Course Schedules and Descriptions for 2013 - 2014

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List of Courses: Spring 2013

Course Number List Courses are currently sorted by course number in descending order Alphabetical List Courses are not currently sorted by course number
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
01 4 View Tu,Th 10:45 AM-12:00 PM/Room BLC A,
F 10:30 AM-11:20 AM/Room BLC A		 Day Leora Harpaz
02 4 View F 10:15 AM-11:15 AM/Room BLC B,
W 10:30 AM-11:40 AM/Room BLC B,
Th 10:45 AM-11:55 AM/Room BLC B		 Day Jennifer Levi
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,
W 10:30 AM-11:30 AM/Room BLC A		 Day Matthew Charity
02 6 View Tu 11:00 AM-12:00 PM/Room BLC B,
W 1:00 PM-2:00 PM/Room BLC B,
Th 9:30 AM-10:30 AM/Room BLC B		 Day Amy Cohen
03 6 View M,W 7:00 PM-8:15 PM/Room BLC D Eve Sudha Setty
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 4 Day Beth Cohen
11 4 View M,W 6:00 PM-6:50 AM/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
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 M 10:30 AM-11:30 AM/Room BLC A,
Tu,Th 1:00 PM-2:00 PM/Room BLC A		 Day Taylor Flynn
02 6 View M,Tu,Th 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 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 M,W 1:00 PM-1:50 PM/Room BLC A,
F 9:30 AM-10:20 AM/Room BLC A		 Day James Gordon
02 5 View Tu 9:30 AM-10:45 AM/Room BLC B,
M 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC B		 Day Arthur Gaudio
03 5 View Th 7:30 PM-8:45 PM/Room BLC A,
W 7:45 PM-9:00 PM/Room BLC A		 Eve William Baker
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
03 4 View Th 6:00 PM-6:50 PM/Room BLC D,
M 8:30 PM-9:20 PM/Room BLC D		 Eve Erin Buzuvis
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
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
03 3 View M 7:30 PM-8:45 PM/Room BLC A,
Th 6:00 PM-7:15 PM/Room BLC A		 Eve Eric Gouvin
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
03 3 View M,W 6:00 PM-7:15 PM/Room BLC A Eve Arthur Leavens
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
03 2 View Tu 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC A Eve Kevin O'Regan
LAW 604 Advanced Torts: Business Torts [Details]

Description

Business Torts loosely refers to causes of action for economic harm between businesses or individuals acting within a business context, other than for breach of contract. This course will survey a variety of such causes of action not covered in depth in the basic contracts and torts courses, but which form the core of many lawyers' civil litigation practices. Topics covered may include breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, misrepresentation, tortious interference with contract and economic advantage, investor litigation, trade secrets, employment torts, unfair competition, and violation of state unfair trade practices statutes. Throughout the course, an emphasis will be placed upon the practicalities of business-related civil litigation, including strategy, the economics of business litigation and "best practices" lawyering. There is no casebook required for this course. All case materials and readings are available electronically or as handouts.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View Tu 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC 3 Eve Michael Blanchard
LAW 625 Land Use Planning [Details]

Description

This course will cover the fundamentals of land use currently in place in the United States. This will begin with the "takings" issue and go on to examine public zoning schemes and private land use, control through the use of covenants and private associations. Subdivision control statutes, "approval not required" plans and design standards for residential and commercial developments will also be covered. Throughout the course there will be discussions on how the practitioner can work most effectively with the boards that administer the zoning regulations. The course will conclude, time permitting, by examining active topics such as special district zoning and the impact of non-zoning enactments such as wetlands protection laws and other environmental statutes on land use decisions. Students may not take both this course and LAW 624 Land Use Controls.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View Tu,Th 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC 4 Day Julie Steiner
LAW 628 Advanced Criminal Law [Details]

Description

This course's goal is both to broaden and to deepen the students' understanding of criminal law. We will study in depth matter not addressed-or covered only briefly-in the first year. Topics may include crimes (such as theft offenses, rape, attempt, complicity, and conspiracy), defenses (such as self-defense, necessity, duress, diminished capacity and mental illness) and both constitutional and prudential limitations on criminalization and punishment.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
01 3 View Tu,Th 2:30 PM-3:45 PM/Room BLC E Day Anne Goldstein
LAW 632 Law Office Management [Details]

