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Elective Course Descriptions
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Accounting for Lawyers (3 units)
This course will provide a technical and conceptual foundation in financial
accounting skills which are relevant for attorneys who advise business entities.
Accordingly, this course will emphasize the interpretation and use of financial
statements and accounting schedules in the practice of law and their related
legal implications. This course will be very different from most tradition Law
School courses which typically employ an extensive study of relevant case law;
instead, this course will primarily focus on interpreting relevant accounting
pronouncements and concepts.
Administrative Law (3 units)
This course considers the relationship between agencies and the other branches of government, the rulemaking and adjudicatory procedures by which agencies implement congressional statues, and the role of the courts in reviewing agency actions. The course will examine the tension between allowing agencies the flexibility to manage complex regulatory and benefit programs efficiently, while at the same time ensuring fair treatment and accountability to those they serve. For anyone considering practice in a regulated area, like Business Law, Corporate Law, Employment or Labor Law, Environmental Law, Poverty Law (etc.), the course provides essential insights into the regulatory process and agency operations.
Advanced Criminal Procedure (3 units)
An in-depth historical analysis of the fundamental rights of the criminally
accused focusing on the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments. This course
explores the Supreme Court’s changing perspective on criminal law, particularly
the period from the Warren Court decisions of the 1960's to the present Roberts
Court perspective. The course includes various practical demonstrations on the
utilization of constitutional criminal procedure in the litigation of criminal
cases. Pre-requisite: Criminal Procedure.
Advanced Legal Research & E-Research (2 units)
A course designed to teach “real-world” legal research skills that
will prepare students for the research challenges they will encounter in legal
practice. Assignments, lectures, and regular hands-on in-class exercises will
emphasize cost-efficient research strategies, legal technology and current resources
for attorneys, as well as Internet research. Written assignments will emulate
research assignments typically given to attorneys new to practice.
Alternative Dispute Resolution Survey (3 units)
A general introduction to the field of ADR. This addresses the enforceability
of arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution agreements, as well
as the ethical issues raised in the field. A series of simulations will be used
to introduce students to the theories and skills used in negotiation and mediation.
Animal Law (3 units)
A survey of the law’s understanding and treatment of animals by looking
at the development of federal and state policies toward wild, domestic, and
companion animals. Specific topics may include the history of animal law, the
concept of animals as property, the application of tort and remedies law to
injuries by and to pets, protection of animals by cruelty and other laws, and
constitutional issues raised in cases involving animals.
Antitrust (3 units)
A study of federal and state laws promoting a free market economy. The course
also considers some aspects of the competition laws in their international application
including the laws of jurisdictions outside the U.S. The focus is on legal prohibitions
against price fixing combinations, restraints of trade, monopolization of markets,
and anti-competitive mergers. The main laws studied are the federal Sherman
Act, Clayton Act, and Federal Trade Commission Act. Emphasis is placed on the
ability to evaluate the antitrust risks present in proposed business and marketing
plans.
Antitrust & Intellectual Property Law (2 units)
The course will address the relationship between antitrust and intellectual
property law, including a summary of those related laws.
Appellate Advocacy (3 Units)
An advanced advocacy course that teaches the complementary skills of brief writing
and oral argument at a sophisticated level
Arbitration (3 units)
This course explores arbitration as a means of dispute resolution. The course
is designed as both a lecture and practice course. The lecture portion of the
course describes legal principles applicable to arbitration derived from statutory
and decisional authority. In the practice portion of the course students draft
arbitration agreements, advocate for and against arbitration, and experience
the differences between advocacy in arbitration and advocacy in court.
Art Law (2 units)
This course covers contemporary legal, ethical, and public policy issues that
involve visual artists (primarily painters and sculptors) and art collectors,
dealers, auction houses, and museums. It explores diverse issues comprising
a broad area of legal practice including, where appropriate, comparisons with
laws of other countries. The focus is on artists’ continuing rights in
works; the application of intellectual property laws to visual art; how theft,
forgery, and contracts affect the art market; regulation of the art market;
and government subsidy and control of art. When time allows, the course also
looks at museum administration; protection of national art treasures; and international
cultural property issues.
Asian Legal Systems (2 units)
This course examines the constitutions and legal systems of the leading countries
in East Asia, including China, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan,
Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The focus will be on business laws,
competition laws, human rights, intellectual property laws, and dispute resolution
mechanisms. The court system of each country is examined along with some of
the cultural, historical, and religious antecedents of each legal system which
influence the role and rule of law in that country in the present day.
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Bankruptcy (3 units)
A study of creditors' rights and debtors' protection under the Federal Bankruptcy
Code. The course provides an overview of liquidation and reorganization, both
for individuals and corporations. Debtor-creditor relations under state law
are also considered, both as an alternative to bankruptcy and as they relate
to proceedings in bankruptcy.
Bioethics and Law (3 units)
Focusing on the interface of law, medicine, and ethics, this course will examine
issues concerning reproductive rights, death and dying, medical research, genetic
technology, access to health care and health care decision making.
Biotechnology Law (2 units)
An overview of intellectual property and regulatory issues impacting the biotechnology
and pharmaceutical industries. Basic principles of licensing, litigation, and
international law will also be discussed. The course focuses on the impact of
the legal system on research, products, and intellectual property for companies
and institutions. Consideration is given to: (1) How do legal issues promote
or hinder the development of technology, (2) What role should ethics and public
health concerns play in the law, and (3) Does a “one size fits all”
patent law make sense for biotechnology. A prior course in intellectual property
law or some life science background is helpful but not required.
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California Environmental Law (3 units)
An exploration of key aspects of environmental law practice in California, such
as Proposition 65 (a unique and frequently litigated law that governs toxics
warnings and discharge limitations), CEQA (California’s environmental
review statute), hazardous substance liability laws. The course introduces the
most significant California regulatory agencies and their practices. It also
examines the complex interplay between federal and state environmental laws
and regulatory structures.
California Legal Research (1 unit)
Designed primarily for second, third, and fourth-year law students who are planning to practice law in California, this overview course will provide practical legal research skills to help prepare students to conduct legal research as clerks, interns, or new attorneys. Assignments, lectures, and regular hands-on in-class exercises will emphasize cost-efficient research strategies, print and online legal materials, and law practice technology. Written assignments will emulate research assignments typically given to attorneys new to practice. Lectures and assignments will focus on California law, court systems and practice materials.
