• UPCOMING EVENTS
• NEWS
• ACADEMIC CALENDAR
• ASSIGNMENTS/SUMMER BOOK LIST
• REGISTRAR
• ASAP
• Concentrations
• Course Schedules and Descriptions
• Exam Information
• Forms
• Grade Distribution
• Registration Materials
• Prior course descriptions
• Summer Schedule
• CAMPUS HOUSING
• OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
• BAR EXAMINATION INFORMATION
• ACADEMIC SUCCESS PROGRAM
• STUDENT ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
• STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
• HONOR CODE/ACADEMIC STANDARDS
• MULTIMEDIA ARCHIVES
• SITE INDEX A-Z

Course Schedules and Descriptions for 2013 - 2014

• Summer Semester

« Return to course schedules home

List of Courses: Fall 2012

Course Number List	Alphabetical List
LAW 705	Administrative Law [Details] Description This course examines the system through which a vast array of government power is exercised in the United States: the administrative process. Its focus will be the ways in which private interests are arranged, rearranged, and/or protected in that system against the background of the public interest. The course will address agency powers to gather and utilize information, promulgate regulations, and adjudicate rights and remedies under applicable statutes and regulations. Judicial review of adverse agency action will also be explored. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View M,W 1:00 PM-2:15 PM/Room BLC C Day Erin Buzuvis
LAWS673	Appellate Moot Court [Details] Description The Appellate Moot Court course will serve as the means to gain selection to one of the school-sponsored intramural appellate moot court teams. Students in the course will recieve intensive instruction in appellate brief-writing, working with a teammate, and appellate oral argument. Students will have the opportunity to meet with faculty about their writing and to receive extensive feedback on their oral argument skills. The class will culminate with a moot court competition and the selection of the law school's Moot Court Board. For more information about selection to Appellate Moot Court teams, see Note on Appellate Moot Court at http://www1.law.wne.edu/academics/index.cfm?selection=doc.8116 Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 2 View Th 4:00 PM-5:50 PM/Room BLC C Day Jeanne Kaiser
LAW 799	Bar Exam Prep Course [Details] Description This limited enrollment course is designed to improve student performance on the following summers bar examination. The course will focus on three of the subjects tested on the multi-state and state bar exams, Evidence, Property and Torts, and will concentrate on both doctoral knowledge and bar exam test-taking skills. There will be regular readings, regular testing and regular feedback. For most classes, students will be required to submit as homework the evening before the class the answers to assigned multiple choice and essay questions. It is a learn by doing class. This course empathically is not a substitute for a commercial bar preparation course, and students in this course (as well as all graduating students generally) are excepted to take a commercial bar preparation course. This course has two special conditions and three special prerequisites, designed both to maximize the effectiveness. The two special conditions are: 1) a no-absence attendance policy, enforced by withdrawal from the course; 2) during a Thurs-Friday time slot in the middle of the semester, a 90-minute timed, take-home mid-term examination, consisting of 20 multiple choice questions and 2 essay questions. The three prerequisites are that each student must agree in writing 1) to take the bar examination in July 2013, and no grade will issue until the student had submitted his proof of bar examination registration; 2) to take a commercial bar review course, and to have signed a completed contract to take that course before the end of the semester; and 3) to request from the Bar Examiners in his or her jurisdiction, and then to provide to the Law School, his or her specific MBE and essay score (and essay answers, if this is permitted. This may require the payment of an additional fee). There will be a course materials fee of $50. This will include a commercial bar review outline in Contracts, Torts and Evidence, readings on the bar exam and answering bar exam questions, and numerous multi-state bar exam and state essay exam questions and answers. Class Meets - Spring 2013, Mon-Wed, 9:00am - 10:15am. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 2 View M 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC B Eve TBA
LAW 551	Business Organizations [Details] Description This course focuses on the fundamental conceptual framework of business organizations law including the formation and conduct of business in the partnership, corporate, and limited liability company forms. It provides an introduction to the terminology of business organizations and finance, and transmits some sense of what a business lawyer does. (Required Course) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View Tu,Th 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC D Day Rene Reich-Graefe
LAW 509	Civil Procedure [Details] Description The object of this course is to introduce the student to the civil litigation process, including the attendant jurisdictional questions, court organization, and pleadings and rules of practice in state and federal courts. In addition, an analysis of the litigation process is undertaken, with emphasis on discovery, pretrial procedures, trial, judgment, and appellate review of the decision. (Required Course) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 6 View Tu,Th 10:45 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC A Day Taylor Flynn 02 6 View M,W 1:00 PM-2:00 PM/Room BLC B Day Arthur Wolf 03 6 View Th 7:00 PM-8:15 PM/Room BLC D, W 8:30 PM-9:45 PM/Room BLC D Eve Peter Adomeit
LAW 735	Civil Rts Police Misconduct [Details] Description This course offers an introduction to federal civil rights litigation, principally under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983, in the context of claims of misconduct such as wrongful arrest, imprisonment, and other wrongful denials of liberty; wrongful prosecution; excessive force; illegal search and seizure; wrongful interference with first amendment rights; and failure to protect. It will also examine immunity, defenses, and supervisory and government liability. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 3 View Tu,Th 6:30 PM-7:45 PM/Room BLC C Eve Anne Goldstein
LAW 720	Constitutional History [Details] Description This course traces the institutional growth of the Supreme Court from its early tentative beginnings to its present strength while examining the Court's role in the historical development of the United States from the Founding to the Constitutional Revolution of 1937. Students will study selected decisions of the Court in their political, economic, and social context with emphasis on the changing character of the Court, the impact of great justices, and the influence of extra-legal elements in constitutional decision making. The class will address, among other topics, the Court's role in promoting economic development, slavery and race and the Constitution, civil liberties during wartime, and the limits of judicial power. Students will do significant reading in secondary materials in addition to reading the cases considered. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View Tu,Th 1:00 PM-2:15 PM/Room BLC 3 Day James Gordon
