Family Law I: Regulating Marriage and other Intimate Relationships

Intimate sexual relationships are central to most people's lives. Marriage has long been the primary locus of such relationships, the foundation of family life. In recent decades, though, marriage has undergone unprecedented changes. Sustained political advocacy and judicial decisions have opened marriage to same sex couples. Yet marriage equality has triumphed at a time when marriage is less universal and less robust as a social institution than ever. More American adults than ever are unmarried; more than a third of those who do marry will divorce. Unprecedented numbers of children are now born to unmarried parents. And marriage rates and stability have diverged across racial and socioeconomic groups as never before. What is one to make of these changes? And how should law and policy respond? The course will examine the constitutional and statutory doctrine governing marriage and other intimate relationships. Throughout, we will consider the cultural and social understandings that undergird our past and current approaches to regulating intimate relationships. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Class Participation and Exam.