University of Maryland School of Law : Catalog, 1988-1989

Law and Literature Seminar*
(3) and/or Course (2)
The seminar will examine a few
major "legal novels" (literary classics
with law as subject matter),
and the growing body of theoretical
writings regarding the
nature of interpretation, and the
relationship (if any) between the
legal and literary interpretive enterprise.
Each student will be required
to write and present a paper centering
on a work of legal literature,
or alternatively, on some aspect of
the interpretation debate. A
limited number of students will be
permitted to take the seminar as a
two-credit course with a required
final exam but no paper.
The seminar will have three
parts. Part I will examine several
legal novels, in conjunction with
competing interpretive studies of
those novels by legal scholars. Part
II will examine the interpretation
debate in jurisprudence, and its increasing
dependence on theories of
interpretation borrowed from literary
theory. Part III will evaluate
this growing interdisciplinary field,
and compare it with its closest interdisciplinary
rival: the law and
economics movement.
Evening (LAW 589 G)— Ms. West.
Law and Medicine (2)
This course serves as an introduction
to legal issues in medical practice
and health care. Such areas to
be explored may include medical
education; licensure; professional
discipline; hospital privileges; the
physician-patient relationship;
medical records and confidentiality;
informed consent; special
problems of the minor patient;
AIDS and public health policy;
death and dying; and medical malpractice.
Day/Evening (LAW 567 C) at
4:30 p.m.—Ms. Rothenberg.
Law and Psychiatry Seminar*
(3)
The law has an increasingly important
place in the practice of psychiatry.
Commitment, the right to
treatment, the right to refuse treatment,
release of insanity acquitees,
Tarasoff warnings and malpractice
are a few of these areas. This seminar
will discuss these issues in a
medico-legal clinical fashion. A
paper will be required.
Day (LAW 566 C)—Not offered
1988-89.
Law and Psychology Seminar*
(3)
This course explores the interplay
and conflict between law and psychology.
One major component is
a survey of how psychological research
and theory might affect the
judicial decision-making process in
such areas as children's rights,
obscenity, desegregation, the right
to counsel and freedom of expression.
A second major component
focuses on the psychologist as
the object of judicial scrutiny. In
this regard the course includes materials
on constraints on behavioral
science research, therapeutic intervention
and the use of psychological
tests and the vulnerability of
the psychologist as expert witness.
The course is open to students at
the School of Law and psychology
students at the Johns Hopkins University.
Day (LAW 526 D)—Not offered
1988-89.
Legal and Social Problems of
the Elderly (3)
This course will focus on several of
the major legal and social problems
confronting the elderly today.
These include public benefits; eg.
Medicaid and Medicare; planning
for old age, i.e., wills, insurance,
and annuities; dealing with the
health care system: rights of nursing
home and hospitalized patients;
and substituted decisionmaking for
elderly incompetent patients, i.e.,
guardianship, durable powers of attorney
and living wills. The course
will integrate substantive and skill
building components by providing
students with an opportunity to
(1) interact with elderly individuals,
(2) practice interviewing,
counseling, writing and oral communication
skills, and (3) learn
about and appreciate the roles of
other professionals involved in
providing services to the elderly.
Although the course will be targeted
to law students, three or four
of the sessions will be held jointly
with a class at the school of social
work and students from both
schools will have an opportunity to
work together on a project outside
of class. Students may take this
course and Legal Problems of the
Elderly Seminar.
Day (LAW 532 D)— Ms. Hoffman.
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