Courses

• LAW JD 779: Environmental Law Topics: Current Hot Button Issues (S)
  This seminar will examine selected issues in environmental law with an emphasis on their legal and policy implications through interactive case studies and role playing exercises and written assignments. We may address such diverse topics as greenhouse gas and other air emissions from power plants and other fossil fuel sources; administrative and judicial review of the environmental impacts of proposed major projects; legal remedies and defenses under common law and federal statutes for soil and water/groundwater contamination; and liability for pollution of the "waters of the United States". Through the role playing exercises and practice-oriented written assignments, students will gain a focused understanding of key federal environmental laws, regulations and policies and learn how practicing lawyers apply the law to a complex set of facts where there are no black and white answers. We will also discuss front page news developments in environmental law and policy. Because this is a seminar, active participation in discussion and in class exercises will count for a significant part of the final grade. Several written projects, collaborations and presentations will be required throughout the semester. There are no pre-requisites for this course. LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT OPTION: A limited number of students may be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
• LAW JD 780: Trademark and Unfair Competition
  This course will examine the precepts of trademark and unfair competition law. We will investigate issues of ownership, protectability, misappropriation, and infringement in the context of words, symbols, slogans, product design and trade dress. The course also will handle related issues, depending on class interest, such as: trademark's common law roots, false and comparative advertising, parody, the right of publicity, the First Amendment, a comparison of how copyright and trademark treat 'functional' designs, and the challenge of applying trademark laws in the Internet context. In addition to a 3-hour final exam, all students will be required to complete a short memorandum dealing with trademark clearance and registration issues. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option.
• LAW JD 782: Advanced Constitutional Law: Current Issues in Constitutional Law
  This course will focus on several currently pressing U.S. constitutional topics and issues. We'll begin with two more general doctrinal areas -- standing and "political question" doctrine -- that underlie our current issues. Among the more particular issues we're likely then to consider are: (1) standards for executive privilege; (2) ongoing court challenges to President Trump's continuing business interests under the Constitution's Emoluments Clauses; (3) various issues related to presidential impeachment, both in general and as applied to President Trump; (4) the question whether a sitting President may be indicted for a crime, both in general and as applied to President Trump; (5) recent constitutional challenges to North Carolina's and Texas's packages of election-law reforms (including Voter ID); and (6) the Supreme Court's opinions, expected by June 2018, in two challenges to partisan gerrymandering (Wisconsin and Maryland). GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option.
• LAW JD 783: Transaction Simulation: Int'l Business Collaboration
  This course is one of the semester-long transaction simulations offered as part of the School's Transactional Law Program and satisfies the Transactional Simulation requirement of the Transactional Practice Concentration. The simulated transaction involves two companies, one a large U.S.-based pharmaceutical company, and the other an African company majority owned by the government. The two companies are interested in working together to produce and commercialize a plant-based product which may be effective in treating, and possibly even preventing, arthritis. The pharmaceutical company has developed and patented a process to extract the active ingredient from the plant which is available in ample supply from the African company. The form of their collaboration could be a joint venture, a licensing agreement or a long term supply contract. For much of the course, the class will be divided into two teams, with each team representing one of the parties to the potential transaction. Negotiations between the two teams will take place through written exchanges and real-time negotiation. The course provides students with an opportunity to gain insight into the dynamics of negotiating and structuring business transactions, to learn about the role that lawyers, law and business play in these negotiations, and to develop experience in drafting communications and actual negotiations. Students will also learn about the legal and business issues that may arise in joint ventures, supply agreements and licensing agreements, particularly in an international transaction. CLASS SIZE: Limited to 12 students (6 JD and 6 LLM). PREREQUISITE OR COREQUISITE: Corporations. NOTES: This course counts toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. The class will also satisfy the Transaction Simulation requirement of the Transactional Practice Concentration. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT: A student who fails to attend the first class and does not obtain permission to be absent from either the Instructor or the Registrar will be administratively dropped from the class. Students who are on the wait list for the class are required to attend the first meeting to be considered for enrollment.