Description

This course will introduce students to the operation and management of solo practices, law firms, and corporate legal departments. Practices and techniques that assist in the ethical, professional, and profitable representation of clients while reducing stress and crisis situations will be presented through presentations, readings, and guest lecturers. Topics to be covered include: business planning; time management, accounting and billing; client recruitment and relations; technology and office systems; stress management and personal support; ethical responsibilities and professionalism.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View M 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC C Eve Michael Agen
LAW 641 Federal Tax Practice & Procedure [Details]

Description

This course will include the study of the U.S. tax system, the administration of the Internal Revenue Code by the Internal Revenue Service, procedural Problems in requests for adminstrative rulings, the handling of audits, the treatment of tax deficiencies and tax penalties, closing and compromise agreements, statutes of limitations, hearings before the Appeals Office, litigation in the U.S. Tax Court, the Federal District Court, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, collection matters, and criminal and civil aspects of fraud. Prerequisite: LAW 555 Income Tax I.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View W 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC C Eve Carmino Santaniello
LAW 642 Law and Social Change [Details]

Description

This seminar offers an investigation of issues faced by lawyers representing low-income clients and serving under-represented, disenfranchised groups. Cases, theoretical readings and historical texts are interwoven with several ends in mind: first, to provide a glimpse into the range of public interest work lawyers are engaged in and the intellectual foundations that guide these efforts; second, to consider the contexts in which the tools of public interest advocacy are more or less effective, with particular emphasis on the relationship of public interest lawyering to social movements of disenfranchised groups in American society. Third, to expose students to ethical issues and career development challenges that arise for public interest practitioners. The course grade will be based on students completing a variety of short written exercises, class participation and a major research paper. There will be no final exam. Enrollment limited to 20 students.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 2 View Tu 4:00 PM-5:50 PM/Room BLC 2 Day Harris Freeman
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
02 3 View Tu,Th 4:00 PM-5:15 PM/Room BLC A Day Taylor Flynn
LAW 644 Domestic Violence [Details]

Description

This course combines a scholarly and practice-oriented approach to understanding the legal response to domestic violence. Throughout the course, we will focus on the social context of battering, including how the experience of abuse is shaped by race, cultural identity, economic status, immigration status, sexual orientation, and disabilities. We begin with how the law recognizes domestic violence in relation to divorce, child custody, support, visitation, and the child protection matters. We will then cover the various legal remedies in both civil and criminal contexts and examine their efficacy. These include tort liability for batterers, federal remedies for survivors, such as the Violence Against Women Act, and the role of protective orders in both civil and criminal courts. Violence against women as a human rights violation, sexual assault law, and the role of the domestic violence movement are also introduced. The focus of this course is to examine current challenges and shortcomings in the legal response to domestic violence, then draft proposals for alternative strategies for systemic change.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View Tu 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC D Eve Giovanna Shay
LAW 650 Advanced Topics in Evidence [Details]

Description

Advanced Topics in Evidence is Evidence II. It builds on the basic Evidence course in two ways. First, it explores in detail topics that are either not covered or are covered somewhat quickly in the introductory course: privileges, expert witnesses, burdens of proof and presumptions, and best evidence and authentication rules. Second, it deepens one's understanding of several basic topics - hearsay, impeachment and character evidence -- by examining their constitutional law underpinnings through a study of the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. Prerequisite: :LAW 553 Evidence.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View Tu,Th 1:00 PM-2:15 PM/Room BLC 2 Day Samuel Stonefield
LAW 660 Closely Held Businesses [Details]

Description

As part of the advanced curriculum in the law of business organizations, this course provides an in-depth analysis of the myriad legal problems involved in the formation and operation of closely held businesses, i.e., those businesses whose ownership interests are not publicly traded. We will consider unincorporated business entities - including the general partnership, the limited partnership (LP), the limited liability partnership (LLP), and the limited liability company (LLC) - as well as the incorporated closely held business in the form of the close corporation. The main issues discussed for each form of business organization are the mechanics of entity formation; management and control of the closely held business; financial rights and liabilities of the entities owners; fiduciary duties among the entities owners; the transferability of entity ownership; and exit rights during dissociation and dissolution. Prerequisite: Law 551 Business Organizations.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View Tu,Th 2:30 PM-3:45 PM/Room BLC B Day Rene Reich-Graefe
LAW 664 Elder Law [Details]

