PL: What Should You Expect?

Products Liability sits at an odd intersection: it is one of the oldest, most settled bodies of American law, and one of the fastest-changing. The doctrine formed around industrial-era products (cars, machinery, pharmaceuticals) and has spent the better part of a century absorbing new technologies without abandoning its core logic. That tension, between doctrine built for yesterday’s products and facts generated by today’s, is where this course lives. We will not try to resolve every question digital products raise for liability law. We will learn to reason through them the way courts, regulators, and business leaders actually have to: case by case, under uncertainty, with real consequences attached to the answer.

This course does not reward memorization the way a survey course might. You will read cases, but the goal is not to recite holdings back on an exam: it is to argue with them, to identify where a rule that made sense for a 1970s lawnmower breaks down when applied to an algorithm that updates itself after sale. You will be pushed to think like a manager as often as like a lawyer: not just what does the law say, but who bears the cost of this decision, and how would a reasonable company respond to that exposure. If you have succeeded in other courses by outlining chapters and memorizing black-letter rules, that skill will still matter here, but it will not be enough on its own.

We will work primarily through case-based analysis: briefing cases, identifying the doctrine at issue, and applying it to genuinely unsettled questions. Is a social media platform’s design a defect? Is an AI hiring tool a product? Who counts as the manufacturer of a system that keeps learning after it ships? I will use the Socratic method both in class and in our discussions outside it, and I expect you to arrive prepared to be asked, not just to listen. We will also use a mix of digital platforms and collaborative tools to do this work, culminating in a team project you will build and publish yourselves. Some of these tools may be new to you. That is by design: a course about how liability law adapts to new technology should ask you to adapt to a few new tools along the way.

Products liability has always been a reactive field: courts and legislatures tend to respond after an injury, a recall, or a public failure exposes a gap in existing rules. Part of what this course asks of you is less reactive than that. We will use a Flexibility, Adaptability, Imagination, and Resilience lens throughout the semester to practice anticipating where liability exposure is heading, not just cataloging where it has already been. That means holding two ideas at once: real respect for how doctrine has adapted successfully for seventy years, and honest skepticism about whether it can keep adapting fast enough for products that learn, update, and interact with each other in ways their own designers may not fully predict.

None of this works if the course stays one-directional. I expect us to build a genuinely collaborative environment, one where you come prepared to disagree with a case, with each other, and occasionally with me, and where we treat that disagreement as the actual work of the course rather than a detour from it. You are entering this material with less legal background than a law student and more direct experience as a consumer of digital products than most judges currently deciding these cases. That combination is more useful than it might feel on day one. Come ready to use it.

PL: Deliverables

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Master products liability doctrine: Understand and apply the foundational theories (negligence, strict liability, warranty, misrepresentation) to fact patterns involving both traditional and digital products.
  2. Analyze the boundaries of doctrine: Identify where traditional PL doctrine works effectively and where it breaks down when applied to algorithms, platforms, and AI systems.
  3. Apply frameworks to emerging contexts: Use the FAIR Framework (Flexibility, Adaptability, Imagination, Resilience) to propose legal responses to novel technologies and business models.
  4. Develop judgment under uncertainty: Make reasoned recommendations about liability risk, compliance, and strategic response when legal answers are contested.
  5. Communicate complex analysis: Explain legal doctrine and policy tradeoffs to mixed audiences in writing, presentation, and multimedia formats.
  6. Integrate ethics and responsibility: Recognize that legal questions are ethical questions, and that the kind of manager you intend to be is inseparable from the decisions you make about product safety and accountability.

Engagement & Participation

Success in this course requires active participation in class discussions, case analysis, and team-based project work. All students are expected to come to class prepared, having read and briefed assigned cases, and ready to engage thoughtfully in Socratic discussion, case debates, and policy analysis.

Please review the Engagement Rubric in Course Policies. Remember that conversation is interactive, spontaneous communication. We will practice this through in-class discussions, case analysis, policy simulations, and structured debates.

Your Engagement Grade Reflects

  • Preparation: Case evaluations completed; readings reviewed; ready to discuss
  • Participation: Contributing meaningfully to discussions; asking clarifying questions; engaging respectfully with competing viewpoints
  • Intellectual honesty: Acknowledging complexity; admitting uncertainty; revising your thinking when evidence warrants
  • Collaboration: Supporting team members on the PL Project; contributing to group discussions and peer feedback

Individual Assignments (Ongoing)

Throughout the semester, you will complete individual assignments that reinforce doctrine, deepen analysis, and prepare you for the PL Project. These include:

Case Evaluations

You will read and review assigned cases to be prepared to discuss and evaluate during our class meetings. Be prepared to discuss:

  • Case name, court, and year
  • Facts: What happened? Why did the parties dispute?
  • Legal issue: What is the question of law?
  • Holding: How did the court rule?
  • Reasoning: Why? What doctrine does the court apply?
  • Managerial implications: How does this ruling affect business decisions about product design, warnings, recalls, or liability exposure?

Reflection Papers

At key points (Weeks 4, 6, 10), you will complete brief reflection papers (≅850 words) that deepen your understanding of doctrine and its implications. You will be asked to:

  • Apply a doctrine to a new scenario
  • Evaluate competing policy rationales
  • Assess how the law allocates risk fairly
  • Reflect on how the FAIR Framework (Flexibility, Adaptability, Imagination, Resilience) shapes your thinking about liability and accountability

Reflection papers are submitted via Canvas. Specific dates and prompts will be provided in the course schedule.

Analysis Memos

In Weeks 7 and 12, you will complete two individual analysis memos (≅1,000 words each) that deepen your understanding of products liability doctrine and its application. You will be asked to:

  • Apply doctrine to a contemporary scenario involving digital products or platforms
  • Compare competing legal frameworks and their implications for risk allocation
  • Evaluate practical challenges in applying doctrine to novel business models (algorithms, cloud services, AI systems)
  • Assess how the law allocates responsibility fairly among companies, consumers, and society
  • Reflect on how the FAIR Framework (Flexibility, Adaptability, Imagination, Resilience) shapes your thinking about liability and accountability

Analysis assignments are submitted via Canvas. Specific dates, scenarios, and detailed prompts will be provided in the course schedule.

Additional Assignments (TBD)

As the syllabus develops, we may add discussion posts, case-comparison exercises, scenario analyses, or other individual work. These will be specified in the course schedule and announced via Teams.


Engagement with Digital Tools & Artificial Intelligence (AI)

As part of your individual work and PL Project, you are encouraged (and sometimes required) to explore AI tools thoughtfully:

  • Use ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or similar tools to brainstorm case analysis, draft policy arguments, or explore legal questions
  • Use design tools to create visual assets for your WordPress project
  • Test how AI handles products liability scenarios; reflect on where AI reasoning succeeds or fails
  • Document your AI experimentation in team discussions and final project reflections

You must disclose all AI-assisted work in your deliverables and PL Project. See my policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI for detailed guidance on the required disclosure format and on how to integrate AI use responsibly into your analysis.


The PL Project: Team-Based Capstone Work

The PL Project is the primary deliverable for this course. You will work in small teams to analyze how products liability doctrine applies (or fails to apply) to digital products, platforms, and networks. This is not a theoretical exercise; it is a real investigation into how law must adapt to digital contexts.

What is the PL Project?

The PL Project asks your team to:

1. Select a Real Digital Product or Platform

Examples include:

  • An AI hiring tool
  • Social media algorithm
  • Autonomous vehicle system
  • Financial app
  • Cryptocurrency exchange
  • Cloud service
  • Smart home device

2. Analyze How Products Liability Doctrine Applies

  • Can you define a defect in this digital product/platform?
  • Who is the manufacturer? Who else might be liable?
  • What do existing PL theories (negligence, strict liability, warranty, fraud) say about this product’s risks?
  • Can traditional doctrine accommodate digital products, or does it break?

3. Evaluate Whether Existing Doctrine is Adequate

  • Where does the doctrine effectively protect consumers?
  • Where do the doctrine’s assumptions fail in digital contexts?
  • What gaps or inconsistencies emerge?
  • Should regulation complement or replace tort law?
  • Should doctrine adapt existing concepts (expand a product, redefine defect) or create new frameworks?
  • How should manufacturers, platforms, and regulators respond?

5. Present Your Analysis in a Multimedia WordPress Portfolio

Your portfolio should combine:

  • Text-based case analysis and policy arguments
  • Visual infographics, timelines, and decision trees
  • Interactive elements (scenario builders, liability flow charts)
  • Multimedia storytelling (video, podcasts, or audio explainers)

Why This Project Matters

Products liability law is not keeping pace with digital innovation. Courts struggle with questions that traditional doctrine doesn’t clearly answer. By working through these questions systematically, you develop:

  • Mastery of doctrine: You learn products liability law deeply by applying it to the frontier
  • Judgment under uncertainty: You practice making legal recommendations when answers are contested
  • Systems thinking: You recognize how multiple PL theories, regulatory frameworks, and business incentives interact
  • Responsibility: You grapple with ethical questions: Who should bear the cost of digital harms?

The PL Project prepares you for careers where you’ll evaluate and advise on liability risk, compliance, and strategic response in emerging technology sectors.


Team Formation & Collaboration

Teams will consist of 3-4 students. I will form teams based on complementary skills and interests.

All teamwork is documented in Microsoft Teams. Your team channel serves as the project workspace. You will:

  • Brainstorm and refine your product selection
  • Divide research responsibilities
  • Share drafts and provide peer feedback
  • Document decision-making and revisions
  • Coordinate contributions to the WordPress site
  • Prepare for team discussion and defense

All collaborative work must be visible in your Teams channel. I will monitor channels regularly to assess engagement, collaboration quality, and intellectual progress.


PL Project Phase Structure

Phase 1: Focus Selection & Preliminary Evaluation

What you will do:

  • Select your digital product or platform
  • Articulate the core liability question(s)
  • Conduct preliminary research on applicable law
  • Create a preliminary analysis (≅900-1,500 words) identifying:
    • The product/platform and its core features
    • The central liability question
    • Relevant PL theories (negligence, strict liability, warranty)
    • Preliminary assessment of whether existing doctrine applies

Deliverable:

  • Phase 1 Preliminary Evaluation

Grading considerations:

  • Clarity of product selection and liability question
  • Evidence of preliminary legal research
  • Quality of team collaboration (visible in Teams)
  • Responsiveness to feedback

Due:

  • End of Week 4 (see Course Schedule, Week 4/Class 7)

Phase 2: Interim Report

What you will do:

  • Conduct deeper legal research
  • Apply multiple PL theories to your product
  • Identify where doctrine works and where it breaks down
  • Explore regulatory landscape and policy alternatives
  • Begin designing multimedia elements
  • Create an interim report (1,800-3,000 words) that:
    • Summarizes existing PL doctrine relevant to your product
    • Applies each doctrine to your specific fact pattern
    • Identifies tensions and gaps
    • Explores preliminary policy alternatives

Deliverable:

  • Phase 2 Interim Report

Grading considerations:

  • Depth of doctrine research and application
  • Quality of critical analysis (where does doctrine work/break?)
  • Evidence of multimedia planning
  • Quality of team collaboration and communication

Due:

  • Scheduled in course calendar

Phase 3: Final PL Project Portfolio

What you will do:

  • Integrate all research and analysis into a cohesive, comprehensive WordPress portfolio
  • Polish legal analysis and policy recommendations
  • Develop final multimedia elements
  • Create an executive summary
  • Organize the portfolio for narrative and exploratory reading

Your WordPress site should include:

  • Executive Summary: ≅400-600 word overview of the project, key findings, and recommendations
  • Product Overview: Description and business context for your digital product/platform
  • Legal Analysis: Structured analysis applying PL doctrine:
    • Negligence theory
    • Strict liability theory
    • Warranty doctrine
    • Other relevant theories
  • Critical Evaluation: Where does doctrine work? Where does it fail? What gaps emerge?
  • Policy Recommendations: How should the law adapt? What regulatory or doctrinal changes would you recommend?
  • Multimedia Elements: Visual infographics, timelines, decision trees, interactive scenario builders, video explainers
  • Sources & Citations: Full citation list with links to cases, statutes, and secondary sources

Navigation & Organization:

  • Your WordPress site should be easy to navigate; use clear headers and internal links
  • Organize so that readers can follow either a narrative path (executive summary, full analysis, recommendations) or jump to specific topics
  • Make multimedia elements discoverable and playable
  • Ensure all citations are clickable (link to cases, statutes, law review articles when possible)

Deliverable:

  • Final PL Project Portfolio

Due:

  • End of Week 14 (specific date in Schedule and on calendar)

Grading considerations:

  • Depth of doctrine analysis: How thoroughly have you applied PL theory to your product? Do you engage multiple theories (negligence, strict liability, warranty, fraud, misrepresentation)? Are your source citations appropriate and well-explained?
  • Critical evaluation: Where does existing doctrine work? Where does it fail? Do you articulate genuine tensions or gaps?
  • Clarity & organization: Can readers follow your argument? Is the portfolio navigable? Are the conclusions clear?
  • Multimedia quality: Do visual, interactive, and multimedia elements enhance understanding? Are they well-designed and purposeful (not mere decoration)?
  • Feasibility of recommendations: Are your proposed legal responses realistic? Have you considered tradeoffs and potential objections?
  • Use of sources: Proper source (legal and other) citation; engagement with both foundational cases and contemporary commentary on digital platforms and AI liability

Phase 4: PL Project Discussion & Defense

What you will do: Your team will facilitate a 15-20-minute class discussion on your project. Then respond to questions and critiques from peers and me.

Format:

  • Introduction: (2-3 min): Briefly introduce your product/platform and the liability question
  • Core argument: (8-10 min): Present your key findings: How does existing doctrine apply? Where is it adequate? Where does it fail? What are your recommendations?
  • Interactive element: (2-3 min): Walk the class through one multimedia or interactive element from your WordPress site
  • Q&A: (5-10 min): Respond to peer and instructor questions; defend your reasoning; acknowledge limitations

Purpose:

  • Develop communication skills, explaining complex legal analysis to a mixed audience
  • Test your reasoning against live critique
  • Contribute to the course’s collective learning about how PL doctrine must adapt

Grading considerations:

  • Quality of presentation and clarity
  • Depth and rigor of legal analysis
  • Ability to defend your arguments under questioning
  • Intellectual honesty about uncertainty and limitations

Due:

  • Scheduled during Week 15 class sessions

Submission & Reviewability Expectations

The PL Project is designed as an iterative, transparent body of work rather than a single end-of-semester submission. Assume throughout the semester that your work will be visible, revisited, questioned, and refined.

Team Channels in Microsoft Teams

All brainstorming, drafts, source collection, and internal discussions should be visible. Feedback and revisions should be documented. Your instructor will review channels regularly to assess engagement, collaboration, and intellectual evolution.

Work that is not visible in Teams may be treated as incomplete, regardless of final product quality.

Formal Submissions at Each Phase

  • Phase 1: Focus selection is posted to your PL Project Teams channel
  • Phase 1: Preliminary Evaluation is published to your PL Project WordPress site
  • Phase 2: Interim Report submission is published to your PL Project WordPress site and should reflect your current best thinking at that moment, not polished, but substantive
  • Phase 3: Final PL Project Portfolio is published to your PL Project WordPress site and represents your most complete, coherent work

Revision between phases is expected and encouraged.

The final PL Project Portfolio is assessed holistically, with attention to both the quality of the final synthesis and the trajectory of work that led to it.


Grading

The following weights are assigned to each component of your final grade:

Course Components & Grading Breakdown

Component Weight
Engagement & Participation 20%
Individual Assignments 20%
PL Project 60%

PL Project Breakdown

Phase Weight
Phase 1 & 2 15%
Phase 3 Final Portfolio 30%
Phase 4 Discussion & Defense 15%

Assessment Criteria

Engagement & Participation (20%)

  • Consistent attendance and punctuality
  • Preparation (cases briefed, readings reviewed)
  • Active contribution to discussions
  • Respectful engagement with competing viewpoints
  • Collaboration and peer support on your team PL Project

Individual Assignments (20%)

  • Case evaluations demonstrate understanding of legal issues and business implications
  • Reflection papers show synthesis and critical thinking
  • Analysis memos apply doctrine to realistic scenarios with clarity
  • Appropriate use and disclosure of AI use where applicable (see my policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI)
  • Timely submission and incorporation of feedback

PL Project (60%)

  • See detailed grading considerations for each phase above

Grade Appeal & Revision

You may request a brief feedback meeting with me to discuss your grade on any assignment or project phase. Bring evidence of your work and a specific question about grading criteria. I am open to discussing assessment, but will not raise grades based on effort alone; grades reflect the quality and depth of your analysis.


Other Course Components

Attendance

Regular attendance is expected. Class discussions and case analysis cannot be replicated outside the classroom. Missing more than 3 class sessions may result in a grade penalty and can negatively affect your engagement grade. If illness, emergency, or other circumstances prevent attendance, notify me via Teams as soon as possible.

Late Work

Individual assignments are due by the specified date on the course schedule. Late submissions are accepted with a 5% grade reduction per day late, unless you have made prior arrangements or have documented emergency circumstances. Reach out proactively if you anticipate missing a deadline.

PL Project phase submissions have hard deadlines tied to the course schedule. Contact me immediately if your team cannot meet a deadline.