Carriage of Goods/Passengers by Sea (2 units)
An introduction to the law governing international transportation of cargo and
passengers by ocean carrier, including a comparison of the duties and liabilities
arising from the transportation contracts. The course examines both statutes
and federal common maritime law. The carriage of goods portion of the course
focuses on the ocean bill of lading that is the primary document in the vast
majority of international transactions for the sale and delivery of goods. The
carriage of passengers portion of the course examines the basic duties owed
to a passenger by an ocean common carrier and contrasts the liability scheme
applicable to a passenger common carrier with that of a cargo common carrier.
Chinese Law: Contracts (2 units)
A close study of Chinese contract law, a foundation course in law schools of
China. The course will examine the formation of a contract, classification of
contracts, capacity of parties, contract interpretation, performance and breach,
and compare Chinese and American contract law. Students will also be introduced
to principal legal issues of Chinese contract law.
Chinese Legal System (2 units)
This course provides a general introduction to the Chinese legal system including
the organization of the courts, and the legal culture. It focuses on Chinese
business law particularly as it relates to foreign trade and foreign investment
in China. There is also coverage of the international arbitration process and
other alternative dispute methods used in China.
Commercial Law: Sales (3 units)
A study of the legal rights and obligations arising from sales and leases of
goods. The course includes coverage of Articles 2, 2A, and 6 of the Uniform
Commercial Code and other sources of sales and leasing law, including the UN
Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) Following
an examination of formation, terms, and enforcement of sales contracts and leases,
one or more of the following special topics may be covered in depth using practice
exercises: (1) liability for loss or injury caused by defective products; (2)
product performance and consumer rights and remedies; and (3) drafting and negotiating
sales contracts and personal property leases.
Commercial Transactions (3 units)
A basic introduction to Commercial Law surveying, primarily, Articles 2, 3, and 4 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Coverage includes an examination of the reciprocal rights, duties and responsibilities of sellers and buyers of goods. The course also examines the payment system, focusing on the principles of commercial paper and bank deposits and collections, including the relationship of the commercial bank and its customers.
Community Property (2 units)
A survey of the development and operation of the community property system in
California. Particular emphasis is placed on an analysis of the creation of
and nature of interests in community property and the distinction, sources,
and classification of individual and community property. Coverage includes vesting
of rights, transmutations, presumptions, tracing, commingling, and apportionment
and disposition of property upon death or lifetime dissolution of marriage.
Pre-requisite: Property.
Comparative Law (3 units)
An overview of the legal
systems of Western Europe, Latin America and Asia. The traditional legal systems
of selected African and Asian nations and their melding with the civil and common
law are examined in depth. Legal transplants and political transitions are considered,
especially in the area of constitutional law.
Complex Civil Litigation (3 Units)
A course in advanced civil procedure which focuses on procedural problems arising
in multi-party and/or multi-forum cases, especially in "mass torts"
such as asbestos, IUD, breast implant and tobacco cases, including class actions.
The problems discussed include: the recent history of mass tort litigation;
review of class actions and other devices for consolidated resolution of "common
issue" cases in federal and state courts; a comparison of class actions
in federal and state courts; problems of "nationwide" class actions;
competing class actions; problems of federalism; discovery problems in complex
cases; problems of aggregative determinations of damages; and court control
of settlements and attorney fee awards
Constitutional Rights in “New Europe”: Central European
Perspectives (2 units)
An examination of constitutional developments in New Member States of the European
Union, especially the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, since the
collapse of communism in 1989. The course focuses on democratic constitution-making
and the development of constitutional rights culture in those countries in the
last two decades. All major issues of constitutional rights are discussed within
the context of European integration and recent attempts at the EU constitution-making.
Copyright Law (3 units)
A survey of the exclusive property rights given to authors, artists, designers,
computer program writers, composers and performers under federal and state law.
Emphasis is placed on the ability to advise both creators and users of data,
information and creative works. Coverage is also given to related rights
such a moral rights, and the right of publicity.
Corporate Accountability and Social Justice (2 units)
A seminar exploring corporate social responsibility and considering the impact of corporate activities on human rights and the environment. Students will gain an understanding of the legal norms of accountability emerging from international human rights doctrine, regional jurisprudence and U.S. case law. Topics covered will be include paramilitary security forces, control of water supplies and other natural resources, pollution and toxic dumping in minority communities, and climate change.
Corporate Governance (3 units)
An exploration of the issues and principles related to an organization’s
corporate governance, focusing on the interrelationship of an organization’s
shareholders, directors and management. The course surveys and analyzes recent
changes to organizations’ corporate governance structures and operations;
the roles, duties and legal liabilities of an organization’s directors
and officers; and the increasing federalization of areas of corporate governance
that traditionally had been governed under state corporation law. Particular
emphasis will be given to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Corporate Taxation (3 units)
An in-depth study of the federal taxation of corporations and their shareholders.
Coverage includes formation and capital structure; dividends and other distributions;
redemptions, liquidations, and reorganizations; elections under Subchapter "S";
and some special problems affecting professional corporations. Pre-requisite
or Co-requisite: Federal Income Taxation
Corporate Transactions (3 units)
This course examines the legal issues involved in several typical corporate
transactions. Students are introduced to the “deal” process, substantive
legal issues and deal terms, and then gain hands-on experience reviewing agreements
and drafting documents related to corporate formation, ancillary matters, equity
and debt financings, an asset sale transaction and a merger transaction. The
class includes instruction on the process and components of structuring and
effecting corporate transactions, with an emphasis on practical application.
Prerequisite: Corporations; Recommended: Securities Regulation.
Corporations and Business Associations (4 units)
A basic course in corporate law, including the concept of the entity and its
liabilities, management, promotion, financing, and organization. Coverage includes
the issuance of shares, elections, and the proxy system; control devices and
special problems of the close corporation; derivative suits and basic securities
regulation.
Cyberspace Law (3 units)
This course studies the emerging body of law relating to cyberspace, focusing
on the Internet and online services. The course considers how to adapt law to
cyberspace, looking at case law, statutes, and other methods of regulation.
Topics include jurisdiction, computer crime, electronic privacy and encryption,
free speech in cyberspace (including online indecency), online torts (including
spam and defamation) and intellectual property in cyberspace. While prior exposure
to cyberspace is helpful, no special expertise is required.