• LAW JD 784: Crossborder Litigation in Practice
  THIS COURSE IS OPEN TO LLM STUDENTS ONLY. The course will expose students to the practical aspects of cross border litigation by examining in depth] the ongoing 20+ year legal conflict among Chevron, the State of Ecuador, the indigenous tribes of the Lago Agrio, and two leading American law firms over claims concerning the pollution of a 4,000 square kilometer area of Ecuador. Through the lens of this complex, multi-jurisdictional dispute, the class will examine the types of legal, business, strategic and political issues raised in such a high-profile, "bet the company" dispute, including the Alien Tort Claims Act, the $9.5-billion judgment in Ecuador against Chevron, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the impact of bilateral investment treaties, and tactics employed in pursuit of and defense against the recognition and enforcement of a foreign judgment. Readings will include the "Invictus Memo" by which Patton Boggs set out a settlement strategy for the plaintiffs and the ruling in the RICO litigation against the plaintiff's lawyers. By the end of the course, students will have an understanding the resources required and the challenges faced in pursuing multi-jurisdiction claims against a multinational corporation. Meeting dates - 2/5/2018-2/23/2018
• LAW JD 786: Legislative Policy & Drafting: Clinic Option (C)
  THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have formally applied to and been accepted to the Legislative Policy & Drafting Clinic. Students learn about the law-making process through coursework and hand-on experience working with a client seeking to advance a bill or project through the state legislature. Students work on several projects during the semester that highlight different aspects of the legislative process, allowing students to relate and test the theories discussed in class to real life situations. The in-class seminar covers subjects that affect the legislative process including: constitutional interpretation by legislatures, theories of representation, legislative organization and rules, lobbying, legislative oversight powers, and legislature-executive agency relationships. The clinic instructor works with students to select projects in the students' specific areas of interest, if any. In particular, students interested in business and tax, environment law, or health law, may specialize in those areas for the full semester. NOTE: This clinic counts toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option.
• LAW JD 787: Transaction Simulation: Forming and Financing a Start-Up Business (for LLMs only)
  This course is a semester-long transaction simulation offered exclusively for LLM in American Law Program and LLM in Intellectual Property Law students. The simulated transaction is the formation and initial financing of a privately-held company in the software industry. The course will expose LLM students to the principal issues involved in counseling U.S.-based entrepreneurs as to their emerging businesses, including choice of entity and entity formation, equity compensation for founders and employees, intellectual property protection of company assets, capital raising through preferred stock financing, and negotiation of financing-related contracts based on industry-standard models. Through in-class discussions, homework assignments and graded writing assignments, students will simulate the work of both junior and senior practicing attorneys who counsel start-ups and their founders and investors. Students will review sample agreements related to start-up businesses such as formation and financing documents, draft and revise such agreements and conduct negotiations for the financing of an emerging business. While the simulation is based on a start-up transaction, many of the principles and concepts will be applicable to a broader range of business deals. The course grade will be based on homework assignments, class participation and graded writing assignments. CLASS SIZE: Limited to 12 students. PREREQUISITE(S): Contracts and Corporations, unless otherwise waived by the instructor. Prior work experience in transactional business law is neither required nor expected. ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT: A student who fails to attend the first class or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, will be administratively dropped from the class. Students who are on the wait list are required to attend the first meeting to be considered for enrollment. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option.
