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2019 - 2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
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2019 - 2020 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions

Explanation of Course Descriptions

Graduate courses may be taken by persons other than regular or provisional graduate students in Arts and Sciences only with the consent of the chairperson of the department/program committee concerned.

Pairs of numbers (501,502) indicate continuous courses. A hyphen between numbers (501-502) indicates that the courses must be taken in the succession stated.

Courses involving laboratory or studio activity are so labeled. All others are classroom courses.

Semester hour credit for each course is indicated by numbers in parentheses.

 
 

History
  

  • HIST 695 - Directed Thesis Master’s Research

    Fall and Spring (variable 3-9) Staff. Graded Pass/Fail. Note: Students who are not submitting a master’s thesis may not use this course to satisfy degree requirements.

    Students design and conduct research in support of their master’s thesis under the direction of a faculty advisor.  This course may be repeated, but no more than 9 semester credit hours may be used to satisfy degree requirements for a student submitting a master’s thesis.
  

  • HIST 700 - Thesis

    Fall and Spring (variable 1-12) Graded :Grade of either G or U converts to P upon successful completion of a defense and submission and acceptance of the thesis.

    Students finish the research for and the writing of their master’s thesis under the direction of a faculty advisor.  Students who are not submitting a master’s thesis may not use this course to satisfy degree requirements. This course may be repeated, but no more than 6 semester credit hours may be used to satisfy degree requirements for a thesis master’s (only).
  

  • HIST 701 - Historian’s Craft

    Fall (3) Staff. Note: This course is required for all entering graduate students.

    This seminar will serve as an introduction to historical method and theory.  Students will ready works by influential historians and learn about major schools of historical thought.  The course will address issues such as the relationship between history and other disciplines, the challenges and strengths of different historical methodologies, and the political and cultural contexts in which various approaches to history have developed. 

  

  • HIST 705 - Teaching History

    Spring (1) Benes. Graded Pass/Fail.

    An exploration of the variety of teaching philosophies, techniques, and outcomes in higher education, taught by the faculties of History and American Studies. Required of all doctoral students who wish to serve as teaching fellows, but open to all degree candidates in those fields.

  

  • HIST 706 - Dissertation Proposal Writing Class

    Spring (3) Staff.

    This course is required for all third-year Ph.D. students. Students will draft and workshop their dissertation proposals.

  

  • HIST 712 - Research Seminars

    Fall and Spring (3) Staff. Note: Topics change each semester; see course schedule

    Topical seminars in which students will research and write a major paper, to be included in their M.A. research portfolio.

  

  • HIST 715 - Readings Seminars

    Fall and Spring (3) Staff. Prerequisite(s): Open only to candidates for advanced degrees. Note: Topics change each semester; see course schedule.

    Readings seminars explore, primarily through secondary literature, specific areas or aspects of history. This course may be repeated for credit when topic differs.
  

  • HIST 766 - Directed Studies

    Fall and Spring (1-12) Staff Graded Pass/Fail

    No credits earned in this course may be applied to the number of credits required to satisfy graduate degree requirements.  This course may be repeated.
  

  • HIST 795 - Directed Dissertation Research

    Fall and Spring (3-12) Staff. Graded Pass/Fail. Note: Students who are not submitting a dissertation may not use this course to satisfy degree requirements.

    Students design and conduct research in support of their dissertation under the direction of a faculty advisor.  This course may be repeated, but no more than 12 semester credit hours may be used to satisfy degree requirements for a student submitting a dissertation.
  

  • HIST 800 - Dissertation

    Fall and Spring (1-12) Staff. Graded :Grade of either G or U converts to P upon successful completion of a defense and submission and acceptance of the dissertation.

    Students finish the research for and the writing of their dissertation under the direction of a faculty advisor. Students who are not submitting a dissertation may not use this course to satisfy degree requirements. This course may be repeated, but no more than 24 semester credit hours may be used to satisfy degree requirements for a doctorate (only).

Law
  

  • LAW 101 - Criminal Law

    Fall 4 P. Marcus, N. Combs, A. Gershowitz, C. Ward

    An intensive study of the basic doctrines underlying the criminal law, including actus reus and mens rea; the principal substantive and inchoate crimes; the accountability for the criminal acts of others; and the general defenses to criminal liability.

  

  • LAW 102 - Civil Procedure

    Fall 4 V. Hamilton, E. Criddle, M. Green, A. Bruhl

    This course focuses on the strategic options federal law provides to persons attempting to resolve disputes through litigation. It introduces students to basic concepts involved in the federal civil adversary system, federal jurisdiction, choice of law, and finality. Students will explore in depth the policies governing and the mechanics involved in pleading, discovery, and disposition before trial.

  

  • LAW 107 - Torts

    Fall (3-4) E. Kades, A. Meese, S. Rajec, F. Lederer

    A survey of the legal system’s responses to problems arising from personal injury and property damage. Concentration on the legal doctrines relating to liability for harm resulting from fault and to strict liability. Analysis of the goals and techniques of accident prevention and compensation for loss.

  

  • LAW 108 - Property

    Spring 4 L. Butler, R. Rosenberg, T. McSweeney,

    Property focuses on the rules for acquiring, using, dividing (in various dimensions), and losing rights over scarce resources. Most material concerns realty, with limited consideration of person property. Property will introduce the rudiments of capture, finds, and adverse possession; landlord-tenant law; the system of estates; co-ownership; easements; and restrictive covenants. In addition to these private law subjects, the course will introduce zoning and takings.

  

  • LAW 109 - Constitutional Law

    Spring 4 T. Grove, T. Zick, N.Devins, A. Larsen

    A study of the structure of government, from the role of the courts and the concept of judicial review, through the distribution of power in the federal system and the allocation of power among the three branches of the government, followed by a study of individual rights protected by the Constitution.

  

  • LAW 110 - Contracts

    Spring 4 P. Alces, D. Ibrahim, J. Butler, N. Oman

    This course explores legally enforceable promises, normally exchanged as part of a bargain between private parties. Among the topics that may be covered are: bases of enforcement, capacity to contract, contract information, interpretation, conditions, excuse of performance, and remedies for breach.

  

  • LAW 115 - Professional Responsibility

    Fall/Spring 2 G. Huff, D. Miller, L. Lilley, L. Haley, M. Lowe

    This course will cover a variety of topics relating to lawyers’ obligations as members of the legal profession, such as the duty of competence, fees and billing, creating and ending the lawyer-client relationship, the duty of confidentiality, and conflicts of interest. The class will cover both lawyer regulations (such as the Model Rules of Professional Conduct) and other ethical concerns in the practice of law.

