Meet the instructors
SaddleBrooke is very fortunate to have residents who are experts in many fields and volunteer as faculty for the ILR. Their courses are two hour sessions each ranging from two to six weeks in length. The courses cover a wide range of topics such as medicine, fine arts, literature, music, law, history, civil war, physics, nanotechnology and magic to name a few. Over the next year, biographies of the ILR faculty will be featured in a series of articles entitled Meet the Instructors.
The ILR is pleased to have Jo Ann Ellison, J.D. return as the course instructor for The Supreme Court offered in six sessions. This course draws on the previous course History of the Supreme Court but the prior course is not a prerequisite. In her course, Jo Ann will use a combination of audio clips from leading scholars and commentators and her ability to stimulate discussion about the role of the Supreme Court and its justices.
Jo Ann earned a B.A. degree in Economics from the University of Minnesota followed by a Doctorate in Law from Tulane Law School. From 1984 to 2005 she was a practicing attorney in New York City in the areas of Corporate, Real Estate and Banking Law, Insurance Defense, Medical Malpractice, Tort Claims and Trusts and Estates. Jo Ann also served as a Law Clerk to a U.S. Federal Judge in the Eastern District of Louisiana and handled many cases involving maritime law, federal criminal law and federal regulations. She retired to SaddleBrooke in 2005.
Jo Ann has taught courses at SaddleBrooke ILR and Sun City ILR in Medical and Legal Ethics, Analysis of the Affordable Care Act, Update on the Supreme Court and the History of the Supreme Court-Part 1. Her knowledge and vast experience in many facets of law and the legal system make her well suited to lead a seminar on the Supreme Court. Part One of the course covered the period between the formation of the Supreme Court in 1790 through WWII. Part Two will cover the activities of the Modern Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice Roberts. Selected topics for discussion will include: woman’s rights, privacy issues, whether corporations are people, homeland security and the impact of new judges on decisions. Come and enjoy an update on current and relevant issues that affect all U.S. citizens.
“The Supreme Court is one of the three branches of government created in our Constitution. The Constitution is America’s legacy to the world and as U.S. citizens we are obligated to study the important political issues of our time and be informed voters.” Jo Ann Ellison