Accessibility & Accommodations

If you have documented disabilities or require accommodations, please contact SHU Student Disability Services and inform me as soon as possible. I am committed to working with you to ensure equitable access to course materials and learning opportunities.

Academic Integrity

All work must be your own (or your team’s) original analysis. Proper citation is required for all sources, including cases, articles, and online materials. Plagiarism, presenting another’s work as your own, is a serious violation of academic integrity and will result in a failing grade and potential disciplinary action. See my policy on Academic and Professional Integrity.

When you use AI to assist with your work, you must clearly disclose this. See my policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI for detailed guidance. Undisclosed use of AI is treated as plagiarism.


Support & Resources

Writing Center

The SHU Writing Center offers free consultations on case briefs, memos, and essays. If you are unsure about the legal citation format or the clarity of your argument, get feedback early.

  • Walsh Library legal databases: Access to LexisNexis, Westlaw, Google Scholar, and other legal research platforms
  • Google Scholar: Free access to court opinions and some law review articles
  • SSRN & JSTOR: Academic papers on products liability, AI law, and platform regulation

PL: Schedule


COURSE MEETS: MW, 2 – 3:15 p.m.

LOCATION: JH111

PROFESSOR: John H. Shannon | 651 Jubilee Hall | Communication: Microsoft Teams DM (preferred)

OFFICE HOURS: MW, 10-11:30 a.m., or by appointment (DM me on Teams with available days/times)

This schedule is aligned with the Deliverables and Course Policies pages. All readings, class topics, and assignment deadlines are listed below.


Podcast Episode Access

Podcast episodes for this course are available in two ways. Every episode is linked directly on this Schedule page, in the “Before Class” section of the Week/Class it’s assigned to. You can also subscribe to the full series in your preferred podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or similar) by adding this feed URL: https://feed.podbean.com/blaw4318productsliability/feed.xml. Episodes are scheduled to go live in the feed at midnight a week before the class they’re assigned to, so subscribing lets you listen without returning to this page each time.


Before Week 1

Complete this deliverable by visiting Before We Begin. These deliverables must be completed even if you join the course after the first day of class.


Week 1: Introduction & Foundations

Class 1 | Chapter 1 – Introduction and Overview

BEFORE CLASS

PL W01C01 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 1 (pages 1–6)

  • The Defective Product
  • Three Sources of a Defective Product
  • Three Theories to Bring Suit
  • What is a Product?

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

DURING CLASS

  • Course overview and PL framework
  • Why products liability matters to managers
  • Three-source/three-theory model
  • Definition of “product” (physical vs. digital), with reference to K.G.M. v. Meta (March 2026) as a landmark verdict finding Meta and Google negligent in platform design — while leaving the threshold question of whether a platform is a “product” under PL doctrine unresolved
  • FAIR Framework introduction
  • The Meta verdict as a case study: What does it mean when a jury finds a company negligent for engagement-optimized design features it knew, from its own internal research, were causing harm — without a court ever having to decide whether the platform is a “product”? Preview: We will explore the implications of this verdict throughout the semester, with in-depth treatment in Week 14 (Chapter 15 — Special Topics)

DELIVERABLE

FAIR Lens: Week 1, Class 1 – Foundations & Frameworks

Opening Question for Reflection

You are a senior product manager at a technology company facing a potential liability issue: your mobile app has a feature that occasionally fails in ways that could cause users financial loss. Before you even consult a lawyer, consider:

  • Flexibility: How might different legal frameworks (tort law, contract law, regulation) change how you approach this problem? What assumptions are you making about which rules apply?
  • Adaptability: The “products liability” framework we’re about to explore was developed in a world of physical goods. What aspects of your digital product fit neatly into that framework? What doesn’t?
  • Imagination: Imagine a user harmed by this feature. What story might they tell about your responsibility? What story might your company tell? Who is right, and why?
  • Resilience: How should a responsible manager prepare for legal uncertainty when the rules haven’t yet adapted to new technology? What organizational practices build resilience in the face of unclear liability exposure?

Class 2 | Chapter 2 – Types of Defects

BEFORE CLASS

PL W01C02 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 2, pages 7–20

  • Hunt v. Ferguson-Paulus Enterprises (manufacturing defects)
  • Expert Witnesses & Daubert Standard
  • Junk Science concept
  • Boatland of Houston v. Bailey
  • Failure to Warn

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss the Hunt case, the Daubert standard, and the role of expert testimony in establishing a defect; the Boatland case, and how design defects differ from manufacturing defects

DURING CLASS

  • Manufacturing defects: definition and examples
  • Expert witness qualification under Daubert
  • Role of expert testimony in digital product defects
  • Evidence standards
  • Class discussion of the Hunt case and Daubert implications

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 1, Class 2 – Two Sides of Algorithmic Defect

Consider two algorithmic systems, both causing harm:

Scenario A (Manufacturing Defect): An AI hiring algorithm is designed to identify “qualified candidates.” The engineering team built it according to specifications. But the algorithm was trained on historical hiring data that reflects decades of past discrimination. It consistently screens out qualified candidates from underrepresented groups. An engineering expert testifies: “The algorithm is working exactly as designed; it’s learning from the training data.” A social scientist testifies: “The design embeds historical biases into the system. The training data itself is the defect.”

Scenario B (Design Defect): A social media platform’s algorithm is intentionally designed to maximize engagement, the metric that drives advertising revenue. The design works perfectly: it identifies polarizing content and amplifies it because polarization drives clicks. A user harmed by algorithmic amplification claims that the platform should have designed an algorithm that prioritizes user well-being over engagement. The platform argues: “Well-being is harder to define and measure. Engagement optimization is economically essential to our business model.”

Both scenarios raise the same core question: In algorithmic systems, what counts as a “defect”? And who decides?

FAIR Exploration

Adaptability & Flexibility
  • How would you adapt the “manufacturing defect” concept (deviation from design specifications) to fit digital products? In Scenario A, is the algorithm defective because it was built incorrectly, or because the specifications themselves were flawed? What do you lose or gain by translating manufacturing defect doctrine to algorithms?
  • How would you adapt the “design defect” concept (unreasonably dangerous design when a reasonable alternative exists) to fit algorithmic systems? In Scenario B, is intentional engagement-maximization a design choice or a design defect? Who should determine what is “reasonable” in algorithmic design?
Imagination
  • In Scenario A, the algorithm “learns and changes over time.” What does “deviation from design specifications” even mean for a system that was designed to learn? If the algorithm behaves differently than anticipated because it learns new patterns in data, is that a manufacturing defect or a feature?
  • In Scenario B, what would a “reasonable alternative design” for a social media algorithm look like? How would you define “prioritizing user well-being”? What are the tradeoffs? (Is engagement-maximization more honest than wellness-maximization, since engagement is measurable and wellness is contested?)
  • Under Daubert, whose expert testimony should be admissible? The engineer who built the system? The data scientist who trained it? The social scientist who understands bias? The ethicist who questions the business model? Do we need all of these experts to determine if an algorithm is “defective”?
Resilience
  • How should liability law account for multiple contributors to algorithmic harm? When courts can’t agree on what counts as a manufacturing defect vs. a design defect in algorithmic systems, how should companies design, test, and deploy their products to manage liability exposure? What organizational practices would build resilience in the face of uncertain legal standards?
  • In both scenarios, the “defect” arises from the interaction between human choice (what training data to use, which metric to optimize) and algorithmic execution. Where does the responsibility lie, with the human decision-makers, the algorithm itself, or the system as a whole? How should liability law account for this distributed responsibility?
  • Algorithms are often proprietary and opaque; users and courts may not fully understand how they work. How should liability law adapt to systems that are intentionally designed to be black boxes? Should companies be required to make algorithms more transparent to reduce liability exposure?
Ethical Reflection
  • In Scenario A, the company’s engineering team selected and deployed an algorithm trained on discriminatory historical data. What did the company know about the training data bias before deployment, when did they know it, and what did they choose to do with that knowledge?
  • In Scenario B, the company knew its design prioritizes engagement over safety. What did they know about the radicalization risks, when did they know it, and what did they choose to optimize for instead?
  • Now step out of these cases and think about your own future role: if you were the decision-maker facing the same evidence and the same pressures to deploy, what would you have chosen, and what does your answer reveal about the kind of manager you intend to be?

Week 2: Digital Tools

Class 3 | Adobe Creative Cloud & WordPress

BEFORE CLASS

Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course

  • Adobe Creative Cloud for Beginners and Adobe Express for Beginners

DURING CLASS

  • Introduction to Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Express, and WordPress

Week 3: Defect Standards & Testing

Class 4 | Chapter 3 – Product Warnings

BEFORE CLASS

PL W03C04 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 3, pages 21–33

  • Spruill v. Boyle-Midway, Inc.
  • Anderson v. Weslo, Inc.
  • Appendix 3.1: Warnings on OTC Drugs
  • Appendix 3.3: The Black Box Warning
  • Appendix 3.5: Recent Product Recalls

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss both the Spruill and Anderson cases, the adequacy of product warnings, and recall procedures

DURING CLASS

  • Duty to warn: scope and limits
  • Adequacy of warnings (content, placement, audience)
  • Recall procedures and liability
  • Black Box warnings and FDA guidance
  • Digital product warnings: privacy policies, terms of service, algorithmic transparency

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 3, Class 4 – The Warning Doctrine’s Limits

Scenario

A social media platform discovers that its recommendation algorithm amplifies polarizing content in ways that increase user engagement but also contribute to radicalization. The company considers issuing a “warning” to users. But what would that warning look like? “Warning: This algorithm may amplify extreme viewpoints.” An opt-out mechanism? A redesign? Should the company issue a recall-style update instead?

FAIR Exploration

  • Imagination & Flexibility: What does “warning” mean for an algorithmic system? What would adequate disclosure look like? Who needs to be warned, and about what specifically?
  • Adaptability & Resilience: The traditional “duty to warn” assumes consumers can read a label and make an informed choice. Does that assumption hold for algorithmic systems?
  • Integrity: Boyle-Midway had documented evidence of the hazard before Spruill was harmed. What did the company know, when did they know it, and what did they choose to do with that knowledge? If you were the product manager who signed off on the warning label, what would your answer say about the kind of manager you intend to be?

Class 5 | Chapter 4 – Tests of a Product Defect (Part 1)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W03C05 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 4, pages 51–62

  • Consumer Expectations Test
  • Gray v. Manitowoc Co, Inc.
  • Brawner v. Liberty Industries, Inc.
  • Keller v. Welles Department Store
  • Risk-Utility Test / Risk-Benefit Test
  • Phillips v. Kimwood Machine Company

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Episodes 4.2 and 4.3 preview Barker v. Lull and the Liebeck McDonald’s case in brief; both get full case treatment in Class 6.
Be prepared to discuss each case and the difference between the Consumer Expectations Test and the Risk-Utility Test

DURING CLASS

  • Consumer Expectations Test: definition, application, limitations
  • Risk-Utility Test: definition, application
  • Comparing the tests
  • Which test applies to your product?
  • Class application to hypothetical digital products

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 3, Class 5 – Testing Defectiveness in Digital Products

Dilemma for Discussion

A financial app makes algorithmic investment recommendations. Most users expect the algorithm to maximize their returns. The app’s actual design prioritizes risk reduction and diversification. Is this a design defect? Under the Consumer Expectations Test, yes, because users’ reasonable expectations are not met. Under the Risk-Utility Test, maybe not; the safer design benefits most users and avoids catastrophic losses. Which test is fairer? More efficient?

FAIR Questions

  • Flexibility & Imagination: Design your own “defectiveness” test for digital products. What would it capture that traditional tests miss?
  • Adaptability: How do consumer expectations form in digital contexts where features change constantly?
  • Resilience: If two equally rigorous tests reach opposite conclusions about whether your financial app’s algorithm is defective, what should a responsible company do — default to the more protective test, disclose the ambiguity to users, or wait for a court to decide? What does the choice reveal about whether the company is managing risk or managing liability exposure?
  • Ethical Reflection: Suppose the company’s own legal and product teams knew the Consumer Expectations Test would call the algorithm defective while the Risk-Utility Test would not, and marketed the product as maximizing returns anyway. What did they know about that gap, when did they know it, and what did they choose to disclose to users? Now step out of the case: if you were the product manager who saw both test results before launch, what would you have done, and what does your answer reveal about whether you’re optimizing for legal protection or for honest accountability?

Week 4: Preemption & Regulatory Landscape

Class 6 | Chapter 4 – Tests of a Product Defect (Part 2: Liebeck Deep-Dive)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W04C06 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 4, pages 60–70

  • Liebeck v. McDonald’s (Case Study)
  • Barker v. Lull Engineering Co.

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss the Liebeck case in detail: facts, jury verdict, damages, and the application of both defect tests

DURING CLASS

  • Liebeck case: facts, jury verdict, damages
  • Application of Consumer Expectations & Risk-Utility tests
  • Jury instructions and verdict form analysis
  • Why this case changed products liability
  • Digital product parallels: algorithmic decision-making, market expectations

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 4, Class 6 – Standards, Expectations & Digital Innovation

Case Study

Liebeck v. McDonald’s teaches that even a widely used product (hot coffee) can be defective if the risk is foreseeable and the cost of prevention is low. Now apply this to a digital product: A cryptocurrency exchange has a user interface that makes it easy to accidentally send large sums to the wrong address. The company knew this was a usability risk, estimated the fix would cost $50,000, but decided the risk was acceptable because “users should be more careful.” Is this a design defect under Liebeck’s logic?

FAIR Reflection

  • Imagination: How would Liebeck’s jury have decided this case? What would they have wanted to know about the company’s decision-making process?
  • Flexibility & Adaptability: Does the Liebeck framework translate to digital products? Where does it work? Where does it break down?
  • Resilience: If you were advising this company, what would you recommend they do to manage liability exposure while continuing to innovate?
  • Integrity: McDonald’s had documented evidence of more than 700 burn injuries from its coffee before Stella Liebeck was harmed. What did the company know, when did they know it, and what did they choose to do with that knowledge? Faced with the same evidence, the same cost calculations, and the same institutional pressures, what would you have done, and what does your answer reveal about the kind of manager you intend to be?

Class 7 | Chapter 5 – Unavoidably Dangerous Products, Negligence Per Se & Preemption (Part 1)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W04C07 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 5, pages 71–84

  • Unavoidably Dangerous Products
  • McCarthy v. Olin Corp.
  • Effects of Statutes and Regulations
  • Preemption doctrine
  • Cipollone v. Liggett Group, Inc.

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss the McCarthy case and the Cipollone preemption analysis.

DURING CLASS

  • Unavoidably Dangerous Products: When a product cannot be made safe
  • Regulatory preemption: conflict preemption, express preemption
  • Cipollone case: federal preemption of state tort claims
  • Digital product angle: Does federal AI regulation preempt state tort liability?
  • FDA and CPSC guidance: how regulatory approval affects tort liability

DELIVERABLE

  • Reflection Paper: “Defect Standards in Digital Products” (≅850 words)
    • Requirements: Apply the Consumer Expectations Test and/or Risk-Utility Test to a digital product scenario. Discuss whether traditional defect tests adequately capture what makes a digital product dangerous. Evaluate competing policy rationales for each test (consumer protection vs. manufacturer incentives vs. judicial efficiency). Reflect on how the FAIR Framework (Flexibility, Adaptability, Imagination, Resilience) informs your thinking about digital products liability.
    • Submit via Canvas, due Friday before 9:47 p.m
  • PL Project Phase 1 (Due Saturday Before 11:32 p.m)

FAIR Lens: Week 4, Class 7 – Regulation vs. Tort Liability

Policy Dilemma

The federal government proposes new regulations for AI hiring algorithms, requiring transparency and bias testing. The regulations are less stringent than what some states’ products liability courts have demanded. A company complies with federal regulations but still faces state tort suits for algorithmic bias. Should federal compliance shield the company from tort liability? If yes, does that mean unsafe algorithms can be legally compliant? If no, what incentive does federal regulation provide?

FAIR Analysis

  • Adaptability: When does federal regulation complement tort liability, and when does it conflict?
  • Flexibility: Should companies be able to choose between federal compliance and tort liability?
  • Imagination: Design a regulatory scheme that would preempt tort liability while still protecting consumers from digital harms.
  • Resilience: In a world of rapid digital innovation, should manufacturers be shielded by federal regulatory compliance, or does tort liability provide essential accountability? When regulation and tort liability conflict, who decides which one governs, and how should companies structure their compliance strategies when the answer is unsettled?
  • Ethical Reflection: If a company’s legal team identified a gap between federal regulation and state tort liability — knew the gap existed and posed liability risk — and the company deployed its product anyway, what did they know, when did they know it, and what did they choose to do with that knowledge? Now consider your own position: if you were advising that company and saw the same gap, would you have recommended caution or deployment, and what does your answer reveal about the kind of advisor and leader you intend to be?

Week 5: Historical Development – Privity to Modern Liability

Class 8 | Chapter 5 – Preemption (Part 2)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W05C08 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 5, pages 71–84

  • Appendix 4.1: Drug Development & Approval Process

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss the preemption doctrine and its implications for federal vs. state regulation

DURING CLASS

  • Cipollone analysis and implications
  • Regulatory approval as a defense
  • State tort claims vs. federal standards
  • Current issues: FDA vs. state products liability; FTC authority; AI regulation

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 5, Class 8 – Standards-Setting & Responsibility

Scenario

An autonomous vehicle manufacturer complies with all federal safety standards for automated driving systems, but the vehicle causes a crash that injures a pedestrian. The injured party sues, claiming the vehicle’s design is defective under state products liability law. The manufacturer argues that federal standards preempt the state claim. Who is right? Should it be?