LAW 501	Constitutional Law [Details] Description This course is a study of the allocation of governmental authority and the limitations on that authority as defined by the Constitution of the United States. The course will deal with the problems of defining the scope of federal power, the relationship between the federal government and the states, the scope of state authority, and the rights of individuals with an emphasis on those rights guaranteed by the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Constitution. (Required Course) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 4 View M,Th 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC 3 Eve Leora Harpaz
LAW 503	Contracts [Details] Description This course introduces students to the law governing the entrance into legally enforceable agreements. With a focus on the rights and duties of contracting parties. In focusing on how promissory relationships are created by the parties, the course emphasizes how these relationships are interpreted, limited, discharged, breached, and enforced. Ethical and equitable considerations affecting the contracting parties, as well as professional and business utilization of contracts, are also studied. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 6 View Tu,Th 9:30 AM-10:30 AM/Room BLC A Day Matthew Charity 02 6 View Tu,Th 11:00 AM-12:00 PM/Room BLC B Day Amy Cohen 03 6 View M,W 7:00 PM-8:15 PM/Room BLC D Eve Sudha Setty
LAW 694	Conveyancing [Details] Description This course concerns the legal aspects of the purchase and sale of real estate, beginning with the real estate broker and concluding with the closing process. The course covers in detail the purchase and sale agreement and remedies for the breach of the agreement; title examination and title insurance; property description and deed drafting; RESPA forms and regulation and closing adjustments; the closing process; and ethical considerations in representation of parties in real estate transactions. Enrollment limited to 45 students. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 2 View W 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC C Eve Timothy Farris
LAW 739	Copyright Law [Details] Description This course will focus on the legal protection given the creators of literary, artistic, musical, and related works. The course emphasis will be on copyright law's attempt to balance the rights of creators with the public's interest in access to creative works. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View Tu,Th 2:30 PM-3:45 PM/Room BLC 4 Day Amy Cohen
LAW 706	Crim. Proc:Investigation [Details] Description This course examines the constitutional limits on police investigations. The course focuses primarily on the development of federal constitutional law (4th, 5th, and 6th amendments) in the United States Supreme Court as a way to balance society's need for effective law enforcement against the rights of individuals to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, coercive interrogations, and unfair pretrial indentification procedures. Completion of LAW 796 Criminal Procedure: Adjudication is not a prerequisite to enrollment in this course. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View M,W 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC C Day Arthur Leavens
LAW 505	Criminal Law [Details] Description This course deals with the competing interests and policies that come into action when the individual clashes with society. The course also explores the underlying philosophical premises of various penal rules. The theories and purposes of punishment, the relationship between law and morality, definitions of criminal intent, principles of necessity, justification and excuse, and inchoate crime and group criminality may also be studied. (Required Course) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View M,Tu,Th 1:00 PM-1:50 PM/Room BLC A Day Anne Goldstein 02 3 View Tu,Th 1:00 PM-1:50 PM/Room BLC B, F 10:30 AM-11:20 AM/Room BLC B Day Arthur Leavens 03 3 View W 6:30 PM-7:45 PM/Room BLC 3, M 8:00 PM-9:15 PM/Room BLC 3 Eve Bridgette Baldwin
LAWS905	Criminal Law Clinic [Details] Description Students in the Criminal Clinic work as student assistant district attorneys within the Hampden County District Attorney's Office. By court rule, students in the Clinic are authorized to practice in any District Court case, which includes a mix of both misdemeanors and felonies. Typical of the offenses litigated by students in the District Court are possession and/or distribution of controlled substances, domestic violence offenses including assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and violation of a restraining order, larceny, assault and battery on a police officer, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. During the course of the semester, a student attorney will appear in three different sessions of the District Court: the arraignment session (in which students represent the Commonwealth in bail hearings), the motion session (in which students prepare and litigate oppositions to motions to suppress and motions to dismiss) and, ultimately, the trial session (in which a student prepare and litigate jury and jury-waived trials.) This clinic allows students to gain substantial exposure over the course of the semester to the entire process of litigating a criminal case. In addition to the fieldwork as a student attorney within the Hampden County District Attorney's Office, there is a classroom component which operates as a combination seminar/simulation. This part of the course is quite intensive for the first three or four weeks of the semester as well as the week prior to the start of classes. Students must attend a two day orientation the week before classes begin, no exceptions will be made to this mandatory orientation. Following this initial training period, the class will meet at the designated time for a two-hour session on a weekly basis for the balance of the semester. Prerequisites: LAW 553, Evidence and LAW 706, Criminal Procedure Investigation. Enrollment is limited each semester to eight third-year full time and fourth-year part time students who have been selected through the clinic application process. No student may maintain outside legal employment while participating in this clinic. All students will be CORI/criminal records checked by the District Attorney's Office. A student is required to be SJC Rule 3:03 eligible. A student must successfully complete 32 hours of law studies before enrollment in a clinic. A student may not simultaneously enroll in more than one clinic, more than one externship, or a clinic and an externship. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 6 View W 2:30 PM-4:20 PM/Room BLC MTC Day Tina Cafaro
