Assignment task I:
Q1. Is the civil litigation process an effective way to hold law enforcement officers accountable for violence committed against members of minority groups?
Q2. Are jurors qualified to determine the amount of compensatory and punitive damages that should be awarded to a successful plaintiff? Or should that task be handled only by a judge?
Q3. Does the increased use of various methods of ADR conflict with the often-heard view that every person is entitled to their day in court? Should the enforcement of mandatory arbitration clauses be the same whether they are included in contracts between two corporations, as compared to contracts including employees and/or consumers?
Assignment task II:
Q1. Should a judge's political party affiliation affect the way they make decisions on the bench? Most Americans would say "no," although they prefer to elect their judges and sometimes do so on a party basis. Is there an inherent inconsistency in these preferences?
Q2. Should judges' decisions reflect public opinion? Many Americans might find that idea offensive. However, even former Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist said it is inevitable and unavoidable that judges reflect public opinion in their decision-making at times. Sometimes, for example, trial judges are encouraged by the appellate courts to reflect the public mood in their decision-making.
Q3. Judges are much more likely in some situations to hand down decisions that reflect their personal values. What are the circumstances that allow one to predict whether a judge will render a decision "in accordance with the law" or in accordance with their personal attitudes?