FAIR Questions

  • Flexibility & Adaptability: In a world of rapid digital innovation, should manufacturers be shielded by federal regulatory compliance, or does tort liability provide essential accountability?
  • Imagination & Resilience: How would you design a system where federal regulation and state tort law work together to deter harm without freezing innovation?
  • Adaptability: When regulation and tort liability conflict, who decides which one governs, and how should companies structure their compliance strategies when the answer is unsettled?

Class 9 | Chapter 6 – Privity: A Historical Perspective & Modern Interpretation

BEFORE CLASS

PL W05C09 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 6, pages 87–102

  • MacPherson v. Buick Motor Company
  • Henningsen v. Bloomfield Motors, Inc.

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss both cases and the evolution from the privity doctrine to modern products liability

DURING CLASS

  • Privity doctrine: historical development
  • MacPherson revolution: breaking the privity requirement
  • Henningsen: warranty disclaimers and consumer protection
  • Modern scope: who can sue whom?
  • Digital contexts: privity in platform liability, terms of service vs. warranties
  • Case discussion and managerial implications

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 5, Class 9 – Who Owes Responsibility to Whom?

Historical Perspective

In the early 20th century, if you bought a defective car from a dealer and were injured, you typically had no claim against the manufacturer, only against the dealer, because you had no contract with the manufacturer. MacPherson v. Buick changed that by allowing consumers to sue manufacturers directly. Now consider modern platforms: A user on a social media app is harmed by algorithmic amplification. The user has no traditional contract with the platform (they agreed to Terms of Service, but is that a “contract”?). Does the platform owe the user a duty similar to that owed by an automobile manufacturer?

FAIR Exploration

  • Imagination: In MacPherson’s time, a user could inspect an automobile firsthand. Can a user of a modern platform inspect and understand the algorithm that governs their experience?
  • Flexibility & Adaptability: How would you adapt the privity doctrine to digital platforms? Who counts as a “user” owed a duty?
  • Resilience & Responsibility: If manufacturers owe duties to remote consumers (following MacPherson), what does a platform owe to its users? To investors? To society?

Week 6: Causation & Evidentiary Standards

Class 10 | Chapter 7 – Negligence, Causation & Res Ipsa Loquitur (Part 1)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W06C10 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 7, pages 103–112

  • Cordas v. Peerless Transportation Co.
  • Negligence elements
  • Palsgraf v. Long Island R.R. Co.
  • Res Ipsa Loquitur doctrine
  • Escola v. Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss the Palsgraf case (proximate cause), the Escola case (res ipsa and strict liability origins), and negligence elements

DURING CLASS

  • Negligence in products liability: duty, breach, causation, damages
  • Proximate cause and foreseeability
  • Res Ipsa Loquitur: circumstantial evidence of defect
  • Palsgraf case: proximate cause limits
  • Escola case: strict liability origins
  • Digital product angle: causation in algorithmic harms; res ipsa in opaque systems

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 6, Class 10 – Proving Negligence in Invisible Systems

Causation Puzzle

A user of a financial app makes poor investment decisions, resulting in significant losses. The user sues, claiming the app’s interface design negligently encouraged risky behavior. The app gave neutral recommendations; it didn’t tell the user to invest in risky assets. The app made aggressive investment options prominent. Did the app negligently cause harm, or did the user choose poorly?

FAIR Thinking

  • Imagination: How would Palsgraf’s “foreseeability” test apply to algorithmic systems?
  • Adaptability & Flexibility: Res ipsa loquitur assumes that if something goes wrong, we can infer negligence. Can we make that inference about a digital product?
  • Resilience: In contexts where causation is hard to prove, how should liability be allocated?
  • Adaptability: Who bears the burden of proving causation, the plaintiff or the defendant who has access to system logs? How should procedural doctrine adapt to correct the information asymmetry built into digital product litigation?

Class 11 | Chapter 7 – Causation & Section 328D (Part 2)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W06C11 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 7, pages 112–116

  • Section 328D of Restatement
  • Causation analysis
  • Rescue cases, subsequent injury, contribution & indemnity

Be prepared to discuss Section 328D and multiple causation scenarios

DURING CLASS

  • But-for causation vs. proximate cause
  • Section 328D application
  • Multiple causation scenarios
  • Contribution and indemnification among defendants
  • Digital products: causation breakdown with AI/algorithmic systems

DELIVERABLE

  • Reflection Paper: “Privity, Negligence, & Digital Causation” (≅850 words)
    • Requirements: Reflect on how the MacPherson and Palsgraf cases transformed products liability. Apply the concept of “proximate cause” to a digital product or platform (e.g., does a social media platform proximately cause harms by algorithmic recommendation?). Discuss how the negligence doctrine and res ipsa loquitur might apply to opaque algorithmic systems where causation is difficult to prove. Consider how the FAIR Framework informs your thinking about responsibility and causation.
    • Submit via Canvas, due Friday before 9:47 p.m.

FAIR Lens: Week 6, Class 11 – Multiple Causes & Shared Responsibility

Causation Complexity

In a wrongful death case involving an autonomous vehicle, the crash resulted from: (1) the manufacturer’s algorithm design, (2) poor road conditions, (3) the pedestrian’s presence in a high-traffic zone, and (4) a mechanical failure of the vehicle’s brakes. Section 328D requires that the defect be a “substantial factor” in causing harm. But who caused the death, the manufacturer, the road authority, the pedestrian, or all of them?

FAIR Exploration

  • Flexibility & Imagination: How should causation doctrine allocate responsibility when multiple factors contribute to harm?
  • Adaptability: Section 328D was developed for simpler products. How should it apply to complex systems with many contributors?
  • Resilience & Adaptability: When causation is genuinely shared across multiple parties and systems, how can tort law fairly allocate responsibility and incentivize safety in distributed digital environments?

Week 7: Warranty Doctrine & UCC

Class 12 | Chapter 8 – Misrepresentation & Fraud

BEFORE CLASS

PL W07C12 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 8, pages 117–128

  • Bergeron v. Dupont
  • Differentiating Facts vs. Opinions
  • Vokes v. Arthur Murray, Inc.
  • Sellers v. Looper
  • Puckett Paving v. Carrier Leasing Corp.
  • Section 402B of Restatement

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss the Vokes case and how to distinguish facts from opinions in marketing

DURING CLASS

  • Misrepresentation vs. fraud
  • Facts vs. opinions: legal distinctions
  • Justifiable reliance
  • Marketing claims and algorithmic representations
  • FTC advertising standards
  • AI marketing claims: what can platforms claim about algorithms?

DELIVERABLE

  • Comparative analysis memo: “Negligence vs. Strict Liability in Digital Contexts” (≅1,000 words)
    • Requirements: Compare negligence theory (Chapter 7) with strict liability theory (Chapter 10—read ahead). Apply both frameworks to a digital product or platform. Which theory better allocates risk? Which better incentivizes manufacturers to make safe products? Consider proof problems: In a negligence claim, can a plaintiff prove the platform breached a duty? In a strict liability claim, can a plaintiff establish a “defect”? Discuss how FAIR principles of flexibility and adaptability guide your analysis.
    • Submit via Canvas, due before Friday at 10:12 p.m.

FAIR Lens: Week 7, Class 12 – Truth in Algorithmic Marketing

Scenario

A company markets an AI hiring algorithm as “bias-free” and “objective.” In fact, the algorithm has been trained on historical hiring data that reflects past discrimination, and it replicates those patterns. Is this misrepresentation? Fraud? Or just “puffery” (exaggerated marketing claims)? If a company is more honest, “Our algorithm identifies patterns in hiring data”, does it avoid liability?

FAIR Reflection

  • Imagination: What does truth require in the marketing of algorithmic systems? Can a company market AI as “objective” when all algorithms embed human choices? What would honest marketing of algorithmic capabilities look like, and what are the tradeoffs between aspirational marketing and transparency?
  • Ethical Reflection: The company in our scenario knew its algorithm had been trained on discriminatory historical data before marketing it as “bias-free.” What did they know, when did they know it, and what did they choose to claim? Now step out of the case: imagine you work in marketing for an AI company, you know the algorithm embeds human biases, and you’re under pressure to make confident claims to compete. Faced with that same pressure and knowledge, what would you have claimed, and what does your answer reveal about your commitment to truth-telling as a business leader?
  • Flexibility & Adaptability: How would you adapt the facts vs. opinions distinction to algorithmic claims?
  • Resilience: In a world where AI marketing often makes broad capability claims, how should companies protect against fraud liability while still marketing their products?

Week 8: Strict Liability Doctrine

Class 13 | Chapter 9 – Warranty Actions (Part 1)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W08C13 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 9, pages 129–146

  • Types of Warranties
  • Express Warranty (UCC § 2-313)
  • Werner v. Montana
  • Implied Warranty of Merchantability (UCC § 2-314)
  • Implied Warranty of Fitness (UCC § 2-315)
  • Persons Protected / Third Party Beneficiaries
  • Klein v. Sears Roebuck and Co.

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss the Werner and Klein cases and the different types of warranties

DURING CLASS

  • Express warranties: creation, scope, liability
  • Implied warranties: merchantability & fitness for purpose
  • UCC § 2-313, 2-314, 2-315
  • Third-party beneficiaries
  • Digital product warranties: cloud services, SaaS, AI tools
  • Warranty disclaimers in terms of service

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 8, Class 13 – Warranties in Digital Contexts

Warranty Dilemma

A company sells AI software to businesses, claiming it “accurately identifies fraud with 98% confidence.” This is an express warranty. But “accuracy” is contextual; 98% correct is great for some applications and unacceptable for others. If a business buys software expecting fraud prevention and the algorithm misses a fraud case, has the company breached the warranty?

FAIR Questions

  • Adaptability & Imagination: How would you adapt express and implied warranties to digital products that are constantly updated?
  • Flexibility: Does the Magnuson-Moss Act apply to digital goods sold to businesses?
  • Resilience & Adaptability: In the face of rapid changes in digital products, how can companies give meaningful warranties, and what institutional practices allow them to honor those commitments as products evolve?

Class 14 | Chapter 9 – Warranty Actions (Part 2) & Limitations

BEFORE CLASS

PL W08C14 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 9, pages 142–149

  • Limitations on Liability
  • UCC § 2-316: Exclusion/Modification of Warranties
  • UCC § 2-719: Contractual Modification of Remedy
  • Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (Appendix 9.1)

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss warranty disclaimers and the enforceability of limitation of liability clauses

DURING CLASS

  • Warranty disclaimers and exclusions
  • UCC § 2-316 & § 2-719
  • Magnuson-Moss Act (federal warranty law)
  • Can tech companies opt out of liability via terms of service?
  • Consumer protection limits

DELIVERABLE

FAIR Lens: Week 8, Class 14 – Disclaimers & Consumer Protection

Enforceability Question

  • A software company’s Terms of Service include: “We disclaim all warranties, express or implied. We are not liable for any damages, including lost profits, personal injury, or data loss.” A user’s data is lost due to a software failure. The user sues; the company relies on the disclaimer. Is the disclaimer enforceable? Should it be? What does fairness require?

FAIR Exploration

  • Flexibility & Imagination: Design fair limits on warranty disclaimers in digital products.
  • Adaptability: How should Magnuson-Moss protections apply to digital goods and services?
  • Resilience: If companies can disclaim all liability, what incentive structure is created for safety investment? How can liability law be structured to incentivize corporate safety practices and meaningful accountability when companies are legally permitted to opt out of responsibility?
  • Ethical Reflection: When a company uses a legal right to disclaim all liability — when it can legally opt out but knows users cannot negotiate away that risk — what did the company’s legal team know about the fairness of that disclaimer, when did they know it, and what did they choose to enforce anyway? Now put yourself in that position as the legal counsel advising the company: would you recommend including it, what would you tell the company about the ethical risks, and what does your answer reveal about the kind of legal advisor you intend to be?

Week 9: Scope of Liability Across Transaction Types

Class 15 | Chapter 10 – Strict Liability in Tort

BEFORE CLASS

PL W09C15 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 10, pages 155–164

  • Historical Development
  • Greenman v. Yuba Power Products, Inc.
  • Policies: Loss Spreading, Deterrence, Proof Problems, Consumer Expectations, Cost Internalization

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss the Greenman case and the policy rationales for strict liability

DURING CLASS

  • Strict liability in tort: foundational concept
  • Greenman case: landmark decision
  • Policy rationales underlying strict liability
  • Loss spreading vs. deterrence
  • Restatement (Third) shifts away from strict liability
  • Should strict liability apply to platforms/AI systems?
  • Digital context: Should algorithmic platforms be strictly liable?

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 9, Class 15 – Strict Liability’s Tradeoffs

Policy Debate

Greenman established strict liability because courts believed manufacturers should bear the cost of defective products, they’re best positioned to prevent harm, can spread the cost across consumers, and should be incentivized to design safely. Should AI companies be strictly liable for algorithmic harms? On the one hand, they have control over the algorithm. On the other hand, strict liability might discourage innovation.

FAIR Analysis

  • Flexibility & Imagination: Design your own liability framework for digital products.
  • Adaptability: How do Greenman’s rationales (loss-spreading, deterrence) apply to digital products?
  • Imagination & Resilience: If strict liability discourages AI innovation, is that a cost worth paying to protect consumers? Design a liability framework that preserves incentives to innovate while ensuring companies cannot externalize the cost of foreseeable harm onto users.

Class 16 | Chapter 11 – Scope of Liability (Part 1)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W09C16 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 11, pages 165–182

  • Sales
  • Leases
  • Franchising (Kosters v. Seven-Up Company)
  • Publications (Cardozo v. True)
  • Used Products (Tillman v. Vance Equipment Company)

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss each category and the scope of PL liability across different transaction types

DURING CLASS

  • Sales context: manufacturers, distributors, retailers
  • Leases: lessors and lessees; liability allocation
  • Franchising: franchisor vs. franchisee liability
  • Publications: books, manuals, digital content
  • Used products: secondary markets, refurbishment
  • Digital goods as products/services/hybrids
  • Cloud services, SaaS, API transactions: where does PL doctrine apply?

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 9, Class 16 – Redefining “Product” for Digital Era

Boundary Question

Is a social media algorithm a “product”? Traditional products liability applies to tangible goods. A social media platform delivers services (hosting, curation, connection) using an algorithmic tool. The algorithm itself is neither sold nor owned by users; it’s embedded in the service. If the algorithm causes harm, should strict products liability apply?

FAIR Exploration

  • Imagination & Flexibility: How would you define “product” to encompass algorithmic systems?
  • Adaptability: If the same algorithm is sold as a standalone tool vs. embedded in a platform, should liability be different?
  • Adaptability & Resilience: Who should be liable when a digital product-service hybrid causes harm, and how should companies structure their offerings to manage liability exposure across the product-service boundary?

Week 10: Parties to the Transaction & Liability Allocation

Class 17 | Chapter 11 – Scope of Liability (Part 2)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W10C17 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 11 continued

  • Real Estate Transactions (Kriegler v. Eichler Homes, Inc.)
  • Landlord-Tenant Cases
  • Services (pages 180–181)

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

  • Episode 11.2: The Edge Cases: Publications, Used Products, Real Estate, and Services (Audio/mp3) (Transcript/PDF)

Be prepared to discuss how the scope doctrine applies to services and hybrid product-service transactions

DURING CLASS

  • Real property transactions and PL doctrine
  • Landlord-tenant liability
  • Services: When does PL apply to service providers?
  • Digital services as products liability cases
  • Hybrid transactions (product + service)

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 10, Class 17 – Services, Products & Gray Zones

Classification Dilemma

A cloud computing company provides infrastructure services. A customer’s data is lost due to the cloud provider’s failure to implement adequate backups. Is this a products liability case or a contract case? The service is not a product; it’s infrastructure. But the customer relied on the provider’s promised uptime and data protection. Where does PL doctrine apply? Where does contract law govern?

FAIR Thinking

  • Flexibility & Imagination: How should courts classify hybrid product-service transactions for liability purposes?
  • Adaptability: When does a “service” embed a “product” sufficiently to trigger PL liability?
  • Adaptability & Resilience: If a company provides both products and services, should it have different liability obligations for each — and how should legal doctrine adapt to address a commercial reality that did not exist when PL frameworks were built?

Class 18 | Chapter 12 – Parties to the Transaction (Part 1)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W10C18 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 12, pages 183–194

  • Potential Plaintiffs
  • Potential Defendants
  • Retailers, Wholesalers, Distributors (Vandermark v. Ford Motor Company)
  • Thiele v. Chick
  • Used Product Sellers
  • Successor Corporations

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss each case and liability allocation among manufacturers, distributors, and retailers

DURING CLASS

  • Who can be sued: manufacturers, distributors, retailers, platforms
  • Retailer liability: When are retailers liable?
  • Distributor liability and indemnification
  • Successor corporations: acquiring liability in M&A
  • Digital distribution chains: who is the “manufacturer” of software/AI?
  • Platform liability: Is the platform a manufacturer, distributor, or service provider?

