Courses
The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular semester. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the Student Link for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.
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LAW JD 917: Queerness & the Law (S)
This course explores the interactions between gender, sexual orientation, and the law in the United States, historically and contemporaneously. Over the course of the semester, students will gain a critical understanding of how doctrines of positive rights, conduct, privacy, and equal protection have shaped views on gender and sexual orientation across time, and how the latter have likewise shaped the former. Looking through the lens of modern legislation, litigation, and the lived experiences of LGBTQ people in the United States, students will develop their own theories of law regarding gender and sexual orientation--theories of law that will hopefully be applicable throughout their careers as legal professionals. -
LAW JD 918: Compliance and Risk Management in Global Commerce
This course provides a deep dive into compliance with international and U.S. laws and regulations governing global commerce and risk management. The need for compliance professionals across the globe has never been greater. We will study export and import controls, Anti-Money Laundering and sanctions regimes, and examine the requirements for a best-in-class compliance program. The course will highlight compliance obligations of global corporations and financial institutions, starting with senior management commitment. The laws and regulations in scope will include the US Export Administration Regulations, EU ICP Guidance, Bank Secrecy Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, OFAC sanctions regulations, and the European Union Fourth Anti- Money Laundering Directive, among others. The course will provide techniques for mitigating legal, compliance and regulatory risk in global commerce, and will also highlight practical applications in the real world. Students will learn how to assess and mitigate specific compliance risks. Each student will be required to do significant reading and participate in classroom discussions, as well as develop and present portions of a sound compliance program. All students will learn to communicate compliance requirements to clients clearly and succinctly and establish relationships with U.S. agencies and enforcement authorities. Experts from across the globe will provide additional color and commentary. Students will learn how to a) assess and mitigate specific compliance risks, b) communicate compliance requirements to clients clearly and succinctly, and c) establish positive relationships with U.S. agencies and enforcement authorities. -
LAW JD 919: Whistleblower Law & Practice (S)
This course will examine federal (and some state) laws that protect and incentivize whistleblowers to provide information and assist in the enforcement of laws prohibiting fraud and misfeasance in both the public and private sectors. There are two types of whistleblower laws, and the seminar will cover both: 1) laws which protect whistleblowers inside and outside of government from retaliation by employers for having engaged in protected activity (e.g., the government employee who filed the anonymous complaint that led to President Trump's impeachment) and 2) laws which provide financial incentives to whistleblowers for reporting fraud against the government, or fraud in the securities and commodities markets. The course will examine the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 (WPA) and the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 (WPEA), the primary tools that protect whistleblowers inside of government from speaking up about government malfeasance. We will use as a specific case study the government whistleblower whose complaint led to the impeachment of the President, and the President's attempts to force disclosure of his/her identity. We will also study the policies of the Securities & Exchange Commission, which provide that the Commission considers retaliation against complainants to be a matter of enforcement priority and which prohibit the use of releases of liability or waivers of rights to whistleblowing activity in employment severance and termination agreements. In the second category, the course will include a study of the federal False Claims Act - the Government's primary law enforcement mechanism for prosecuting financial frauds against the Government and its unique "qui tam" provisions which authorize private citizens to participate in that effort and offer a reward for successfully pursuing a case on the Government's behalf. The False Claims Act was substantially revised in 1986 to address modern problems of fraud against the Government. Since 1986, the Government has recovered over $50 billion as a result of cases initiated by private citizens. The course will also study the SEC and CFTC whistleblower programs, established through the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. Current trends and developing case law in these programs will be examined, and we will undertake a detailed comparison of these models to the False Claims Act's qui tam provisions. Finally, we will look at the Internal Revenue Code's reward system for reporting tax fraud -- and why it has not fared as well as the SEC and CFTC programs. In addition, each student will write a paper based on a personal interview with one or more whistleblowers who have gone through the experience and/or whistleblower attorneys who have a substantial practice in this area. The course will be taught predominantly through simulated problems, based on composites of actual cases. By using these simulated problems, students will gain professional practice skills, including drafting, negotiating, and client representation. Students will work on a final project or paper, involving analyzing and proposing solutions to a current policy issue, or analyzing an actual whistleblower case. NOTE: This class does not satisfy the upper-class writing requirement **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 920: American Indian Law (S)
This course will explore the Constitutional and statutory law related to American Indians, Indian reservations, and tribal governments. The course will examine the historical foundations of Indian law and the current legal structures that govern criminal and civil jurisdiction, natural resources, and cultural preservation. Significant time will be spent on issues surrounding tribal sovereignty, traditional cultural practices, and self-determination crosscutting different areas of Indian law. Students will gain an understanding of the basis for modern Indian law and the complex legal issues facing native communities in the United States and abroad today. 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. OFFERING PATTERN: This class is not offered every year. Students are advised to take this into account when planning their long-term schedule. ** 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, 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 921: Negotiation
