LAW 7133 :
Legislation & Statutory Interp

Restrictions: First Year Elective - Registrar's Office sends information about 1L elective registration in October. Spring semester registration for 1L electives begins in November. This course discusses how law is created and applied through the use of statutes. The course explores the theories and the realities of statutory creation and the relationship between the courts and Congress in the process of statutory interpretation. Class discussion will range from theoretical consideration of political science, democratic theory, and legal process, to the practical concerns involved in formulating the arguments that are routinely made before courts and agencies. Specific topics will include: the legislative process; jurisprudential analysis of statutory vs. common law; theories of statutory interpretation; doctrines of statutory construction; and judicial deference to agency interpretation.