This advanced course will primarily focus on litigation in the Biden and second Trump Administrations by using materials from district courts (complaints, motions for preliminary relief, motions for summary judgment, judicial decisions) so students can see how Administrative Law challenges are brought and litigated before they reach appellate courts. Examples may include challenges to: Julie Su serving as acting Labor Secretary; the structure of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; the (near) closure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; large-scale firings of government workers (probationary employees and RIFs); grant cancellations; FOIA requests to DOGE; and presidential removal of the head of the Inter-American Foundation and the appointment of acting officials outside the Vacancies Act. Attention will be paid to reviewability, procedural mandates, substance (statutory and constitutional), and remedies. The course will also examine some non-litigation topics, including presidential directives related to Administrative Law under the last two Administrations, agency budgets, and federal contracting. Requirements will include multiple writing and oral assignments (including short reading reflections/argument questions, oral presentations, an op-ed, and an 8-LAW 10 page paper on a relevant topic ). Elements used in grading: Attendance, class participation, written and oral assignments, final paper. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must submit a Consent Application Form at SLS Registrar https://registrar.law.stanford.edu/. See the Consent Application Form for instructions and the submission deadline.
3 units · Law Honors/Pass/Restrd Cr/Fail
This advanced course will primarily focus on litigation in the Biden and second Trump Administrations by using materials from district courts (complaints, motions for preliminary relief, motions for summary judgment, judicial decisions) so students can see how Administrative Law challenges are brought and litigated before they reach appellate courts. Examples may include challenges to: Julie Su serving as acting Labor Secretary; the structure of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force; the (near) closure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; large-scale firings of government workers (probationary employees and RIFs); grant cancellations; FOIA requests to DOGE; and presidential removal of the head of the Inter-American Foundation and the appointment of acting officials outside the Vacancies Act. Attention will be paid to reviewability, procedural mandates, substance (statutory and constitutional), and remedies. The course will also examine some non-litigation topics, including presidential directives related to Administrative Law under the last two Administrations, agency budgets, and federal contracting. Requirements will include multiple writing and oral assignments (including short reading reflections/argument questions, oral presentations, an op-ed, and an 8-10 page paper on a relevant topic ). Elements used in grading: Attendance, class participation, written and oral assignments, final paper. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must submit a Consent Application Form at SLS Registrar https://registrar.law.stanford.edu/. See the Consent Application Form for instructions and the submission deadline.
Offered in Spring 2026 at Stanford University.