For this week's discussion you will participate in small groups. You should be able to see only your group in the discussion area. Please review the Discussion Guidelines for additional information about the purpose of discussions and the grading rubric.
Select ONE of the topics below (from Chapters 5-7) as the focus of your initial post. Remember, once someone in your group chooses a topic, you must choose another one. Therefore, please provide a meaningful subject line for your post (do not just copy the and paste the topic) so others in the group can easily see what topics are taken.
Evaluate the description of how to get into law school in the YouTube video to the description provided in Chapter 5. What similarities and differences did you see?
Describe the five types of work that lawyers engage in regularly. Which seems most important to you? Explain your position.
Based on the article linked in the lesson for Chapter 5, are there too many lawyers? Why or why not?
How does the debate over judicial accountability versus independence relate to methods of judicial selection? Is one better than the other?
Explain your position.
What consequences might shows like Judge Judy have for the legal system? Are these good, bad, or indifferent? Explain your position.
The number of women on the judiciary is changing. What argument does Justice Ginsburg make about the impact this will have on the courts? Do others agree or disagree? What is your position on this?
Why is the one-shotter v. repeat player framework so appealing to social scientists studying the courts?
What is meant by mobilization of the law and why are political scientists interested in this phenomenon?
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of having the courts and the legislatures at odds with each other.
Identify and describe at least one legal controversy that pits organized interests against each other.
Evaluate the description of interest groups from the YouTube video with the information presented in Chapter 7. What similarities and differences did you notice?
What impact have the media (e.g., TV reports, amateur videos, internet, social media etc) had on the legal system? What does this impact have on justice?