Description

This course will focus on the legal problems associated with the elderly and the aging. Areas of instruction will include social, psychological, legal, and financial aspects of planning for the elderly. Topics of special concern will include Medicaid benfits, nursing home institutionalization, estate planning, and social security benefits. Other topics to be discussed will include abuse of the elderly, insurance issues, tax issues, health care proxies and guardianship issues, and creating and maintaining an elder law practice.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View Th 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC C Eve Elizabeth Lovejoy
LAW 672 Representing Children [Details]

Description

This course will review children's constitutional rights followed by a study in non-delinquency matters in which children are parties (Care and Protections, Children in Need in Services, etc.). Special emphasis will be placed on counsel's role in communicating with child clients and selecting litigation options (class actions, tort actions) to protect children's rights. Child-abuse matters and state's failure to provide children's services will be emphasized.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View W 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC 3 Eve Michael Donnelly
LAW 674 Employment Discrimination [Details]

Description

This course concerns discrimination in the workplace, with emphasis on different theories of discrimination and the application of those theories in a variety of settings. The primary focus is on the text and interpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended in 1991. Other areas studied may include the Age Discrimination Act of 1967, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View M,W 1:00 PM-2:15 PM/Room BLC C Day Erin Buzuvis
LAW 685 Bankruptcy [Details]

Description

This timely course constitutes an intensive overview of federal bankruptcy law. The course begins with the Chapter 7 and 13 liquidation and reorganization provisions of the Bankruptcy Code available to consumer debtors and goes on to examine the Chapter 11 reorganization provisions of the Bankruptcy Code available to business entities. Students are exposed to the perspectives of both debtors and creditors in the bankruptcy process. Students may not enroll both in this course and in LAW 719 Debtor-Creditor Relations. It is strongly recommended that LAW 746 Secured Transactions be taken previously or concurrently.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 3 View M,W 8:00 PM-9:15 PM/Room BLC C Eve Henry Boroff
LAW 686 Law of Health Care Entities [Details]

Description

This is a survey course that will cover a variety of issues relating to health care access, delivery and reimbursement for services. Topics will include the duty to provide care, discrimination in access to health care, insurance contract interpretation, federal regulation of insurance including ERISA, professional relationships in health care enterprises, and fraud and abuse.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
01 3 View Tu,Th 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC 3 Day Barbara Noah
LAW 688 Bioethics [Details]

Description

This is a survey course that will cover a variety of bioethics topics through the lenses of law, ethics, medicine, and public policy. Topics may include reproductive technologies and rights, medical decision-making, end of life care, distributive justice topics, and research on human subjects. This course also serves as a prerequisite to the QWC: Topics in End-of-Life Law.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
01 3 View Tu,Th 2:30 PM-3:45 PM/Room BLC 3 Day Barbara Noah
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
03 3 View Tu,Th 8:00 PM-9:15 PM/Room BLC B Eve Arthur Wolf
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
03 3 View M,W 6:30 PM-7:45 PM/Room BLC 1 Eve Bridgette Baldwin
LAW 717 Corporate Tax [Details]

Description

A study of that body of law devoted to the federal taxation of corporations with emphasis on the tax problems of small businesses, including the formation, structure, and distribution of profits by corporations. Also studied are stock redemptions, accumulated earnings, and personal holding company taxes. Taxation of partnerships will be included in the three-credit course. Prerequisite: LAW 747, Income Tax II.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View M,W 1:00 PM-2:15 PM/Room BLC D Day William Metzger
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
03 3 View Tu,Th 6:30 PM-7:45 PM/Room BLC 3 Eve William Metzger
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
02 3 View Tu,Th 1:00 PM-2:15 PM/Room BLC D Day Matthew Charity
LAW 747 Income Tax II [Details]

Description

A continuation of the study of the law as it relates to the federal taxation of the income of individuals. This course explores the tax concepts of realization and recognition of income, the character of gains and losses from the disposition of property, and tax accounting methods. The course also explores the role of debt in property transactions and may include a discussion of assignment of income principles. Prerequisite: Law 555 Income Tax I.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View M,W 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC D Day Frederick Royal
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
03 3 View M,W 6:30 PM-7:45 PM/Room BLC B Eve James Gordon
LAW 758 Post-Conviction Rights & Procedures [Details]