Cyberspace Law Seminar (2 units)
Through preparation of a paper and class discussions of selected books and law
review articles, this seminar permits students to delve into the debates raging
in cyberspace legal scholarship. Students will consider how hard it is to afford
strong intellectual property protection online while maintaining a vibrant public
domain, to ensure safety and accountability online while not intruding on personal
privacy, and to protect vulnerable members of the community while not trampling
on online free speech. The relationship of technology to law and to society
is also considered. Prerequisite: either Cyberspace Law, Electronic Commerce,
or Information Technology Law
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Death Penalty Law (3 units)
A course examining the law governing application of the death penalty in the
context of the moral, social, and political questions raised by capital punishment.
The course considers key issues, including the meaning and limits of the Eighth
Amendment; attempts to enact constitutional death penalty statutes; jury selection;
the roles of trial and appellate courts in the process; the effect of race in
the application of the death penalty; and post-conviction review of capital
sentences. Prerequisites: Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure
Directed Research (1 or 2 units)
A non-classroom course permitting independent and original research in a specialized
area of the law under direction of a full-time faculty member.
Discovery (2 units)
An advanced course in the discovery and other related aspects of civil procedure.
Emphasis is placed on the conduct and use (both at trial an in the negotiation
of settlements) of oral depositions, written interrogatories, production of
documents, and other discovery and disclosure techniques.
Discovery Practice (2 units)
Utilizing pretrial discovery methods in a practice environment, students learn
how to draft written discovery, prepare for and take oral depositions, prepare
document requests, and use other discovery methods in order to prepare a case
for settlement or trial. There is additional emphasis on expert witness retention
and discovery. Prerequisite: Discovery
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Elder Exploitation, Abuse, and Related Issues (2 units)
Elders represent the fastest growing, yet among the most vulnerable members
of our society. Topics include elder financial and physical abuse, undue influence,
consent, conservatorship proceedings, EADACPA (Elder and Dependent Adult Civil
Protection Act), nursing home litigation, duties performed by the Ombudsman,
Public Guardian, Adult Protective Service workers, right-to-die, and end-of-life
issues. Prerequisites: Criminal Law, Evidence
Election Law (3 units)
This course explores the federal and state laws that regulate the political
process and elections, with a focus on California law. Specific areas covered
include the right to vote, ballot access, redistricting, the nomination process,
campaigning for office, campaign finance, the Voting Rights Act, the role of
the courts in election disputes, political parties, election administration
and voting systems, bribery and related ethics principles, and ballot propositions,
including initiative, referendum and recall measures. No background in politics
or political science is required. Recommended: Constitutional Law
Electronic Commerce Law (2 units)
This course explores typical U.S. and foreign legal issues arising from the
international dimension of today’s world trade, e.g., establishing an
electronic business, domestic and trans-border marketing and sales of goods
and services via the Internet, licensing and enforcing copyrights, patents and
trademarks, offering Internet access and other telecommunications services,
and worldwide dissemination of information.
Employment Discrimination (3 units)
A survey of federal law prohibitions against, and remedies for, employment discrimination,
including discrimination on the basis of race, ethnic origin, sex, age, and
disability. The principle focus is on Title VII, the Age of Discrimination in
Employment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, but California Law is
also discussed. Among the issues covered are: the nature and proof of discrimination,
justifications for discrimination, harassment as discrimination, the “reasonable
accommodation” requirement, and innovative approaches in the field.
Employment Law (3 units)
This course surveys the rapidly evolving law of the workplace and the rights
and responsibilities of employers and employees. Its focus is on the developing
legal limits to the traditional “employment at will” doctrine. Common
law topics include implied contract theories, the covenant of good faith and
fair dealing, and wrongful discharge claims. The class also explores the trend
toward statutory regulation of the workplace by analyzing some of the federal
laws governing specific terms and conditions of employment. The class also introduces
some of the issues arising from the intersection between employment and intellectual
property law, including employers’ use of non-competition agreements and
trade secret protection.
Employment Law Seminar (3 units)
Students explore advanced topics in employment law, as well as the process of
writing academic papers. Each student prepares a paper on an employment law
topic of their choice and presents it to the class during the term. Prerequisite
or Co-requisite: Employment Law, Employment Discrimination, or permission of
the Professor. Prerequisite: Employment Law, or Employment Discrimination, or
permission of the Professor.
Entertainment and Media Law (2 units)
A study of legal and business issues which arise in the creation, distribution and sale of products and services in the music, radio, television, news media, publishing, theater, and movie industries. Coverage includes components on sex and violence in entertainment and the law; privacy rights and defamation issues; celebrity rights; fair use; the implications of technological innovations on intellectual property in entertainment; artistic credit and control; and emerging issues in the creation and digital distribution of content. Prerequisite: Copyright Law, or Intellectual Property Survey.
Environmental Law (3 units)
An overview of federal environmental law and regulation covering the primary
common law approach to environmental issues, nuisance law, and addressing the
major federal environmental statutes’ role in land use, pollution control,
and liability for hazardous contamination. The course we will focus on the following
themes: (1) How does the nature of an environmental problem affect the crafting
of the legal response? (2) What are the primary ways in which pollution control
mechanisms are or could be structured? (3) What are the economic and efficiency
implications of various pollution control and liability policies? (4) What
are the fairness implications of various pollution control and liability policies?
(5) How does or should environmental law cope with the problem of scientific
uncertainty? (6) How have concerns about federalism been manifested in pollution
control law? (7) What are the respective roles of Congress, the executive branch,
and the courts in shaping environmental policy?
ERISA (3 units)
An overview of pension, health and employee benefit law. The subject touches
trusts, tax, labor, torts, insurance, investments, state/local legislation and
family and estate law. Emphasis is placed on litigation subjects, such as denial
of medical/retirement benefits, age discrimination, and fiduciary duty.
European Economic and Political Integration (1 unit)
A comparison of regional organizations created to integrate Europe with a focus on the constitutional arrangements of the European Union. A comprehensive understanding of the functioning of the European Union will be illustrated through an analysis of the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital among European countries as well as foreign and security policy of the Eurpean Union. A special emphasis is given to current and future relations between the European Union and the United States as well as to the role that the European Union can play in the international legal order and in foreign and security policy matters.
European Union Law (3 units)
An introductory course designed to give an overview of the law of the European
Union from a comparative perspective. Coverage includes an historical overview
of the European Union and an examination of the sources and nature of European
Union law. There is an emphasis on judicial interpretation and control of European
Union law.