LAW 796	Criminal Procedure: Adjudication [Details] Description This course examines the constitutional basis of criminally accused persons' post-arrest rights, in the context of, e.g.: bail and pretrial release, discovery, the right to counsel, guilty pleas, burdens and standards of proof, selection and composition of the jury, confrontation, effective assistance of counsel, jury instructions, double jeopardy, and other rights incident to criminal trials, appeals, and collateral review. Completion of LAW 706 Criminal Procedure: Investigation is NOT a prerequisite to enrollment in this course. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View M,W 2:30 PM-3:45 PM/Room BLC E Day Giovanna Shay
LAWS701	Discovery and Depositions [Details] Description Students will be provided with information upon which to write a complaint and answer, interrogatories, and request for production of documents. Students will then attend case theory sessions. The focus of the class shifts to skills-based training on how to take and defend effective depositions in the context of formal discovery. The main focus of the course will be on developing technical discovery skills. This course is interactive and will conducted in a style that replicates as closely as possible the actual discovery experience with an emphasis on the taking of depositions. Through a combination of classroom exercises and lectures, students will learn: What the discovery process is all about: Basic written discovery skills (complaint, answer, interrogatories, requests for production); How to develop a preliminary case theory; How to prepare one's own witness for deposition; How to prepare for the deposition of an adverse party/witness; Starting the deposition and the usual stipulations; How to take the deposition of an adverse party/witness; How to defend a deposition; The ethics of witness preparation and of taking the deposition; How to use a deposition (dispositive motions, settlement, trial, impeachment). Time permitting the class may also cover other aspects of litigation strategy and/or an exercise on negotiating and settling a case. Enrollment is limited to 16. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 2 View Th 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC 1 Eve Judy Kalman
LAW 601	Electronic Discovery [Details] Description This course is an introduction to the legal and practical issues related to electronic discovery and the use of electronic evidence in legal proceedings. Attorneys engaged in litigation must ensure compliance with the rules and regulations governing the preservation and production of electronically stored information. Lawyers and clients nationwide are struggling with the practical challenges of electronic discovery and the law is continuously evolving. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the legal rules governing ediscovery and develop practical knowledge and key analytical skills that can be used in practice. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 2 View M 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC C Eve Katie Winseck
LAW 610	Environmental Law:Pollution Control [Details] Description This course is an intensive study of the major pollution control programs in the United States, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Superfund. In addition to the general characteristics shared by each, the course will consider several recurring issues of the administrative state, namely the interpretation of complex and programmatic statutes, the nature of administrative authority, and litigaton strategies within statutory regimes generally. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 02 3 View Tu,Th 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC 2 Day Julie Steiner
LAW 722	Estate & Gift Tax [Details] Description This course is a study of the fundamental principles of federal taxation on property transfers at death and during the life of the transferor, including those transfers in contemplation of death, and those with life estates retained and retention of power to control. Consideration is also given to the martial deduction, the tax effects on various types of property transfers, and the generation-skipping tax. Prerequisite: Law 511 Property Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View Tu,Th 2:30 PM-3:45 PM/Room BLC 3 Day William Metzger
LAW 553	Evidence [Details] Description This course is an introduction to the basic rules of evidence governing the proof of facts in criminal and civil trials, with a focus on the Federal Rules of Evidence. Topics covered may include the role of the judge and jury; relevance; hearsay and its exceptions; character evidence; and the competency, examination and impeachment of witnesses. Classroom method focuses on discussion of selected problems and cases and aims at providing a foundation for advanced courses in evidence (such as Advanced Topics in Evidence and the Scientific Evidence seminar, trial advocacy, and criminal procedure), while providing all students with a common grounding in the basic rules of evidence. (Required Course) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View M,W 2:30 PM-3:45 PM/Room BLC B Day Samuel Stonefield
LAW 643	Family Law [Details] Description This course examines the relationship between family and law. Topics addressed include legal definitions of "family" taking into consideration both the marital and non-marital family; rights and obligatons among family members; the federal and state government's role in family life as well as the constitutional limits on government involvement; dissolution of family including issues of property distribution, alimony/support, and the implications of children; jurisdiction; and the role of the attorney in family formation and disputes. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 3 View Tu,Th 6:30 PM-7:45 PM/Room BLC B Eve Jennifer Levi
LAW 716	First Amendment Rights [Details] Description This course is a basic introduction to the free speech guarantee of the First Amendment. Among the topics to be studied are the special problems of particular kinds of speech, including advocacy of violence as a political solution, libel, obscenity, profanity, hate speech, commercial speech, and symbolic speech such as flag burning. The course will also examine techniques employed by the government to censor speech, such as prior restraints and time, place, and manner regulations, as well as rights of access to public property such as streets and parks to engage in expressive activities. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 3 View M,W 8:00 PM-9:15 PM/Room BLC 1 Eve Leora Harpaz
LAW 629	Gender & the Law [Details] Description This course examines issues of gender in the law from the standpoint of feminist legal jurisprudence, particularly the way it is affected by and constructs gender in our society. Topics may include the law of sexual harrassment, sexual autonomy and reproductive choice, workplace discrimination, legal regulation of welfare and low-income women, and the way in which a legal definition of sex (or the lack of it) influences law and social policy. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View F 9:30 AM-12:10 PM/Room BLC 2 Day Jennifer Levi
