Spring 2025 Class Descriptions: Electives
Administrative Law (LWPP510)
Instructor(s): Anne Kammer
4 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Children's Rights (JD), Employment and Labor Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (JD), Health Law (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMUS), Employment and Labor Law (LLMG), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMG), Environmental and Energy Law (MSLS)
This course discusses the basic rules and principles governing federal administrative agencies. Subjects covered include the procedures governing administrative agencies, judicial review of administrative action, and presidential and congressional controls over agencies. The rules governing agencies are quite different from those that govern courts. Knowledge of these rules has become increasingly important, as many practitioners are now likely to spend more time dealing with administrative agencies than litigating in court.
Note: This is a required course for the Environmental & Energy Law and Public Interest Law concentrations (JD). This course may be applied as part of the nine required credits for the Health Law Concentration (JD).
Additional Information: Environmental & Energy Law Concentration (JD), Public Interest Law Concentration (JD)
Advanced Constitutional Law (LWIC507)
Instructor(s): Laurence Claus
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Requirement(s): Writing
This course adds a third dimension to the study of constitutional law by both investigating how we choose the leaders of our democratic institutions and comparing those rules and the institutions to which they pertain with alternatives that operate elsewhere in the democratic world. We will consider how voting systems affect the ways political parties form and behave, and how that behavior affects the institutions we learned about in Constitutional Law I and II. Topics for class discussion will include democracy and legitimate government, the right to vote, the right to an equal vote, political parties, and money in politics. Along with considering election dynamics in other democracies, we will compare how those other democracies structure their governments and protect human rights, and we will ask what really makes the difference between a constitution of democracy and a constitution of tyranny. This is a graded class, assessed by research paper. Success in writing the paper for this class will fulfill the written work requirement. There are no prerequisite courses for this course; it can be taken alongside or before other courses in constitutional law.
Advanced Legal Research (online) (LWLP512)
Instructor(s): Robert OLeary, Ian Kipnes
1 credit(s), Letter Graded
Advanced Legal Research builds upon basic legal research skills that students learned in their first-year Legal Writing and Research class. Topics include identifying and using appropriate secondary sources, advanced search techniques using Lexis, Westlaw, and other subscription services to locate relevant primary and secondary source materials, developing cost-effective research strategies, and critically evaluating search results and materials. Students will also have the option to learn about additional resources and techniques for researching topics, such as legislative history, administrative law, foreign & international legal materials, and competitive intelligence research. This is an on-line web based class that will not have any in person classes. This online class will be taught the first seven weeks of the semester and students' grades will be based on weekly assignments, quizzes, & class participation (via discussion board).
This course is online only for the first seven weeks of the semester and does not have a designated meeting day/time.
Note:
Asynchronous/remote
Advanced Partnership Tax (Remote via Zoom) (LWTE504)
Instructor(s): Staff
2 credit(s)
Concentration(s): Taxation (LLMUS), LLM in Taxation (LLMT), Taxation (MSLS)
Prerequisite(s): Partnership Tax
Advanced Partnership Taxation adopts a practitioner’s approach to understanding and drafting tax provisions embedded in partnership agreements – both simple and complex. The course explores how partnership tax principles and theory are translated into the governing legal documents – starting with a basic partnership agreement and working toward complex partnership structures. Over the course of the class, students will gain practical experience in drafting partnership tax provisions, as well as, enhancing their understanding of how those provisions affect both the tax and economic results of a given arrangement.
Note:
Please note this course will be taught remotely via Zoom.
Advanced Trial Advocacy (LWLP515)
Instructor(s): Bibianne Fell, Mary Jo Barr, Everett McAdoo
2 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Civil Litigation (JD), Criminal Litigation (JD), Criminal Law (LLMUS), Criminal Law (LLMG)
This intensive course is designed to improve each student’s individual trial presentation skills. Over two weekends, students will watch lectures and demonstrations from experienced practitioners, practice trial skills based on a hypothetical case file in workshops, receive individual critique, and participate in skills drills designed to have students repetitively practice the skill and think on their feet.
The course will address advanced issues in trial advocacy including expert witnesses, trial technology, differences in advocacy between plaintiff/defense and criminal/civil practices, and civility in the courtroom.
Advocacy Competition Teams (LWAC500)
Instructor(s): Linda Lane
1 credit(s), P/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
The Advocacy Competition Teams represent a variety of competitive advocacy experiences in which students learn techniques for effective and persuasive advocacy as they prepare to compete in tournaments against teams within our own law school and from other law schools. Only students selected for membership in one of the Advocacy Competition Teams may register.
Art Law (LWIP505)
Instructor(s): Bert Lazerow
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Intellectual Property (JD), Intellectual Property (LLMUS), Intellectual Property Law (LLMG), Intellectual Property Law (MSLS)
This course will consider some legal problems of the art world encountered by artists, art middlemen, and museums. Some of the following topics will be considered: art in wartime, the international art trade, the artist's rights in works, artistic freedom, the collector's security, the tax collector, and the museum as trustee and entrepreneur. This course draws from doctrines in many fields, including contracts, property, torts, constitutional law, administrative law, tax, intellectual property, and international law.
Note:
There are limitations on Intellectual Property (JD) concentration eligibility. Please check the Intellectual Property Concentration web page for more information.
Additional Information: Intellectual Property Concentration (JD)

