486 Jurisprudence (Ashley)

LAW486

Jurisprudence: Transgender People & the Law

(Ashley)

Prerequisite courses: 

Prerequisite for: 

Instructor(s): Professor Florence Ashley

Method of presentation: Seminar

Teamwork:

Learning Management System:

METHOD OF EVALUATION

Written work, approx. 75%; participation, approx. 25%

The final paper is 60% of the course grade and will fulfil the written work requirement for the JD degree.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

For better or worse, transgender communities have become ubiquitous in the public sphere over the last decade. From anti-discrimination laws to attacks on gender-affirming care, from progress to persecution, legal and political actors are increasingly concerning themselves with trans people. How should jurists think about the role of law in trans lives and the role of trans lives in the law? This course will take a deep dive into transgender people’s experiences with the legal system, using academic, journalistic, and activist writings to interrogate the contemporary governance of gender and shed light on attempts to resist it. Students will develop a richer understanding of transgender politics and legal theory, and gain insights into the legal system’s potential as an instrument of resistance—and of oppression. While students of all levels of knowledge are welcome, the course design assumes basic familiarity with trans realities. Students will be evaluated based on active class participation, a short critical commentary, and a major paper.

SPECIAL COMMENTS

Description updated 2026-27. Please contact the instructor for any specific questions you may have related to this particular course section.

REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY)

All readings will be available digitally.