| Class | Date | Topic | Reading Assignments | Key Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIT 1: Constitutional Foundations & Defining Family | ||||
| 1 | Thu, Jan 15 | Course Introduction & How to Think About Family Law | No assigned readings (Syllabus + Course Roadmap only) | — |
| 2 | Tue, Jan 20 | Equal Protection Framework | SUPPLEMENT: Chemerinsky, Equal Protection excerpt (posted on LMS) | — |
| 3 | Thu, Jan 22 | Substantive Due Process & Fundamental Rights | SUPPLEMENT: Chemerinsky, Substantive Due Process excerpt (posted on LMS) Casebook pp. 29–33 |
Griswold v. Connecticut |
| 4 | Tue, Jan 27 | What Is Family? Constitutional Limits on Definitions | Casebook pp. 4–23 pp. 23–27 (What Is Marriage? — skim) Casebook pp. 27–29 |
Village of Belle Terre v. Boraas Moore v. City of East Cleveland City of Ladue v. Horn Maynard v. Hill |
| UNIT 2: Forming Marital Relationships | ||||
| 5 | Thu, Jan 29 | The Right to Marry I: Foundations | Casebook pp. 96–103 | Loving v. Virginia Zablocki v. Redhail (notes/excerpts) Turner v. Safley (notes/excerpts) |
| 6 | Tue, Feb 3 | The Right to Marry II: Intimacy & State Power | Casebook pp. 65–77 | Lawrence v. Texas |
| 7 | Thu, Feb 5 | The Right to Marry III: Marriage Equality | Casebook pp. 103–114 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (skim, contextual only) |
Obergefell v. Hodges Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Org. |
| 8 | Tue, Feb 10 | Eligibility Restrictions on Marriage | Casebook pp. 114–134 | Israel v. Allen State v. Holm |
| 9 | Thu, Feb 12 | Formalities & Common-Law Marriage | Casebook pp. 134–161 pp. 161–179 (common-law marriage & recognition — read for doctrine, skim notes) |
Edmunds v. Edwards Leax v. Leax Meagher v. Maleki DePasse v. DePasse Blackwell v. Blackwell Hargrave v. Duval County Ranch Co. In re May's Estate |
| UNIT 3: Marriage as Legal Status & Nonmarital Alternatives | ||||
| 10 | Tue, Feb 17 | Legal Incidents of Marriage — Roles, Support & Property | Casebook pp. 179–193 Casebook pp. 193–222 (pp. 212–222 skim for doctrine only) |
McGuire v. McGuire Graham v. Graham Cheshire Medical Center v. Holbrook Borelli v. Brusseau |
| 11 | Thu, Feb 19 | Violence, Torts & Evidentiary Privileges | Casebook pp. 230–251 | Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales Williams v. State Bozman v. Bozman Trammel v. United States |
| 12 | Tue, Feb 24 | Nonmarital Relationships — Economic Rights | Casebook pp. 57–65 (Eisenstadt v. Baird — skim) Casebook pp. 421–444 |
Eisenstadt v. Baird Marvin v. Marvin Hewitt v. Hewitt Blumenthal v. Brewer In re Marriage of Pennington |
| 13 | Thu, Feb 26 | Group Review — Marriage & Eligibility (Worksheet) | SPR26_FL_ConLaw & Marriage Worksheet Review what we've covered so far (no new casebook reading). |
— |
| UNIT 4: Dissolving Marital Relationships | ||||
| 14 | Tue, Mar 3 | Fault-Based Divorce — Grounds & Defenses | Casebook pp. 255–277 | Benscoter v. Benscoter Rankin v. Rankin Ricketts v. Ricketts Kucera v. Kucera Gilmartin v. Gilmartin |
| 15 | Thu, Mar 5 | No-Fault Divorce & Its Critics | Casebook pp. 277–294 | Desrochers v. Desrochers Sinha v. Sinha |
| 🌴 SPRING BREAK — No Class Tue, Mar 10 & Thu, Mar 12 🌴 | ||||
| 16 | Tue, Mar 17 | Access to Divorce & Jurisdiction | Casebook pp. 294–305 (close read) pp. 305–315 (Ankenbrandt & Sosna — skim for awareness; domestic relations exception and residency requirements covered by lecture) |
Boddie v. Connecticut Ankenbrandt v. Richards (skim) Sosna v. Iowa (skim) |
| UNIT 5: Economics of Dissolution | ||||
| 17 | Thu, Mar 19 | Property Division | Casebook pp. 318–353 (close read) pp. 353–358 (Laing/pensions — skim for awareness of valuation issues) pp. 358–363 (professional degrees, damages, debts — covered by brief lecture; no close reading required) |
Ferguson v. Ferguson UMDA §307 Arneault v. Arneault Wendt v. Wendt (notes) Laing v. Laing (skim) |
