Course Syllabus

Fall 2026 - O’Neill/SPEA, V184, Section #5646 - Law and Public Affairs - Syllabus

 

Contact Information

 

Instructor:       Paul Helmke, Professor of Practice and Director of Civic Leaders Center

Office:              Civic Leaders Center Office - Briscoe A (Gucker) #122A (or SPEA 433) 

Student hours:   By appointment (best times generally after 11AM on Tuesdays), or stop in if my door is open. 

Response time: I check messages regularly and will try to respond within 24 hours unless a quicker response is requested.

 

Email: phelmke@indiana.edu

Office Phone: 812-855-2275 / Cell Phone: 260-466-5066

Zoom:  https://iu.zoom.us/my/phelmke

 

X (formerly Twitter): @PaulHelmke

Instagram: @paulhelmke

Facebook: Paul Helmke

Linked In: linkedin.com/in/paulhelmke

 

About the Course

 

Class meeting days and times: Mondays & Wednesdays, 3:55-5:10PM

Class location:  Briscoe (BQ) -Center Building – Civic Leaders Center Classroom - C129. 

Course prerequisites and co-requisites: Acceptance in the Civic Leaders Living-Learning Center (more commonly known as the "Civic Leaders Center" / "CLC").   

Credits: 3

Required texts and materials:  

-In Our Defense, Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy, ISBN 0-380-71720-4 (pbk.)

-Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Legal Issues, M. Ethan Katsh, 18^th Edition, ISBN: 9781259883682. (This book should be available to you as an IU eText, available in the left-hand column of Canvas, the price of which should have been included in your fees.)

 -U. S. Constitution, court cases and other materials posted to Canvas

 

Course Description (from "University Bulletin"):

This course provides a basic understanding of law and how it relates to creating and implementing public policy. The course emphasizes US law but includes comparative material to help examine differing approaches on key structures or principles. Students learn who has power to make and implement laws, the different forms law takes, how to find and interpret law at a basic level, and key principles of law

 

Course description (Paul Helmke Class Section): 

 

Reason is the life of the law, nay the common law itself is nothing but reason…The law, which is the perfection of reason. - Sir Edward Coke (1552-1634) 

In no country perhaps in the world is the law so general a study [as in America] …This study renders men acute, inquisitive, dexterous, prompt in attack, ready in defense, full of resources… They augur misgovernment at a distance, and snuff the approach of tyranny in every tainted breeze. - Edmund Burke (1729-1797) 

Pretty much all law consists in forbidding men to do some things they want to do… – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935) [dissent in Adkins v. Children’s Hospital, 261 U.S. 525, 568 (1923)]

 

Whatever your profession or position, you’re going to have to deal with laws and lawyers and the threat of lawsuits. If you want changes in society, or want to resist those changes, or just want to be “left alone”, you need some understanding of the system of laws applicable to where you live. The U. S. Constitution describes the basic framework for what government can and cannot do in this country. This course will focus on the “rule of law” and how courts have interacted with legislative bodies, executive departments and the public to change, interpret, and/or overrule certain laws, particularly those impacting the political and civil rights of individuals referenced in the “Bill of Rights” and other Constitutional Amendments.

I’ll draw on my experiences from 21 years of legal practice, 12 years as mayor, and 5 years as head of a national advocacy group to supplement the textbooks, cases, readings, materials, and participatory activities to help the class reach a better understanding of the role law, and litigation in particular, plays in our society and decide which, if any, of the quotes above are still applicable today.

 

Course Goal:

By the end of this course, students should be able to analyze controversial public issues and conflicting claims of “rights” by being able to cite key Constitutional provisions and court cases, summarize the relevant legal theories and decisions involved with past public issues, apply those theories and decisions to current controversies, and discuss the likelihood of success for current claims being advanced.

