CRJ 482: Legal & Ethical Argumentation

Course Description

This course will explore the ethical dilemmas faced by professionals in the legal system. We will pay particular attention to the criminal justice system and to the Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys. Students read real legal cases and engage in thinking like attorneys to discuss questions like: How should an attorney consider their own ethical beliefs when deciding the appropriate course of action in a case? How should a judge consider their own ethical beliefs when making a juvenile justice decision? How should a police officer, investigator, or lawyer determine the ethical course of action when the law's instructions are ambiguous? Through practical "hands-on" learning, students will practice core skills in legal thinking, like writing briefs, examining the legal reasoning on both sides of a case, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each perspective in a case. Students cannot receive credit for bothCRJ 482andCRJ 582. (YR).