Evidence Advocacy (2 units)
A course emphasizing practical application of the rules of evidence to trial
skills problems. During the semester students work through drills and exercises
designed to enhance and clarify understanding of the Federal and California
Rules of Evidence as well as improve trial presentation skills. Co-requisite:
Evidence
Expert Evidence in Intellectual Property Litigation (3 units)
This course examines evidentiary issues of importance to intellectual property
litigators. Emphasis is on considerations of what evidence to present and how
best to present it to judges and jurors. Prerequisite: Evidence.
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Family Law (3 units)
A study of the legal and policy issues involved in the regulation of the family.
The course surveys state and federal law as it impinges on the family, including
issues related to marriage, divorce, child custody, spousal abuse, child neglect
and abuse, nontraditional families, and new reproductive technologies.
Family Wealth Transfer Taxation (2 units)
A problem oriented course involving an introduction to the various wealth transfer taxes: the Federal estate and gift taxes and the tax on generation-skipping transfers. The course will also present basic estate planning techniques including inter vivos gifting and marital deduction planning.
Federal Courts (3 units)
A study of the role of the federal courts in the constitutional system, with
particular attention to the doctrines of separation of powers and federalism.
The course will consider the constitutional and statutory jurisdiction of the
federal courts, the various doctrines permitting the courts to defer or decline
jurisdiction, and the relationship of the federal courts to state law and state
courts.
Federal Income Taxation (3 units)
A problem-oriented introduction to the fundamentals of federal income taxation,
particularly as they apply to individuals, including gross income, exclusions,
deductions, assignment of income, capital gains and losses, non-recognition
transactions, and income tax accounting. Emphasis is on the development of skills
necessary for working with the Internal Revenue Code and issues of tax policy.
First Amendment: Free Speech and Religion (3 units)
An overview of First Amendment freedoms: speech, press, and religion. The course
examines contemporary theoretical approaches to understanding the First Amendment
in several contexts including, obscenity, violent, hateful and threatening speech,
Internet speech, artistic expression, defamation, privacy, advocacy and dissent,
reporter’s privileges, commercial speech and anonymity, as well as the
evolving religious liberty doctrines of nonedorsement and incidental effects.
In each area there is an attempt to answer whether restrictions are justified
and if so, the appropriate scope for such restrictions. Prerequisite: Constitutional
Law.
Forensic Evidence (3 units)
The course is an advanced trial advocacy and evidence course concentrating on
the preparation and presentation of scientific and technical expert testimony.
The course explores treatment of scientific and technical testimony by the Federal
Rules of Evidence and the common law. Students take and defend expert depositions
and argue pre-trial motions to exclude expert testimony or other evidence. Pre-requisite:
Evidence.
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Gender and the Law (3 units)
A study of the construction and treatment of gender under the law. Students
will critically examine a number of different feminist legal theories of gender
equality and the application of these theories to law and social policy. Topics
include gender-based violence, reproductive rights, intimate relationships,
and gender identity discrimination.
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Health Law (3 units)
An overview of the U.S. health care system with an emphasis on California law.
Topics include access to healthcare, medical malpractice, informed consent (including
experimental treatments and right to die), patient privacy rights, fraud and
abuse, provider licensing (individual and facility) and regulation, managed
care and insurance regulation, Medicare/Med-Cal, scope of practice regulation,
and public health responses to health crises
Housing Discrimination Seminar: Residential Segregation (3 units)
After examining the history and causes of economic and racial residential segregation,
the class critically evaluates legal and policy solutions to it. Legal responses
are considered, such as federal fair housing law, the N.J. Supreme Court’s
Mt. Laurel doctrine, and the Gauntreax litigation. There is an analysis of policies,
including various federal housing and community development programs, a metropolitan
revenue-sharing programs, and proposals to reallocate land use authority from
local governments to regional entities. Prerequisite: Property.
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Immigration Law (3 units)
An overview of U.S. immigration and citizenship laws, including the statutes
and the public policy contexts, regulations and judicial decisions. Topics covered
include nonimmigrant visas, how to obtain and retain lawful permanent resident
status, exclusion at the border, grounds for deportation, deportation hearing
procedures, relief from deportation, administrative appeals, federal judicial
review, asylum, and citizenship and naturalization.
Information Privacy (3 units)
This course examines the legal protection of privacy. It explores the interaction
of common law, constitutional law, and the patchwork of statutes that endeavor
to protect privacy. Topics will include tort privacy claims, privacy of medical
information, privacy and law enforcement, privacy and computerized records,
and privacy at work.
Insurance Law (3 units)
This course is designed to provide a practical guide to the application of insurance
to everyday legal practice. The course focuses on understanding, interpreting
and enforcing coverage found in commercial general liability, property/homeowners,
automobile, and other types of insurance policies, and also focuses on the potential
liability of insurers for bad faith and extra-contractual damages. Emphasis
is on the function of insurance in civil litigation, business transactions,
protection of property and personal security, and the role insurance plays in
shaping, and being shaped by, public policy.
Intellectual Property Seminar (3 units)
This seminar permits students to specialize in Intellectual Property by preparation
of a paper and seminar discussion. Topic papers include advanced issues in all
aspects of Intellectual Property law, from technical subjects such as patent
and trade secret issues in computer programs and biotechnology to trademark
and unfair competition issues in marketing to entertainment law issues in the
rights of publicity and privacy. Prerequisites: either Copyright Law, Cyberspace
Law, Intellectual Property Survey, Patent Law, or Trademark Law
Intellectual Property Survey (3 units)
A survey of rights under U.S. state and federal law for the protection of new
technology and inventions (trade secrets and patents), business symbols and
literary titles (trademarks), and industrial design (design patents), and rights
in works of authorship (copyrights) While the course focuses on American law,
it will also introduce students to various aspects of international intellectual
property law. It is highly recommended that this course be taken as a foundation
to for the advanced study of intellectual property.
Intensive Advocacy Program (3 units)
A two-week summer program in which students study pre-trial and trial advocacy
skills under the guidance outstanding trial attorneys from the Bay Area and
around the country. The program includes approximately 80 hours of lecture,
demonstration, and practice workshops covering interviewing, taking and defending
depositions, pre-trial motions, evidence, direct and cross-examination of witnesses,
opening and closing statements, and voir dire. At the conclusion of the program
each student conducts a jury trial. All students perform individual exercises
related to each subject and are given extensive feedback on their performance.