DELIVERABLE

  • Reflection Paper: “Scope of Liability in Digital Transactions” (≅850 words)
    • Requirements: Identify a digital transaction (e.g., cloud service, SaaS, API integration, platform service) and analyze whether PL doctrine applies. Is it a “sale” of a product, a lease, a service, or a hybrid? Where does traditional doctrine break down? Apply the Chapter 11 framework. Discuss how courts should categorize novel digital transactions. Reflect on how FAIR principles (flexibility, adaptability) should guide judicial interpretation.
    • Submit via Canvas, due Friday before 9:47 p.m.

FAIR Lens: Week 10, Class 18 – Responsibility in Complex Systems

Multi-Party Scenario

A social media company acquires an AI moderation tool from a startup. The moderation tool was trained on biased data and causes discriminatory harm. Content creators sue. Who is liable? The acquiring company? The startup? The data scientists who trained it? In modern digital products, responsibility is often distributed across many parties. How should liability be allocated?

FAIR Questions

  • Flexibility & Imagination: How would you reshape liability law to match modern technological reality, where responsibility is distributed?
  • Adaptability: Does the traditional successor liability framework work for AI tools acquired as components?
  • Resilience & Adaptability: When harm results from the interaction of many parties’ choices across a distributed digital supply chain, how should liability be allocated fairly, and how should legal doctrine adapt to match the reality of how modern products are built?

Week 11: Damages & Remedies

Class 19 | Chapter 12 – Parties (Part 2) & Special Roles

BEFORE CLASS

PL W11C19 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 12 continued

  • Lessors, Bailors, Licensors, Franchisers
  • Employers
  • Services Providers
  • Builder-Vendors

Be prepared to discuss liability allocation among multiple parties in complex transaction structures

DURING CLASS

  • Lessors and licensors: liability allocation
  • Employer liability for product injuries
  • Services providers
  • Multi-party liability in digital ecosystems
  • Indemnification and apportionment

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 11, Class 19 – Indemnification & Risk Allocation

Contract Complexity

A technology company uses components from third-party vendors to build its product. A defect in a vendor’s component harms users. The tech company faces liability but has an indemnification agreement with the vendor requiring the vendor to pay damages. But the vendor is small and insolvent. Who ultimately bears the loss? Should indemnification clauses be enforced as written, or should courts intervene to prevent unjust outcomes?

FAIR Exploration

  • Flexibility & Imagination: Design fair indemnification allocation among multiple parties.
  • Adaptability: How should indemnification work when the vendor company becomes insolvent?
  • Adaptability: Who should ultimately bear responsibility for harm caused by components in complex products, and how should indemnification doctrine adapt when traditional corporate boundaries no longer reflect where the actual design and deployment decisions were made?

Class 20 | Chapter 13 – Theories of Damages (Part 1)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W11C20 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 13, pages 195–207

  • Acosta v. Honda Motor Company, Ltd.
  • Fischer v. Johns-Manville Corporation
  • Compensatory Damages
  • Liquidated Damages
  • Nominal Damages

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss the Acosta and Fischer cases and different damage calculations

DURING CLASS

  • Compensatory damages: calculation and limits
  • Economic loss; personal injury; property damage
  • Liquidated damages (pre-agreed penalties)
  • Nominal damages (token recovery)
  • Lost profits in digital product defect cases
  • Damages available in algorithmic harm cases

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 11, Class 20 – Measuring Harm in Digital Contexts

Damages Dilemma

An algorithmic hiring tool discriminates against candidates, preventing qualified people from getting jobs. How much can they recover? Compensatory damages cover lost wages and emotional distress, but quantifying future lost wages is difficult when the counterfactual (what would have happened without the algorithm) is uncertain. Should punitive damages apply to discourage discrimination?

FAIR Reflection

  • Imagination & Flexibility: Propose a framework for damages in digital harms.
  • Adaptability: How do you calculate harm from algorithmic discrimination?
  • Resilience & Adaptability: How can damages law fairly allocate responsibility while incentivizing safety, and how should damages frameworks adapt when the harm is algorithmic, statistical, and dispersed across populations rather than concentrated in a single plaintiff?

Week 12: Defenses & Risk Allocation

Class 21 | Chapter 13 – Theories of Damages (Part 2)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W12C21 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 13, pages 207–213

  • Pain and Suffering / Emotional Distress (Gnirk v. Ford Motor Company)
  • Punitive Damages

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss how pain and suffering damages are calculated and when they apply

DURING CLASS

  • Pain and suffering: scope and limits
  • Emotional distress damages
  • “Add-on” damages
  • Punitive damages overview
  • Digital product harms: what damages are available?

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 12, Class 21 – Proportionality & Deterrence

Damages Scenario

An algorithm causes small harms to millions of users, say, $10 of financial loss per user due to algorithmic price discrimination. Total harm is $10 million, but each user is unlikely to sue individually. Should the company face $10 million in liability? If the company knows small-scale, dispersed harms won’t generate liability, what incentive does it have to prevent them?

FAIR Questions

  • Imagination: Propose a damages theory that would deter small-scale, widely dispersed harms.
  • Flexibility & Adaptability: How should damage frameworks adapt to digital economies where harm is often spread across many users?
  • Imagination & Resilience: What combination of individual liability, class actions, and regulatory fines would appropriately deter harmful algorithms?
  • Integrity: In Acosta v. Honda, reckless indifference to documented harm was sufficient to support punitive damages. Apply that standard here: if a company’s internal data shows its algorithm causes disproportionate harm to a protected class, and the company continues deploying it without correction, what did they know, when did they know it, and what did they choose to do with that knowledge? Is that reckless indifference, and should it trigger punitive exposure?

Class 22 | Chapter 14 – Defenses to Products Liability Suits (Part 1)

BEFORE CLASS

PL W12C22 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 14, pages 215–226

  • Contributory Negligence (McCown v. International Harvester Co.)
  • Assumption of Risk (Heil Co. v. Grant)
  • Misuse (Perfection Paint & Color v. Konduris)

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

  • Episode 14.1: Contributory vs. Comparative Negligence: The Evolution of a Defense (Audio/mp3) (Transcript/PDF)
  • Episode 14.2: Assumption of Risk and Product Misuse: What Happens When Users Go Off Script (Audio/mp3) (Transcript/PDF)

Be prepared to discuss each case and how defenses shift liability from manufacturer to plaintiff

DURING CLASS

  • Contributory negligence: plaintiff’s conduct
  • Assumption of risk: express and implied
  • Product misuse: foreseeable vs. unforeseeable misuse
  • Comparative negligence framework
  • Digital product contexts: user misuse, assumption of risk in algorithmic systems
  • Can users “assume risk” of algorithmic bias?

DELIVERABLE

  • Damages Analysis memo: “Compensatory & Punitive Damages in Digital Product Cases” (≅1,000 words)
    • Requirements: Analyze a real or hypothetical injury caused by a defective digital product or platform (e.g., financial loss from algorithmic discrimination, emotional distress from privacy breach, personal injury from unsafe IoT device). Calculate available damages under Chapter 13: compensatory (economic loss, personal injury, property damage), nominal, and punitive damages. Discuss which damages are appropriate for digital harms. Address challenges in quantifying emotional distress or reputational harm. Should punitive damages apply to platforms? Discuss FAIR principles about proportional responsibility.
    • Submit via Canvas, due before Friday at 10:12 p.m.

FAIR Lens: Week 12, Class 22 – Shifting Responsibility to Users

Defense Strategy

When a manufacturer raises a “misuse” or “assumption of risk” defense, it argues that the plaintiff, not the manufacturer, bears responsibility for harm. In what contexts is it fair to shift responsibility? When was the user’s conduct unforeseeable? When did the user have a clear warning? When did the user explicitly agree to risk-taking? In digital products, where algorithms are opaque, and users have limited alternatives, is it ever fair to shift responsibility?

FAIR Questions

  • Flexibility & Imagination: Design criteria for when assumption of risk and misuse defenses are fair in digital contexts.
  • Flexibility: What factors should determine whether responsibility lies with the manufacturer or the user,  and how should those factors flex when the product is algorithmic, the user’s choices were constrained by design, and the company controlled the information environment?

Week 13: Defenses & Risk Allocation

Class 23 | Chapter 14 – Defenses (Part 2) & Comparative Negligence

BEFORE CLASS

PL W13C23 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 14, pages 226–234

  • Comparative Negligence (Daly v. General Motors Corporation)

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

  • Episode 14.1: Contributory vs. Comparative Negligence: The Evolution of a Defense (Audio/mp3) (Transcript/PDF)
  • Episode 14.2: Assumption of Risk and Product Misuse: What Happens When Users Go Off Script (Audio/mp3) (Transcript/PDF)

Be prepared to discuss comparative negligence and how fault is apportioned among multiple parties

DURING CLASS

  • Comparative negligence: modern approach
  • Allocation of fault between plaintiff and defendant
  • Multiple defendants and fault apportionment
  • Defenses in digital product cases
  • How do traditional defenses apply to platform liability?

DELIVERABLE

  • None

FAIR Lens: Week 13, Class 23 – Shared Responsibility in Digital Systems

Comparative Fault Scenario

A user falls victim to a cryptocurrency scam facilitated by the exchange’s platform. The exchange’s design made it easy to send money to external wallets without verification (platform fault). The user also ignored warning signs and didn’t use available security features (user fault). Under comparative negligence, both share responsibility. But how much to each? 50/50? 70/30? Should platform design be held to a higher standard because the company profits from and controls the system?

FAIR Reflection

  • Flexibility & Imagination: Propose a comparative negligence framework for digital products that fairly accounts for power imbalances between platforms and users.
  • Adaptability & Resilience: How should liability be allocated to incentivize both platform safety and user awareness?
  • Adaptability: Who should have greater responsibility, the entity that controls the system or the individual using it? How should comparative negligence doctrine adapt when the power asymmetry between a platform and a user makes true “comparative” fault a fiction?

Week 14: Emerging Issues & Frontier Questions

Class 24 | Chapter 15 – Special Topics & Recent Developments

BEFORE CLASS

PL W14C24 Class Meeting Outline

Read: Chapter 15, pages 235–240

  • Enterprise Liability Doctrine
  • Burnside v. Abbott Laboratories
  • Alternative Liability
  • Market Share Liability
  • Sindell v. Abbott Laboratories
  • George v. Parke-Davis

Listen/read the following Products Liability: A Managerial Perspective episodes in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion during class.

Be prepared to discuss how doctrine evolves when traditional causation breaks down, and multiple defendants are involved

DURING CLASS

  • Enterprise liability: collective responsibility
  • Alternative liability: when causation is uncertain
  • Market share liability: Sindell doctrine
  • When traditional causation breaks down
  • Digital product parallels: algorithmic causation, attribution problems
  • Sindell applied to AI harms: Can we use the market share doctrine when multiple AI systems contribute to harm?
  • K.G.M. v. Meta (March 2026) as a capstone case: the jury found Meta and Google negligent in the design of Instagram and YouTube, without ever deciding whether a platform is a “product” under PL doctrine. As a hypothetical extension, how would infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations fare as design features under the Risk-Utility and Consumer Expectations tests? Parallels to Liebeck v. McDonald’s (Week 9) on weighing the cost of safer design. How negligence liability can reach engagement-optimized design choices even before courts resolve the harder products-liability classification question.

DELIVERABLE

  • PL Project Phase 3 – Final WordPress Portfolio (Due Sunday before 11:32 p.m.)
    • Note: Phase 3 is your most complete, coherent analysis combining all preliminary work into a final multimedia WordPress portfolio. See Deliverables for full specifications.

FAIR Lens: Week 14, Class 24 – Causation When Many Contributed

Market Share Scenario

Multiple social media algorithms amplify polarizing content and contribute to radicalization. A person radicalized online commits violence. Can the injured parties sue under market share liability, holding each platform liable for its share of the harm? Should they? What are the tradeoffs? Now anchor this hypothetical in a real verdict: In K.G.M. v. Meta (March 2026), a jury found Meta and Google negligent in the design of Instagram and YouTube — not liable for a products-liability design defect. The case was fundamentally an Integrity case.

FAIR Exploration

  • Adaptability & Imagination: When harm emerges from the interaction of many platforms, who should bear responsibility — and can market share doctrine adapt to assign proportional liability across an AI industry where individual causation cannot be traced?
  • Integrity: The DES manufacturers in Sindell suppressed clinical evidence of risk across an entire industry. What did they know, when did they know it, and what did they choose to do with that knowledge? Now consider the direct parallel in Meta/Google:

Meta and Google had internal research documenting that infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations cause addiction and mental health harms in minors. They designed these features to maximize engagement despite that documented knowledge. They provided no warnings to users or parents. The jury found that proceeding despite known harms breached the duty of care Meta and Google owed their users—a negligence finding, not a products-liability design-defect finding. As a future manager, what does this tell you about the relationship between knowledge, design choice, and legal accountability?

Class 25 | Chapter 15 – Frontier Questions in AI Liability

PL W14C25 Class Meeting Outline

DURING CLASS

  • Core question: How should PL doctrine adapt to AI, algorithms, and digital products?
  • Challenges to traditional doctrine: Defining “product,” “defect,” “manufacturer,” causation, and warnings
  • Case studies: Autonomous vehicles, hiring algorithms, deepfakes, content moderation
  • Discussion: Does PL doctrine need to expand, or should new frameworks replace PL?
  • Perspective from your PL Project: How do frontier questions apply to your digital product?

DELIVERABLE

FAIR Lens: Week 14, Class 25 – Integration & Looking Forward

Final Reflection

The course began with basic doctrine (what is a product? what is a defect?) and evolved to frontier questions (how should AI systems be governed? who is responsible for algorithmic harms?). Throughout, the FAIR Framework has been present: asking you to be flexible in applying old doctrine to new contexts, adaptable in your thinking, imaginative in envisioning solutions, and resilient in managing uncertainty — all grounded in Integrity, which asks not just what you can do, but whether you should.

Final FAIR Questions for Integration

  • Flexibility: What are the core principles of products liability that should never change? What principles should flex?
  • Adaptability: How have your views on manufacturer responsibility evolved over 14 weeks?
  • Imagination: If you were to propose a single change to PL doctrine to govern digital products better, what would it be?
  • Resilience: As a future business leader, how will you apply these lessons to make decisions about product safety, legal compliance, and ethical responsibility?
  • Integrity: Looking back across the course, from Spruill to Liebeck to Sindell, what is the common thread in every case where a manufacturer faced the harshest consequences? What did those companies know, what did they choose, and what does that pattern tell you about the kind of leader you intend to be?

Week 15: Presentations

Class 26 | PL Project Presentations – Part 1

DURING CLASS

  • Team Presentations & Defenses (Part 1)
  • 15–20 minutes per team
  • 2–3 min intro + 8–10 min core argument + 2–3 min multimedia walkthrough + 5–10 min Q&A
  • Peer questions and instructor feedback

Class 27 | PL Project Presentations – Part 2

DURING CLASS

  • Team Presentations & Defenses (Part 2)
  • 15–20 minutes per team
  • 2–3 min intro + 8–10 min core argument + 2–3 min multimedia walkthrough + 5–10 min Q&A
  • Peer questions and instructor feedback

Week 16: Course Wrap

Class 28 | Course Synthesis

DURING CLASS

  • Course Synthesis Discussion
  • Doctrinal integration: from MacPherson to modern digital contexts
  • Managerial lessons: how PL doctrine shapes business decisions
  • FAIR Framework reflection: Flexibility, Adaptability, Imagination, Resilience, and Integrity, the governing ethical standard that asks not just what a manager can do, but whether they should
  • Future of products liability in the digital economy
  • Emerging frontiers: AI liability, platform governance, algorithmic transparency

 

DT&L: Schedule

Before Week 1

You can complete this deliverable by visiting the “Before We Begin” page on ShannonWeb.

Week 1, Class 1 | Why DT&L?

Discuss During Class (Wednesday)
  • Introduction to DT&L
    • DT&L Project
    • Team Organization
    • Project Focus

Week 2: Class 2 | Alumni Day

Monday: MLK Day, No Class

During Class (Wednesday)

  • Discussion with DT&L Alumni
Deliverable(s)

Week 3, Class 3 & 4 | Snow Day || Innovation Hub (Walsh Library, 1st Floor)

During Class (Monday)
  • Snow Day
During Class (Wednesday)
  • Innovation Hub Introduction

Deliverable(s)

Week 4, Classes 5 & 6 | Digital Tools || Gretzky Portfolio & DT&L Project Expectations

During Class (Monday)

  • WordPress Overview

During Class (Wednesday)

  • Gretzky Portfolio & DT&L Project Expectations

Week 5, Classes 7 & 8 | Deliverables Review || Overview of Strategic Foresight | Futures Thinking

Review Before Class (Monday)
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course

During Class (Monday)

  • Review DT&L Deliverables expectations

During Class (Wednesday)

Introduction to strategic foresight and its importance in contemporary society and business. We begin discussing foresight, strategic planning, and future thinking. Techniques such as scenario planning and trend analysis will be introduced to help us anticipate and prepare for future scenarios.