Description

This course will examine state and federal rights and procedures to which a state criminal defendant is entitled after conviction. Topics will include state direct appeals, collateral challenges to convictions, and challenges to state convictions in federal court. Areas of study will also include applicable standards of appellate review, preservation and exhaustion doctrines, and raising constitutional issues during post-conviction proceedings. Prerequisite: Law 501 Constitutional Law.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View M,W 1:00 PM-2:15 PM/Room BLC E Day Giovanna Shay
LAW 759 Adv Environ Law Seminar [Details]

Description

This seminar will examine advanced environmental law topics at the forefront of current policy debates about how we balance the needs of environmental protection in an industrialized society. The seminar will include an in-depth consideration of the law and policy concerning global climate change, energy law, disaster response, international environmental law, and the intersection between environmental law and land use development. Students enrolling in the seminar must prepare a final paper, make a presentation to the class, and actively participate in class discussion. Students will work with the professor to select a topic for the research paper, which can be drawn from topics covered in class or another topic of interest to the student and acceptable to the professor. Prerequisite: Environmental Law: Pollution Control.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 2 View M 1:00 PM-2:50 PM/Room BLC F Day Julie Steiner
LAW 760 Trademark Law [Details]

Description

This course surveys the legal rules and policies governing how producers of goods and services use trademarks, logos, product designs, and other devices to identify the source of their goods and services in order to protect their good will and prevent confusion in the marketplace. The course focuses primarily on the federal trademark statute and its recent amendments, as applied in both the traditional and electronic marketplaces.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View Tu,Th 2:30 PM-3:45 PM/Room BLC 4 Day Amy Cohen
03 2 View Th 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC 1 Eve Steven Coyle, George Pelletier
LAW 770 New York Practice and Procedure [Details]

Description

This description is designed to introduce the New York Court System and its procedure, pursuant to the Civil Practice Law & Rules (CPLR). The concept of jurisdiction in the state will be examined in detail as well as the commencement of a civil action and its interplay with jurisdictional principles, within, and outside New York's boundaries. A variety of issues will then be reviewed, such as service, defects of same, defenses to, and appearances. Important emphasis will be placed on limitations of time in actions, such as intentional torts, and medical malpractice, taking into account laches, tolls, extensions, and interposing other claims.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View M 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC 2 Eve Mark Powers
LAW 772 Non-Profit Law [Details]

Description

This class will focus on the unique legal status of non-profit organizations. Particular attention will be given to the different types of non-profit entities (including universities, hospitals, and religious organizations) and their organization, governance and regulation by both the federal government and the states. Specific topics will include the scope of non-profit activities; choice of organizational form; the powers and fiduciary duites of non-profit directors/trustees and officers; standing to sue non-profits, charitable immunity and limitations on the liability of non-profits; qualifications for federal tax-exempt status and related tax issues; forms of charitable giving and the regulation of fundraising; the investment and use of charitable giving and the other issues unique to non-profits.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View W 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC B Eve Justin Dion
LAW 776 Cybercrime Digital Evidence [Details]

Description

This course is designed to be an introduction to Cyber Crime and Digital Evidence. In this course, the students will explore how our current age of information and technology offers new challenges to the existing framework of not only criminal law but also criminal procedure, particularly within the investigative arm of the Fourth Amendment. We will discuss the use of digital evidence in criminal cases and offer a broader framework of digital evidence within the context of the Fourth Amendment. Key questions include: How has the age of information and technology spawned new types of crimes? What new techniques and practices are required to identify cybercriminal activity? How are law enforcement agencies responding to the dangers that cybercrimes create? This course will explore a range of central issues from deciphering the existence of a person's reasonable expectation of privacy in cyberspace to how law enforcement techniques are shifting from traditional mechanisms of crime control to new regulatory rules, including the use of technology.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View M,W 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC C Day Bridgette Baldwin
LAW 778 Intl Bus Transactions [Details]

Description

This survey course will consider some of the major private and public law issues involved in international trade and investment. The emphasis of the course will be on the private, transactional aspects of International Business Transactions. In particular, we will examine typical legal arrangements for (i) the international financing and sale of goods (including extensive coverage of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International sales of Goods - CISG), (ii) the non-establishment forms of foreign investment employed by market participants in order to generate business internationally (including licensing of intellectual property rights, international distributorship contracts, transfer of technology agreement, etc.), and (iii) the foreign direct investment of capital through the establishment of business operations abroad (both within the European Union and China). We will also discuss selected issues crucial to the avoidance and resolution of international business disputes. The pedagogical approach will involve the discussion of problems and the study of judicial and quasi-judicial decisions, regulations, statutes, and international agreements. Although Public International Trade Law is not the emphasis of this course, an overview of the structure and operation of both international and regional trade organizations, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) and The North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), will also be provided.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
01 3 View Tu,Th 10:30 AM-11:45 AM/Room BLC C Day Rene Reich-Graefe
LAW 781 Public Sector Labor Law [Details]

