Course Descriptions
Courses Offered at Dayton Law
Credit Types
Each course is assigned a course credit or grading option:
Credit Type A: Substantive, grading course (A, B, C, etc)
Credit Type B: Exceptional, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory (no credit is awarded for a grade of unsatisfactory)
Credit Type C: Credit, No Credit
Course Descriptions by Degree
Course Descriptions
Course descriptions for JD Program
Administrative Law - LAW 6205/5205
3 credits
An analysis of the processes by which administrative agencies of government seek to carry out the regulatory and social welfare tasks delegated to them by legislatures. The course examines the source and scope of administrative agency authority, the formal and informal powers and procedures used in the implementation of that authority, and the statutory and constitutional controls on the exercise of agency authority. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
ADR for the Litigator - LAW 6200
3 credits
This course provides a basic survey of methods of dispute resolution with an emphasis on representing clients in the pretrial setting. It will introduce students to a variety of ADR processes and concepts and critically analyze each to better understand its advantages, disadvantages, opportunities, and limitations. Among the processes covered are arbitration, mediation, negotiation, and other methods of systematic dispute avoidance. A significant portion of class time is devoted to the analysis of simulated performances. Ethical issues raised by various ADR methods will also be discussed. Fulfills ADR requirement. Upper-level. Credit Type B.
Adoption and Assisted Reproduction - LAW 6542
2 credits
This course will examine legal issues surrounding Adoption and Assisted Reproduction. The course will introduce concepts of legal parenthood, the legal process of parental relinquishment and involuntary termination of parental rights. The course will discuss the difference between public and private adoptions as well as the use of equitable, adult and step-parent adoptions. It will also introduce various legal issues that arise in adoption, including, anonymity, open adoption, international adoption and adoption failures. The course will also discuss legal issues arising in various non-coital methods of reproduction including, surrogate motherhood, donor insemination, egg donation, and IVF. Legal issues may include problems of post-mortem births and governmental benefits and inheritance rights, disposition of frozen embryos, the legality of surrogate motherhood agreements and donor anonymity. Upper-level. Credit type A.
Advanced Legal Analysis - LAW 6823/5823
3 credits
This course is designed to teach students how to apply the law to problems that arise during the course of their legal training and on the bar exam. The course will focus on the following skills, among others, with special emphasis on how to employ these skills in the context of the bar exam: writing about situations that involve multiple topics within substantive law; "issue-spotting" and avoiding irrelevant facts; breaking down factual analysis into parts; recognizing arguments on both sides of an issue; and accurately answering MBE-style multiple choice questions. These skills will be taught in the context of four substantive legal areas (Contracts, Criminal Law, Torts, and Real Property) that will be customized according the needs and aptitudes of the class as a whole. Prerequisites: Students with a cumulative grade point average below a 2.8 at the end of their fourth semester in law school shall be required during their fifth semester to take this course. Credit Type A.
Antitrust Law - LAW 6405
3 credits
A study of the federal antitrust laws, including the Sherman, Clayton, and Robinson Patman Acts, and their amendments. Emphasis will be placed upon the use of antitrust laws in intellectual property disputes. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Appellate Practice & Procedure - LAW 6220/5220
2 credits
Includes the role and function of appellate courts, appealability, preserving issues for appeal, the rules of appellate procedure both federal and state, effective brief writing and oral argument, problems of appellate courts such as limitations on oral argument and writing and publication of opinions, techniques of limiting appeals such as settlement conferences, and when to appeal. The emphasis in this course is on the construction of legal arguments using a problem- oriented approach which exposes the student to the adversary process, the role of lawyer as advocate, and written and oral advocacy skills at the trial and appellate levels. Fulfills upper-level writing requirement. Prerequisite: Legal Profession I and Legal Profession II. Credit Type A.
Appellate Practice & Procedure Teaching Assistant - LAW 6837
2 credits
Teaching assistants work with the Appellate Practice & Procedure instructors, as needed, to research the problems for the Appellate Practice & Procedure course, provide guidance to students in their research, writing, and oral arguments, and serve as judges during the oral advocacy portion of the course. Prerequisite: Appellate Practice & Procedure. Teaching assistants are selected by the professor in charge of the Appellate Practice & Procedure course. Teaching assistants are awarded credit on a "credit/no credit" basis. Credit Type C.
Bar Exam Preparation: Procedure & Practice - LAW 6895/5895
3 credits
This course is designed for students who plan to sit for any bar exam. Students plan for bar passage by mastering their bar exams’ substantive coverage, exam question format, and exam test conditions. This course provides exam-taking techniques and strategies for answering questions in two bar exam formats: multiple choice and essay. Students master selected substantive law topics on the national multi-state exam (MBE) and complete exam questions in MBE and essay question formats. Enrollment is limited to students in their final semester of law school. Credit Type A.
Business Organizations - LAW 6801/5801
3 credits
A study of modern business entities with an emphasis on corporations, limited liability companies, and general partnerships. Areas of concentration include the law of agency; principles of partnership; the creation, organization, governance, financial structure, management, alteration, and dissolution of the corporate entity; and shareholder rights. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Capstones
These courses are intended to be the culmination of a student's academic experience, requiring students to integrate knowledge and skills obtained in earlier courses. Capstones combine substantive knowledge of a practice area with a practical lawyering focus. Students can only take these courses in their fifth or sixth semester of study. Students starting Summer 2011 and after, a Capstone course is required. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Advanced Dispute Resolution – LAW 6920
3 or 4 credits
This course concentrates on varying substantive areas in which alternative methods of dispute resolution are frequently employed, such as tort or commercial disputes. Each semester, the course will focus in depth on a particular substantive area of the law. One or more simulated cases will be used to provide the students with practical, hands-on experience with this type of dispute. Each student will be asked to represent a hypothetical client from the outset of a dispute. At the discretion of the professor, students may also serve as neutrals. Areas of emphasis include negotiation, mediation, and arbitration processes. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Business Planning for the Small Business – LAW 6931
3 or 4 credits
Integration and application of corporate law, partnership law, tax law, and nonlegal business concepts in the organization, operation, and reorganization of various types of small business entities. The use of limited liability companies will be emphasized. Students will be asked to represent a hypothetical client seeking to organize and operate a small business. Preparation and revision of various documents will be a central component of this course, with focus on drafting techniques. Prerequisite: Business Organizations. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Commercial Real Estate Transactions - LAW 6932
3 or 4 credit hours
This course examines legal and business issues common to commercial real estate transactions and utilizes a problem oriented approach with an emphasis on practice oriented skills, The course is comprised of four basic parts: acquisition, finance, construction, and leasing. Each of the four parts will include written assignments as a means for the students to synthesize what they have learned and to apply this knowledge in a manner similar to how attorneys operate when handling commercial real estate transactions. Prerequisite: Real Property II. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Criminal Advocacy – LAW 6922
3 or 4 credits
This course concentrates on varying topics in criminal law and procedure. Each semester, the course will focus in depth on one or more issues of state and/or federal criminal law. One or more simulated cases will be used to provide the students with practical, hands-on experience with this type of case. Each student will be asked to represent the government or the defendant from arrest through final disposition, including any sentencing procedure. Emphasis will be placed on the pretrial process, including arraignments, grand jury proceedings, discovery, suppression hearings, and plea negotiations. At the option of the professor, students may be required to participate in two simulations, one in which he or she acts as prosecutor and one in which he or she acts as defense counsel. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Cybercrime Capstone – LAW 6924
3 or 4 credits
This course includes a collaborative venture, the Cybercrimes Course Collaboration (the lab), conducted in conjunction with UD’s Criminal Justice Program. In the lab portion of the course, law students will engage in intensive legal research and production of an in-depth paper relating to the investigation and prosecution of cybercrime. Students will be developing professional skills of legal writing for non-lawyers, including law enforcement personnel; collaboration with others involved in the investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes; and rigorous legal research and writing. Under the guidance and supervision of the professor, the students enrolled in the course would research discrete state law governing the following issues: (i) the investigation of cybercrimes, which would include computer search and seizure, electronic wiretapping and eavesdropping, transborder and network investigations; (ii) the prosecution of cybercrime, which would focus on specialized cybercrime offenses like hacking and on how more generic offenses, such as theft, can be used to prosecute cybercriminals; and (iii) digital evidence, which would focus on how traditional evidentiary rules such as hearsay and the best evidence rule are applied to digital evidence. Working with the professor, the students would use their research to create deskbooks or guides to state law on various issues. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Elder Law - LAW 6919
3 or 4 credits
This course explores a variety of substantive areas related to providing legal representation to the elderly/seniors including: Advanced directives including General Durable Powers of Attorney and Health Care Powers of Attorney; Guardianship; End of Life planning; Identifying abuse, neglect and exploitation; Public benefits; Agency relationships; DNR orders.
