486 Jurisprudence: Law & Film (Yahya)

LAW486

Jurisprudence: Law & Film

(Yahya)

Prerequisite courses: 

Prerequisite for: 

Instructor(s): Professor Moin Yahya

Method of presentation: Seminar

METHOD OF EVALUATION

Students will watch a set of movies prior to each class. For each class, the student will submit three reflections (one page maximum per reflection). During the class, we will discuss the movies and the reflections. Each class will then be evaluated as follows:

3 x 2 points max. per reflection + 4 points max. for class discussion = 10 points max per class. There will be a total of 12 sets of films to watch (the first class will be a general introduction), and hence the final grade will be out of 120 points.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will explore how the movies can be used as a vehicle (in addition to entertainment) of commentary on the law itself. By law, we can think of lawyers and their ethics as well as the law itself regardless of whether adjudicated, legislated, or socially accepted. We will explore various films that portray lawyers, judges, or other agents of the law. The goal is to understand what is driving the portrayal of the legal issues depicted in the films, regardless of legal accuracy, and to understand what messages these films have for us as lawyers in society. 

SPECIAL COMMENTS

Description updated 2022-23. Please contact the instructor for any specific questions you may have related to this particular course section.

REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY):

I will circulate the Syllabus later in the summer to students enrolled in the class (or you can check in on TWEN) towards mid-August. The Syllabus will contain a weekly list of movies (2-3 on average) that must be watched prior to class. These movies should either be available for rent/purchase on YouTune/Google Store OR for free on our online resources (which I will indicate in the Syllabus). 

While no textbook is required, I will post some recommended texts and articles either as a general reference or specific for the set of viewings. These are meant to the student some ideas for how and what to watch for in the movies as well as to assist in formulating the reflections. That being said, the student can generate their own reflections without necessarily using these readings. 

The Syllabus & List of Films will be posted to my TWEN pages, so you can check on that mid-August onwards.