  

  • LAW 130 - Legal Research & Writing I

    Fall 2 Staff

    In this course, students will develop the critical skills of legal analysis, writing, and research. Under the instruction of research librarians, students will learn to conduct thorough research using a number of different legal sources. Students will work with full-time writing professors to learn how to analyze legal rules and precedent to assess the legal position of a client or other party. With close guidance and feedback from the writing professors, students will learn how to successfully communicate legal analyses in objective legal memoranda, using clear and concise language and employing the fundamental principles of effective legal writing.

  

  • LAW 131 - Lawyering Skills I

    Fall 1 Staff

    In this course, students will learn various skills essential to the successful practice of law. With instruction and feedback from practicing attorneys, students will learn by preparing for, and executing, several simulations designed to ready students for what they will encounter in the day-to-day life as an attorney. These simulations include presenting an oral report to a supervising attorney, interviewing a client, and counseling a client. Prior to each simulation, students will read about and discuss the underlying doctrine, theory, and goals that are fundamental to understanding the lawyer’s role. Through integrating coursework and simulations, students will also receive guidance on navigating daily practice and the importance of professional ethics.

  

  • LAW 132 - Legal Research & Writing II

    Spring 2 Staff

    In this course, students will continue to develop the critical skills of legal analysis, writing, and research. Under the instruction of research librarians, students will expand their knowledge of legal sources, databases, and research methods. Building on the analytical and writing skills developed in Legal Research & Writing I, students will apply their abilities in a persuasive context. With close guidance and feedback from the writing professors, students will focus on how language can be crafted to persuade instead of just inform and will learn how to draft effective legal arguments in pretrial memoranda, settlement letters, and other documents.

  

  • LAW 133 - Lawyering Skills II

    Spring 2 Staff

    In the second semester of Lawyering Skills, students will reinforce and build upon the skills learned in Lawyering Skills I, and apply their practical communication abilities to a new range of settings. With the instruction and feedback from practicing attorneys, students will advance their advocacy skills through simulating a pretrial oral argument and a negotiation with an opposing counsel. As in Lawyering Skills I, prior to each simulation, students will read about and discuss the underlying doctrine, theory, and goals that are fundamental to understanding the lawyer’s role. Through the continued integration of coursework and simulations, students will become increasingly able to navigate daily practice and uphold professional ethics.

  

  • LAW 135 - Lawyering Skills

    Fall/Spring 1 J. Stevenson

    This course will assist LLM students in understanding the roles of lawyers, especially newer attorneys, in law offices in the U.S. They will learn about the professional expectations for those who work with American attorneys in private law firms and other organizations. Students will improve their oral and written communication skills through in-class exercises and simulations, including oral reports to supervisors, professional correspondence and client interviews.

  

  • LAW 137 - Advanced Lawyering Skills

    Fall/Spring 1 J. Stevenson

    This course will build on the knowledge and practical skills gained in Lawyering Skills (135) further to assist LL.M. students in successfully working with U.S. lawyers. In this regard, students will delve more deeply into the professional expectations and responsibilities of those who work with U.S. lawyers. Importantly, students will continue to improve their oral and written communication skills through in-class exercises, simulations and other active class participation. The foregoing will include topics related to interacting with clients, reviewing legal documents, and conducting negotiations and alternative dispute resolution exercises. Students will be graded on a number of oral and written assignments throughout the semester. The final grade will be based on performance on such assignments and class participation. Students will be graded on the following scale: Honors, Pass, and Fail.

  

  • LAW 140A - Advanced Writing and Practice - Appellate Advocacy

    Spring 2 Alice Armstrong

    The Appellate Advocacy course will provide in-depth instruction and practical training in appellate advocacy, emphasizing both written and oral skills. Students will learn how to prepare for an appeal, file an appeal, write effective appella briefs, and make effective appellate oral arguments. The skills involved include the ability to analyze, write, make strategic decisions, and speak effectively. Students will complete several practice writing assignments culminating in one final written brief. At the end of the semester, students will present oral arguments based on their final written brief. NOTE: Students who take Law 730 Advanced Brief Writing may NOT take this course.

  

  • LAW 140B - Advanced Writing and Practice - Pretrial Civil Practice

    Spring 2 Susan North

    The Pretrial Civil course is designed to introduce students to persuasive pretrial advocacy in a civil case. The course will prepare students for practice in civil litigation by focusing on the application and expansion of their legal writing skills in a civil context. Students will learn civil litigation skills through written assignments and class discussions that will expose them to some of the issues and challenges civil practitioners must address when drafting documents, motions, and briefs in the course of client representation.

  

  • LAW 140C - Advanced Writing and Practice - Pretrial Criminal Practice

    Spring 2 Brian Pristera

    The Pretrial Criminal course is designed to introduce students to persuasive pretrial advocacy in the criminal case. Unlike what you might see on television, criminal cases are not usually won in 22 minutes in the courtroom. Rather, the bulk of criminal litigation is handled pretrial through pleadings, discovery, witness interviews, and pretrial motions. The course will prepare students for practice in criminal law by focusing on the application and expansion of their legal writing skills in a criminal law context. Through written assignments and class discussions, students will engage in various pretrial activities found in criminal practice, which may include moving for discovery and preparing other motions and briefs for trial.

  

  • LAW 140D - Advanced Writing and Practice - Transactional Practice

    Fall/Spring 2 E. Park, A. Nelson

    The Transactional Practice course is designed to introduce students to several elements of transactional practice in a deal-based context. Students will learn transactional practice skills through a variety of drafting exercises and assignments designed to familiarize students with the most common issues found in drafting transactional documents. Students will encounter and draft different types of agreements used in transactional practice and will work on understanding, analyzing, and drafting critical sections of contracts. The course will stress the importance of using clear and concise writing skills to articulate agreements accurately and precisely.

  

  • LAW 250 - Intro to US Law and Legal System

    Summer 2 Jennifer Stevenson

    This course is designed to provide an introduction into the structure and content of the American Legal System to foreign students who have not received American law training. The course is composed of two components: 1) instruction in American Law and Legal Institutions and 2) Legal Research Training. The substantive element contains materials on the Basic Principles of American Law, the Legal Profession, the Jury System, Constitutional Law and Torts. The research portion provides a basic introduction into the modern American law library’s holdings and computer-based research techniques. The course meets for a total of 15 class meetings for at least 90 minutes at each session and will be graded on a pass/fail basis.

  

  • LAW 251 - LLM English Language Course

    Summer 0 Jessica Klein

    This course is designed to improve the English language skills of entering international students in the LLM program or at the University.