The goal of this course is to improve your effectiveness as a negotiator. In this highly interactive class, students will examine negotiation from a variety of perspectives and learn specific negotiation strategies and tactics. Over the course of the semester, students will engage in a series of negotiation exercises (i.e., role plays) through which they can develop and hone their negotiation skills and approaches. Discussion and short lectures will accompany the role-plays, as appropriate. There will be short written assignments as well as a longer paper due at the end of the semester. No final exam. ENROLLMENT LIMIT: 20 students. NOTE: This class counts toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This class does not offer the CR/NC/H option. RESTRICTION: Students may not enroll in both Negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (JD881). -
LAW JD 923: Professional Responsibility for Criminal Practice
The course is designed to cover substantial instruction in the rules of professional conduct, and the values and responsibilities of the legal profession and its members, with a particular emphasis as the rules apply to criminal practice. This class is open to all students but Criminal Clinic students are given priority in enrollment. NOTE: This course satisfies the Professional Responsibility requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. -
LAW JD 926: Public Health Law (S)
Public health is transforming from state programs that prevent disease in populations (e.g., vaccination, newborn screening) to federal and international efforts to broadly promote a population and individual "right to health." This seminar explores contemporary examples of public health problems such as firearms regulation, obesity, and reproductive health. The course offers a framework for identifying and controlling health risks drawing on principles and theories of law, assessment of risk, policy evaluation, and empirical evidence. We will consider the scope of laws at the state and federal levels that regulate personal behaviors, products, and commercial activities. Students will analyze different legal strategies that can be used to influence public health such as governmental nudges through funding, criminal and civil prohibitions, data collection and privacy, marketing restrictions, and taxation. A research paper to develop a legal strategy that addresses a contemporary public health problem is required. (A limited number of law students may satisfy the BUSL upper-class writing requirement in this seminar after discussion with the instructor.) 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 927: International Law
This course will offer a basic survey of contemporary international law. It will teach students the minimum that every lawyer should know about the major issues of public international law and policy that influence current events and modern legal practice. It will also provide a foundation for those interested in further study of particular topics covered. We will consider both the historical "law of nations" and post-World War II developments, which have shifted the fulcrum of the system from an exclusive focus on the rights and duties of states inter se to a broader focus on all the diverse participants in the contemporary international legal process: not only states but intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, insurgents, multinational business enterprises, terrorist and criminal associations, and individuals. Specific topics will include: (i) the history, nature, sources and efficacy of international law; (ii) the establishment, transformation and termination of states and other actors, including international institutions and, in particular, the United Nations; (iii) the domestic incorporation of international law, with a focus on key concepts of U.S. foreign relations law; (iv) the allocation among states of jurisdiction to prescribe and apply law, as well as jurisdictional immunities; (v) human rights, the laws of war, and international criminal law; (vi) the allocation of control over and regulation of the resources of the planet, including the law of the sea, territory, the environment, and the global economy; and (vii) the use of force. The role of power in the international legal system will be candidly acknowledged--and the problems and opportunities it presents explored. Current international events will be woven into the curriculum as appropriate. Examination. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. -
LAW JD 929: Copyright Law
This course will give you an introduction to copyright, including a foundation in the theories underlying copyright law, an understanding of the current contours of copyright protection, the basic elements of proving infringement, the fair use defense to and remedies for infringement, and familiarity with related forms of liability such as secondary and vicarious liability. Each class meeting will consist of a combination of lecture and class discussion. Our discussions will sometimes focus on dissecting a landmark case and other times on working through the dynamics of a transaction or a policy question based on your reading. We'll also work through hypotheticals based on real-world examples and explore scenarios that will require you to think from a variety of different perspectives. Grading will be based on class participation (15%) and a 3-hour, open book, final exam. -
LAW JD 931: Private Equity and Venture Capital Transactions (S)
This seminar introduces students to the business and legal issues prevalent in private equity and venture capital deals and highlights the significant role that lawyers play in effecting these transactions. The seminar will begin with an overview of the private equity and venture capital industries, an introduction to investment transactions and will proceed through all aspects of the life of an investment from inception to exit. It will address how investment funds are formed and the legal and financial considerations present when those funds invest in private companies. We will examine deal terms and structures, pricing and corporate finance issues, and the management of deal risk. It will also highlight the due diligence process, stockholder relationships, fiduciary duties and securities laws considerations, and liquidity events. Theoretical readings will be balanced against practical articles and commentary, recent court decisions and model deal documents. The seminar will be highlighted by guest lectures by private equity and venture capital investment professionals. Grades will be based on a final exam, short pre-class exercises and class participation. PREREQUISITE: Corporations (May be waived with an instructor's permission.) NOTES: This class does not satisfy the upper-class writing requirement. ** 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 934: Information Risk Management (S)
