Course Descriptions

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Immigration Clinic I (LWVL530)

Instructor(s): Tammy Lin

2-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): International Law (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), International Law (LLMUS), LLM in International Law (LLMI)

Students gain practical experience through interviewing, counseling, and representing clients with immigration-related problems. Students have the opportunity to assist clients with a range of immigration issues such as naturalization, lawful permanent residency, derivative citizenship, deferred action, and U-visa and VAWA for domestic violence and abuse victims. Students may attend U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interviews related to their client’s applications. Students may also attend and participate in community immigration outreach. Weekly meetings are held with the clinic supervisor and other interns to discuss immigration law, practical application and casework. The clinic is graded on a 4-tier Pass-Fail basis. No Prerequisites.

Students interested in working in the clinics for either academic credit or as a volunteer must first fill out and submit the USD Legal Clinics Application for Law Students . Clinic staff will review your application and confirm enrollment. 

Immigration Clinic II (LWVL531)

Instructor(s): Tammy Lin

1-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential OR Writing
Concentration(s): International Law (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), International Law (LLMUS), LLM in International Law (LLMI)

Clinic II interns refine their skills, working on complex cases and cases already begun as Clinic I interns. Students may mentor first time clinic participants, serve as lead attorney on cases, and have additional opportunities to appear in court or administrative proceedings. Supervising attorneys/adjunct professors provide individualized coaching, based on the Clinic II interns’ needs and interests. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Clinic I in the same clinic. The clinic is graded on a 4-tier Pass-Fail basis. 

Students interested in working in the clinics for either academic credit or as a volunteer must first fill out and submit the USD Legal Clinics Application for Law Students . Clinic staff will review your application and confirm enrollment. 

Immigration Law (LWIC529)

Instructor(s): Ilene Durst

3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Employment and Labor Law (JD), International Law (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), International Law (LLMUS), Employment and Labor Law (LLMG), LLM in International Law (LLMI), International Law (MSLS)

This course is on U.S. immigration and refugee law and policy.  It will introduce substantive immigration law and procedure, core immigration statutes and federal regulations, and judicial decisions interpreting those statutes and regulations.  In addition, it will devote special attention to the immigration debate. Grades for this course will be dependent on a comprehensive final exam.

Innocence Clinic I (Remote via Zoom) NEW (LWVL552)

Instructor(s): Justin Brooks

2-4 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Criminal Litigation (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), Criminal Law (LLMUS), Criminal Law (LLMG)
Prerequisite(s): Wrongful Convictions
Corequisite(s): Pre- or co-requisite: Evidence
Recommended Class(es): Criminal Procedure I, Criminal Procedure II

Students in the Innocence Clinic will work under the supervision of Professor Brooks and lawyers from The Innocence Center assisting with the investigation and litigation of wrongfully convicted incarcerated clients.  Students will be tasked with developing investigation plans, summarizing documents, meeting with clients, presenting cases, writing motions, writing briefs, and general litigation tasks.  Students must have taken Wrongful Convictions to be eligible for the clinic. Students are selected through an interview process. 

Students interested in working in the clinics for either academic credit or as a volunteer must first fill out and submit the USD Legal Clinics Application for Law Students . Clinic staff will review your application and confirm enrollment. 

International Energy Law (LWIC542)

Instructor(s): Nilmini Silva-Send

3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Requirement(s): Writing
Concentration(s): Environmental and Energy Law (JD), International Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMUS), International Law (LLMUS), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMG), LLM in International Law (LLMI), Environmental and Energy Law (MSLS), International Law (MSLS)

This course introduces students to international law as applied to energy investment, international trade and the impacts that the climate change regime might be having on both of these areas. Following review of historical energy investment treaties, we will examine current legal relationships between major energy-supplying nations (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Russia, USA), national oil and gas companies (e.g., Aramco, Gazprom, Equinor) and multinational companies (e.g., BP, Exxon). 

Publicly available international energy investment arbitration case law provides us with a chance to examine international law principles such as the most-favored nation treatment principle used by companies as defenses against government takings of energy company assets. Governments in turn have limited defenses to justify these takings although the public interest is one, yet to be used successfully. Such arguments provide us with a fruitful basis to help understand how climate change law might affect traditional oil and gas investment treaties and contracts. In addition, as the world moves towards a low-carbon economy, countries adopt domestic low-carbon-promoting policies, and we will use current World Trade Organization (WTO) case law to examine how domestic energy policies impact international trade law. 

