In addition to required and concentration courses, law
students in their second and third years will be able to
choose from a variety of elective courses that interest them.
The following list is not exhaustive and this dynamic set of
electives is expected to change depending upon appropriate
factors such as emerging trends and student interest.
Elective courses may not be offered each year.
Accounting for Lawyers
An introduction to the basic concepts of financial
accounting. Intended for students with little or no
accounting background, the course is designed to equip these
students with the fundamental skills necessary to read and
critically review a corporation’s financial statements.
Admiralty
A study of admiralty jurisdiction including the relationship
and competence of both state and federal courts in maritime
matters. The course will review various subjects of maritime
law including maritime liens, rights of injured seamen and
other maritime workers, carriage of goods by sea, charter
parties, salvage, general average, collision, limitation of
liability, marine insurance, towage and pilotage.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
The study of various forms of ADR, including mediation and
arbitration. The course will examine the appropriateness and
effectiveness of various forms of ADR in particular
situations and types of action. The focus of the course will
be to prepare students to represent clients during the ADR
process. Various federal and state ADR processes will be
examined.
Antitrust
A study of unfair trade practices and antitrust law. The
course will cover topics such as monopolies, price fixing and
kickbacks. It will also examine various unfair trade
practices and federal and state statutes prohibiting such
practices.
Child Advocacy Law
A study of legal issues particularly relevant to children.
Topics covered include parental custody and support,
emancipation, termination of parental rights, adoption, abuse
and neglect, delinquent and undisciplined children, and
dealing with local government agencies, such as the
Department of Social Services.
Conflict of Laws
A study of the law relating to transactions in which any
operative fact occurs outside the state where legal
proceedings are instituted, or which involve other
significant extrastate elements. The course examines choice
of law methods utilized by various courts to decide the
applicable law in given cases and examines the logic and
constitutionality of such methods. It also touches on issues
related to recognition and enforcement of judgments,
including the Full Faith and Credit Clause.
Contract Planning
This course reinforces the substantive law learned in the
first-year Contracts course by allowing students to apply the
law they have learned. Students will learn about contract
negotiation, planning and drafting and will draw on these
practical skills, as well as their substantive knowledge from
Contracts, in representing clients in simulated contract
exercises.
Education Law
A study of the legal problems of public and private
educational institutions. The course will examine
Constitutional provisions impacting the educational setting,
as well as applicable federal and state statutes. Topics
covered include academic freedom, students’ rights,
teachers’ rights, and anti-discrimination statutes.
Elder Law
The study of legal issues particularly relevant to the
elderly. Topics covered will include health care and related
documents such as “living wills” and health care
powers of attorney, as well as benefits such as Social
Security, Medicaid and Medicare.
Employment/Labor Law
A study of state and federal employment law. Topics covered
include common law claims such as breach of contract and
wrongful discharge; wage and hour laws; anti-discrimination
laws; and concerted labor activity and collective bargaining.
Entertainment and Sports Law
A study of the legal and business aspects of the
entertainment and sports industries. In particular, the
course will emphasize the aspects of contract and
intellectual property law unique to this subject area.
Environmental Law
The study of state and federal environmental regulation.
Relevant state and federal statutes, regulations and case
decisions will be examined, with particular emphasis afforded
federal statutes such as the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and the Comprehensive
Environmental Response and Liability Act (CERCLA).
Estate and Gift Taxation
A study of the tax consequences of transfers of property.
Applicable federal and state statutes will be examined. The
course will be primarily taught through hypothetical estate
planning situations and problems highlighting the statutes
and rules covered.
Estate and Gift Planning and
Administration
A seminar focusing on the role of careful planning and
drafting in the estate and gift transfer areas, with
particular attention to the goal of minimizing estate and
gift tax liability. The course will also cover the
fundamentals of estate administration.
Health Law
This course will cover the major legal issues related to the
health care system. Health care decision making through
various legal documents, e.g., health care powers of attorney
and “living wills,” will be addressed. In
addition, issues related to representing medical personnel
and hospitals, including defense of medical malpractice
suits, will be discussed.
Introduction to Immigration Law (LAW
740)
This course will examine United States immigration and
naturalization law. INS regulations addressing admission of
aliens, deportation, and citizenship will be addressed.
Insurance Law
This course covers the basics of insurance law, including
the nature of insurance, insurance contract formation and
interpretation, and government regulation of the insurance
industry. Various types of insurance, such as property,
health, life, and disability, will be covered.
Intellectual Property
This course covers the basic principles of intellectual
property law in the United States and internationally. The
course provides an overview of the law governing the securing
and exploitation of property and other rights in ideas,
including protection by patents, copyrights, trademarks,
state legislation, and the common law.
International Law (Public)
A study of the basic rules and principles governing the
conduct of nation-states and international organizations and
their relations with each other. Topics covered include
traditional sources of international law such as treaties,
international humanitarian law, and international
jurisdiction.
Internet Law
This course examines the legal issues triggered by the
emergence of the Internet. Topics covered include the
regulation of Internet access and domain names; contract
formation, execution and enforceability; personal
jurisdiction and choice of law; trademark and copyright
infringement; and privacy concerns.
Jurisprudence
An in-depth study of ideas about law and its instruments of
enforcement. Various schools of jurisprudential thought will
be considered, as the theory behind our laws and legal system
and the role law plays in our culture are explored.
Legal History
A study of the development of legal institutions and the
origins of Anglo-American law. Topics covered include the
origins of the court system and the evolution of the roles of
judges, attorneys and juries; the development of forms of
action and the pleading system; and the development of
various areas of law, such as contracts, property and torts.
Negotiation and Mediation (LAW 760)
This course examines and practices theories of effective
action negotiating and mediating in both dispute resolving
and transactional contexts. Making extensive use of short
exercises and longer simulations, this course provides
multiple opportunities to learn by and from doing. Regular
course feedback is provided by peers and faculty, and if more
than 12 students enroll, an adjunct will join the course to
help provide individualized, video-based feedback regarding
performances in longer simulations. Assessment consists of
regular normative feedback regarding short reflective papers
and anonymous, summative assessment of an end-of-term written
assignment.
Products Liability
A study of the tort liability of suppliers of products,
focusing primarily on manufacturers and retailers. The course
will examine the likely causes of action and defenses in such
actions and review pertinent state and federal statutes and
regulations, particularly in the areas of tort reform.
Remedies
This course examines the various remedies available to
claimants in civil litigation. It will cover damages,
including compensatory, punitive and statutory damages.
Equitable remedies such as injunctions and accountings will
also be covered. Restitutionary remedies will also be
addressed.
Supervised Service-Learning, Research and
Writing
This course requires students to perform sequential tasks in
an integrated model of community contribution, research and
intellectual advancement.
Workers Compensation
This course will cover the origins and basic principles of
the workers compensation system. Topics covered will include
coverages, benefits, jurisdiction, preparation for trial by
applicant and defendant, analysis of findings and awards,
reconsideration and judicial review.
