Study

Public Law Litigation focuses on litigation meant to vindicate federal statutory and constitutional rights. We begin with the ins and outs of the Federal Question jurisdictional statute, then move on to suits against the government. We address both federal and state sovereign immunity in depth, and we explore civil rights litigation against state and federal officers under 42 U.S.C. 1983 and the Bivens doctrine. We also canvass various statutory and judge-made rules limiting parallel litigation in state and federal courts. The course concludes with a discussion of i federal habeas corpus as a vehicle for judicial review of executive detention and for collateral attack on state criminal convictions. LLMs must have instructor permission to enroll.

Spring 2026

Course Number	Course Credits	Evaluation Method	Instructor
344.01	3	Final Exam	Ernest A. Young
Canvas site: https://canvas.duke.edu/courses/74892