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Seminars Courses
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Fall Semester
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| Great Trials Seminar |
LAW 675 2 Hours |
| This seminar serves as a capstone course for students interested in becoming trial lawyers. Through in-depth study of famous trials and the lawyers who tried them, students will draw out the lessons that can be learned about trial practice and procedure, trial techniques, the law of evidence, and ethical issues. The seminar also will expose students to some of the history of the trial process and the legal profession. With the advice and consent of the instructor, each student will select a significant criminal, civil, foreign, or international trial to study. Each student will write a paper about the trial and make a presentation to the seminar class. Enrollment limited to 15. S/U (Pass/Fail). Seniors only. |
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| Jurisprudence of Legal Practice & Legal Ed Seminar |
LAW 660 2 Hours |
| NOT offered FALL 2009. In this seminar we shall study various jurisprudential ideas and various ideals that have shaped the development of U.S. legal practice and legal education since the founding of the Republic until the present day. Our purpose is to help us become more reflective legal professionals who understand the power of ideas and ideals in shaping our social and professional realities, so that we can choose more consciously those ideals of professional excellence we want to guide us in our professional lives. For many, such ideals of professional excellence are at the heart of the concept of professionalism. Confronting an apparent decline in lawyer professionalism in recent years, the legal profession itself, in particular the American Bar Association (ABA), is increasingly stressing the importance of raising the level of professionalism among lawyers. In short, this seminar invites us to confront the question, “What kind of person/lawyer (who) do I want to be?” Not offered 2006-07.
Specifically, following an introductory component (1 week), Part One of the seminar (7 weeks) will address the jurisprudence of legal practice. We shall read and seek to evaluate Anthony Kronman’s book The Lost Lawyer: Failing Ideals of the Legal Profession (1993). In his book, Kronman analyzes and celebrates the classic professional ideal of the lawyer-statesman, possessing the virtues of practical wisdom and civic-mindedness, which was highly influential during the early part of the nineteenth-century and which has continued to be influential since that time. Kronman also examines various institutional forces in law firms, courts and law schools that have put pressure on the lawyer-statesman ideal and that have generated various competing professional ideals. Part Two of the seminar (3 weeks) addresses the jurisprudence of legal education. We shall study a succession of jurisprudential ideas, as well as their impact upon the lawyer-statesman ideal (thereby also continuing a theme of Part One of the seminar). These ideas include: classical common law theory, Langdellian legal science, sociological jurisprudence, American legal realism, legal process jurisprudence, fundamental rights jurisprudence, law and economics, critical legal studies, feminist jurisprudence, the law and literature movement, and postmodern jurisprudence. In Part Three of the seminar (3 weeks), participants will present a paper on a topic related to the subject matter of the seminar. Participants will also make presentations based on the assigned readings during the meetings in Parts One and Two of the seminar. Enrollment limited to 15. Seniors only. |
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| Mass Media Seminar |
LAW 447 2 Hours |
| This seminar covers the theoretical basis for regulation of broadcasting by the Federal Communications Commission; the legal, technological, and economic structure that has produced our system of electronic media regulation; laws and regulations which apply specifically to electronic media; finally, some of the more important laws applicable to both print and electronic media. A seminar paper is required. No prerequisites are required, but it is suggested that students complete one course in the Administrative Block before enrolling in the seminar. Enrollment limited to 15. Seniors only. |
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| Tort Law Seminar |
LAW 656 2 Hours |
