7907. Legislative Process

Looks at the importance of legislation in the development of the law, replacing to a significant degree development by the case-by-case decisional method and the legislative process both as to legislative procedure (e.g., rules and methods of doing things) and as to the dynamics of the political flow and pulse of a session. Emphasis is placed on how mastery of the legislative process leads to an effective influence within the legislative committees and the political parties. It also looks at the art of legislative draftsmanship including understanding of the substantive issues, craftsmanship, and creativity in the development of legislative alternatives when compromises must be made to attract necessary votes for passage. Instruction includes vertical case studies of certain key pieces of legislation to show the various stages a bill goes through to surmount forces blocking enactment.