Many of the exercises are videotaped and there are additional critiques of the
videotaped performances. The program is offered each year during the first two
weeks of the summer break. Students who have completed a course in Trial Practice
are not eligible to enroll. Prerequisite: Evidence
International Business and Civil Dispute Resolution (3 units)
This course exposes students to the doctrines and skills of the international
practitioner negotiating contracts, dealing with contract related disputes,
and securing enforcement of transnational business arrangements for sales and
investment. The substantive principles covered will include procedural mechanisms
such as transnational service of process and taking evidence abroad. Principal
subjects will also include jurisdiction, forum selection, enforcement of foreign
judgments and a major emphasis concerning international arbitration. Students
will apply the substantive coverage in skills exercises involving the drafting
and negotiation of contracts.
International Business Transactions (3 units)
This course examines the legal issues that arise when business dealings span
different nations. The course begins with a discussion of the environment of
international business, including an introduction to international trade law,
the world economic environment, and international tax issues. Next, a series
of representative transactions are explored, including export sales, agency
and distributorship, licensing, joint ventures, and other strategic agreements.
International Economic Relations (3 units)
This course examines the legal structure of the international trade system.
It considers the United States Customs and trade laws and policies impact on
International trade. The impacts of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT),
the World Trade Organization (WTO), the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) and the movement of good within the European community. It reviews the
impact of Tariffs and trade policies on the free movement of goods.
International Environmental Law (3 units)
This course is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of international
institutions, an understanding of the major environmental problems facing the
global environment, and insight into the difficult political, moral, and scientific
issues facing the on-going development of international environmental law. Specific
environmental issues to be considered include: air pollution, ozone depletion,
climate change, water resources and pollution, hazardous materials, and endangered
species and biodiversity. The course also briefly consider the connections between
international environmental law, trade, and financial institutions. There are
no prerequisites and no prior knowledge of international or environmental law
is necessary or expected.
International Human Rights (3 units)
An introduction to international human rights documents and the procedures and
mechanisms available for protecting and promoting human rights. It covers regional
systems as well as the United Nations human rights bodies. It also includes
the use of international human rights law in United States courts, addressing
direct treaty application, customary international law, and its use as an interpretive
guide. Readings on how to conduct fact investigation are also discussed.
International Intellectual Property (2 units)
A course in designed to prepare students for transactional work and litigation
in an international IP practice with an understanding of some of the economic
and cultural issues underlying IP law in other parts of the world. The course
covers patents, trademarks, copyrights, unfair competition and trade secrets
in the context of foreign laws and international agreements and treaties.
International Taxation (3 units)
An introductory study of the application of the federal income tax laws to nonresident
aliens and foreign corporations and United States citizens, residents and corporations
investing funds or conducting business in the international setting. Consideration
is also given to the impact of bilateral tax treaties and tax planning for multinational
business enterprises.
International Trade, the WTO, and the Environment (3 units)
A seminar exploring the relationship between international trade law under the
WTO and the impact trade law has on the environment. The course focuses on environmental
trade cases decided by the WTO that relate to public health and the environment,
air pollution, food safety, and endangered species. Topics covered include:
(1) the causes of environmental degradation and the interaction with trade law;
(2) the structure, role, and function of the WTO as it relates to international
environmental trade law; (3) the WTO dispute settlement process of environmental
trade cases; and (4) the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in WTO
disputes. The seminar will also address emerging issues under the WTO related
to energy security and accessions of new members such as China.
Interpersonal Dynamics for Attorneys (3 units)
This course teaches skills and competencies essential to effective negotiating,
client counseling, and working cooperatively with other lawyers (co-counsel,
partners, and other associates) Objectives of the course include increasing
student’s awareness of both how they have an impact on others and how
others have an impact on them. By becoming more aware of their own, and others,
reflexive reactions, students will be better equipped to exercise conscious
control over the choices they make and the way they react to negotiations, conflicts,
and other interpersonal interactions. Class attendance and participation in
interactive exercises is essential.
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Judicial Process (1 unit)
This course is required for all students enrolled as part-time or full-time
judicial externs. The class meets for seven sessions each semester to examine
different perspectives on the judicial process and share judicial experiences.
Prerequisite: Evidence, Co-requisite: Judicial Externship
Judicial Review (3 units)
The proper role of the courts in interpreting the Constitution will be studied
in this seminar. The class analyzes various possible sources of guidance in
judicial interpretation of the Constitution including text, history, popular
opinion, moral values, and democratic theory. Over the course of the semester
students will role play as lawyers before the Supreme Court and as Supreme Court
Justices, briefing, arguing, deciding, and drafting opinions for some of the
most important constitutional decisions in our history and some of the most
controversial constitutional issues of today.
Juvenile Law (3 units)
This course examines the central areas of law that impact children, with emphasis
on representing child clients in dependency cases, delinquency cases, and custody
disputes. Students will become conversant with the seminal cases affecting children
and the application of child advocacy through California statutes and case law.
The course will be presented in a lecture format that encourages student involvement.
Prerequisite: Criminal Procedure, Constitutional Law (recommended)
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Labor and Employment Seminar (3 units)
Students explore advanced topics in labor and employment law, as well as the
process of writing academic papers. Each student will prepare a paper on a topic
(of their choice) and present it to the class during the term. Prerequisite
or Co-requisite: either Labor Law, Employment Discrimination, or Employment
Law.
Labor Law (3 units)
This is an overview of the statutory, administrative, and judicial decisions
in the field of employer-union-employee relationships and the collective bargaining
process. Emphasis is on the National Labor Relations Act and the cognate legislation
as affecting union organization, representation and employee rights. The course
will focus on the nature of the labor and management in the global marketplace.
Land Use Law (3 units)
Land is the focus of intense legal and social conflict. In this course, students
learn the basics of land development and the regulation process (including zoning,
planning, and subdivision law), with an emphasis on California law. The course
explores contemporary land use struggles, including accommodating population
and job growth, preserving the environment, providing affordable housing, and
respecting property rights (“takings”) Prerequisite: Property
Law and Literature (3 units)
Lawyers are involved in a long term discussion of issues such as causation,
moral responsibility and natural law. Sometimes the debate is carried on in
jurisprudential, philosophical terms, but it has also been the subject of great
narrative works of art. Shakespeare, Dickens, and Kafka, for example, constructed
comprehensive artistic worlds in which these issues could be examined. Their
work influenced other artists. Over time, artistic elements emerged which are
now part of every lawyer’s world and work. This course examines artistic
precedents which continue to define the life of a modern lawyer. Students will
read Shakespeare, Dickens, Melville, Kafka, Shaw and Sophocles, and also consider
certain modern films, including To Kill a Mockingbird.
