Spring 2027 Class Descriptions: Electives
California Civil Procedure (LWLP520)
Instructor(s): Shawn Miller
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Civil Litigation (JD), Employment and Labor Law (JD), Employment and Labor Law (LLMG)
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure
This course is designed for upperclass law students who intend to practice law in California and therefore may wish to learn more about California civil procedure. The course will focus on the important caselaw doctrines, statutory rules, and policies which define civil litigation in the California courts with particular attention to those areas of California civil procedure that are unique when compared to federal and to other states' procedural laws. The topics covered will include considerations before undertaking representation; statutes of limitations and related doctrines; California conflicts of law doctrine; jurisdiction, venue, forum non conveniens, and service of process; prejudgment attachment and other provisional remedies; claim and issue preclusion; pleadings and motions; joinder of parties and claims, new party cross-complaints, equitable indemnity, and good faith settlements; the California Civil Discovery Act; summary judgments, default judgments, involuntary dismissals for failure to prosecute, the “fast track” system, and judicial and contractual arbitration; right to jury trial, trial procedures, and post-trial motions; judgments, enforcement of judgments, and setting aside judgments; and appeals, extraordinary appellate writs, and administrative mandamus. The course will also provide students with a brief summary of the federal or general position on each major topic covered as a basis of comparison and as a review of basic civil procedure.
Additional Information: Civil Litigation Concentration, Employment and Labor Law Concentration
California Criminal Litigation Skills (LWCR505)
Instructor(s): Richard Gates, Emily Rose-Weber
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Criminal Litigation (JD), Criminal Law (LLMUS), Criminal Law (LLMG)
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Law, Legal Writing & Research
If you are considering a career as a prosecutor or criminal defense attorney, or plan to intern at a prosecution or criminal defense agency, this is the course for you. This course focuses on the knowledge and skills required to litigate criminal cases in the California trial courts. The class tracks a criminal case from arrest through sentencing, but not trial, providing students with an overview of the process. Students draft practice-related documents, participate in courtroom simulations, learn fact management and development, and participate in discussions on relevant topics.
Additional Information: Criminal Litigation Concentration
California Reg Law & Public Interest (LWPP570)
Instructor(s): Marcus Friedman
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Children's Rights (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (JD), Health Law (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMUS), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMG), Environmental and Energy Law (MSLS)
California Regulatory Law and the Public Interest practicum course in which students learn the substantive law governing the operation and decision making of California regulatory agencies, including constitutional and administrative law principles commonly a part of the Bar Exam. State regulatory agencies are a crucial area of legal practice as they control environmental requirements and land use, education, utilities, and almost all trades and professions (e.g. contractors, doctors, accountants, veterinarians, and attorneys). Public interest lawyers represent interests that are diffuse, unorganized, and generally underrepresented – such as consumers, the environment, children, and the future.
This class focuses on the theories of regulations, barriers to entry, federal and state antitrust law, allies and strategies for creating systemic change, ethical standards for government officials, the California budget process, and the Noerr-Pennington Doctrine. Students are assigned California agencies to monitor outside of the classroom and provide an update to be published in the California Regulatory Law Reporter. Students will also provide agency updates throughout the semester via blog and social media posts.
Note:
This is a required course for the Public Interest Law Concentration (JD). There are limitations on JD concentration eligibility. Please check the JD concentrations web page for more details about applicability to other concentrations.
Additional Information: Public Interest Concentration
Class Action Law Forum (LWLP524)
Instructor(s): Shawn Miller
1 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Writing
Concentration(s): Children's Rights (JD), Civil Litigation (JD), Public Interest Law (JD)
The University of San Diego School of Law and Western Alliance Bank’s eighth annual Class Action Law Forum™ (CALF) will take place right here at USD March 20-22, 2027, and Professor Shawn Miller will be supervising students interested in helping state and federal judges and partners from leading law firms that are speaking at the event to prepare their conference presentations. Beyond the opportunity to individually assist judges and law firm partners, students selected must write a short paper (roughly ten pages) on the class action litigation topics covered at the conference. The expectation is that student papers will be published on the CALF’s conference website. Professor Miller is also happy to help students expand their works so that they may be submitted as student notes.
Note:
Students interested in taking this course, please contact Professor Miller to receive approval and next steps to enroll.
Additional Information: Link to the 2025 conference story on the USD website.
Community Property (LWFC554)
Instructor(s): Meredith Levin
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
This course covers the California community property law, the system for ownership and management of marital property by spouses. California law is the focus of the course, but the materials include comparison of the community property systems of other US states for parallel issues. The approach in the course is to examine both the policy and concepts of the community property system and the detailed rules and legislation applicable in California.