• LAW JD 788: Contract Drafting
  This course is the foundational skills course within the Transactional Law Program. It teaches students basic principles and skills of drafting and analyzing commercial and transaction agreements, with a focus on recognizing, and addressing through contractual provisions, key business issues in transactions. Although the course will be of particular interest to students interested in a corporate or transactional law practice, since most practicing attorneys will need to work with contracts at some point in their career, the concepts and skills which the course conveys are applicable to virtually all practice areas and specialties. While the course utilizes lectures to introduce various contract concepts and techniques essential for drafting and reviewing commercial and transaction agreements, it requires that students complete in-class exercises and extensive homework assignments as a means of building basic drafting skills and a solid understanding of the structure and operation of contractual provisions in a business transaction. Grades will be based on the graded assignments, good faith completion of ungraded assignments, and class participation. ENROLLMENT LIMIT: 12 students. NOTE: This class counts toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option. ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT: A student who fails to attend the first class or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, will be administratively dropped from the class. Students who are on the wait list for a section are required to attend the first meeting to be considered for enrollment.
• LAW JD 789: Transaction Simulation: Forming & Financing a Start-Up Business
  This course is one of the semester-long transaction simulations offered as part of the School's Transactional Law Program. The simulated transaction is the formation and initial financing of a privately-held company in the software industry. The transaction will expose students to the principal issues in counseling entrepreneurs as to their emerging businesses, including key elements such as entity creation, duties of management and control among owners, equity compensation, intellectual property protection, capital raising through preferred stock financing, and financing-related contracts based on industry-standard models. Through in-class discussions and graded homework assignments, students will simulate the work of practicing attorneys (both junior and senior) who counsel start-ups and their founders on a day-to-day basis. The course grade will be based on three drafting homework assignments, contributions in class, and a group project focused on a self-selected current topic. CLASS SIZE: Limited to 12 students. PREREQUISITE: Corporations. NOTES: This course counts toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. The class will also satisfy the Transaction Simulation requirement of the Transactional Practice Concentration. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT: A student who fails to attend the first class or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, will be administratively dropped from the class. Students who are on the wait list are required to attend the first meeting to be considered for enrollment.
• LAW JD 791: Intellectual Property and the Internet (S)
  This seminar will explore the ways in which the Internet has challenged both the theory and the law of intellectual property. Rather than broadly surveying the landscape, we will closely examine a cluster of topics that have especially challenged courts, legislatures, and theorists. Particular topics will be determined prior to the start of class, but might include: copyright law's treatment of intermediaries (such as YouTube, file sharing services, and online service providers); the obligations of auction sites and other online services to police trademark infringement by their users; the scope of fair use protection for user-generated content; and patent protection for Internet-related technologies and business methods. Grades will be based on a combination of written exercises (required each week) and oral presentations (required once for each student). Student participation is required, and will be taken into account in the grade for the course. In lieu of the short papers, it is possible to write a paper that satisfies the upper-class writing requirement. PREREQUISITE: All students must have completed a core Intellectual Property course (Intellectual Property, Patent Law, Copyright Law, or Trademark Law). GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option. **A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
• LAW JD 792: Cybersecurity Law
  This course will consider legal and policy challenges arising from rapidly evolving threats in cyberspace. It will define an array of cyber threats, and consider the ways in which they impact a range of governmental and non-governmental actors and entities. It will identify the domestic and international legal frameworks that regulate conduct in cyberspace--including laws related to cybercrime, cyberespionage, and cyberwar--and examine substantive and institutional questions such as: What existing principles limit cyber threats? What are the norms emerging through state practice? How should we fill in the gaps? Who should make these decisions? How should they be enforced? The course will explore these questions within the context of broader policy debates about Internet governance and the role of governmental and non-governmental actors in defending against cyber threats; state restrictions on civil rights and liberties in defending against cyber threats; allocation of decision-making among (and within) the branches for U.S. cybersecurity; and issues of secrecy and accountability. The objective of this course is to deepen our understanding of the existing threats and protections in cyberspace, the regulatory challenges that exist, and the institutions that should address them. No technical knowledge is required. Familiarity with public international law, administrative law and criminal procedure is helpful, but not necessary. International law concepts will be introduced as necessary. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option.