Controversial and “Triggering” Topics:

The focus of this course includes legal cases on controversial and possibly “triggering” topics. I have selected class materials that present different views on a variety of topics and arguments, Direct connections between our course and current and/or historical events outside the classroom will come up in our class discussions and assignments). Those connections will almost always require careful thought rather than being immediately obvious, but the ability to understand and analyze connections among ideas and events is a core skill in professional career and will stand you in good stead in your life beyond IU.

 

Learning outcomes:

Along with others taking other V184 sections, students should finish the semester being able to:

• Explain how and why lawmaking powers differ among branches and levels of government;
• Apply to real and hypothetical events, major rules or principles of law that affect how government acts on public affairs issues;  
• Explain how civil disputes and criminal charges are resolved in America; 
• Explain at a basic level how administrative agencies make and implement law;  
• Identify one or more examples of how demographic differences have affected or may affect someone’s experience with American law; 
• Compare US and foreign approaches on one or more selected issues of law and policy;  
• Conduct basic online research to find relevant and valid law and related information;  
• Form persuasive oral and written arguments that incorporate legal and policy considerations; and
• Relate the major course concepts to events in the news or history or students’ own lives. 

Assignment/Grading Weights

                                                                                                                                                                                      Weekly Assignments                                                                                    10% 

Memos/Participation/Attendance                                                              15%     

Exam #1                                                                                                         20%

Mock Trial/Appeal                                                                                         10%        

Advocacy Paper                                                                                            15%

Oral Presentation and Critiques                                                                  10%

Final Exam                                                                                                     20%         

                                                                                                                       ____

Total                                                                                                              100%  

 

Assignment Descriptions

 

Weekly Assignments – 10% of grade (10 points) – Nearly every week there will be an online reflection or discussion assignment related to that week’s reading, discussions, or other activities.

Memos/Participation/Attendance– – 15% of grade (15 points) – This class is built around in-class discussions. You are expected to attend class sessions if at all possible and be an active participant in class discussions. Short quizzes may be assigned during the semester and in-class notecard assignments may be given at any time and will count toward your participation points.

You will be assigned at least one case brief to prepare on your own. You may be assigned at least one memo on an assigned topic and a paper topic memo to be completed by a future class.  

Attendance may be taken on all or just selected dates.  In order to get full points for attendance, you are expected to arrive on time and stay for the entire class unless I approve a late entrance or early arrival. If you are unable to attend class for some reason, let me and our TA know ASAP before (or after, if you are unable to contact me before). I will likely to consider the absence and failure to participate that day as excused as long as you have a good reason such as: illness that is too severe or contagious for the student to attend class (documented if appropriate and possible); participation in university-sanctioned curricular and extracurricular activities (advance notice required for these per university guidelines); observance of religious holidays (this form must be submitted prior to the anticipated absence as outlined later in this Syllabus); participation in legal proceedings or administrative procedures that require your presence; required participation in military duty; death or major illness in a student's immediate family. Students who want to avoid getting zero points for a missed short quiz or notecard assignment on a day when their absence is excused may be allowed to submit a makeup memo.

Excused absences of more than one day may require the student to work with me on options to keep from falling behind in the class. For example, we may set up synchronous Zoom links, or class recordings, for students unable to attend in person for legitimate excused absences. Alternative assignments or make-ups may also be offered on a case-by-case basis.

Exams – 40% of grade (40 points) (20% for Midterm and 20% for Final). There will be two exams each worth 20% of the final grade. They will cover material from the readings, lectures, discussions, class activities and class assignments. Some of the exam questions may come directly from the lectures and class discussion and may not be found in any of the assigned materials; others may come from the material but not necessarily be material covered in class. The exams may be comprised of any or all of the following: true-false, multiple choice, short answer and essay questions. The exams will likely be “open note” (which we will discuss in more detail as the exam nears) for an in-class exam or “open book” for an online exam. You will have the entire class to complete the exam. There will be no make-up exams unless there is an extreme circumstance. In such a circumstance, I will need to be contacted via email prior to the exam, and the student must document the “extreme” situation.  I will decide if the reason warrants missing an exam and may give a grade of zero if it does not. Different questions may be asked on any make-up exam.  Students who fail to take an exam will receive a grade of zero for that exam. 