Description

This course will examine the regulation of labor/management relations in public employment, with emphasis on distinctions from the private sector model. It will cover such areas as the historical development of public sector labor unions, the right to join unions, the collective bargaining relationship, union security, mandatory subjects of bargaining, settlement of impasses, enforcement of the agreement and constitutional rights of public employees.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
01 3 View Tu,Th 1:00 PM-2:15 PM/Room BLC331 Day Peter Adomeit
LAW 782 Forensic Evidence [Details]

Description

This course will examine the evidentiary foundations necessary for the introduction and use of forensic evidence in both criminal and civil trials. Special emphasis will be placed on the practical application and use of complicated scientific evidence including medical evidence, DNA, ballistics, arson, fingerprints, toxicology and psychological/psychiatric testimony. The frame work around which these issues will be discussed are the Daubert/Lannigan cases and their progeny. It is highly recommended that students have completed a course in basic evidence Law 553 prior to enrollment.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View M 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC 4 Eve Louis Aloise
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
02 3 View Tu,Th 6:30 PM-7:45 PM/Room BLC 4 Eve Anne Goldstein
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
02 3 View M,W 9:00 AM-10:15 AM/Room BLC 1 Day Samuel Stonefield
LAW 951 Independent Study: Tutorial [Details]

Description

In this form of independent study from one to three students can engage in tutorial study with a faculty member on a mutually agreed upon subject area. Typically the subject studied will not be covered in depth in a regularly scheduled law school course and the students shall have the necessary background knowledge to engage in specialized study in the area. A full-time faculty member with expertise in the area to be studied must agree to be the tutorial instructor. Although a tutorial may have a one to one student/teacher ratio, at the discretion of the faculty member up to three students may enroll in a tutorial. The one to three students will meet with the instructor for weekly or bi-weekly sessions to discuss substantive issues that the student(s) are studying based upon outside reading or research assignments. One or more papers related to the subject matter of the tutorial shall be written by each student during the semester. In cases where more than one student is enrolled in a tutorial, the instructor shall have the discretion to require that each student write separate paper(s) or to allow each student to do a substantial part of a larger project. The faculty member shall decide the grading policy for the Tutorial Study and that policy shall be communicated to the student. The faculty member must choose either a numerical (55-99) or pass/fail grading system. Requirements: A student who has successfully completed 43 credits of law studies may take a Tutorial Study course with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. A Tutorial Study Form must be completed and signed by the faculty instructor and approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs before registration in a Tutorial Study. Each Tutorial Study, including its scope, coverage, credit hours (from 1 to 3 credits), course guidelines, and method of grading must be approved by the faculty instructor and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs after full disclosure by the student(s) of the content and scope of all prior independent studies (LAW 951 and LAW 952) undertaken by the student(s). 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 1 View - TBA TBA
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 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
04 1 View M 5:00 PM-6:00 PM/Room BLC A Eve Giovanna Shay
05 2 View M 5:00 PM-6:00 PM/Room BLC A Eve Giovanna Shay
06 3 View M 5:00 PM-6:00 PM/Room BLC A Eve Giovanna Shay
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 E Day Jeanne Kaiser
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-4:50 PM/Room BLC F Day Myra Orlen
LAWS617 Criminal Pre-Trial Practice [Details]

Description

This course is aimed at developing student written and oral advocacy skills in the pre-trial phase of criminal litigation. The course will concentrate on the pre-trial stages of a hypothetical criminal case. The course will allow students to work on this case from the pre-trial conference up to jury selection. Students will brief and argue typical evidentiary and discovery motions arising prior to trial. The course will also address pre-trial strategies and preparation, including motions in limine and jury instructions. At the end of the term students will present oral arguments on motions to suppress statements, identification and evidence. The course will require at least 4 hours of preparation per session. Class attendance is mandatory. Enrollment is limited to 16 students.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View Th 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC 4 Eve Charles Groce
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 W 8:00 PM-9:50 PM/Room BLC MTC Eve Charles Belsky
LAWS728 Mediation [Details]