The Law of Doing Business in Europe (2 units)
An examination of the main aspects of the structure of the European Union (EU) and the basic legal tools for American lawyers to represent American and other companies doing business in Europe. Fostering international trade is a core objective in the development and expansion of the EU. Open borders and the free movement of goods and services between member states could not have been achieved without special attention to eliminating protectionist "legal barriers". This course will cover Europe's substantive and procedural legal approach to international trade.
Law of Settlements (2 units)
This course prepares students for the most common outcome of any litigation:
resolution by settlement. The course explores the theory and practice of settlements,
including the fundamentals of settlement agreements, issues arising in complex
matters such as class actions and mass torts, techniques for negotiating settlements,
and procedures to enforce settlements.
Legal Analysis (2 units)
The goal of this course is to improve a participating student’s legal
analytical and writing skills. Student work products from their first year are
evaluated to target individual goals. Students will review and further develop
legal research, thinking, issue spotting, organization, synthesis, and analysis
skills. Writing strategies and techniques will be applied to a variety of assigned
problems. Extensive individualized written feedback will be provided throughout
the course.
Legal Drafting (2 units)
Lawyers solve problems. Legal Drafting helps students solve problems by working
on the skills lawyers use in their practice. The skills covered include: 1)
Legal analysis, the ability to apply the law to the facts of a problem; 2) Fact
gathering in preparing a case; 3) Fact analysis; 4) Lawyering tactics, both
in the handling of a case and in the drafting of a document; 5) Ethical consideration
in decision making; and, of course, 6) writing well. In developing their skills,
students will draft or rework documents such as memoranda of law, points and
authorities, briefs, investigation plans, discovery plans, depositions, closing
arguments, affidavits and statutes.
Legal Issues and Terrorism, Post 9/11 (2 units)
An exploration of the tension between national security and civil liberties by studying the powers of the President and the Congress to declare and wage war; the detentions of enemy combatants and “ghost detainees”; the application of the Geneva Conventions and other international laws and treaties to the detainees; the role of military commissions and administrative Combatant Status Review Tribunals; the Military Commissions Act of 2006; the Supreme Court; the administration memos regarding the war on terror, including the several torture memos; Abu Ghraib and the war in Iraq.
Legal Scholarship Seminar (3 units)
An introduction to various legal theories and to writing legal scholarship.
Classes are divided between exploring different legal theories and assisting
students in preparing their own paper of publishable quality. The theories studied
(including formalism, legal realism, feminism, critical race theory, gay legal
theory, law and economics, and law and psychology) are intended to provide insights
and inspiration for students in their own writing.
Local Government Law (3 units)
Local governments impact the everyday lives of citizens more directly than any
other level of government. They provide important services and control the physical
development of land. They are major employers and offer opportunities for citizens
to exercise their democratic rights. Constitutional law, statutory law and common
law each mediate local governments’ myriad relationships with federal
and state government. Using classic and contemporary legal problems, this course
examines various types of local governments, how they are formed, their limited
powers, how boundaries are revised, inter-local conflicts and regional issues.
Prerequisite: Property
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Maritime Law (3 units)
A survey of maritime law and the practices and procedures affecting today's
maritime industry. Emphasis includes studies of admiralty jurisdiction; maritime
torts to person and property; maritime liens and mortgages; the doctrines of
limitation of liability, general average, salvage, and un-seaworthiness; and,
the use of maritime remedies, such as vessel arrests and foreign attachment.
Marriage Law (2 units)
This course investigates the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of the
legal institution of marriage. Topics covered include coverature, polygamy,
incest, divorce, anti-miscegenation statutes, spousal control over medical treatment,
and the contemporary debates over same-sex marriage. The course examines the
ways by which the State regulates who and who may not marry, the authority of
state statutes, federal law, and constitutional provisions over the marital
relationship, the benefits and burdens that attach to marriage, and the influence
that social mores, State interests, religious beliefs, and individual desires
exercise over the right to marry. Literature and film will assist in illuminating
the doctrinal tensions found in case law. Prerequisite: Constitutional Law (recommended).
Mediation (3 units)
An introduction to the theory and practice of mediation, the development of
mediation skills, applications to different substantive areas, and emerging
legal issues. Although the class will focus on the mediation process, communication
skills, negotiations, and the spectrum of dispute resolution options will be
introduced.
Murder: A Study of Deadly Human Violence (3 units)
This course considers the problem of deadly human violence through the lens
of the law and non-legal cultural representations, including literature, film,
and other materials. The course begins by examining the legal definitions of
homicide, comparing that crime to assisted suicide, another killing which society
condemns, and then considers motivations for killing and circumstances affecting
responsibility. It also explores killings beyond “ordinary” murder
– serial killings, mass killings, and state-inflicted homicide. Throughout,
consideration is given to society’s pervasive fascination with murder,
the depiction of murder in the law and culture generally, and how, if at all,
those who kill differ from those who do not. Prerequisites: Criminal Law, Criminal
Procedure.
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Negotiation (3 units)
This course involves the strategies, tactics, skills and techniques of negotiation.
In addition it will include a basic introduction to assisted negotiation in
the form of mediation. The learning takes place through numerous role-plays,
as well as through the study of negotiation theory.
Negotiation Skills (3 units)
This course teaches the essential negotiation skills of listening and assertion.
There will be some reading and discussion of the tactics and strategies of negotiation,
but the primary focus of the course will be on helping students learn and master
assertion and listening skills. The learning takes place through intensive in-class
practice, consisting primarily of role-playing, as well as practice outside
of the class.
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Patent Law (3 units)
An introductory patent law course which focuses on the fundamentals of patent
law; patent infringement and patent damages; patent validity issues such as
anticipation, obviousness, enablement, and best mode; and equitable aspects
of patent enforcement, including the defense of inequitable conduct. Technical
training is not required.
Patent Licensing (2 Units)
This seminar examines the basic elements of patent licensing transactions and
is designed to provide the background needed to structure, draft, and negotiate
patent licenses as well as limited purpose agreements including employment,
consulting, confidentiality, and material transfer agreements. Students complete
a series of assignments that will involve drafting several agreements. Prerequisite:
Patent Law.
Patent Litigation (3 units)
This course will focus on issues that must be dealt with in the course of evaluating
for and preparing to enforce intellectual property rights through litigation.
Procedural issues directed to discovery and litigation strategy as well as substantive
issues directed to discovery, claim construction, defenses and damage theories
will be evaluated in detail. Motion practice and Federal Circuit precedence
as to issues typically addressed by way of summary judgment will also be addressed.
