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i really enjoyed her law and public policy class. i have no idea what the other commentators are talking about. i learned a lot. engaging topics in lecture. organized. good speaker. good times.

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Ok, she speed talks her lectures. She knows this and ask her to slow down. I took classes with her 3 times. If you go to office hours, she really takes the time to explain and is interested in you understanding the subject. And she knows what she is talkin

As a PoliSci major Professor Renteln was easily my favorite hands down. Yes she a hard teacher, her course work is demanding and requires the ability to think for yourself. And yes does expect more than just average work! She knows her stuff, and can spot b.s. a mile away. People who do well, are the ones who do the reading and want to be challenged. She's also one of the few professors out there that actually cares about her students too.

i took renteln a few summers ago. she is very smart and outspoken. she has very liberal viewpoints which, on face is not a problem, however, she often fails to bring up conservative criticisms of the views that she espouses in class, making it seem as though her viewpoint is the only viewpoint. debating opposing viewpoints in class will raise you participation grade, but you had better have a sound argument, because she will be ready to disect and make you look stupid if you haven't put some thought into it

Wow some people can't handle a good professor I guess. Had her for two classes, International Law and Law + Public Policy and LOVED her. She's an amazing professor, obviously professors are generally very educated anyway but you can easily tell just from her lectures that she has natural intelligence. Her lectures are brilliant, I've never learned more from any other professor and she was very nice, at least to me.

Professor Renteln is a great professor. If you want to develop some serious research skills, she is the perfect person to take a class from. Her tests are really not that hard at all. If you study the review sheets, they are quite easy and incredibly straight forward. I would highly recommend any class by her to either majors or nonmajors.

Renteln obviously cares about the subject matter of the class. She teaches with a passion but is also unclear and fast when covering the material. I can barely survive the last 20 mins after taking so many notes. Her tests are easy and if you make the effort to show up you should be fine. There's alot of information though be prepared to study

Professor was extremely professional, knowledgeable, and passionate. There is a ton of required readings but no real homework, except for the term paper. She expects a lot from her students. Lectures are thorough but she goes very quickly. Technically, this class assumes no prior knowledge but a posc or law background would be very helpful.

She is really knowledgeable, but it is a tough class. It is one of the weed out classes for law, you have to love it to do well. She is super smart and really nice but it is hard. There is a 12 page paper, mid term and final and thats it. Recommend if you love law, not as a GE.

I am confused why so many of you have rated her low. True, she speaks very fast but when students inquire about visuals, she is happy to accompodate and provide slides. She prepares students very well for e mid term and final. There is also a paper project 15 pages due with topics that she picks. The research was complex because of the USC library.

She is tough but fair. With the course matter, there is a lot, but it is interesting and she is a fair grader. As long as you look at the study guide thoroughly you will be fine. Very intelligent woman.

lecture style is repetitive and can get tedious but if you actually listen, its really interesting, plus professor renteln is totally hilarious. lots of material but very little gets tested so pretty easy to do well in the class! also literally no hw, nobody does the reading because it never gets checked anyways

If you have any interest in law I would highly recommend this class. If you sit down and really study the material a few days before the exam you can get away with doing little reading and missing some classes. Also, though she seems brusque, she was really quite funny and a nice professor. Also BRILLIANT.

Renteln has a wealth of knowledge to present, so her lectures very helpful to attend. There are certainly a lot of cases to understand, but clear, referable notes and general interest in the subject go a long way. She cares a lot about students and is incredibly intelligent, so her office hours are rewarding to attend.

Renteln is well-spoken, thoughtful, and intelligent, and she has a wealth of information and personal experience that really enriches the lectures. Quite a bit of reading, but it's all relevant and interesting. Paper seems like a lot, but it really isn't that bad. Marry the study guide, enjoy controversial discussions in section, and fight on.

Prof. Renteln is without a doubt a complete genius. She is intense and brilliant and has very high expectations of her students. If you participate in class, expect that she will question everything you say. Amazing class if you like lawpolitics. But I would not recommend taking POSC 130 with her for a GE if you have no interest in law.

She is so incredibly knowledgeable! If you are interested in law school take her! She is inspirational! There is a lot of work so be prepared to do it but it is worth it, you learn a ton!

Renteln is incredibly intelligent and bright. The class is challenging, and it is hard to do well if you don't show up, but the information is all very interesting. The paper seems overwhelming, but isn't horrible. Visiting her office hours can lead to some of the most interesting conversations and research opportunities on campus.

Professor Renteln is a force of nature, her classes are extremely difficult if you're not headed to law school. Ive taken 3 classes with her now and I definitely recommend her. She's one of the most respected scholars in her fields of study so probably someone good to ask for a rec letter.

Amazing class if you're interested in social issues and law. ALWAYS go to class and discussion. ALWAYS do the readings (they're pretty short, you have to read one book). PARTICIPATE. The midterm and final are not hard if you review a bit and the paper is pretty easy (12 pgs). Super interesting. She has fixed everything people complain about here.

I don't understand why people complain. She is super nice and hilarious. She takes the time to find really interesting cases. Work is reasonable. She is one of the gems in USC and if you're interested in political science, you have to be stupid to not take her. She is one of the most inspiring professors and a truly brilliant. WILL NOT REGRET.

One of the best profs I've ever had at USC. Unbelievably brilliant. Not sure why people say she's hard go to class and take good notes, do the reading of the novel (weekly readings don't matter), watch the movie. You'll learn so much in this class, but I wouldn't recommend it if you're not at least a bit interested in politics/policy/law.

great professor/ always works to have interesting readings/ lectures. All lectures can sometimes get boring, but her's rarely reach that. Must follow along very attentively and take notes. Doing the readings is a must, and the study guid has the same essay questions as a test. You will leave this class with an amazing understanding of human rights

One of the most brilliant professors at this school. She is so knowledgable about law, current events, politics, etc. that I've learned more from this GE than my major classes. If you aren't interested in law, it's likely going to be too much reading. But don't be misguided by harsh ratings--Renteln is super intelligent and you will learn a lot.

