LAW 792: Mental Health Law: Deprivations of Life and Liberty
This course will focus on four topics: (1) criminal responsibility (the insanity defense and other psychiatric defenses; the death penalty; sexually violent commitment statutes); (2) civil commitment; (3) competency to proceed and to waive rights; (4) the right to treatment and the right to refuse treatment. The course will examine these subjects from doctrinal, constitutional, evidentiary and behavioral science perspectives. Criminal Law is a prerequisite, Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure and Evidence are helpful as background, but are not prerequisites. Several of the classes will be co-taught with a mental health professional. [2-3]