Law 300

Law 300: Concepts in American Law
Fall 2020
Professor Daniel Klerman
Mondays & Wednesdays 2-3:50PM
Online
4 units

NOTE. This page has NOT yet been updated for 2021.  I will be updated the week of August 13.  There are no books or materials to purchase for the class.  All materials will be distributed free. I look forward to meeting you.  Prof. Klerman.

Exam memo and model answers here.

Zoom Address
The zoom address for the class is on Blackboard.

The Most Important Class Policy
If you will be absent or unprepared for class, please let me know in advance by emailing my assistant, Hannah Pae, at hpae@law.usc.edu. Please put “Law300” in the subject line of your email.  I call on students randomly, and it is very disruptive to the rhythm of class if I call on someone who is not prepared or absent.   If you send me an email saying that you will be absent or unprepared, I will not call on you.  There will be no penalty for sending a reasonable number of such emails, but if I call on you and you are absent or not prepared even once, that will have a negative impact on your participation grade.  For more details on this policy, see sections on Class Participation and the Socratic Method below.

Disability Accommodations
If you are entitled to a disability accommodation, please email your accommodation letter to undergraduate@law.usc.edu.  Please do NOT give it to me or discuss your disability or accommodation with me, unless those who respond to the email you send to undergraduate@law.usc.edu ask you to do so.  Disabilities are handled differently in the Law School than in other schools, and one goal is that the professor not be aware of which students have disabilities. This is an added protection for those with disabilities to prevent possible discrimination.

Professor Klerman’s Contact Information 
Email: dklerman@law.usc.edu

Office Hours
I will hold office hours Mondays & Wednesdays 3:50-4:20PM via zoom (same address as class).  That is, office hours will be the half hour after each class.  When class is canceled, there will be no office hours.
The TAs will hold office hours Thursdays 11AM-noon via zoom: https://usc.zoom.us/j/99066534383.

Teaching Assistant Email Addresses
Jesse Foley. jesse.foley.2022@lawmail.usc.edu
Tomi Johnson. tomi.johnson.2022@lawmail.usc.edu
Sophie Solomon. sophie.solomon.2022@lawmail.usc.edu

Course Schedule
Note that the readings and assignment due dates may be adjusted somewhat as the semester progresses.  Notice of all changes will be given in class, by email, and/or on this webpage. Note that readings will generally be short (less than 20 pages per class).  In this course, I emphasize thinking, not reading.

Week, Class & Date Topic, Readings, Slides, Model Answers, and Writing Assignments
Week 1
1. M 8/17		 Introduction
(No assigned reading)
Slides
Optional post-class readings:
Is Tomato a Fruit? (exercise and model answer)
US v Marshall (LSD case, Easterbrook/Posner)
US v Chapman (LSD case, US Supreme Court)
                        I. Statutory Interpretation
                            A. Title VII (Employment Discrimination)
2. W 8/19 The Text of Title VII
Writing Groups
Slides, Model Answer
Week 2
3. M 8/24		 The Legislative History of Title VII
Slides, Model Answer
4. W 8/26 Discriminatory Impact
Griggs v. Duke Power (1971)
Slides, Model Answer
Optional: How to Read a Legal Opinion
Week 3
5. M 8/31		 Affirmative Action
United Steelworkers v. Weber (1979)
Slides, Model Answer
6. W 9/2 Theories of Statutory Interpretation
Elizabeth Garrett, “Legislation and Statutory Interpretation” (2008)
Slides, Model Answer
1st Longer Writing Assignment
Week 4
M 9/7		 No class. Labor Day
7. W 9/9 Sexual Orientation
Bostock v. Clayton County (2020)
Slides, Model Answer
F 9/11 1st Longer Writing Assignment due 5PM
Model Answer
                           B. Obama Care
Week 5
8. M 9/14		 King v Burwell (2015)
Slides, Model Answer
9. W 9/16 Discussion of First Writing Assignment
(No new reading)
Slides, Model Answer
                       II. Common Law Interpretation
                              A. Finders
Week 6
10. M 9/21		 Finders
Slides, Model Answer
11. W 9/23 Midterm (posted to Blackboard 2PM)
(No new reading) Model Answer
Week 7
M 9/28		 Class Canceled
                           B. Product Liability
12. W 9/30 Levy, Winterbottom
Slides, Model Answer
Week 8
13. M 10/5		 Loop, Devlin
Slides, Model Answer
14. W 10/7 MacPherson
Slides, Model Answer
                        III. Constitutional Interpretation
                                A. The Second Amendment (Gun Rights)
Week 9
15. M 10/12		 Gun Rights before the 20th Century
Slides, Model Answer
16. W 10/14 Gun Rights in the 20th Century
Slides, Model Answer
Week 10
17. M 10/19		 District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)
Slides, Model Answer
18. W 10/21 Gun Rights after Heller
Slides, Model Answer
2nd Writing Assignment Distributed
                               B. Freedom of Speech
Week 11
19. M 10/26		 Freedom of Speech
Slides, Model Answer
20. W 10/28 David Strauss, The Living Constitution
Slides, Model Answer
F. 10/30 2nd Longer Writing Assignment due 5PM
Model Answer
                         IV. Law, Regulation, and Autonomous Vehicles
Week 12
21. M 11/2		 Regulation of Autonomous Vehicles
Slides, Model Answer
22. W 11/4 Product Liability and Autonomous Vehicles
Slides, Model Answer
Week 13
23. M 11/9		 The Trolley Problem & Autonomous Vehicles
Slides, Model Answer
24. W 11/11 Practice exam
Slides, Model Answer
M. 11/16 No class
Office hours 2-3:50 (regular zoom)
W. 11/18 Optional Review Class 2-3:50 (regular zoom)
Practice Exam II
Model Answer
F. 11/20 Final exam 2-4PM
Download exam questions from Blackboard
Upload exam questions to Blackboard
Exam Memo and Model Answers

