The course materials and discussions span constitutional law, the political and legislative processes, and health law of the United States. Course topics include abortion, contraception, personhood, and artificial reproduction. These issues overlap with civil and criminal prosecution for fetal endangerment, and reproductive rights. This course is historically grounded, spanning early matrilineality and hypodescent laws to the eugenics era, and concluding with contemporary debates related to sex equality, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, and religious concerns. This course requires substantial reading, preparation, organization, and the ability to analyze subtle nuances between various judicial decisions, legislative enactments, ethics, and legal rules.

Students will gain significant exposure to legal writing and will work to develop and hone these critical skills by drafting daily position papers on the readings assigned for each class.