Spring 2027

Law and Contemporary Problems

Law and Contemporary Problems explores current issues relevant to the practice of law, including liberal democratic theory and its link to law.

offering recorded1–3 credits
Recorded instructors · Spring 2027 Gregory Van Rybroek3.7/5Adam StevensonAhmed White +12 more

Summary

1 / 6

Past student reviews · Signe Janoska-Bedi

Students reported a high difficulty rating of 5, though the class vibe remained fun and engaging.

What you’ll be able to do

  • Recognize the historical, cultural, and contemporary contexts of a given topic.

  • Describe and apply relevant core principles and sources of law.

  • Develop skills in critical thinking and analysis.

Source: UW Guide

Grade history

↗
average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
B
BC
C
D
F

All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

Declared in Law JD

  • Declared in Law JD
LAW 940

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • Declared in Law JD

Professors

Spring 2027
Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 3.71/5 from 7 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2022: 3.38 GPA, 37.5% A/AB (n=8 letter grades); Spring 2023: 3.43 GPA, 42.9% A/AB (n=7 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.60 GPA, 60.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades).

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2024: 3.56 GPA, 55.6% A/AB (n=9 letter grades); Spring 2025: 2.83 GPA, 33.3% A/AB (n=6 letter grades); Spring 2026: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=2 letter grades).

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.25 GPA, 25.0% A/AB (n=4 letter grades).

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2022: 3.25 GPA, 25.0% A/AB (n=4 letter grades); Spring 2024: 3.00 GPA, 33.3% A/AB (n=3 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.00 GPA, 20.0% A/AB (n=5 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2025: 3.25 GPA, 25.0% A/AB (n=4 letter grades). Includes jointly taught sections.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.00 GPA, 50.0% A/AB (n=4 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.67 GPA, 83.3% A/AB (n=6 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.00 GPA, 28.6% A/AB (n=7 letter grades).

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.38 GPA, 37.5% A/AB (n=8 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.36 GPA, 36.4% A/AB (n=11 letter grades).

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2023: 3.45 GPA, 44.8% A/AB (n=29 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.80 GPA, 80.0% A/AB (n=5 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.50 GPA, 50.0% A/AB (n=4 letter grades).

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.67 GPA, 66.7% A/AB (n=3 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.50 GPA, 50.0% A/AB (n=4 letter grades).

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.00 GPA, 0.0% A/AB (n=3 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

ADAM STEVENSON is recorded teaching in Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

AHMED WHITE is recorded teaching in Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

AMY KASPER is recorded teaching in Spring 2024, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

EVERETT MITCHELL is recorded teaching in Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

GREGORY VAN RYBROEK is recorded teaching in Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

HAYLEY PAINTER is recorded teaching in Spring 2022, Spring 2024, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JACOB GARDNER is recorded teaching in Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JESSA HACKMAN is recorded teaching in Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JOEL ROGERS is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Fall 2007, Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Fall 2013, Fall 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2018, Fall 2020, Fall 2023, Fall 2024, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

JOSH SCHAUB is recorded teaching in Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

KEVIN KELLY is recorded teaching in Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

MIRIAM SEIFTER is recorded teaching in Spring 2015, Fall 2017, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2022, Fall 2023, Spring 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

NYAMAGAGA GONDWE is recorded teaching in Spring 2024, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

SAUL GLAZER is recorded teaching in Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

SIGNE JANOSKA-BEDI is recorded teaching in Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Spring 2027

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 003Classroom Instruction0 / 300
LEC 009Classroom Instruction0 / 150
LEC 012Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LEC 006Classroom Instruction0 / 500
LEC 001Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LEC 013Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 002Classroom Instruction0 / 400
LEC 004Classroom Instruction0 / 160
LEC 005Classroom Instruction0 / 180
LEC 007Classroom Instruction0 / 150
LEC 008Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LEC 010Classroom Instruction0 / 220
LEC 011Classroom Instruction0 / 240
LEC 014Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 015Classroom Instruction0 / 200
LEC 016Classroom Instruction0 / 250
LEC 017Online Only0 / 200

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
Download part 1

Student experience

the class

Past student reviews · Signe Janoska-Bedi

The course functioned as a refreshing break from other law classes, using guest lectures to explore liberal democratic theory and its legal foundations.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.37 GPA, 42.4% A/AB (n=92 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.52 GPA, 53.3% A/AB (n=30 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.44 GPA, 50.0% A/AB (n=42 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Past student reviews · Signe Janoska-Bedi

Students reported a high difficulty rating of 5, though the class vibe remained fun and engaging.

Past student reviews · Signe Janoska-Bedi

Learners found the discussions on markets, tech, and academia valuable, appreciating the instructor's fun demeanor.

Topics

  • Current issues relevant to the practice of law
  • Historical, cultural, and contemporary contexts of legal topics

Skills

  • Critical thinking and analysis
  • Describing and applying core legal principles and sources

Grades

Historical instructor

Spring 2027 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

8 earlier forecasts · 0.05 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Spring 2027

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1280 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

Download part 1
Selected offering source records
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Law and Contemporary Problems

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Wisconsin Legal History

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Tax Policy Seminar

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Mental Health Law

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Employee Benefits

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Sports Law

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Race, Racism and the Law

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Wisconsin Administrative Law

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Constrcn, Contract, & Negotn

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Class, Law, & Labor Relations

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Employment Discrimination

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

National Security Law

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Crim Jus Sys: Lived Experience

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Adv. Topics in Indian Law

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

State Courts

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Wisconsin Guardians ad Litem

Recorded 2026-10-14
LAW 940 · Spring 2027

Workers Compensation Law

Recorded 2026-10-14
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]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
Download part 1
Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-10-14

View the dataset on Hugging Face
Model outputs & technical records
Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance 
{
  "model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
  "model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
  "task_version": "17",
  "output_id": "49b34168c632b8f2a2771946ccec0dec6b7c607eab2445aa613ddcc4f01598f5",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
  "observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}