Prerequisite: Patent Law.
Poverty Law (2 Units)
This course is designed to explore the interaction between policy regulation and constitutional law in the context of Poverty. We will study the impact of welfare reform and consider the consequences of how the government regulates the terms of work and the family relations of those most economically vulnerable. We will consider how societal changes, social movements, public opinion, empirical data, and policy goals matter for both policy regulation and constitutional interpretation. We will study in depth how the Supreme Court has interpreted the Constitution when applying its provisions to poor people. We will consider whether and how constitutional interpretation relates to economic justice at home and abroad.
Predatory Lending Law and Practice (2 units)
A course covering federal and state laws that regulate lending including the
Truth in Lending Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Civil Rights Act, and Unfair
Business Practices Act. The class also includes practical training in understanding
and reviewing loan documents, interview techniques, collaborative lawyering,
discovery and motion practice.
Public Interest and Other Nonprofit Organizations (3 units)
This course focuses on public interest and other public interest organizations.
It provides basic information regarding incorporation and tax-exempt status,
dangers of operating unincorporated associations, duties of trustees and directors,
rights of members, limitations on political activity by nonprofit organizations
and attorney general enforcement of charitable trust laws. The course also covers
fraudulent fund-raising, the ability of controversial groups to obtain Internal
Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) tax exempt status and internal disputes in religious
organizations. The course provides an economic analysis of nonprofit organizations
and evaluates anti-trust limitations emphasizing college sports and financial
aid.
Public International Law (3 units)
The course is designed to provide understanding of the distinctive character
of the international legal environment, particularly to develop the perspective
of the international lawyer dealing with foreign governments and their agencies.
It provides a comprehensive view of the lawyer’s role in using the primary
international institutions and principal doctrines of public international law,
through analysis of contemporary problems. Coverage includes: jurisdiction,
sovereign immunity, acts of state, international criminal responsibility, law
of the sea, trade law, and international peacekeeping.
Public Natural Resources & Land Law (3 units)
A course examining the management of natural resources on our nation's public
lands, with a special focus on the American West. There is an overview of public
lands law, including historic public land policies and key doctrines shaping
public lands management and an exploration of specific natural resource issues
on the public lands: mining and its impacts; logging, forest management and
the national forests; grazing and its impacts; wildlife and endangered species;
the national parks and the recreation "resource;" and wilderness and
wild rivers. These topics will include discussion of current controversies over
the nation's mining, logging, grazing, and endangered species laws and policies.
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Race Law and Policy (3 units)
An examination of the history, politics, theory and law related to race and
ethnicity in America. Attention is given to anti-discrimination law and to a
survey of racial issues embedded in core areas such as criminal, contract, tort
and property law. Emphasis will be on providing critical contextual perspective
on the intersection between racialized experience and the law, and on increasing
student’s critical thinking, writing, and oral communication skills in
a small group learning environment. Prerequisite: Constitutional Law (recommended).
Real Estate Sales Transactions (3 units)
This course takes students through the acquisition of a commercial property
in San Francisco. Students will approach the transaction as though they were
participants, learning the elements of the transaction in a step-by-step process
which will include brokering the deal, preparing the letter of intent, negotiating
the purchase contract, examining title to the property, and closing the deal.
The course covers laws relating to real estate brokers, the contract law of
real property transactions, and title to real property. Materials will include
cases as well as actual title reports, listing agreements, contracts and leases.
Emphasis will be on California law, with some focus on Federal law where it
impacts California transactions. Prerequisite: Property.
Real Estate Secured Transactions (3 units)
A study of the substantive and procedural attributes of the mortgage and deed
of trust, and other devices using real property as a security. Focus is on California
law with a study of the impact of federal rules on that law. Prerequisite: Property
(required), Real Estate Transactions (recommended).
Refugee Law (2 units)
This course focuses on the law and policy that determines refugee status in
the United States. Students will examine international treaties dating back
to World War II and their relevance to current law. Student will also review
the statutory meaning of the requirements of obtaining asylum and discuss some
of the practical and legal limitations preventing asylum seekers from obtaining
protection.
Religious Freedom (3 units)
This seminar will be an intensive study of the American experience with the
First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom. The course will consider
the context, constitutional interpretation, structure and substance of conscience
and religion. It will also explore religious organizations and their mission
in a pluralistic society and the cost of litigating the protection of human
dignity through evolving issues of public policy. Prerequisite: Constitutional
Law.
Remedies (3 units)
A study of the types of relief granted by courts in civil cases focusing on
three major topics: 1) damages, including a review of general principles of
tort and contract damages; 2) equitable remedies, including obtaining and enforcing
preliminary and permanent injunctions in both private and public controversies;
and 3) restitutionary relief to prevent unjust enrichment, including constructive
trusts and equitable liens.
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Science and Law(2 units)
Lawyers need to be able to work with science and scientists on a wide variety of matters, such as issues in environmental, public health and intellectual property law. This seminar will compare the purposes and functions of science and law with a focus on the ethical commitments of professionals in these diverging fields, and address how lawyers can best engage with questions of scientific uncertainty, causation, and expert participation in legal processes.
Secured Transactions (3 units)
A survey of the law related to the use of personal property as security in both
commercial and consumer credit transactions. The focus is on Article 9 of the
Uniform Commercial Code, with an exploration of the purpose and scope of Article
9 and the difference between secured and unsecured credit. Transactions where
lending is based on equipment, inventory and receivables, intellectual property,
agricultural assets, and consumer assets, including automobiles, investment
property and deposits accounts are discussed while examining attachment and
perfection of security interest, priority among conflicting creditors, and debtor’s
rights and creditor’s remedies.
Securities Regulation (3 units)
An introduction to the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities and Exchange
Act of 1934. The course focuses on disclosure obligations relating to the distribution
and trading of securities in the United States. Topics include the offerings
of securities, anti-fraud provisions, insider trading, and exceptions to the
disclosure requirements. Pre-requisites: Corporations (required), Administrative
Law (recommended).
Sexual Orientation and the Law (3 units)
This course provides students with an overview of legal issues relating to sexual
orientation and gender identity, including: sexual privacy; employment discrimination;
marriage and other family law issues; peer harassment and first amendment issues
in schools; immigration and asylum. In addition to providing an overview of
gay and transgender civil rights movements, the course provides students with
a foundation in several basic constitutional doctrines (privacy/substantive
due process, equal protection, and first amendment. The emphasis is on close
reading of key cases, as well as exploring a variety of doctrinal themes, such
as the intersection of gender- and sexual orientation based discrimination,
the use of social science research in litigation, and the role of morality in
the law.