Businesses and organizations handle information every day to conduct business, process transactions, and deliver goods and services. They do so in the context of legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations relating to their possession and use of this information. In the age of "Big Data" and "Advanced Persistent Threats," these entities can no longer focus solely on developing and implementing procedures to govern information processing. Instead, they must implement governance that allows for the optimization of risk while facilitating core management decision making in order to create real value. This is the new world of "knowledge governance." Legal counsel must ensure compliance with the legal and core requirements for security, privacy and data breach prevention, in a way that aligns with the strategic objectives of their firm. Designing a robust compliance program is a critical part of this task, but the big-data environment requires skills that go beyond devising a formal compliance program. In particular, lawyers operating in this environment must consider the value of data and information, understand the nature of their organization's collection, use, and disclosure of that data, and appreciate the relationship between risk optimization and their organization's strategic objectives. This course will explore the lawyer's role in devising and implementing a policy and culture of knowledge governance within a firm. It will focus on information, especially personal information. It will introduce students to the core principles of information risk management -- the privacy attributes of collection, use, and disclosure married with the security concepts of confidentiality, integrity, and availability -- while providing a framework for governance around information risk management. This course will also serve in part as preparation for the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) **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, 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 935: Affordable Housing Law (S)
The seminar will combine a focus on: 1) public policy issues related to the goals of creation of affordable housing in the context of community revitalization; and 2) real-world implementation strategies that have been successfully used to achieve these goals. Analyzing the roles of government agencies, non-profit organizations, neighborhood groups, and private businesses will be a key part of the seminar. In lieu of a traditional exam or term paper, students will engage in field research and investigation of real community projects as part of semester long case studies, where they will work with lawyers, government officials, developers and grass-roots advocates involved with the projects. The relative utility of traditional legal techniques (such as land use planning devices, zoning, easements, revolving trusts, leasehold covenants and financing) will be carefully analyzed; the policies and impact of federal, state and local laws, including federal and state affordable housing financing programs and the Community Preservation Act in Massachusetts, will be examined; and possible new approaches will be considered. By incorporating real-world projects into the seminar, it is hoped that the interface of law, economics, planning, design, and construction disciplines will enable the problems to be analyzed from a variety of perspectives reflecting a client's and a community's practical concerns. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option. 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. ** 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 936: International Development and Project Finance (S)
Capital-intensive public and private development projects throughout the world, including large-scale infrastructure, transportation, energy, agriculture, technology and environmental projects depend upon project financing as the primary funding mechanism. Understanding and resolving the political, legal and financial risks associated with the planning and implementation of these projects, and often in emerging and unstable economies, is the critical first step in developing project finance opportunities. The seminar will combine theory and practice and focus on the negotiation and structure of actual project finance and concession agreements and transactions and the minimization of exposures and risks associated with these transactions. Each step of the project finance process will be analyzed, including the rationale and sources for the project finance, the legal framework for the project finance, the organizational and governance structure, risk allocation and mitigation and dispute resolution. An interdisciplinary analysis from the legal, finance and public perspective will be used to assess the views that investors, lenders, designers, contractors, governmental participants, citizens and other stakeholders bring to an infrastructure project. Several of the world's largest and most complex civil engineering and infrastructure mega projects including the English Chunnel, the Chad Cameroon Pipeline, the Dabhol Power Project and Boston's Central Artery Tunnel Project will serve as models for analysis of project finance and risk. A final research paper will be required in lieu of an examination. LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT OPTION: A limited number of students may be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement. **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 940: Law & Economics Workshop (S)
The Law and Economics Seminar is a research workshop. Class sessions will alternate between (1) lectures on selected topics in microeconomic theory and empirical methods, including methodology commonly used in law and economics scholarship, and (2) presentations of working papers by outside speakers (typically faculty members from other institutions). The specific legal topics considered will vary depending on the interests of the speakers, but all paper presentations will focus on application of economics concepts and tools to legal and regulatory issues. Students are responsible for preparing short memoranda that respond to the presented papers. Final grades depend on attendance and participation. NOTES: This class does not satisfy the upper-class writing requirement. OFFERING PATTERN: This class is not offered every year. Students are advised to take this into account when planning their long-term schedule. ** 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 941: Corporate Governance (S)