QWC 606	Genetics & the Law [Details] Description The course will include reading assignments and class discussion on the following topics: Scientific overview, ethical and legal aspects of genetics research, genetic testing and screening, reproductive technology and genetics, germ line therapy and enhancement, behavioral genetics, privacy and confidentiality, discrimination, and forensic applications of genetic technology. All students enrolled in the seminar will be required to complete a substantial, original research paper on a topic of their choice. Limited to 15 students. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 2 View Tu 2:30 PM-4:20 PM/Room BLC 2 Day Barbara Noah
LAWS902	Housing Law Clinic [Details] Description Students in the Housing Clinic will be representing tenants with complaints against landlords in the Western Massachusetts Housing Court. The Housing Clinic is currently cooperating with the Massachusetts Justice Project (MJP). Through MJP, students will acquire clients who have cases pending in the summary process (eviction) session of the Hampden County session of the Western Massachusetts Housing Court. Under the supervision of the Clinic's Supervising Attorney, students will represent tenants in the prosecution and litigation of their cases. Students will handle all phases of the case evaluation, client interviewing, negotiation of possible settlement, legal research and factual development of the claims, and representation of the litigants in court proceedings. If the case does not settle, trials are before a single justice of the Housing Court. Trial may include direct testimony of the witnesses, cross-examination, opening statements and closing arguments and introduction of evidence. Students are expected to commit between 12 and 20 hours per week to the fieldwork which includes being available to attend court on Thursday mornings. (This is when the Western Massachusetts Housing Court conducts its summary process session). In addition to the fieldwork, there will be regularly scheduled seminar meetings and training sessions in which students will engage in discussions and simulation exercises to develop the professional skills and perspectives which are essential to such a litigation practice. Students enrolling in this Clinic must be willing to return to school in advance of the official start of the semester to participate in a mandatory orientation. This course continues to be intensive during the first several weeks of the semester. Thereafter, the class will meet regularly for the balance of the semester. Prerequisites: The clinic is open to students who have successfully completed 32 hours of law studies and have successfully completed Law 553, Evidence. Evidence may be taken concurrently with the Clinic. A student is required to be SJC Rule 3:03 eligible. A student may not simultaneously enroll in more than one clinic, more than one externship, or a clinic and an externship. (Formerly Consumer Protection Clinic) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 4 View W 4:00 PM-5:50 PM/Room BLC CLN Day TBA
LAW 651	Immigration Law [Details] Description This course will explore the American immigration system from constitutional, statutory, and policy perspectives. Topics considered include the source and scope of congressional power to regulate immigration, standards and procedures for entry, exclusion, and deportation, illegal migration, and the acquistion and loss of American citizenship. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View M,W 4:00 PM-5:15 PM/Room BLC C Day Arthur Wolf
LAW 555	Income Tax I [Details] Description A study of the codified law as it relates to the federal taxation of the income of individuals. This course emphasizes the concepts of gross income, taxable income, and deductions. Special emphasis is given to the federal tax policy considerations inherent in resolving tax issues. A survey of selected topics such as the tax consequences of divorce and administrative practice before the Internal Revenue Service and the Tax Court may be included in the course. (Required Course) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View Tu,Th 2:30 PM-3:45 PM/Room BLC A Day Frederick Royal 03 3 View M,W 6:30 PM-7:45 PM/Room BLC A Eve William Metzger
LAW 952	Independent Study:Adv. Research [Details] Description In this form of independent study a student undertakes substantial and innovative study and research culminating in the writing of an original, high-quality research paper. The student work shall be overseen by a panel of at least two faculty members and shall culminate in the student making an oral defense of the research paper before the faculty panel. The subject matter of the paper shall be mutually agreed upon by the student and faculty supervisors. Periodic meetings shall be held with the student and the faculty supervisors to discuss the substantive area of the law the student is writing about and to review progress on the paper. All of the faculty members involved shall participate in the grading process. Before the student begins work, the faculty members shall decide the grading policy for the Independent Study: Advanced Research and that policy shall be communicated to the student. The faculty members must choose either a numerical (55-99) or a pass/fail grading system and must settle upon a method under which each faculty member involved has a voice in determining the final grade. Requirements: A student who has successfully completed 43 credits of law studies may take Advanced Research with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. An Advanced Research Form must be completed and signed by the faculty instructors and approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs before registration in Advanced Research. Each Advanced Research, including its scope, coverage, credit hours (from 1 to 3 credits), course guidelines, and method of grading must be approved by the faculty instructors and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs after full disclosure by the student of the content and scope of all prior independent studies (LAW 951 and LAW 952) undertaken by the student. A student may take up to 3 independent study courses at the Law School (including both LAW 951 and LAW 952). No more than 2 of the 3 may be taken in any one semester, and no more than 1 of the 3 may be taken under the sole instruction of any one faculty member. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View - TBA TBA
LAW 603	International Criminal Justice [Details] Description In this course we will discuss the application of domestic and international law to questions of jurisdiction over international criminal activities, international cooperation in criminal matters, substantive international law contained in multilateral treaties concerning war crimes and terrorism, and the permanent International Criminal Court. The course consists of a series of topics, organized around the principles and offenses of international criminal law, including: nature and sources of international criminal law; nature and elements of responsibility and defenses against responsibility; basis of jurisdictional competence of states under international law; methods for obtaining persons abroad; attempts over time, including through international tribunals, to secure punishment for international crimes; offenses against peace; war crimes; crimes against humanity; genocide; terrorism; and the intersection between international crimes and human rights. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View M,W 1:00 PM-2:15 PM/Room BLC 1 Day Bridgette Baldwin
