Law, Inequality and Public Policy in the New "gilded Age"

How does law construct economic inequality? How might we leverage legal and public policy tools to counteract economic inequality? This course explores the growing public policy concern with inequality, situating contemporary policy issues in context of legal doctrine, public policy practice, and history. In the course of investigating these themes, the course will also expose students to a wide array of forms of practice and their relationship to issues of economic justice and inequality, including public interest law, business law, regulation, and local government. Possible topics include: corporate and private power; housing and urban inequality; labor, work, and the future of the social contract. Grading and Method of Evaluation: Letter grade with pass/fail option. Take-home exam. A limited number of students with the permission of the instructor may write a paper to satisfy the UCWR.