Upper Division/Second & Third Year Courses

Course #Course Name and DescriptionCreditsSemester
630Negotiation The course will emphasize learning the skills of negotiation by simulations in which students will negotiate and watch their classmates negotiate. Class members will conduct three negotiations during the weekend – a simple sales contract, a retainer agreement between an attorney and a client, and a complex multi-party dispute. There will be class all day on Saturday, and a class session on Sunday afternoon. The first negotiation will commence immediately at the start of class, so prompt attendance is vital to credit in the course. Some negotiations will be videotaped for review in class. Students who attend all class sessions, participate in good faith in the simulations, and do the readings will receive a pass for the course.1Fall, Spring
641Fact Investigation and Analysis An introduction to the world of fact investigation and analysis, this course will provide an overview of how to develop and scrutinize facts. The course will cover five major topics: 1) how lawyers gather facts; 2) how lawyers evaluate evidence/facts; 3) how to organize evidence into a comprehensive narrative; 4) how human memory, biases, and perception affect fact gathering; and 5) the ethical issues surrounding fact investigations. The course will involve a significant interactive skill development component including mock interviews, drafting exercises, guest speakers and hands-on investigation exercises.3Spring
643Land Use & Zoning Law Every Town and municipality in the country has to deal with land use and zoning law issues. Land regulations control what private property owners can do with their property. They also regulate speech; define families; control access to public and private places for people with disabilities; address housing discrimination; and implement environmental law at the local level. In this course, we cover the applied administrative law of land use and zoning, and we do hands-on projects that prepare you to be practice ready from day one for handling a zoning claim and a petition to a zoning board of appeal.3Spring
691Transactional Drafting This course introduces students to contract concepts, terminology, drafting and ethics through lecture, class discussion, exercises, and assignments. During the semester students will revise and/or draft contracts such as attorney retainer agreements, commercial or residential leases, employment agreements and service contracts. Students will also work on developing other lawyering skills including legal research, drafting professional correspondence, and negotiation. This course satisfies the professional writing requirement.3Fall, Spring
692Advanced Legal Writing: Research & Rhetoric This advanced writing and research course is designed as a continuum and review of curriculum covered in LCR I and II. It also explores new materials formatted in a simulated litigation setting. Lawyering skills, including the writing of memorandum of law both objective and persuasive, trial court papers and documents, use of transactional and litigation forms, client letters, negotiation, and related lawyering skills comprise graded assignments in this professional writing course and skills offering.2Fall, Spring
694Legal Writing in Judicial Chambers This course explores the work of judges and law clerks in chambers, including research, deliberation, and writing. It considers the complex and creative ways that judges reach decisions. The main work for the course is writing opinions for real cases pending on appeal. By the end of the course, students are comfortable drafting trial court orders and appellate court opinions for a supervisor’s review. This course meets the professional writing requirement.2Spring
699Constitutional Law II A continuation of Constitutional Law I (LAW 602) for second and third-year law students. This course covers Individual Rights, that is, Due Process, Equal protection and the First Amendment, including freedom of speech, the press and of religion.3Fall, Spring
700National Security Law The legal framework for the use of force abroad; incorporated international law as national security law; intelligence collection and covert operations; citizen access to national security information; government controls on national security information.3Fall
701Accounting for Lawyers Principles of financial accounting applied to business entities, proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations; accounting for and tax implications of business organizations; and problems with estates and trusts. Irregular course offering.2Fall
702Administrative Law Nature and function of the administrative process; procedural constraints on administrative investigation, adjudication, and rule making; and judicial review of agency action.3Fall, Spring
703Pension & Employee Benefit Law Tax and other consequences of various plans of deferred compensation for executives and other employees2Spring
704Commercial Transactions Commercial practices under the Uniform Commercial Code, particularly sales, commercial paper and bank collections, letters of credit, bulk transfers, and secured transactions; business background, planning, and counseling.4Fall, Spring
706Conflict of Laws Legal rules applicable to disputes with contacts to more than one state or country; the historical development of such rules; and their application in contract, tort, property, and other cases.3Spring
708Constitutional Criminal Procedure – Investigative Constitutional and statutory requirements for investigative procedures in criminal cases. Topics include searches, seizures, lineups, confessions, and electronic surveillance.3Fall, Spring
709Capital Habeas Defense Practicum This course provides students with an overview of the substantive and procedural law involved in capital post-conviction litigation. Topics include an overview of some of the constitutional principles governing the imposition of the death penalty, the exclusion of intellectually disabled defendants from death-eligibility, effective assistance of counsel in capital cases, and certain aspects of state post-conviction and federal habeas corpus procedure. This course has a heavy experiential component in which students focus on developing lawyering skills needed for effective post-conviction capital litigation, including legal research and writing and effective courtroom advocacy.1Fall
710Law and Sexuality This course will focus on how the law regulates sexuality. In particular, it will examine the role of legal institutions, legislation, rules, and standards in regulating, controlling, forming, and conforming sexuality. The aim is to critically analyze and historically contextualize the political, moral, economic, and ideological factors that produce the norms regarding sexuality, while also properly comprehending the key concepts of gender, identity, body, and sexual practices. The core of the class will relate to contemporary legal controversies concerning sexual orientation and gender identity. The course will also focus on broader issues relating to sexuality and liberty. Broadly speaking, this course explores how law seeks to regulate the expression of sex and gender, the conduct of sexual intimacies, and access to state-granted benefits. Students may use this course to satisfy the upper-level writing requirement. Students who do not need to satisfy the upper-level writing requirement may elect to take a final examination instead of writing a research paper.2Fall
712Business Associations This is a business organizations course covering both unincorporated businesses and corporations. The first half of the course pertains to small business forms: partnerships, LLCs, and close corporations. The balance covers public corporations, including regulation under securities laws.4Fall, Spring
713Speech & Religion Under The First Amendment Comprehensive coverage of issues of freedom of speech, the free exercise of religion, and establishment of religion.3Fall
714Deposition Practice This course is designed for students who intend to engage in a heavy civil litigation practice. The course focuses on the skills, techniques, tactics, strategies and ethical considerations of witness preparation for depositions and the taking and defending of depositions under federal and state rules of civil procedure. 2Fall
715Wills and Trusts Law governing interstate succession; execution and revocation of wills; inter vivos will substitutes; the creation, nature, and revocation of trusts; fiduciary administration.3Fall, Spring
717Estate & Gift Taxation Taxation of transfers during life and death. Planning and alternative modes of disposition.2Fall
718Evidence Procedural and substantive rules of evidence, judicial notice, presumptions and burdens of proof, rules governing the receipt of oral and documentary evidence,impeachment, direct and cross-examination, competency, hearsay, privileges, and the best evidence rules.4Fall, Spring
719Mediation Skills This applied learning skills-based course explores the stages of mediation in a variety of substantive law areas, including personal injury, landlord/tenant, commercial and contract disputes, labor relations, consumer claims, and court-annexed processes.  Mediation preparation, strategies, competencies, and ethics are examined and practiced through individual and team advocacy simulations from the perspectives of client, attorney and neutral.  Drafting of essential settlement and related documents is also a primary focus of the class.2Fall
720Family Law State regulation of family relations; family autonomy; marital and nonmarital contracts; adoption. Issues in divorce, separation agreements, spousal and child support, property division, and child custody.3Fall, Spring
721Federal Courts Essential functions of federal courts. Relationships between federal courts and the other branches of the federal government, the states, and the individual.3Spring
722Federal Income Taxation I: Indivdual A study of the structure and underlying principles of the U.S. Federal income tax system, including an introduction to tax planning. This course devotes substantial class time to the fundamentals of statutory interpretation, including: agency adjudications, judicial review of agency action, statutory interpretation techniques and methodologies and legislative history.3Fall
723Federal Income Taxation II – Taxation of Business Transactions Income tax problems of the corporation and its shareholders, emphasizing corporate organization, distributions, redemptions, liquidations, reorganizations, collapsible corporations, and S corporations. Prerequisite is Federal Income Taxation I.3Spring
726Intellectual Property Survey of the foundations of copyright, patent, unfair competition, and trade law. For students who wish to concentrate in intellectual property or who want a basic course as preparation for business planning or litigation practice. Co-requisite for Copyright–Literary and Artistic Works and for Copyright Protection of New Technologies.3Fall
