Antisemitism and the Law

Antisemitism and the Law explores how antisemitism has been defined, debated, and litigated in the United States. The first half of the term is interdisciplinary: historians, sociologists, theologians, and critical-race theorists provide competing conceptual frameworks. The second half turns to doctrine and practice—how federal civil-rights statutes, constitutional principles, and recent courtroom battles address antisemitic acts and speech. By the close of the course students will be able to: 

• compare major scholarly definitions of antisemitism and evaluate their limits; 
• explain how U.S. law fits antisemitism into the categories of race, religion, and national origin; and 
• analyze primary pleadings, motions, and opinions from ongoing litigation