Course Description
This course will be structured around four legal topics:

Title VII. Statutory interpretation and employment discrimination, with special attention to affirmative action and sexual harassment.

Products Liability. Common law interpretation and consumer safety, with special attention both to the historical development of the law.

The Second Amendment. Constitutional interpretation and gun rights, with attention both to the historical background of the Second Amendment and to recent cases.

Self-Driving Cars. Regulation and new technologies.

The goal is to use these issues as vehicles for teaching legal reasoning and broader concepts about American Law.  Topics will be taught using cases, statutes, and theoretical/academic articles.  Students will be encouraged to formulate their own legal arguments, understand and critique legal arguments they read in cases and academic materials, and debate with each other.  I also hope to help students understand the relationship between policy arguments and legal arguments through both theoretical materials addressing that topic and through the cases and statutes we discuss.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes
This course has five principal learning goals:

Students will learn to read cases critically.

Students will develop the capacity to articulate cogent arguments relating to statutory, common-law, and constitutional issues.

Students will recognize the roles of  history, culture, politics, morality, and other elements of the human condition in legal reasoning and learn to incorporate them in their own legal arguments.

Students will become attentive to the way legal language gives rise to conflicting interpretations.

Prerequisite(s): None
Co-Requisite(s): None
Concurrent Enrollment: None
Recommended Preparation: None

Course Notes
Much important information, including slides, readings, and assignments, will be posted to the webpage. You can access the web page by:

www.klerman.com and click on “Law 300” button at left
or
http://dklerman.usc.edu/Law300.htm

Blackboard will be used for quizzes, for turning in writing assignments, and perhaps for other purposes.

Technological Proficiency and Hardware/Software Required
None 

Required Readings and Supplementary Materials
I will distribute required readings in class and post them to the class webpage.  You don’t need to buy any books or a course reader.

Description and Assessment of Assignments, Grading Breakdown, Assignment Submission Policy, & Grading Timeline
Students will be graded based on performance on six items.

1. Class participation (10% of grade)

I expect you to come to class prepared and to participate actively.  A large part of the law is oral, and class is much more fun if everyone participates.  I will grade you based on the quality and quantity of your comments in class.  Note that, in accordance with law school tradition, I will use the “Socratic Method” and “cold call.”  That means, I may call on you even if you don’t raise your hand. This helps to ensure wide participation in class discussion.  If you are not prepared for class or if you will be absent or if you are uncomfortable discussing the material, please let me know in advance by emailing my assistant, Hannah Pae at hpae@law.usc.edu. Please put “Law300” in the subject line.  There will be no penalty for sending a reasonable number of such emails, but if I call on your and you are absent or not prepared, that will have a negative impact on your participation grade.  I will let you know if I think you are close to make an unreasonable number of requests not to be called on.