727International Business Transactions This course provides an introduction to the transactional, regulatory, and litigation aspects of international business involving at least one private party. Major areas of substantive coverage include international sales of goods (with special focus on the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods), licensing of technology, foreign direct investment, contract and tort liability in the United States and abroad, and the law proscribing corruption in cross-border transactions. We will also cover subsidiary litigation and regulatory topics, such as choice-of-law analysis, international commercial arbitration, international civil litigation in U.S. courts (focusing on jurisdiction and other procedural threshold issues), U.S. regulation of foreign investment and export controls, and intellectual property protection3Spring
728International Law This course introduces students to the basic subjects, processes, and problems of contemporary public international law. We begin by exploring the sources of public international law; the traditional role of states in international law formation; and the growing role of international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and subnational municipalities in transnational legal processes. Our attention then turns to the relationship between international law and U.S. law, including the principles that govern (and impede) the application of international law in U.S. courts. Rather than attempt to canvass the myriad subfields that comprise contemporary public international law, we devote sustained attention to a selection from among the following subjects: principles of jurisdiction, international regulatory regimes and globalization, state claims to natural resources, the law of war, and international human rights. With this foundation in place, the course concludes with an invitation to grapple with several perennial critiques of the international legal system.3Spring
729Homeland Security Law & Policy This course introduces students to the legal framework and underlying principles in the developing field of homeland security law. While national security is hierarchical, secretive and strategic, homeland security is collaborative, transparent and operational. This is a simulation-based course with a focus on administrative law processes in critical infrastructure protection, emergency management, border control, and counterterrorism efforts.3Fall
730Labor and Employment Law This class addresses the legal regime structuring the rights of workers to act collectively to improve  their wages and working conditions. The course is focused on labor unions, but some attention will also be paid to non-union workers acting as a group. Over the course of the semester we will address issues including (but not limited to) which workers are covered by labor law (and which workers are not), how labor law is administered by the National Labor Relations Board, the process of gaining union representation through organizing, the process of collective bargaining, and other forms of “concerted activity.”3Fall
731Selecting Your Jury Students will be instructed on the procedures and laws governing jury selection in a criminal case, see jury selection modeled for them, and will also participate in simulated jury selection exercises under the supervision of experienced trial attorneys. An emphasis will be placed on identifying a theory of the case and identifying potential jurors who can be persuaded to accept the case theory. Other topics to be addressed include but are not limited to preparation, organization, interacting with the judge and opposing counsel, the role of the client, and overcoming objections.  1Fall
732Housing Law This course examines housing law through the lenses of federal and state law. Topics will include: The Fair Housing Act, housing affordability, smart cities, gentrification, exclusionary and inclusionary zoning, federal housing policy, community development and investment, and housing discrimination.3Fall
737Media & Communications Law This is a survey class that covers First Amendment issues for all media, defamation, privacy, incitement and violence, FCC licensing, political programming, regulation of cable and satellite, copyright, international regulation, music, advertising, and film industry contracts.3Fall
743New York Civil Practice This course introduces law student to the various litigation procedures in New York as set forth in New York’s Civil Practice Laws and Rules and is designed to prepare students to litigate in New York courts.  Among topics covered are jurisdiction, pleadings, statutes of limitation, discovery, motion practice and pretrial proceedings.  Classes include lectures and in-class small group hypothetical problem discussions.   Grading is based on two in-class quizzes, class participation and a final examination .4Fall
745Negotiation Skills Negotiation Skills will introduce students to the tools they need for effective negotiation. This course will focus on the three stages of negotiation: preparation, negotiation and post negotiation self -assessment. Students will negotiation numerous times during the semester and will receive feedback on their negotiations.2Fall
747Real Estate Transactions Expands on fundamentals of property and contract law. Materials address contracting for the purchase and sale of property, conveyancing, financing, and title issues. The course also covers foreclosure. Materials focus on developing a real estate law vocabulary, enhancing transactional lawyering skills, and acquiring the knowledge needed for the Bar examination, where up to fifty-percent of the property law related questions may come from the materials covered in real estate transactions.3Spring
748Sports Law This course will examine various areas of the law as they relate to sports (both professional sports and intercollegiate sports), including such areas as contract law, antitrust law, labor law, law regulating player agents, gender discrimination law, and personal injury law.3Fall
750Securities Regulations Securities Act of 1933: regulation of the distribution of securities, including the registration process, exempt securities, exempt transactions, enforcement, and liabilities; Securities Exchange Act of 1934: regulation of trading in securities and related market activities, including tender offers, proxy solicitations, market manipulation, disclosure requirements, insider trading, and express and implied civil liabilities.3Spring
752Antitrust Law This is a survey of federal antitrust law and policy under the Sherman, Clayton, and FTC Acts. It takes an historic, layered approach, building on the four eras of antitrust enforcement: The Foundation Period (1890-1914); The Rule of Reason Period (1915-1939); The Per Se Rule and Focus on Market Structure (1940-1974); The Modern Era (1975—Present).

The course covers basic economic theory of the free-market; the Rule of Reason and per se offenses; price fixing, market division, and boycotts; trade association behavior; monopoly and attempts to monopolize; mergers and joint ventures; vertical restraints like resale price maintenance; exclusive dealing and tie-in agreements; selected exemptions from antitrust liability.
3Fall
754Trial Practice Courtroom techniques and tactics drawing on substantive and procedural law and evidence courses. Students prepare and conduct trial exercises under direction of instructor.3Fall, Spring
755Trademarks & Unfair Competition A practical review of current intellectual property issues relating to trademarks, trade dress, false advertising, internet and the First Amendment, and rights of publicity. The course features mock courtroom presentations by experienced litigators and guest presentations by practitioners in the field.3Spring
757Mergers & Acquisitions This course is for students with a strong interest in capital markets, public corporations, and modern corporate practice. Topics covered include source of gains in business combinations, duties and risks of sellers, buyers’ risks in acquisitions, and securities laws.3Spring
758Civil Rights Law This course examines the role of law in confronting discrimination based on race, gender, sexual identity, social and economic class, and disabilities. We will study (1) the extent to which law has been used to reinforce existing patterns of privilege that result from such discrimination and (2) the ability of law to eliminate discrimination and alter those patterns. The focus will be primarily on federal law.3Spring
760Patent Prosecution This course is designed primarily for students who plan to practice in the area of Patent Law before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) which permits only registered patent attorneys and agents to represent clients in the prosecution of patent applications. The course will cover the process of procuring a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The course will also enhance students’ understanding of the legal standards for patentability (building upon the principles explored in Patents and Trade Secrets), will familiarize students with the PTO’s elaborate rules of practice in patent cases, and will provide students with practice applying these standards and rules to facts and situations encountered in basic patent prosecution practice. Patents and Trade Secrets is a prerequisite to this course.3Spring
761Appellate Advocacy Skills This course introduces students to various aspects of appellate advocacy, including review of the record and selection of issues for appeal, standards of review on appeal, appellate brief writing, and appellate oral advocacy. This course covers various aspects of appellate brief writing, including developing an effective theory of the case and persuasive arguments tailored for an appellate court. As part of the course, students will research and draft an appellate brief. Students also will regularly engage in oral argument and have a final oral argument on their appellate brief. This course satisfies the Professional Writing Requirement.3Fall
763Disability Law This course introduces students to federal laws prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities, focusing primarily on the American Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAA). The goal of this course is to provide students with a legal, conceptual, and practical understanding of the legal rights of people with disabilities, forms of discrimination that occur on the basis of disability, and the protections against such discrimination that currently exist under federal law. Because the focus of this course is on a federal statute and its implementing regulations, we will devote substantial class time to discussions about statutory interpretation, including the various canons and approaches to statutory interpretation, judicial review of agency action, the role of agency decision making and the rulemaking process, and the role of legislative history in judicial decision-making.3Fall
765Patents and Trade Secrets This course examines the U.S. patent system and focuses on issues of patentability, validity, and infringement. The protection and enforcement of trade secrets are also covered.3Fall
766Lawsuit Lawsuit emulates, as realistically as possible, a lawsuit from start to finish. Students will represent either the plaintiff or the defendant. The case begins when your client walks into your office. For the plaintiff, you must decide which claims to make. For the defense, it is your job to figure out how to defend your client against that claim, or what counter-claims you should bring. The class ends with a final trial. In between, you will represent your client at every stage of the litigation – from drafting the initial complaint and answer, filing discovery demands, answering interrogatories, conducting a deposition and participating in settlement discussions.

