FRS 001O — Sec. 001 — (1 unit) — CRN 35575 — M 3:10 – 4:00 pm — 2070 King Hall
Current Developments in Civil Rights

Instructor: Cruz Reynoso, School of Law

Description: This seminar is based on the work of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. The seminar will begin with a look at the agency itself: its historical beginnings, its structure, and its powers and jurisdiction. All but one remaining class will cover current civil rights issues on which the Commission has recently held briefings or hearings, including voting rights, civil rights concerns of Arab-Americans after 9/11, the rights of American indigenous populations in Alaska, Hawai'i and South Dakota, affirmative action in higher education, and police-community relations. One class will be devoted to comparing the approach of this agency - an entity of a democratic government - with the practice and principles of nonviolent resistance espoused by Gandhi, as a means of resolving conflict and effectuating social and political change. The goal of this seminar is to increase awareness of the civil rights issues encountered by diverse populations, the role of the federal government in securing and protecting those rights, and to explore what Gandhi's principles of conflict resolution may have to offer in today's civil rights disputes. There will be additional focus on developing critical writing skills.

Format: Classes will be structured to allow most time for student discussion. Students will complete eight weekly response papers of 1 page in length, to be based on their readings, in addition to a final paper of 5 pages. Readings for the seminar will be taken from the Commission's reports, statements and other publications, Mark Juergensmeyer's Gandhi's Way: A Handbook of Conflict Resolution, and other short articles. Class meetings will be on Mondays from 3:10 - 4 p.m., falling on January 12, 23, and 26; February 2, 9, 16, 23; and March 1, 8 and 15. Beginning with the second class meeting there will be 10-20 pages of assigned reading each week, on which a response paper will be due at the following class meeting. The final paper will be due on the last day of class. Grading: Grading will be as follows: 5 points for each response paper (for 40 total points), 25 points for the final paper, and 35 points for class participation.

About the Instructor: Professor Reynoso has taught at the School of Law (Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall) since 2001, where he holds the Boochever and Bird Chair for the Study and Teaching of Freedom and Equality. His career has also included positions in academia, private practice, public service, and poverty law. He served a combined 11 years as a justice on the California Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, and currently serves as the Vice Chair for the U.S. Commissions on Civil Rights. Professor Reynoso's academic interests include legal ethics, remedies, appellate advocacy and civil rights.