Teaching

An introductory course, typically taught as a large lecture with discussion sections, that introduces key concepts in political and legal philosophy through key US Supreme Court Opinions. Concepts include racial and gender equality, discrimination, fundamental rights, federalism, constitutional interpretation, and judicial integrity.

Philosophy of Crime and Punishment (PHIL 314)

An upper division philosophy course that introduces the classic debate in philosophy of punishment between retributivism and consequentialism; discusses contemporary justifications for punishment like fair play, expressivism, and just harm reduction; and considers how background injustices like racial oppression and radical economic inequality affect these justificatory frameworks.

Philosophy of Law (PHIL 414)

A seminar for advanced philosophy undergraduates and philosophy graduate students. Introduces classic debates, including natural law versus legal positivism, Hart and Dworkin on legal interpretation, and textualist originalism and rights-focused constitutional interpretation. Explores questions of the ability of law to fight oppression through feminist and critical race theory texts.

Philosophy Honors Capstone (PHIL 401): Punishment, Responsibility, and Justice

A course for Philosophy Honors students that closely reads Punishment and Responsibility, by HLA Hart, Limits of Blame: Rethinking Punishment by Erin Kelly, and Responsibility for Justice by Iris Marion Young

Graduate Seminar in Legal Philosophy (PHIL 514): Theorizing Punishment in Unjust Societies

A graduate course that focuses on the question of whether punishment can be justified when there is serious background injustice, including racial, gender, and class oppression.