Winter 2022 Courses

Title: Policing by Indian Tribes      

Instructors: Matthew Fletcher (Law), April Youpee-Roll (Law)

Meeting Time: Wednesdays 3:15-6:30 PM

Indian tribes provide law and order in a cross-jurisdictional matrix involving federal, state, local, and tribal agencies. This complexity, coupled with limited governmental resources, contributes to horrible violent crime rates in Indian country. Tribal police follow practices of other jurisdictions, engaging in the same police violence as non-tribal jurisdictions. Unarmed Native persons are shot and killed, many by tribal police, at a higher rate than other races and ethnicities. In this class, multidisciplinary teams of students will study reservation policing to determine if alternate regimes are possible. Students will engage with tribal, federal, and state judges, lawyers, and elected officials to generate ideas on culturally appropriate tribal policing regimes given the legal and political landscape. The class will be taught by tribal citizens who grew up in parts of Indian country where crime rates are very high.

Title: Connected and Automated Vehicles: Implications of Enforcement

Instructors: Bryant Walker Smith (Law)

Meeting Time: Wednesdays 3:15-6:30 PM

When it comes to enforcing Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) compliance with laws and norms, what are the implications for equity, public health, safety, or individual autonomy? How might governments require CAVs to automatically comply with traffic laws (e.g., speed governors)? How might governments use CAVs to enforce traffic laws and other laws (e.g., drug laws and trafficking laws) against occupants of such vehicles and against other road users (e.g., reporting requirements)? How might private companies use their platforms to enforce laws, norms, or private policies against their users (e.g., restricting robotaxi or social media privileges of a pedestrian who steps in front of a CAV)? In this class, multidisciplinary student teams will apply ideas from law, engineering, information, and other units, use problem solving and project management tools, and consult with experts to tackle a complex challenge and develop a workable solution in this area.