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Advanced Skills Courses
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Spring Semester
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| Advanced Criminal Trial Techniques |
LAW 436 2 Hours |
| This course focuses on the strategy and tactics employed by trial lawyers in criminal cases. Topics include analysis of evidence, developing a theory of the case, plea negotiations, guilty pleas, witness interviews and preparation, jury selection, sentencing, and post-conviction remedies. The course will also address preparation of pre-trial motions, objections at trial, direct and cross-examination techniques, opening statements and closing arguments. Students will participate in exercises designed to strengthen their trial skills in these areas. Trial practice is a prerequisite. Enrollment limited to 24. Seniors only. S/U |
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| Advanced Litigation Drafting |
LAW 534 2 Hours |
| This course will explore technical and strategic issues in the drafting of litigation documents such as briefs, complaints, answers, written discovery, affidavits, discovery schedules, pretrial orders, jury charges, releases and correspondence. The course will discuss the use and misuse of form books, and the viability of the “plain English” movement. The course will review some basic rhetorical strategies for maximizing the effect of favorable law and facts, or for minimizing the import of adverse law and facts. The course will examine good legal writing from the perspective of the Bench, and the Bar. In the context of litigation drafting, the course will offer students practical instruction about a litigation practice in general. The course will provide students with form litigation documents for their future use. Enrollment limited to 24. Seniors only. S/U (Pass/Fail) |
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| Advanced Trial Practice |
LAW 536 2 Hours |
| A continuation of the skills addressed in the basic Trial Practice course using the same methods. Trial Practice is a prerequisite. Enrollment limited to 24. Seniors only. S/U (Pass/Fail) |
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| Appellate Practice & Procedure |
LAW 457 2 Hours |
| This course will cover topics of appellate procedure, including standards of review, timeliness, ripeness, harmless error, writs, preservation of error, preparation of the record, and court rules. Students will draft or review examples of the procedural documents relevant to an appeal, such as a Notice of Appeal, a Designation of Record, a Request for Oral Argument, an Enumeration of Errors, and a letter brief. Students will review a sample set of briefs (opening brief, responsive brief, and reply brief) but will not draft those documents. Reading for the course will include law review articles on topics pertaining to appellate legal writing. Finally, time permitting, the course will explore several principles of persuasion from the study of rhetoric, cognitive psychology, and/or jurisprudence. Students will make one presentation, do periodic small writing assignments, and take an examination. The course will be graded. Enrollment limit of 16. |
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| Business Drafting |
LAW 659 2 Hours |
| This course will explore issues surrounding the drafting of business related documents. We will draft a number of different documents during the course of the semester. We will discuss the use and misuse of form books, the importance of language in this type of drafting, the role of the business attorney, and the viability of the "plain English" movement. The course will offer students practical instruction about various areas of a general business practice. Business Associations is a co-requisite or pre-requisite. Enrollment limited to 24. Seniors only. S/U (Previously titled Advanced Transactional Drafting.) |
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| Case Settlement Negotiation |
LAW 632 2 Hours |
| Students will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their hypothetical clients' cases and attempt to negotiate a favorable settlement with the opposing party. May not be taken simultaneously with Negotiations. Enrollment limited to 16. Seniors only. S/U |
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| Consumer Bankruptcy Practice |
LAW 568 2 Hours |
| Students will be presented with hypothetical fact situations. Students will write short papers in which they will explain, based on the facts presented, what advice they would give to a client, what additional information they require to provide proper advice, what they need to do to satisfy their professional and statutory duties as attorneys, and other such issues. Students also will prepare and file various documents as attorneys for debtors (e.g., initial petition, schedules, a statement of financial affairs and a plan)and as attorneys for creditors (e.g., an objection to confirmation, a motion for relief from the stay). Time permitting, hearings may be scheduled in the law school courtroom, or possibly in the courtroom of a local bankruptcy judge, where students will appear and present their arguments. Classroom work would include presentation of material related to the papers and documents prior to their preparation and then follow-up discussion and critique of the students’ work after submission. Debtor/Creditor is a prerequisite. Enrollment limited to 24. S/U |
