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Legal Research Guides by Course - Civil Rights Litigation

Course Description

This course will examine the major civil rights statutes that implement the guarantees of the United States Constitution. Since the Civil War era, Congress has adopted significant legislation seeking to ensure that certain fundamental rights are safeguarded, including the equal protection and due process guarantees; the liberty of contract; the right to own property; and the right to vote. In modern courtrooms, most civil rights litigation is carried out under the banner of one or more of these statutes. Emphasis in this course will be placed on the most heavily utilized civil right laws: Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Acts (violation of civil rights under color of state law); Section 1981 (violation of right to make and enforce contracts); Section 1982 (violation of right to hold and enjoy property); Section 1985(3) (private conspiracies to deny civil rights); and the Voting Right Act of 1965 (violation of right to vote). Although many of leading cases focus on discrimination based upon race and national origin, the above statutes also spill into countless other types of civil rights violations, including deprivation of First Amendment rights, prisoner civil rights, sex discrimination, and discrimination based upon religious and political beliefs. This course will also examine defense and immunities available to defendants sued for civil rights violations, including protections afforded members of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches faced with civil rights suits. In a related vein, we will examine the concept of sovereign immunity as it applies to federal, state, and local governments. Pre-requisite: Constitutional Law (2 credits) Paper

Faculty Who Teach This Course

  • Ken Gormley (Dean and Professor of Law)

Subject Covered Presently in Collection by:

Print Collection

KF4741-KF4786 Civil and Political Rights and Liberties
KF9731 Prisoners

Legal Research Databases

Civil Rights Organizations or Groups

Blogs

DCLI Webpage Links

Course Listed Under the following Law School Concentrations

  • Government & Public Interest Law
  • Labor and Employment Law

Course Satisfies: Upper Level Writing Requirement Course

9/19/2012, rev. 2/6/2013
Patricia Horvath