The unique ethical considerations involved in representing the elderly will be presented throughout this course. Students will be asked to represent a hypothetical client or clients. Preparation and revision of various documents will be a central component of this course with a focus on drafting techniques. Various ethical considerations as they relate to representing the elderly will be woven into the entire course. The co-requisites/pre-requisites are Wills and Trusts and Business Organizations. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Entrepreneurship and The Law - LAW 5923
4 credits
Becoming an entrepreneur or a legal advisor to entrepreneurs requires unique legal expertise. The course culminates in the creation of a “Capstone Company” business plan, legal dossier, and pitch deck that students present in class. This course surveys prior course learnings, including: Interview & Negotiation, Contracts, Corporations, and a variety of intellectual property rights, including: patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. In the course, students apply each of these learnings to an existing company, as well as to the “Capstone Company” they select. The course provides students a better understanding of how entrepreneurs innovate and how and what they need to go from an idea/concept to building a company, or to a career advising those who build companies. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Estate & Tax Planning – LAW 6933
3 or 4 credits
A study of the federal income, gift, and estate tax consequences and non-tax legal aspects of inter vivos and testamentary gratuitous transfers and of planning for hypothetical clients in order to meet tax and non-tax objectives. Drafting various document clauses for instruments to implement clients' estate plans. Arrangements that will be studied include irrevocable trusts, powers of appointment for property management and powers of selected creditors' rights. Prerequisite: Income Tax Law and Wills & Trusts. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Family Law Practice – LAW 6934
3 or 4 credits
This course builds upon legal concepts mastered in the basic course in Family Law and provides students with an opportunity to explore, in depth, selected topics in domestic relations law and practice. The topics covered may include both theoretical and practical aspects of Family Law such as: attempts to structure the consequences of marriage and divorce by means of pre- and post-martial agreements; the parent-child relationship; the constitutional aspects of Family Law; Family Law litigation; and the unique ethical issues encountered in a Family Law practice. Prerequisite: Individual Income Tax (can be waived by instructor) & Family Law. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Public Service Mock Trial – LAW 6911 - (Experimental Fall 2019)
3 or 4 credits
This course provides a dynamic introduction to advanced trial procedures and advocacy techniques for students interested in public service careers. It is intended to build upon the knowledge and skills obtained in Fundamentals of Evidence and Civil or Criminal Trial Practice. Students represent the School of Law in the Ohio Attorney General’s Mock Trial Competition., and its case materials will provide the basis for most exercises. Throughout the semester, students will engage in in-class exercises to develop their skills in all aspects of trial advocacy, including developing a theory of the case, engaging in effective voir dire, crafting and presenting persuasive opening statements, conducting effective direct and cross examinations, properly introducing and objecting to evidence, and making compelling closing arguments. The class will also include the drafting of a motion in limine as well as a pretrial statement, jury instructions, jury interrogatories, and a verdict form. The course will culminate in the students trying their case twice in the Ohio Attorney General’s Public Service Mock Trial Competition in Columbus. Co-req/pre-req: Evidence and Trial Practice. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Social Justice Law - LAW 6927 - (Experimental Spring 2018)
3 or 4 credits
This course explores a variety of substantive areas related to poverty law, public interest law and social justice advocacy, such as fair housing, civil rights, environmental justice, and human rights. The course will provide students an opportunity to focus on a particular legal issue impacting the rights of individuals and gain practical, hands-on experience with a range of solutions to important social equity issues. The course will also provide students opportunities to apply concept from a variety of courses - such as civil rights enforcement, critical race and feminist legal theory law, disability rights law, environmental law, natural resource law, business law, race, health disparities and the law, international human rights, race racism in American law, and remedies - to current issues in the Dayton community. Further, students will be introduced to concepts of community lawyering and other legal practices to carry out public interest legal work and social justice advocacy. Credit Type A.
Capstone: Trademark Prosecution and Practice - LAW 6926
3 or 4 credits
This course involves the representation of a hypothetical client who wishes to use, register, transfer and protect a trademark in conjunction with goods and services offered for sale in the marketplace. Students will gain an understanding of application and registration requirements in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, review of examiner decisions before the Trademark Trial & Appeals Board, client counseling techniques, and post-registration maintenance, transfer and policing procedures. Preparation and revision of various documents will be a central component of this course. Prerequisite: Intellectual Property. Credit Type A.
Children & The Law - LAW 6430
2.0 Credits Hours
This course will examine the legal relationships among children, family and the state. A major portion of the course will examine those legal relations in the context of issues over which juvenile courts traditionally have jurisdiction: paternity, child abuse and neglect, juvenile delinquency and status offenses. The course may also explore various common law, statutory or constitutional issues concerning the rights of and responsibilities for children such as: medical treatment for children, emancipation, the constitutional status of children in various contexts, or the property and contract rights of children. Credit Type A.
Civil Procedure Doctrine & Skills I - LAW 6101/5101
3 credits
This course examines the process of civil practice, with an emphasis on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, including pleading, notice, motions to dismiss, discovery, motions for summary judgment as a matter of law during and after trial, preclusion, appeals, personal jurisdiction, federal subject matter jurisdiction, venue, service of process, and the Erie doctrine. A portion of the course will be devoted to skills development. First year. Credit Type A
Civil Procedure Doctrine & Skills II- LAW 6113/5113
3 credits
A continuation of Civil Procedure Doctrine & Skills I. First year. Credit Type A.
Civil Rights Enforcement - LAW 6320
3 credits
This course is about the legal remedies available for the enforcement of constitutional and other federal rights against government action and officials and important structural and legal issues implicated by such enforcement, including federalism and state sovereignty, federal court remedial power and related jurisdictional issues, and statutory interpretation and congressional power. Its primary focus is on civil rights statutory remedies available for private citizens to address state and local governmental action that infringes on their fundamental rights. There will also be some coverage of remedies against federal officials that arise directly from the constitution, remedies against private individuals for civil rights violations, and the power of the civil rights divisions of state and federal executive branches such as the Department of Justice to investigate and enforce remedial schemes against local governments and their officials. Credit Type A.
Climate Change Law and Policy - LAW 6229
3 credits
This seminar examines the law and policy surrounding an issue that many regard as the most significant environmental issue facing our world today. Students will evaluate emerging legal, policy, and management responses to climate change by (1) studying key topics of climate change law; (2) engaging in a critical analysis of the key climate change cases (including several decided by the U.S. Supreme Court); and (3) investigating the specific measures that are underway on the local, state, federal, and international level. In addition, because the climate change litigation covered in the course involves cutting-edge administrative and constitutional law issues, students will also explore these topics, including judicial review, deference, federalism, preemption, separation of powers, and standing. Credit Type A.
Clinic Practicum – LAW 6945
1-3 credits
This course is an experiential course in which students learn a discrete area of law from skilled practitioner faculty and build upon their knowledge and skills through working on real-world cases. Practicums integrate common field placements at non-profit organizations or governmental bodies, including courts. Every week, students engage in practical work (either a real-world project under their professor’s supervision or fieldwork at an outside organization), and participate in a seminar that focuses on the doctrine, theory, skills, and ethical questions that arise in that practice area. Students will devote 5 to 15 hours per week to the practical work requirement depending upon the credits to be awarded. Credit Type B
Comparative Constitutional Law - LAW 6812
2 credits
In this course, students will learn concepts of constitutionalism, constitutions and constitutional law. This will include the most important institutions of the constitutional law such as human rights, systems of government, judicial review, and the territory organization of modern states. Credit Type A.
Conflict of Law - LAW 6412
3 credits
This course presents the law relating to transactions and lawsuits with elements in multiple states. Major topics include the choice of which state or nation’s law to apply, the jurisdiction of courts, and the enforcement of foreign judgments. The course will discuss these issues in the context of torts, contracts, property, family law, and procedure. Credit Type A.
Constitutional Law Doctrine & Skills I- LAW 6803/5803
3 credits
Overview of basic concepts of constitutional law and the judicial function. Topics include: federal government powers; separation of powers; federalism; due process; equal protection and takings. A portion of the course will be devoted to skills developments. Upper-Level. Credit Type A.
Constitutional Law Doctrine & Skills II- LAW 6808/5808
3 credits
Overview of first amendment including free expression, separation of church and state, free exercise of religion, freedom of the press and freedom of association. A portion of the course will be devoted to skills development. Upper-Level. Credit Type A.
Contracts Doctrine & Skills I - LAW 6110/5110
3 credits
A study of doctrines used to determine which promissory obligations society will enforce. Areas of concentration include: consideration, remedies, and other related topics. Impact of the Uniform Commercial Code is also considered. First-year. Credit Type A.
Contracts Doctrine & Skills II - LAW 6810/5810
3 credits
A study of doctrines used to determine which promissory obligations society will enforce. Areas of concentration include: capacity to contract, assignment, performance, and other related topics. Impact of the Uniform Commercial Code is also considered. Upper-Level. Credit Type A.
Copyright Law - LAW 6415
3 credits
This course introduces students to basic copyright principles and issues and explores the question of whether and how copyright law is likely to change in the future, particularly with the advent of new technologies, a developing knowledge-based economy and an environment of global commerce. The course will survey the historical background, public policies and basic foundations of copyright law. Students will study the Copyright Act of 1976 and its amendments, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, international treaties, transfers of rights, and infringement and its defenses. The course will discuss these issues in the context of a variety of different industries or fields, such as the entertainment industry, visual arts and publishing, the computer industry, cyberspace and, to some degree, the interests of libraries. Prerequisite: Intellectual Property. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Corporate Compliance & Ethics - LAW 6821/5821
3 credits
This course covers the law and practice of designing, implementing, and operating an effective corporate compliance and ethics program. A compliance and ethics program is an organization’s policies, procedures, and practices designed to prevent and detect wrongdoing and to foster an ethical corporate culture. A compliance and ethics program does so by first, educating employees and agents about the organization’s values and legal responsibilities, and second, deterring and detecting wrongdoing through monitoring, auditing, and discipline. Students will learn the elements of an effective compliance and ethics program, and will analyze the practical and legal issues posed by designing, implementing, and operating an effective compliance and ethics program. Prerequisite: Business Organizations. Credit Type A
Criminal Law - LAW 6107/5107
4 credits
An analysis of the general principles of criminal law with the purpose of developing understanding concerning the potentialities and limitations of law as an instrument of social control. Areas of concentration include: actus reus, mens rea, attempt, causation, complicity, justification and excuse, crimes against people, crimes against property, and sentencing. First-year. Credit Type A.