Student teams are supervised and classes are taught by the course’s co-instructors. Guest lecturers from the SUCOL faculty will also help teach students specific advocacy focused skill sets in preparation for the litigation’s various stages. In doing so, Lawsuit utilizes the collective expertise and experience of the SUCOL faculty to help best prepare students for the world of litigation.

The course is a year long and consists of three experiential credits for each semester.
3Fall, Spring
767Introduction to the Law & Practice of Electronic Discovery The advent of the digital age has changed the way lawyers exchange information in litigation. Whether it be on computers, cell phones, tablets, data management portals, or social media, the key documents and information necessary to litigate are stored electronically, posing never before seen challenges for today’s lawyer. Whether advising a client of litigation holds and data retention policies, propounding or responding to discovery demands, preparing for and taking depositions, or engaging in motion practice on evidentiary issues, understanding technology is paramount to the modern day litigator. In this experiential, fully synchronous course, you will learn what it is like to be that lawyer. Employed as an associate at a fictional law firm, you will be responsible for managing electronic discovery in two cases, from the initial client interviews, through and including depositions and trial preparation. Taught by a lawyer with experience as an associate and partner at large law firms in New York City and Boston, boutique practices, a federal clerkship, and as in-house counsel, this course offers a great opportunity to learn both the law, and the requisite skills to be a successful lawyer in the digital age.2Summer
768Copyright-Literary & Artistic Works Advanced copyright course. In-depth exploration of a number of copyright-law areas in music, fine arts, and film and issues on the boundaries of copyright law. Includes fair use, work for hire in both industry and academia, compensation for ideas, moral rights, right of publicity, the impact of new technologies on research, data bases and fact-based works, infringement on unpublished works, and international copyright protection.3Spring
769Advanced Trial Practice Advanced training in direct and cross-examination, witness interviewing and preparation, negotiation techniques, voir dire and jury preparation, final arguments, discovery, pretrial and trial motions, pretrial conferences, jury trial techniques, and posttrial procedure.2
770Compliance Law This course examines the rules and standards that govern the burgeoning subject of compliance and risk management. It will examine questions of governance: boards of directors, executives and third party vendors. It will examine the compliance function, organized by the nature of the enforcer: managers, regulators, prosecutors, whistleblowers, gatekeeper and plaintiffs; attorneys. It will also examine particular areas of law: information security, off-label drugs, foreign corrupt practices, money laundering, sexual harassment, etc.3Fall, Spring
771Voting Rights This course examines past and current developments in voting rights law. Topics include: the right to vote, the Voting Rights Act, laws that govern the political process, political representation, gerrymandering, election administration, political parties, ballot initiatives, and campaign finance.3Fall
772Alternative Dispute Resolutions An introduction to the spectrum of processes other than courtroom litigation that are available for resolving disputes. This includes such “pure” processes as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration, and such “hybrid” processes as the Mini-Trial and the Summary Jury Trial.3Spring
774Asian Americans & the Law In this seminar we examine Asian American legal history and contemporary issues within historical context; and refine research, writing, presentation, and discussion skills. We cover topics and cases such as the Chinese Exclusion Acts, Yick Wo v. Hopkins, US v. Wong Kim Ark, Japanese American incarceration during World War II, the model assimilated minority myth and the bamboo ceiling, Asian Americans in the legal profession, and countering anti-Asian pandemic harassment. Students select cutting edge research topics. Substantial research papers and a class presentation are required. This course satisfies the upper level writing requirement.3Spring
775Internet Law A survey of legal issues relating to computers and computer networks, including electronic commerce, the protection and enforcement of proprietary rights in software and electronic works, privacy and security, and content regulation. This course also explores the evidentiary use of computer records and other emerging issues in computer law.3Fall
776Investigating and Reopening Civil Rights Murder Cases This three-credit course is the result of SUCOL’s effort to re-open the 1964 murder investigation of Frank Morris, a 51 year old African American business owner in Ferriday, Louisiana. Mr. Morris was pushed at gunpoint back into his burning store by suspected members of the Ku Klux Klan. He died four days later of burns over 100 % of his body. Although the FBI identified witnesses who pointed to two local law enforcement agents, no charges or indictments followed and the case was dropped. Seventy-five such cases have been identified by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice with the assistance of the NAACP, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Urban League. Students will each be assigned a different case to work up as a possible one to encourage the FBI to reopen. They will prepare chronologies, potential witness books, assess evidence and draft working memos of law on issues related to bringing this case to prosecution. Course projects will require consideration of a variety of legal issues, including state/federal jurisdiction, federal laws on civil rights crimes, statutes of limitations/speedy trial/double jeopardy, immunity, federal investigative and prosecutorial efforts, state and local prosecutions, and evidence.3Spring
777Elder Law This course surveys significant issues in elder law. It aims to do so in a way that is not only interesting for the general law school population, but also practical for those considering a career that involves advising older adults and those who may be called upon to assist elderly friends and family members. Topics of study will include, among other things, ethical issues in representing older adults; age discrimination; income maintenance and the social security system; access to health care and the role of Medicare and Medicaid; senior housing (including nursing home and assisted living issues); advance planning and guardianship; and elder abuse and neglect. Particular attention will be paid to the impact that cognitive and physical impairments can have on legal rights and the ability to exercise those rights.3Fall
778International Human Rights Seminar After introducing human rights law in the context of a case study on the death penalty, this course examines international human rights law from both a practical and theoretical perspective. The course is designed to provide students with an informed and critical perspective on international instruments, intergovernmental organizations, and domestic legal arrangements articulating and implementing human rights. Topics will include the historic origins of modern human rights law; the content of and connections between civil, political, social, and economic rights; relationships between human rights law, international criminal law, and the law of armed conflict; transnational strategies associated with implementation and enforcement of human rights law; the importance of soft law; and international responses to mass atrocities.3Fall
779Law and Technology This course examines contemporary legal issues involving the development and use of technology. Students will discuss how laws and regulations can facilitate the development of new technologies and how these technologies, in turn, present new legal and regulatory challenges. Students will examine the legal frameworks that govern emerging technologies including (but not limited to) artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, genetic engineering, carbon capture, robotics, blockchain and cryptocurrency, and drones. They will also study the emerging impact of these technologies on various areas of substantive law as well as the legal profession itself. While legal materials and cases will be used, the materials will be largely cross-disciplinary, drawing on work in political economy, sociology, sociotechnical studies, and contemporary journalism. The course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complex legal and regulatory landscape surrounding technology and innovation.3Spring
782Gaming Law While gaming, with the exception of horse race wagering, was only permitted in Nevada in the middle of the 20th century, every state except Utah and Hawaii now permits some form of regulated gambling. Legal gambling in America is an $350 billion industry and includes casinos, card rooms, sports wagering, horse race wagering and lotteries. Gambling is big business and can have positive and negative impacts on society. This course introduces students to the law of gambling and commercial gaming. Areas of study include determining whether an act is gambling; public policy and criminal/regulatory approaches to gambling; the federal role in gaming regulation; and how state governments address the social harms of gambling. The course also will cover private law issues in gambling such as contracts and the enforcement of judgments. Topics in regulated gambling include regulatory organization, licensing, taxation, auditing, enforcement, disciplinary actions, cheating, advantage play and exclusion rights.3Spring
784Employment Law This course provides a survey of the common law and statutory principles relating to modern employment. Among the topics we will cover: the nature of the employment relationship, the at-will rule and its limitations, layoffs and unemployment insurance, employee mobility issues (e.g., covenants not-to-compete), employee privacy, family leave, worker safety and wage and hour law. This course is intended to provide an overview and survey of the field and there is some overlap with topics traditionally covered in Employment Discrimination and Labor Law courses. While we will touch on some issues ordinarily covered in those courses, we will not do so in the depth they are given when taught in distinct 3 or 4 credit courses. During the semester, I hope to be able to provide those students who are interested with the opportunity to represent a claimant in an unemployment insurance administrative hearing under my supervision. Assisting a claimant in an unemployment insurance case provides students with the opportunity to learn about employment law in a very practical way.3Spring
786Real Estate Law for Business Expands on fundamentals of property and contract law. Materials address contracting for the purchase and sale of property, conveyancing, financing, and title issues. The course also covers foreclosure. Materials focus on developing a real estate law vocabulary, enhancing transactional lawyering skills, and acquiring the knowledge needed for the Bar examination, where up to fifty-percent of the property law related questions may come from the materials covered in real estate transactions.  3Spring
788Immigration Law This course offers an introduction to the laws, practices, and policies governing the ability of non-United States citizens to enter and remain in the United States either temporarily or permanently. The topics of study include the rights of non-U.S. citizens, the bases upon which the United States admits non-U.S. citizens either temporarily or permanently and the procedures for admission, the bases upon which non-U.S. citizens may be removed from the U.S. and the procedures for removal, the principles and policies behind the current and past system of immigration law, the complex and intricate statutory and regulatory framework governing immigration, and the roles and powers of the different branches of government in the development and implementation of immigration law and policy. The material in this course will implicate and develop your understanding of other areas of law, including administrative law, international law, and constitutional law.3Spring
790Counterterrorism and the Law This course will concern U.S. and international law responses to terrorism. The course will include a brief overview and history of terrorism. Topics will include legal definitions of terrorism, investigation and intelligence collection in the U.S. and abroad, apprehension of terrorists across borders, immigration and border controls, prosecution of terrorists, sanctions against terrorism and its supporters (including reprisal, assassination, asset freeze and forfeiture), crisis and consequence management in the event of terrorist attacks (including martial law and detention, domestic use of the military, catastrophic emergency measures, hostage and rescue operations), and law reform issues.3Spring
792Privacy Law As information technology advances, so do concerns about the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information. As a consequence of the digital revolution, the field of privacy law has grown exponentially in the past two decades.