• LAW JD 793: Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants
  This course will examine the theory, practice, and interrelationship of trade secret law and the law of restrictive covenants, including laws governing the use and enforceability of noncompetition agreements. We will explore what a trade secret is, what it is not, how it differs from other types of intellectual property, and how something secret can constitute protectable property. We will investigate how trade secrets can be misappropriated, including misappropriation through one's memory; whether and in what circumstances trade secrets will be protected, including through the use of noncompetition agreements, nondisclosure agreements, and other restrictive covenants; the other purposes served by those agreements; and the strengths and weaknesses of the various laws governing the protection of trade secrets and the use of restrictive covenants. Depending on class interest and time, we may discuss related issues such as the current debate over the use of noncompete agreements and their putative effects on innovation. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. OFFERING PATTERN: This class is not offered every year. Students are advised to take this into account when planning their long-term schedule.
• LAW JD 795: IP Licensing in the Global Marketplace for LLMs (S)
  This course focuses on the major legal and practical issues related to intellectual property licenses in the global marketplace. Taught from the US practitioner's perspective, the class is specifically designed for foreign-trained lawyers who want to learn how to leverage intangible assets through intellectual property licensing transactions. We will cover patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret license agreements in a range of industries. Topics will include the scope and limitations of different licensing arrangements; crafting and interpreting licensing contract language; the relationship between licenses and transactions involving tangible assets; and licensing enforcement. We will explore the similarities and differences in licensing in the media, entertainment and technology industries; as well as licensing law and practice in foreign jurisdictions. In-class exercises and role plays will help students develop the practical skills needed to successfully draft and negotiate intellectual property licenses. PRE-REQUISITES (unless otherwise waived by the professor): Contracts; and either Intellectual Property (fall survey class) or the fall seminar, The Practice of U.S. Copyright and Trademark Law: Media and Entertainment Transactions. Enrollment is limited to 18 LLM in Intellectual Property Law and LLM in American Law students. **A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
• LAW JD 796: Climate Change Law and Policy (S)
  Climate change is the most important environmental issue of this century. It has generated major law and policy over the last several years, both in the United States and internationally, and presents significant legal and policy issues that remain unresolved. This seminar will examine the legal tools available to address climate change and possibilities for future action, as well as related challenges in light of the current political landscape. The seminar first will consider the international context and review the history of climate change efforts on a global scale, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the 2015 Paris Agreement. It will then focus on currently available U.S. authorities, including the Clean Air Act and executive branch powers, and on state and local efforts. Because there is no statute that addresses climate change head-on, the seminar will consider the challenges presented when a major policy concern is advanced in the absence of a firm statutory foundation. Climate change also raises important issues of human rights, environmental justice, and international and intergenerational equity, which will be examined. Finally, the seminar will look to the future and pose questions concerning expectations for international cooperation and possible developments in U.S. law and policy. There are no prerequisites. The grade will be based on class participation and papers. NOTE: This class does not satisfy the Upper Class writing requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
• LAW JD 797: Law and War: Contemporary Issues (S)
  Does law continue to operate in times of war? This seminar will examine the knotty legal questions underlying current wartime debates, with a primary focus on modern conflicts facing the United States in the post-9/11 era. A complex architecture of international and domestic law governs states and state actors during wartime. Evolving threats, new technologies, and domestic politics have tested these legal frameworks, and the domestic and international laws of war continue to adapt to challenges to their relevance and viability. Topics for discussion may include, among others: Guantanamo detention, targeted killing and drones, interrogation and torture, humanitarian intervention in conflicts like those in Libya and Syria, and the scope of the U.S. President's constitutional and statutory authority to wage war. NOTE: This class does not satisfy the upper-class writing requirement. RECOMMENDED COURSES: International Law. GRADING NOTICE: This class does not offer the CR/NC/H option. **A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
• LAW JD 798: Gender, Violence & The Law (S)