  

  • LAW 301 - Election Law Practicum - Lawyering a Campaign

    Spring 1 Jason Torchinsky

    Many law school classes touch on election law subjects ranging from voting rights, to redistricting, to election law and campaign finance. This course will focus on the legal issues you will need to understand to advise a candidate. The goal of this course to help students understand the basic statutory framework that candidates must navigate. While there are state to state and jurisdiction to jurisdiction differences, the basic frameworks are well known by practitioners. Students will gain an understanding of the issues that have arisen at various stages of the candidate / election administration process and that have been presented to federal and state courts across the county.

  

  • LAW 303 - Corporations I

    Spring 3 Nathan Oman

    An introductory examination of the law applicable to corporations. This course examines the process of formation and capitalization of corporations, the concept of limited liability, and the role of fiduciary duties in corporate governance. We will examine how these duties are enforced in different settings (public corporations and closed corporations); under state and federal law; and some other recurring litigation and planning issues. Students who take Corporations may not take Business Associations.

  

  • LAW 305 - Trust and Estates

    Fall/Spring (1-4) J. Dwyer, T. McSweeney,

    A study of the law governing inter vivos and death time gratuitous transfers of property. Aspects covered include transfers under intestate succession statutes; the law of wills, including the formalities of execution, testamentary capacity, undue influence and fraud, interpretation, and revocation; non-probate transfers; the law of trusts, including methods of creation and termination, rights and interests of the beneficiary, and special problems relating to resulting, constructive and charitable trusts; and fiduciary administration, including an introduction to probate proceedings and problems of trust administration.

  

  • LAW 306 - Bankruptcy Survey

    Fall (2-3) Nathan Oman

    This course will introduce students to the federal law of bankruptcy, which allows debtors to restructure and discharge their obligations to creditors. Although both consumer bankruptcy and corporate reorganization will be touched on, the course will focus on business bankruptcies under Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code. We will not cover the adjustment of personal debts under Chapter 13. There are no prerequisites for the course.

  

  • LAW 308 - Applied Evidence in a Technological Age

    Fall/Spring 4 Fredric Lederer

    This four-credit course combines all of the elements of a traditional evidence course along with basic oral and trial advocacy and courtroom technology. The course will concentrate on the Federal Rules of Evidence from a pragmatic perspective. It will also address the evidentiary implications of modern electronic evidence. In addition to the study of fundamental evidentiary concepts, students will try a simple bench trial with traditional and electronic evidence using the McGlothin Courtroom’s state-of-the art courtroom technology. This course is supported by the Center of Legal and Court Technology which will train students in the use of the McGlothin Courtroom’s evidence presentation technology and provide clerk of court administrative support. Students who take Applied Evidence in a Technological Age may not take Law 309 Evidence. This course satisfies the Third Year Practice requirement.

  

  • LAW 309 - Evidence

    Fall/Spring 3 H. Zlotnick, M. Lowe

    An intensive study of the law of evidence primarily utilizing the Federal Rules of Evidence. Topics addressed by the course include relevance, authentication, real evidence, competence, heresay, impeachment of witnesses, and privileges.

  

  • LAW 311 - Federal Income Taxation

    Fall (3-4) William Richardson

    A study of the basic laws relating to federal income taxation of the individual. Included are problems relating to computing gross income, the reduction of gross income to taxable income, and the recognition and character of gains and losses from disposition of property.

  

  • LAW 313 - Economic Regulation of Energy Markets

    Fall 2 Ted Gerarden

    This course will address the principles of economic regulation of energy production, transportation, and delivery. Energy drives the economy, and the substantial investment required to produce, refine, transport, and deliver energy brings with it significant government regulation. We will focus primarily on economic regulation of energy at the Federal level, with some discussion of parallel state regulatory schemes and federal-state jurisdictional issues. The starting point is an understanding of the physical aspects of energy -the different sources of energy and the practical aspects of extraction, refining, transportation, and delivery to users-and the application of economics and antitrust law to understand the rationale for extensive federal and state regulation of energy industries. The course will consider early steps to regulate private industry for the public good, introducing students to principles of economic regulation, including dealing with natural monopolies, requiring certificates or permits for energy facilities, balancing the need for industry to attract capital with rate-payer protection through cost-of-service ratemaking, assuring “just and reasonable” rates and terms and conditions of service, preventing undue discrimination, relying on competitive market forces as a substitute for regulation (light-handed or market-based regulation), and partial deregulation. Key Federal agencies to be examined are the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Department of Energy. We also will touch on parallel issues at the state level, efforts to diversify energy sources and reduce environmental impacts, state-federal conflicts, and enforcement programs. Grades will be determined by a mid-term legal memorandum and a final paper.

  

  • LAW 317 - Law & Neuroscience

    Fall (1-3) Peter Alces

    This course examines a variety of cutting-edge, at times controversial, linkages between law and neuroscience, ranging from social and environmental influences on the brain and behavior to the interpretations of neuroimaging and the prediction of criminality and predispositions towards mental illnesses and addictions. Students will learn how discoveries in neuroscience intersect with societal responses and legal decision-making. Scientists are increasingly using new techniques to investigate the brain activity underlying cognitive phenomena. The course will explore whether, and if so how, the law should engage with various emerging neuroscientific findings, technologies, and perspectives on such topics as evidentiary rules, memory bias and enhancement, lie and deception detection, the neurobiology of criminal culpability and punishment, emotions and decision making, addiction, adolescent brains and juvenile law, moral and legal reasoning, tort law, artificial intelligence, and the like. The course will also address a variety of challenging questions raised by the increasing introduction of brain scans as evidence in courtroom proceedings. A background in science may be helpful, but is not required, as the course will provide a ‘brain basics’ introduction for law students.

  

  • LAW 320 - Business Associations

    Fall 4 K. Haeberle, D. Ibrahim

    An introductory examination of the law applicable to contemporary forms of business enterprise: the general partnership, the limited partnership, the limited liability partnership (LLP), the limited liability company (LLC), and the corporation. The course begins with an introduction to the principles of agency, which govern all these forms of enterprise. The course then explores the process of organization, formation and capitalization, limits on investors personal liability, and the role of fiduciary duties in different business contexts. We will then examine how these duties are enforced under state (and some federal) law. This course is a general introduction to the field. Students who take Business Associations may not take Alternative Business Entities, or Corporations, or Small Business Entities.

