Legal Practice in Highly Political Environments

This class teaches practical skills and career strategies for lawyers working in or with governments (federal, state, and local). Weekly lectures and cases emphasize legislative strategy, advocacy, crisis management, press relations, organizational reform, litigation by state Attorneys General, regulation and regulatory capture, managing activists, organizing collective action, supervising civil servants, and advising chief executives. Students prepare decision memos and briefing documents, undertake simulations, and engage in role-playing exercises. There is opportunity for a voluntary, career-enhancing extra-writing assignment.
Syllabus