| The seminar will focus on selected current issues in the law of torts in the context of the classical principles of civil liability. Reading assignments will include in-depth analytical treatments of landmark judicial decisions in the law of torts, as well as contemporary cases and statutes. Students will prepare individual research papers on topics chosen with the approval of the instructor and will present the results of their research to the class in the latter weeks of the course. Grading will be based on the quality of the research paper, the oral presentation of that paper, and class participation. Numerically graded. Enrollment limited to 15. Seniors only. |
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Spring Semester
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| American Indian Law Seminar |
LAW 429 2 Hours |
| This seminar will examine the body of law dealing with the status of American Indian tribes, their special relationship to the federal government, and the governmental policies underlying that relationship. It will focus on the major questions in Indian law today, including the legal interrelationships among tribal, state, and federal governments; tribal gaming and economic development; claims of tribal membership and identity; and tribal rights to natural resources. Each student will prepare a research paper on a current topic, chosen with the approval of the instructor, and will present the results of her or his research to the class. Grading will be based on the quality of the research paper, an oral presentation of that paper, and class participation. Limit: 15 students. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. 3Ls only. |
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| Animal Law Seminar |
LAW 496 2 Hours |
| This seminar will examine the growing number of cases and statutes addressing the legal protections accorded to non-human animals. The subject of animal law is not synonymous with the animal rights movement, nor with any particular political, moral, or ethical agenda. Recent activism in this field, however, has raised a number of interesting questions about the status of animals in the law. Attention will be given to statutory protections for chimpanzees, porpoises, and the great apes, regulatory restrictions on the uses of laboratory animals, lawsuits seeking compensation for the loss of companionship of pets, wills creating trusts for the non-human beneficiaries, and animal cruelty and neglect statutes and their potential application to domestic livestock, veterinary practice, the entertainment industry, and hunting, horseracing and other sports. The course will consist of assigned readings of cases and secondary material and the supervised preparation of a research paper on a topic of each student's choosing. Seniors only. Graded. Enrollment limited to 15. |
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| Constitutional Law Seminar |
LAW 423 2 Hours |
| The course permits in-depth analysis of major problems in Constitutional Law. Active participation by all students is emphasized. S/U Enrollment limit of 15. Seniors only. |
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| Corporate Issues Seminar |
LAW 521 2 Hours |
| The seminar focuses on the theoretical and practical nature of the corporate entity, with some attention given to its historical development, sociological and political influence, and social responsibility. Students will complete a research paper on a topic of their choice and present it orally to the seminar. Pre-requisite: Business Associations. Enrollment limited to 15. Graded. Seniors only. |
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| Criminal Law & Psychiatry Seminar |
LAW 493 2 Hours |
| This course will explore the intersection of the criminal justice system and psychiatry. Each week will focus on a topic in which issues of mental health impact the criminal law. The course is jointly taught by a law school professor and a professor from the School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry. The faculty member from the School of Medicine will present an overview of the relevant medical issues as to each topic, including overview of diagnoses, nature of the clinical examination as performed for legal purposes, and relationship of diagnoses to relevant legal issues. Each student will prepare a research paper on a topic, chosen with the approval of the instructor, and will present the results of his/her research to the class. Grading will be based on the research paper, an oral presentation of that paper, and class participation. No prerequisite. Numerically graded. Limit 15. Seniors only.
