Power and the American Justice System is a 3-credit elective course designed and taught by retired Trial Court Judge and former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Donnelly. This course provides law students with a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the American justice system, drawing on over two decades of judicial and litigation experience.
Through the lens of real-world experience, students will examine how power is exercised¿sometimes responsibly, sometimes abusively¿by key players within the system: judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, and policymakers. The course will analyze the justice system¿s structural vulnerabilities, persistent inequities, and long-standing norms that too often go unquestioned under the justification: ¿That¿s the way it¿s always been done.¿
Key topics will include:
- The mechanics and abuses of plea bargaining
- Data-driven sentencing reform and its implications
- The dangers of legal fictions in criminal resolutions
- The role and importance of dissent in judicial decision-making
- Wrongful convictions: causes and preventative measures
- Systemic delay in the civil justice system: origins and solutions
By the end of the semester, students will have gained an insider¿s understanding of the forces shaping the American justice system and be equipped to envision and advocate for meaningful, lasting reforms.