Todd Lochner

Todd Lochner teaches undergraduate courses in Constitutional Law, Civil Liberties, Introduction to American Politics, and Law, Lawyers and Society.

Teaching

Fall 2025 Courses:

POLS 103: Intro to American Politics

MWF 09:10AM - 10:10AM

The politics of the founding period; interactions within and among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; the federal division of institutionalized powers; public opinion, interest groups, and political parties; the policy process in areas such as defense, welfare, civil rights and liberties, and international affairs.

POLS 255: Law, Lawyers, and Society

MWF 12:40PM - 01:40PM

The role of law and legal institutions in the American political system. Examination of institutional actors such as lawyers, judges, and juries, as well as an examination of discrete case studies such as “mass torts” and the criminal justice system. What features define the American legal system; how does this system compare to those of other countries; what are its respective advantages and disadvantages?

POLS 301: American Constitutional Law: Equal Protection and Due Process

MW 03:00PM - 04:30PM

The U.S. Supreme Court and judicial review from 1787 to the present. The court’s landmark constitutional decisions, as well as the theory and techniques of constitutional interpretation. The court’s authority within the wider political and social context of American government, with emphasis on the court’s jurisprudence in the areas of equal protection (including segregation and desegregation, affirmative action, gender discrimination, and sexual orientation discrimination) and due process (including privacy and abortion rights). Discussions of actual Supreme Court rulings, majority opinions, and dissenting arguments, as well as the political and historical context of those decisions in an effort to understand how and why the Supreme Court has played such an influential role in American politics and political thought.