LAW-9112 Mental Health and Disability Law in a Comparative Context
This course will explore how the U.S. and Ireland frame and implement legal responses to mental health and physical disabilities, with a focus on legal decision-making and autonomy. The course will begin with a brief examination of the key legal, social, and political constructs that define mental health and disability law in the U.S. The course will then explore how the U.S. legal system - as compared to the Irish system - defines and treats autonomy and decision-making in the context of disability. Topics will include adult guardianships and its alternatives, legal planning tools, forced or coerced treatment, and civil commitment. Additional topics may be explored, depending on the expertise and interests of Irish experts and guest lecturers. This course will involve a combination of lectures from the Professor, group discussions, and guest lectures from Irish scholars and lawyers to provide a comparative Irish perspective. Students will visit and speak with a local disability rights/ service organization in Galway, Ireland. Students will be assessed based on class attendance and participation, participation in the field trip(s) and guest lecture(s), and a take home examination to be completed after the conclusion of the course. The course will meet 6 times over two weeks during the Galway Study Abroad program, for two hours per meeting, including at least one field trip. The meeting schedule may need to be adjusted depending on guest lecturers and field trips.