Specialized Tutorial Courses

These two and three credit courses are designed to give the student an intensive writing experience with one of our distinguished faculty member's expertise. Students may register for up to three credits of tutorials. However, no student may apply toward the JD degreee more than three credits in total for tutorials and supervised research and writing (Independent Study). Students may apply for as many tutorial offerings as they wish. Of those who apply, one or two students will be selected for each tutorial offering. The tutorial offerings will involve several meetings between the student and the professor and the preparation of a research paper under the direction of the professor. This paper may be used to satisfy the Upper-class Writing Requirement.

If you are interested in applying for any of the following tutorials, please e-mail the Registrar's Office with the name of the tutorial, your name, class year, and e-mail address. We will contact you later in the summer regarding the status of your tutorial selection.

Fall 2008 Tutorials

Collective Bargaining for Talent in Movies and Television - Professor Harper

This tutorial covers research into the history of collective bargaining by unions for actors, writers, and directors in film and television.

Disability Law - Professor Caruso

We will focus on recent cases and scholarly articles concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Students are expected to discuss assigned readings with the instructor and to write a paper. Max 3 students.

Empirical Research on Patents - Mr. Bessen

In this tutorial we study empirical research techniques and participate in ongoing research on patents, including possibly, the patent litigation, litigation costs and the economic value of patents. Familiarity with statistics or econometrics is recommended.

English Legal History (before 1600) - Professor Seipp

Research and writing on the development of doctrines, institutions, and sources of English common law between 1066 and 1600. Emphasis on primary source materials and their interpretation.

Interdisciplinary Tutorial in Tax, Accounting and Corporate Governance - Professor Walker

This tutorial will involve detailed research on a topic of the student's choosing that lies at the intersection of tax, corporate financial accounting, and corporate governance - either U.S. or non-U.S. Enrollment is contingent on obtaining the instructor's advance approval, which will require the submission of a two-page summary of the proposed topic.

International Finance and Investment Law - Professor Verdier

Professor Verdier will supervise a limited number of students in independent study during the Fall semester in areas related to international financial regulation or investment law. Examples of potential areas in international financial regulation include: international implications of current proposals to reform the U.S. financial regulation structure; SEC initiatives to adopt mutual recognition arrangements with foreign securities regulators; developments in financial regulation within the European Union; and the role and impact of actors such as credit rating agencies, hedge funds, and sovereign wealth funds. Examples relating to international investment law include: reform of the U.S. foreign investment admission regime; evolution of investment protection provisions in contemporary treaties; and current legal issues in investor-state arbitration. During the first weeks of the Fall semester, students will be directed to introductory readings based on their area of interest and develop a research proposal. They will be required to submit a completed paper by the end of the semester.

Spring 2009 Tutorials

Advanced Constitutional Law - Professor Baxter

In this tutorial, students may pursue directed research on a constitutional-law topic they independently devise. Applicants must submit a CV, transcript, and three-page proposal for their research project.