Supreme Court Workshop

Are you interested in some of the hot button issues the Supreme Court will decide this coming term involving cell phones and the Fourth Amendment, Trump’s immigration ban, discrimination against same sex couples in providing wedding services, and the permissibility of political gerrymandering?  Do you want to engage with scholars in a seminar style format about the ethical issues these cases raise?  If the answer is “yes,” you should consider applying for the Ethics Institute’s Supreme Court Workshop.

2018 Law and Ethics Fellowship

The United States Supreme Court heard cases for the 2017-18 term from October to early spring, with decisions being announced later in the year. The Ethics Institute conducted a workshop in Winter 2018 where students learned about some of these pending cases and the ethical issues they raise.

For each session, the Institute brought a visiting legal scholar to discuss the case.  The speaker came solely to meet with students in the workshop. The Institute provided dinner during the session. The hope was that students received the chance to learn about a pending case and think critically about it before the Court announced its decision.

No prior background in law is required. The workshop is open to all undergraduates. This was a unique opportunity for students to interact with leading legal scholars in a more informal, seminar-style setting rather than a conventional lecture format. Scholars came from the University of Chicago Law School, Boston University School of Law, and the American University Washington College of Law.

Workshop Requirements

The enrollment cap is 12 students.

Participant requirements are:

  • attendance at all sessions
  • completion of selected readings before each session
  • a commitment to participate fully during the session