Criminal Law Lab - LAW 6114/5114
1 credit
This course uses what students are learning in Criminal Law as the backdrop for practicing and receiving expert feedback on legal analysis skills through multiple formative assessments. The Lab will cover issue-spotting, analytical problem solving, and communication skills in the context of Criminal Law. First year. Credit Type A.
Criminal Procedure - Adjudication – LAW 6216
3 credits
Constitutional and statutory analysis with emphasis on pretrial, trial, and post-trial criminal proceedings. This course will examine criminal procedural issues that arise after an individual’s arrest: bail, burdens of proof, joinder and severance, pretrial motions, discovery, speedy trial, plea negotiations, trial rights, double jeopardy, sentencing, post-conviction remedies, habeas corpus, and appeals. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Criminal Procedure Investigation Doctrine & Skills - LAW 6112/5112
3 credits
A survey of procedural issues presented in the administration of criminal justice with the purpose of developing an understanding of the limitations placed on law enforcement authorities and the legal protections afforded defendants. Fourth, fifth, and sixth amendment rights are the focus of this course with coverage of areas such as the exclusionary rule, search and seizure, and the right against self-incrimination. A portion of the course will be devoted to skills development. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Critical Race & Feminist Legal Theory Law - LAW 6118
3 Credit Hours
This course introduces students to Critical Race Theory and Feminist Legal Theory. The class will explore three major questions during the semester: What comprises Critical Race Theory and Feminist Legal Theory? Do these areas of study remain relevant? If so, what can legal scholars, educators, and practitioners draw from them to effect social justice through legal institutions? Credit Type A.
Current Issues in Constitutional Law - LAW 6545
2 credits
This course is a weekly seminar. Students will learn about many aspects of Supreme Court practice, including cert petitions, the shadow docket, and amicus briefs, and become fluent in many of the cases currently being argued at the Court. The students will engage in rigorous discussions about both controversial and technical issues at the Supreme Court and gain an understanding of how the Court operates, what types of cases it reviews, and how it renders its decisions. Students will become experts in a particular case or issue, about which they will write a paper. Credit Type A
Cyberspace Law - LAW 6835
2 credits
An in-depth study of selected issues raised by widespread use of electronic information systems and computer networks such as the Internet. Issues might include data privacy, database access, access to governmental information, governmental access to private information, privacy, electronic publishing, electronic carriers, transborder data flow, protecting electronic commerce from fraud or theft. No prior knowledge of the Internet or of computers is required. Credit Type A.
Directed Readings - LAW 6861
1-2 credits
An individual Directed Readings course should involve readings that are at least roughly equivalent in volume and difficulty to the reading that would be required of a student in a classroom course having the same number of credit hours. The faculty member should meet with the student on a regular basis throughout the semester. At a minimum, each student and faculty member should meet for at least an hour each week during the semester. The course plan completed prior to the student’s registration must include a schedule of meetings between the student and the faculty member. No more than one directed reading may be taken in any one semester, and only one may be taken in a summer session. No more than a total of four directed readings may be taken by any student in the course of law studies. No more than four credit hours of such work will count toward the graduation requirement of 90 credit hours. Prerequisites: upper-level standing with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5. Credit Type A.
Disability Rights Law - Law 6435
2 credits
This course surveys American law as it relates to people with disabilities. Primary focus is on discrimination in government services, public accommodations run by private entities, employment, and housing. The course may also cover additional topics such as educational discrimination, guardianship, income support programs, and the civil rights of institutionalized persons. Credit Type A.
Elements of Legal Analysis I - LAW 5805
1 credit
In this course, students will identify and improve upon the foundational critical reading, critical thinking and legal writing skills required to graduate from law school, pass a bar examination and enter the legal profession. Students will complete various in class and take home exercises drawn from substantive areas of law found in their first-year courses and receive extensive, individual feedback on their work product to further develop and improve upon their critical reading, analytical, and exam writing skills. This is a required course for all hybrid first year students with a GPA below a 2.65 after their first semester. Other first-year students may, by written petition to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, request enrollment in this course. Such a petition may be granted where the petitioner makes a clear and convincing showing of a significant risk of falling below the standard of academic good standing at the School of Law. Credit Type A.
Elements of Legal Analysis II - LAW 5806
1 credit
A continuation of Elements of Legal Analysis I. This is a required course for all hybrid first year students with a GPA below a 2.65 after their first semester. Other
first-year students may, by written petition to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, request enrollment in this course. Such a petition may be granted where the petitioner makes a clear and convincing showing of a significant risk of falling below the standard of academic good standing at the School of Law. Credit Type A.
Elements of Legal Analysis - LAW 6805
3 credits
In this course, students will identify and improve upon the foundational critical reading, critical thinking and legal writing skills required to graduate from law school, pass a bar examination and enter the legal profession. Students will complete various in class and take home exercises drawn from substantive areas of law found in their first-year courses and receive extensive, individual feedback on their work product to further develop and improve upon their critical reading, analytical, and exam writing skills. This course is required of all first year students on academic probation. Other first-year students may, by written petition to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, request enrollment in this course and deferral of Legal Profession II until the next scheduled offering of that course. Such a petition may be granted where the petitioner makes a clear and convincing showing of a significant risk of falling below the standard of academic good standing at the School of Law. Credit Type A.
Employment Law - LAW 6840
2 credits
This course will study the evolving relationships between employers and employees in the nonunion settings. The course highlights various state and federal regulatory aspects of the employment relationships as well as common law developments as they relate to topics such as screening and hiring of employees, termination of employees, wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment, and occupational safety and health. Credit Type A.
Environmental Law - LAW 6833
3 credits
This course explores both private and governmental control and management of the environment with primary emphasis given to the problems of pollution. After an introduction to both the common law and regulatory approaches to pollution control, the course examines specific problem areas, which may include air and water pollution, solid and hazardous waste treatment and disposal, environmental issues in property and business transactions, and the tension between regulating private property and the constitutional regulatory takings doctrine. Credit Type A.
Externship – LAW 6900/5900
4 credits
This course is a semester-long placement with a court, governmental office or agency, public interest organization or business during which the student performs the tasks of a lawyer under the mentorship and direction of an onsite supervisor, who is a lawyer or judge, and the general supervision of an externship professor at the School of Law. In their fieldwork, students will obtain a significant practical experience reasonably similar to the experience of a lawyer, develop professional lawyering skills and the concepts underlying those skills, and analyze and reflect critically on their experience from a variety of perspectives. Students will complete contemporaneous coursework that includes a classroom instructional component, regularly scheduled tutorials, or other means of ongoing, contemporaneous, faculty-guided reflection focused on topics such as the ethics of law practice, social justice and the legal profession, and other tenets and principles central to the Catholic-Marianist tradition. Students will increase their understanding of the values of the legal profession, enhance their professionalism, and develop their cultural humility and competence. Prior approval with an externship professor required. Students can only take this in their last two semesters of study or their last summer semester before graduation. Externship or Law Clinic is required. Upper-level. Credit Type B.
Externship – LAW 5901
2 credits- Hybrid Students Only
This course is a semester-long placement with a court, governmental office or agency, public interest organization or business during which the student performs the tasks of a lawyer under the mentorship and direction of an onsite supervisor, who is a lawyer or judge, and the general supervision of an externship professor at the School of Law. In their fieldwork, students will obtain a significant practical experience reasonably similar to the experience of a lawyer, develop professional lawyering skills and the concepts underlying those skills, and analyze and reflect critically on their experience from a variety of perspectives. Students will complete contemporaneous coursework that includes a classroom instructional component, regularly scheduled tutorials, or other means of ongoing, contemporaneous, faculty-guided reflection focused on topics such as the ethics of law practice, social justice and the legal profession, and other tenets and principles central to the Catholic-Marianist tradition. Students will increase their understanding of the values of the legal profession, enhance their professionalism, and develop their cultural humility and competence. Prior approval with an externship professor required. Students can only take this in their last two semesters of study or their last summer semester before graduation. Externship or Law Clinic is required. Upper-level. Credit Type B.
Note: This only satisfies 2 of the 4 required Externship graduation credit hours requirement. You must also take LAW 5902 in the following semester(s) in order to complete the 4 credit hour requirement.
Externship – LAW 5902
2 credits- Hybrid Students Only
This course is a semester-long placement with a court, governmental office or agency, public interest organization or business during which the student performs the tasks of a lawyer under the mentorship and direction of an onsite supervisor, who is a lawyer or judge, and the general supervision of an externship professor at the School of Law. In their fieldwork, students will obtain a significant practical experience reasonably similar to the experience of a lawyer, develop professional lawyering skills and the concepts underlying those skills, and analyze and reflect critically on their experience from a variety of perspectives. Students will complete contemporaneous coursework that includes a classroom instructional component, regularly scheduled tutorials, or other means of ongoing, contemporaneous, faculty-guided reflection focused on topics such as the ethics of law practice, social justice and the legal profession, and other tenets and principles central to the Catholic-Marianist tradition. Students will increase their understanding of the values of the legal profession, enhance their professionalism, and develop their cultural humility and competence. Prior approval with an externship professor required. Students can only take this in their last two semesters of study or their last summer semester before graduation. Externship or Law Clinic is required. Upper-level. Credit Type B.
