Curriculum Guide · Courses

Professor Heidi Feldman

J.D. Course 151 | 3 credit hours

This course will focus on the intersection of tort law and public interest law, specifically Section 1983 actions (actions that give injured individuals remedies for against other individuals whose harmful conduct violates constitutionally protected interests even if the defendants are not state actors). We will learn why Section 1983 was passed in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War yet played very little role in constitutional litigation until the latter half of the 20th century. The class will explore the development of contemporary section 1983 law, including the defenses and immunities that have developed around it.