Political Science and Legal Studies

The following online course has just been added to our list of approved Law-related Liberal Arts courses for the Legal Studies major:

Econ 397LE: Law and Economics

Law and economics addresses the economic motivation for legal practice and the economic implications of different legal regimes.  Law and economics is often taught based on the assumption that legal rules are and should be designed to maximize “efficiency,” often understood as some variant of cost-benefit analysis or welfare-maximization.  The best legal system is therefore, under this view, one that responds to impersonal factors, a society’s factor endowments and production technology. Our approach is different, because we recognize that legal systems are the product of political processes, shaped by the distribution of political and economic power, and with goals that go beyond maximizing output course to include the shaping of power within society.  The question then becomes whether the concept of “efficiency” can be as uncritically applied to legal rules as the field of law and economics often suggests.

We begin by exploring the relationship between a society and its legal system.  While some treat this as the relationship between a society’s economic substructure and its legal superstructure, we recognize that political and cultural relationships also have independent effects on the development of the economy and of the legal system.  We then focus critically on the question of efficiency, and on what sorts of limitations might be presented by the concept in its application to the law, drawing in part on the perspective offered by critical legal studies.  We then investigate different approaches to law and economics, apart from efficiency, including static theories of “original intent” and “individual rights,” as well as sociological theories where the law is a changing system to facilitate different social ends, a fair distribution of income, protection of the environment, and other ends.

Prerequisites for this class are either Econ 103, or Res-Econ 102.

This class was developed by Mark Silverman (graduate student in Economics and Attorney at Law) in consultation with Professor Gerald Friedman of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an experienced teacher, renowned economic historian, author of many articles and books, and an editor of the journal Labor History.

This online course in Law and Economics is offered by the Department of Economics through the Office of Continuing and Professional Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Questions? Email us: online@econs.umass.edu.

CUNY’s Murphy Institute offers two unique programs that provide students tools for leadership, scholarship, and advocacy:  New York Union Semester  and the Masters of Arts Degree in Labor Studies .

In the interdisciplinary MA in Labor Studies, students examine the history, debates and challenges affecting working people and unions. It’s an ideal degree for anyone interested in advocacy, non-profits, organizing, worker rights, or graduate studies in labor. The program offers:

• Evening classes in midtown Manhattan;  Internships
• Affordable tuition, academic resources, and financial aid

NY Union Semester  offers a mentored internship for graduates and undergraduates at a labor union or worker organization, in addition to 4 outstanding classes.  Interns receive:

• A weekly stipend and unlimited Metro Card
• In-state tuition rates and a scholarship for 4 labor studies courses
• 12 graduate or 16 undergraduate credits

Open Houses are May 14 & June 12

For more info, contact laurie.kellogg@mail.cuny.edu, 212-642-2055, or go to The Murphy Institute website at www.sps.cuny.edu/institutes/jsmi

The International Programs Office has two study abroad options in London that suit Legal Studies students. The programs are offered by CIS at the University of Westminster and at the University of Roehampton in the heart of London.

Meaghan Murphy from CISwill be on campus on Thursday, April 11 to run an information session about these semester programs in the Education Abroad Advising Center (455 Hills South) at 12 pm.

Here is a description of the experience within the University of Westminster and here is a description of the experience within the University of Roehampton.

Westminster’s files on Fall 2012′s Social Sciences are here, with 2013′s here.

Roehampton’s data can be found here.

The Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS) at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is hosting a Summer Workshop in International Security from July 7–12, 2013.

Some workshop topics include:

1) How to think about International Security?
2) Controlling Weapons of Mass Destruction: Nuclear, Biological, Chemical
3) Global Terrorism
4) Regional Conflicts and Their Management and Resolution: Middle East; Iran and Afghanistan; South and East Asia.
5) China and the U.S.: Competitors or Adversaries?

The workshop will have instructors from UIUC faculty and university and security studies centers who are experts in strategic analysis and policy-making.

The fee is $1,500 to cover cost of instruction, lodging on campus, and all meals, with travel not included. Some financial assistance is available. Applicants admitted to the workshop must pay a deposit of $250 and the remainder no later than May 25, or one may pay the entire fee of $1500 on admission.

To apply, make sure to submit your application by April 15, 2013. You can find the application here.

Looking for something to do this summer? Consider this seminar.Columbia is looking or 10-15 students to join them this summer. Be sure to talk to an advisor before registering to make sure the credits will transfer! And pay attention to the details about tuition and fees.

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The History of Climate Change and the Future of Global Governance

Department of History, Columbia University

New York City, May-August 2013

The Hertog Global Strategy Initiative (HGSI) seeks talented undergraduate and graduate students for its 2013 seminar on the History of Climate Change and the Future of Global Governance.