2. Blackboard quizzes (5% of grade)

To help you prepare for class, I will sometimes post a few questions to Blackboard relating to the readings. These questions will be relatively easy. Their primary purpose is to make sure everyone comes to class with a basic understanding of the readings.

Grading of the Blackboard quizzes will be generous.  I don’t expect students to get all the questions right, but merely to try.  You will receive full credit if you answer 90% of the questions and get at least 50% correct. Blackboard quizzes must be completed at least 15 minutes before class begins. Late work will receive no credit, because answers will be discussed in class.

After you “submit” your answer to each question, please be sure to click on “ok” in the lower right hand corner to “review results.” This will tell you if you got the right answer, and it will provide an explanation of the legal reasoning behind the correct answer. This feedback is a key part of why I am putting questions on Blackboard. I want you to get feedback on the easy questions (the ones I put on Blackboard) before you tackle the harder questions (the ones we will discuss in class).

3. Short papers (15% of grade)

Along with each reading assignment, I will give you questions related to the readings.  These are the questions that I will ask in the next class. The best way to prepare for class (and the long papers, midterm, and final) is to write out answers to all of those questions. I do not require that, but I encourage it.  I will, however, require you to write out answers to a small number of those questions once a week.  I will assign different questions to different groups of students.  Some students will have answers due on Mondays 15 minutes before class begins, while others will have answers due on Wednesdays 15 minutes before class begins.  I will try to accommodate your preferences as to which day you prefer. Click here for your writing group.

You may discuss the questions with classmates (and, indeed, I encourage you to do so), but assignments must be written up independently. You may not consult persons who have taken Law 300 before. You may not research any of the assignments. You must do them solely by consulting class materials. The only other source you may consult is a legal dictionary or regular dictionary. You may NOT use the internet to research the law or find cases that you think are relevant. You may not consult any materials prepared by me for a prior year’s class nor any materials prepared by former Law 300 students. At the bottom of each assignment, please type the following statement:

I have not consulted any materials other than those assigned for this class and a dictionary.

A paper answering only the required questions should be approximately one page long, single spaced.  There is no minimum or maximum length. The key is quality, not length.  If you answer all the optional questions, your paper is likely to be longer,  perhaps 4 pages.

All papers should be submitted to Blackboard in Microsoft Word format.  When you submit your papers, please use the following format for the document name:

[Last name][First name][Writing Group][Number of class for which paper is due][Short description of paper topic]

So, if I was in writing group W3 and was turning in the paper for the 2nd class on questions relating to the Text of Title VII, the document would be named:

KlermanDanielW32Text

Using this naming convention will make it much easier for the Teaching Assistants to keep track of your assignments.  I will give you your “Writing Group” on the first day of class.

Papers must be submitted the day they are due at least 15 minutes before class begins. Papers received after class has begun will receive no credit, because answers will be discussed in class. As noted below, there are consequences for turning in papers late.

Students will receive up to 100 points for each required question they answer, depending on quality.  In addition, if a student answers a question that was not required for that student (but was assigned and mandatory for others), the student will receive up to 10 points, depending on quality.  You may skip two mandatory writing assignments without penalty.  If you skip only one writing assignment, I will grade one of your assignments as though it was optional (e.g. up to 10 points for each question answered, rather up to 100 points). If you skip no assignments, I will grade two of your assignments as though they were optional (e.g. up to 10 points for each question answered correctly rather than up to 100 points).

You are welcome (and indeed encouraged) to submit writing assignments even on days which are not mandatory for your group. So, for example, if you are in group M1, M2, M3, or M4, you are welcome to submit a writing assignment due on Wednesday, and you will receive extra credit (Optional Question Points and Technical Points, see below) for doing so. 

Short papers will ordinarily be graded within one week.

Your assignments will receive a grade in the following format:

Total Points / Mandatory Question Points/ Optional Question Points / Technical Points / Suggestion Points

So, for example, your grade might be:

234/180/48/5/1

Here’s an explanation:

Total Points. This is determined by summing the points described below, except assignments submitted more than 15 minutes late (e.g. after 2PM, the beginning of class) will received zero total points.