Note: This only satisfies 2 of the 4 required Externship graduation credit hours requirement. You must have taken LAW 5901 in the previous semester(s) in order to register for this course and complete the 4 credit hour requirement.
Family Law - LAW 6831/5831
3 credits
This course examines the law's efforts to regulate the formation, operation, and dissolution of the family. To that end, students study the laws governing marriage and its validity, legal problems which may arise during marriage, and issues surrounding the termination of marriage, such as alimony, property division, and child custody. Credit Type A.
Federal Criminal Law - LAW 6215
3 credits
An examination of some of the major issues in federal criminal litigation. Among the subjects covered will be federal criminal jurisdiction, fraud and political corruption, RICO (Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations), drug trafficking, money laundering, anti-terrorism measures, and sentencing guidelines. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Fundamentals of Evidence - LAW 6820/5820
3 credits
Rules and principles governing selection, admission, and exclusion of various forms of evidence. Major areas focused upon include: direct and cross examination, competency and privileges of witnesses, judicial notice, burden of proof, presumptions, province of court and jury, confessions, the hearsay rule and its exceptions, and the best evidence rule. A portion of the course will be devoted to skills development. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Health Care Law - LAW 6842
3 credits
A survey of the legal regulation of quality of, access to, and financing of health care. Subjects addressed will include medical malpractice, patient rights, licensure, and bioethical policy. Credit Type A.
Higher Education - LAW 6445
1 credit
This course is designed to provide educators with a working understanding of how the American legal system impacts higher education in order to allow them to become more informed and reflective decision-makers. This course examines key issues that faculty, administrators, counselors, and staff in higher education are likely to face on a daily basis. Credit Type A
Immigration Law Process & Policies - LAW 6851
2 credits
This course will examine all basic aspects of Immigration Law, processes and policies. These aspects include the history and development of Immigration law and policies, federal immigration power, immigration subject areas such as permanent resident alien status; non-immigrant temporary residents; political asylum and refugee status; exclusion, admission and deportation law and processes; administrative and judicial review; citizenship and nationality; and broader perspectives such as legal, moral and social justice implications of immigration law, policies and practices. Credit Type A.
Independent Study - LAW 6860
1-2 credits
Students undertake a written project under the supervision of individual faculty members. During the course of the semester the faculty member should: engage in ongoing review of the student’s research; require, review, and critique a written outline of the student’s paper; and require, review, and critique at least one pre-final draft of the paper. The project shall result in the production of a substantial scholarly paper. A paper of at least 35 pages in length, including notes, is required as the final product in a two-credit and 20 pages in a one-credit Independent Study. Each project undertaken must be submitted and approved, in writing, by the faculty member involved and the associate dean. No more than one independent study may be taken in any one semester, and only one may be taken in a summer session. No more than four independent studies may be taken by any student in the course of law school studies. No more than four credit hours of such work will count toward the graduation requirement of 90 credits. Prerequisites: Upper-level standing with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5. Credit Type A.
Independent Study – Graduate - LAW 6904
1-2 credit
Students undertake a written project under the supervision of individual faculty members. The project shall result in the production of a substantial scholarly paper. Each project undertaken must be submitted and approved, in writing, by the faculty member involved and associate dean. No more than one independent study may be taken in any one semester, and only one may be taken in a summer session. No more than four independent studies may be taken by any student in the course of law school studies. No more than four credit hours of such work will count toward the graduation requirement. Credit Type A.
Individual Income Taxation - LAW 6305
3 credits
The basic course in federal income taxation of individuals. Examples of concepts treated include: gross income, deduction, exemptions, capital gains and losses, and the classification of taxable income. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Intellectual Property Law - LAW 6832/5832
3 credits
Intellectual property is a legal tool that helps protect and facilitate the commercialization of human innovation, such as creative works, inventions, and proprietary and/or competitive business information. This course generally exposes students to current and potential intellectual property issues facing society and business. It is a survey of the different intellectual property mechanisms, such as patents trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and other related state law doctrines. Credit Type A.
Intellectual Property & Human Rights - LAW 6813
2 credits
This course examines the relationship between different types of intellectual property rights (IPR) and international human rights. The course will provide a general overview of IPR and international human rights. Special attention will be paid to the impacts of legal human rights norms granting access to emerging technologies to developing countries through such mechanisms as compulsory licenses to essential medicines; “breeders’s rights”; and access to food rights and green patents. The course will also address laws relating to international investment as they intersect with human rights and IPR. The importance of IPR in achieving sustainable development and corporate responsibility obligations will be addressed. Finally, the class will consider IPR as a form of cultural protection and respect for cultural inheritance as framed by international human rights norms. Upper-level. Credit Type A
International Business Transaction – LAW 6977
2 credits
The areas studied are international trade policy, international taxation, international antitrust, extra-territorial jurisdiction, boycotts, the foreign Corrupt Practices Act, letters of credit, export licensing, investment treaties, and the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. Special contract provisions, including those dealing with arbitration and choice of law, also are covered. Credit Type A.
International Human Rights Law - LAW 6116
2 credits
This course examines the law of and the processes of protecting human rights in domestic and international contexts. The course will examine the process by which sovereign nation-states have come to recognize an increasing number of human rights as part of positive international law. The focus will be upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the two international covenants on Human Rights and a number of other human rights treaties. The enforcement of human rights in American courts and international forums will be examined. Prerequisite: none, but International Law is strongly recommended. Credit Type A
International Law - LAW 6850
3 credits
An introduction to international law as applied between independent nations and in American courts. Included are: the sources, development, authority, and application of international law; the laws of recognition, and of jurisdiction over land, sea, and air; and the making, interpretation, enforcement, and termination of treaties. The role of the United Nations and the International Court of Justice also are studied. Credit Type A.
Interviewing, Counseling, and Negotiation - LAW 6310/5310
3 credits
This course focuses on the interpersonal communication skills needed by general practitioners with an emphasis on negotiating transactions. The course is designed to help students understand the fundamentals of interviewing, counseling, and negotiation. Questions concerning the lawyer's role in the attorney-client relationship will be closely examined as will ethical issues relating to negotiation. Students are expected to participate in a number of simulated performances in all skill areas. A significant portion of class time is devoted to the analysis of simulated performances. Fulfills ADR requirement. Credit Type B.
Introduction to Legal Research, Writing and Analysis - LAW 6003
3 credit
Applied skills course integrating units on critical reading, legal reasoning, legal research, and predictive writing. Skills are applied toward examining the role of law in our society, the basic structure of our legal system, and the hierarchy of legal authority. This course also integrates units on comparative legal research and persuasive writing for graduate-level students. Credit Type A.
Introduction to the U.S. Legal System – MSL/LLM - LAW 6908
3 credit
This course will introduce graduate students without a degree in law from a US law school to the basic structure and content of the US legal system, examining how the three branches of government at the state and federal levels make law and legal policy in the United States. Students will also become familiar with the methods and techniques employed in legal research and legal writing in the United States. Limited to M.S.L./LL.M. students.
LLM Externship - LAW 6903
4 credits
This course is designed to allow students to be placed at a court, governmental office or agency, public interest organization or business during which the student performs the tasks of a lawyer under the mentorship and direction of an onsite supervisor and the general supervision of an externship professor at the School of Law. Enrollment is limited to residential LLM students who have a J.D. from a U.S. law school. Credit Type B.
LLM Externship - LAW 6909
4 credits
This course is a semester-long placement with a court, governmental office or agency, public interest organization, law firm, or business during which the student can observe and with supervision, have the opportunity to engage in the American judicial system and the work that U.S. lawyers perform. Students will be mentored by an on-site supervisor, who is a lawyer or judge, with opportunities that allow them to deepen their understanding of U.S. legal principles and law practice. Enrollment in this course is limited to LLM students without a degree in law from a U.S. law school. The prerequisites for taking this course would include Civil Procedure and Introduction to the U.S. Legal System. Further, students could only take this course in their final two semesters of the LLM Program. Credit Type A.
Law Clinic Intern – LAW 6950
4 credits
This course studies lawyer decision making by placing students in the role of lawyer in real cases and by analyzing decisions made in that role. The course consists of two parts, fieldwork and class sessions. In the fieldwork, students will assume the responsibility of representing clients in a variety of legal matters under the supervision of professors trained to work with clinic students. Clinic professors select cases based upon their educational value to enrolled students, and where possible students represent persons in need. Where appropriate, professors may choose to concentrate on specific types of cases, such as criminal law or landlord/tenant law. The class focuses on the role and skills of a lawyer using simulation, review, and discussion, and "case rounds" methodologies. Prerequisites: Intern's License. Students can only take this in their fifth or sixth semester of study. Students starting Summer 2011 and after, Externship or Law Clinic is required. Credit Type A.
Law & Education - LAW 6844
3 credits
This course surveys an array of legislative and judicial responses in the area of Education Law. In placing its primary focus on K-12 education, the course will examine such topics as school governance; school finance; compulsory attendance; religion in the schools; student rights, including, but not limited to, free speech (e.g., student publications and dress codes), discipline, and search and seizure; faculty rights including, but not limited to, certification, collective bargaining, free speech, and tenure; and equal educational opportunities relating to desegregation, the rights of students and school employees with disabilities, and gender equity. Credit Type A.
