Paper #1 Assignment
 

Paper due:  March 26, 2002.  Papers must be submitted on time.  It is your responsibility to make sure that your computer does not eat your paper.

NB:  There will be no class on Friday, March 8.  Please use this time to begin your research.  During spring break, you may email research questions to dgolash@american.edu or mvelasco@policefoundation.org.

Length:  1500-2000 words (most word processors will provide a word count)
Form: The paper should be double-spaced with 1” margins. Please use normal 10-12 point type.  The paper should be readily legible.  Do not use boldface or color fonts (they are hard to read).

Topics
Choose one of the following topics.

1. Research the legal challenge to the Child Online Protection Act (Ashcroft v. ACLU) on which the Supreme Court heard oral argument last November.  How do you think the Supreme Court should decide?  Defend your position, considering opposing arguments found in the legal materials and in course readings.  Legal documents for the case can be found at http://www.epic.org/free_speech/copa/.

2. Research the case of Corry v. Stanford University.  Do you think this case was correctly decided?  Argue for your position, considering opposing arguments found in your research and in course readings.  The California Superior Court decision can be found at http://lawschool.stanford.edu/library/special/corrym.shtml.

3. What, if any, changes would you make in current laws restricting distribution of recreational drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, and cocaine?  Argue for your position and respond to opposing arguments.

Research
Read (and cite in your paper) at least two scholarly articles (i.e., journal articles, not newspaper, magazine, or encyclopedia articles) or Supreme Court opinions (other than those in the textbook) on your topic in addition to those we have read for the course.  The "Suggested Additional Readings" section at the end of each chapter is a good place to start. You may select articles that either support or oppose the position you take in your paper.
 
General
Your paper should reflect (1) your understanding of readings (including your research articles) and lectures on the topic, and (2) your own thoughts and arguments.  You should take a position on the issue and present a coherent argument in defense of that position.  Remember that the strongest argument is one that would be likely to convince someone who initially disagreed with you.  In formulating your arguments, try to think of possible objections to your position and respond to them.  Be sure to respond to any arguments against your position that are found in the course readings.

Grading
Papers will be evaluated on the basis of your understanding of the material, the strength of your arguments, clarity, and originality.  Grammatical English is an important component of clarity.  This paper is 30% of your course grade.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is representing someone else's language or ideas as your own.  Plagiarism is strictly prohibited by the university and will result in disciplinary action.  You must write your own paper.  You may not use a paper previously submitted for another course.  Use proper citations to indicate sources. Papers that fail to identify sources will not be graded until a copy including proper citations is provided.

Citations
In your paper, identify direct quotations with quotation marks and footnotes.  Identify ideas of others that you paraphrase with footnotes or in the text.  In citing the course text, refer to specific articles, not to the editor's introduction to the chapter (unless you are referring to the editor's own ideas). Citations may be in any form, but should include at least author, title, page number, and date.  Websites, if used, should be cited by the url (http://..); citations to legal cases should include the court that decided the case and the year in which it was decided.