  This seminar provides a detailed examination of gender-motivated violence and legal responses. Recently, there has been greater recognition of gender-based injuries within the law and the provision of new, important protections to survivors. However, despite considerable progress, gender-based violence continues to present theoretical and practical questions, such as: To what extent is gender-based violence different than other types of violence? What legal approaches are most effective to address the harms while recognizing that the diverse interests of survivors? How do societal norms related to gender-based violence impact legal remedies? How should courts balance the interests of other parties in such proceedings to ensure that constitutional rights remain intact? This seminar will involve students in a close scrutiny of gender-based violence, including sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and sex trafficking, from legal, theoretical, and sociological perspectives. It will explore the limits of the law in addressing gender-based violence and emerging non-traditional approaches, including problem-solving courts and restorative justice frameworks. It also will examine how the emergence of the #MeToo movement may influence legal responses to gender-based violence. LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT OPTION: A limited number of students may be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement with this seminar. **A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
• LAW JD 800: Local Government Law
  Local governments are considered the closest and most responsive form of government to the people. They are designed to create cities and towns that reflect the ideal of the residents' view of the ideal community. When all local government entities are taken into consideration, there are approximately 89,000 local government units in the country - including counties, municipalities, townships, special districts and school districts. Where do they get their powers? What are the limits? What should be the limits? This course provides a study of the law governing the powers and duties of local governments, mainly municipal corporations such as cities and towns. We look at the sources of municipal powers, the limits on those powers, the relationship between municipalities and the state including the relationship between state and local law, and the formation and expansion of municipalities. An important subject of study involves looking at various models of the relationship between the municipality and the state including home rule. We will also look at some issues in municipal finance and zoning power. Where possible, this course will focus on the intersection of local government law and important current events both locally and nationally. OFFERING PATTERN: This class is not offered every year. Students are advised to take this into account when planning their long-term schedule.
• LAW JD 801: Administrative Law
  For over a century, administrative agencies have taken a massive role in government, carrying out extensive executive, legislative and adjudicatory roles. Indeed, working in many fields of law -- from environmental law, tax law to criminal law, requires an extensive understanding of how administrative agencies operate, and how private entities communicate, operate and, if necessary, challenge their decisions. This is the universal experience of all developed nations. This course focuses on federal administrative agencies, exploring their nature and functions and the various legal controls on their action. Among the topics covered are the status of administrative agencies in the constitutional framework of separation of powers; agency rulemaking and adjudication; and the availability, timing, and scope of judicial review of agency action. Time permitting, some comparative legal viewpoints will be presented.
• LAW JD 802: Food, Drug and Cosmetic Law (S)
  This seminar examines the Food and Drug Administration as an administrative agency combining law and science to regulate activities affecting public health and safety. Topics include testing and approval of pharmaceuticals and medical devices; food safety and nutritional policy; biologics and biotechnology regulation; cosmetic regulation; pricing of and reimbursement for drugs and devices; global aspects of pharmaceutical regulation, US and foreign patent issues, and FDA practice and procedure; jurisdiction and enforcement. A writing project involving research on food and drug issues will be required. ENROLLMENT LIMIT: 14 students RECOMMENDED COURSES: Intellectual Property, Administrative Law & Health Law. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar, or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, will be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
• LAW JD 803: Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights
  This course focuses on corporate reorganization and corporate finance. We will study the legal requirements for reorganization plans under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, as well as the use of going concern sales outside of Chapter 11. We will study important doctrinal issues relating to reorganization of corporate groups, including substantive consolidation and equitable subordination. We will investigate avoidance actions in bankruptcy, including preferences and fraudulent conveyance, and the treatment of pre-bankruptcy contracts. Other topics include the financing of corporate debtors in bankruptcy and workouts and duties to creditors outside of bankruptcy. Finally, we will also introduce and ultimately master some basic tools of corporate finance--present value, expected value, and risk and diversification. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option. PREREQUISITE: Business Fundamentals. PREREQUISITE/COREQUISITE: Corporations. SUGGESTED COURSES: Secured Transactions; Commercial Lending.

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