  

  • LAW 322 - State & Local Taxation

    Spring 3 Craig Bell

    The State and Local Taxation course considers taxation imposed by states and local governments in a variety of contexts including the taxing of income, sales and use, property, and business licenses. This course will benefit students entering either a tax practice or a general business practice. Topics to be covered in the course will include: the key elements of the major business taxes and individual state income tax; the constitutional restrictions applicable to the taxation of interstate businesses; the handling of audits; and the conduct of administrative and judicial appeals. The course will use Virginia’s tax system as an illustrative model for issues that are common to most jurisdictions. Students will be evaluated on the basis of their class participation and on a series of written assignments including administrative protests of hypothetical audit assessments and initial court pleadings.

  

  • LAW 326 - Partnership Taxation

    Spring (2-3) William Richardson Prerequisite(s): LAW 311 - Federal Incomoe Taxation

    This course is an introduction to the federal income tax treatment of partnerships, including LLCs treated as partnerships, and their owners. Topics covered will include the tax classification of business entities as partnerships, partnership formations, allocations of partnership income and losses to partners, transfers of ownership interests by partners, distributions from partnerships to partners, terminations of partnerships, and a comparison of “S corporations” to partnerships. Prerequisite: Law 311 Federal Income Taxation Recommended: Law 320 Business Associations

  

  • LAW 334 - Community Association Law

    Spring 2 Elizabeth White

    This class will cover the legal structure of covenants and servitudes organizing modern community associations. The number of community associations has increased exponentially over the last two decades as local governments have increasingly looked to the private sector to provide amenities and services historically provided by such governments. In addition, these entities have become more prominent as the development focus has been on higher density housing and mixed use developments which combine commercial and residential uses in integrated planned developments. This course will consider the corporate and governance functions of community associations and the legal documents which provide the contractual framework for such governance. Coverage will include discussions of the respective roles and functions of the various parties involved in the formation, management and operation of Community Associations including local government and zoning officials, land planners, developers, investors, lenders, homeowners, boards of directors, property managers, homeowners committees and citizens groups. Class time will consist of a combination of lectures covering textbook materials and posted reading materials, discussion and consideration of posted problems corresponding to topics covered in class, role playing, and document drafting exercises.

  

  • LAW 336 - International Intellectual Property Law

    Spring (1-3) Sarah Rajec

    This course surveys the variety of treaties and laws governing worldwide intellectual property rights. In addition to the major multi-lateral treaties governing intellectual property rights protection, the course will compare various relevant national laws to see how different social and economic policy goals drive differences in laws governing copyrights, patents, trademarks, and related rights. International intellectual property laws have become increasingly important to companies with a global business footprint. Therefore, the course will explore business strategies in the context of this network of laws. Students will be evaluated primarily based on a final exam; there will also be a participation component.

  

  • LAW 337 - Employee Benefits and ERISA

    Fall (1-3) Tina Mohr

    This course will provide an overview of the area of Employee Benefit Law and the Federal law applicable to the same including ERISA, COBRA and tax law. Employee Benefit Law is a practice area of significant importance to corporations, insurance companies, labor unions, plan administrators, law firms, benefit consulting firms and employees and their family members. The course will cover employer provided benefit plans including health insurance, traditional pension and defined benefits plans such as 401(k)s, cafeteria plans and others. The course will cover topics including vesting, nondiscrimination provisions, disclosure requirements, reporting requirements, notice requirements, fiduciary rules and duties and spousal rights. The course will also examine the impact of employee benefit law as well as ERISA on other practice areas including employment law, health law, labor law, tax law, divorce, corporate mergers/acquisitions, bankruptcy and specialized litigation. There is no prerequisite for this course. The class will be graded by final exam (70%), classroom assignments (23%), and class participation (7%).

  

  • LAW 338 - European Union Law & Human Rights

    Fall (1-3) Javier Guillen

    Human rights, democracy and the rule of law are core values of the European Union. Embedded in its founding treaty, they were reinforced when the EU adopted the Charter of Fundamental Rights in 2000, and strengthened still further when the Charter became legally binding with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. In this course, after a brief introduction of European integration, the course provides a general approach of the framework and functioning of the legal system of the European Union, introducing a general study on the decision-making process, the distribution of power between member states and the EU, and the principles that govern the relationship between the legal systems of the EU and its member states. Then the course will focus its attention on the human rights policy developed by the EU in the last years. We will study this main policy looking at the European Court of Justice leading cases on this subject and at the same time we will cover the main case law of the European Court of Human Rights reviewing EU Law and the interaction between both European Courts of Justice.

  

  • LAW 339 - Natural Resources Law

    Spring (2-3) Michael Walker

    The course provides an introduction to federal natural resources law, with an emphasis on living resources. We will examine the theoretical conflicts that underlie various approaches to resource management, as well as the special qualities of natural resource problems that render management efforts difficult. Focusing on the legal treatment of fisheries and marine mammals, wildlife and biodiversity, water resources, forests and preserved public lands, we will probe the complex interplay between environmental, economic, cultural, and political factors in natural resource decision making. Note: this class does not meet every year.

  

  • LAW 348 - Privacy Law

    Spring 3 Rebecca Green

    Should the NSA tap Americans’ phone calls? Should Target be liable to consumers for data breaches? What if Snapchat doesn’t really delete images but stores them–should users have recourse? Given modern technological realities, is privacy dead? This course will review the historical roots of the concept of privacy in U.S. law, the common clash between privacy and the public good, and the shifting balance of privacy rights in rapidly changing technological contexts. We will aim to understand privacy’s place amidst the swirl of commercial and national security interests and the rise of the global Internet. Grades will be determined by class participation and a final exam.

  

  • LAW 351 - Alternative Dispute Resolution Survey

    Spring (2-3) Rebecca Green

    Knowledge about the various alternative processes of dispute resolution, as well as the law of ADR is quickly becoming indispensable to the civil legal practice of law. This survey course will introduce students to the important legal principles and issues posed by the growing use of ADR within the legal system. Further, the course will focus on the different types of alternative processes available to lawyers, with the goal of recognizing that conflict can present opportunities for significant change and growth that will enable lawyers to more adequately represent the interests of their clients.

  

  • LAW 352 - Private Equity - Structure and Issues

    Spring (1-3) Jody Forsyth

    This course will provide an overview of the common legal structures employed in the formation, capitalization, compensation, and governance of private equity funds. We will study as an example the structure of an existing private equity fund operating in the Canadian real asset space. In particular, we will spend considerable time on contractual interpretation of the fund’s limited partnership agreement. This course will also explore a number of topical issues in private equity, most notably securities regulatory oversight of private equity managers and taxation of their compensation. In examining all of the foregoing, we will consider the extent to which legislators and public regulators should oversee and intervene in private contractual relationships. An understanding of basic income tax law will be helpful but not required for this course. This course will be graded by a final exam.