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| Domestic Relations Seminar |
LAW 444 2 Hours |
| The course will focus on issues in the area of family law that are not covered in Domestic Relations or that are worthy of more in-depth study than is possible in the basic course. The specific areas of focus may differ from year to year. One substantial research paper will be required in lieu of an examination. Domestic Relations is a prerequisite or corequisite. Enrollment limited to 15. Seniors only. S/U |
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| Higher Edu Law and Policy Seminar |
LAW 516 2 Hours |
| This course examines the legal issues and public policy concerned with higher education in the United States. The course will include consideration of the history and structure of American colleges and universities, academic freedom, tenure, student rights, research ethics, issues of race, disability, governing boards, and related legal concerns that apply to colleges and universities, higher education associations, and the role of university general counsels. In addition to examining the relevant statutes and cases, the course will include readings from history and social science. A seminar paper and a presentation of the paper will be required. Enrollment limited to 15. 3Ls only. S/U |
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| International Law Seminar |
LAW 483 2 Hours |
| The purpose of the seminar is to explore at a general and theoretical level the recurring problems of international law. In particular, attention will be given to the nature of the state and of sovereignty, the relationship between international law and internal legal systems, and the extent to which international law can be normative. Consideration also will be given to the implications for international law of the various schools of jurisprudence, most notably positivism, empiricism, and natural law. (Prerequisite International Law) Enrollment limited to 15. Seniors only. S/U |
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| Law & Cinema Seminar |
LAW 419 2 Hours |
| The Law and Cinema Seminar focuses on representations of law and the legal system as they appear in popular cinema. The class will explore several film genres (e.g., film noir, science fiction, and westerns) and discuss the way in which the popular cultural representatives of law both reflect and re-inscribe certain presumptions about law and its role as a social system. Students will watch between 10 to 12 films throughout the term and will read and discuss the academic literature on cinema as a narrative vehicle. Each student will be required to write a substantive research paper designed to address some aspect of law and film, and will be required to give a short in-class presentation of their work. Numeric grading. |
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| Law and Rhetoric Seminar |
LAW 551 2 Hours |
| This course explores classical and contemporary rhetorical theory and studies the relationship between law and rhetoric. Students will read selections from texts on rhetorical theory to identify the structures and strategies of argument and persuasion. Students will read, analyze, and critique various legal arguments, including judicial opinions, speeches, and legal scholarship. Course assignments will include a series of papers applying rhetorical approaches to current legal and cultural controversies. The course will be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. |
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| Legal Ethics Seminar |
LAW 511 2 Hours |
| This seminar explores a wide variety of issues in legal ethics selected, in consultation with the professor, by each enrolled student to respond to his or her anticipated future employment situations or own personal questions about the role of the lawyer. The issues explored in these research projects can vary from philosophical or theological matters to very specific ethical regulatory questions and all areas in between. A general theme, attempting to unite these research projects, will be offered by the professor through lectures, in class exercises, and round table discussions. Attendance is required. The class is pass/fail with this decision being made on the basis of the quality of the student's participation in discussions, several required work-in-progress presentations of the projects, weekly or bi-weekly journaling with the professor regarding the student's project, and one paper or formal presentation of the project to the class. Seniors only. S/U
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| Sports Law Seminar |
LAW 553 2 Hours |
| Weekly discussion topics include Agent Representation of the Professional and College Athletes, the Professional Team Sports Player in Contract, Anti-Trust and Collective Bargaining, Professional Sports Franchises, Sports Broadcasting, Merchandising and Intellectual Property Law, Commissioners and "the best interests of the game," Intercollegiate Sports and NCAA Regulation, Gender Equity, Individual Sports, and Disability and the Right to Play. Weiler and Roberts, SPORTS AND THE LAW, 3rd ed., and handouts serve as background for the weekly discussions. There will be at least one guest who will address one or more of the seminar topics. A seminar paper is required. Prerequisite: Anti-Trust or Labor Law. Enrollment limited to 15. Seniors only. S/U |
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| Topics in the Jurisprudence of Crimes Seminar |
LAW 489 2 Hours |
| The course addresses basic issues relating to the substance of crime and punishment: reasons for punishment; the appropriateness of incarceration rather than other forms of deterrence; the nature of criminal harm; the moral significance of harm; the role of causation in determining culpability; consent to crimes; objective and subjective views of criminality; the development of particular crimes and modes of criminality, e.g., conspiracy, accomplice liability, and so on. We will read material that sets out and reflects upon some of the primary philosophical foundations for our conceptions of freedom and responsibility. Will require a major paper and journal. Although the amount of reading is manageable, the content is not for wimps. This spring, we will consider issues related to excuses and justifications in criminal jurisprudence. Numerical Grade. Enrollment limited to 15. Seniors only. |
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| Transportation Law & Politics Seminar |
LAW 527 2 Hours |
| This course explores how transportation laws tend to structure road wars, sprawl fights, pork-barrel politics, and community planning. The course highlights the real people who help make hard transportation decisions about such things as where the rubber meets the road. Seniors only. S/U |
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