OLPD1908W: Reflections of Justice, Images of the Law in Literature, Film, and Popular Culture

This writing intensive freshman seminar will explore the treatment of legal themes in films, literary texts,and popular culture. We will look at the law through stories, cinema, television and other mediums toconsider the following questions: Do these portrayals of "the law" enhance or inhibit our understanding ofhow the law "works" in our everyday lives, thus impacting our participation as citizens? Do literature,film and other media accurately reflect both our legal system and how lawyers are trained and the workthat they do, or do they rely upon outdated, stereotypical, or sensationalized portrayals? We will alsoconsider whether literature, film, and popular culture can actually be useful in helping us bettercomprehend the complexities and ethics of the law in all of its often frustrating ambiguity. Students willhave the opportunity to develop their skills in research, analysis, oral communication, and creativitythrough writing formal papers, participating in and leading class discussions, making presentations,writing stories and poems, and completing a group project. At the end of this course, you will be betterable to analyze complex social problems and make informed decisions regarding the important legal andethical issues we face as a society. In that way, this course meets an important central goal of a liberaleducation: to help you become a more informed, aware, and engaged citizen.

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