Mandatory Question Points. You will receive up to 100 points for each required question you answer, depending on quality.

Optional Question Points. You receive up to 10 points for each optional question you answer, depending on quality.

Technical Points. You will receive 10 points if your assignment, as turned into Blackboard before 1:45 the day it is due, follows all of the instructions mentioned in the “Short papers” section of this webpage, including: (a) it includes the mandatory statement described above — “I have not consulted any materials other than those assigned for this class and a dictionary.” (b) it was submitted to Blackboard with the document name described above, (c) it was submitted in MS Word, (d) it was submitted under the correct Blackboard assignment, and (e) it was submitted by 1:45PM the day it was due. For each failure to comply with technicalities, the number of technical points you receive will be reduced by 5, although the minimum number of technical points you can receive is zero. In addition, if you did not include the mandatory statement described above, the Teaching Assistant will email you to confirm that you did not consult materials other than those assigned for the class or a dictionary. If your assignment was submitted in a format other than MS Word that the Teaching Assistant cannot read, the Teaching Assistant will ask you to resubmit your assignment and to prove that your assignment has not been edited since its original submission. Also, if your assignment was submitted after 2PM (that is, after class beings), you will receive no credit at all; that is, your Total Points will be zero.

Suggestion Points. If you make a suggestion that results in a change to the class materials– including readings, slides, this webpage, Blackboard quizzes, or model answers– you will earn a point.  To earn these points, email me directly at dklerman@law.usc.edu.  Do not email the TAs or my assistant.  I encourage you to point out typographical errors, infelicitous phrasings, confusing passages, and/or substantive errors, and to suggest corrections or improvements. As a token of my appreciation for your help in improving the course, I will add one point to your writing grade for each change I make in response to your suggestions. You may make these suggestions at any time up until a week after the final exam.  When you email me a suggestion, please put “Suggestion — Law 300”  on the Subject line.

So, in the example above — 234/180/48/5/1– , the student received 234 total points, because she (a) answered two mandatory very well, receiving 90 points for each (180 points), (b) answered 6 optional questions reasonably well, receiving 8 points each (48 points), (c) turned in a paper to Blackboard with the required document name in MS Word format by 1:45PM, but forgot the required statement (5 points).

4. Longer (5-page) writing assignments (25% of grade)

I will assign two longer papers.  These papers will ask you to analyze a legal problem and will be similar to questions I will ask on the midterm and final.

The due dates for the writing assignments are noted in the course schedule chart below.

You may discuss the questions with classmates (and, indeed, I encourage you to do so), but assignments must be written up independently.

These papers should be no longer than 5 pages, single spaced.

All writing assignments should be submitted to Blackboard in Microsoft Word format.  When you submit your writing assignments, please use the following format for the document name:

[Last name][First name][Group number][AssignmentX]

So, if I was in writing group M3 and was turning in second writing assignment, the document would be named:

KlermanDanielM3Assignment2

Using this naming convention will make it much easier for the TAs to keep track of your assignments.  I will give you your “group number” on the first day of class.

Late work will be penalized 5% (if less than 2 hours late), 10% (if between 2 hours and 24 hours late) plus 10% for each additional day or fraction of day late.

Longer papers will ordinarily be graded within two weeks.

5. Midterm (20% of grade)

The midterm exam will contain multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and/or a short essay.  It will be “open book.” The midterm will be graded within 2 weeks.

6. Final exam (25% of grade)

The final exam will include multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and/or one or more essay questions.  It will be “open book.”  The final will be on __.

Additional Policies and Information
Lunches
I will be organizing lunches with small groups of students. Sign-up sheets will be available in class. Lunches will usually take place on Wednesdays 1-2PM. Discussion need not be limited to topics covered in Law 300. In fact, I hope it’s not. To preserve an informal atmosphere, I will limit lunch to 10 students. Please bring your lunch or purchase it before 1PM. [Given COVID, I will try to figure out another way to meet (virtually of course) with small groups of students.]