  

  • LAW 358 - Electronic Discovery

    Fall/Spring (1-2) Andrea D’Ambra

    With computers and mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, dominating every aspect of business and personal life, the nature of civil discovery has changed. Lawyers need to know how to request, identify, preserve, collect, process, review and produce electronically stored information (“ESI”) in all its myriad forms. This course helps students identify and avoid signficant pitfalls arising from the collection, processing and production of ESI to better represent their clients. Law students will learn about the nuances of the quickly evolving world of e-discovery and gain practical skills they can utilize immediately upon entering the legal profession. This class does not require a technical degree or even significant technical proficiency. NOTE; students may not register for this course if they are currently registered for, or successfully completed, Electronic Discovery and Data Seizure, LAW 310.

  

  • LAW 362 - Education Law

    Fall 3 Vivian Hamilton

    An examination of principles of school law by use, in part, of the care study approach. Legal foundations of public and non-public schools are studied with consideration given to the Virginia School code. Basic legal principles and guidelines for assisting teachers, administrators and professional support personnel are developed.

  

  • LAW 366 - Civil Litigation Responses to Acts of Intl Terrorism

    Spring 1 Steven Perles

    This course will examine important cases in the field of Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and Anti-Terrorism Act litigation and other areas involving claims against or the defense of foreign governments before United States federal courts and administrative agencies. Students will consider litigation involving Holocaust survivors, victims of the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran, victims of Hamas suicide bombings and other incidents of terrorism sponsored by foreign states or aided and abetted by international banks. Discussion will focus on the practical implications and challenges of pursuing civil remedies, the enforcement of outstanding judgments and the intersection of such efforts with U.S. foreign policy concerns. Students will be required to write a 10-15 page paper due after the conclusion of the course. 1 credit (pass/fail).

  

  • LAW 367 - Oil and Gas and Energy Economics

    Spring 2 Michael Cuda

    This course is designed to assist students to develop a practical understanding of oil and gas issues. To achieve this understanding on the legal side, the course will focus on private property and contract law concepts specific to oil and gas development, terminology that is unique to the industry and the oil and gas lease, the document that generally governs the relationship between the mineral interest owner and the mineral developer. On the practical front, students will be introduced to the business side of the industry including oil and gas development, transportation and refining as well as domestic and global market considerations. Approximately half of the class sessions will be taught in person by the instructor, while approximately half will be taught remotely.

  

  • LAW 369 - The Wire - Crime, Law & Policy

    Spring 2 Adam Gershowitz

    This course explores legal and policy issues raised by David Simon’s critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire. Among the topics explored will be wiretapping, confessions, search and seizure, sentencing law, police manipulation of crime statistics, race and the criminal justice system. In addition to class participation, grades will be determined based on a final paper due the last day of class. The class materials will include all five seasons of The Wire as well as cases, law review articles, public policy papers, book excerpts, and statutes. Before enrolling in this course, please be advised that (1) The Wire contains a considerable amount of violence and offensive language, and (2) this course will require you to invest a significant amount of time before the semester begins because all students must watch the first two seasons of the show in advance of the first class.

  

  • LAW 370 - Food and Drug Law

    Fall (2-3) Stacy Kern-Scheerer

    This course will examine the ways in which Congress, the Food and Drug Administration, and the courts have gone about regulating the food and drug industries. We will highlight current issues which may include the FDA’s jurisdiction and enforcement authority concerning dietary supplements; the regulation of food additives; food labeling; the implications of globalism in the pharmaceutical industry; “orphan drugs;” and the relationship between federal regulation and state law. The course will be graded on the basis of in-class participation and a final examination.

  

  • LAW 371 - Complex Transactions in Regulated Industries

    Spring 1 David Sella-Villa

    Complicated business transactions occur in numerous regulated industries. For our course, we will focus on aviation and will explore transactions in the aviation industry. After providing a general overview of the international and domestic regulatory structures in commercial and private aviation, the course will then use an aircraft purchase to introduce students to specific applications of aviation regulations and the laws of contract, insurance, finance, security interests, tax, and civil procedure in the aviation industry. The focus will be a practical application of legal principles in the context of complex transactions within a regulatory framework. This course will be graded pass/fail. Students will be given a fact pattern and will draft an aircraft purchase agreement.

  

  • LAW 378 - Selected Topics in Con Law

    This course is a one credit, one-week, intensive review of recent constitutional developments in the field of constitutional federalism. Specifically, the course would examine the following three areas each taken from very recent decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court: 1) The “Obamacare” case (the scope of national enumerated powers), National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, 2) the Gun Control Law cases (“the Second Amendment…the right to keep and bear arms”) of Heller v. District of Columbia and McDonald v. City of Chicago and 3) the Arizona “illegal immigrant” case of Arizona v. United States (the scope of national enumerated powers, and the tenth and fourteenth amendments). These three current topics and the several edited principal cases (to be supplemented with accessible references to subsequent lower court decisions) will be discussed in this one week long mini course. A short paper will be required of each student

    This course satisfies the writing requirement.
  

  • LAW 380 - Comparative Law

    Spring 3 Christie Warren

    This course introduces and compares sources of law, underlying values and goals, and applications of the major legal traditions of the world, including civil law, common law, Islamic law, Talmudic law, customary law, and Asian legal systems as they originally developed and as they are evolving and changing in the world today. Course satisfies the Major Paper Requirement.

    This course satisfies the writing requirement.
  

  • LAW 381 - International Election Principles

    Spring (1-3) John Young

    The purpose of this course is to examine international election standards based on the rule of law. The ultimate goal is to establish knowledgeable, predictable, rule-based decision-making that limits the power entrusted to government officials, while concurrently encouraging the widest development of democratic systems. The course will cover each step in the electoral process: (1) recognition of political parties and which candidates will be qualified to stand for election; (2) voter registration including registration, maintenance of lists, grounds for suspension and reinstatement; (3) absentee ballots, if they are to be used, as well as the procedures for their issuance and as to their counting;(4) early voting and remote voting if it is accepted as a means of increasing participation; (5) ballots, ballots design, machinery, pre-vote verification, the observation of that process so that it is transparent, ballot collection, computerized and other mechanical voting systems, ballot audits, physical security, and the availability of election day remedies; (6) verification of who is, and is not, a voter; (7) the conduct of the election itself, including how officials are trained and qualified; (8) the process for recounts; (9) the process for challenges and contests; and, (10) administration and supervision applying objective standards. Each of these steps will involve the class in a discussion of the development of concrete standards for the international community to apply in the election process. Pass/Fail

  

  • LAW 382 - Human Rights Law

    Spring (2-3) Nancy Combs

    This course will cover fundamental international human rights law. It will address the sources of international law, United Nations human rights instruments, domestic jurisdiction, organizations for enforcement for human rights law, non-governmental organizations that promote human rights enforcement, and current issues in human rights law.