This course focuses on the concept of information privacy generally and examines its tension with other competing values and interests, including free speech, national security, law enforcement, public health, and commercial interests. The course includes units on information privacy issues that arise in: media, law enforcement, national security, health records, government records, financial information; consumer data; and employment information. The course will also include a unit on international privacy law approaches (including, in particular, the E.U. Data Protection Directive).
3Fall
794Regulatory Law & Policy An advanced exploration of regulatory decision making, focusing on the reasons for and methods used in implementing regulation; how policy and politics impact on regulatory decisions and relate to the legal authority of agencies; case studies of regulatory programs, their successes, and failures. Course requirements include one or more research papers that will meet the College of Law writing requirement. Administrative Law or Public Administration and Law are prerequisites for this course. This one-semester course is a J.D./M.P.A. program requirement.3Spring
796Constitutional Criminal Procedures – Adjudicative Constitutional and statutory requirements for adjudicative procedures in criminal cases. Topics include accusatory instruments, bail, discovery, guilty pleas, double jeopardy, speedy trial, fair trial, jury trial, assistance of counsel, and confrontation.3Fall, Spring
798/994International Tax Law Travel to Switzerland over spring break 2022 to gain exposure to the foundational principles of international tax law and develop an understanding of an overview of the Civil Law system and identification of the differences between the Civil Law and Common Law systems of jurisprudence; (ii) International tax law, tax competition, and the practice of international tax law in Civil Law and Common Law jurisdictions; (iii) concepts of business and tax advising relative to transfer pricing, Base Erosion & Profiting Shifting (BEPS), measuring risk and intangibles, and related topics; and (iv) common reporting standards under the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); the application of various tax regimes; information reporting standards, monitoring, enforcement and related issues. One weekend lecture on February 26 and final exam on April 8. Class size is limited to 26 students.2Spring
800Foundational Skills – Attorney Licensing The course will provide an understanding of the bar review and bar exam process as well as the skills necessary to be successful in the licensing process . A significant portion of the course will be spent discussing how to approach and do well on practice bar exam questions, including essays, performance tests and multiple choice questions. Time will be spent discussing how to learn from bar review outlines and lectures, and how to conduct a self-assessment to understand personal study habits and adjustments which must be made prior to the review of bar-tested subjects. The course will also cover specific topics and skills to help students understand how to manage their attitude, stress, and study time.2Fall, Spring
802Capital Punishment The death penalty is society’s ultimate legal sanction. Given the finality and enormity of the State’s deliberate taking of a human life, the United States Supreme Court has attempted to ensure that the death penalty is fairly administered. As a result, a complex jurisprudence has developed, addressing fundamental issues of the constitutionality of capital punishment and also more procedural issues concerning the processes States may employ to obtain and enforce a death sentence. In this course, we will explore this Supreme Court jurisprudence. First, we will study the foundational elements of the Supreme Court’s modern death penalty jurisprudence and evaluate the efficacy of the Supreme Court’s efforts to eliminate the arbitrary application of the death penalty. Second, we will look at the processes required by the Supreme Court for sentencing a defendant to death. This will entail a study of the critical structural role played by aggravating and mitigating circumstances in the infliction of capital punishment. Third, we will study the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence concerning the scope of capital punishment, looking at issues such as the eligibility of juveniles and persons with mental retardation for the death penalty. At that time we will also look at issues such as proportionality review, the role of international law in the Court’s evolving standards of decency, jurisprudence, and restrictions on the types of crimes for which a State may execute a defendant. Fourth, we will study the processes by which a death sentence is implemented, discussing issues such as the method of execution, competence to be executed and clemency. Finally, we will conclude the course by studying federal habeas corpus issues and looking at issues such as the sentencing of innocent persons to death.3Spring
805Podcasting for Lawyers & Law Students The history of podcasts takes place along a timeline punctuated by technological breakthroughs and shifting habits of consumption in the 21st century. Who would have thought a medium most closely resembling old-time radio would go on to become the next big thing – yet, here we are. Over 100 million Americans are tuning into podcasts for information and entertainment every month, and podcast acquisition deals are being signed to the tune of $100 million. Podcasting for Lawyers and Law Students traces the evolution of podcasts, from 1980’s “audioblogs” to the current state of the podcasting industry. The class teaches students how to create a podcast, identify successful marketing strategies, and effectively convey information and tell great stories. Students will create their own law related podcasts and selected programs will be featured on Orange Legal, Syracuse Law School’s own official podcast. Podcasting for Lawyers and Law Students might not make you $100 million, but it does provide a unique opportunity to engage with the next big thing.1Spring
806Legal Interviewing and Counseling Legal Interviewing and Counseling is a practical skills course that will introduce students to the theory and practice of legal interviewing and counseling. The class will include interviewing clients to identify and obtain relevant facts and evaluate the information obtained; attorney-client communication skills; identifying client’s legal needs and objectives; assisting clients in evaluating options, weighing consequences, and decision making. Classes will include interactive discussion, and interviewing and counseling simulations.3Fall
807Constitutional Civil Rights Litigation This course examines bringing and defending lawsuits alleging violations of federal civil rights laws, including: 42 U.S.C. § 1983; Title VII; the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Fair Housing Act; and Title IX. The course will also introduce students to intersectionality, and will study the impact of modern civil rights movements. Discussion of landmark cases will consider their historical context and recent litigation in which the cases have been applied.3Spring
808Advanced Constitutional Civil Rights Litigation Advanced Constitutional civil rights litigation deals with constitutional theory and interpretation, emphasizing practical aspects and procedural tactics inherent in suing or defending a civil rights claim in federal court. The course covers who are proper defendants under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, what kind of constitutional violation must be shown, how causation works for constitutional torts, immunity and other defenses that have been read into the statute, how damages are assessed, and when successful plaintiffs can recover attorneys’ fees.3Fall
809Advanced Disability Law & Policy Advanced Disability Law is an applied research course that requires students to select a topic of interest in disability law, research it, and prepare a class PowerPoint or Prezi presentation and a research paper on their topic. Students must select a topic related to domestic or international policy or practice. Topics include research methodology, human rights, history, mass media, health care, justice, and education. The course is open to all students, including those who have not taken a disability law course in the past. However, a background in disability law will be useful.3Spring
811General Counsel This applied learning course is designed to expose students to a number of areas of practice that are common for house counsel. Students will work individually and in teams and undertake simulations in litigation management, agreement negotiation and drafting, employment problems, and intellectual property practice. Students will learn how lawyers handle complex problems in such diverse areas and may conduct research, draft agreements and file memoranda, conduct interviews, and negotiate to resolve the issues found in practical exercises that will be the backbone of the course.3Spring
815Innovation Law Practicum This applied learning course allows students interested in the areas of intellectual property and business law to apply their knowledge to actual new technology. Students work in supervised teams consulting with companies, entrepreneurs or universities that are seeking to commercialize new technologies. The finished product includes a report and presentation that cover such things as: analyzing the technology, investigating intellectual property protection, examining the market landscape, identifying any regulatory concerns, and exploring opportunities for funding or licensing. Instructor guides the issue-spotting and provides feedback on reports through the individual team supervisors: Professor of Practice Jack Rudnick and adjunct professors Dean Bell, Dominick Danna, Brian Gerling, and Hoda Rifai-Bashjawish.3Fall, Spring
816Commercial Real Estate Practice This applied learning course will build on the fundamentals of the Real Estate Transactions I course, and will focus on the development of a regional shopping mall which will provide a framework for the course outline. The course will not only provide ways to convey many of the concepts found in this type of real estate, but will also provide the basis to explore the relationship between the real estate concepts and the business framework of which they become a part. Case law will be utilized to supplement certain interpretations of Real Property Law. Real Estate Transactions I is a prerequisite for this course.2Spring