HGSI is a research program that explores how the world community has responded to planetary threats to derive lessons that will help us take on the challenges of the present and the future. Each summer, a select group of students from across the nation comes to Columbia University for three months to work with leading scholars and policymakers. This year’s initiative hopes to train a new generation of researchers and leaders who understand both the development of climate science and the changing nature of world politics.

The 2013 seminar will be taught by Matthew Connelly, Professor of History at Columbia University, and Jim Fleming, Professor of Science, Technology, and Society at Colby College. They will be assisted in the classroom by Deborah Coen, Paul Edwards, Mike Hulme, Bill McKibben, Gavin Schmidt, and nearly a dozen other leaders in the field.

Participants pursue original research both independently and in teams. Students will receive eight credit points for the seminar, the equivalent of two semester-long courses at Columbia.

For more information about the program, visit globalstrategy.columbia.edu. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter. Please direct any further questions to globalstrategy@columbia.edu or 212-854-9854.

Application Deadline: March 5, 2013
Apply Here

Credits: Eight Points (seminar); Three-Four Points (per elective)
Tuition: Tuition is calculated on a per point basis, as set by the Columbia School of Continuing Education. For Summer 2013, tuition for all undergraduate and graduate students is $1,454 per point. Tuition for students not currently enrolled in an academic program is $1,488 per point. Accordingly, the cost of our 8-point seminar ranges from $11,632-$11,904 plus fees. Information on our elective courses can be found here.
Fellowships and Financial Aid: Some outstanding undergraduates and postgraduate applicants may receive Hertog Fellowships to help pay tuition and fees. Some PhD students may be eligible for tuition exemption and a research stipend.

The Center for Public Policy and Administration is offering a handful of online classes this summer related to LGBT policy, GIS, and Social Movements. If you are interested in policy or pursuing the CPPA undergraduate certificate, take a look!

Remember that Political Science and Legal Studies are offering several online classes, as well, including these new courses: Politics of Affordable Health Care, Green Politics and Theory, Politics of East Asia, and Media and Politics.

Registration opens March 18.

There is a new course being offered, called Student Conduct and the Law, which will explore the intersection of the law and education where they meet in the contextof codes of student conduct on university campuses.

The class will study the legal, social, and educational issues implicated in the management of university environments, and will examine alternative dispute resolution methods. Students will do extensive reading as well as individual and group research to analyze different conflict management methods to identify those that best correspond to the legal requirements and educational objectives of conduct systems. Finally the group will draft a complete, annotated model system.

This 3 credit course will be taught by Attorney Carol Booth from the UMass Student Legal Services Office and will be held on Thursdays from 4 – 6:30.

The Writing Program will be administering the writing placement exam, which does not require registration:

– Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013, 6:00pm-7:00pm, Location: Tobin 204

This test is important, as students must take this course to be placed into College Writing (Englwrit 112), which, along with Basic Writing (Englwrit 111), must be satisfied to graduate. Students will take this test to determine which of the two is appropriate for them.

It consists in writing an essay in response to a short excerpt.

Placement essays should demonstrate clear organization, relevant support and examples, and an adequate understanding of sentence structure.

While you will mostly likely be placed into Basic Writing or College Writing, a few students may be waived from both based on their performance, but will not receive credit for this waiver.

For more information, contact Deirdre Vinyard, Placement Officer and Deputy Director of the Writing Program. For more information on the placement test, see this webpage.

POLISCI 219, State and Local Government, will explore problems, politics, and issues of state government in the U.S. — and it is taught by someone who deals with local and state politics on a daily basis: Rebecca Lisi, the City Councilor for Holyoke, MA! Don’t miss this limited opportunity to learn how local and state governments really operate!

Visit UMass Continuing and Professional Education’s website for more information and to register.

Learn more about your instructor at her Holyoke website.

Looking to add a new class or change up your spring 2013 schedule? Consider POLISCI 391GH, Investigating Interest Group Power. This hands-on, research course will teach you how to analyze documents; conduct interviews; and collect, code and analyze data. These are skills students are always telling us they want to learn, so now is your chance!

Description:
In this hands-on research course, students will question the role and influence of interest groups in American politics today. A significant portion of this class will involve a group-based research project where students will develop a set of criteria to evaluate (1) the quality of interest group representation and (2) the power of each interest group. Each student will conduct an in-depth examination of one interest group with the help of this framework; the class will then jointly engage in a comparative analysis of all of the organizations. Through this project, students will learn important skills such as how to analyze documents, conduct elite interviews, and collect, code and analyze data.

Instructor: Maryann Barakso

Meeting Times: M & W 8:40-9:55