Study Groups
As generations of law students have discovered, the dialogic character of law makes studying with a group an ideal way to prepare for class, exams, and writing assignments. I will be assigning everyone to a small study group, and I encourage you to meet with your study partners regularly.  Ideally, each study group would meet the evening before each class to go over the readings and discussion questions.  Although you must write up your work independently, I encourage you to discuss the short paper questions and longer writing assignments with your study group.

Laptops and Other Screens
Devices with screens — laptops, tablets, cellphones, eReaders, iPads, Kindles, and similar devices — may not be used during class for notes or for any other purpose. While in class, please focus on thinking, not note taking. To make most note taking unnecessary, I will distribute my PowerPoint slides and post an audio recording of each class.  [Given COVID, you will obviously need to use screens during class. Nevertheless, I strongly encourage you to resist the temptation to surf the web, check your email, chat with friends, or use your devices to do things not related to class discussion.]

Recordings
Recordings of every class will be posted to Blackboard soon after the relevant class has ended.  

Model Answers
Model answers to all class writing assignments will be distributed after all questions have been discussed in class. Distribution will use Hogo, a secure document sharing and distribution service.  I wrote these model answers myself. Model answers cannot be printed, downloaded, or shared.  This enables me to reuse questions from year-to-year, and ensure that no students have an unfair advantage through access through answers to the prior year’s questions. Even if you figure out how to defeat Hogo’s security provisions, please do not share model answers with students in future classes or anyone else.  Giving answers to future students will not really help them (because they will not have the benefit of learning the material themselves) and will cause unfairness.

Attendance
Because I will be posting a recording of each class as well as my PowerPoint Slides and model answers, it may be tempting to skip class. To counteract that temptation, class attendance is mandatory.

Reviewing Blackboard Quizzes
If you would like to review a Blackboard Quiz question and/or answer after the deadline for that quiz has passed, you can do so by following the instructions below:

      1. Go to ‘Tools’ in the menu bar
      2. Go to ‘My Grades’
      3. Click on the graded test/quiz that you want to review (title is in blue)
      4. Click on the calculated grade/the grade that you got for this test/quiz (this is in blue)
      5. This will open up to page where you can review the question, the answers, the answer you selected, and the response feedback

Limited Circulation of Class Materials
Class materials, including model answers, PowerPoint Slides and audio recordings, are for use by Fall 2020 Law 300 students only. You may not share them with future Law 300 students or anyone else. Doing so would be a violation of both USC Law School rules and copyright law. The purpose of this policy is to preserve my ability to reuse some questions in future classes. If model answers, PowerPoint Slides, audio recordings, or other class materials are shared with next year’s class, students with access to those materials will have an unfair advantage and will be deprived of the benefit of working out the answers themselves.

Reasonable Disagreement and Mutual Respect
Disagreements (even reasonable disagreements) about what the law means and/or should be are integral to legal reasoning.  They also can implicate our sense of right and wrong and our convictions about the meaning and worth of our lives.  In other words, our disagreements will sometimes touch a nerve.  We will strive to find ways to have reasoned disagreements, and make reasoned arguments, while remaining friendly.  Ultimately, my goal is that you will see arguing with your classmates as a sign of respect.  You show your respect for them by taking their arguments seriously and by taking the time to explain why you think they are mistaken. As William Blake wrote, “Opposition is true friendship,” as is sensitivity to another’s feelings.  Sometimes I will encourage you to make arguments for a side you don’t believe in, and I encourage you to do so even when I have not specifically asked you to do so. This class is about making reasoned arguments, not broadcasting your views and preferences (and certainly not about criticizing others for views or arguments they express in class).

The “Socratic Method”
I use the traditional “Socratic Method,” commonly practiced in American law schools.  That means that in addition to calling on people who volunteer to speak, I will also “cold call” students. The questions I pose are meant to stimulate the reason-giving process.  They are not meant to elicit the “right answer.”  More often than not, there is disagreement about what the right answer is, and I want you to make a reasoned argument not get the “right answer” (which may not exist).  Accordingly, if I follow up on your initial answer by asking you another question or by offering an objection, or by testing your answer with a hypothetical scenario, I am not commenting adversely on your answer.  Instead, I am investigating—and encouraging you and the rest of the class to participate in investigating—to think harder about your reasoning.  This process of inquiry may cause you to revise your initial answer, or to elaborate upon it with more detail, or to recognize that there is more than one valid answer.  Or you may push back on my questions and suggest that I am the one whose reasoning is weak. This is all part of the process and therefore you should not be worried about failing to give the “right” answer. Though this so-called “Socratic method” can cause some anxiety, I use this method despite that effect, not because of it. It is an important part of legal reasoning, because it is based on the kind of dialog that takes place at oral argument in appellate courts, when judges ask counsel tough questions about the position they are advocating.