Constitutional Law II (LWPP525)
Instructor(s): Miranda McGowan
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Prerequisite(s): Constitutional Law I
This course is about the Bill of Rights – apart from its “criminal procedure” aspects – and especially about the Fourteenth Amendment and its guarantees of due process and equal protection. Topics may include the second amendment; disputes over economic liberty, sexual liberty, abortion, and assisted suicide; the right to bear arms; takings of private property; voting rights; race and sex discrimination and affirmative action.
Contemplative Practice of Law (LWGC514)
Instructor(s): Emily Nagisa Keehn
1 credit(s), P/F Graded
We have much work to do to support the well-being of lawyers. There is robust evidence showing that lawyers suffer at high rates from chronic stress, substance abuse, depression, and burnout. This seminar will introduce students to a variety of mindfulness and contemplative theories and practices with the objective of cultivating their long-term resiliency as professionals. Readings will examine issues through the lens of professional identity formation at the personal and interpersonal levels, including relationships with themselves, their clients, and their colleagues. This course will help students to grow in their self-knowledge, learn how to navigate psychologically difficult situations, and have greater care for themselves while striving to work more thoughtfully and effectively in the service of others.
Note:
This is a short course that meets seven times.
Contract Drafting (LWGC563)
Instructor(s): Frederick Heller, Monica Sullivan
2 credit(s), Letter Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential OR Writing
Concentration(s): Business and Corporate Law (JD), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Business and Corporate Law (LLMUS), Business and Corporate Law (MSLS)
Transactional drafting is crucial to the legal profession. It refers to the process of creating documents to formalize agreements between parties. This course trains students to be able to use the process comfortably. You will learn to structure agreements, and express them in clear and concise language that will benefit clients and maximize the likelihood of favorable interpretation. The course emphasizes both cooperative and individual drafting work. Each week in class, you will focus on selected components of the drafting process, and prepare a document or exercise requiring you to practice what you learn. You will receive immediate feedback on that day’s drafting activity, and written comments on individual weekly homework assignments. Visits by attorneys who draft contracts in their practice will provide a view of how the legal profession depends on this skill. This class will use various types of contracts that touch on various areas of substantive law: contracts for the sale of goods, business or property (contract law, commercial transactions); residential and commercial leases (landlord-tenant and real estate law); settlement agreements (torts); employment, non-disclosure and non-compete agreements (employment law); retainer agreements (legal ethics); intellectual property rights (intellectual property); corporate acquisitions (corporations, securities law); entertainment contracts (entertainment law); vendors’ contracts (sports law). Grades are based on the scores on individual weekly assignments.
Note:
This course may fulfill either the Experiential OR Upper Division Writing requirement. Students will be asked in class at the beginning of the semester to elect which requirement they would like this course to fulfill. The student's election is final.
Contract Drafting GRAD (LLM or MSLS or EXCHANGE ONLY) (LWGC562)
Instructor(s): Leslie Morsek
2 credit(s), Letter Graded
Requirement(s): Writing
Concentration(s): LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Business and Corporate Law (LLMUS), Business and Corporate Law (MSLS)
Transactional drafting is crucial to the legal profession. It refers to the process of creating documents to formalize agreements between parties. This course, which is offered only to students in the LLM, MSLS and Exchange programs, trains students to be able to use the process comfortably. You will learn to structure agreements, and express them in clear and concise language that will benefit clients and maximize the likelihood of favorable interpretation. The course emphasizes both cooperative and individual drafting work. Each week in class, you will focus on selected components of the drafting process, and prepare a document or exercise requiring you to practice what you learn. You will receive immediate feedback on that day’s drafting activity, and written comments on individual weekly homework assignments. Visits by attorneys who draft contracts in their practice will provide a view of how the legal profession depends on this skill. This class will use various types of contracts that touch on various areas of substantive law: contracts for the sale of goods, business or property (contract law, commercial transactions); residential and commercial leases (landlord-tenant and real estate law); settlement agreements (torts); employment, non-disclosure and non-compete agreements (employment law); retainer agreements (legal ethics); intellectual property rights (intellectual property); corporate acquisitions (corporations, securities law); entertainment contracts (entertainment law); vendors’ contracts (sports law). Grades are based on the scores on individual weekly assignments.
Note:
This course is for students in the LLM, MSLS, and Exchange programs only.
Controlled Substances (LWGC518)
Instructor(s): Donald Dripps
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Criminal Litigation (JD), Criminal Law (LLMUS), Criminal Law (LLMG), Criminal Law (MSLS)
This course examines the criminal law’s treatment of recreational drug use and the policy controversies attending the law. The course should be of special interest to students interested in taking up criminal practice, whether as prosecutors or defenders, but should also appeal to students interested in our criminal justice system generally. Specific topics covered will include the Nature of Intoxicants, the Development of Legal Prohibitions, and Continuing Debate over Legalization; The War on Drugs, Mass Incarceration, and Questions of Equal Justice; Possession versus Distribution; Manufacture and Conspiracy Offenses; Mens Rea in Drug Crimes; Drug Testing at Work and School; Sentencing under the Guidelines; Criminal Procedure--Informants and Wiretaps; Criminal Procedure—Search and Seizure, with special emphasis on suppression hearing practice; The Controlled Substances Act and the FDCA; Medical Marijuana; and International Aspects of Drug Control.