Review Before Class (Wednesday)
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course
During Class (Wednesday)
  • Definition and principles of strategic foresight, its history, and real-world applications
  • Understanding strategic foresight and future studies
  • Techniques in strategic foresight: Scenario planning, Fringe sketch, etc.
  • Importance and use of strategic foresight in various fields
  • Practical examples of strategic foresight
Deliverable(s)
  • Gretzky Portfolio (WordPress) initial setup (including “About Me” page) due before Saturday at 11:31p ET
    • Range is a primary resource supporting the development of your Gretzky Portfolio
  • The Fourth Turning Is Here, Part II

Week 6, Classes 9 & 10 | Generational Change || Visit With A Futurist

Review Before Class (Monday)
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course

During Class (Monday)

We are living through a period in which disruption is not driven by any single technology, ideology, or policy choice, but by the interaction of demographic change, accelerating technological systems, institutional strain, political volatility, and a shifting global order. These pressures are intensified by generational turnover, as emerging cohorts bring new expectations about work, authority, risk, and technology into systems designed for earlier eras. Because these forces are compounding rather than additive, understanding this moment requires openness to change, adaptability to rapidly evolving conditions, the ability to envision alternative institutional arrangements, and the capacity to sustain judgment in the face of uncertainty. Rather than forecasting a single future, this analysis maps the present conditions that make certain futures more plausible than others, helping students understand why many institutions feel simultaneously overwhelmed, brittle, and resistant to change, and why developing the capacity to respond thoughtfully matters as much as predicting what comes next.

Review Before Class (Wednesday)
Review the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course
During Class (Wednesday)

Deliverable(s)

Week 7, Class 11 & 12 | Demographic & Social Forces

Review Before Class
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course

During Class

We will examine how aging populations, declining birth rates, migration, and generational turnover are reshaping labor markets, social expectations, and institutional legitimacy. We will explore how demographic pressures strain pension systems, healthcare, and public finance while simultaneously altering attitudes toward work, authority, and credentials. The discussion highlights growing intergenerational tension and declining trust in institutions, emphasizing how demographic realities constrain legal, technological, and economic change in ways that are often invisible but deeply consequential.

Deliverable(s)

Week 8 | Spring Break (No Classes)

Week 9, Classes 13 & 14 | Technological Acceleration & Digital Infrastructure || Economic & Institutional Pressures

Review Before Class (Monday)
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course

During Class (Monday)

We will shift from individual technologies to system-level acceleration, with a focus on artificial intelligence, platforms, data extraction, and algorithmic decision-making. We will analyze how innovation now outpaces institutional adaptation, producing regulatory lag, accountability gaps, and systemic fragility. Rather than asking whether technology is “good” or “bad,” this section emphasizes how scale, speed, and embeddedness reshape power, resilience, and human judgment across society.

Review Before Class (Wednesday)
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course
  • How Has U.S. Health Spending Changed Over Time? (Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker)
    • Puts hard numbers behind healthcare’s long-run affordability problem. Supports data-driven discussion of sustainability and tradeoffs between coverage, cost, and resilience.
    • FAIR: Resilience, Adaptability
  • Digest of Education Statistics (Finance + Outcomes Tables) (NCES)
    • Primary data for tracing tuition growth, public funding shifts, and institutional cost structures. Enables students to move from “opinions about college” to measurable trends.
    • FAIR: Flexibility, Resilience
  • The Long-Term Budget Outlook: 2025 to 2055 (CBO)
    • Shows how demographic change, interest costs, and program obligations squeeze public capacity. Anchors “institutional strain” in credible long-horizon projections.
    • FAIR: Resilience, Adaptability
  • Fiscal Monitor: October 2025 (Issue Page) (IMF)
    • Frames fiscal strain as a global governance problem, not a U.S.-only story. Useful for comparing how different systems distribute risk and sustain public services.
    • FAIR: Imagination, Adaptability
  • Household Debt and Credit Report (Center for Microeconomic Data) (New York Fed)
    • Tracks household balance-sheet pressure, where risk transfer becomes visible. Connects macro strain (prices, rates) to micro fragility (delinquencies, precarity).
    • FAIR: Resilience, Flexibility
  • Global Inequality Data (World Inequality Database (WID)
    • Provides the empirical foundation for discussions of inequality. Helps students connect distributional outcomes to institutional legitimacy and political stability.
    • FAIR: Imagination, Resilience
  • Trust in Government (Topic Hub) (Pew Research Center)
    • Documented long-run decline in trust and partisan differences, key context for why institutional reform is so difficult. Supports discussion of legitimacy during stress.
    • FAIR: Resilience, Adaptability
  • Confidence in Institutions (Historical Trends) (Gallup)
    • A long time-series on institutional confidence that students can compare across sectors. Useful for connecting economic strain to cultural and generational attitudes.
    • FAIR: Adaptability, Resilience
  • Competition Matters (Antitrust/Competition Insights) (FTC)
    • A stable FTC hub for competition policy, enforcement themes, and consolidation framing. Grounds platform power debates in real regulatory work and constraints.
    • FAIR: Flexibility, Adaptability
  • Anti-Monopoly Research (Open Markets Institute)
    • Frames consolidation as a structural power shift that changes bargaining, prices, and innovation paths. Helps students see market design as a legal and institutional choice.
    • FAIR: Imagination, Resilience
  • The Rise of the Superstars (Special Report) (The Economist)
    • Explains why scale advantages concentrate profits and influence in a few firms. Connects “efficiency” narratives to systemic fragility and governance challenges.
    • FAIR: Imagination, Adaptability
  • Don’t Abandon JIT; Revamp It (Harvard Business Review)
    • A concrete case of the efficiency–resilience tradeoff: lean systems are fast, but brittle under shocks. Helps students operationalize “resilience” beyond slogans.
    • FAIR: Resilience, Adaptability
  • Risk & Resilience Insights (McKinsey)
    • A practitioner-facing view of how organizations redesign for volatility, compounding risk, and uncertainty. Useful for translating concepts into institutional strategy language.
    • FAIR: Resilience, Imagination
  • Global Risks Report 2026 (Publication Page) (World Economic Forum)
    • Synthesizes cross-system risks (economic, geopolitical, technological) and how they interact. Useful for teaching why optimizing one variable (cost/speed) can amplify systemic failure modes.
    • FAIR: Imagination, Resilience

During Class (Wednesday)

We will delve into the economic strain on core institutions, such as education, healthcare, and public services, many of which operate under increasingly unsustainable models. We will examine cost disease, rising debt, inequality, platform-driven consolidation, and the shift of risk from institutions to individuals. A central theme is the tension between efficiency and resilience, and why systems optimized for speed and cost often fail under stress.

Deliverable(s)

Week 10, Classes 15 & 16 | Legal & Regulatory Environment

Review Before Class
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course
  • World Economic Forum – Agile Governance (PDF)
    • Introduces agile governance as a model for regulatory systems responding to rapid change.
    • Law often lags innovation. Agile governance explores how institutions might anticipate rather than react.
    • FAIR: Adaptability, Imagination
  • Regulatory Policy & Governance (OECD)
    • Global standards and frameworks for improving regulatory design and quality.
    • Institutional design determines whether regulation produces stability or friction.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • The Three Challenges of AI Regulation (Brookings)
    • Identifies complexity, speed, and uncertainty as core barriers to effective AI regulation.
    • Regulatory lag is structural, not accidental.
    • FAIR: Flexibility, Adaptability
  • Mapping the Regulatory Landscape for New Technologies (Lawfare)
    • Explains fragmentation in U.S. oversight of emerging technologies.
    • Jurisdictional conflict redistributes risk and shapes enforcement gaps.
    • FAIR: Imagination
  • Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (2024)
    • Decision overturning Chevron deference.
    • Judicial philosophy now plays a larger role in shaping regulatory authority.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • West Virginia v. EPA (2022)
    • Expands the major questions doctrine.
    • Signals judicial skepticism toward expansive administrative authority.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • Major Questions Doctrine (Cornell LII)
    • Clear explanation of the doctrine shaping modern administrative law.
    • Judicial limits affect the pace and scope of regulation.
    • FAIR: Flexibility
  • EU AI Act Overview (European Commission)
    • Risk-based regulatory framework for AI in the EU.
    • Global divergence increases compliance complexity and geopolitical tension.
    • FAIR: Imagination
  • EU AI Act (Official Text) (EUR-Lex)
    • Full legal text of the AI Act.
    • Regulatory language signals societal priorities around risk and oversight.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Translation of China’s Generative AI Measures (Stanford DigiChina)
    • English translation of China’s generative AI regulations.
    • Regulatory models reflect institutional philosophy and political systems.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • E-Commerce Negotiations (WTO)
    • Ongoing negotiations over global digital trade rules.
    • Digital sovereignty collides with cross-border commerce.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Section 230 Overview (Electronic Frontier Foundation)
    • Explains intermediary liability protections.
    • Liability allocation determines who bears platform risk.
    • FAIR: Flexibility
  • Rule of Law Index (World Justice Project)
    • Measures rule-of-law strength globally.
    • Legal legitimacy underpins market and democratic stability.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Law and Finance (La Porta et al.)
    • Foundational study linking legal systems to economic development.
    • Law structures incentives long before disruption becomes visible.
    • FAIR: Flexibility

During Class

Law is both a stabilizing force and a source of friction in periods of rapid change. We will analyze how legal systems often respond reactively rather than proactively to technological and social disruption, creating enforcement gaps and jurisdictional conflicts. We will consider how evolving judicial philosophies, administrative authority, and global regulatory divergence shape incentives, distribute risk, and signal societal priorities, often after underlying systems have already transformed.

Deliverable(s)

Week 11, Classes 17 & 18 | Domestic Political Dynamics

Review Before Class
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course
  • Public Trust in Government: 1958–2025 (Pew Research Center)
    • Longitudinal data tracking six decades of declining trust in the federal government.
    • Trust is the stabilizing currency of democratic governance. Its erosion alters legitimacy, compliance, and policy durability.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Confidence in Institutions (Gallup)
    • Annual tracking of confidence in major American institutions.
    • Institutional weakness feeds distrust, reinforcing cycles of fragility.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • 2025 Trust Barometer (Edelman)
    • Global survey of trust in government, business, NGOs, and media.
    • Distrust is systemic, not confined to politics alone.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • Truth Decay Project (RAND)
    • Research examining declining reliance on facts in civic discourse.
    • Governance becomes reactive when shared facts erode.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Global Risks Report 2026 (World Economic Forum)
    • Identifies governance failure and polarization as systemic risks.
    • Domestic instability now acts as a global risk multiplier.
    • FAIR: Imagination
  • Government at a Glance 2025 (OECD)
    • Comparative data on trust and government performance across democracies.
    • Institutional design affects governance resilience.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • Democracy Report 2025 (V-Dem Institute)
    • Empirical analysis of democratic backsliding worldwide.
    • Polarization and executive overreach undermine long-term planning.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Freedom in the World 2025 (Freedom House)
    • Annual assessment of political rights and civil liberties.
    • Institutional erosion unfolds gradually through weakened norms.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Harvard Youth Poll (Harvard IOP)
    • Survey of young Americans’ trust and political engagement.
    • Generational shifts shape future institutional legitimacy.
    • FAIR: Imagination
  • Stanford Politics and Social Change Lab
    • Research hub studying affective polarization and democratic norms.
    • Emotional polarization undermines coordinated problem-solving.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • Local Election Officials Under Pressure (2025) (Brennan Center)
    • Survey documenting stress facing election administrators.
    • Administrative capacity is foundational to democratic resilience.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 (Transparency International)
    • Global corruption index measuring public-sector integrity.
    • Perceived corruption accelerates distrust and policy instability.
    • FAIR: Resilience

During Class

Our discussion focuses on declining trust, polarization, and short-termism within domestic political systems. We will explore how governance increasingly becomes reactive and crisis-driven, undermining policy coherence and long-term planning. The discussion highlights feedback loops in which institutional weakness fuels public distrust, further eroding the capacity for coordinated and durable solutions.

Deliverable(s)

  • P2: DT&L Project Interim Report Due Before 9:48p ET

Week 12, Classes 19 & 20 | Geopolitical & Global Order Shifts

Review Before Class
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course

During Class

We will examine how the global order is moving toward multipolar competition marked by trade fragmentation, techno-nationalism, and strategic rivalry. This discussion emphasizes the fragility of globally optimized supply chains and the reclassification of technology, data, and energy as strategic assets. Legal systems, business strategy, and domestic governance are analyzed through the lens of global power dynamics rather than isolated national choices.

Deliverable(s)

  • Level 3 Artifact Due Before 9:48p ET

Week 13, Class 21 | Ethical & Cultural Undercurrents

Easter Monday: No Class

Review Before Class (Wednesday)
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course
  • Machine Bias (ProPublica)
    • Landmark investigation into algorithmic risk scoring in criminal justice.
    • Demonstrates how responsibility becomes obscured when software systems mediate decisions.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Algorithmic Accountability for the Public Sector (AI Now Institute)
    • Explores procurement, oversight, and governance gaps in public-sector AI adoption.
    • Grounds ethical debate in institutional realities rather than abstract principles.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0) (NIST)
    • Framework for identifying and managing AI risks across the lifecycle.
    • Provides a structured way to ask where accountability resides and what risks are measurable.
    • FAIR: Flexibility
  • Surveillance Technologies Overview (ACLU)
    • Explainer on modern surveillance systems and civil liberties risks.
    • Shows how autonomy erodes when monitoring becomes ambient and normalized.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Artificial Intelligence Topic Hub (EFF)
    • Collection of civil liberties analyses on AI and digital rights.
    • Connects platform power to the lived experience of privacy and speech constraints.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Public and Expert Views of AI (Pew Research Center)
    • Survey research comparing public and expert perceptions of AI.
    • Highlights generational and experiential differences in trust and risk perception.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • The Frontier Firm (2025) (Microsoft Work Trend Index)
    • Research on human-AI collaboration and evolving workplace models.
    • Illustrates how professional identity and judgment shift when AI becomes embedded in workflow.
    • FAIR: Flexibility
  • Edelman Trust Barometer (2026)
    • Annual global trust survey across institutions.
    • Ethical outsourcing occurs amid declining institutional trust and legitimacy.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Global Risks Report 2026 (World Economic Forum)
    • System-level overview of interconnected technological and societal risks.
    • Places AI ethics within the broader context of structural fragility and systemic stress.
    • FAIR: Imagination
  • Recommendation on the Ethics of AI (UNESCO)
    • Global normative framework emphasizing human rights and dignity.
    • Reasserts that certain moral decisions should not be outsourced to automated systems.
    • FAIR: Imagination
  • Framework Convention on AI (Council of Europe)
    • A legally binding treaty focused on human rights and the rule of law in AI governance.
    • Moves ethics from voluntary standards to enforceable institutional commitments.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • AI Index Report 2025 (Stanford HAI)
    • Comprehensive annual data on AI, deployment, and policy.
    • Explains why ethical pressure intensifies as deployment accelerates globally.
    • FAIR: Adaptability

During Class (Wednesday)

Ethics in this discussion is grounded in lived experience rather than abstract theory. We will explore how responsibility becomes diffused as decisions are mediated or made by systems, platforms, and algorithms. We will examine shifting norms regarding autonomy, privacy, dignity, and professional identity, asking who bears risk, who benefits, and who decides in a world in which moral judgment is increasingly outsourced.

Deliverable(s)

  • DT&L Final Projects Due Before 9:48p ET

Week 14, Classes 22 & 23 | Interactions, Tensions, and Feedback Loops

Review Before Class
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course
During Class

We will integrate our prior discussion of systems to show how disruption is compounded by reinforcing feedback loops. Students analyze how technological acceleration, economic inequality, demographic pressure, and institutional weakness amplify one another, increasing systemic risk. Attention is given to leverage points, small interventions in governance, transparency, or design, that can produce disproportionate effects in complex systems.

Deliverable(s)

  • Complete Review of DT&L Final Projects in Preparation for Discussion

Week 15, Classes 24 & 25 | Plausible 5–10 Year Macro Futures || Framing Questions for Future Focus

Review Before Class (Monday)
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course
  • Global Risks Report 2024 (World Economic Forum)
    • System-level mapping of interconnected global risks.
    • Demonstrates how overlapping risks generate multiple plausible futures.
    • FAIR: Imagination, Resilience
  • Strategic Foresight Program (OECD)
  • Government-focused foresight and preparation tools.
    • Models preparation without prediction.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • Foresight Toolkit for Resilient Public Policy (OECD)
    • Applied scenario and stress-testing framework.
    • Provides method, not just theory.
    • FAIR: Flexibility, Resilience
  • Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty (DMDU) (RAND)
    • Framework for policy decisions without reliable probabilities.
    • Encourages robust rather than optimal strategies.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • World Economic Outlook Hub (IMF)
    • Macroeconomic outlook and policy framing.
    • Anchors managed adaptation in economic realities.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • Technology & Innovation (Brookings)
    • Research on governance and technological change.
    • Connects institutional reform to tech acceleration.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • Technology and International Affairs (Carnegie Endowment)
    • Geopolitics of AI and emerging tech.
    • Illustrates fragmentation and techno-nationalism.
    • FAIR: Imagination, Resilience
  • GeoTech Center (Atlantic Council)
    • Digital sovereignty and strategic competition.
    • Shows how standards and alliances drive divergence.
    • FAIR: Flexibility
  • Trust Barometer 2026 (Edelman)
    • Cross-country institutional trust data.
    • Trust erosion shapes governance futures.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Public Trust in Government (Pew Research Center)
    • Long-term trend data on civic trust.
    • Quantifies legitimacy decline.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Freedom in the World (Freedom House)
    • Tracking democratic backsliding globally.
    • Institutional strain alters legal and political systems.
    • FAIR: Adaptability, Resilience
  • Our Common Agenda (United Nations)
    • Blueprint for institutional renewal and cooperation.
    • Offers a recalibration pathway.
    • FAIR: Imagination, Adaptability

During Class (Monday)

Rather than predicting a single outcome, we will discuss several plausible macro-level trajectories for the next decade, including managed adaptation, fragmentation and divergence, concentrated power amid declining trust, and human-centered recalibration. We will learn to recognize elements of each future already emerging and to assess trade-offs among efficiency, legitimacy, resilience, and growth. The emphasis is on judgment under uncertainty rather than forecasting precision.