Mock Trial/Appeal – 10% of grade (10 points) -We will spend approximately 6 class sessions preparing for and doing a mock trial and appeal. Half the class will be involved in litigating a civil case and half in litigating a criminal case. Students will be assigned to one of four trial teams. Students will also be involved as jurors or appellate panel judges for the case they are not litigating. Students will be expected to post a journal on Canvas after every day or the trial/appeal with their summary and evaluation of that day’s proceedings. Students will be evaluated on their advocacy work, their journals, and their contributions to their trial team

Advocacy Paper- 15% of grade (15 points) -Students will prepare a Memo to the Board of an advocacy group (real or imagined) outlining a litigation strategy to help advance the group’s agenda by challenging (or defending) existing legislation, regulations, or enforcement policies in the court system. This Memo should have some discussion of who/what the most likely and/or best appropriate parties and venue are for the litigation, the likely problems the litigation is likely to face, the likely results (with cites and references to previous relevant cases), and the responses the advocacy group should take to a negative as well as a positive outcome. You can also have a legislative strategy, but there needs to be some litigation strategy discussed as well. The Memo should be 6-8 pages in length. 

Oral Presentation and Critiques – 10% of grade (10 points) – Following the submission of the advocacy papers, during the last two weeks of class, each student will then make a 4-5 minute presentation to the rest of the class (sitting as a “funders group”) summarizing the major points of their proposal and advocating for support. Students should be prepared to answer questions from me and possibly from members of the class. Students will be graded on their presentation as well as on the evaluations/critiques they do of the other students’ presentations. Students who miss a day of critiques will have their grade for this assignment reduced by one point (out of the 10 points available for the assignment) for each day missed.

Late Assignments – Electronic and (unless otherwise noted) hardcopy versions of all assigned memos and papers are required to be submitted on Canvas prior to or at the start of class on the due date. Alternative due dates will be granted only in the event of serious personal or family illness.  All communications regarding alternative due dates must be sent via email.  I must get an email from you explaining the reason behind the request and you must receive approval from me confirming your extension before the due date.  In the absence of both emails, the assignment is due when required. Unless I have agreed in advance to an alternative due date, the assignment grade may be reduced by 10 percentage points for each day an assigned memo, paper or submission is late. Late papers should be emailed to me as well as submitted on Canvas. Assignments turned in more than two days late may receive zero points.

Extra Credit Opportunities – Up to 3 extra credit points – During the semester, I may make extra credit opportunities available to the class. Generally, these opportunities will entail your attendance at an on-campus or online event relevant to the class and a 2-3 page memo from you submitted on Canvas within three days after the event summarizing what was said, what you agreed and disagreed with and why, and how the event was relevant to our class readings and discussions. Each extra credit opportunity has the potential of adding up to one full percentage point to your final grade. (In other words, if you your regular class points at the end of the semester add up to 89, a ‘B+”, a strong extra credit submission worth one full point will bring the grade up to a 90, and “A- “). You will not be allowed to submit more than three extra credit submissions. The extra credit points will be added into the score at the end of the semester. Do not expect grades to be “rounded up” - extra credit points are made available in order to help you get your grade to the next level when your score is close.

 

Grading Scale for the Semester:

Score                                          Grade

97 – 100                                      A+

93 – 96.9                                     A

90 – 92.9                                     A-

87 – 89.9                                     B+

83 – 86.9                                     B

80 – 82.9                                     B-

77 – 79.9                                     C+

73 – 76.9                                     C

70 – 72.9                                     C-

67 – 69.9                                     D+

63 – 66.9                                     D

60 – 62.9                                     D-

00 – 59.9                                     F       

 

IU’s grading policies: https://policies.iu.edu/policies/aca-66-grades-and-grading/index.html    

 

How much time should you be spending on this class: This is a standard 3-credit semester length class, so you are expected to spend an average of 6 or more hours outside of class per week on reading, studying, assignments, etc.