LAWS912	International Human Rights Clinic [Details] Description In this course, students work collaboratively on projects with domestic and international nongovernmental organizations, grass-roots organizations, solidarity networks, attorneys, stakeholders, and other institutions engaging in human rights work, to advance political, economic, social and cultural human rights across borders. Students are expected to commit at least 16 hours per week to the fieldwork. In addition to the fieldwork, there will be regularly scheduled seminar meetings and coursework. Enrollment is limited each semester to 8 students who have been selected through the clinic application process. A student must successfully complete 32 hours of law studies before enrollment in a clinic. A student may not simultaneously enroll in more than one clinic, more than one externship, or a clinic and an externship. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 6 View W 10:00 AM-11:50 AM/Room BLC E Day Lauren Carasik
LAW 762	International Law [Details] Description This course provides an overview of international law with attention to legal aspects of current international controversies. The course will examine how the doctrines, institutions and methodologies of international law have developed in recent years. The structure, goals, processes and institutions of international law will be examined through detailed consideration of issues such as human rights, jurisdiction, environmental law, and international criminal law. A final examination will be the primary basis for each student's grade in the course. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 02 3 View Tu,Th 1:00 PM-2:15 PM/Room BLC 4 Day Matthew Charity
LAWP907	Judicial Externship [Details] Description This course is the seminar component that accompanies a judicial externship placement that a student has been selected for through the externship application process. Students work 12-15 hours a week for a total of 168 semester hours engaging in a variety of legal work under the supervision of a judge. Students may not receive compensation for work done in an Externship. Externships include varied levels of research, writing, and observation depending on the student's placement. Seminar assignments and readings are designed to complement the individual work experience by providing structured reflection on many aspects of the roles of courts, judges and lawyers in society. Students are required to maintain weekly time sheets and journals and complete a paper and presentation. Students may take no more than two externships for a maximum of six academic credits during law school. The externship placements must be substantively different. A student must successfully complete 32 hours of law studies before enrollment in an externship. A student may not simultaneously enroll in more than one clinic, more than one externship, or a clinic and an externship. Other requirements and further information about this course are available from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of Externship Coordinator. A 4 credit Externship Form must be completed for enrollment in the 4 Credit Judicial Externship Seminar. The Mandatory orientation for all students doing an externship in the spring semester is Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 10:00am to 2:00pm. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 21 4 View W 4:00 PM-5:50 PM/Room BLC 3 Day Jeanne Kaiser
QWC 637	Jurisprudence: Survey [Details] Description This course examines the various schools of legal thought that have both influenced and criticized American law and decision-making. After discussing theories and characteristics of various schools, we will read legal opinions that reflect these schools, as well as writings that critique particular cases or legal rules. The schools of thought that we will consider include the Formalist, Legal Realist, and Legal Process schools, as well as contemporary critiques, such as Critical Race Theory, Feminist Theory, and Gay Legal Theory. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 2 View Tu 2:30 PM-4:20 PM/Room BLC 1 Day Taylor Flynn
LAW 727	Juvenile Justice [Details] Description This course concentrates on juvenile delinquency proceedings from pretrial procedure through trial and the occasional transfers of juvenile offenders to the adult criminal system. Developments in the area of due process for young people (United States Supreme Court cases) and effective client advocacy are stressed. Prerequisite: Law 505 Criminal Law. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 2 View Th 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC A Eve Scott Chapman
LAW 708	Labor Law [Details] Description This course traces the development of American Labor Law, from its early beginnings at the dawn of the industrial revolution, through the great depression of the 1930s, the post-war years, and the modern era. It considers how workers have joined together to improve their material well-being, and how society regulates the inevitable conflict between workers and management. The course studies the National Labor Relations Act and its interpretation by the courts and the National Labor Relations Board. Areas covered include the right to join unions, to engage in collective bargaining, and the procedures to resolve labor disputes, jurisdictional disputes, board procedures, representation, elections, unfair labor practices, strikes and job actions, picketing, lockouts, secondary boycotts, arbitration of disputes, and union organizing. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View Tu,Th 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC 3 Day Peter Adomeit
LAW 730	Land Finance & Transfer [Details] Description This course focuses on the law and practices that govern the financing of real estate transactions, from single-family residences and residential sub-divisions, to multi-family apartment buildings and commercial real estate. The course examines in great detail the law of mortgages, including the creation and transfer of mortgage interests, lien priorities, foreclosure, and bankruptcy. Prerequisite: Law 511 Property. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View M,W 9:00 AM-10:15 AM/Room BLC 4 Day Samuel Stonefield
LAW 696	Landlord & Tenant [Details] Description This course focuses on the landlord-tenant relationship in the residental rental market with emphasis on recent court decisions and various selected state laws that have attempted to lessen the problems of substandard or inadequate rental housing, housing discrimination, problems of lead paint poisoning, and related issues. Eviction proceedings, discrimination litigation and consumer remedies are covered in detail. Enrollment is limited to 45 students. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 2 View W 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC C Eve James Donnelly
