Public Affairs 4510: Law & Public Affairs

Upon conclusion of this course, students will be equipped with an understanding of the legal concepts that shape public administration, including the constitutional issues that arise in public service controversies and their implications for resolving public problems.

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Identify the legal basis for the practice of public affairs, the role of the judiciary, and separation of powers.
• Understand the environment and structures within which public administrators operate and the impact of various constitutional rights and legal provisions that govern how public employees do their jobs.
• Demonstrate knowledge of law and public affairs through class presentations, discussion, court case briefs and related assignments.

• Course Engagement, 10%, Independent Work

• Knowledge Assessment Tests, 30%, Independent Work

• Court Case Brief, 15%, Independent Work

• Memorandum to Government Agency, 15%, Independent Paper

• Government in Court Presentation, 10%, Independent Presentation

• Legal Issues in Public Affairs Presentation, 20%, Group Presentation

Three in-class tests will be administered over the course of the semester (dates are listed in the course schedule). Tests will assess your knowledge of the core concepts covered in the readings and lectures on material immediately preceding the tests (non-cumulative). The grade from the lowest test will be dropped. No make-up tests will be given, and this policy is strictly enforced with no exceptions. 

You will select a recent Ohio Supreme Court case that impacts an area of administrative or constitutional law. Case briefs should be no more than five pages, double-spaced, and must follow a briefing format discussed in class. Your written briefs should be your own original work.

Students will watch a recording of an Ohio Supreme Court oral argument, read the Court decision and parties briefs, and draft a memorandum about the selected case. Memoranda should be no more than five pages, double-spaced, and must follow a format memorandum discussed in class. Your memorandum should be your own original work.

Each student will make one presentation and lead class discussion about a recent or pending court case involving a governmental agency.  The student will analyze the legal underpinnings of the issue and lead the class in a short discussion about the situation and the potential or actual judicial response to the matter. The focus of your presentation should be on the legal concepts discussed in class and students must demonstrate their understanding of administrative and constitutional law concepts during presentations. Your presentation should be your own original work. 

Students will collaborate in groups, simulating a public administration team tackling a scenario that presents a legal challenge. Each group will be assigned a public administration scenario and will be responsible for identifying and discussing the relevant legal concepts from the course as they pertain to their scenario. A key component of this assignment is to differentiate between a question of law and a question of policy. This is a peer graded assignment, and team collaboration is a key component.

Active class participation plays a pivotal role in student success. However, life is unpredictable, and things happen - illness, serious family emergencies, participation in official university-sponsored events or competitions, religious holidays, etc. Each student is allowed two (2) unexcused absences without penalty to their grade. However, for any additional occurrences, it's crucial to reach out and notify me as soon as possible.

Course engagement doesn’t solely mean regular class attendance. I define engagement as your ability to gain something out of this course. These goals are necessarily individualized. So, you will be asked to write two memos (each one paragraph long) that will prompt you to reflect on your goals and what you were able to learn from the readings, activities, and lectures.

• Mid-Semester Memo: Due halfway through our course, this memo is your chance to pause and ponder your goals and what you were able to learn thus far (e.g., how one of our Government in Court presentations illustrated a concept we learned in class). 
• Concluding Memo: Due at the semester’s end, this final memo invites you to reflect upon what you were able to learn from the readings, activities, and lectures.