         

 

 

Important Dates to Remember

First Day of Class	Monday – August 24, 2026
Labor Day – No Class	Monday – September 7, 2026
Exam #1	Wednesday – September 30, 2026
Early Evaluation Grades Due	Sunday – October 4, 2026
Advocacy Paper Due	Monday- November 16, 2026
Thanksgiving Break – No Classes	Monday & Wednesday- November 23 & 25, 2026
Presentations/Critiques	Monday & Wednesday - November 30 & December 2, 2026
Presentations/Critiques (Continued) (“Dead Week”)	Monday & Wednesday - December 7 & 9, 2026
Final Exam	Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 3-5PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs

Student Honor Code 

 

Introduction -The O’Neill School takes matters of honesty and integrity seriously.  We expect O’Neill students will, at all times, maintain academic integrity and civil and professional standards of conduct. 

 

Scope - O’Neill’s Student Honor Code applies to all courses and programs offered by O’Neill, and to all students who participate in O’Neill classes and programs, regardless of whether students are admitted to O’Neill. Students studying at O’Neill are expected to continue their commitment to ethical behavior in all their endeavors, including, but not limited to, coursework inside and outside of O’Neill, internships, community service, and overseas study. 

 

O’Neill’s Student Honor Code incorporates IU’s Code of Student Right, Responsibilities, & Conduct and extends to matters of civility and professional conduct, including, expectations about class attendance, punctuality, participation in class, and decorum in class and at other school functions.

 

Academic Conduct Requirements  

 

All students enrolled in O’Neill courses are subject to the academic misconduct provisions found in the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, & Conduct.  

Academic misconduct is defined as any activity that tends to undermine the academic integrity of the institution.

The IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, & Conduct lists and defines many types of academic misconduct, including cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, interference, violation of course rules, and facilitating academic dishonesty.   

Academic misconduct includes the use of any technology or assistance, including AI, that is not permitted by the instructor. 

 

Civility and Professional Conduct Requirements

 

O’Neill requires that all students treat others with mutual respect and behave professionally in the classroom and during all academic and non-academic activities.

 

These civility and professional conduct requirements foster an appropriate atmosphere inside and outside the classroom:

 

• Students must act in accordance with the O’Neill School mission and values. 
• Students must regularly attend and be fully prepared for class, including completing readings. 
• Students must not behave in a way that interrupts or distracts from teaching or learning.  For example, students must be punctual in their arrival to class and be present and attentive for the duration of the class. They must not sleep, do work for another class, or wander in and out of the classroom, pack up, or leave class early (unless an emergency exists).
• Students must abide by the course policy regarding use of electronic devices in the classroom, including a requirement that no electronics are allowed or that students are not permitted to use devices for non-class related purposes.
• Students must responsibly participate in class activities and during team meetings for course assignments. 
• Students must attend scheduled meetings with faculty or staff, events for which they have RSVPed, interviews with prospective employers, and student organization meetings.  
• Students must address faculty members, other students, and others appropriately and with respect, whether in person, in writing, or in electronic communications.
• Students must show tolerance and respect for others. 
• Students must practice respect and responsible stewardship of the physical resources of the school, refraining from destroying or defacing school property, integrating practices of sustainability, and contributing to a clean and orderly physical environment in all buildings, classrooms, offices, and meeting spaces.   
• Students must comply with the personal misconduct responsibilitieswithin the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, & Conduct.

 

 

 

 

Reporting 

Students must abide by the O’Neill Student Honor Code themselves and hold their peers to the same standards. Students should report suspected instances of academic, civility, or professional misconduct to the instructor of the course. Students should report suspected instances of personal misconduct to the IU Office of Student Conduct. 