Law and the Internet of Things - LAW 6904
2 credits
The course examines legal issues that arise in the context of the internet of things (“IoT”). Topics covered include data security/privacy, intellectual property (including data ownership), monetization of data, regulation (e.g., State of California, FTC and EU), product liability, automated contracts, IoT advocacy (e.g., Industrial Internet Consortium, API Days, AllSeen Alliance, One M2M) application program interfaces and ethical issues involved in data collection and sharing. Students will be asked to consider the problems presented from a public policy perspective and the perspective of a client who would like to participate in commerce related to the IoT. Credit Type A.
Law Review - Associate Editors (first term) - LAW 6867/5867
1 credit
Intensive research into diverse legal subjects and preparation and editing of articles for publications in the University of Dayton Law Review. Provides students with the opportunity to enhance their legal research and writing skills. Member of Editorial Board. Prerequisite: Selection by the Law Review Board of Editors & Law Review Junior Staff (first & second term). Credit Type C.
Law Review - Associate Editors (second term) - LAW 6868/5868
1 credit
Intensive research into diverse legal subjects and preparation and editing of articles for publications in the University of Dayton Law Review. Provides students with the opportunity to enhance their legal research and writing skills. Member of Editorial Board. Prerequisite: Selection by the Law Review Board of Editors & Law Review Junior Staff (first & second term). Credit Type C.
Law Review - Editorial Board (first term) - LAW 6869/5869
2 credits
Intensive research into diverse legal subjects and preparation and editing of articles for publications in the University of Dayton Law Review. Provides students with the opportunity to enhance their legal research and writing skills. Member of Editorial Board. Students receiving credit as members of the Editorial Board would not be eligible for credit for third-year writing. Prerequisite: Selection by the Law Review Board of Editors & Law Review Junior Staff (first & second term). Credit Type C.
Law Review - Editorial Board (second term) - LAW 6870/5870
2 credits
Intensive research into diverse legal subjects and preparation and editing of articles for publications in the University of Dayton Law Review. Provides students with the opportunity to enhance their legal research and writing skills. Member of Editorial Board. Students receiving credit as members of the Editorial Board would not be eligible for credit for third-year writing. Prerequisite: Selection by the Law Review Board of Editors & Law Review Junior Staff (first & second term). Credit Type C.
Law Review - Junior Staff (first term) - LAW 6865/5865
2 credits
Intensive research into diverse legal subjects and preparation and editing of articles for publication in the University of Dayton Law Review. Provides students with the opportunity to enhance their legal research and writing skills. Law Review research, writing, and other staff work. Prerequisite: Selection by the Law Review Board of Editors. Credit Type C.
Law Review - Junior Staff (second term) - LAW 6866/5866
2 credits
Intensive research into diverse legal subjects and preparation and editing of articles for publication in the University of Dayton Law Review. Provides students with the opportunity to enhance their legal research and writing skills. Law Review research, writing, and other staff work. Prerequisite: Selection by the Law Review Board of Editors. Credit Type C.
Law Special Education - LAW 6849
1 credit
Since the enactment of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), then the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, there has been a virtual explosion of litigation over the extent to which these statutes protect the rights of students with disabilities and their parents. This course will serve as an introduction to how pertinent legislation, most notably the IDEA and Section 504 safeguards the educational rights of qualified children. At the same time, the proposed course examines related federal laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Education Rights Privacy Act, and litigation that impacts on the rights of parents, students, and educators involved in the process of providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE) for children with disabilities. Credit Type A.
Leadership Legacy Project - LAW 6321
2 credits
This course is the final requirement for Leadership Honors Program (LHP) students[1] and provides students with an opportunity to employ their leadership skills and work collaboratively on a law-related project that will benefit a community organization. Under the guidance of an individual faculty member, LHP students in their fifth semester will work together to develop and implement a strategy to address a law-related need identified by an area institution. Each project involves research and will result in a substantial written product Projects must be approved in writing by the Director of the Leadership Honors Program and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Limited to Leadership Honors Program students in their fifth (next-to-last) semester. Credit Type B.
Learning Skills Lab- LAW 6002/5002
1 Credit
The course is designed to strengthen several capacities, traits, and habits that correlate to success in law school and the legal profession. Through exercises and multiple formative assessments, students will practice and develop skills and strategies to be effective, self-regulated learners; critical readers; critical thinkers; and analytical writers. Coverage includes traditional law school study skills such as critical reading, case briefing, note taking, and outlining; as well as techniques to improve attention, information processing, retention, and recall. The course further emphasizes metacognitive skills such as goal setting, problem solving, self-evaluation, and adaptation of strategies in response to one’s own learning progress. Grading Option B
Legal Innovations Lab - LAW 6408
2 credits
In this skills based course, law students will partner with LexisNexis employees to create new legal products and services. Students will propose and develop their own legal products and ideas while working alongside and receiving advice from LexisNexis experts. Students will learn first-hand the challenges that arise in developing and bringing new legal products to market. Credit Type A.
Legal Profession I - LAW 6105/5105
3 credits
Begins with an introduction to the role of law in our society, the basic structure of our legal system, and the various professional roles that lawyers play in the justice system. With this background, the course integrates major units on critical reading, legal reasoning, legal research, and predictive writing. Students will develop cultural humility and competency, professionalism, and ethics. First-year. Credit Type A.
Legal Profession II - LAW 6106/5106
3 credits
A continuation of Legal Profession I. This course is designed to further enhance the legal research skills of the student and to integrate major units on legal reasoning and writing in a problem-oriented format, introducing students to the process and challenges of lawyering in the pretrial setting. Students are also introduced to oral advocacy. Students will continue to develop cultural humility and competency, professionalism, and ethics. First-year. Credit Type A.
Legislation - LAW 6111/5111
2 credits
Introduces students to the basic concepts of statutory law and the rules of legislative analysis, construction and interpretation. The focus of the course is on training students in the skills required to analyze, interpret and apply statues and other forms of public law to factual situations that commonly arise in the practice of law. Upper-Level (third semester). Credit Type A.
Licensing Intellectual Property - LAW 6420
3 credits
Selected topics relating to sales and licenses of computers and other technology, e.g., shrink-wrap, OEM, and other license agreements; applicable warranties and remedies; contracting with the federal government; and transnational agreements. Prerequisite: Intellectual Property. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Mock Trial Competition - LAW 6871/5871
2 credits
Selected upper-level students represent the School in the intercollegiate National Trial Competition. Students are given a simulated case file and are required to prepare and present the case. The focus of the course is the in-depth development of pretrial and trial skills. The course provides students with an opportunity to integrate and apply procedural and substantive rules of law in the context of a simulated trial. Prerequisite: Evidence and Criminal or Civil Trial Practice. Credit Type B.
Moot Court Interschool Competition - LAW 6872
2 credits
Upper-level students represent the School of Law in an approved interschool moot court competition. The course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to develop both written and oral appellate advocacy skills. Each student is required to write an appellate brief on legal issues presented by an approved moot court competition problem regardless of whether a written brief is required under the rules of the competition. This written brief serves as the principal basis for the student's grade in the course. In addition, each student is required to participate in oral arguments at the competition site. Students are selected as competitors by the faculty advisor of the Moot Court Board. Students who have received credit in Moot Court National Competition (LAW 6873) are ineligible for this course. This course is graded on a "credit/no credit" basis. Prerequisite: Appellate Practice & Procedure.
Moot Court National Competition (fall term) - LAW 6873
3 credits
Students with more than 53 units of credit represent the School of Law in the National Moot Court Competition. The course is designed to provide students with an opportunity to develop both written and oral appellate advocacy skills. Each student is required to write an appellate brief on legal issues presented by the National Moot Court problem. This written brief also serves as the principal basis for the student's grade in the course. Any "designated brief writer" also has responsibility for the coordination and editing of the appellate brief required under the competition rules. "Oral advocates" are required to participate in all oral arguments provided for under the competition rules. Students are selected as competitors by the faculty advisor of the Moot Court Board. This course is graded on a "credit/no credit" basis. Prerequisite: Moot Court Interschool Competition.
Privacy Law - LAW 6407
2 credits
This course will provide the students with an introduction to data privacy law and the use of personally identifiable information ("PII"). The primary purpose of the course is to allow students to better understand how courts and legislatures protect information as new technologies and institutional practices emerge. This course will explore the roots of privacy law, its evolution in the 20th century, and the challenges of regulating information, both foreign and domestic, in the Digital Age. This exploration will occur by examining the U.S. Constitution, rules, regulations, and cases that apply to collecting, using and disclosing personal information.
Professional Responsibility - LAW 6829/5829
2 credits
An examination of the duties and privileges of the legal profession, as well an attorney’s responsibilities to the client, the community, and the profession. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Race, Racism in American Law – LAW 6892
3 credits
This course explores the way in which law is used both to combat and to legitimate racism in American society. It will trace the relationship between racism and American law from the colonial period to the beginning of the 20th century. This course employs an interdisciplinary approach and covers the experiences of American Indians, African American, Asian Americans, Latinos and White Americans. Through an integrated analysis of the groups’ legal histories, the class will foster a comprehensive understanding of race and racism as foundational elements in United States law. Credit Type A.
Real Property Doctrine & Skills I - LAW 6104/5104
4 credits
The introductory course in real property law, concerning possession, estates in land and future interests, concurrent ownership, landlord-tenant relationships, conveyancing and title, and servitudes. A portion of the course will be devoted to skills development. First-year. Credit Type A.