  

  • LAW 385 - International Criminal Law

    Fall (1-3) Nancy Combs

    Nancy Combs

  

  • LAW 393 - Campaign Finance

    Spring (1-3) Neil Reiff

    The purpose of this course is to provide an overview and in depth understanding of the finance system at the federal and state levels. This will be accomplished through the analysis of the Federal Election Campaign Act or 1971 as amended (FECA) including extensive analysis of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA). The course will provide a guide to the practice of campaign finance law from a practitioner’s perspective. The course will be a thorough review of federal law as it applies to the entities that it affects, including candidates, party committees, PACs, 527’s, corporations, non-profit organizations and individuals. The course will emphasize a practical preparation for the practice of law in this area through the review of case law, regulatory trends, as well as a review of the institutions that regulate campaign finance law. Students will be encouraged to follow current developments in campaign finance law during the course and should expect broad discussion about the practical, policy and political aspects of the practice of campaign finance law.

  

  • LAW 397 - Virginia Criminal Procedure

    Fall 3 William Shaw

    A review of the Virginia statutes and Rules of Court governing criminal procedure in Virginia’s courts. Covers Va. Code Title 19.2, Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia affecting criminal and traffic litigation and a large number of cases interpreting the statutes and rules. The course also lightly covers appellate procedure for criminal cases. Some of the topics covered are jurisdiction, venue, pre-trial motions and procedures, competency and insanity issues, trial, sentencing and appeals. It is not a constitutional law course but there is discussion of how state statutes and rules mesh with constitutional requirements. Course is structured for students who wish to do criminal litigation, either as defense counsel or prosecutor in Virginia. This course is open to 2L and 3L students. Either having completed or being enrolled in Criminal Procedure I & II is helpful, but not required.

  

  • LAW 398 - Election Law

    Fall 3 Rebecca Green

    This course will examine the laws that govern the political process in the United States. Topics will include the right to vote, political representation, election administration, political parties, ballot initiatives, and campaign finance. The goal of the course is to provide students with a solid foundation in the basic principles of election law in this country.

  

  • LAW 400 - The First Amendment - Free Speech & Press

    Fall (3-4) Timothy Zick

    This 3-credit course will examine in depth the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of speech, press, and association. We will discuss First Amendment theories or justifications; the regulation of various categories of expression including incitement to unlawful action, threats, libel, child pornography, commercial speech, and obscenity; and content-neutral restrictions including limits on symbolic content (e.g., draft card burning, flag desecration, and nude dancing). The course will cover application of the First Amendment to government while acting in special capacities, including employer, educator, landlord, subsidizer/speaker, regulator of the airwaves, regulator of the Bar, controller of the military, prison warden, and regulator of immigration. The course will also cover certain ancillary First Amendment rights, including the right not to speak and the right of expressive association. Finally, we will examine the ‘press’ and newsgathering rights.

  

  • LAW 401 - Criminal Procedure I

    Spring 3 P. Marcus, J. Bellin

    An in-depth study of the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the Constitution including criminal procedure. Considered are general due process concepts; the right to counsel; arrest, search and seizure; police interrogation and confessions; identification procedures; and the scope and administration of the exclusionary rules.

  

  • LAW 402 - Criminal Procedure II

    Fall 3 Tommy Miller

    A study of the constitutional and non-constitutional procedural components of the criminal process. Included are discretionary aspects of the decision to charge; the preliminary hearing; pre-trial release; grand jury proceedings; venue; jury selection; trial procedures; sentencing; double jeopardy; appeals, and post-conviction proceedings. Criminal Procedure I is not a prerequisite.

  

  • LAW 404 - Secured Transactions

    Fall 3 Michele Spike

    A study of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code governing security interests in personal property and fixtures.

  

  • LAW 405 - Law Firm Leadership

    Fall 1 Gary LeClair

    The course will introduce students to the law firm leader’s role in six major leadership functions: (i) Culture and Strategy, (ii) Governance and Execution, (iii) Compensation and Financial Management, (iv) Talent/Leader Recruitment, Development, Promotion and Accountability/Reward, (v) Practice Management and Business Development, and (vi) Risk Management and Industry Challenges. Course materials will include the writings of prominent law industry commentators (e.g., William Henderson, Gillian Hadfield, David Maister, etc.) and general business thought leaders (e.g., Larry Bossidy, Robert Kelly, Sonja Lyubomirsky, etc.). Students will be given the opportunity to engage in leader self assessments (e.g., GRIT, introvert-ambivert-extrovert, positivity, etc.) and will be exposed to law firm leader skills (e.g., framing, challenge response competency, mistake imperative, etc.) The course will be pass-fail and graded primarily by a paper on a topic chosen from 12 leader dilemmas (2 from each of each of the 6 functions).

  

  • LAW 407 - Labor Law

    Fall (1-3) Gregory Giordano

    A study of employee-union-management relations as regulated by the National Labor Relations Act, as amended. Issues considered include the organizational process, representation elections, collective bargaining and picketing activities.

  

  • LAW 408 - Insurance

    Spring 2 Robert Friedman

    This course will survey the fundamental legal principles governing selected kinds of insurance including: automobile, fire and property (homeowners), liability, life, health, and disability. Among the topics examined will be the formation and operation of the insurance contract, coverage and exclusions, insurable interest, the claims process and subrogation. A practical approach will be featured, placing students in the roles of attorneys for the insurer, insured and third party claimant as issues are discussed.

  

  • LAW 409 - Public International Law

    Spring 3 Evan Criddle

    This survey course introduces students to the basic subjects, processes, and problems of contemporary international law. The course begins with an exploration of the nature and sources of international law; the traditional role of states in international law formation; and the burgeoning role of international organizations and nongovernmental organizations in transnational legal processes. Attention then shifts to the relationship between international law and U.S. law, including the principles that govern (and impede) the application of international law in the United States. The course devotes sustained attention to several important subfields of international law, including principles of international jurisdiction, sovereign rights to natural resources, international human rights, international criminal law, and the laws of war. Along the way, class members are invited to grapple with several enduring critiques of the international legal system.