As noted above, if you are not prepared for class or if you will be absent or if you are uncomfortable discussing the material, please let me know in advance by emailing my assistant, Hannah Pae, at hpae@law.usc.edu. Please put “Law300” in the subject line.  There will be no penalty for sending a reasonable number of such emails, but if I call on you and you are absent or not prepared, that will have a negative impact on your participation grade.  I will let you know if I think you are close to make an unreasonable number of requests not to be called on.

Reading Ahead
I do not recommend reading ahead, because each reading builds upon the prior class’s discussion. So, if, for example, you try to do both Monday’s and Wednesday’s readings over the weekend, you will not be able to fully comprehend Wednesday’s readings, because you will not yet have had the benefit of Monday’s class discussion.  If you have extra time, I suggest you review rather than read ahead. If, because of special circumstances, you need to read ahead, please let me know and I will give you the assignment in advance.  If your need to read ahead is related to a disability for which confidentiality is desired, please contact the appropriate administrator so that your request can be transmitted to me anonymously.

Research
Unless specifically stated, I neither expect nor encourage you to do legal research when preparing for my class. When I assign questions, I expect you to answer them based on class materials.  Even when I give you a question that is based on a real case, I discourage you from trying to find the case upon which the question was based. I discourage research for three reasons.  (1) I may have changed the facts of a case, so the reasoning in the case may not be applicable to the question I have asked.  (2) In class, I am seldom looking for a single right answer.  Rather, I am hoping that you will discover several plausible ways of addressing the legal issue. If you find a case on point, you may find one plausible answer to my question, but not other plausible answers.  (3) The key goal of this class is to help you learn how to make good legal arguments on your own.  If you find legal arguments through research, you won’t develop the skills you need to formulate your own legal arguments. For similar reasons, I discourage you from trying to consult materials from prior years of my class (and former students are forbidden to share them with you).

Newspapers and Public Radio
If you don’t already do so, I strongly encourage you to keep up with current events by subscribing to a daily newspaper and/or listening to public radio. You will understand law better if you understand business, politics and culture. In addition, such understanding will help you interview better for jobs, make you a better citizen, and make you a more interesting conversation partner at parties and other events. As a student, you are eligible for substantial discounts. In particular, I recommend:

The Wall Street Journal. $1 per week print and digital subscription.
https://buy.wsj.com/wsjtls17/?trackingCode=aaqntppl&cid=WSJ_SC_NA_SALE_PROF

The New York Times.
USG and GSG offer all students a free annual subscription to the New York Times using your USC email. http://nytimesaccess.com/usc/
$1 per week web and smartphone subscription. http://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/edu/lp8LQFK.html?src=898Q4&campaignId=393W8

KPCC. 89.3 FM. online at www.kpcc.org. Free mobile apps.

Note also that, if you are planning to live in a different city after graduation, you can listen to the public radio station(s) for that city on the web and via free mobile apps. That way you can get relevant local as we well as national and international news. Many cities’ newspapers are also available online, but local newspapers are not a substitute for national newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

Class Webpage
www.klerman.com and click on “Law 300” button at the top
or
http://dklerman.usc.edu/Law300.htm
Much important information, including slides, readings, and assignments, will be posted to the webpage.

Prof. Klerman’s Assistant, Hannah Pae
Email: hpae@law.usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-2548
Office: Rm. 465
Note that Hannah Pae is not a law student.  She is a full-time USC employee.  In some places, she might be called a secretary.

The First Class
There is no textbook to buy, and there is no reading assignment for the first class. The only assignments are:

(1) Come to class ready to think and express your views thoughtfully and respectfully.

