Nondiscrimination Policy
The law school admits students of any sex, race, color, age, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, creed, sexual orientation, or disability, if otherwise qualified to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to all qualified employees and students of the law school. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, age, creed, color, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of our employee policies or other law school-administered programs.
Student Organization Contact Information
OUTLaw
Admissions
Phone: 619.297.9700, ext. 4300
E-mail: admissions@tjsl.edu
Student Services
Lisa Ferreria
Phone: 619.297.9700, ext. 4202
Faculty Contact Information
Madeline Kass
Professor
E-mail: mkass@tjsl.edu
Ben Templin
Professor
E-mail: btemplin@tjsl.edu
Bryan Wildenthal
Professor
E-mail: bryanw@tjsl.edu
Administrator Contact Information
Beth Kransberger
Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Phone: 619.297.9700, ext. 4300
Amy Koumaras
Data Manager
Phone: 619.297.9700, ext. 4224
Course Titles and/or Descriptions
Center for Law and Social Justice
The principles of liberty and equality lie at the foundation of our legal system. Changes in society, however, call for continued reexamination of the ways in which these core values are to be preserved. The resulting debates are among the most contentious in modern times, raising controversial issues such as abortion, affirmative action, gay marriages, assisted reproduction, and assisted suicide.
The Center for Law and Social Justice comprises those Thomas Jefferson faculty who teach and write about issues of liberty and equality, broadly conceived. Courses offered through the center generally fall into one of two categories. One category addresses issues raised by the differential treatment of some groups of individuals, such as women, racial and ethnic minorities, and gays and lesbians. The other category addresses issues raised by the continued struggle to define the proper sphere of individual liberties.
Employment Discrimination Law
This course provides an introduction to employment discrimination law, one of the most important areas of legal regulation of the workplace. Course coverage includes consideration of discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability. Statutes bearing upon these issues include: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Civil Rights Act of 1866; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Americans with Disabilities Act; and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Integral to the discussion of the rights and responsibilities under these statutes are the broader societal debates about how the workplace should be structured. Timely issues the course addresses include: affirmative action, resolving work-family conflicts, accommodating the disabled, and eliminating sexual harassment.
Employment Law
This course examines legal regulation of employment relationships. A central focus of the material is the issue of job security. Specifically, what rights and protections, if any, do employees have to retain their jobs? The formal methods by which employees obtain employment protection are evaluated. These include: individual employment contracts; collective bargaining agreements; and academic tenure. Also considered are forms of reason-specific job security including anti-discrimination legislation, labor relations legislation, and tort law inclusion on the traditional employment at-will rule. Finally, the course explores the future of employment law in a global economy and efforts to legislate just cause protection for all employees.
Sexual Orientation and the Law
This course examines how the law treats people with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity, focusing on the experiences of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. Discrimination in employment, schools, and the military, free speech rights, privacy rights and regulation of sexual conduct, marriage, partnership, and parental rights, and immigration rights are among the areas covered. The course is designed to foster critical examination and open discussion of the issues, with students invited to draw their own conclusions. Students have the option to either write a paper satisfying the upper-level writing requirement, or to take a final exam.
Women and the Law
This course focuses on legal areas that have a particular impact on women. The topics that may be explored are Women and Work (the status of women in the legal profession and other workplaces, Title VII, equal protection litigation, pregnancy and the workplace, sexual harassment, and sex role stereotyping); Women and the Family (women and reproduction, and women as mothers); Women and their Bodies (pornography and how our criminal system handles issues such as rape, prostitution and domestic violence).
Domestic Partnership Benefits
Yes, for faculty, staff, and students.
Additional Information
Thomas Jefferson offers a very supportive and safe environment for LGBT students, faculty, staff, and friends. In addition to
courses offered that address LGBT issues, we also have an active student organization—OUTLaw. In addition, some of our
faculty has lead the local and national discussion/scholarship centered on fundamental rights specific to the LGBT community.
During the application process, students are encouraged to address their sexual orientation in either the personal statement or
in an addendum. Students interested in speaking with the out LGBT members of the TJSL should feel free to contact the
Admissions Office.
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