Real Property Doctrine & Skills II - LAW 6804/5804
3 credits
Study of rights in land, contracts for the sale of land, mortgages, titles, conveyancing, recording, zoning, and eminent domain. A portion of the course will be devoted to skills development. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Regional Mock Trial Competition - LAW 6888
1 credit
Upper-level students represent the School in the intercollegiate Regional Mock Trial Competition. Students are given a simulated case file and are required to prepare and present the case. The focus of the course is the development of pretrial and trial skills. The course provides students with an opportunity to integrate and apply procedural and substantive rules of law in the context of a simulated trial.
Prerequisite/Corequisite: Evidence and either Criminal, Civil Trial Practice, or the Attorney General's capstone. Credit Type C.
Religion and the Law - LAW 6119
1 credits
In light of the central role religion has played throughout American history, this course relies on seminal Supreme Court opinions and selected readings to examine the legal, educational, social, and policy issues arising in the relationship between law and religion in the United States. This proposed course is designed to provide students with a good working understanding of how landmark litigation involving religion in a wide array of areas such as its place in public schools to aid to faith-based institutions to its role in the public square (as evidenced in holiday displays) to issues involving matters of conscience (as reflected in disputes over contraception, abortion, and same sex marriage) and emerging issues on the rights or minority religions in an increasingly multi-cultural and multi-religious United States. Upper-level. Credit Type: A
Remedies - LAW 6411 - New
3 credits
This course will examine legal and equitable remedies in a variety of substantive settings, including: damages, specific performance, injunctions, restitution, and recession. The concept of unjust enrichment is examined from the perspective of both substance and remedy. Students in this section of remedies may complete various in class and take home exercises drawn from substantive areas of remedies law and receive extensive, individual feedback on their work product to further develop and improve upon their critical reading, analytical, and bar exam writing skills. Students with a cumulative grade point average below a 2.6 at the end of their second semester in law school shall be required during their third semester at the law school to be enrolled in this course. Students who enroll in this course may not enroll in Remedies, LAW 6845. Credit Type A.
Social Media Law - LAW 6543
3 Credit Hours
This course will examine how social media platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, etc., impact criminal and civil law. This course takes an expansive look at how social media platforms are employed in everything from criminal and privacy law matters to corporate compliance, employment, and defamation. In addition to analyzing discoverability and evidentiary issues involving social media content, the course will look at how jurors and legal ethics are impacted by such new technology. Credit Type A.
Sports & the Law - LAW 6115
1 credit
There can be little doubt that sports, whether professional or amateur, play a major role in American society. As such, this course relies on case law and readings to examine legal, educational, and policy issues arising in the world of sports by reviewing the history and status of selected topics in collegiate and professional sports. This course is thus an introduction to how landmark judicial opinions on sports, combined with controversies over infractions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) eligibility and participation standards, shape the world of sports. Along with examining such complex issues as the labor and employment rights of professional athletes along with antitrust and intellectual property law impacting players and their teams, the course addresses the rights of student athletes in higher education, generally and under Title IX, through the multiple lenses of sports lawyers, athletes, coaches, university officials, team owners, and regulatory bodies such as the NCAA or league offices.
Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Sustaining Practices for the Legal Profession - LAW 6228
2 credits
This course provides an overview of the ways mindfulness meditation and other contemplative practices are being integrated into the legal profession. Throughout the semester, in an experiential component, students will systematically develop and engage in their own contemplative practice. Students will participate in exercises to develop the skills of concentrating without distraction, listening, developing empathy, emotional regulation, and the capacity for reflection and self-critique. Through readings and discussion, the course will explore the relationship between these skills and the traditional legal practice skills, conflict resolution, creative problem-solving, social justice, professionalism and ethics, and dispute resolution. Readings and discussion will also explore research related to law student and lawyer distress and wellbeing, neuroscience and meditation, and current writings on the growing role of contemplative practice in the legal profession. Upper-level. Credit Type B.
The Jury - LAW 6440
2 credits
This course will examine the role of the jury in both the civil and criminal justice systems. The goal of the course is twofold: (1) to provide students with an understanding of the black letter on the jury; and (2) to provide students with a broad understanding of the policy issues facing the modern jury. Topics to be covered include the history of the jury, jury selection, juror decision-making, juror misconduct, jury size, juror eligibility, death penalty jurors and voir dire.
Torts Doctrine & Skills I - LAW 6102/5102
3 credits
Examination of the area of personal wrongs, including interference with the person or property of another and respective defenses. The concepts focused on are negligence and its defenses, intentional torts and their defenses, strict liability, product liability, trespass to land an nuisance, defamation, and the right to privacy. A portion of the course will be devoted to skills development. First year. Credit Type A.
Torts Doctrine & Skills II - LAW 6103/5103
2 credits - LAW 6103; 3 credits - LAW 5103
Continuation of Torts Doctrine & Skills I. Further examination of the area of personal wrong. A portion of the course will be devoted to skills development. First year. Credit Type A.
Trademarks and Unfair Competition - LAW 6971
2 credits
This course explores the creation and protection of trademark rights, as well as other forms of protection offered under unfair competition laws. The course includes an examination of the legal and economic rationales underlying trademark law and basic issues of trademark law: the prerequisites to trademark protection, the scope of trademark rights, the registration process and the grounds for excluding marks from protection or registration, restrictions on the distribution of imitation or counterfeit goods, and the remedies available in trademark litigation. The course will also cover protection available under unfair competition laws including prohibitions on false advertising and publicity rights. Credit Type A.
Trade Secret Law – LAW 6535
2 credits
This course is designed to provide students with a detailed examination of trade secret law. In this course, the students will: (a) be introduced to the complex legal and policy issues surrounding trade secrets and their misappropriation; (b) engage in an in-depth discussion of various provisions of the Uniform Trade Secret Act: (c) critically examine various fact patterns in light of relevant case law; (d) analyze employment agreements with non-disclosure and non-compete provisions; and (e) prepare a proposed trade secret policy and non-compete agreement for a client. Credit Type A.
Transactional Drafting – LAW 6910/5910
2 credits
This course introduces students to transactional drafting while continuing to develop their research and predictive writing skills in the role of the attorney in the business transaction. Among the topics to be covered are an introduction to core terms and concepts in contract drafting and business law; translating business ideas onto contract concepts; drafting the parts of a contractual agreement; drafting with clarity and without ambiguity; and communicating with clients and colleagues to effectuate the needs of the client; and protect the client from potential contingencies. The course will also focus on the ethical dimensions of transactional drafting and how a drafter can add value to a transaction by finding, analyzing, and resolving business issues. Fulfills Upper-level Writing Requirement. Prerequisite: Legal Profession I and Legal Profession II. Credit Type A.
Trial Practice - Civil - LAW 6880/5880
3 credits
Each aspect of civil trial will be examined. Litigative techniques in trial situations will be developed through actual student participation in simulated civil trials. Prerequisite/Co-Requisite: Evidence. Only one trial practice may be taken for credit. Credit Type B.
Trial Practice - Criminal - LAW 6885/5885
3 credits
Examination and development of litigative techniques useful in criminal trials through participation in simulated trial situations. Each aspect of the criminal trial will be examined. Prerequisite/Co-Requisite: Evidence. Only one trial practice may be taken for credit. Credit Type B.
UCC: Secured Transactions - LAW 6897/5897
3 credits
This course deals with credit transactions in which the collateral is personal property. It focuses on Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, but considers other parts of the UCC as well pertinent parts of such statutes as the Bankruptcy Code and the Internal Revenue Code. The course addresses how credit works outside the secured transaction as a way to understand the role secured credit has in business and personal finance. The course will consider the methods of creating and perfecting security interests, determining priority among competing claims on a debtor’s assets, and realizing on the security interests should the debtor default. Credit Type A.
Virtual & Online Mediation - LAW 6807
1 credit
Students will develop and practice basic mediation skills through simulated exercises conducted in alternative online environments (which may include virtual environments) designed to expose them to the different roles lawyers can play in mediation as well as what parties may experience in resolving disputes in mediation. Additionally, they will experience and evaluate skills and parameters unique to online mediation. Professional and ethical issues such as confidentiality, rules on multi-jurisdictional practice, and the debate over uniform standards of practice for mediators will also be considered. Finally, the course will engage participants in reflecting on the suitability of virtual or online mediation for resolving different disputes, including those involving global and cross-cultural dimensions as well as those with important social justice dimensions affecting individuals and communities in many places around the world. Note: While most class exercises and discussions will be held online, this is a synchronous online class, meaning they will be scheduled at specific times when all course participants are scheduled to be present and interacting with one another. It is necessary for each participant to have access to a working computer that can effectively run the tools announced in advance of class. Upper-level. Credit Type B.
White Collar Crime - LAW 6544
2 credits
This course examines issues of criminality in the white collare and corporate contexts. Focusing primarily on federal criminal law, it covers selected topics including the definition of white collar crime, entity (corporate) criminal liability, individual liability of corporate officers and employees, and substantive crimes such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, fraud, false statements, perjury, conspiracy, money laundering and RICO. Finally, it will focus on unique aspects of White Collar practice, including numerous practical and legal issues arising from grand jury investigations. Credit Type A.
Wills and Trusts - LAW 6809/5809
3 credits
Consideration of testate and interstate succession; powers of appointment; private and charitable trusts, their creation, duration, and termination; the duties of trustees in the administration of trusts; and the law of future interests. Also considered are the resulting and constructive trusts. Upper-level. Credit Type A.