(2) Before midnight on Sunday, August 16, send an email to my assistant, Hannah Pae, at hpae@law.usc.edu stating (a) the first name I should use when calling on you in class (e.g.  “Joe” instead of “Joseph”), (b) hints to pronouncing your first and last names (e.g. “Klerman” rhymes with “German”), (c) the pronouns I should use when referring to you (e.g. he/him, she/her, zie/zer), (d) whether you prefer that your short writing assignments be generally due on Mondays or Wednesdays (or whether you don’t care), and (e) how strong your preference is for the day your short writing assignments are due (e.g. strong or weak).  The email should be in the following form:

Subject: Law 300
Dear Ms. Pae,
I prefer that Professor Klerman call me __.
Hint(s) for pronouncing my name(s): ___
I prefer the Professor Klerman use the pronouns __ .
I prefer that my short writing assignments be due on __ .
My preference is ___ . (strong/weak)
Thank you.

(3) I suggest you download and print out the slides for the first class from the “Course Schedule” chart below.  If we were meeting in person, I would distribute slides printed 3-slides per page with a place to write notes.  You can print out slides in that same format by going to the File menu, selecting Print, and then, under Settings, changing “Full Page Slides” to “Handouts: 3 slides.”  This gives you an easy way to take notes in class.  Of course, you should take notes whatever way works best for you.

Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems
[This is an official USC statement, not written by Professor Klerman]

Academic Conduct:
Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Part B, Section 11, “Behavior Violating University Standards” policy.usc.edu/scampus-part-b. Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct, policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct.

Support Systems:
Student Health Counseling Services – (213) 740-7711 – 24/7 on call
engemannshc.usc.edu/counseling
Free and confidential mental health treatment for students, including short-term psychotherapy, group counseling, stress fitness workshops, and crisis intervention.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1 (800) 273-8255 – 24/7 on call
suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP) – (213) 740-4900 – 24/7 on call
engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp
Free and confidential therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender-based harm.

Office of Equity and Diversity (OED) | Title IX – (213) 740-5086
equity.usc.edu, titleix.usc.edu
Information about how to get help or help a survivor of harassment or discrimination, rights of protected classes, reporting options, and additional resources for students, faculty, staff, visitors, and applicants. The university prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the following protected characteristics: race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, and any other characteristic which may be specified in applicable laws and governmental regulations.

Bias Assessment Response and Support – (213) 740-2421
studentaffairs.usc.edu/bias-assessment-response-support
Avenue to report incidents of bias, hate crimes, and microaggressions for appropriate investigation and response.

The Office of Disability Services and Programs – (213) 740-0776
dsp.usc.edu
Support and accommodations for students with disabilities. Services include assistance in providing readers/notetakers/interpreters, special accommodations for test taking needs, assistance with architectural barriers, assistive technology, and support for individual needs.

USC Support and Advocacy – (213) 821-4710
studentaffairs.usc.edu/ssa
Assists students and families in resolving complex personal, financial, and academic issues adversely affecting their success as a student.

Diversity at USC – (213) 740-2101
diversity.usc.edu
Information on events, programs and training, the Provost’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, Diversity Liaisons for each academic school, chronology, participation, and various resources for students.

USC Emergency – UPC: (213) 740-4321, HSC: (323) 442-1000 – 24/7 on call
dps.usc.edu, emergency.usc.edu
Emergency assistance and avenue to report a crime. Latest updates regarding safety, including ways in which instruction will be continued if an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible.

USC Department of Public Safety – UPC: (213) 740-6000, HSC: (323) 442-120 – 24/7 on call
dps.usc.edu
Non-emergency assistance or information.

Help with Basic Needs
https://studentbasicneeds.usc.edu/

COVID-19

If you are experiencing food insecurity
https://studentbasicneeds.usc.edu/resources/food-insecurity/

If you are experiencing housing insecurity
https://studentbasicneeds.usc.edu/resources/housing-insecurity/

If you are experiencing financial insecurity

Financial Insecurity

If you need help procuring technology to perform coursework remotely
https://studentbasicneeds.usc.edu/resources/technology-assistance/
We realize attending classes online and performing coursework remotely requires access to technology that not all students may possess. If you need resources to successfully participate in your classes, such as a laptop or internet hotspot, you may be eligible for the University’s equipment rental program. To apply, please fill out this form (see link above) and our Student Basic Needs team will partner with you to evaluate your options.