819Family Law Mediation and Collaborative Law This Course will focus on alternative dispute resolution in the family law area. Students will study mediation and collaborative law through written materials and mock exercises. The ethical issues involved in these forms of ADR will also be addressed.3Fall
820U.S. Arbitration Law & Practice This class will focus on the law and practice of domestic arbitration when it is the dispute resolution process required by the parties’ contractual agreement. The class will examine the legal framework supporting arbitration, including federal and state statutes, Supreme Court case law interpreting the Federal Arbitration Act, and the interaction between state and federal arbitration law. The process of arbitration will be examined as will the rules governing private arbitration. The course will also explore controversial uses of arbitration and proposed reform efforts at both the state and federal level.2Spring
821Emerging Issues in Labor & Employment Law Today’s workplace looks both very different from and very similar to workplaces of decades past. On the one hand, technological and managerial changes have reshaped both the workplace and the actual work being done by many people. Working from home and working on flexible schedules have become a routine part of work life, instead of an unusual exception to the rule. Workers are far less likely to spend their careers as a loyal employee of one employer and are instead expected to take an entrepreneurial approach to their training and work. This entrepreneurial approach is supposed to allow workers more control over their work lives, balancing work and family commitments more easily and following better working opportunities as they emerge.

On the other hand, many workers continue to work in professions that have not been dramatically altered by the rise of the supposed “knowledge economy.” And even when the workplace or type of work has changed with the advent of the internet, the experience of work continues to be one of tight time management by employers and ever-increasing expectations for productivity with fewer benefits for workers. In other words, much of what seems “new” about today’s economy just looks a lot like the old economy on steroids.

Simultaneous to these changes in the workplace, economic inequality has surged in the United States with the very top earners and wealth-owners commanding ever-larger shares of our national economic pie. In the midst of all of these changes and challenges, what rights do workers have as workers within their workplaces? How can working people exert more control over their own working lives?

This course focuses on the law of the workplace with special attention to the rights of workers, specifically as groups of workers. The course will address both canonical Labor Law and what is commonly called “Alt-Labor,” but with an eye toward emerging issues within these fields. The class will approach these questions through an interdisciplinary lens. Each class session will include both some core doctrinal law and some reading in other fields (most prominently history and political science, as well as recent news articles). In other words, this course is not a substitute for core courses like “Labor Law” or “Employment Discrimination Law.” Instead, this course is a kind of “hot topics” class that focuses on the emerging, unsettled issues of the present moment.
3Spring
822Nat’l Security/Terrorism Center The National Security and Counterterrorism Research Center serves as a working research laboratory for law and other graduate students interested in national security and counterterrorism issues. Students will work in teams on research projects assigned by the director. Typically, the projects will involve assessments of legal and law-related issues of concern to federal, state, and local government officials in responding to national security and terrorism threats. Other projects may examine private sector security concerns.3Spring
824Advising the Startup I This course is the first part of a two part year-long sequence on legal issues arising from start-up companies as they develop and move towards an initial public offering. This first part covers the legal issues arising from protection on inventions and creations through intellectual property law, choice of business entity, basic securities law, contracts, employment law, licensing, and antitrust. The course is designed for students across disciplines (law, business, engineering, information science, public policy) who are interested in the legal foundations for start-ups and entrepreneurship. For JD students, pursuing LAW 815 and the Technology Commercialization track, the two-semester sequence of LAW 824 and LAW 825 replaces and expands upon the previous LAW 814 and is strongly recommended for LAW 815 and technology commercialization career. JD students must take both LAW 824 and LAW 825; non-JD students can take either or both semesters. Writing credit is available for law students.3Fall
825Advising the Startup II This course is the second part of a two part year-long sequence on legal issues arising from start-up companies as they develop and move towards an initial public offering. This second part covers the legal issues arising from protection of design through intellectual property law, licensing drafting, exhaustion of intellectual property rights, FDA regulation introduction, Telecom and Internet regulation introduction, and the relationship between antitrust and regulation. This course is designed for students across disciplines (law, business, engineering, information science, public policy) who are interested in the legal foundations for start-ups and entrepreneurship. For JD students pursuing LAW 815 and the Technology Commercialization track, the two-semester sequence of LAW 824 and LAW 825 replaces and expands upon the previous LAW 814 and is strongly recommended for LAW 815 and a technology commercialization career. JD students must take both LAW 824 and 825; non-JD students can take either or both semesters. Writing credit available for law students.3Spring
827Corporate Financing Transactions This course teaches corporate finance by guiding students through all aspects and phases of a syndicated commercial loan transaction. Students will examine the design, negotiation, finance, and implementation of a real-world deal, from both a law and business perspective. In addition to teaching the substantive law and principles of finance, the course also teaches essential deal skills and provides students with practical insights (from an experienced senior lawyer) that will enable them to be effective transactional lawyers and bankers. This course is cross-listed with the Whitman School of Management and will contain a combination of JD and MBA students.2Spring
828Advanced Criminal Evidence The course will cover Federal and New York rules of evidence, and constitutional rules pertaining to the rights to confront and present a defense, in connection with a range of issues typically arising in criminal cases. Weekly assignments will be designed to simulate work that would be performed in a prosecutor’s or defender’s office. They will include motions in liminie and supporting memoranda, inter-office trial preparation memoranda, and both trial court and appellate advocacy of evidentiary issues. The course is a limited enrollment course and the grade will be based exclusively on written and oral advocacy.3Fall
829Criminal Justice Reform Seminar Across the country, fiscal pressures, political changes, and a growing embrace of evidence-based approaches to policymaking have created a momentum around criminal justice reform. These reform efforts seem especially promising because of their interdisciplinary roots and their bipartisan support. While some data points – like drops in prison populations and declining arrest rates – demonstrate the these initial efforts are having an incremental impact, more transformative reforms are needed. The seminar will address criminal justice reform broadly, covering a range of criminal justice reform topics including, for example, prosecutorial discretion, right to counsel, sentencing and punishment, reentry, mental health issues, risk assessment, juvenile rights, plea bargaining, privatization, and comparative international criminal justice reform. The course will include special focus on three particular areas of criminal justice reform that are currently capturing significant attention in the criminal justice community: (i) policing, (ii) pretrial detention and bail reform, and (iii) the opioid crisis. Students taking this course will learn about these topics through in-class guess speakers, assigned readings, and their own outside research. Students will assemble a final report focusing on criminal justice reform topics. The final projects are expected to include practical blue prints for federal, state, or local policymakers. In developing their own writing projects for the course, students will have the option of working alone (to satisfy the College of Law Writing Requirement) or collaborating with others to develop reports on the aforementioned topics.3Fall
832Cyber Security Law & Policy The 2009 White House Cyberspace Policy Review states: The United States needs to conduct a national dialogue on cybersecurity to ensure an integrated approach toward the Nation’s need for security and the national commitment to privacy rights and civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and law. This three-credit, one-semester seminar intends to be part of that dialog. Some cyber security law already exists. Other laws of long standing present issues of applicability or adaptability to the cyber realm. Many proposals remain in Congressional committees, such as bills that would mandate security measures for all entities receiving federal money, establish a federal certification for technicians serving computer networks of entities receiving federal money, and provide the President with authority to “pull the plug” on national Internet connectivity in times of emergency. This course is premised on the belief that much policy and law to implement it will be made in the next few years to institute a national policy to protect U.S. interests in cyberspace. The seminar uses an interdisciplinary approach, but no special background or prerequisites are required.3Fall