Review Before Class (Wednesday)
Read/Watch the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion and use these resources throughout the course
  • Public Trust in Government (Pew Research Center)
    • Long-term data on institutional trust in the United States.
    • Institutional legitimacy determines whether reform efforts succeed or fail.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • 2024 Trust Barometer (Edelman)
    • Global survey of trust across business, government, media, and NGOs.
    • Trust gaps signal governance fragility and social polarization.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • Freedom in the World Report (Freedom House)
    • Global democratic performance assessment.
    • Identifies where political systems are becoming more or less adaptable.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • AI Governance Research (Brookings Institution)
    • Policy research on regulating emerging technologies.
    • Explores how law balances flexibility with accountability.
    • FAIR: Flexibility
  • AI Index Report (Stanford HAI)
    • Annual data-driven analysis of global AI development and regulation.
    • Enables signal tracking of regulatory shifts and innovation pace.
    • FAIR: Adaptability
  • EU Artificial Intelligence Act Overview (European Parliament)
    • Summary of the EU AI regulatory framework.
    • A live example of structured accountability in emerging tech.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • World Population Prospects (United Nations)
    • Global demographic projections.
    • Aging populations and fertility decline reshape institutional sustainability.
    • FAIR: Imaginatio
  • National Population Projections (U.S. Census Bureau)
    • Long-term demographic modeling for the U.S.
    • Demographics influence labor markets and entitlement systems.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • World Economic Outlook (International Monetary Fund)
    • Global macroeconomic risk assessments.
    • Economic strain reduces institutional room for experimentation.
    • FAIR: Resilience
  • Global Risks Report 2024 (World Economic Forum)
    • Interconnected global risk assessment.
    • Encourages systems-level thinking rather than siloed analysis.
    • FAIR: Imagination
  • Signals & Forecasting (Institute for the Future)
    • Strategic foresight methods and weak-signal tracking.
    • Teaches preparation over prediction.
    • FAIR: Imagination
  • Algorithmic Accountability Research (Data & Society)
    • Research on platform power and algorithmic governance.
    • Examines diffusion of responsibility in AI-mediated systems.
    • FAIR: Flexibility

During Class (Wednesday)

Our final discussion will develop questions for guiding ongoing analysis. It emphasizes identifying where institutional failures are most consequential, which systems remain adaptable, and how law should balance flexibility with accountability. Students are encouraged to track signals, demographic trends, regulatory shifts, trust indicators, and institutional reforms to develop foresight-driven judgment about where attention and intervention are most needed.

Deliverable(s)

  • Gretzky Portfolio Due Before 10:24p ET

Week 16, Classes 26 & 27 | DT&L Project Discussions

Review Before Class 
  • Review DT&L Projects in preparation for discussion of summaries
Discuss During Class 
  • DT&L Project Summary discussions
    • (Monday)
    • (Wednesday)

Week 17, Class 28 | Course Wrap, Gretzky Portfolios and Future Trends

We will review the course’s key themes and explore potential future trends in digital transformation, AI, and law. We will assess progress since the pre-course Gretzky Evaluation and evaluate future preparedness for personal and professional success
During Class 
  • Review of the major themes of the course
  • Identification and exploration of future trends in digital transformation, AI, and law
  • Assess progress since the pre-course Gretzky Evaluations
  • Evaluate future preparedness for personal and professional success

AT: Schedule

Before Week 1 (before January 14th)

Complete this deliverable by visiting Before We Begin. These deliverables must be completed even if you join the course after the first day of class.

Week 1, Class 1 | Introduction To The Course

Before Class (Wednesday):
During Class (Wednesday):
  • Introduction to the course
  • Review current events

Week 2, Class 2 | AT Projects

During Class (Wednesday):
  • Discuss AT Project requirements

Week 3, Classes 3 & 4 | Prompt Engineering, Adobe Express & WordPress

Before Class (Monday)
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
During Class (Monday)
  • Overview of Generative AI, Prompt Engineering, Ethics, and Use of Generative AI
Before Class (Wednesday):
During Class (Wednesday):

Week 4, Class 5 | Judicial Power and the Role of the Supreme Court

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 1: The Constitution’s Big Picture (transcript)

  • Supreme Court (Wikipedia)
  • Judicial Review (Wikipedia)
  • Marbury v. Madison (1803) Oyez | Wikipedia: Establishing judicial review
  • Cooper v. Aaron (1958) (JustiaWikipedia): Reinforcing the supremacy of the Court’s decisions
  • Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee (1816) Oyez | Wikipedia: Supreme Court asserted its authority to review decisions of state courts involving federal law, reinforcing federal supremacy
  • Cohens v. Virginia (1821) Oyez | Wikipedia): Court extended its power to review criminal cases from state courts, strengthening federal judicial power
  • Worcester v. Georgia (1832) Oyez | Wikipedia: President Andrew Jackson allegedly defied the Court’s ruling, refusing to enforce protections for Cherokee lands
During Class
  • Discuss
    • The Supreme Court’s creation, structure, and constitutional foundations
    • The establishment of judicial review and the Court’s role in maintaining the balance of power in the federal government
    • The evolution of the Court’s authority and legitimacy in the American constitutional system, judicial review, separation of powers, and the Court’s role in the constitutional system
  • Review current events
Deliverable(s):
  • ATP Phase 1 Due Before Sunday at 10:42p

Week 4, Class 6 | Theories of Constitutional Interpretation

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 1: The Constitution’s Big Picture (transcript)

  • Originalism: Interpreting the Constitution as understood at the time of enactment
  • Living Constitution: Adapting the Constitution to contemporary societal needs
  • Textualism: Focusing on the plain meaning of the Constitution’s text
  • Structuralism: Deriving principles from the structure and relationships within the Constitution
  • District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) Oyez | Wikipedia: Originalism vs. Living Constitution
  • New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022) Justia | Wikipedia: Originalism vs. Living Constitution
During Class
  • Discuss competing approaches to understanding and applying the Constitution
  • Review current events
Deliverable(s):
  • Prompt Engineering Exercise Due Before Saturday at 8:41p

Week 5, Class 7 | Federalism and States’ Rights

Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 2: The Supremacy Clause and Preemption (transcript)

  • Federalism (Wikipedia)
  • McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Justia | Wikipedia: Federal supremacy and implied powers
  • Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) Justia | Wikipedia: Federal control over interstate commerce
  • United States v. Lopez (1995) Justia | Wikipedia: Limits on federal power under the Commerce Clause
During Class
    • Discuss the balance of power between federal and state governments
    • Review current events
Deliverable(s)
  • Case Simulation #1 Materials Available Before Sunday at 1p
  • Case Simulation #1, Phase 1 Memo Due Before Friday at 11a; Submit Using Teams DM

Week 5, Class 8 | Commerce Clause and Economic Regulation

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 3: The Commerce Clause and Contracts Clause (transcript)

  • Article 1, Section 8 Commerce Clause (Wikipedia)
  • Wickard v. Filburn (1942) Justia | Wikipedia: Broad federal authority under the Commerce Clause
  • Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964) Justia | Wikipedia: Commerce power and civil rights
  • National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012) Justia | Wikipedia: Federal power in regulating commerce and healthcare
During Class
    • Discuss the Commerce Clause and Economic Regulation
    • Review current events

Week 6, Classes 9 & 10 | Case Simulation

During Class
Case Simulation #1
  • Monday: Phase 1, discuss case simulation memos
  • Wednesday: Phase 2, team Q&A

Week 7, Class 11 | Civil Rights and Discrimination

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Civil And Political Rights (Wikipedia)
  • History Of Civil Rights In The United States (Wikipedia)
  • Civil Rights Acts (United States) (1866-pres) (Wikipedia)
  • Gender Inequality In The United States (Wikipedia)
  • Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) Justia | Wikipedia: African Americans were not US citizens and had no constitutional rights, effectively protecting slavery
  • Cooper v. Aaron (1958) Justia | Wikipedia: Reaffirmed that states must comply with Supreme Court decisions on civil rights and cannot nullify federal court orders
  • Loving v. Virginia (1967) Justia | Wikipedia: Struck down laws banning interracial marriage as unconstitutional
During Class
  • Discuss racial equality, gender equality, and protections against discrimination.
  • Review current events
Deliverable(s)
  • ATP Phase 2 Due Before Monday at 1:12a

Week 7, Class 12 | Voting Rights and Representation

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Reynolds v. Sims (1964) Justia | Wikipedia: “One person, one vote”
  • Shelby County v. Holder (2013) Justia | Wikipedia: Rollback of the Voting Rights Act
  • Rucho v. Common Cause (2019) Justia | Wikipedia: Partisan gerrymandering and judicial limits
During Class
  • Discuss equal representation, disenfranchisement, and gerrymandering.
  • Review current events

Week 8, No Classes | Spring Break

Week 9, Class 13 | The First Amendment: Free Speech, Religion, and the Press

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 4: The First Amendment Freedoms (transcript)

During Class
  • Discuss Protections For Speech, Religious Freedoms, And Press Rights.
  • Review current events

Week 9, Class 14 | Equal Protection Under the Fourteenth Amendment

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth so that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 7: The Fourteenth Amendment—Equal Protection and Due Process (transcript)

  • Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Justia | Wikipedia: Established the “separate but equal” doctrine, legitimizing racial segregation for nearly 60 years
  • Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Justia | Wikipedia: Equal educational opportunity
  • Romer v. Evans (1996) Justia | Wikipedia: Protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation
  • Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023) Justia | Wikipedia: Race-conscious admissions policies
During Class
  • Discuss Expanding Rights And Protections Through The Equal Protection Clause.
  • Review current events

Week 10, Classes 15 & 16 | Due Process and Substantive Rights

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) Justia | Wikipedia: Right to privacy in marital contraception
  • Roe v. Wade (1973) Justia | Wikipedia: Reproductive rights (and subsequent challenges)
  • Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) Justia | Wikipedia: Marriage equality for same-sex couples
During Class
  • Discuss privacy, liberty, and the extension of constitutional protections.
  • Review current events
Deliverable(s)
  • Case Simulation #2 Materials Available Before Sunday at 1p
  • Case Simulation #2, Phase 1 Memo Due Before Thursday at 11p; Submit Using Teams DM

Week 11, Classes 17 & 18 | Case Simulation

During Class
Case Simulation #2
  • Monday: Phase 1, discuss case simulation memos
  • Wednesday: Phase 2, team Q&A

Week 12, Class 19 | Criminal Procedure and the Rights of the Accused

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Miranda v. Arizona (1966) Justia | Wikipedia: Right to remain silent and police procedure
  • Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) Justia | Wikipedia: Right to counsel in criminal trials
  • Mapp v. Ohio (1961) Justia | Wikipedia: Exclusionary rule and Fourth Amendment protections
During Class
  • Discuss expanding protections for defendants under the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments.
  • Review current events

Deliverable(s)

  • ATP Phase 3 Due Before Sunday at 3:49p

Week 12, Class 20 | Executive Power and Separation of Powers

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Unitary Executive | Wikipedia
  • Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) Justia | Wikipedia: Limiting executive authority
  • United States v. Nixon (1974) Justia | Wikipedia: Executive privilege and accountability
  • Boumediene v. Bush (2008) Justia | Wikipedia: Habeas corpus rights for detainees
  • Trump v. United States (2024) Justia | Wikipedia: Presidential immunity
During Class
  • Discuss presidential authority, checks and balances, and wartime powers.
  • Review current events

Week 13, Classes 21 & 22 | Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Korematsu v. United States (1944) Justia | Wikipedia: Internment of Japanese Americans
  • Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004) Justia | Wikipedia: Detention of enemy combatants
  • Trump v. Hawaii (2018) Justia | Wikipedia: Travel bans and executive authority
During Class
  • Discuss balancing national security and individual rights.
  • Review current events

Week 14, Classes 23 & 24 | The Supreme Court’s Legacy and Contemporary Issues

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • Civic Stories: Breaking Down the Constitution | Episode 8: The First Fifteen Amendments—Building the Framework of Rights (transcript)

During Class
  • Discuss evolving interpretations of the Constitution and modern challenges.
  • Review current events
Deliverable(s)
  • Final ATPs due before Sunday at 4:47a

Week 15, Class 26

Monday: No Class, Easter Monday

Before Class (Wednesday)
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • TBD
During Class (Wednesday)
  • Discuss TBD
  • Review current events

Week 16, Classes 27 & 28

Before Class
Review the following in sufficient depth that you can participate in an informed discussion
  • AT Projects Discussions
During Class
  • Each AT Project Team will select a Monday and Wednesday session Team Lead; the Teams Leads will facilitate their respective discussion session.
  • Review current events

Week 17, Class 29

Course Wrap

AT: Deliverables

You are responsible for completing the following deliverables this semester.

Engagement

Success in this course will require you to do more than appear in class twice weekly and answer an occasional question. All of my students will be prepared to actively participate in our in-class discussions since that is a crucial way to take as much away from the course as possible. Please review the Engagement Rubric in the Engagement section of this site. Our conversations are ongoing, so you must engage your classmates with commentary, reaction, and/or analysis in class and online. Remember, conversation ” … is a form of interactive, spontaneous communication between two or more people …” generally, ” … written exchanges are usually not referred to as conversations.” The good news is that Teams will allow us to engage in synchronous or asynchronous written exchanges to stand in for conversations.

Prompt Engineering Exercise

Complete this deliverable by posting prompt results to the Prompt Engineering module in Canvas.

We will actively integrate generative GenAI platforms into the course’s creative process. The objectives of this deliverable include understanding the principles of GenAI and its applications, developing content creation skills, enhancing creativity and innovation through AI tools, and reflecting on the impact of AI on the creative process. This deliverable will help you understand how to communicate with AI effectively, recognize the importance of clear and structured prompts, and reflect on the interaction between human input and AI output. The deliverable aims to develop skills in prompt engineering for AI interactions, specifically with ChatGPT. Students will craft the prompts below, engage with GenAI, and reflect on the process and outcomes. All prompts must be related to the course material. This deliverable will enhance your understanding of AI communication and develop your critical thinking and analytical skills. You will prepare the following prompts:

  • Persona Prompt
    • Objective: Create a prompt that describes a fictional character’s personality, background, and situation
    • Final Form: A detailed description of the persona
    • ChatGPT Response: Generate a story or dialogue involving the persona
    • Student Reflection: Evaluate the effectiveness of the description in guiding the AI’s response
    • AI Use Policy: Include a statement that meets the requirements of the Use of Artificial Intelligence and GenAI policy
  • Audience Persona Prompt
    • Objective: Develop a prompt that outlines a target audience’s characteristics for a hypothetical product or message
    • Final Form: Detailed audience persona (age, interests, needs, etc.)
    • ChatGPT Response: Suggest marketing strategies or messages tailored to the audience
    • Student Reflection: Assess how well the AI’s suggestions fit the audience persona
    • AI Use Policy: Include a statement that meets the requirements of the Use of Artificial Intelligence and GenAI policy
  • Question Refinement Prompt
    • Objective: Refine a broad or ambiguous question into a transparent, specific inquiry
    • Final Form: Original broad question and its refined version
    • ChatGPT Response: Answers to both the original and refined questions
    • Student Reflection: Compare the responses and discuss the impact of question refinement
    • AI Use Policy: Include a statement that meets the requirements of the Use of Artificial Intelligence and GenAI policy
  • Chain of Thought Prompt
    • Objective: Encourage the AI to display its reasoning process
    • Final Form: A complex question or problem that requires step-by-step reasoning
    • ChatGPT Response: Detailed explanation of the thought process and conclusion
    • Student Reflection: Analyze the AI’s reasoning and effectiveness in addressing the problem
    • AI Use Policy: Include a statement that meets the requirements of the Use of Artificial Intelligence and GenAI policy
  • Image Generation Prompt
    • Objective: Compose a prompt for image generation, demonstrating an understanding of descriptive language
    • Final Form: A vivid, detailed description of an image
    • ChatGPT Response: Generated image based on the description
    • Student Reflection: Reflect on the correlation between the description and the generated image
    • AI Use Policy: Include a statement that meets the requirements of the Use of Artificial Intelligence and GenAI policy

Each student will submit their prompts, ChatGPT responses, and reflections in the Prompt Engineering module in Canvas, following the submission schedule. I will evaluate the clarity and creativity of the prompts, the relevance and depth of the ChatGPT responses, the insightfulness and thoughtfulness of the reflections, and the overall presentation and organization of each prompt submission.

Case Simulation

You will complete this deliverable by posting your memo to the appropriate channel in Teams.

We will complete two case simulations this semester. Links to the materials related to each case simulation are in the Schedule. Each case simulation requires two phases.

