CJS/LGS/SOC 321 Law, Society and Social Science

Cliff Donn

Fall 2019

Office R-415, Ext. 4467

web.lemoyne.edu/~donn/class/soc321/soc321.htm

e-mail: donn@lemoyne.edu

CASE PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENT

STRUCTURE OF PRESENTATIONS: Each student will have a formal role in two sets of presentations (and each student will have an informal role in all presentations and is expected to be present for all). First, each student will be part of a team of three or four presenting the case on one side of a legal controversy. So, for each topic, there will be six to eight student presentations, three or four on each side of the issue. In addition, there will be a "judicial panel" consisting of a group presenting a different topic for each topic and each student in that group will be assigned to ask at least one question of a particular presenter during the presentation. Judges may ask more questions and may ask them of other presenters if they choose. After the judicial panel asks its questions, other members of the class will be given the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters. All such questions will be part of the student's class participation grade Finally, the judicial panel will be asked to assess which side has made the more convincing presentations.

CONTENT OF PRESENTATIONS: The form of each presentation is that of an amicus curae brief on the issue in question. Team members should consult with each other adequately to assure that each such brief covers a different aspect of the topic and they will choose the order of presentation to produce a logical sequence of arguments. In particular, the briefs should highlight studies and particular social science evidence that cast light on the issue and that support the presenter's position. Opinion and ideology are not desired. Material for the presentations may include scholarly articles (including optional readings from the course reading list), statutes, and court decisions. Other materials may be used as well but opinion pieces, popular media, blogs, etc. will not be useful.

EVALUATION: Presenters will be evaluated on the style of their presentations, the quality of their research, and their evaluation of the evidence they present. Judges will be evaluated on the insight they show in the questions they ask.

MATERIAL TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE INSTRUCTOR: All presenters must submit their briefs to the instructor at the end of the presentation. Each should be three to four double-spaced pages long (Arial font, twelve point, one and a half inch margin on the left side). Each should carefully cite any articles or cases used in preparing the presentation. Each brief should have at least four scholarly sources cited. Citations should include the individual page numbers where the cited material is located. If you are unsure as to citation style, see the link on the course home page.

In addition, all presenters must send their presentation to the instructor as an e-mail attachment. The attachment must be a single file and it should be named with the course number, the presenter's last name and first initial and the word "case." Thus Cliff Donn's file would be 321donnc-case.

TOPICS: The topics for class presentation will be selected early in the semester from those listed below. If you would like to add a topic to this list for consideration, suggest it within the first three weeks of the semester.

If you would like to see an example of what a "legal brief" looks like there are two attached here. Both involve an arbitration case rather than a court case but the idea is the same. One is the brief filed on behalf of the employer (a school district in this particular case) and the other is the brief filed by the union in that same case.

Topics and Teams for Class Presentations (2019)

November 14: Universal Health Care

Proposition: The federal government should directly pay for health care for all citizens of the United States

Pro - Bonne-Annee, Corona, Gibbons
Con - Albanese, Exantus, Millward
Judicial Panel - Carrol, Creighton, Francis, Hoag, Norflee, Tuey

November 19: Drug Legalization

Proposition: All states in the United States should legalize the purchase and recreational use of marijuana, cocaine, and their derivatives

Pro - Davis, Fitzgerald, Knight
Con - Cittadino, Cool, Field
Judicial Panel - Albanese, Bonne-Annee, Corona, Exantus, Gibbons, Millward

November 21: Drinking Age

Proposition: All states in the United States should legalize the purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages at the age of eighteen.

Pro - Burgin, Hubert, McLennan
Con - Becker, Cody, Visco
Judicial Panel - Cittadino, Cool, Davis, Field, Fitzgerald, Knight

November 26: Gun Control

Proposition: Automatic and semi-automatic fire arms should not be available for civilian purchases and all other gun purchases should require a background check, a firearm license, and should be forbidden to anyone previously convicted of a felony.

Pro - Carroll, Creighton, Hoag
Con - Francis, Norflee, Tuey
Judicial Panel - Becker, Burgin, Cody, Huburt, McLennan, Visco