834Social Deviance & the Law Deviant behavior characterizes a course of action that violates recognized social norms. First, formal social norms govern human behavior through legal institutions. Conversely, informal social norms gather energy through no concrete regulatory structure, but through social approbation. This course focuses on both types of norms. Students will explore informal norms as an alternative way of thinking about power and governance outside the provenance of law. They will develop critical thinking skills about the authority of manners and society as equally forceful, or perhaps even more so, than formalized law. This interdisciplinary course brings together law, literature, philosophy, and film. Topics covered will be: Manners, Propriety, Violence, Sexuality, Blue laws, and Intercultural competence.3Spring
835Feminist Jurisprudence This course examines the historical and contemporary treatment of women under the Constitution, statutes, and common law. Students will examine how the legal system has constructed and applied notions of gender and gender equality. It will introduce students to significant contemporary legal scholarship on the status of women in modern America, and will explore how gender affects legal relationships and status. Feminist jurisprudence, or feminist theory, will be applied to doctrinal legal issues. Satisfies the upper-level writing requirement.3Fall
836Class Actions: Complex Litigation Class action is the most controversial procedural device. After studying the technical issues (prerequisites, certification, notice, opt out, settlement, res judicata) and its specific applications (consumer, antitrust, security, discrimination, mass tort) in concrete cases (tobacco, asbestos, Wal-Mart), you will be able to better understand the political and social implications behind class actions. Although class actions may bring social change and right injustices, it may also be improperly used to harass and blackmail defendants into settling non-meritorious claims. The course also deals with non-class aggregation, like joinder, impleader, interpleader, intervention, consolidation, transfers, and bankruptcy. It is also an excellent opportunity to review civil procedure concepts.3Spring
837European Union Law This course will introduce students to the European Union, its legal system and legal doctrines. Topics covered include the European Union and its principal institutions, the constitutional framework of the European Union, the operation of the Court of Justice of the European Union, legislative procedure, the internal market, and fundamental rights.2Fall
838Binary Economics and Property Rights This Seminar may be taken in two ways: (1) as a two-semester, three-credit seminar that may satisfy the writing requirement with instructor permission or (2) as a one–semester, two-credit seminar (in the Fall Semester only) that does not Satisfy the Writing Requirement. The seminar does not require prior exposure to economics or an above average mathematical aptitude. The seminar explores the relationship among the following subjects: capitalism, property rights, economics, democracy, professional responsibility, and skills of advocacy. It examines (and provides a conceptual alternative to) the mainstream economic theories that provide the foundation important private, business, and public decision-making that dominate political and economic discourse nationally and globally. It provides an alternative economic policy for those who believe that “too much government is the problem” and those who believe that “more government is a necessary part of the solution.” Particular attention will be given to fuller-employment and growth consequences of broadening capital acquisition with the earnings of capital. There are no pre-requisites for this Seminar except an open mind and a willingness to explore these subjects from a foundation grounded in professional responsibility. The seminar will provide important understanding regarding (1) legal, economic, and political controversy regarding the regulation and protection of property rights, (2) corporations, corporate finance, fiduciary duties and social responsibility, (3) private and governmental economic policy, (4) the principles of private property, (5) the requisites of a robust democracy, (6) the economic and property rights organization of society and ways to improve it, and (7) the relationship between economic theory and various conceptions of economic justice.3Spring
845Legal & Literary Writing on War & Peace This is a class on the craft of writing for the future lawyer or policy professional.  We will study great writing on war, peace, and national identity politics to see how the masters convince readers, sentence by sentence.  A reading list might include famous court cases, attorney general and other legal memoranda, political essays, journalistic pieces, short stories, and excerpts of novels.  We will read well to write well.  We will focus on prose and structure.  We will study how the masters keep readers engaged with storytelling and suspense and persuaded by specific details and rhetorical devices, all essential tools for legal practitioners.  Students will do both professional and creative writing exercises in and out of class.  We will emphasize revision and concision.  This course is especially intended for Security Policy and Law students.3Spring
853Comparative Privacy Law Domestic legal systems vouchsafe and define “privacy,” and its first cousin “dignity,” in different ways that strongly reflect local legal and cultural values. Yet, in an increasingly globalized world, purely local protection of privacy interests may prove insufficient to safeguard effectively fundamental autonomy interests – interests that lie at the core of self-definition, personal autonomy, and freedom. This short course will survey constitutional privacy rights in the United States, Canada, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. Consideration of constitutional privacy protections in these jurisdictions will establish important points of transnational agreement about how to define and protect privacy interests; it will also demonstrate that serious disagreements exist about protecting privacy – most notable in resolving the inherent tension between protecting both privacy and freedom of speech. The course will give sustained attention to the potential benefits and challenges that will confront any serious efforts to harmonize constitutional privacy protections across national borders. A comparative legal analysis of privacy will also illuminate, some of the important underlying social and political values that lead the U.S. to fail to protect privacy as reliably or as comprehensively as other liberal democracies. Finally, and no less important in this era of Big Data, drones, and society-wide surveillance programs, the short course will consider carefully the significant interrelationship that exists between privacy and speech in the context of sustaining and facilitating democratic self-government.1Fall
863Indigenous Law Legal and mainstream perceptions of Indigenous people and governance has perpetuated an assumption of lawless, savage and uncivilized lifeways. Haudenosaunee and Indigenous cultures have ongoing, proven complex and thoughtful legal and communal systems that preexisted and influenced settlements in the Americas. These Indigenous systems are the bases for political and social constructs that continue to influence today’s world. In this class, you’ll learn how these legal systems impact treaties, governments, policies and social justice movements throughout North America.3Spring
864Estate Planning The course grade is based entirely on the preparation of four written projects typical of those required of an associate in an estate planning firm that represents high net worth individuals. These projects are: 1. Preparation of a family gifting plan. 2. Preparation of a comprehensive estate plan for a married couple, including the drafting of the necessary legal documents. 3. Preparation of a charitable gifting plan 4. Preparation of a federal estate tax return. Initially, class time will be devoted to training students in how to apply concepts learned in the courses in Wills and Trusts, Federal Income Tax I, Estate and Gift Taxation, and Professional Responsibility, to the solution of actual client problems. Following the completion of each project, detailed written feedback will be provided both on the projects themselves as well as oral feedback n class so that the students will be better prepared to undertake subsequent projects. Principal skills emphasized are client counseling, legal drafting, and related ethical considerations.3Spring
866Banking Law Federal and state laws and regulations affecting banks in the United States.3Fall
871Transnational Alternative Dispute Resolutions This course is co-taught by Professor Todd A. Berger and Professor Marta Kuklo of the University of Bialystok in Bialystok, Poland. 
Using an on-line platform, students from both universities attend class simultaneously. Class features live lectures by Professors Berger and Kuklo as well as participation from students at each institution. The class features unique opportunities for students from both universities to cooperate with their foreign colleagues. Specifically, the course gives law students on both sides of the Atlantic an opportunity to hone their negotiation and communication skills in a transnational setting. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of cross-cultural negotiation and communication in resolving disputes and facilitating client agreements. In addition to classroom instruction, students will work on resolving a series of problems presented in a particular factual scenario. The scenarios are not dependent on the law of a particular country and are the type commonly encountered in international business, trade, and political disputes.