International Environmental Law (LWIC539)

Instructor(s): Catherine MacKenzie

2 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Environmental and Energy Law (JD), International Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMUS), International Law (LLMUS), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMG), LLM in International Law (LLMI), Environmental and Energy Law (MSLS), International Law (MSLS)

This course introduces students to international environmental law and considers how law may be used to enhance international environmental protection. It commences with an overview of the international legal system in the context of environmental protection. It then discusses the history, development, sources and principles of international environmental law and reviews the role of the UN and other international agencies in the context of international environmental law-making. Next, it considers issues of particular interest to the United States. These may include climate change, energy, biodiversity and biotechnology, transboundary water, forests and protected areas, and environment and trade. It concludes by considering the resolution of international environmental disputes including international responsibility, the role of international courts and tribunals and the quantification of environmental harm.  

International Intellectual Property (LWIP545)

Instructor(s): Lisa Ramsey

3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Intellectual Property (JD), International Law (JD), Intellectual Property (LLMUS), International Law (LLMUS), Intellectual Property Law (LLMG), LLM in International Law (LLMI), Intellectual Property Law (MSLS), International Law (MSLS)

This course examines international protection of intellectual property. We will discuss international treaties, trade agreements, and dispute resolution systems relating to trademarks, patents, copyrights, and related rights. The course will also cover acquisition and enforcement of intellectual property rights in foreign markets.

International Taxation (Remote via Zoom) (LWTE539)

Instructor(s): David Bowen

3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Business and Corporate Law (JD), International Law (JD), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Business and Corporate Law (LLMUS), International Law (LLMUS), Taxation (LLMUS), LLM in Taxation (LLMT), LLM in International Law (LLMI), Business and Corporate Law (MSLS), International Law (MSLS), Taxation (MSLS)
Prerequisite(s): Tax I

This basic course in international taxation addresses the U.S. taxation of inbound and outbound cross-border transactions and activities.  The course includes comprehensive coverage of 26 USC Subchapter N, which contains the basic provisions for tax on income from sources within or without the United States.  The course will cover both FAUST (foreign activities of U.S. taxpayers) and USAFT (U.S. activities of foreign taxpayers), and will emphasize the significant changes brought about in the 2017 TCJA (Tax Cut and Jobs Act).  Examples of specific topics include the sourcing rules, the foreign tax credit, CFCs (controlled foreign corporations), FCCs (foreign controlled corporations), the Subpart F regime, repatriations, the GILTI-FDII-BEAT provisions, and other FAUST-USAFT matters.

International Trade and Investment (LWIC558)

Instructor(s): Robert Bowen

3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Requirement(s): Writing
Concentration(s): International Law (JD), International Law (LLMUS), LLM in International Law (LLMI), International Law (MSLS)

This course will focus on international trade and investment laws from a compliance-oriented reference point that illuminates challenges facing international counsel advising clients on global supply chain questions governed by these laws.

Course materials and classroom discussions will assess critical laws, policies, and commercial problems intrinsic to international trade and investment. Current governance institutions, including the World Trade Organization, will be considered along with challenges encountered by national governments attempting to influence international trade and investment. Additional topics will include legal aspects of the United States – Mexico – Canada Agreement as well as core aspects of anti-bribery laws.

Substantial emphasis will be placed on topics of controversy, including the growing intersection of national security principles and trade and investment law, the role of trade and investment laws in U.S. – China relations, and the role of economic and trade sanctions law involving Russia since early 2022.

Intro to US Law (LWGC530)

Instructor(s): Bert Lazerow

2 credit(s), Letter Graded

Introduction to United States Law is a required course for Master of US Law and semester exchange students. No other students may enroll. This course comparatively introduces distinctly American approaches to law, lawyering and legal processes. Special emphasis is placed on the common law tradition.

Note:

This course is for LLMUS and semester exchange students only.

IP Externship (LWVL532)

Instructor(s): Ted Sichelman

1-6 credit(s), P/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Business and Corporate Law (JD), Civil Litigation (JD), Intellectual Property (JD), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Business and Corporate Law (LLMUS), Intellectual Property (LLMUS), Intellectual Property Law (LLMG)

This course places students at local law firms and companies to provide legal assistance to local individuals (inventors, artists, musicians, and others) and tech and media companies in the areas of patent prosecution, patent searching, trademark prosecution, filing of provisional and utility patents, intellectual property litigation, intellectual property transactions, and related areas (including copyright and trade secret law). 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 2026 externship in late Spring 2026. Please see the Fall 2025 course description for more information on applying for the 2026-27 program.

Additional Information: Application