LAW 7216 :
Critical Race Theory

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a broad theoretical framework that challenges dominant comtemporary understandings of race and the law. Rather than viewing racial subordination as a problem to be solved by the law, CRT positions racism as both a generative source and an intentional product of the American legal system. The major objective of this course is to help students learn to use CRT to approach legal dilemmas regardless of their areas of practice. In this course students will examine race, racism and systems of inequality in the United States through the lens of CRT. The course will identify CRT's central tenets and explore the development of CRT in the legal academy. Students will learn to use CRT as an epistemological and empirically grounded theoretical frame. Using this frame, students will examine how norms of the legal profession and the state of the law itself may facilitate racial oppression. The course will provide an opportunity to challenge our basic assumptions about race, law and justice in a thoughtful, rigorous and collegial environment. Exam Info: No Exam