1Spring
868Smart Grid:Sec. Prov. & Ecn. This highly interdisciplinary, team-taught course covers the fundamental engineering, economic, and legal principles underlying the smart grid. It focuses on building the skills needed to design and test the protocols, policies, and specifications for enabling technologies that will guarantee the security and integrity of the smart grid while preserving personal privacy and providing maximum market flexibility with minimal need for new regulation. Students who complete the course will be able to integrate four perspectives—technology, security, economics, and law—allowing them to lead the development of the next generation electric grid.3Spring
878Introduction to Critical Legal Studies  Introduction to Critical Legal Studies will introduce students to a range of critical approaches to law with the goal of testing legal arguments, assertions of legal pedigree, and the underlying normative premises that often make certain legal outcomes seem just, neutral, and objective, if not inevitable. This course will focus on the major debates, questions, concepts, and theoretical approaches in the critique of law, including Legal Realism and Critical Legal Studies. Throughout the semester, students will use the work of Feminist, Queer, and Critical Race scholars as a lens to consider (and critique) the role of legal institutions, legislation, rules, and standards in regulating, controlling, forming, and conforming identities like race, gender, sexuality, disability, and other marginalized identities.
After an introduction addressing the nature and practice of legal critique, the course has two main parts. In the first part, students will be introduced to key topics in critical legal theory, such as sovereignty and the legal subject, jurisdiction, legal interpretation, judgment, and justice. These topics will be considered with an eye to the overarching question of the relation between law and political authority. In the second part of the course, this conceptual framework will be applied to a range of contemporary issues. Examples might include issues in biotechnology, social media, political protest, popular cultural forms, social equality, terrorism and counter-terrorism, torture, the contemporary workplace, reproductive rights, and the plight of the refugee. In addition to the critical legal perspectives, the course will draw on theoretical material from other disciplines relevant to the contemporary legal issues selected for analysis.
Students completing this course will develop a greater precision and rigor in their considerations of law and its role in social and political systems. The course is also designed to develop skills relevant to the making of well-considered and supported critical arguments.
3
880Race and the Law Race and the Law is a 3-credit graduate law discussion class critically examining the ways laws and courts address issues of race and construct race relations in the United States. Primary readings are historical and modern legal cases, the U.S. constitution, relevant U.S. statutes, and interdisciplinary scholarship on race and law. This course studies the history of treatment of African-Americans, Native peoples, Latinos, Asians and White people in American law before we look at particular topic areas and contemporary legal analyses. Topics may include equality doctrine, education and segregation, civil rights (e.g., housing, employment, public accommodations, and legal responses to civil rights organizing), criminal laws, policing and profiling, and prisons, sexuality and family, immigration, and existing and potential legal remedies. Weekly reading assignments, periodic online exercises, and active, engaged class discussions of assigned materials are critical components of the course. Students are required to write a 10-12 page analytical paper on one of the topics covered in the course and based on course materials and readings. Students may also be required to facilitate a class discussion on reading assignments and create a research bibliography. This law school course is open to non-law graduate students on a limited basis. Non-law students are required to get permission of the professor before enrolling in this law school class.3Spring
882The Law and Practice of Electronic Discovery The advent of the digital age has changed the way lawyers exchange information in litigation. Whether it be on computers, cell phones, tablets, data management portals, or social media, the key documents and information necessary to litigate are stored electronically, posing never before seen challenges for today’s lawyer. Whether advising a client of litigation holds and data retention policies, propounding or responding to discovery demands, preparing for and taking depositions, or engaging in motion practice on evidentiary issues, understanding technology is paramount to the modern day litigator. In this course you will be that lawyer. Employed as an associate at a fictional law firm, you will be responsible for managing all aspects of electronic discovery in two cases, from the initial client interviews, through and including depositions and trial preparation. Taught by a lawyer with experience as an associate and partner at large law firms in New York City and Boston, boutique practices, a federal clerkship, and as in-house counsel, this course offers a great opportunity to learn both the law, and the requisite skills to be a successful lawyer in the digital age.3Fall
883Central Challenges in National Security Using a series of case study modules that jump off the front page, the course examines critically the hardest U.S. national security law and policy challenges of the decades ahead. The case studies range from decisions to intervene and what laws apply if we do intervene in humanitarian crises, insurrections, or civil wars, and what laws should govern when we are involved; dealing with the Arab Spring; dealing with Iran and North Korea related to nuclear weapons; anticipating and controlling new technologies in warfare and surveillance; managing civil/military relations in protecting the homeland; countering the cyber threats to our infrastructure and cyber attacks waged by nation states, such as China and Russia; managing public health as a national security issue; resource depletion and global warming as a national security issue. Students will learn to integrate legal and policy analyses, and will gain lessons in how policy is made and implemented with significant legal guidance. Students will present analyses of case studies to the class, and will write briefing memoranda concerning some of the case study modules.3Fall
884Advanced Litigation Skills Approximately 90% of civil cases never reach trial. The savvy litigator knows how to navigate the pretrial process, whereby most civil cases resolve. This experiential course offers a modern approach to litigation advocacy where aspiring litigators learn to assess a civil matter from the start, build a case theory, and strategize its best path to resolution. Learning how to advocate for your client before and during the early stages of a lawsuit allows a litigator to identify which cases to settle; which cases to sue; and which to try. This course will focus on topics which span the pretrial process timeline, from initial client contact, early case investigation, and negotiations; to initiating a lawsuit, discovery strategy, depositions, motion practice, and alternative dispute resolution. A combination of classroom discussion, written assignments, and practical simulations will be used to develop best practices within the pretrial process.3Fall
885Introduction to US Disability Law This seminar examines U.S. disability civil rights law and policy, primarily under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended, or “ADA,” with a focus on lawsuits brought in federal court. U.S. disability law and policy, and related ADA civil rights, is a fast-evolving area, further complicated by the COVID-19 epidemic. Disability law and policy, including the law of the ADA, has evolved dramatically over the past thirty plus years in the U.S. and internationally. By some estimates there are sixty million Americans (almost one in five Americans) with disabilities, and more than one billion individuals (one in seven people) with disabilities around the world. Yet people with disabilities still are disproportionately excluded from the labor market and other economic, social, and civic opportunities. My ambition is to help seminar participants appreciate the expansive impact of U.S. disability law and policy on the lives of persons with disabilities.2
889International Human Rights and Comparative Disability Law Seminar This course introduces students to recent developments in international human rights and comparative disability law, including an analysis of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD). The CRPD was entered into force in 2008 as the first treaty to protect the rights of people with disabilities under international law. This course is for law students and other graduate students who are interested in disability rights and international human rights law, generally. The course uses disability as a case study for the study of the development of international human rights protections for certain groups; the adoption, monitoring, and implementation of UN treaties; the role of regional human rights tribunals in enforcing human rights protections for people with disabilities; and the relationship between international human rights laws and domestic disability-related laws in selected countries.3Fall
891Climate Change: Science, Perception, and Policy Climate change (global warming) is rapidly becoming one of the most pressing issues of the twenty-first century. This course introduces students to the challenges posed by climate change through a unique multi-disciplinary exploration of the scientific, economic, policy, communicative, and even philosophical dimensions of the issue. The course will cover topics such as the current state of scientific knowledge about climate change, the role of the media in shaping public opinion on the issue, competing discourses of climate change, risk and uncertainty in decision-making, costs and benefits of different types of policies, the Kyoto protocol and other policy initiatives, actions being taken to address the issue, and the ethical dimensions of the choices facing humanity. Faculty from SU and ESF in law, economics/public administration, earth science, and environmental studies will co-teach this course and bring to students a unique dialog that crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries. Moreover, emphasis will be placed on drawing out the general lessons obtained from a multi-disciplinary approach to climate change: many of the insights will be applicable to other complex, highly technical environmental problems. This course is intended to bring together students from a diverse range of backgrounds and does not have specific prerequisites.3Fall
894Retainer to Release: Multi-Party Complex Litigation This course will require students to actively litigate a tragic and complex personal injury lawsuit from the perspective of plaintiff and defendants. From the initial pleading stage through discovery, depositions and motion practice, students will learn how a case is framed, furthered and defended on behalf of their clients.1Spring