QWC 668	Law and Terrorism [Details] Description The attacks of September 11, 2001, have presented unusual and arguably unprecedented challenges to American legal values and institutions. This course will explore some of the ways in which our legal system is responding to those challenges. We will examine these responses from various perspectives: positive (How have legal institutions been engaged in combating terrorism?), normative (To what degree have responses of our legal system compare to responses to terrorism in other nations?). We will consider the USA Patriot Act of 2001, the confinement of suspected terrorists at the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba, the indefinite detention of resident aliens since September 11, the seizure of assets of organizations suspected of ties to terrorism, the terrorism-related prosecutions commenced by the United States government and other related topics. We will consider each topic from the perspectives of statutory, constitutional, and where relevant, comparative and international law. Assessment is based on a research paper, brief written responses to assigned reading, a short presentation, and class participation. There is no final exam for this course. Enrollment is limited to 24 students. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View M,W 2:30 PM-3:45 PM/Room BLC C Day Sudha Setty
LAW 954	Law Review [Details] Description Students who are members of Law Review are required to attend the mandatory weekly Law Review staff meeting for both the fall and spring semesters. Members of the Junior Staff receive 2 credits in the fall and 1 credit in the spring for the successful completion of their Junior Staff year. Senior members of the Law Review receive between 2 and 6 credits per year, depending on their position on the Law Review. The Associate Dean must approve departures from these semester credit allocations. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 1 View M 5:00 PM-6:00 PM/Room BLC A Eve Giovanna Shay 02 2 View M 5:00 PM-6:00 PM/Room BLC A Eve Giovanna Shay 03 3 View M 5:00 PM-6:00 PM/Room BLC A Eve Giovanna Shay
LAW 507	Legal Research & Writing [Details] Description Legal Research and Writing is a required first-year course designed to introduce students to the essential problem-solving and communication skills of the legal profession. The legal research and writing faculty work closely with students in smaller classroom settings to introduce techniques of legal analysis, the basic sources and processes of legal research, and the principles of legal writing and oral advocacy. Through a series of assignments of increasing complexity, students learn how to analyze legal problems, research legal issues, frame legal arguments, and gain experience in drafting the major forms of predictive and persuasive legal writing. This full-year course culminates in an oral argument in a simulated court setting during which each student argues a motion based on a brief written by the student. (Required Course) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 10 4 View M,W 9:30 AM-10:20 AM/Room BLC 1 Day Beth Cohen 11 4 View M,W 6:00 PM-6:50 PM/Room BLC 4 Eve Jeanne Kaiser 12 4 View M,W 2:15 PM-3:05 PM/Room BLC 3 Day Harris Freeman 14 4 View M,W 6:00 PM-6:50 PM/Room BLC 2 Eve Patricia Newcombe 15 4 View M,W 9:30 AM-10:20 AM/Room BLC 3 Day Harris Freeman 16 4 View M,W 2:15 PM-3:05 PM/Room BLC 4 Day Jeanne Kaiser 03 4 View M,W 9:30 AM-10:20 AM/Room BLC 2 Day Patricia Newcombe
LAWS911	Legal Services Clinic [Details] Description In this course, students work in the office of Community Legal Aid (CLA), a local non-profit organization charged with providing free civil legal services to low-income and elderly persons. Under the supervision of the program's attorneys, students assume primary professional responsibility for actual cases, including client interviews, counseling, case development, negotiation and representation of clients in court and administrative proceedings. Students work at CLA for 16 hours a week and earn four credits for the fieldwork. Students must also enroll in a one credit seminar concurrent with their semester of fieldwork. Prerequisites: In the semester prior to the fieldwork, students must enroll in a two credit seminar (Laws 910 Legal Service Clinic: Skills Seminar) that uses simulations, reading and discussion to develop the lawyering skills necessary for client representation. Law 553, Evidence is also a required course. Evidence may be taken concurrently with the Clinic. A student is required to be SJC Rule 3:03 eligible. Enrollment is limited each semester to 8 students selected through the clinic application process. A student must successfully complete 32 hours of law studies before enrollment in a clinic. A student may not simultaneously enroll in more than one clinic, more than one externship, or a clinic and an externship. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 5 View W 9:00 AM-9:50 AM/Room BLC F Day Hisham Abouelleil
LAWS910	Legal Services: Skills Seminar [Details] Description Students participating in the Legal Services clinic must complete a two credit lawyering skills seminar as a prerequisite to their semester of field placement. The class focuses on substantive law and issues related to poverty law practice, and developing basic lawyering skills, including professionalism and ethics, client interviewing, counseling, case planning, fact investigation, oral advocacy, negotiation and litigation skills. Enrollment is limited to the 8 students who have been selected for the Legal Services Clinic for the subsequent semester. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 2 View W 10:00 AM-11:50 AM/Room BLC F Day Hisham Abouelleil
LAWS655	Legislative Advoc & Lobbying [Details] Description This course examines lobbying and legislative advocacy. With legislatures central to our system of government, whether at the Federal or State level, attorneys need to be familiar with government relations practices and legislative processes. Topics may include the constitutional basis for and history of paid lobbying; the regulation of lobbying as a profession, including the legal and ethical restrictions; the role of money and politics in lobbying; and practical elements of how to be an effective lobbyist. Enrollment is limited to 24 students. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 2 View M 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC 1 Eve Andrew Markowski
QWCS797	Litigation in the Pretrial Phase [Details] Description This course is aimed at refining students' written and oral advocacy skills in the pretrial phase of litigaton. In weekly exercises, students will brief and argue typical motions arising prior to trial. The course will also address pretrial strategy, both in preparing pleadings, planning discovery and drafting motions. At the end of the term, students will draft a larger memorandum and present a more extensive oral argument on a motion for summary judgement or to dismiss. The course will require at least four to six hours of preparation for each session. Class attendance is mandatory. Enrollment limited to 16 students. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 3 View W 5:20 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC MTC Eve Kenneth Neiman