Description

This course will provide training in both the theory and methodology of divorce and family mediation and essential mediation skills. The class is interactive, and students will have the opportunity, in almost every class to practice mediation skills. A basic understanding of Massachusetts divorce law and/or entry level family law course is strongly recommended. Some states, by statute or rule of court, set standards for court-based mediators. Massachusetts requires basic mediation training and professional practice under the supervision of a community-based mediation program before practitioners may serve as court-based mediators. This is a basic mediation course that qualifies successful students for an internship or practicum in a community dispute resolution program for supervised practice and for advanced mediation training. Mediators develop their skills through a lifetime of practice. This is the first step. Enrollment limited to 18 students.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View M 5:20 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC 3 Eve Oran Kaufman
LAWS769 Negotiation,Mediation & Arbitration [Details]

Description

This course will focus on negotiation and other methods of dispute resolution, with emphasis on negotiated settlement, mediation and arbitration. Negotiation theory and alternative tactics and strategies will be examined, with focus on practical skills by way of example and simulated exercises. Various methods of alternative dispute resolution will be discussed in the context of different areas of legal practice and substantive law. Students will participate in both a simulated negotiation and a simulated mediation. In addition, the course will cover the arbitration process from both a substantive law and practical skills standpoint. Students will have an elective opportunity to write an Arbitrator's Decision and Award as their final paper, based upon the evidentiary submissions in an actual case. Enrollment is limited to 20 students. Students who have taken LAW 609 Negotiation: Strategies & Practice may not enroll in this course.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View Tu 6:00 PM-7:50 PM/Room BLC B Eve Mark Mason
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
02 4 View M 4:00 PM-5:50 PM/Room BLC CLN Day TBA
LAWS903 Real Property Practice Practicum [Details]

Description

In the Real Estate Practicum, students experience the world of real estate practice and real estate practitioners and discuss and reflect on those experiences and observations in a weekly seminar, all with the goal of helping each student to prepare for the practice of law. To accomplish this goal and to provide this experience, the practicum has three required segments: an initial training, an externship and a seminar. 1) Initial Training: In preparation for the externships, the first two weeks of the semester involve hands-on training, homework and simulations in title examination and residential real estate closings. 2) Externships: The externship involves placements with real estate professionals and requires a commitment on 10 hours per week (two sessions of 5 hours). You do your externship as a member of a two-person team. One member of the team is initially placed with a real estate attorney specializing in residential real estate, the other with an attorney at a title insurance company. Each team member works for six weeks with one attorney or the other and then switches right before spring break. In both placement, you will work on a variety of title, closing, contract and related problems and will observe the operation of a law office and the interaction with clients, staff and other real estate professionals (brokers, lenders, appraisers, surveyors). As indicated on the List of Pairings, two team placements are in Springfield; two are in Connecticut (Windsor Locks and Hartford); one is split between Springfield and Hartford. 3) Seminar: The seminar component consists of a weekly 2-hour seminar meeting, with required readings and discussions structured and led by the two faculty members and frequently featuring presentations by experts in different aspects of real estate transactions. As prerequisites for the course, students must have taken 2 or more of the following 6 courses: land Finance and Transfer, Conveyancing, Real Estate Transactions, Taxation of Property, Land Use and Landlord-Tenant. The more prerequisites you have taken, the better, and Professors Baker and Stonefield strongly urge students to take (and will give preference in selection to students who have taken or will take) Land Finance and Transfer or Conveyancing. Enrollment is limited to 10 students in the spring semester only 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
02 4 View W 4:00 PM-5:50 PM/Room BLC 1 Day William Baker, Samuel Stonefield
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
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
02 6 View W 2:30 PM-4:20 PM/Room BLC MTC Day Tina Cafaro
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
02 2 View W 10:00 AM-11:50 AM/Room BLC F Day Hisham Abouelleil
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
02 5 View W 9:00 AM-9:50 AM/Room BLC F Day Hisham Abouelleil
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
02 6 View W 10:00 AM-11:50 AM/Room BLC E Day Lauren Carasik
QWC 692 Advanced Legal Research and Writing [Details]