901Externship Seminar The Externship Program allows students to earn credit while gaining legal experience that will stand out on their resumes. The program consists of a one-credit online seminar with asynchronous content that meets virtually throughout the semester and a 2-12 credit externship placement for JDr students or a 2-10 credit externship placement for JDi students (depending on hours worked at the placement) during which students work under the supervision of a lawyer in placements in Central New York and across the country (Law 902). Professional Responsibility is a pre/co requisite class to any externship. Registration in the accompanying placement (Law 902) is required. Permission from the Director of Externships is required for enrollment.1Spring
902Externship Placement This is a 2-12 credit externship placement for JDr students or a 2-10 credit externship placement for JDi students during which students work under the supervision of a lawyer in placements in Central New York and across the country. Students gain hands-on lawyering experience working with and as lawyers in real office settings. Placement areas can be in private firms, corporations, government offices, public interest/legal aid offices, judicial placements, and non-traditional placements. These placements can be virtual or in person. All work must be performed under the direct supervision of an attorney. Professional Responsibility is a pre/co requisite class to any externship. Participation and registration in the accompanying, one credit externship seminar (Law 901) is required. Permission from the Director of Externships is required for enrollment.2-12Spring
903Criminal Defense Law Clinic Student attorneys represent clients charged with misdemeanors and violations in Syracuse City Court. They engage in extensive fact investigation, interviewing, client counseling, and plea negotiations, and appear regularly in local courts. They also assist clients with civil matters related to the pending criminal charges.6Fall, Spring
909Bankruptcy Clinic The pro bono bankruptcy clinic consists of a clinic open to second and third year students, and a pro bono volunteer program open to first year students. The upper division clinic students will representing an indigent client in filing a bankruptcy case, and will be in charge of the team supervising the first year student volunteers. The clinic students will be responsible for obtaining from the clients all of the information required by the Bankruptcy Code for filing a bankruptcy case, organizing that information, drafting the petition and schedules, and representing the client at the official meeting of creditors. Students will also address any legal issues that arise in the case. The class component will involve formal training basic consumer bankruptcy law and practice, and an open discussion of issues that arise in the cases.1Fall
910Law in London: Clinical Internship Students will spend the first week of the seven-week program attending lectures by authorities in English law.  This introduction to the English Legal System will prepare the students for their internships by providing an overview of the fundamental tenets of English law, with an emphasis on English legal institutions, court structure, the legal profession, and adjudicative procedure in both civil and criminal cases. Classes during this first week will meet for a minimum of 15 hours and will be supplemented by visits to one of the Inns of Court and the Houses of Parliament and by a guided tour of Legal London.  Following this first week of classes, students will undertake six-week internships with barristers, solicitors, public agencies or other legal organizations, under the supervision of Syracuse University College of Law faculty.  Internships are full-time jobs, and students are expected to work the normal hours at their placements..  During this six-week period these internship experiences are augmented by once-a-week, two-hour evening seminars conducted by the program faculty and cooperating English practitioners.5Summer
914Low Income Taxpayer Clinic The Low Income Taxpayer Clinic offers legal assistance to low income taxpayers who have controversies with the I.R.S. The controversies may include collection, examination, appeals or Tax Court matters. Student attorneys will also be involved in community outreach and education regarding income tax matters.3Fall, Spring
920Externship Seminar The Externship Program allows students to earn credit while gaining legal experience that will stand out on their resumes. The program consists of a one-credit online seminar with asynchronous content that meets virtually several times throughout the semester and a 2-12 credit externship placement (depending on hours worked at the placement) during which students work under the supervision of a lawyer in offices throughout Central New York (Law 921). Professional Responsibility is a pre/co requisite class to any externship. Registration in the accompanying placement (Law 921) is required.1Fall, Spring
921Externship Placement This is a 2-12 credit externship placement during which students work under the supervision of a lawyer in offices throughout Central New York. Students gain hands-on lawyering experience working with and as lawyers in real office settings. Placement areas can be in private firms, corporations, government offices, public interest/legal aid offices, judicial placements, and non-traditional placements. The Family & Elder Law Practicum is a focused externship which offers students the unique opportunity to gain hands on experience in the broader family law practice, which includes opportunities to advocate for and protect children’s rights and servicing those aged 60 and over and who are of low or moderate incomes. These placements can be remote or in person. All work must be performed under the direct supervision of an attorney. Professional Responsibility is a pre/co requisite class to any externship. Participation and registration in the accompanying, one credit externship seminar (Law 920) is required.2-12Fall, Spring
923Disability Rights Clinic The Disability Rights Clinic is dedicated to providing representation to individuals and groups in our community who are unable to secure representation elsewhere. One reason DRC clients are unable to find other lawyers to represent them is due to their lack of financial resources. In our community, as elsewhere, the vast majority of lawyers provide legal assistance only to those who can afford to pay for their services. And in recent years, federal funding, the major source of funding for legal services for people with low or no incomes, has been reduced dramatically. A second reason DRC clients are unable to find lawyers elsewhere relates to the types of cases they may have which may involve controversial issues or conflicts of interest for other lawyers. DRC student attorneys practice in federal and state courts, and before administrative agencies in a broad range of civil rights matters, including race, gender, age and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, prisoners rights, immigration, accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and employment matters.6Fall, Spring
926Veterans Legal Clinic The Veterans Legal Clinic offers legal assistance to veterans on discharge upgrade cases and benefits claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs. Students will have substantial opportunities to interview and counsel clients, conduct fact investigation, and advocate for veterans in a variety of settings. Students will assist veterans in navigating the process of applying for disability benefits, appealing decisions at the local level, and providing assistance all the way up to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in Washington, D.C. Students will have primary responsibility on their cases, under the guidance of a faculty member. In addition to case work, students will learn about military culture and the military discharge process. Students will understand the intricacies of VA administrative law process, including the impact of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury on these cases. Students will also focus on the policies behind the regulations set forth by the VA and how those intersect with the statutes set out by Congress.6Fall, Spring
931Pro Bono Scholars Program Externship Students in their final year of law school to devote their last semester of study to performing pro bono service for the poor through an approved externship, legal services provider, law firm or corporation. Placements are available in Central New York and Washington, DC. Only students selected by the Pro Bono Scholars Program committee and approved the New York Court of Appeals may register for the course. Students accepted for the Program will spend 12 weeks working fulltime in a placement beginning in March. Students will also have a seminar component, Pro Bono Scholars Seminar, for which they will earn two credits.12Spring
951Journal of International Law and Commerce Please contact the Office of Student Life for more information.1-3Fall, Spring
952Law Review Please contact the Office of Student Life for more information.1-3Fall, Spring
953Moot Court Please contact the Office of Student Life for more information.1-2Fall, Spring
955Transactional Law Clinic The Transactional Law Clinic assists clients with business and non-profit formation; contract drafting and review; business permits; licensing; trademarks; copyright and trade secret protection; employee and confidentiality agreements; partnership and shareholder agreements; corporate governance issues; applications for tax-exempt status; and regulatory compliance. The Clinic participates in the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Law School Clinic Certification Program for Trademarks. In addition to learning about those substantive areas of law, students learn transactional lawyering skills including drafting, interviewing, counseling, and negotiation.6Fall, Spring
956Journal of Science and Technology Law Please contact the Office of Student Life for more information.1-2Fall, Spring
959Advanced Legal Research Advanced Legal Research expands upon the foundation of research skills acquired in the first year. The course addresses effective research methods and strategies, examines the structural and theoretical underpinnings of traditional and automated research systems, and explores specialized areas of research (such as legislative history, administrative law, and non-legal resources). Students will have ample opportunities to refine research techniques through hands-on practice sessions in the law library.2Fall
975Space Law and Policy: National Security’s Next Frontier This is an interdisciplinary law and policy course directed to the national security uses of space as well as threats to and in space arising from the national security and commercial uses of space. The course will start with an overview of key terms and concepts as well as consideration of how different states and entities use space for national security purposes. We will then address key national security policy issues related to space, including situational awareness and traffic management; launch requirements; small satellites; orbital debris; rendezvous and proximity operations and non-earth imaging; remote earth sensing; sustainability and the environment; liability; and space threats, counterspace threats, and the use of force. Along the way, the course will identify and examine the domestic and international law relevant to the national security uses of space by the U.S., other state actors, and non-state actors, as well as potential gaps in applicable law and how those gaps should or might be filled. The course will also briefly consider the law and policy related to other global domains, such as the high seas and cyber space for purposes of comparison and analogy. There are no perquisites for the course other than interest. Course requirements: A paper and related class presentation along with class participation.2Spring
980Impunity Watch Please contact the Office of Student Life for more information2Fall, Spring