LAWS764	Mass Practice and Procedure I [Details] Description This Professional Skills course provides students with practical skills relating to litigaton in the state courts of Massachusetts. Students engage in simulated litigation relating to civil cases, domestic relations cases and estate matters. In doing so, students develop a useful understanding of how the practice of law is grounded in the Massachusetts Rules of Court as well as relevant statutory and case law authority. Limited enrollment 24. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 2 View Tu 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC 4 Eve Mark Mason
LAW 654	Patent Law [Details] Description This course introduces the basic concepts of patent law - a system involving a government grant of limited proprietary rights in inventions in exchange for full disclosure of the invention. Areas to be examined include requirements for patentablility, procedures for obtaining patents, interrelationships with trade secrets, rights to employee inventions, patent assignments and licensing, and a brief overview of patent litigation. Students should have an Engineering degree or a strong scientific educational background. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 2 View W 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC 1 Eve Philmore Colburn
LAW 702	Products Liability [Details] Description This course presents an analysis and discussion of the American law of products liability. The focus of the course is on the major theories of liability with respect to injuries caused by the use of defective consumer products. We will cover the requirements of each of the major causes of action in product litigation, together with appropriate defenses and damages related to those causes of action.. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 2 View Th 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC 1 Eve Alex Grant
LAW 575	Professional Responsibility [Details] Description This course examines the ethics of lawyering and the various roles of the lawyer. We will discuss the nature and scope of the attorney's responsibilities and obligations to clients, society, the administration of justice, the profession, and the self. It covers legal and ethical standards and aspirations relevant to regulating the conduct of lawyers and the development of professional ethics. (Required Course) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View M,W 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC D Day Giovanna Shay 03 2 View M 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC C Eve Charles Dolan
LAW 511	Property [Details] Description Starting with the historical evolution of the concepts involved in real and personal property, this course will study the rights and duties of owners and possessors of property, priority of possession or property, and present and future interests in property. This course will also consider issues in landlord and tenant law, evidence of ownership or right to possession, methods of title assurance, commercial and noncommercial transfers of interests in property, the rescission, modification, interpretation and performance of transfer agreements and documents, and private controls on the use of property. This course may also explore conflicts between private ownership of property and community needs, the nature and purposes of types of shared ownership of property, and public controls on the use of property. (Required Course) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 5 View W 1:00 PM-1:50 PM/Room BLC A, F 10:30 AM-11:20 AM/Room BLC A Day James Gordon 02 5 View M,W 10:30 AM-11:20 AM/Room BLC B Day Arthur Gaudio 03 5 View W,Th 8:00 PM-8:50 PM/Room BLC 3 Eve William Baker
LAWP908	Public Interest Externship [Details] Description This course is the seminar component that accompanies a public interest or government externship placement that a student has been selected for through the externship application process. Students work 12-15 hours a week for a total of 168 semester hours engaging in a variety of legal work under the supervision of an attorney. Students may not receive compensation for work done in an Externship. Externships develop students' lawyering skills through participation in activities such as legal research and writing, client interviewing and counseling, factual investigation, development and implementation of case theory and strategy, negotiation, mediation, litigation and other forms of advocacy. Externships experiences will vary depending on the student's placement organization. Seminar assignments and readings are designed to complement the individual work experience by providing structure reflection on many aspects of the roles of courts, judges and lawyers in society. Students are required to maintain weekly time sheets and journals and complete a paper and presentation. Students may take no more than two externships for a maximum of six academic credits during law school. The externship placements must be substantively different. A student must successfully complete 32 hours of law studies before enrollment in an externship. A student may not simultaneously enroll in more than one clinic, more than one externship, or a clinic and an externship. Other requirements and further information about this course are available from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or Externship Coordinator. A 4 credit Externship Form must be completed for enrollment in the 4 Credit Government and Public Interest Externship Seminar. There will be a mandatory orientation meeting for all students participating in externships. The Mandatory orientation for all students doing an externship in the fall semester is Thursday, August 16, 10:00am to 2:00pm. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 14 4 View W 4:00 PM-5:50 PM/Room BLC 4 Day Harris Freeman
LAW 731	Remedies [Details] Description This course will survey the law of remedies in civil litigation. Students explore the principal forms of legal and equitable relief available to civil litigants. Throughout the term, the course will afford multiple opportunities for students to receive formative assessment, including practice in answering typical bar exam questions. This course has limited enrollment; permission of the professor is required. Students taking this course may not take LAW 761 Remedies: Injunctions. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View Tu,Th 9:00 AM-10:15 AM/Room BLC 3 Day Myra Orlen
LAW 744	Sales [Details] Description In this course students will study contract law in commercial settings governed primarily by Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Classroom discussion will focus on problem and case analysis and statutory interpretation, as well as practical problems in drafting, negotiating and enforcing agreements. (Taught by Prof. Reich-Graefe in Fall) In this course students will study contract law in commercial settings governed primarily by Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code. The course will also address differences in contracts governed by the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sales of Goods and distinctions in comsumer and business to business transactions. Classroom discussion will focus on problems and case analysis and statutory interpretation, as well as practical problems in drafting, negotiating and enforcing agreements. (Taught by Prof. Charity in Spring) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 3 View Tu,Th 8:00 PM-9:15 PM/Room BLC C Eve Rene Reich-Graefe
