Course Information

6124 - Legislation

Professor: Christopher J. Walker
Semester: 2013 Spring

Second Writing Requirement? No
Seminar? No
Professional Responsibility? No
Prerequisites: None
Means of Assessment: Exam

Course Description

Legislation with Prof. Walker is an introduction to lawmaking in the modern administrative state. Unlike your typical first-year course, this course is as much (if not more) about process as it is about substance. The course will examine the way Congress and administrative agencies adopt binding rules of law – statutes and regulations, respectively – and the way that implementing institutions – courts and agencies – interpret and apply these laws. The course will consider the legal rules that help structure the relationship among Congress, agencies, and courts; the justifications for the structure of the modern administrative state; and the incentives that influence the behavior of the various actors.

Understanding Legislation (which includes statutory interpretation and regulation) is critical for both litigators and transactional lawyers. Aspiring litigators likely will appear in front of agencies as often as courts and will argue about the interpretation of regulations as much as statutes. Aspiring transactional lawyers will draft contracts and structure deals where the proper interpretation of regulations (in addition to that of statutes) is critical to obtain the best deal for their clients and to avoid subsequent litigation.

The course materials listed above are for informational purposes only and should not be considered final. Students must check with the Registrar for a current list of closed courses.