Description

Advanced Legal Research and Writing is a qualified writing course that will further develop and refine the research, analysis, citation, and writing skills introduced in the first-year course. With close supervision and guidance, students will be expected to develop their own research strategies using a wide range of research materials. Students will be responsible for maintaining a research log and bibliography for each project. The writing component of the course will consist of trial motion memoranda, nonlitigation-drafting projects, or appellate briefs. The students will also present an oral argument and serve on an appellate panel, based on the appellate briefs. The course will include peer assessment, self-editing, small group, and individual conferences, and class presentations. The class will meet once a week for two hours. Enrollment is limited to 24 students.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 2 View Th 6:00 PM-8:00 PM/Room BLC 2 Eve Jeanne Kaiser
QWC 714 Bus Planning: Advising Entrepreneur [Details]

Description

This seminar examines the legal problems faced by entrepreneurs during the early stages of start-up and operation. This course will acquaint students with many of the legal issues associated with entrepreneurial ventures including choice of entity, financing arrangements, ownership agreements, and general business issues. The objective is to give participants an introduction to the legal problems they are likely to encounter as lawyers for the enterprise. Prerequisites: Completion of LAW 551, Business Organizations and completion or concurrent enrollment in LAW 747, Income Tax II. Recommended, but not required: LAW 717, Corporate Tax or LAW 671, Partnership Tax. Limited to 16 students.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View M,W 2:30 PM-3:45 PM/Room BLC 1 Day Eric Gouvin
QWC 733 Alternative Reproductive Techology [Details]

Description

Just days after the turn of the last century, Justice OConnor commented in a family law case that, the demographic changes of the past century make it difficult to speak of an average American family. The composition of family varies greatly from household to household. Among these demographic changes and family composition are families formed by access to alternative reproductive technology (ART). While some states have attempted to update laws to reflect the reality of the growing number of families created and shaped by common law developments and a mosaic of regulatory and non-regulatory public policy. This course will focus on the broad range of topics with which individuals and their families intersect when accessing ART. Topics included, among others, will be: surrogacy; use, ownership and control of frozen embryos, second-parent adoption for non-genetic (sometimes same-sex) parents, insurance coverage, regulation of donor insemination; relevant provisions of uniform laws; and, role and enforcement of contracts in this area. The course will include a practice component as well as coverage of doctrine. A basic family law course LAW 643 is a prerequisite for this class.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 2 View W 2:30 PM-4:20 PM/Room BLC D Day Jennifer Levi
QWCS723 Estate Planning [Details]

Description

This course is the study of the inter vivos and testamentary disposition of accumulated wealth. Students draft simple and complex estate plans. Emphasis is given also to the tax and non-tax considerations that influence the transfer and future management of wealth. Prerequisites: LAW 722 Estate and Gift Tax and LAW 748 Trusts & Estates. Enrollment limited to 20 students.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 4 View Tu,Th 10:00 AM-11:50 AM/Room BLC D Day William Baker
QWCS757 Federal Litigation: Pension Rights [Details]

Description

This simulation course focuses on the pre-trial stages of a hypothetical ERISA case in federal district court. Although some aspects of substantive ERISA law will be addressed, the chief aims of the course is to provide students with an opportunity to improve their writing, oral advocacy, and negotiation skills and to consider the strategic, political, and ethical dimensions of federal court litigation. Each student will be required to write several briefs and to present at least one oral argument. In addition, each student will draft a complaint or an answer, draft a discovery plan, prepare for a pre-trial conference, and engage in settlement negotiations. This is a Restricted Withdrawal class which means that a student enrolled in the class may not withdraw subsequent to the second class of the semester (see, Academic Standards Part A, VI, B). Enrollment limited to 24 students.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
03 3 View M,W 4:00 PM-5:15 PM/Room BLC 4 Day Bruce Miller
QWCS780 Criminal Procedure Simulation [Details]

Description

This course concentrates on the procedural stages of two hypothetical criminal cases from arraignment through trial. The principal purpose of the course is to provide students with an opportunity to improve their writing and trial skills in the context of preparing and trying a state criminal case. Students will be required to research, write and re-write pretrial motions along with supporting affidavits and memoranda of law and to litigate two simulated exercises, a pretrial motion to suppress and a jury trial. Prerequisites: LAW 706 Criminal Procedure: Investigation and LAW 553 Evidence. Students, who have not taken or registered to take LAW 905 Criminal Law Clinic, will be given priority in registering for this course. Enrollment is limited to 16 students.

Sections

Section Credits Books Time/Location D/E Professor
02 3 View M,W 10:30 AM-11:10 AM/Room BLC MTC Day Arthur Leavens

First Year Section Schedules

JD Degree Requirements

  
Prior Course Descriptions