Additional Information: Criminal Litigation Concentration
Copyright Law (LWIP525)
Instructor(s): Abraham Bell
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Intellectual Property (JD), Intellectual Property (LLMUS), Intellectual Property Law (LLMG), Intellectual Property Law (MSLS)
This course surveys the law relating to rights in expressive works. We will study what copyright covers – such as books, movies, musical recordings, and software – and distinguish copyright from other forms of intellectual property, such as trademark and patent. We will focus on the exclusive rights granted in copyrightable works, rules governing the transfer of those rights, what acts infringe those rights, what remedies the law provides for infringement, and what limitations the law places on those rights, such as the fair use doctrine. We will discuss some topics of current interest, such as the rules governing the copying and distribution of music over peer-to-peer networks, digital rights management, and open-source software development. This class has a final exam.
Note: May be applied as part of the six required credits for the Intellectual Property Concentration (JD).
Additional Information: Intellectual Property JD Concentration
Corporate Tax (LWTE560)
Instructor(s): Michelle Layser
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Business and Corporate Law (JD), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Business and Corporate Law (LLMUS), Taxation (LLMUS), LLM in Taxation (LLMT), Business and Corporate Law (MSLS), Taxation (MSLS)
Prerequisite(s): Tax I
The course involves a study of the basic concepts of federal income taxation of C corporations and their shareholders, including organization of corporations; cash and stock dividends; redemptions of stock; partial and complete liquidations; sales of corporate businesses and reorganizations. Taxation of corporations is compared with taxation of partnerships, limited liability companies and S corporations. The emphasis is on careful analysis of Code provisions, Treasury Regulations, other administrative materials and important judicial decisions in relation to problems that are frequently assigned in advance of class discussion.
Note: This is a required course for the Business and Corporate Law Concentration (JD).
Additional Information: Business and Corporate Law Concentration
Corporate Technology Externship (LWVL570)
Instructor(s): Anthony Mauriello
1-6 credit(s), P/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Business and Corporate Law (JD), Intellectual Property (JD), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Intellectual Property Law (LLMG), Business and Corporate Law (MSLS), Intellectual Property Law (MSLS)
This externship places students at local law firms and companies to provide legal assistance to technology companies in the areas of corporate formation and transactions, contracts, employment, and related areas. Students will be supervised by attorneys at the local law firms and companies as well as the professors. Students begin work during the first week of the semester with companies and law firms, and meet one-on-one with the professors on a regular basis.
Only students who were registered for the fall semester will be admitted to the spring semester. Non-graduating students who have not previously participated in the externship may apply for the Fall 2027 externship in late Spring 2027. Please see the Fall 2026 course description for more information on applying for the 2027-28 program.
Additional Information: Application
Corporations (LWBC545)
Instructor(s): Mengyi Wang, Mark Lee
4 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Business and Corporate Law (JD), Employment and Labor Law (JD), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Business and Corporate Law (LLMUS), Employment and Labor Law (LLMG), Business and Corporate Law (MSLS)
Note:
This is a required course for the Business and Coporate Law Concentration (JD).
Additional Information: Business and Corporate Law Concentration
Criminal Procedure I (LWCR520)
Instructor(s): Rebecca Talbott
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Criminal Litigation (JD), Criminal Law (LLMUS), Criminal Law (LLMG), Criminal Law (MSLS)
This course is limited to pre-trial matters, as effected by the fourth, fifth, and sixth amendments. Coverage will include arrest, search and seizure, wiretap, lineups, interrogation, and the exclusionary rules.
Note: This is a required course for the Criminal Litigation Concentration (JD).
Additional Information: Criminal Litigation Concentration
Criminal Procedure II (LWCR525)
Instructor(s): Erin Sheley
3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Criminal Litigation (JD), Criminal Law (LLMUS), Criminal Law (LLMG), Criminal Law (MSLS)
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Procedure I
In this advanced criminal procedure class, students will continue the study commenced in Criminal Procedure I, focusing on the processing of a criminal defendant through the criminal justice system. The course will address a number of issues regularly presented in criminal cases, including the charging process, the right to a speedy trial, criminal discovery and disclosure, the right to jury trial, the right to effective assistance of counsel, the right to confrontation and the exercise of the privilege against self incrimination at trial. In addition the course will include discussions of the principles of the right against double jeopardy, and post conviction remedies such as direct appeal and petitions for habeas corpus. The purpose of the course is to develop an understanding of the basic structure of the criminal process in a federal system of government as well as the basic principles underlying the constitutional and procedural protections of the criminal justice system.
Note: This is a required course for the Criminal Litigation Concentration (JD).
Additional Information: Criminal Litigation Concentration