Franklin & Marshall College
BOS 371
WHEN LAW GOES POP
Professor Jeffrey Nesteruk
Harris 118
291-3924
Office Hours:
Tuesday 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Wednesday 11:00am – 12:00pm
Thursday 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Texts:
David Ray Papke et al, Law and Popular Culture: Text, Notes, and Questions
Films: The Paper Chase, Legally Blond, The Verdict, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia,
Regarding Henry, Devil’s Advocate, My Cousin Vinny, Star Chamber, Twelve Angry Men,
Anatomy of a Murder, Judgment at Nuremberg, Kramer vs. Kramer, And Justice for All, Young Mr.
Lincoln, Miracle on 34th Street
Supplementary materials will be distributed in class throughout the semester.
Course Description:
In examining the law’s role in business and beyond, we most typically focus on the law’s rules and
arguments, its doctrines and policies. But the law’s larger set of meanings come to the fore whenever
the law goes pop, as Richard Sherwin has so memorably put it. Drawing on the rich interaction
between law and popular culture, this course explores the narratives the law provides for
understanding our personal and professional relationships, our larger commercial lives, and
ultimately ourselves.
.
Course Goals:
*To develop in students a rich awareness of the interaction of law and popular culture
*To cultivate in students the skills needed for critical analysis of the law’s narratives
*To explore how the law’s stories inform and illuminate the practices and institutions of our
commercial society
*To invite students to reflect upon the significance of the law’s rhetoric for their own lives
Grading:
Your final grade in this class will be determined by:
Midterm Class Project
Essay Portfolio
Course Contribution
Each of the above items will be weighted equally and count for one-third of your final grade.
* All students will do the midterm class project and hand in the essay portfolio on scheduled dates.
The essay portfolio must be in hard copy and handed in directly to me. An electronic version of the
midterm class presentation must be deposited in the designated dropbox for this course.
Midterm Class Project
For your midterm class project, you will give a presentation to the class analyzing how
popular culture treats a particular legal doctrine, issue, or topic. The centerpiece of your
presentation will be a 10-12 minute digital story that you create. Your digital story must be
submitting to me on a USB flash drive.
Essay Portfolio
Throughout this course, we will examine a number of major legal narratives occurring in
popular culture. Your essay portfolio will consist of three essays. Each essay will focus on a
particular legal narrative and will answer a specific assigned question regarding that
narrative. The suggested length of your essay portfolio is 15-18 pages.
Course Contribution
Class discussion is at the core of this class and thus a significant portion of your grade. The
class contribution portion of your grade will thus reflect your general class attendance,
preparation, and participation. It will also entail throughout the course your performance in a
number of specific classroom exercises, including weekly 2-page reviews of the films you
watch and your Juris Award project. Your reviews should be submitted to the designated
dropbox for this course.
COURSE OUTLINE AND ASSIGNMENTS
1/15 – Introduction: LPC – Chapter 1 (Studying Law and Popular Culture)
1/22 – Legal Education: The Paper Chase, Legally Blond, LPC – Chapter 2 (Legal Education)
1/29 – Personal Redemption: The Verdict, LPC – Chapter 9 (Torts)
2/5 – Idealistic Struggle: To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia
2/12 – Loss of Self: Regarding Henry, Devil’s Advocate, LPC – Chapter 3 (Lawyers)
2/19 – Personal Relationships: Young Mr. Lincoln, My Cousin Vinny
2/26 – Midterm Class Project presentations
3/5 – Midterm Class Project presentations
SPRING RECESS (3/8 – 3/16)
3/19 – Taking Action: Star Chamber, Twelve Angry Men
3/26 – Confronting Politics: Judgment at Nuremberg, LPC - Chapter 8 (Punishment)
4/2 – Ethical Compromises: Anatomy of a Murder, LPC – Chapter 4 (Clients)
4/9 – Imperfect Choices: Kramer v. Kramer, LPC - Chapter 12 (Family Law)
4/16 – Reimagining Ourselves: And Justice for All, Miracle on 34th Street
4/23 – Juris Awards for Popular Culture Portrayals of the Law
* * * Essay Portfolio due at the beginning of class on 4/23/14.