| 18 | Tue, Mar 24 | Spousal Support & Premarital Agreements | Casebook pp. 364–406 (close read: spousal support through premarital agreements) pp. 387–394 (ADR & UIFSA overview — skim; jurisdiction returns in Class 27) pp. 406–420 (marital & separation agreements — skim for framework; know the categories, not the doctrine) |
Orr v. Orr Gnall v. Gnall Pimm v. Pimm Simeone v. Simeone |
| PART II: Parents, Children & the State | ||||
| UNIT 6: Parental Rights & Children's Rights | ||||
| 19 | Thu, Mar 26 | Parental Constitutional Rights Part II Bridge (first 10 min) + Ch. 6 §I |
Casebook pp. 455–476 (Meyer & Pierce are short; focus close reading on Troxel and post-Troxel notes) |
Meyer v. Nebraska (notes) Pierce v. Society of Sisters Prince v. Massachusetts Troxel v. Granville |
| 20 | Tue, Mar 31 | Children's Interests & State Intervention Ch. 6 §§II–III (selected) |
Casebook pp. 486–530 (selected) pp. 486–493 (skim — background on children's rights; parentage material returns in Classes 24–25) pp. 521–530 (skim — medical decision-making & mature minor notes) |
DeShaney v. Winnebago County Wisconsin v. Yoder Parham v. J.R. |
| UNIT 7: Child Welfare & Termination of Parental Rights | ||||
| 21 | Thu, Apr 2 | Child Welfare & Termination of Parental Rights Ch. 7 (selected); TPR Simulation (last 30 min) |
Casebook pp. 541–555 (abuse/neglect overview) Casebook pp. 579–598 (TPR: Santosky + grounds) |
Santosky v. Kramer In re M.B. and N.B. |
| UNIT 8: Adoption & ICWA | ||||
| 22 | Tue, Apr 7 | Adoption Ch. 8 §§I–III |
Casebook pp. 607–611 (ch. intro + types of adoption — skim for taxonomy) Casebook pp. 611–628 (close read) (Consent & relinquishment; birth father's rights; open adoption enforceability) |
Vela v. Marywood In re B.G.C. Groves v. Clark |
| 23 | Thu, Apr 9 | Race Matching, MEPA & ICWA Ch. 8 §§IV–V |
Casebook pp. 629–634 (close read) pp. 634–641 (MEPA notes, ICWA historical background — skim) Casebook pp. 642–664 (close read) (ICWA jurisdiction, placement preferences, constitutional challenges) |
DeWees v. Stevenson (brief) Mississippi Band v. Holyfield Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl Haaland v. Brackeen |
| UNIT 9: Who Is a Parent? (Parentage) | ||||
| 24 | Tue, Apr 14 | Parentage I: Presumptions & Unmarried Fathers Ch. 9 §§I–III.A |
Casebook pp. 665–676 (reproductive autonomy background — skim; no cases) Casebook pp. 676–718 (close read; skim notes after each case) (Marital presumption; same-sex couples & birth certificates; unmarried fathers' constitutional rights) |
C.C. v. A.B. Pavan v. Smith Stanley v. Illinois Lehr v. Robertson |
| 25 | Thu, Apr 16 | Parentage II: Biology, Intent & Function Ch. 9 §§III.A (cont.), V–VI |
Casebook pp. 718–727 Casebook pp. 767–790 (Marital presumption vs. biology; non-bio parent standing; de facto parenthood; multiple parents) |
Michael H. v. Gerald D. Brooke S.B. v. Elizabeth A.C.C. Combs v. O'Neal C.A. v. C.P. |
| UNIT 10: Allocating Responsibility (Custody & Support) | ||||
| 26 | Tue, Apr 21 | Custody, Best Interests & Modification Ch. 10 (selected) |
Close read: pp. 795–812, 831–840, 857–866 Skim: pp. 872–882 (Best interests standard, primary caretaker, Palmore, modification; skim visitation doctrine) |
Painter v. Bannister Garska v. McCoy Palmore v. Sidoti |
| 27 | Thu, Apr 23 | Child Support & Enforcement Ch. 11 (selected) |
Close read: pp. 912–920, 965–971, 979 Skim: pp. 895–899 (Guidelines architecture, income shares model, deviations; Turner v. Rogers due process & enforcement; UIFSA jurisdiction note) |
Turner v. Rogers |
| Synthesis & Review | ||||
| 28 | Tue, Apr 28 | Integrated Exercise & Exam Preparation Capstone practice problem + exam framing |
No new reading. Review your notes from Classes 24–27. A fact pattern will be distributed in class. |
Three-step algorithm: 1. Who is the parent? 2. Who exercises care? 3. Who pays? |
📝 Final Exam: In-person, 3.5 hours, open book. You may bring no more than 2 pages of personal notes.