333 Science Law & Policy

What are the government policies that support science? How is science regulated and controlled? What can science contribute to law and policy? How do the states, the federal government and international agencies interact to set science policy? How do disparate regulations and law impact research and translation? How is scientific research funded? These questions and more will be explored by looking at the interaction of law, science, and policy. The class is a mix of law, ethics and science students, and learning how to talk to one another in a common language is an important element of the course. Classes will include consideration and analysis of cases studies. There are no prerequisites for the course and there is no requirement that students have either graduate or upper-level undergraduate training in the sciences. Course evaluation (i.e. your grade) will be based on class participation and a final exam.

All MA, PhD and JD/MA students should register under BIOETHIC 704 – approval of professor is required. All law students (other than JD/MAs) should register under LAW 333.

Course Areas of Practice
Evaluation Methods
  • Final Exam
  • Reflective Writing
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
Degree Requirements
Course Type
  • Lecture
Learning Outcomes
  • Legal analysis and reasoning, legal research, problem-solving, and written and oral communication in the legal context

Fall 2023

2023
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

333.01 3
  • Final Exam
  • Reflective Writing
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
Casey Mock

What are the government policies that support science? How is science regulated and controlled? What can science contribute to law and policy? How do the states, the federal government and international agencies interact to set science policy? How do disparate regulations and law impact research and translation? How is scientific research funded? These questions and more will be explored by looking at the interaction of law, science, and policy. The class is a mix of law, ethics and science students, and learning how to talk to one another in a common language is an important element of the course. Classes will include consideration and analysis of cases studies. There are no prerequisites for the course and there is no requirement that students have either graduate or upper-level undergraduate training in the sciences. Course evaluation (i.e. your grade) will be based on class participation and a final exam.

All MA, PhD and JD/MA students should register under BIOETHIC 704 – approval of professor is required. All law students (other than JD/MAs) should register under LAW 333.

Syllabus: 333-01-Fall2023-syllabus.docx54.62 KB

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2022

2022
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

333.01 3
  • Final Exam
  • Reflective Writing
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
Michael B. Waitzkin

What are the government policies that support science? How is science regulated and controlled? What can science contribute to law and policy? How do the states, the federal government and international agencies interact to set science policy? How do disparate regulations and law impact research and translation? How is scientific research funded? These questions and more will be explored by looking at the interaction of law, science, and policy. The class is a mix of law, ethics and science students, and learning how to talk to one another in a common language is an important element of the course. Classes will include consideration and analysis of cases studies. There are no prerequisites for the course and there is no requirement that students have either graduate or upper-level undergraduate training in the sciences. Course evaluation (i.e. your grade) will be based on class participation and a final exam.

All MA, PhD and JD/MA students should register under BIOETHIC 704 – approval of professor is required. All law students (other than JD/MAs) should register under LAW 333.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2021

2021
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

333.01 3
  • Final Exam
  • Reflective Writing
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
Michael B. Waitzkin

What are the government policies that support science? How is science regulated and controlled? What can science contribute to law and policy? How do the states, the federal government and international agencies interact to set science policy? How do disparate regulations and law impact research and translation? How is scientific research funded? These questions and more will be explored by looking at the interaction of law, science, and policy. The class is a mix of law, ethics and science students, and learning how to talk to one another in a common language is an important element of the course. Classes will include consideration and analysis of cases studies. There are no prerequisites for the course and there is no requirement that students have either graduate or upper-level undergraduate training in the sciences. Course evaluation (i.e. your grade) will be based on class participation and a final exam.

All MA, PhD and JD/MA students should register under BIOETHIC 704 – approval of professor is required. All law students (other than JD/MAs) should register under LAW 333.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2020

2020
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

333.01 3
  • Final Exam
  • Reflective Writing
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
Michael B. Waitzkin

What are the government policies that support science? How is science regulated and controlled? What can science contribute to law and policy? How do the states, the federal government and international agencies interact to set science policy? How do disparate regulations and law impact research and translation? How is scientific research funded? These questions and more will be explored by looking at the interaction of law, science, and policy. The class is a mix of law, ethics and science students, and learning how to talk to one another in a common language is an important element of the course. Classes will include consideration and analysis of cases studies. There are no prerequisites for the course and there is no requirement that students have either graduate or upper-level undergraduate training in the sciences. Course evaluation (i.e. your grade) will be based on class participation, student presentations, weekly discussion questions, and a final exam.

