The text required for this course is Martin H. Redish, Suzanna Sherry, and James E. Pfander, Federal Courts (8^th ed, 2018) (hereinafter "Text").  Additional required cases and law review articles available on the Internet are hyperlinked in the Syllabus.  You will be held responsible for the information assigned, whether or not specifically discussed in class.
 

The ABA mandates class attendance, and the Washington State Bar application requires that a bar candidate disclose any class withdrawal due to non-attendance. Given those demands and the importance of participation in class discussion, you are expected to attend every class session Frequent absences will result in administrative intervention and may lead to automatic withdrawal from the course. . .

CLASS PARTICIPATION

Participation in discussion is a critical component of this class. Class participation will constitute 50% of the final semester grade.  Because I do not call upon students involuntarily in an advanced course such as this one, class participation must be (1) voluntary, (2) frequent; and (3) noteworthy (i.e., comments that contribute substantially to the understanding of the class or that materially advance the course of analysis).
 

Two typed papers of five pages in length will be assigned during the semester, and critiques of both papers will be returned to you.  Before the end of classes, a comprehensive case problem will be assigned, and oral presentation and discussion of your analysis of the problem will be conducted in my office.  Each of the first two papers will constitute 15% of the final semester grade, and the oral presentation will constitute 20% of the final semester grade.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

Given the lengthy nature of important scholarly articles assigned for discussion, the reading burden in this course will be rather uneven. It is advisable, therefore, to track the readings assigned for the immediate future should you need to prepare in advance. You will be held responsible for all materials assigned, including textbook notes, whether or not specifically discussed in class.