Course Descriptions for Online LL.M. Program
Business Associations for LL.M. Students - LAW 4012
2 credits
This course will provide a survey of modern business entities and the laws governing business associations, including Corporations, Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships (General Partnerships, Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Partnerships), Joint Ventures, and Limited Liability Companies. The course will also examine the law of agency; principles of partnership; the creation, organization, governance, financial structure, management, alteration, and dissolution of the corporate entity; and shareholder rights.
Civil Procedure for LL.M. Students - LAW 4028
3 credits
This course examines the legal rules governing the process of litigating a civil (as opposed to criminal) case in the federal courts of the United States. This course focuses on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the United States Constitution, related federal laws, and common law principles to explore the topics of jurisdiction, venue, and the litigation process, including the law applied by federal courts, pretrial procedures (pleadings, motions practice, discovery, and joinder of claims and parties), jury trials, verdicts and judgments, appealability, and review. For LL.M degree only. Credit Type A.
Constitutional Law for LL.M. Students - LAW 4032
3 credits
This course will examine basic concepts of constitutional law and the judicial function. Topics include: the nature of judicial review, federal government powers, separation of powers, federalism; individual rights (including due process and equal protection). The course will also examine First Amendment freedoms including free expression, separation of church and state, free exercise of religion, freedom of the press and freedom of association. For LL.M degree only. Credit Type A.
Contracts & Sales for LL.M. Students - LAW 4040
3 credits
This course will study doctrines used to determine which promissory obligations society will enforce. Areas of concentration include: formation of contracts (including consideration), defenses to enforceability (including capacity to contract), contract content and meaning, remedies, assignment, performance, and other related topics. The course will also examine the law of sales under Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, with consideration of issues related to scope, risk of loss, warranties and other performance standards, and remedies. For LL.M degree only. Credit Type A.
Criminal Law & Procedure for LL.M. Students - LAW 4036
4 credits
This course will provide a study of the general principles, sources, and purpose of criminal law, including the act requirement, the mens rea requirement, causation, liability for inchoate offenses, accomplice liability, and justification and excuse for crimes against people, property, and habitation. The course will also analyze constitutional protections of accused individuals, including a survey of procedural issues presented in the administration of criminal justice with the purpose of developing an understanding of the constitutional limitations placed on law enforcement authorities and the legal protections afforded to defendants by the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. Limited state-specific distinctions are also addressed. For LL.M degree only. Credit Type A.
Evidence for LL.M. Students - LAW 4014
2 credits
This course examines the Federal Rules of Evidence, including principles governing admissibility, presentation, relevancy, and exclusion of various forms of evidence. Concepts include direct and cross examination, competency and privileges of witnesses, authentication, judicial notice, burden of proof, presumptions, province of court and jury, admissions, the rule against hearsay and its exceptions, the best evidence rule, and the rape shield law. For LL.M. degree only. Credit Type A.
Immigration Law and Policy - LAW 4751
1 credit
The class is intended to provide an introductory foundation of the U.S. immigration
law and policy and the intricacies of the immigration law practice. This course will
consider the historical and legal foundations of U.S. immigration law as well as key
constitutional and process issues. It will address a number of areas of immigration
law including immigrant and non-immigrant visa classifications, roles of various
federal agencies, grounds of inadmissibility, criminal immigration provisions,
detention and removal, refugee and asylum, and U.S. citizenship. Credit Type A.
Inter-American Human Rights Law and Comparative Constitutional Law - LAW 4018
1 credit
This course provides students with knowledge about: (i) the structure, the doctrine and practice of the Inter-American Human Rights System; and (ii) a comparison between institutions, principles and rules of constitutional law of the member states of this regional human rights system. The first element encompasses a study of the roles of the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights. This includes various forms of engagement between the System and the member states via cases, protective measures, rapporteurships, country visits, press releases, and special mechanisms. The second element covers a study of the similarities and differences between constitutional rights standards and an analysis on the extent to which the Inter-American Human Rights System can be the basis for building a common constitutional law across the Americas. For LL.M degree only.
Introduction of U.S. Law and Legal Institutions for LL.M. Students - LAW 4000
2 credits
This mandatory first semester course will provide students with an overview of U.S. law. Students will study the structure and history of the U.S. legal system and be introduced to selected substantive areas of U.S. law. The course will focus on providing students with a foundational understanding of common law and the U.S. legal system and a basis for future study of specific legal topics of U.S. domestic law. Additionally, students will be introduced to foundational applicable legal skills and terminology. The course will cover the structure of the U.S. government and roles and limits of the Federal and State Courts and Federal Agencies. Students will be introduced to key practical skills and engage with a variety of U.S. legal practice areas. Through readings, lectures, discussions, interactive activities and written assignments, students will develop their legal analysis, rhetoric and practical skills in the U.S. legal context. This course requirement may be waived for graduates of ABA-approved law schools holding a J.D. degree. For LL.M degree only. Credit Type A.
Legal Analysis, Reasoning, Writing and Communication for LL.M. Students - LAW 4004
2 credits
This course will provide students with expanded skills development in legal analysis, legal reasoning, and communication (both written and oral). The course will expand student knowledge on legal research, citation, objective legal writing, persuasive legal writing, and transactional drafting, in U.S. law practice through application. Students will be required to complete an objective legal research and writing assignment, a persuasive writing assignment, a Mock Multi-state Performance Test (MPT) exam and an oral argument. This course requirement may be waived for graduates of ABA-approved law schools holding a J.D. degree. Co-requisite or Pre-requisite: Introduction to U.S. Law and Legal Institutions for LL.M. Students. For LL.M. degree only. Credit Type A.
Professional Responsibility for LL.M. Students - LAW 4008
2 credits
This course examines the duties and privileges of the legal profession, as well an attorney’s responsibilities to the client, the community, and the profession. Students will develop a better understanding of the ethical dilemmas faced in the practice of law and the law governing lawyers. The course will review leading federal and state case law on the subject in addition to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct. For LL.M. degree only. Credit Type A.
Real Property for LL.M. Students - LAW 4016
3 credits
This course will review the rules and principles in real property law, including those related to ownership of real property, rights in real property, real estate contracts, mortgages/security devices, and titles. The course will also study possession, estates in land and future interests, concurrent ownership, landlord-tenant relationships, conveyancing and title, recording, zoning, eminent domain, and servitudes. Limited state specific distinctions are also addressed.
Torts for LL.M. Students - LAW 4020
2 credits
This course will examine the area of personal wrongs, including interference with the person or property of another and respective defenses. The concepts focused on are negligence and its defenses, intentional torts and their defenses, strict liability, product liability, trespass to land and nuisance, defamation, misrepresentations, intentional interference with business relations, and the right to privacy. Limited state specific distinctions are also addressed.
Trusts and Estates for LL.M. Students - LAW 4024
2 credits
This course will review testate and interstate succession; powers of appointment; private and charitable trusts, their creation, duration, and termination; the duties of trustees in the administration of trusts; and the law of future interests. Also considered are resulting and constructive trusts. Limited state specific distinctions are also addressed.
Course Descriptions for M.S.L. Government Contracting Program
Business Ethics - LAW 2005
3 credits
This course introduces students to the various ethical issues associated with military and government contracting. The ethical topics will be explored through simulation exercises. For MSL degree only. Credit Type A.
Business Finance - LAW 2004
4 credits
This course provides an overview of financing and accounting concepts relevant to government contracts. Specific topics will include accounting basics, like income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements; basic statistic terms and analyses, and basic financing concepts. For MSL degree only. Credit Type A.
Capstone - LAW 2008
3 credits
The Capstone course provides students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned throughout the program in a realistic setting. This course will integrate all of the course learning elements into a final project, which manages an agreed specific employer contracting project significant enough to require demonstration of all of the course content knowledge and skills and culminates in a professional written report and senior management brief. Students will process a simulated case from initial contact through negotiations and completion. The goal of the course is to duplicate, as much as possible, what one may face when involved in government contracting. Specific emphasis will be placed on written and oral communications through the presentation of key contract issues to senior managers and decisions makers to generate and align decisions. Enrollment is limited to students who have completed 23 credit hours in the M.S.L. program. For MSL degree only. Credit Type A.
Contracts I - Introduction to Contracts - LAW 2001
3 credits
This course introduces students to basic contract principles and issues. Focus is on contract law formation processes including capacity to contract, offer, acceptance, and consideration; breach of contracts, enforcement limits; issues excusing contractual performance; remedies for breaches; third party ability to enforce contracts; and court interpretations. May be taken concurrently with Contracts II (LAW 2003). For MSL degree only. Credit Type A.
Contracts II: Government Contracting - LAW 2003
3 credits
This course is a continuation of Contracts I with a focus on the unique aspects of negotiating and creating contracts with the United States government. This course provides a survey of the law related to government procurement including differences from the public and private sector, the roles of the Department of Defense and Congress, the executive branch, and the courts. Over the course of the semester, students will study the Federal Acquisition Regulations and relating guidance in order to become familiar with foundational principles such as the types of contracts utilized, funding restrictions, competition, documentation and oversight, required provisions, termination, protests, labor laws, data rights, socioeconomic programs and important differences between services and supplies. Protest decisions from the Government Accountability Office and the Court of Federal Claims will be used to illustrate the application and interpretation of the many regulations placed on government contracts. May be taken concurrently with Contracts I (LAW 2001): Introduction to Contracts. For MSL degree only. Credit Type A.