LAW 746	Secured Transactions [Details] Description Secured Transactions is an intensive study of consensual security interests in personal property under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. The course also involves a cursory examination of relevant provisions of the Bankruptcy Code, and side-glances at other Articles of the UCC. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 3 View M,W 8:00 PM-9:15 PM/Room BLC A Eve Henry Boroff
LAW 515	Skills Lab [Details] Description This Skills Lab is designed to provide first-year students with an introduction to the practical skills that are an important part of the lawyer's role. The course will help students appreciate the relationship between the course content of the doctrinal courses they are studying and the practice of law. The course begins with a simulation exercise in which students represent a client. Students will need to evaluate the client's interests. The Skills Lab will also include other lawyering skills such as translating the elements of a tort into a complaint filed to commence a lawsuit, resolving a legal dispute through settlement negotiations, constructing a discovery plan, drafting a contract, and arguing a motion. Students will also be introduced to the ethical rules that govern the practice of law. This course will meet once a week throughout the year. It will be taught by various faculty members. It is a not-for-credit element of the first year curriculum that will contribute to assuring that students become ready for the practice of law while in law school. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 0 View F 11:30 AM-12:20 PM/Room BLC A Day TBA 02 0 View F 11:30 AM-12:20 PM/Room BLC B Day TBA 03 0 View Th 8:30 PM-9:20 PM/Room BLC D Eve TBA
LAWS904	Small Business Clinic [Details] Description The Small Business Clinic will provide selected students with the opportunity to handle legal matters for small business clients under the supervision of the professor. Students work on transactional legal matters that are typical in the start-up phase of a business. The goal of the clinic is to expose students to the methodology and mindset of business lawyering. Law students work with the entrepreneurs to identify the legal issues new businesses confront. The course will consist of two full days of a mandatory orientation (prior to the start of the semester), weekly seminar classroom meetings, weekly one-on-one meetings with the professor, meetings with clients (often in the evenings) and participation in walk-in legal assistance. The clinical component will involve client interviewing, assessment and intake, along with legal research, drafting, and counseling as the situation requires. In an effort to operate the clinic as close to an actual law firm as possible, students are required to maintain client billing records through use of the clinic's time/document management software. Client work will require a minimum of 16 hours of work per week and other course commitments will require an additional four to five hours per week. The seminar portion of the course incorporates business and legal practitioners from the local area. Prerequisites: LAW 551, Business Organizations, LAW 553, Evidence. Evidence may be taken concurrently with the Clinic. A student is required to be SJC Rule 3:03 eligible. Enrollment is limited each semester to 8 students who have been selected through the clinic application process. A student must successfully complete 32 hours of law studies before enrollment in a clinic. A student may not simultaneously enroll in more than one clinic, more than one externship, or a clinic and an externship. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 6 View Tu 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC 2 Eve Robert Statchen
LAW 513	Torts [Details] Description This is a course concerning civil liability for harm inflicted on another. Topics studied may include negligent, reckless and intentional acts that inflict harm; defenses to claims of liability; the liability of owners or occupiers of land; and strict liability. (Required Course) Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 4 View F 9:30 AM-10:20 AM/Room BLC A, M,W 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC A Day Julie Steiner 02 4 View F 9:30 AM-10:20 AM/Room BLC B, Tu,Th 9:30 AM-10:45 AM/Room BLC B Day Barbara Noah 03 4 View M 8:30 PM-9:20 PM/Room BLC D, Th 6:00 PM-6:50 PM/Room BLC D Eve Erin Buzuvis
LAWS777	Transactional Lawyering Seminar [Details] Description This course emphasizes that thought processes and legal skills involved in the practice of transactional law. In this simulation course students will be broken up into "law firms" and will provide legal counsel to a party in a business transaction. One half of the class will represent one side of the transaction and the other half will represent the other side. Using a simulated transaction as the reference point, students will acquire an understanding of the lawyer's role in business transactions and will develop an appreciation of the business and legal issues that arise in transactional practice. As part of the simulation students will be required to interview a client, draft deal documents, and negotiate some deal points. Prof. Gouvin will use this course as the basis for selecting students to participate in the Transactional Law Meet Competition in the spring. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View Tu,Th 9:00 AM-10:15 AM/Room BLC 1 Day Eric Gouvin
LAWS681	Trial Methods [Details] Description This course utilizes a clinical approach to trial advocacy. Emphasis is given to the two complementary abilities necessary for effective trial advocacy - preparation and execution. Students will learn effective methods for analyzing and preparing a case for trial. In addition, students will practice the technical skills necessary to present their side of a case persuasively during a trial, including tactics and strategy in the courtroom, opening statements and closing arguments, examination of witnesses, admission and exclusion of evidence, questions of burden of proof, and preservation of rights on appeal. Prerequisite: LAW 553, Evidence. Enrollment limited to 20 students per section. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 03 2 View Tu 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC MTC Eve Paul Perachi
LAW 748	Trusts & Estates [Details] Description This course is a study of the inter-vivos and testamentary gratuitous transfer of property, including intestate succession, wills, and trusts. Also discussed are the duties and liability of the fiduciary, the use of charitable donations, and the raising of constructive and resulting trusts. Prerequisite: Law 511 Property. Sections Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor 01 3 View Tu,Th 1:00 PM-2:15 PM/Room BLC C Day William Baker

First Year Section Schedules

• Fall Semester
• Spring Semester

JD Degree Requirements

• JD Plan of Study
• Pro Bono Requirement
• Professional Skills Course Requirement
• Qualifying Writing Course Requirement

  
Prior Course Descriptions

• Prior Course Descriptions