Spring 2026 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 Legal Research (online) (LWLP512)
Instructor(s): Julianne Odin
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): Brian Radigan
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.
Animal Law (LWGC510)
Instructor(s): Laurence Claus
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Requirement(s): Writing
Animal Law is a study of the range of ways that law affects and protects animals. Topics to be discussed during the semester include how animals have been defined by courts and legislatures, interpretation and enforcement of federal and state animal welfare statutes, and liabilities connected with the guardianship/ownership of animals. We will also consider the ethical implications of using animals for experimentation and food. In addition to reading the materials and participating in class discussions, students will be required to write a substantial paper on an issue related to animal law.
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)
Artificial Intelligence and the Law (LWIP506)
Instructor(s): Benjamin Lu
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Requirement(s): Writing
Concentration(s): Intellectual Property (JD), Intellectual Property (LLMUS), Intellectual Property Law (LLMG), Intellectual Property Law (MSLS)
This course studies the different ways that the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (“AI”) and related algorithmic systems challenge, or may eventually challenge, a range of legal doctrines and policies. Examples include the application of anti-discrimination law to algorithmic decision-making systems in employment; the scope of tort liability for harms arising from autonomous machines and other AI products; the extent of intellectual property rights over content that is used to train or that is produced by generative AI models; and the limitations that due process imposes on the government’s use of algorithmic decision-making systems in policing, administrative adjudications, and other functions. This course also studies recent proposals and efforts to regulate this class of technologies, both in the United States and in other jurisdictions.