  

  • LAW 410 - Conflict of Laws

    Spring (2-3) Michael Green

    How the courts of a state address the fact that other states and nations, with their own laws, exist. The primary focus is choice of law–which state’s or nation’s law should apply to a case with multi-jurisdictional elements. Also covered will be the constitutional restrictions on choice of law and state court recognition of sister state judgments. Other possible topics are: the extraterritorial application of federal (including constitutional) law, state and federal court recognition of the judgments of foreign nations, and conflicts between federal and state law, including the Erie doctrine.

  

  • LAW 411 - Antitrust

    Spring 3 Alan Meese

    A study of restraints of trade, mergers and monopolies. The central concern of the course is to analyze what laws are necessary to protect a system in which goods are allocated by competitive markets.

  

  • LAW 413 - Remedies

    Spring 3 David Lannetti

    This course involves a study of the law of judicial remedies, both legal and equitable, and focuses on the nature and scope of available relief. The course emphasizes the various remedies available, including compensatory and punitive damages, injunctions, declaratory judgments, restitution, and enforcement proceedings. It provides a brief study of the development of chancery courts and the continuing distinction between equitable and legal remedies. Special attention is given to the appropriateness of various remedies to given situations. Substantive examples will come primarily from contract and tort law, but property interests, statutory violations, and constitutional harms also will be discussed.

  

  • LAW 414 - Cybersecurity Law

    Fall 2 Holly Brady

    This course will explore Cybersecurity Law, a relatively new and dynamic area of law. The course will begin with a discussion of how the lawyer’s role is evolving as cybersecurity risk becomes an increasingly significant area of focus for business executives, law makers, and regulators. Throughout the course, we will examine a variety of legislative, regulatory, and litigation issues. We will explore novel applications of long-standing legal tenets, such as Article III standing, the attorney-client privilege, and the reasonableness standard. We will look at the anatomy of a data breach and discuss complex issues that arise in data breaches. We will also explore the intersection of Cybersecurity and Privacy and discuss how Cybersecurity is a necessary component of Privacy, but how Cybersecurity interests can also come into conflict with Privacy interests. Although we will cover certain technical aspects of Cybersecurity, such as the protection of a computer network, no prior technical experience is required. Grades will be determined primarily by a final paper.

  

  • LAW 415 - The Federal Courts

    Spring (1-3) Tara Grove

    An examination of the federal judicial system encompassing such topics as allocation of federal judicial power; original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court; the Eleventh Amendment; suits in federal court against state officials; restrictions on federal adjudication of state-created rights; federal question jurisdiction and federal common law.

  

  • LAW 416 - Family Law

    Spring 3 James Dwyer

    This course covers requisites for marriage, pre-nuptials, paternity, property management during marriage, spousal abuse, parental child rearing rights, grounds for divorce, property distribution upon divorce, consequences of cohabitation prior to marriage, alimony, child support, and child custody and visitation.

  

  • LAW 417 - International & Comparative Women’s Rights

    Fall 3 Linda Malone

    An international and comparative law framework for women’s human rights by analyzing rights and remedies afforded women under international human rights law, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the European and American Convention on Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, and the EEC’s Equal Treatment Directive. The course also compares different legal systems’ responses to domestic violence, female genital mutilation, polygamy, reproductive rights, parental leave, employment discrimination, pay equity, and other gender-related issues.

  

  • LAW 419 - Virginia Civil Procedure

    Spring (3-4) J Zepkin Prerequisite(s): Third year status

    Covers procedural law for both law and equitable claims, including applicable statutes, rules of court and cases interpreting the statutes and rules. Appellate procedure for both the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the Supreme Court of Virginia are covered. Prerequisite: Third year status

  

  • LAW 420 - Real Estate Transactions

    Fall (2-3) Ronald Rosenberg

    This course will deal with residential and commercial real estate transactions both from a practical and a theoretical perspective. The course will cover purchase and sale agreements, deeds, recording acts, financing, residential and commercial leases and real estate development. Class discussion will focus on both the analysis of case decisions and practical aspects of real estate law.

  

  • LAW 422 - Accounting and Finance for Lawyers

    Spring (2-3) Eric Chason

    This course provides an introduction to accounting and finance for students who have had little or no coursework in either area. Accounting topics include the balance sheet, the income statement, the statement of cash flows, and financial-statement analysis. Finance topics include risk, return, time, value of money, valuation, financial instruments, and capital markets. All topics will emphasize implications for the legal profession. The following students are ineligible to take the course without permission of the instructor. - Students who have completed three or more undergraduate-level courses in accounting and finance (counted on a combined basis). For example, a student with two accounting courses and one finance course is ineligible. - Students who have completed any graduate-level course in either accounting or finance (including Law 437 Corporate Finance). - Students who are enrolled in the joint JD / MBA program.

  

  • LAW 423 - Securities Regulation

    Spring (2-3) Darian Ibrahim Prerequisite(s): LAW 303 OR LAW 320

    This course studies the disclosure philosophy of the federal securities laws and the nature and regulation of the securities markets. The relevant statutes are the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, primarily, as well as changes brought by recent legislation including the JOBS Act. Among the topics covered are the initial public offering (IPO) process and exemptions from registration under the 1933 Act; we also study the mandatory disclosure regime for public companies under the 1934 Act. Civil liabilities under both the 1933 and 1934 Acts are also explored. The course also studies the economics of the disclosure and liability rules and the workings of an efficient market. Prerequisite: Law 303 Corporations I or Law 320 Business Associations.

  

  • LAW 424 - Environmental Law

    Fall (2-3) Gregory Wall

    A study of the nature and causes of environmental pollution and of the main legal techniques for its control. The course will consider the common law, the environmental impact assessment process (e.g., the National Environmental Policy Act), and the basic regulatory framework for air, water and solid and hazardous waste control (the Federal Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act), with attention given under each statute to the basic regulatory framework and the main policy issues presented by it.

  

  • LAW 425 - Land Use Control

    Fall (1-3) Lynda Butler

    An analysis of the legal principles governing the use and management of land and the fundamental values underlying those principles. While focusing primarily on government regulation of land use, the course also will examine common law rules which affect the way that land is used. Topics that might be considered include judicial control of land use, zoning and the rights of landowners, zoning and the rights of neighbors, land use planning, public regulation of land development, aesthetic regulation, and the preservation of natural and historic resources.

  

  • LAW 426 - Energy Law

    Spring (2-3) Cliona Robb

    Energy law is at the forefront of developments in natural resources law, public utility law, and environmental law. Policy debates are shaping these developments at the local, state, federal, and international level, giving energy lawyers a real opportunity to influence the world we live in. This course covers the laws and policies that govern the exploitation of energy resources and the production and distribution of electricity. Course coverage begins with traditional principles of utility law and regulation (including rate regulation) and progresses to focus on laws and policies relating to natural gas and electricity. The main focus will be on energy law issues that arise in the context of one major energy- producing activity-the production and use of electric power-with some limited attention to parallel themes in other areas such as natural gas and transportation. We will explore general legal issues in these areas: the role and regulation of markets, the tension between economic and environmental regulation, the degree of national versus decentralized regulation, and the roles law might play in impacting not only supply but also consumer behavior.

