Lawmaking is increasingly the result of statutes rather than the common law, so it is critical for lawyers to understand the legislative process and how statutes are interpreted and drafted. This course will examine legislation and legislatures at the national, state, and local levels by focusing on two primary aspects of legislation. The first half of the course will focus on rules affecting legislative service and methods and rules used to pass legislation. This will give students a better understanding of structural aspects of legislatures that impact how legislation gets adopted. Topics discussed in this half of the course will include: case law affecting redistricting; rules and case law related to expulsion and exclusion of legislators; term limits; lobbying restrictions; item vetoes; single subject rules; and direct democracy. The second half of the course will focus on the interpretation and implementation of statutes and ordinances. We will examine the canons of construction and extrinsic sources for statutory interpretation, such as committee reports and sponsor statements. Students will also learn concepts related to drafting statutes. Grading: Letter graded Credits: 2 Offered: Subject Areas: Administrative and Legislative Process, Government Practice