Sexuality Law (3 Units)
This course is designed to explore how the law pervasively regulates human sexuality. The primary legal focus is on interpretation of the constitutional protections of liberty and equality. Topics may include the Supreme Court's mixed legacy about sterilization, the shift toward protection of contraception and marriage, the ongoing abortion controversy, the public policy re-emergence of abstinence, the recent reversal on sodomy, the raging debate over same-sex marriage and parenting, and the conflicting implications raised by how the various First Amendment freedoms apply within the context of Sexuality.
Sports Law (3 units)
This class will be a general survey of legal issues that arise in the sports context with an emphasis on issues relating to professional sports and the professional athlete.
Supreme Court Seminar (2 units)
This seminar deals with the process of constitutional law-making by the Supreme
Court. The course explores the nomination and confirmation of justices; the
case selection process; and the adjudication of argued cases (studying the roles
of the chief justice, law clerks and advocates) The grade for the course will
be based on a paper and shorter pieces and upon regular preparation for, and
participation in, class exercises. The exercises will involve students as members
of the Senate Judiciary Committee deciding upon nominations and as Justices
deciding certiorari petitions and then cases accepted for review. For the Court
exercises, students will research, argue, and decide several significant fall
term cases actually pending before the court at the time of the seminar. Pre-requisite:
Constitutional Law.
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Telecommunications and Electronic Media Law (3 units)
This course examines Federal regulation of 1) electronic media including cable
television, broadcast television, Direct Broadcast Satellite service, and radio,
and 2) telecommunications including wireline, wireless, broadband, and Internet
services. Electronic media topics address radio spectrum issues, license assignment,
indecency, violence on TV, public trustee obligations, Digital TV, and various
“must carry” rules. Telecommunications topics will cover the 1996
Telecommunications Act, “Universal Service”, information services
(i.e., broadband DSL and cable modem services), VoIP, and cellular issues. Some
state regulation will also be considered.
Topics in Contemporary Family Law (3 units)
A course covering a variety of cutting edge issues in current family law practice,
with an emphasis on non-traditional families. Topics may include: gay marriage,
domestic partnerships and civil unions; protecting the parental rights of lesbian
and gay parents; impacts of Assisted Reproductive Technologies on determinations
of parenthood; transgender families; family privacy and abortion; changing definitions
of fatherhood; and several adoption issues.
Trademark Law (3 units)
This course will examine, in detail, the major areas of trademark law, including,
the trademark registration process at the United States Patent and Trademark
Office; the basic rules regarding eligibility for trademark protection under
traditional trademark infringement doctrines and under dilution law. The course
will also examine a number of defenses to trademark rights, including fair use,
generic use, non- commercial use, and First Amendment Protections in this context.
The course will also cover various aspects of domain name law, including the
Anti-Cyber Squatting Protection Act and the dispute resolution processes promulgated
by the ICANN. Finally, the course will examine selected areas of international
trademark law, including the specific rules which govern geographical indicators
which exist in many foreign countries.
Transactional Trademark Practice (2 units)
In depth focus on trademark selection and clearance, registration, and counseling.
Issues to be discussed and studied include trademark licensing, counterfeit
and parallel goods issues, and administrative litigation with the Trademark
Trial and Appeal Board. Students will work in teams, analyze and provide oral
presentations and written reports on corporate trademark issues throughout the
semester. Emphasis will be on developing creative and strategic solutions to
trademark matters. A final paper is due at end of semester. Pre-requisite: Intellectual
Property Survey (recommended).
Trial Practice (3 units)
A course designed to provide experience in the litigation process. Concentration
is on the strategy, tactics, and techniques employed by the skillful advocate.
The legal rules involved in a trial are critically examined and their practical
application demonstrated through student participation. Students who have completed
Intensive Advocacy Program are not eligible to enroll. Pre-requisite: Evidence.
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Venture Capital Law (3 units)
The course provides a practical examination of the lawyer’s role in forming,
financing and counseling start up companies. The course will emphasize negotiating
skills in the context of issues like raising money from venture capitalists
and restructuring a company in a Chapter 11 proceeding. Pre-requisite: Corporations.
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Water Resources Law and Policy (3 units)
An exploration of the modern legal principles and polices controlling the allocation
of water among competing users: cities, farms, recreation, environment, and
power. The course covers the regulation of surface water, including an in-depth
study of riparian rights and appropriative rights, and groundwater. There is
emphasis on the modern, public interest legal developments that are controlling
water allocation today: the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and the public trust doctrine. The course also covers
water transfers, interstate and international water allocation schemes, Native
American water rights, and the large public water institutions that control
water supply in the West, including the federal Bureau of Reclamation. The course
also covers the issues unique to California, including a study of the Sacramento-San
Joaquin Delta.
White Collar Crime, 3 units.
An exploration of the law of white collar crime, with an emphasis on the investigation
and prosecution of white collar crime by federal authorities. The course is
a mixture of substantive criminal law, constitutional criminal procedure, and
application of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Prerequisites: Criminal
Law and Criminal Procedure.
Wills and Trusts (3 units)
A study of the law of wills, intestate succession, and trusts. Coverage includes
restrictions on testation, execution, and revocation of wills as well as creation,
modification, and termination of trusts. There is also attention to the problems
of will construction, probate and contest of wills, and fiduciary administration
of trusts and decedents' estates. Pre-requisite: Property.
Work/Family Law Seminar (3 Units)
This advanced employment law seminar will examine the ways that law has been used to mediate between the conflicting demands of work and family life. Discussions will address a variety of employment law strategies, including employment discrimination laws, family leave laws, and the regulation of working hours. The study of work/family law will be used as a tool for learning the process of writing an academic paper. Participants will research, write, and present an original paper on a work/family law topic of their choice. Papers satisfying the seminar requirements will also satisfy the upper division writing requirement. Pre-requisites: Employment Law or Employment Discrimination or permission of the Professor.
Wrongful Convictions (3 units)
This course surveys: 1) the various causes of wrongful prosecution, conviction,
and incarceration of the factually innocent (e.g., eyewitness misidentification,
false confessions, perjured testimony, forensic fraud, police and prosecutorial
misconduct, ineffective assistance of counsel, etc.); and 2) the various legal
and policy solutions for minimizing wrongful conviction in the American criminal
justice system. Pre-requisite: Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure.
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