The first phase will require you to review certain materials. You will also study a case that examines issues related to the simulation topic, focusing on facts, perhaps a statutory excerpt, and case law. Based on your knowledge of the particular area of law, you can compose a neutral memorandum (not to exceed 750 words) that outlines each legal issue with a short explanation of the applicable legal rules or doctrine. The sources of law for this memorandum are the area of law and any relevant statutory and case law. Your perspective is not that of an advocate. Instead, your analysis is as objective as possible in spotting any potential issues that could arise in the case and opine the likelihood of success on each point. You will complete this phase of the assignment individually. Be sure to carefully review the materials included in Writing on a Digital Platform and Writing and Research. Include a statement that meets the requirements for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and GenAI policy. Never post a Word, Google Doc, or PDF.

During the second phase, you will prepare for an in-class Q&A discussion of the issues presented by the materials included in the first phase. You will be assigned to a team that will advocate for one side or the other during the discussion.

I will evaluate the following factors when I assess your contributions to the simulations:
  • Phase 1: Assessment will be based on the clarity of your writing, spelling, and grammar, document appearance and satisfaction of form requirements, articulation of all potential issues presented, and the quality and depth of analysis. You will complete Phase 1 individually. Your issues memorandum should reflect a thoughtful, substantive, and well-reasoned summary and
  • Phase 2: Assessment will be based on your mastery of the issues under consideration, your contribution to the preparatory work of your team, and your participation in the give-and-take of the in-class discussion.

AT Project

You will complete this deliverable by developing your AT Project (ATP) using Adobe Express, WordPress, and the Teams ATP channel.

The project aims to develop an in-depth understanding of the history of the US Supreme Court and Constitutional Law by creating a collaborative multimedia project focusing on legal, ethical, and various interdisciplinary perspectives.

Much of your work in this course will be as part of a small project team. Teams will be formed based on a mix of interests and skills. Your work on that project team will focus on developing an analysis that examines the implications of an area related to the course’s subject matter. Of course, I expect you will address the ethical issues that arise. Each team will develop its ATP using Adobe Express to create digital artifacts that will be incorporated into your ATP. You will use WordPress to build your ATP site over the semester. Each team must use its Teams ATP channel for all brainstorming, communication, file sharing, etc., related to the ATP. Each team will be responsible for preparing and posting progress and content updates to their project channel in Teams as described in the schedule. Teams will provide full transparency as the project development process progresses. In other words, everyone involved in the course with access to our Teams workspace will have the opportunity to review and comment on the progress of each team’s project.

You will join a project team that will be responsible for the management of all aspects of the development of your ATP:
  • Your ATP will feature a multimedia production documentary in which a storyteller (your team) combines photos, videos, and audio with interviews, narration, text, and graphics to deliver a message, invoke an emotional response, and suggest action. I would encourage you to include diverse perspectives, especially from those impacted by the area of law that is the focus of your ATP.
  • Your ATP will examine not just the legal aspects of the area of law but also the cultural, economic, ethical, personal, political, social, and regulatory perspectives, as well as the present and future, of the area you have chosen. You will develop these sections as the semester progresses. The calendar and course schedule will guide submission dates and deadlines.
  • Prepare and share your analysis using Adobe Express to develop project-specific artifacts and WordPress to build your ATP. This allows your classmates to prepare thoroughly for our ATP discussions.
  • Active participation in the scheduled discussion of all ATPs.

You will use your ATP Teams channel to collaborate with your team and memorialize your discussions and supporting materials, including, for example, web sources, documents, and multimedia content for each case. Be sure to carefully review the materials included in Writing on a Digital Platform and Writing and Research.

Your ATP will include, but not be limited to, the following sections (submission deadlines in the Schedule):

Phase 1 | Preliminary Evaluation (post to ATP channel and WordPress Project site)
  • Outline key issues and adjacent domains related to your ATP area of focus and
  • Submit a report (500 words maximum) to your ATP channel
  • Assessment will be based on clarity, relevance, and depth of preliminary analysis
Phase 2 | Status Report and Updates (post to ATP channel and WordPress Project site)
  • Provide a progress assessment of your ATP and
  • Include challenges faced and how they were addressed
Phase 3 | Status Report and Updates (post to ATP channel and WordPress Project site)
  • Provide a progress assessment of your ATP and
  • Include challenges faced and how they were addressed
Phase 4 | Final AT Project (post to WordPress ATP site)
The ATP must incorporate, but not be limited to:
  • All of the sections identified in the WordPress ATP template
  • A multimedia documentary that incorporates a diverse range of perspectives and disciplines related to the ATP focus area
  • A source list with hyperlinks to all references and
Phase 5 | ATP Discussions
All teams will facilitate and participate in an integrated discussion of the ATPs during our Week 16 class meetings. Each AT Project Team will select a Team Lead for each Monday and Wednesday session; the Team Leads will facilitate an integrated discussion of the ATPs in their respective sessions. The assessment will be based on the requirements described in Writing and Research and Writing on a Digital Platform. I will also evaluate the depth of content, interdisciplinary approach, ethical considerations, and multimedia integration, as well as your contributions to your team, level of engagement, clarity of writing, spelling and grammar, appearance and satisfaction of form requirements, articulation of all potential issues presented, and quality and depth of analysis.

Grading

The following weights will be assigned to each component of your final grade:

AT Deliverables 124 Info Privacy

The question of the right to privacy must be one of the defining issues of our time.Salil Shetty

You are responsible for completing the following deliverables this semester.

Engagement

Success in this course will require you to do more than appear in class twice weekly and answer an occasional question. All of my students will be prepared to actively participate in our in-class discussions since that is a crucial way to take as much away from the course as possible. Please review the Engagement Rubric in the Engagement section of this site. Our conversations are ongoing, so you must engage your classmates with commentary, reaction, and/or analysis in class and online. Remember, conversation ” … is a form of interactive, spontaneous communication between two or more people …” generally, ” … written exchanges are usually not referred to as conversations.” The good news is that Teams will allow us to engage in synchronous or asynchronous written exchanges to stand in for conversations.

GenAI Journal

You will complete this deliverable by posting your journal entries to your Adobe Express GenAI Journal.

We will actively integrate GenAI platforms in the creative process of the course. Students will use Adobe Express to create a weekly journal, documenting their journey of using various GenAI tools. The GenAI Journal deliverable aims to enhance students’ understanding of AI technology, its potential in learning, and its practical application in different projects. The objectives of this deliverable include understanding the principles of GenAI and its applications, developing skills in Adobe Express for digital journaling and content creation, enhancing creativity and innovation through AI tools, and reflecting on the impact of AI on the creative process. The final deliverable will be a complete digital GenAI Journal compiled in Adobe Express, showcasing your journey and projects throughout the course. I will evaluate the depth of insight and understanding of GenAI’s role in the creative process, innovative use of GenAI platforms in journal entries and projects, effective use of Adobe Express for journaling, and regular updates and adherence to the submission schedule when assessing your Journals.

Prompt Engineering Exercise

You will complete this deliverable by posting prompt results to your Adobe Express GenAI Journal.

This deliverable will help students understand how to communicate with AI effectively, recognize the importance of clear and structured prompts, and reflect on the interaction between human input and AI output. The deliverable aims to develop skills in prompt engineering for AI interactions, specifically with ChatGPT. Students will craft prompts in various categories, engage with ChatGPT, and reflect on the process and outcomes. The journal will comprehensively record their learning journey in prompt engineering and AI interaction. This deliverable will enhance your understanding of AI communication and develop critical thinking and analytical skills. You will prepare the following prompts:

  • Persona Prompt
    • Objective: Create a prompt that describes a fictional character’s personality, background, and situation
    • Final Form: A detailed description of the persona
    • ChatGPT Response: Generate a story or dialogue involving the persona
    • Student Reflection: Evaluate the effectiveness of the description in guiding the AI’s response
  • Audience Persona Prompt
    • Objective: Develop a prompt that outlines a target audience’s characteristics for a hypothetical product or message
    • Final Form: Detailed audience persona (age, interests, needs, etc.)
    • ChatGPT Response: Suggest marketing strategies or messages tailored to the audience
    • Student Reflection: Assess how well the AI’s suggestions fit the audience persona
  • Question Refinement Prompt
    • Objective: Refine a broad or ambiguous question into a transparent, specific inquiry
    • Final Form: Original broad question and its refined version
    • ChatGPT Response: Answers to both the original and refined questions
    • Student Reflection: Compare the responses and discuss the impact of question refinement
  • Chain of Thought Prompt
    • Objective: Encourage the AI to display its reasoning process
    • Final Form: A complex question or problem that requires step-by-step reasoning
    • ChatGPT Response: Detailed explanation of the thought process and conclusion
    • Student Reflection: Analyze the AI’s reasoning and effectiveness in addressing the problem
  • Image Generation Prompt
    • Objective: Compose a prompt for image generation, demonstrating an understanding of descriptive language
    • Final Form: A vivid, detailed description of an image
    • ChatGPT Response: Generated image based on the description
    • Student Reflection: Reflect on the correlation between the description and the generated image

Students will submit their prompts, ChatGPT responses, and reflections in their GenAI Journal by the submission schedule. I will evaluate the clarity and creativity of the prompts, relevance, depth of the ChatGPT responses, insightfulness and thoughtfulness of the reflections, and overall presentation and organization of the GenAI Journal when assessing your  Journals.

Case Simulation

You will complete this deliverable by posting your memo to the appropriate channel in Teams.

We will complete two case simulations this semester. Links to the materials related to each case simulation are in the Schedule. Each case simulation requires two phases.

The first phase will require you to review materials in the text. You will also study a case that examines issues related to the simulation topic, focusing on facts, a statutory excerpt, and case law. Based on your knowledge of the particular area of law, you can compose a neutral memorandum (not to exceed 750 words) that outlines each legal issue with a short explanation of the applicable legal rules or doctrine. The sources of law for this memorandum are the text’s chapter on the area of law and any applicable statutory and case law. Your perspective is not that of an advocate. Instead, your analysis is as objective as possible in spotting any potential issues that could arise in the case and opine as to the likelihood of success on each point. You will complete this phase of the assignment individually. Be sure to carefully review the materials included in Writing on a Digital Platform and Writing and ResearchNever post a Word, Google Doc, or pdf.

During the second phase, you will prepare for an in-class Q & A discussion of the issues presented by the materials included in the first phase. You will be assigned to a team that will advocate for one side or the other during the discussion.

I will evaluate the following factors when I assess your contributions to the simulations:
  • Phase 1: Assessment will be based on the clarity of your writing, spelling and grammar, document appearance and satisfaction of form requirements, articulation of all potential issues presented, and the quality and depth of analysis. You will complete Phase 1 individually. Your issues memorandum should reflect a thoughtful, substantive, and well-reasoned summary and
  • Phase 2: Assessment will be based on your mastery of the issues under consideration, contribution to the preparatory work of your team, and participation in the give and take of the in-class discussion.

AT Project

You will complete this deliverable by developing your AT Project using Adobe Express, Adobe Portfolio, and your Teams Project channel.

The project aims to develop an in-depth understanding of information privacy by creating a collaborative multimedia project focusing on legal, ethical, and various interdisciplinary perspectives.

Much of your work in this course will be as part of a small project team. Teams will be formed based on a mix of interests and skills. Your work on that project team will focus on developing an analysis that examines the implications of an area of information privacy. Of course, I expect you will address the ethical issues that arise. Each team will develop and report their AT Project using Adobe Express to create the digital artifacts incorporated into your AT Project. You will use Adobe Portfolio to build your AT Project over the semester progressively. Each team must use its Teams project channel for all brainstorming, communication, file sharing, etc., related to the AT Project. Each team will be responsible for preparing and posting progress and content updates to their project channel in Teams as described in the schedule. Teams will provide full transparency as the project development process progresses. In other words, everyone involved in the course with access to our Teams workspace will have the opportunity to review and comment on the progress of each team’s project.

You will join a project team that will be responsible for the management of all aspects of the development of your AT Project:
  • Your AT Project will feature a multimedia production documentary in which a storyteller (your team) combines photos, videos, and audio with interviews, narration, text, and graphics to deliver a message, invoke an emotional response, and suggest action. You are encouraged to include diverse perspectives, especially from those significantly impacted by information privacy issues.
  • Your AT Project will examine not just the legal aspects of information privacy but also the cultural, economic, ethical, personal, political, social, and regulatory perspectives, present and future, of the area you have chosen. You will develop these sections as the semester progresses. The calendar and course schedule will guide submission dates and deadlines.
  • Prepare and share your analysis using Adobe Express to develop project-specific artifacts and Adobe Portfolio to share your AT Project. This allows your classmates to prepare thoroughly for our AT Project discussions.
  • Relate AT Projects to current information privacy issues.
  • Active participation in the scheduled discussion of all AT Projects.

You will use your AT Project channel to collaborate with your team and memorialize your discussions and supporting materials, including, for example, web sources, documents, and multimedia content for each case. Be sure to carefully review the materials included in Writing on a Digital Platform and Writing and Research.

Your AT Project will include, but not be limited to, the following sections (submission deadlines in the Schedule):

Phase 1 | Preliminary Evaluation (post to AT Project channel)
  • Identify and briefly discuss two different areas of information privacy and
  • Outline key issues and adjacent domains for each area and
  • Submit a report (500-word maximum) per area to your AT Project channel
  • Assessment will be based on clarity, relevance, and depth of preliminary analysis
  • Approval of one of your AT Project areas of focus will be posted to your project channel
Phase 2 | Status Report and Updates (post to AT Project channel)
  • Provide a progress assessment of your AT Project and
  • Include challenges faced and how they were addressed
Phase 3 | Final AT Project (post to AT Project channel)
The AT Project must incorporate, but not be limited to:
  • A multimedia documentary that incorporates a diverse range of perspectives and disciplines and includes
  • An executive summary and
  • An introduction to the documentary and
  • A description including a review of the domain being evaluated that describes the nature and scope of your project, an in-depth review including the significance of each domain, the developing trends related to those domains, the stakeholders, industries, and markets impacted, the opportunities for innovation that have or might arise and
  • Emphasize ethical implications in your analysis and
  • Recommendations for changes to the information privacy legal and regulatory environment and
  • A conclusion that includes your strategy for leveraging your personal and professional learnings and discusses the significance of the same and
  • A source list with hyperlinks to all references and
Phase 4 | AT Project Discussions
All teams will facilitate and participate in an integrated discussion of the AT Projects during our Week 16 class meetings. Each AT Project Team will select a Team Lead for each Monday and Wednesday sessions; the Teams Leads will facilitate an integrated discussion of the AT Projects in their respective sessions. Assessment will be based on the requirements described in Writing and Research and Writing on a Digital Platform. I will also evaluate the depth of content, interdisciplinary approach, ethical considerations, and multimedia integration, as well as your individual contributions to your team, level of engagement, clarity of writing, spelling and grammar, appearance and satisfaction of form requirements, articulation of all potential issues presented, and quality and depth of analysis.

Grading

The following weights will be assigned to each component of your final grade:

Some Ideas

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those that can’t read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. – ALVIN TOFFLER

Be curious. Read widely. Try new things. I think a lot of what people call intelligence just boils down to curiosity.AARON SWARTZ

Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind. – GAIUS HELEN MOHIAM

Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them. – GAIUS HELEN MOHIAM

Work. Write. Read. Write some more. Read some more. Keep putting words on the page or screen, because that’s the only way you’ll get better.S.J. WATSON

The future is already here — it’s just not very evenly distributed.WILLIAM GIBSON

Everything that can be digitized will be digitized.KARA SWISHER

This is the 21st century. It’s not OK for politicians not to understand the internet anymore.AARON SWARTZ

Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today.ERNEST HEMINGWAY

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order, this lukewarmness arising partly from fear of their adversaries … and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

We only have one chance to get AI right… we are in real trouble if we miss.JEVON MITCHELL-HAYWOOD

When you invent the ship, you also invent the shipwreck; when you invent the plane you also invent the plane crash; and when you invent electricity, you invent electrocution… Every technology carries its own negativity, which is invented at the same time as technical progress.PAUL VIRILIO

We are surrounded by the wondrous effects of machines and are encouraged to ignore the ideas embedded in them. Once a technology is admitted it plays out its hand; it does what it is designed to do. Our task is to understand what that design is—that is to say, when we admit a new technology to the culture, we must do so with our eyes wide open.NEIL POSTMANTECHNOPOLY

You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.ROBIN WILLIAMS

Creativity is relational. Its practice is most about casting widely and connecting disparate dots of existing knowledge in new, meaningful ways. To be creative, you’ve got to mine knowledge. You have to know your dots.BRUCE NUSSBAUM

Those not ready to change will wake up one day to find themselves wonderfully prepared to live in a world that doesn’t exist.ZIG ZIGLAR

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.CHARLES DARWIN

Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.EDWARD SNOWDEN

Privacy is not something that I’m merely entitled to, it’s an absolute prerequisite.MARLON BRANDO

You invade my privacy, it’s nothing. I try to get it back, it’s a crime. You’ll never understand… it’s not that I have nothing to hide… I have nothing I want you to see. – THE GIRL, ANON

Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Be a nuisance where it counts. Do your part to inform and stimulate the public to join your action. Be depressed, discouraged and disappointed at failure and the disheartening effects of ignorance, greed, corruption and bad politics… but never give up.MARJORIE STONEMAN DOUGLAS

First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you. Then they fight you. Then you win.MAHATMA GANDHI

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.ALICE WATERS

Falsehood flies, and the truth comes limping after it.JONATHAN SWIFT

The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves—in their separate, and individual capacities.ABRAHAM LINCOLN

To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.THEODORE ROOSEVELT

The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.HUGO BLACK

Just because you have no interest in politics doesn’t mean politics may not be interested in you.PERICLES

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.STEVEN HAWKING

The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.ALBERT EINSTEIN (perhaps)

Engagement

Engagement, i.e., attendance, preparation, participation, and successful and timely completion of course deliverables, is mandatory. You will only succeed in our course if you engage.

