POLS 442, Civil Liberties: Freedom of Expression and Conviction, is a course where students engage in an in-depth study of the First Amendment doctrine related to freedom of speech, press, assembly, petition, and religion.
The purpose of this collaboration between POLS 442 and the First Amendment Clinic was to help POLS students understand how the legal the doctrine they study fits within a bigger legal framework, and to provide clinic students with another opportunity to practice assessing legal claims and counseling clients.
While POLS students read US Supreme Court cases in class, they tested their knowledge of the law through responding to a series of hypothetical legal cases. To culminate the class, POLS students created their own complex hypothetical cases. On April 17, POLS students, serving in the role of a mock client, presented their hypothetical cases to the College of Law students who provided legal advice. While the POLS students know the First Amendment legal doctrine, no case occurs in a, and no case can be viewed through the lens of a single legal doctrine. Through collaboration with the First Amendment Clinic, POLS students gained insight into the many other legal concepts that influence the outcome of First Amendment cases. Clinical law students shared insight into whether their case could be raised in court, and if it was, what strategies might be used, what remedies might be available, and whether their case was likely to be successful.
POLS 442 is part of a series of law-related courses offered by the Department of Political Science. Students who are interested in POLS 442, or any of the other law-related POLS course are welcome to reach out with any questions to shouston3@unl.edu