 

 

 

Use of generative AI (such as ChatGPT) in this class.  Using AI to assist in completing assignments in this class is prohibited.  If you do use AI, you will be committing plagiarism* and will be subject to penalties in this class and sanctions by Indiana University.  You are permitted to use the free version of Grammarly and Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar tool.   

 

WARNING: Submitting any questions, assignments, notes, slides, or other instructor-produced course materials into Generative AI without permission is a violation of the faculty member’s exclusive rights and will be reported to the Dean of Students as academic misconduct.  

 

*Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work, including the work of other students, as one’s own. Any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged, unless the information is common knowledge. https://studentcode.iu.edu/responsibilities/academic-misconduct.html. (emphasis added).

 

In addition, you should not use significant portions of work you have prepared and written for other classes or projects without my advance approval and some indication in the paper or memo that such material had been previously submitted elsewhere.

 

Course Materials – Instructor’s Exclusive Rights: 

 

The faculty member teaching this course holds the exclusive right to distribute, modify, post, and reproduce course materials, including all written materials, study guides, lectures, assignments, exercises, and exams. While you are permitted to take notes on the online materials and lectures posted for this course for your personal use, you are not permitted to re-post in another forum, upload to AI, distribute, reproduce content from this course, or sell the instructor’s course materials (including notes and study guides) without the express written permission of the faculty member. 

 

Violations of this policy will be reported to the Dean of Students as academic misconduct (violation of course rules). Sanctions for academic misconduct may include a failing grade on the assignment for which the notes/study guides are being sold, a reduction in your final course grade, or a failing grade in the course, among other possibilities.  

 

Additionally, you should know that selling a faculty member’s course using IU email, or via Canvas may also constitute a violation of IU information technology and IU intellectual property policies; additional consequences may result. 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Withdrawals:

.

 

The auto-W deadline is October 25, 2026 (Sunday). This is the last day to Withdraw with an Automatic W. After the auto-W deadline, withdrawal will be significantly limited, and you will need permission to withdraw and must meet requirements established by O’Neill.

 

Students who stop attending class without properly withdrawing from the class may receive a grade of F. It is important to withdraw from a course within specified timeframe. Poor performance in a course is not grounds for a late withdrawal

Counseling and Psychological Services 

 

For information about services offered to students by CAPS:  http://healthcenter.indiana.edu/counseling/index.shtml 

 

TimelyCare

 

Indiana students have free, 24/7 access to virtual mental health care services with TimelyCare. Students do not need insurance to access TimelyCare services. https://www.iu.edu/mental-health/find-resources/timely-care.html#0

 

Religious Accommodation Requests

 

The "Request for Accommodation for Religious Observances" form must be submitted by the student to the professor no later than two weeks prior to the anticipated absence.  A separate form must be submitted for each absence and for each course. Faculty do not have to consider accommodations for the purpose of allowing students to travel away from Bloomington for religious observance.  Information about the policy is found here: https://vpfaa.indiana.edu/resources/religious-observances-information.html. 

 

Accessible Educational Services (formerly Disability Services for Students) 

 

Securing accommodations for a student with disabilities is a responsibility shared by the student, the instructor, and the AES Office. For information about support services or accommodations available to students with disabilities, and for the procedures to be followed by students and instructors: https://studentlife.indiana.edu/care-advocacy/iub-aes/index.html  

 

Sexual Harassment  

As your instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. Title IX and our own Sexual Misconduct policy prohibit sexual misconduct.  If you have experienced sexual misconduct, or know someone who has, the University can help. 

 

If you are seeking help and would like to talk to someone confidentially, you can make an appointment with:

• The Sexual Assault Crisis Service (SACS) at 812-855-8900
• Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 812-855-5711
• Confidential Victim Advocates (CVA) at 812-856-2469
• IU Health Center at 812-855-4011

 

For more information about available resources:  http://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/help/index.html