  

  • LAW 435 - Sales

    Fall 3 Peter Alces

    This course deals with commercial and consumer sales transactions governed by Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Coverage includes: contract formation and readjustment; general obligations of the buyer and seller; contract performance; risk of loss; warranties; breach, repudiation and excuse; remedies; and federal legislation affecting these issues.

  

  • LAW 438 - Corporate Taxation

    Fall 3 William Richardson Prerequisite(s): LAW 311

    This course is an introduction to the federal income taxation of corporations and their shareholders. Topics covered will include the tax classification of business entities, incorporation and capital structure, taxable and non-taxable dividends, stock redemptions, corporate liquidations, corporate reorganizations, and an overview of “S corporations”. Prerequisite: Law 311 Federal Income Tax Recommended: Law 303 Corporations or Law 320 Business Associations.

  

  • LAW 440 - White Collar Crime

    Spring (1-3) Brian Samuels

    Topics covered include RICO, mail fraud, tax fraud, bank secrecy and currency reporting offenses, false statements, forfeiture statutes, and selected procedural problems in the prosecution of white collar crimes, including privilege against self-incrimination issues, attorney-client privilege issues, and double jeopardy issues arising from duplicative state and federal prosecution.

  

  • LAW 441 - Admiralty Law

    Fall (2-3) Christopher Abel

    A comprehensive survey of contemporary maritime law. Topics to be addressed include admiralty jurisdiction and procedure, the creation and enforcement of maritime liens, limitation of liability, maritime contracts, ship mortgage law, marine insurance contracts and principles, bills of lading, general average, and other maritime cargo issues, pilotage, towing, salvage, the law of seaman’s injury and death, mariner’s licensure, dealing with the modern piracy challenge, and an introduction to maritime environmental law. The course will have a practical focus, emphasizing legal concepts and practice tips of particular use to counsel representing ship owners, operators, seamen, marine insurance carriers, cargo interests, and others on a day-to-day basis.

  

  • LAW 442 - Trademark Law

    Spring (2-3) Laura Heymann

    An overview of federal trademark law and policy, including the acquisition and loss of trademark rights, the trademark registration process, issues relating to scope and enforcement of rights across geographic boundaries, trademark infringement and dilution, lawful unauthorized use, and remedies. Related issues such as federal false advertising law and state right of publicity law may be considered.

  

  • LAW 444 - Law & Literature

    Fall/Spring 1 J. Heller, S. Haines

    This course explores the ways in which law and literature intersect in addressing various issues. Students will read and write papers on fiction and non-fiction (books to be determined each term) to examine how legal texts and the legal system affect individuals, society, and culture. Students will submit a response paper prior to each class meeting, focusing on the assigned primary text, in preparation for discussion of the readings. This class will be graded pass/fail.

  

  • LAW 447 - Patent Law

    Spring (3-4) Sarah Rajec

    The course will present the essential principles of the patent law, as well as significant policy considerations which are the basis for many patent doctrines. Highlighted will be decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

  

  • LAW 448 - Intellect Property

    Spring (2-3) James Stern

    A review of the legal protection of artistic, technical and business creativity through the law of copyrights, trademarks, patents and trade secrets.

  

  • LAW 450 - Philosophy of Law

    Spring 3 Michael Green

    A survey of problems generated by philosophical reflection on the law. The central topic will be the fundamental nature of the law. Is the law reducible to social facts? To morality? To neither of these things? But other topics will also be dealt with, including: the structure of legal systems, the nature and possibility of authority, whether there is a moral duty to obey the law, the status of international law, the lawmaking role of courts, and the effect of semantic and moral theories on adjudication. Classics in the field - including John Austin, H.L.A. Hart, Hans Kelsen, Ronald Dworkin, Joseph Raz and the American Legal Realists - will be discussed, as will arguments by some more recent writers.

    Students can choose to have this course satisfy the writing requirement or not.
  

  • LAW 451 - Products Liability

    Spring 3 John Epps

    This course will focus on the development of the theories of liability for personal injuries and property damage caused by defective products. Among the areas to be considered are the roles of warranty, negligence and strict liability law in today’s products liability litigation, as well as important related issues such as expert testimony, causation proof, the role of science, and the effects of mass tort litigation.

  

  • LAW 452 - Employment Discrimination

    Fall (1-3) Dawn Merkle

    This course surveys the laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. In particular, the course emphasizes case law under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act (race, religion, sex, or national origin), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students will learn the basic doctrinal frameworks applicable to disparate treatment, disparate impact, and mixed-motives cases and trace their evolution through statutes and judicial decisions. The course also will include brief overviews of remedies for and economic theories of employment discrimination. Employment Law (LAW 456) is not a prerequisite.

  

  • LAW 453 - Administrative Law

    Fall/Spring 3 Allison Larsen

    Administrative law establishes the legal controls over the operation of government and hence it relates to almost every legal practice, from security regulation to social programs to criminal justice. Indeed, administrative law is essential to justice in a modern society because administrative agencies generate most of the law that actually affects our lives and because administrative agencies adjudicate far more disputes than the traditional judiciary. This course is an introductory examination of the rules and procedures governing agency decision making. It explores (1) how agencies make policy and (2) how businesses, interest groups, and citizens challenge agency policymaking in court.

  

  • LAW 454 - Economic Analysis of the Law

    Spring 3 Alan Meese

    A study of the many applications of economic reasoning to problems of law and public policy including economic regulation of business; antitrust enforcement; and more basic areas such as property rights, tort and contract law and remedies, and civil or criminal procedures. No particular background in economics is required; relevant economic concepts will be developed through analysis of various legal applications.

  

  • LAW 456 - Employment Law

    Spring 3 Christopher Abel

    This course will address the basic common law and contemporary statutes governing the employment relationship, with an emphasis on their practical application in today’s private-sector workplace. Topics to be addressed will include establishment of the employment relationship, wage and hour regulation, conditions of employment, discharge and termination, and non-competition and other post-employment obligations. The course will also include a brief review of unemployment compensation and workplace health and safety issues, as well as an introduction to employment discrimination law. This course will not address traditional labor law nor will it cover issues unique to public-sector employment. Neither will it significantly overlap the Law 452 Employment Discrimination course.

 

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