Employment Discrimination Law Seminar Policies and Syllabus Fall 2007
Professor David A. Larson Hamline University School of Law
dlarson@hamline.edu
651-523-2128
Required Reading:
1) Employment Discrimination Law: Visions of Equality in Theory and Doctrine,
George Rutherglen, Foundation Press (2nd edition 2007), ISBN 978-1-59941239-9
2) Employment Discrimination Stories, Joel Friedman (Editor), Foundation Press
(2006), ISBN 1-58778-888-8
3) Disability Law: Cases, Materials, Problems, Laura Rothstein, LexisNexis (4th
edition 2006) ISBN 0-8205-6470-2
4) Employment Discrimination: Case Supplement with Selected Statutes
2005, Michael Zimmer, Charles Sullivan, and Rebecca White, Aspen Publishers
(2005) ISBN 0-7355-3648-1
Syllabus revisions that are made during the semester will be posted on TWEN,
so please always refer to TWEN for the most up-to-date copy of the syllabus.
Goals and Objectives: This seminar will focus on specific forms of employment
discrimination that continue to cause concern and confusion in the workplace.
Issues arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act (for example, reasonable
accommodations for individuals with mental impairments), different types of
unlawful harassment (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age and
disability), affirmative action programs, sexual orientation, and religious
discrimination issues (such as Muslim workers' requests for accommodations
when assigned tasks require contact with alcohol and pork products) will be
among the subjects considered.
This seminar will not attempt to duplicate the entire Employment Discrimination
Law course and does not provide a comprehensive survey of employment
discrimination law. Instead, national and local topical issues such as those listed
above will be identified and explored in depth. One goal is to improve students'
ability to analyze and apply judicial and administrative agency opinions.
Accordingly, students should expect that they will be called on to discuss the
assigned textual material, judicial opinions, and statutes.
Attendance Policy: Fourteen class sessions are scheduled. Two or more
absences will be considered excessive. Attendance will be taken by circulating
the Registrar's attendance sheet. If a student misses more than two classes, that
student will be required to write and submit a 2,000 word paper that discusses
one of the issues covered in the classes from which the student was absent. The
topic of that paper will be determined by Professor Larson. Three or more
absences will be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean and may result in
a course withdrawal (W) or a failing grade (F).
Technology Policy: In order to facilitate focused interactive class discussion,
there will be occasions when the class will be asked to close their notebook
computers and/or turn off technology they have been using If a student uses
classroom time to read or send e-mail messages, visits web sites that the class
has not been instructed to visit at that particular time, or engages in any other
online or technology based activities (including cellular telephones) not directly
related to the current classroom discussion, then that student will be asked to
drop the course and will not receive academic credit for the course.
Testing and Grading: Students will be expected to complete a paper and
present their observations and conclusions to the class. If this is not the case,
then any change will be brought to the students' attention during class and also
posted on TWEN. Class participation and presentations will be considered in
assigning a final grade.
Advance Assignment: Always review the statutory material in the Supplement
that is cited in the textbook pages that are assigned.
Aug 11:
1) Employment Discrimination Law: Visions of Equality in Theory and Doctrine,
George Rutherglen pp. 1 - 55
2) Employment Discrimination Stories, Joel Friedman (Editor), pp. 1 - 35
3) Read the three following cases:
a) McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792 (1973)
b) Texas Dept. of Community Affairs v. Burdine, 450 U.S. 248
c) Desert Palace, Inc. v. Costa, 539 U.S. 90 (2003)
Cases are available through your Westlaw account. Once the class begins you
will be able to review the cases assigned for future classes through hyperlinks
posted on TWEN.