LAW 417 - Statutory Interpretation Seminar.

We live in an age of statutes. The role of the lawyer and policymaker is increasingly to make sense of a complex network of statutes, regulations, and constitutions. This seminar will introduce the student to the rules and principles of statutory interpretation, such as the interpretive “canons,” the use of legislative history, and the role of judicial decisions and other statutes in interpreting a given statute. The seminar will also provide an opportunity to discuss the schools of interpretation of legal texts, such as Originalism, Textualism, and Purposivism. Class discussion and a substantial research paper are required. Two hours. TBA Not offered in 2015-2016.