Public corporations play a central role in the U.S. economy and society. The impact of these corporations depends in large part on how they are governed. This course will explore the central issues in the governance of these corporations. These include for whose benefit corporations are operated; the balance of authority between managers and shareholders; how different governance structures affect the short-term and long-term value of the corporation; the effects of hedge funds and other shareholder activists; and the social and environmental responsibility of corporations. The course will examine the key constituencies in these debates: managers, directors, and investors, especially institutional investors like mutual funds, pension funds, and hedge funds. The course will consider the objectives and the behavior of each of these groups, and the laws and practices that shape their actions. There will be no exam. Instead, students will be assessed on a course paper and their class participation. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option. PREREQUISITE/COREQUISITE: Corporations (may be waived with instructor's permission). ** 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 waitlist for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment. -
LAW JD 942: English Legal History
This course will cover the history of the common law in England from the late twelfth century to the time of the American Revolution. We will study the development of the legal profession, its doctrines, and its techniques in five areas: procedure, criminal law, property, contract, and tort. The readings emphasize primary sources, and students will give presentations in teams on historical documents handed out in class. Students can either write a research paper or complete a take-home examination. Research papers may, but need not fulfill the Writing Requirement. OFFERING PATTERN: This class not offered every year. Students are advised to take this into account when planning their long-term schedule. -
LAW JD 946: Criminal Law
Examines the basic principles of substantive criminal law, including the justifications for punishment, the essential elements of offenses, mitigating and exculpating defenses, and different forms of criminal liability. -
LAW JD 947: Sex Crimes (S)
Over the last few decades, the public has become increasingly concerned about sexual crimes. In addition to harsher punishments, several civil, collateral consequences have become common such as indefinite commitment and registration. This class will explore how sexual offenses are dealt with in the criminal justice system and the underlying reasoning for the heightened attention, including morality, statistical data, and psychological/scientific evidence. We will discuss the limitations, if any, that govern collateral consequences such as indefinite civil commitment and registration (e.g. Constitutional restrictions, scientific uncertainty). The class aims to challenge preconceived notions of sex crimes and sex offenders through case law, guest speakers, academic literature, and real life scenarios. NOTE: This class does not satisfy the upper-class writing requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. PRACTICUM OPTION: A limited number of students may apply to enroll in the Sex Crimes Practicum (JD962). **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 948: Regulation of the Immigrant Experience (S)
Recent census data informs us that there are approximately 40 million immigrants living in the United States. About 11 million of these immigrants are undocumented or otherwise in the country illegally. The rest of the country remains divided on their feelings regarding the immigrant population, with about half believing that immigrants "strengthen the country because of their hard work and talent, while 41% [believe them to be] a burden because they take jobs, health care and housing." (Information in this paragraph obtained from Most Illegal Immigrants Should Be Allowed to Stay, but Citizenship is More Divisive (Pew Research Ctr., Washington, D.C.), Mar. 28, 2013.) This course will investigate the life of an immigrant in American society from a legal perspective. Students will learn how immigrants, both documented and undocumented, interact with various sections of the American system. The goal is to assess various ways in which an individual's immigration status affects access to important rights and benefits accorded to citizens and analyze the legal rationale for existing limitations. We will examine these issues through the use of law review articles, court cases, existing and proposed legislation, newspaper articles, empirical studies, and governmental and private organizational position papers. Topics may include an investigation of an immigrant's access and limitations in primary and secondary education, public benefits, the court system, employment, voting, as well as modes of immigration policing by both federal immigration authorities and state police. ENROLLMENT LIMIT: 16 students. LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT OPTION: A limited number of students may be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement. ** 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 950: Homicide Investigations and Trials: Theory and Practice (S)
This seminar will focus upon the substantive law of homicide, as well as the practical aspects of actual homicide investigations and trials: crime scene interpretation; DNA analysis; autopsies and related forensic evidence; expert testimony, particularly in the area of psychiatry and criminal responsibility; jury considerations; ethical concerns; and the role of the media. Students will have the opportunity to study actual murder cases, visit local crime laboratories and courtrooms, and learn prosecution, defense, and judicial perspectives on various contemporary issues arising in murder investigations and trials. 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. OFFERING PATTERN: This class is not offered every year. Students are advised to take this into account when planning their long-term schedule. ** 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 waitlist for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.