She seems like a tough professor at first, but she can be super personable if you make the effort to go to office hours. There is A LOT of reading, so don't take this unless you LOVE political science, law, etc. Lots of people skip class, but I wouldn't recommend it because there's so much information that she doesn't include in the slideshow.

Incredibly intelligent woman. She can be a bit intimidating at first - she's brilliant and comes to every class dressed perfectly. This isn't an easy GE - there's lots of reading and the term paper is a lot of work but I've really learned a lot. She encourages you to go to office hours and is really a wonderful human. One of USC's gems.

For a few days before the midterm, a few weeks in November when the term paper is due, and a few days before the final, you will need to work/study your butt off. Other than that, she assigns readings on the syllabus I didn't find necessary, so the rest of the time it's not too bad. She's a good teacher who cares too. Not the easiest GE though.

She's an incredibly intelligent woman. If you are unsure whether you want to participate in the law field take this class and you will find out. She is not as intimidating as she seems if you go to her office hours she is really willing to help you. Be friends with the TA as they will help you a lot it really matters what TA you get in this course!

She's a very intelligent person but the amount of work she assigns is ridiculously too much for a 100 level course.

Very rarely went to lecture but still got an A. It's all about skimming the readers for their main ideas, and then memorization for the exams. That said, I didn't study for the midterm and still got an A, because she's nice and gives you a lot of choices for which questions to answer. The paper was quite a bit of effort, but that was about it.

130 is a lot of work. Incredibly high expectations for students. My final completed study guide was 40 pages and didn't cover everything. Final paper is intense, plus you have to contact people connected to a supreme court case. Can't recommend to everyone, but you will learn the material. Oh, and very left-leaning student body in my class.

Professor Renteln is not only an amazing professor but an amazing human being. Having the chance to learn from her has singlehandedly made my experience at USC meaningful. I HIGHLY recommend you go to her office hours and get to know her - she's phenomenally accomplished but super humble. And other POSC classes are cakewalks after hers.

Educators like Professor Renteln are the reason why USC is such a prestigious university. Her POSC 130 class completely changed my worldview. Although it was hard I would do it again because I learned so much. Many students have her once and end up taking every class with her they can.

Professor Renteln is so intelligent. Her class is very organized and easy to understand. The tests and paper are straightforward. She is very kind and always asks thought-provoking questions. Also, she acknowledges the difficult time we are going through in politics. I really like her a lot!

One midterm, one final, one 10-12 page paper, and a ton of reading. Discussion participation counts 10%. Pretty hard but it is possible to get an A. Overall pretty mediocre

The only bad things about this class are the paper and the non helpfulness of her study guides. The paper has to be 12 pages with interviews and endnotes and a bibliography, which I think is too much for a level 100 GE class. The study guides are just 6-8 page lists of super vague terms that she gives out less than a week before the test.

If you aren't getting major/minor credit DON't take this class. Renteln lectures from the first to last minute of class and talks fast. Bright side: material is usually interesting. Reading is heavy but not essential except for the ones she mentions in class. Tests are memorization heavy, know everything she says. Expect 5 pages of notes/class

The final made me realize I shouldve done the readings all along because they were interesting and wouldve helped me avoid confusing during lecture. Regardless, take Renteln! She cares so much about her students and inspires them to be better people on a daily basis. Her wit and intellect are matched by few. I will miss her class next semester.

Very interesting class, take it if you're a Political Science major. However, for a GE it is a rather good deal of work and can be difficult. There's a massive paper in the middle of the semester. Grade is entirely based on 3 things. Renteln is a great and engaging lecturer and makes the class fun, but isn't entirely clear on paper expectations

She is SO caring and kind and her lectures are hilarious. You don't need to read the textbook bc she gives you the questions for the test before hand, so you can look up cases then on google. You have to work for your A, but it is possible and so rewarding. no homework. the class is so fun that you want to attend even tho its not mandatory.

didn't think I was going to love her at first-- kinda boring lectures, not really much of an active class-- but she's awesome once you get to know her. she has a fascinating background, great personality, is super knowledgable, and cares a TON about her students. you can tell she wants you to succeed. her TA, Elli, is also amazing as hell.

Dr. Renteln is a very respected and knowledgable professor who brings a lot of wit to her lectures. Be ready to take in a lot of information, but it is a good base for political science majors.

If you are a POSC major or just interested in law, take this class. I seriously have never learned so much or been more challenged, it was a law school class. Tough lady but fair and such an amazing resource. Unfortunately, if you have Kris it will make it difficult to succeed. The worst most pretentious TA I have ever had. Drop if you have him.

Very intelligent Professor. Very much enjoyed the material!

Best Prof ever. You will learn especially if you are interested in the law field. She is very knowledgable. The discussions are good and she is honestly very kind. I do not understand the bad reviews maybe those are just people who are lazy. Take her! You will learn so much and won't regret it, but go to lecture!

Super charismatic, extremely knowledgeable in international law, and a real hoot to be around. Lectures interesting & gives opportunities for students to show their analytical skills by present cases in class. Be prepared to read & memorize A LOT. Research paper no joke either. Midterm (20%) Research Paper (40%) Final Exam (40%)

Professor Renteln is undoubtedly brilliant, with an immense background in human rights. If you're interested in this field, you should take the course. Her lectures are never boring, and she provides deeply insightful information about human rights. In office hours, she's easy to connect with and genuinely makes sure you understand the material.