It’s that simple.

Your performance will improve if you attend class regularly, are well prepared AND participate effectively in the learning environment, whether F2F or digital.

Yes  … it IS that simple!

You are an important part of the team, including your professor and classmates, and you create an effective learning environment. Your engagement in our course learning environment plays a significant role in my assessment of your performance, in other words, the grade you earn in our course. Our course will demand a substantial investment of time and effort, and so will require a significant amount of preparation. You need to be self-motivated and stay on task to succeed. Dr. Jeffrey Bennett has developed some terrific “Hints on How to Succeed in College Classes” that I strongly suggest you review before we begin our course.

I will take attendance every time we meet in class. I will even take attendance if we have a class meeting in a virtual environment using a video conferencing platform. While our meetings will consist of lectures and discussions, I am not a big fan of the “Sage on the Stage” teaching model. Discussion will be the primary form of interaction in our course. Of course, those discussions will be both F2F and digital. We will use various technology-supported platforms to support our interactions, both in and out-of-class meetings. Your engagement in our digital discussions, whether enrolled in a F2F or web-based course, will also be an important part of my assessment of your performance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to move to a fundamentally different set of delivery modalities, e.g., HyFlex, hybrid, remote, synchronous or unsynchronous, or some combination of approaches to teaching and learning. We are increasingly working remotely to accomplish our work. That remote modality demands that we adjust our understanding of acceptable protocols for attendance and participation, whether a meeting or course attendance, engagement, and participation.

While working together using a digital platform, e.g., Teams, Zoom, Slack, etc., you must join the session with a live camera and muted mic. A live camera helps to create a sense of community and will help all of us to engage effectively during our discussions. If you only unmute your mic when speaking, we can avoid feedback, unsolicited input from family, pets, and others, and random noise. If your classmates cannot see or hear you, it will be difficult to engage in course meetings actively. That will have negative implications for your grade results. Please review the Protocols for Online Meetings and Classes for more information.

Remember, if you consistently are unprepared or even underprepared, it will be very difficult to fully take advantage of our course learning environment. That lack of engagement is a lost opportunity for you and will reflect poorly when I assess your performance.

The Engagement Rubric below, adapted by Professor Sara Calhoun Davis from The Teaching Professor, forms the basis for assessing your course engagement.

Engagement Rubric

A

B

C / D

F

Peer Interaction

Actively supports, engages, and listens to peers (ongoing)

Makes a sincere effort to interact with peers (ongoing)

Limited interaction with peers

Virtually no interaction with peers

Preparation

Fully prepared for every aspect of the course

Mostly, if not fully, prepared (ongoing)

Preparation is inconsistent

Rarely or never prepared

Participation

Plays an active role in discussions (ongoing)

Participates constructively in discussions (ongoing)

When prepared, participates constructively in discussions

Comments vague if given; frequently demonstrates lack of interest

Contribution to Class

Comments advance the level and depth of dialogue

Relevant comments are based on assigned material

When prepared, relevant comments are based on assignments

Demonstrates a noticeable lack of interest on occasion

Group Dynamics

Group dynamics and level of discussion are often better because of student engagement

Group dynamic and level of discussion are occasionally better, but not worse, because of student engagement

Group dynamics and level of discussion are sometimes disrupted by student’s engagement

Group dynamics and level of discussion are often disrupted by student’s engagement

You can influence my assessment of your course engagement positively by
  • Becoming more active and/or making more effective comments that raise the overall level of discussion and set examples for others, and
  • Asking thoughtful questions that will enhance discussion and engage peers and
  • Listen carefully to, support, and engage your peers in discussion. This will essentially improve others’ learning experience.
That said, you can also influence my assessment of your course engagement negatively if you
  • Do not engage in the course regularly through attendance, preparation, and participation, even though you meet attendance requirements. Even though you may have submitted assigned work, your contribution will not have added to the course discussion or
  • Dominating discussions, thereby restricting others’ participation and
  • Disrupting others’ opportunity to listen and/or participate, or
  • Making negative, offensive, and/or disrespectful comments during discussions or
  • Violating the privacy of individuals, or
  • You may not use electronic devices such as a cell phone, tablet, or computer for personal or unrelated coursework during class unless instructed to do so. There are no exceptions.

DT&L: Deliverables

You are responsible for completing the following deliverables this semester.

Engagement

Success in this course will require you to do more than appear in class twice weekly and answer an occasional question. All of my students will be prepared to participate actively in our in-class discussions, as this is a crucial way to maximize their learning from the course. Please review the Engagement Rubric on this site’s Engagement page in the Course Policies section. Remember, conversation “… is a form of interactive, spontaneous communication between two or more people …” Generally, “… written exchanges are usually not referred to as conversations.” The good news is that Slack will allow us to engage in synchronous or asynchronous written exchanges to stand in for synchronous discussions.

GenAI Reflections

Complete this deliverable by posting to the DT&L Project Blog and the Gretzky Portfolio Blog on your WordPress sites.

You will build a series of blog posts within your Gretzky Portfolio and DT&L Projects that document your creative and exploratory processes throughout the DT&L experience. These posts should go beyond reporting outcomes and instead capture how you are playing around with different GenAI platforms, tools, and modalities, testing ideas, experimenting with prompts, and using AI in ways you have not previously tried.

Each week, you should include brief brainstorming or creativity sessions that reflect how you explored new uses of AI, what worked, what didn’t, and how your thinking evolved. Over time, these entries should show growth in both your technical fluency and your imaginative use of GenAI. You should update and republish your blogs weekly so they become a living record of your learning.

All blog posts reflecting on GenAI use must comply with the AI Use Disclosure requirements and should thoughtfully integrate multimedia elements (text, images, audio, video) where appropriate. The goal is to use the Gretzky Portfolio and DT&L Project to showcase a broader range of skills, experiments, and creative approaches by the end of the semester, not just polished final outputs.

Gretzky Portfolio

Complete this deliverable by developing your Gretzky Portfolio using Adobe Express and WordPress.

Your Gretzky Portfolio will require you to reconsider the level of preparation you have developed throughout your college experience. In other words, how ready are you for your future in a period of accelerating technological, legal, and generational change?

This is not an exercise about whether you have achieved the grade you anticipated or hoped for, nor is it a retrospective inventory of completed assignments. It is a forward-looking assessment of readiness. Your portfolio should reflect how your personal and professional goals have been shaped by the choices you made in planning and executing this work, including what was achieved, what was deferred or constrained, and how these decisions influence your ability to navigate uncertainty and change. 

Why the Gretzky Portfolio Matters in This Course

The Gretzky Portfolio is built around a simple but demanding question: How ready are you for the future you are entering?

In Disruption, Technology & Law, readiness is not measured by how well you memorize content or by completing isolated assignments. It is measured by your ability to think clearly, adapt thoughtfully, imagine alternatives, and remain resilient in environments shaped by rapid technological change, institutional strain, and generational transition.

That is why this portfolio draws on two core perspectives used throughout the course.

First, the FAIR Framework, Flexibility, Adaptability, Imagination, and Resilience, helps you evaluate how you respond when certainty is unavailable. These capacities matter more when rules lag behind technology, ethical clarity is contested, and professional expectations are shifting.

Second, the course situates disruption within a broader generational context. Many of the tensions we examine are not temporary glitches but symptoms of deeper transitions affecting institutions, law, and trust. The Gretzky Portfolio asks you to recognize these forces and assess your preparedness to navigate them.

By combining foresight tools, intentional AI experimentation, and sustained reflection, the Gretzky Portfolio becomes more than a record of work. It becomes a structured way to think about your future and your role in shaping it.

How You Will Build It

Your Gretzky Portfolio is developed progressively over the semester. The course schedule and calendar guide component due dates, but the larger expectation remains consistent: the work should be cumulative, coherent, and reviewable.

The portfolio combines disciplined structure with freedom of expression. You will complete the required foresight components, but you may present your work in multiple formats (written posts, visual artifacts, narrated slides, audio reflections, short videos, or mixed-media entries) as long as your analysis and growth remain clear.

Core Components and Required Sections

Your Gretzky Portfolio will include a defined set of components that you will develop throughout the semester. At a minimum, your portfolio must include the sections below.

About Me

A concise personal and professional profile that situates your interests, aspirations, current assumptions, and the future you believe you are preparing for.

Gretzky Evaluation: Initial Readiness Assessment

A personal SWOT-style evaluation is conducted at the start of the course to establish your baseline readiness. Your analysis should address, but not be limited to, the following questions:

  • Why are you taking this course?
  • What do you expect to take away from this experience?
  • How would you describe your overall comfort level with using technology?
  • How would you describe your general awareness and understanding of digital innovation?
  • What specific steps or actions do you think are necessary for success in this course?

This effort should help you reflect not only on the current state of your preparation and readiness but also on the path you choose to address the challenges and opportunities for growth and learning this experience presents. Your readiness evaluation will inform the development of the other components of your Gretzky Portfolio.

Foresight Analysis Components

A structured set of future-mapping tools that disciplines how you think about uncertainty, change, and readiness: these tools form the analytical spine of the portfolio. Your portfolio must include the required methods described in the Foresight Toolkit section below, and may include additional foresight tools discussed in the course.

Ongoing Reflections and Digital Artifacts

Entries and artifacts (across text and media) that connect course themes, foresight analysis, and your evolving readiness. These should show your thinking in motion, not just conclusions.

Final Readiness Assessment

A capstone evaluation that returns explicitly to the Gretzky question: How ready are you for your future, and why?

This final section must compare your end-of-semester perspective to your initial readiness baseline. You should assess favorable and unfavorable outcomes, reflect on the choices you made, and articulate a strategy for leveraging what you learned beyond this course.

Your Gretzky Portfolio is the executive summary of your individual plan, outlining your approach to preparing for the future.

The FAIR Framework Lens

Throughout the portfolio, you will use the FAIR Framework, Flexibility, Adaptability, Imagination, and Resilience as a lens for evaluating both personal readiness and institutional response to disruption. These are not abstract qualities. They represent practical capacities required to operate effectively in environments shaped by technological acceleration, legal uncertainty, ethical tension, and generational change. Your portfolio should make visible where these capacities are developing and where further growth is needed.

Foresight Toolkit

Your Gretzky Portfolio must incorporate a core set of foresight tools discussed in the course. These methods are used not to predict a single future, but to discipline how you think about uncertainty, change, and readiness. Required tools may include the Forecasting Funnel, Time Cone, and Scenario Development to explore plausible futures; Axes of Uncertainty and Assumptions vs. Knowledge (AvK) to distinguish what is known from what is uncertain; CIPHER and Fringe Sketches to identify emerging trends and weak signals; and Sources of Macro Disruption to situate technological change within broader social, legal, economic, and generational forces. You may adapt these tools for personal and professional use, but their presence should be visible in your portfolio.

Generative AI and Digital Tools

Because emerging technologies increasingly shape professional expectations, the Gretzky Portfolio requires visible and intentional engagement with generative AI tools, not as shortcuts, but as instruments for experimentation, judgment, and preparation.

You are encouraged, and in some cases required, to explore AI-mediated work across modalities, including text, image, audio, and video. You should reflect critically on how these tools affect creativity, authority, responsibility, and risk, and what responsible use looks like in academic, professional, and civic contexts.

The Gretzky Portfolio Blog

The Gretzky Portfolio Blog supports the Gretzky Portfolio by documenting how you experiment with emerging tools over time. Its purpose is not to polish, but to explore, capturing how unfamiliar platforms, creative uses, and limitations shape your thinking about readiness, responsibility, and future work.

While these entries may intersect with project development, they should also reflect deliberate experimentation and creative play. If you maintain this work as a dedicated Gretzky Portfolio blog section or a separate portfolio tab, it should be clearly labeled and easy to review.

Submission and Reviewability Expectations

  • Your Gretzky Portfolio must be easy to navigate and straightforward to evaluate. Organize your work so that:
  • Your required sections are clearly labeled
  • Your foresight tools are visible and identifiable
  • Your artifacts and reflections are dated or sequenced
  • Your GenAI experimentation is documented in a consistent location
  • Your final readiness assessment explicitly references your initial baseline

DT&L Project

You will complete this deliverable by developing your DT&L Project using Adobe Express and WordPress.

The Disruption, Technology & Law (DT&L) Project is the capstone learning experience for the course. It retains the intellectual framing of the revised DT&L Project Overview, emphasizing systems thinking, ethical judgment, generational analysis, AI mediation, and future-oriented reasoning—while explicitly incorporating updated terminology that reflects how the course frames disruption in Weeks 5 through 12.

Each DT&L Project will focus on a disruptive context selected from Weeks 5–12 of the course schedule. A disruptive context is a sustained area of disruption in which technological change, institutional capacity, legal and regulatory frameworks, ethical tensions, and generational dynamics interact, producing uncertainty, contested choices, and multiple plausible futures. These contexts are not isolated events or single technologies. They are ongoing conditions that generate uncertainty, conflict, and competing future trajectories.

At its core, the DT&L Project asks students to analyze a disruptive context rather than a single technology, company, or legal issue. Teams examine how emerging technologies, institutional capacity, legal and regulatory structures, ethical tradeoffs, and generational change interact within that context to produce disruption. The objective is not prediction or advocacy, but informed judgment.

Most work on the DT&L Project is completed in small teams. Each team is responsible for managing all aspects of project development, including research, analysis, foresight modeling, digital production, and facilitation of discussions. Collaboration, revision, and shared accountability are core learning objectives.

Process transparency is essential. Each team uses a dedicated Slack channel as its primary workspace. Each project team must document all brainstorming, drafts, sources, foresight artifacts, and internal discussions related to the DT&L Project.

The DT&L Project is intentionally developed across a defined digital platform ecosystem. Adobe Express is used to create multimedia artifacts and documentary components. WordPress serves as the public-facing site where the DT&L Project is curated, contextualized, and revised throughout the semester.

Each DT&L Project includes a multimedia documentary component. In this documentary, the team acts as a storyteller, combining analysis with narrative to explain the disruptive context under examination, why it matters now, who is affected, what tensions and tradeoffs are at stake, and how different futures might unfold.

To ensure that foresight remains disciplined rather than speculative, teams must explicitly apply and explain a required set of foresight tools across the semester in relation to their chosen disruptive context.

Phase 1: Preliminary Evaluation – Exploration and Orientation

Teams identify the disruptive context under examination, map key stakeholders, institutions, industries, and adjacent domains, and surface early signals of change and uncertainty.

Phase 2: Interim Progress Assessment – Sense-Making and Refinement

Teams demonstrate how their understanding of the disruptive context has evolved, including refined assumptions and deeper integration of legal, ethical, generational, and AI-related dynamics.

Phase 3: Final DT&L Project Portfolio – Synthesis and Judgment

Teams integrate all prior work into a coherent public-facing portfolio that explains the disruptive context and presents multiple plausible future scenarios.

Phase 4: DT&L Project Discussion and Defense – Articulation and Engagement

Teams facilitate a class discussion of their disruptive context, explain their assumptions and methods, and respond to critique.

Submission and Reviewability Expectations

The DT&L Project is designed as an iterative, transparent, and reviewable body of work rather than a single end-of-semester submission. Students should assume throughout the semester that their work will be visible, revisited, questioned, and refined. Reviewability, by teammates, peers, and the instructor, is a core feature of the learning design, not an administrative requirement.

All project development activity must be documented in the team’s designated Slack channel. This includes brainstorming, draft analysis, source collection, foresight tools, multimedia artifacts, and internal discussion. Slack functions as the project’s working record and is used to assess engagement, revision, collaboration, and the evolution of thinking over time. Work that is not visible in Slack may be treated as incomplete, regardless of its quality at the final stage.

Formal project submissions occur at defined phases of the semester and are posted to the team’s Slack channel or published to the project’s WordPress site as specified. These submissions are expected to reflect the team’s current best thinking at that moment, not a finished or polished final product. Revision between phases is expected and encouraged, provided it is documented and explained.

The final DT&L Project Portfolio is published on WordPress and represents the most complete and coherent version of the team’s work. It should integrate analysis, foresight tools, multimedia artifacts, and narrative elements developed throughout the semester. The final portfolio is assessed holistically, with attention to both the quality of the final synthesis and the trajectory of the work that led to it.

Because the DT&L Project emphasizes judgment under uncertainty, reviewability is not limited to correctness or completeness. I will evaluate how well teams surface assumptions, respond to feedback, revise their thinking, and engage competing interpretations. Strong projects demonstrate intellectual honesty, adaptability, and clarity about what remains uncertain.

Students should plan their work with the expectation that it may be discussed in class, referenced by peers, or used to support course-wide conversations. Public-facing components of the project are part of the learning experience and reinforce the course’s emphasis on accountability, dialogue, and responsible engagement with complex and contested futures.

Grading

The following weights will be assigned to each component of your final grade:
  • Engagement, Diagnostic Reflection, etal (20%)
  • Gretzky Portfolio (20%)
    • Artifacts (10%)
  • DT&L Project (50%)
    • P1 | Preliminary Evaluation (5%)
    • P2 | Interim Report (5%)
    • P3 | Final Project (25%)
    • P4 | Project Discussion (15%)