This will be a hybrid class with some asynchronous content.  The class will meet from 4:00 PM-6:45 PM on Thursdays in Law 3037, which allows appropriate social distancing for all class members to attend in person, if they chose to do so.  All class sessions will be live on-line to permit synchronous remote participation.  No student’s grade will be impacted by their decision to attend in person, remotely or any combination of the two.  When asynchronous content is provided, students will be required to review the recorded material before class and class length will be shortened proportionately.  All MA, PhD and JD/MA students should register under BIOETHIC 704 – approval of professor is required.  All law students (other than JD/MAs) should register under LAW 333.  Currently the number of law students is capped at 10, but additional students may be admitted depending upon the number of grad students who apply. 

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2019

2019
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

333.01 3
  • Final Exam
  • Reflective Writing
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
Michael B. Waitzkin

What are the government policies that support science? How is science regulated and controlled? What can science contribute to law and policy? How do the states, the federal government and international agencies interact to set science policy? How do disparate regulations and law impact research and translation? How is scientific research funded? These questions and more will be explored by looking at the interaction of law, science, and policy. The class is a mix of law, ethics and science students, and learning how to talk to one another in a common language is an important element of the course. Classes will include consideration and analysis of cases studies. There are no prerequisites for the course, and there is no requirement that students have either graduate or upper-level undergraduate training in the sciences. Course evaluation will be based on class participation, student presentation, weekly discussion questions, a short paper, and a final exam.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2018

2018
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

333.01 3
  • Final Exam
  • Reflective Writing
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
Michael B. Waitzkin

What are the government policies that support science? How is science regulated and controlled? What can science contribute to law and policy? How do the states, the federal government and international agencies interact to set science policy? How do disparate regulations and law impact research and translation? How is scientific research funded? These questions and more will be explored by looking at the interaction of law, science, and policy. The class is a mix of law, ethics and science students, and learning how to talk to one another in a common language is an important element of the course. Classes will include consideration and analysis of cases studies. There are no prerequisites for the course, and there is no requirement that students have either graduate or upper-level undergraduate training in the sciences. Course evaluation will be based on class participation, student presentation, weekly discussion questions, a short paper, and a final exam.

Syllabus: 333.01.Fall2018-syllabus.docx42.3 KB

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2017

2017
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

333.01 3
  • Take-home examination
  • Reflective Writing
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
Michael B. Waitzkin

What are the government policies that support science? How is science regulated and controlled? What can science contribute to law and policy? How do the states, the federal government and international agencies interact to set science policy? How do disparate regulations and law impact research and translation? How is scientific research funded? These questions and more will be explored by looking at the interaction of law, science, and policy. The class is a mix of law, ethics and science students, and learning how to talk to one another in a common language is an important element of the course. Classes will include consideration and analysis of cases studies. There are no prerequisites for the course, and there is no requirement that students have either graduate or upper-level undergraduate training in the sciences. Course evaluation will be based on class participation, student presentation, weekly discussion questions, a short paper, and a final exam.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Fall 2016

2016
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

333.01 3
  • Take-home examination
  • Reflective Writing
  • Practical exercises
  • In-class exercise
  • Class participation
Michael B. Waitzkin

What are the government policies that support science? How is science regulated and controlled? What can science contribute to law and policy? How do the states, the federal government and international agencies interact to set science policy? How do disparate regulations and law impact research and translation? How is scientific research funded? These questions and more will be explored by looking at the interaction of law, science, and policy. The class is a mix of law, ethics and science students, and learning how to talk to one another in a common language is an important element of the course. Classes will include consideration and analysis of cases studies. There are no prerequisites for the course, and there is no requirement that students have either graduate or upper-level undergraduate training in the sciences. Course evaluation will be based on class participation, student presentation, weekly discussion questions, a short paper, and a final exam.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

Spring 2016

2016
Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor

333.01 3 Michael B. Waitzkin

What are the government policies that support science?  What can science contribute to law and policy? How do different agencies govern the progress of scientific discovery? How do disparate regulations impact scientific funding in controversial areas like stem cell research? How is scientific research funded? What are the rules regarding research involving individuals, or the role of academic science in national innovation? These questions and more will be explored by reviewing the history of US science policy since World War II, and looking at the interaction of law, science, and policy with an emphasis on the life sciences in the United States. There are no prerequisites for the course, and the course is designed for students without graduate or upper-level undergraduate training in the sciences. Course evaluation will be based on weekly "blogs" on readings, one short reaction paper, and a final exam.

Pre/Co-requisites
None

*Please note that this information is for planning purposes only, and should not be relied upon for the schedule for a given semester. Faculty leaves and sabbaticals, as well as other curriculum considerations, will sometimes affect when a course may be offered.