Professor Gibson will supervise up to eight students writing advanced legal research (Cert) papers examining cases in Maryland relating to race and the law. Preference will be given to students seeking to satisfy the law school’s advanced legal wring certification requirement (Cert paper).

The research will require locating and using primary materials (such as correspondence, news accounts, court documents, photographs, exhibits) and secondary materials (such as journal articles, books, biographies, oral histories, internet items).

The final paper should put the main cases into historical context and reveal the story behind the official public record. It should inform the reader about the people and organizations involved, the lawyers and judges, the public officials, the press coverage, the extent of public interest in the case, and the ultimate results.

Each student will also submit a loose leaf binder containing materials assembled during the research. Upon specific agreement with the professor, this requirement may be satisfied, in whole or in part, by electronic submissions.