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| Effective and Affective Lawyering |
LAW 574 2 Hours |
| The course covers the psychology of lawyering as it relates to the effective practice of law. This course includes an in-depth study of the science and theory of personality and affective assessments used by mental health professionals. The student will be able to apply these theories and techniques to all areas of "lawyering," including selecting juries, developing and maintaining relationships with clients, witnesses, and other lawyers, as well as making persuasive arguments to judges. Enrollment limited to 24. S/U |
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| Environmental Law Practice |
LAW 669 2 Hours |
| The course is designed to enable students to develop skills needed by attorneys that practice environmental law or that encounter environmental law in their general practice of law. Skills will include client and witness interviewing and counseling, researching and finding the law, drafting and reviewing environmental documents or environmental provisions in business or real estate documents, working with administrative agencies on policy development (e.g., commenting on rulemakings) or in an adjudicatory setting (e.g., applying for a permit, negotiating with an agency in an enforcement proceeding, or participating in mediation or similar dispute resolution processes), and trial advocacy. The course will be taught through a combination of lecture, simulations, and written assignments. S/U (Pass/Fail) Seniors only. This class is limited to 16 students. |
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| Labor Arbitration |
LAW 499 2 Hours |
| This course will consider labor arbitration. Topics covered are judicial review of arbitration awards, ethics and professional responsibility of arbitrators, arbitration awards and public policy, arbitration and individual rights. Each student will be required to author two arbitration awards. Enrollment limited to 16. Seniors only. S/U (Pass/Fail) |
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| Managing Law Practice |
LAW 629 2 Hours |
| This course explores the organizational setting of law practice through student simulations and guest appearances by practicing lawyers. Special attention is given to the management of law firms with fewer than ten lawyers. Subjects include partnership structure, client relations, malpractice insurance, computer applications, billing, financial planning, marketing, specialization, compensation, and the hiring process. One session is devoted to solo practice. S/U Enrollment limited to 24. Seniors only. |
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| Patent Drafting & Prosecution |
LAW 654 2 Hours |
| This class would provide lecture and drafting exercises in drafting specifications, claims, and responses to office actions in patent prosecution practice. It would be a two hour graded course, taught once a week for two hours by synchronous video conferencing. Limit 20. Prerequisite: Patent Law and Litigation. |
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| Pretrial Practice |
LAW 567 2 Hours |
| Students will examine and use the tools of civil discovery. Working in teams, you will plan and implement a discovery program. Most of your work will focus on drafting discovery documents, including interrogatories, document requests, requests for admission, a request for sanctions, objections to discovery requests and the like. You will also be responsible for preparing and arguing one major pretrial motion, including a short brief. If time permits, you will also take a deposition. Although the class is scheduled for three hours, no one meets for more than two hours, except when it comes to depositions and settlements negotiations. Otherwise, frankly, most of your work is done outside of class time. Enrollment limited to 16. Seniors only. S/U |
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| Problems in Trial Evidence |
LAW 640 2 Hours |
| Students will research, brief and orally present courtroom arguments of relatively to highly complex evidentiary issues as they might arise in the pre-trial and mid-trial stages of civil and criminal trials. Limited enrollment of 16. Trial Practice is a prerequisite. Computer skills advised. Seniors only. S/U |
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| Scientific Evidence |
LAW 430 2 Hours |
| This advanced evidence course will consider common issues involving scientific evidence and expert witness testimony in federal court. Rule 702 and Daubert will be discussed in depth covering specific types of experts and specific methods used by experts. We will review hearsay and exceptions to the hearsay rule that commonly arise at trial with expert witnesses, and also Rule 703, dealing with a specific exception for expert witnesses. The course will involve practical application of the legal principles learned in class, including simulated pre-trial conferences and the direct examination and cross examination of an expert witness. S/U Limit: 20 |
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| Trusts and Estates Drafting |
LAW 421 2 Hours |
| This course focuses on the design and drafting of estate planning documents. Substantive discussions are integrated into exercises in drafting documents used by estate and trust practitioners. These documents will include wills, trusts, and advance directives. Numerically graded. Limit 24. Prerequisite: Law of Wills and Intestate Succession. |
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