Contracts III: Drafting - LAW 2007
4 credits
This course builds on the concepts learned in Contracts I and Contracts II, allowing students the opportunity to use those concepts to draft contracts. Among the topics to be covered are an introduction to core terms and concepts in contract drafting and business law; translating business ideas into contract concepts; drafting the parts of a contractual agreement; drafting with clarity and without ambiguity; and communicating with clients and colleagues to effectuate the needs of the client; and protecting the client from potential contingencies. The course will also focus on the ethical dimensions of drafting and how a drafter can add value to a transaction by finding, analyzing, and resolving business issues. Prerequisite(s): Contracts I (LAW 2001) and Contracts II (LAW 2003). For MSL degree only. Credit Type A.
Introduction to Business Law - LAW 2000
3 credits
This course provides a basic survey of business law. It will introduce students to the basic structure of the United States legal system and sources of law. Additionally, this course will provide a basic introduction to legal methods to enable students to understand how lawyers structure a legal analysis so that students may effectively interact with them. With this background, the remainder of the course integrates units on basic business law, including contracts, agency, partnerships, business organizations, introducing key laws, systems, institutions, processes, and business entities most relevant to the procurement and program management professions so that the students will be able to both anticipate and navigate related courses to action. Must be taken in the first 15 hours of the M.S.L. program. For MSL degree only. Credit Type A.
Negotiation & ADR - LAW 2006
3 credits
This course provides a basic survey of methods of dispute resolution with emphasis on a government contract setting. It will introduce students to a variety of ADR processes and concepts and to critically analyze each to better understand its advantages, disadvantages, opportunities, and limitations. Among the processes covered are arbitration, mediation, negotiation, and other methods of systematic dispute avoidance. A significant portion of class time is devoted to the analysis of simulated performances. Ethical issues raised by various ADR methods will also be discussed. For MSL degree only. Credit Type A.
Program and Project Management I - LAW 2002
4 credits
This course is designed for contract specialists and will provide an overview of how contracts are translated into action by program managers through the various and often complex strategic project actions, metrics, processes, and consequences each contract mandates. This course explores all aspects of project management, from drafting to implementing with a focus on soft and hard skills for managing complexity and aligning an organization’s project and program objectives with strategic objectives; how to overcome key leadership challenges when leading an organizational change effort; portfolio program and project implementation; and frameworks and critical practices for successful program management. For MSL degree only. Credit Type A.
Program and Project Management II - LAW 2009
3 credits
This course will pick up and start where Program and Project Management I left off. The course will begin with a focus on the beginning stages of a new program. This will include creation and review of requirements, as well as the creation of the acquisition plan. Acquisition planning requires defining what the acquisition objectives are and what type of contract will be awarded. Will the acquisition be competed? What are the delivery requirements and what are the program’s funding limitations? Other subjects which must be considered are contractor reporting requirements, test and evaluation plans, quality needs, government furnished property, security concerns and how the weapon system will be maintained. This course will also cover the creation or modification of a program team to meet the requirements of the acquisition. How will the contractor be monitored? How will the earned value management system be deployed? What will the program schedule be and how many reviews will be held? In summary, the course will focus on those skills needed to plan for and award a contract, followed by discussions of all the required groundwork needed to permit the program to begin.
Program and Project Management III - LAW 2010
4 credits
Program Management III will focus on the execution of the program and the challenges the program manager can expect to encounter throughout the program life. Topics will include product integration, software development, risk management and changing the program as requirements change. The course will also cover human resource management, communication management, subcontract management and management of relations with all program stakeholders. The course will cover how to monitor program processes and how to manage program barriers. The course will additionally discuss the preparation required to meet a Milestone Decision review. By the completion of this third program management course, the student should be well on their way to being prepared to take the Program Management Professional certification test.
Course Descriptions for Patent Program
Ethics for Patent Agents - LAW 3009
2 credits
Students are introduced to the ethical issues, duties, and responsibilities that can arise in the field of patent law particularly in the areas of inventorship, ownership, confidentiality, client conflict, statutory bar issues, attorney-client privilege and the blurred lines between patent prosecution and the practice of law. Students are introduced to topics and issues in the areas of patent and intellectual property law presented by patent and intellectual property law professionals.
Foundations of Patent Agency - LAW 3000
2 credits
Students will build a foundation of knowledge with an overview of patent law, including requirements for patentable subject matter; standards of novelty, utility and non-obviousness; statutory bars; conception, priority, enablement and written description requirements; direct and vicarious infringement; and claims interpretation. Students will learn what patent agents do, how to read patents, value claims, understand bar date requirements, sources of law, the life-cycle of patents, the structure of the patent office, and survey international patent laws and regulations.
Intellectual Property Transactions - LAW 3006
3 credits
Students will examine the management and monetization of intellectual assets such as brands, copyrighted materials, technology, and know-how. The class will cover a series of discrete topics, including intellectual property licensing, portfolio management, new media issues, the intersection of IP and employment issues, transactions in cyberspace.
Patent Bar Review - LAW 3008
3 credits
Students are prepared for the Patent Bar exam by patent and intellectual property law professionals. These professionals will lead students through a comprehensive array of study materials, lectures and study groups in preparation for taking the patent bar exam.
Patent Drafting - LAW 3002
3 credits
Students learn to write patents using practical formative learning: instructor explanation, modeling, student practice with formative feedback. Students learn patent writing structure, claims, drawn figures, and specifications. Differences between types of patents, systems, methods, and processes will be highlighted.
Patent Law Externship - LAW 3010
3 credits
In cooperation with a supervisor, students will have a field placement to practice as a patent agent. Using their knowledge of innovation, patent law, patent prosecution, patent research and strategy, they identify, articulate and present opportunities of innovation in their chosen technology.
Prerequisite: Successful patent bar exam and USPTO Patent Agent license.
Patent Portfolio Management - LAW 3004
3 credits
Students learn how to view patents through the various lenses of business value, marketability, technical feasibility, and competitive advantage. Students will learn best practices for patent portfolio management, strategy, and analysis. How novelty creates value, product usability, patentability analysis, patent clearance search, and international patent laws and requirements.
Patent Prosecution 1: Introduction to Patent Prosecution - LAW 3001
3 credits
Students learn about patent application preparation and prosecution, including types of patent applications, analysis of prior art, preparation of patent specifications, claim drafting, inventorship and ownership determinations, amendment practice and argument practice. Students learn inventor interview techniques, discuss application, production, value, and market. Students will create systems and forms for disclosure and invention evaluation.
Patent Prosecution 2 - LAW 3005
3 credits
Students are introduced to advanced patent prosecution concepts including international patent practice issues, business method patents, biotechnology patents, software patents, reexamination, reissue, patent validity, and enforcement issues. Students learn about patent office actions, rejections and responses, pre-trial appeal board appeals, adherence to patent deadlines, restriction requirements, timing, reporting obligations, examiner interview strategies, allowances, and next steps.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Patent Prosecution 1
Patent Prosecution 3 - LAW 3007
3 credits
Students learn about patent office actions, rejections, and responses, pre-trial appeal board appeals; appeal format, mechanics, requirements, timing and sequence; adherence to patent deadlines, restriction requirements, reporting obligations, examiner interview strategies, allowances, and next steps. Students will also learn inter parties review, clearance, and post grants, and mini-litigation strategies.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Patent Prosecution 2
Patent Research - LAW 3003
2 credits
Students learn about the process of research and communicating about patents through the use of free, commercial, and patent office research tools.
Course Descriptions for Korea Program
Civil Procedure - LAW 1004
3 credits
Overview of the process of civil practice, with an emphasis on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Topics include pleading, discovery, motions for summary judgment, preclusion, appeals, personal jurisdiction, federal subject matter jurisdiction, venue, and the Erie doctrine. Credit Type A.
Constitutional Law - LAW 1008
4 credits
Overview of basic concepts of constitutional law and the judicial function. Topics include federal government powers, separation of powers, federalism, due process, and equal protection. Credit Type A.
Contracts - LAW 1002
3 credits
A study of doctrines used to determine which promissory obligations society will enforce. Areas of concentration include formation, contractual meaning, remedies, and other related topics. Credit Type A.
Criminal Law - LAW 1100
3 credits
An analysis of the general principles of criminal law with the purpose of developing understanding concerning the potentialities and limitations of law as an instrument of social control. Areas of concentration include actus reus, mens rea, attempt, causation, complicity, justification and excuse, crimes against people, crimes against property, and sentencing Credit Type A.
Criminal Procedure - Investigative - LAW 1006
3 credits
A survey of procedural issues presented in the administration of criminal justice with the purpose of developing an understanding of the limitations placed on law enforcement authorities and the legal protections afforded defendants. Fourth, fifth, and sixth amendment rights are the focus of this course with coverage of areas such as the exclusionary rule, search and seizure, and the right against self-incrimination. Credit Type A.
Evidence - LAW 1001
3 credits
Overview of the rules and principles governing selection, admission, and exclusion of various forms of evidence. Topics include direct and cross examination, competency and privileges of witnesses, judicial notice, burden of proof, presumptions, province of court and jury, confessions, the hearsay rule and its exceptions, and the best evidence rule. Credit Type A.
Property - LAW 1011
4 credits
Overview of real property law and rights in land. Topics include possession, estates in land and future interests, concurrent ownership, landlord-tenant relationships, conveyancing and title, servitudes, contracts for the sale of land, mortgages, titles, conveyancing, recording, zoning, and eminent domain. Credit Type A.
Torts - LAW 1010
3 credits
Examination of the area of personal wrongs, including interference with the person or property of another and respective defenses. Topics include negligence and its defenses, intentional torts and their defenses, strict liability, product liability, trespass to land, nuisance, defamation, and the right to privacy. Credit Type A.