), each is
worth 20% of grade
1 book
analysis (7-10 typed
pages), due on date assigned, worth 20% of grade
Take
home final, consisting of
two essays (each 5-7 typed pages long), each essay is
worth 20% of grade
Course expectations, and things to be noted:
The syllabus sets out three short papers,
you should only do two of the three papers. You may chose
which assignments to do, and which one to skip. It is your obligation to
keep up with assignments, I will not issue reminders
to students who owe me papers.
All papers are due on the date set, at the start of class. Any paper turned in the day of the
assignment after class will be marked down half a grade. Any paper turned in
the day after it is due will be marked down a full grade; any paper turned in
two days late will be marked down two full grades. Any paper turned in more
than three days late will automatically receive an F. For purposes of this
rule, weekends will be counted.
Students are expected to attend regularly, come to class on time, and to
have read the material for the day prior to class.
Lectures, discussions, and assignments are intended to teach you the
materials and skills you will need to do the assignments, and there is a close
correlation between attendance, participation, and grades.
Schedule (all assignments are from American Legal History except
where otherwise noted):
Week 1:
Wed: August 23:
introduction to class
Fri:
introduction to colonial legal history
Week 2:
Mon: American
Legal History pp. 11, 12, 15, 49
Wed: American Legal
History pp. 18, 20 21
Fri: American
Legal History pp. 30, 51
Week 3:
Mon: no class,
Labor Day
Wed: Dayton, Women
before the Bar
***first short assignment handed out***
Fri: introduction to law in the Revolutionary
period
Week 4:
Mon: American Legal History pp. 58, 60, 61
Wed: American Legal History pp. 63, 64 66
***first short assignment due***
Fri: American Legal History pp. 80-90
Week 5:
Mon: Horwitz, Tranformation of American Law
Wed: Horwitz, Tranformation of American Law
Fri: American Legal History pp. 114-25
Week 6:
Mon: American Legal History pp. 139-50
Wed: American Legal History pp. 159-70
***second short
assignment handed out***
Fri: American Legal History pp. 171-78
Week 7:
Mon: American Legal History pp. 284-297
Wed: American Legal History pp. 305-313
***second short
assignment due***
Fri: American Legal History pp. 326-336
Week 8:
Mon: lecture on slave law
Wed: American Legal History pp. 33-44
Fri: American Legal History pp. 72, 200-206
Week 9:
Mon: American Legal History pp. 206-15
Wed: American Legal History pp. 190-200
***book report handed out***
Fri: no class
Week 10:
Mon: American Legal History pp. 245-263
Wed: American
Legal History pp. 264-268, 271-279
***book report due***
Fri: no class
Week 11:
Mon: American Legal History pp. 281-284, 298-303
Wed: American Legal History pp. 178-186
Fri: Bergstrom, Courting Danger
Week 12:
Mon: American Legal History pp. 353-359
Wed: American Legal History pp. 386-398
Fri: no class
Week 13:
Mon: American Legal History pp. 457-69
***third short
assignment handed out***
Wed: American Legal History pp. 470-490
Fri: Posner, Essential Holmes
Week 14:
Mon: lecture on 20th century tort law
***third short
assignment due***
Wed: American Legal History pp. pp. 497-509
Fri: no class
Week 15:
Mon: American Legal History pp. 550-554
Wed: American Legal History pp. 510-529
Fri: lecture, 20th century criminal law
Week 16:
Mon: American Legal History pp. 560-575
Wed: Review and wrap up
***take home final handed out***
Finals week
Thursday, December 14 – final exam due in my office by
2pm