About the Course

Great Cases: American Legal History

Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes stated that the law is both a mirror and a motor for society. The most notorious trials frequently go well beyond a specific case to reflect deeper truths about America. Simultaneously, decisions can drive both legal and social thinking in new directions. This history course examines famous cases in their historical, political, and social contexts. It explores Marbury v. Madison within the framework of the early Federalist period;  Dred Scott v. Sanford within the context of rising political fragmentation; Lochner v. New York in relation to the rise of the social and political movement known as Progressivism; Brown v. Board of Education in relation to the civil rights movement; and Hamdi v. Rumsfeld as representative of the tensions in post-9/11 America. You and your classmates will develop your close-reading and persuasive-writing skills by engaging in debates, simulations, group projects, and individual research, and learn to analyze and critique the landmark legal decisions in America, from the ratification of the Constitution to today.

Typical Class Size: 16-18
 

Learning Objectives

Summer Dates & Locations

Registration deadline:

Session One

Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
-
Residential cost: $6,599
Commuter cost: $5,799
University of California Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
-
Residential cost: $6,819
Commuter cost: $5,999

Session Two

Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
-
Residential cost: $6,599
Commuter cost: $5,799
University of California Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
-
Residential cost: $6,819
Commuter cost: $5,999

Testing and Prerequisites

  Math Verbal
Required Level Not required CTY-Level
Check your eligibility using existing test scores If you do not have existing test scores:

Students must achieve qualifying scores on an advanced assessment to be eligible for CTY programs. If you don’t have qualifying scores, you have several different testing options. We’ll help you find the right option for your situation.

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Cost and Financial Aid

  • Tuition
    • Varies
  • Application fee
    • Nonrefundable Application Fee - $50 (Waived for financial aid applicants)
    • Nonrefundable International Fee - $250 (outside US only)

Financial Aid

We have concluded our financial aid application review process for 2024 On-Campus Programs. We encourage those who may need assistance in the future to apply for aid as early as possible.

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Course Materials

Students should bring basic school supplies like pens, notebooks, and folders to their summer program. You will be notified of any additional items needed before the course begins. All other materials will be provided by CTY.
 

Sample Reading

These titles have been featured in past sessions of the course, and may be included this summer. CTY provides students with all texts; no purchase is required.

  • American Legal History: Cases and Materials, by Kermit L. Hall and Paul Finkelman

About History and Social Science at CTY

Enhance your critical thinking skills

Expand your ability to reason through difficult problems by taking one of our philosophy or logic classes. Learn how to craft strong and clear arguments in Big Questions, or explore the techniques of logic that lawyers, doctors, and mathematicians utilize to be successful in their fields in Logic: Principles of Reasoning.

Explore social justice in action

Develop knowledge and skills that will help you address issues of systemic inequality throughout the world. Engage in the study of those who worked within and outside of the legal system to effect monumental societal change in Great Cases: American Legal History.

Meet our instructors and staff