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 731: Critical Race Theory Colloquium(S)
The Critical Race Theory Colloquium employs a workshop-format that enables students to engage leading scholars in the field of Critical Race Theory. The first session will involve a general overview of Critical Race Theory. During six of the remaining meetings, an invited scholar will present a work-in-progress for discussion. Students will write a short reaction paper for each of the works presented. The student papers will be given to workshop presenters before each workshop. Final grades depend on the reaction papers, class participation, and attendance. 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 734: Judicial Externship Seminar
THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have received permission from the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office to enroll. This is the companion academic component for students simultaneously enrolled in the Judicial Externship: Fieldwork course. The seminar focuses on teaching the substance and skills related to being a successful judicial extern. Topics include judicial ethics, legal research, judicial process, opinion drafting, judicial selection and recusal, and judicial decision-making. Students keep reflective journals chronicling their educational experience and reactions to the practice of law observed at the field placement. Please note that the course is scheduled to meet for seven two-hour class sessions, every other week. NOTE: Students who enroll in this externship may count the credits toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. COREQUISITE: Judicial Externship: Fieldwork (JD 735). GRADING NOTICE: This class does not offer the CR/NC/H option. -
LAW JD 735: Judicial Externship: Fieldwork (C)
THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have received permission from the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office to enroll. Students receive credit for working in chambers for a judge in the state or federal court system. The assignments handled by an extern are similar to those handled during a post-graduate clerkship. Students may find their own judicial placements that must be approved by the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office, or the Office will match the student with a judge. Students receive 4-9 variable P/F credits for their fieldwork, as determined in consultation with their placement supervisors. Each credit requires 50 hours of work over the course of the 13-week semester (averaging 4 hours per week). NOTE: Students who enroll in this externship may count the credits toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. COREQUISITE: Judicial Externship: Seminar (JD 734). -
LAW JD 739: Semester-in-Practice: Fieldwork (C)
THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have received permission from the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office to enroll. This course is the fieldwork component of the Semester-in-Practice Program. Students spend a semester working full-time for credit in non-profits, government agencies, courts, private companies, or law firms. Placements may be paid or unpaid. Students may find their own placements that must be approved by the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office, or the Office has resources to help students identify and apply to suitable field placements based on their interests and career goals. NOTE: Students who enroll in the Semester-in-Practice Program may count the credits towards the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. COREQUISITE: Semester-in-Practice: Seminar (JD 740). -
LAW JD 740: Semester-in-Practice: Seminar
THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have received permission from the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office to enroll. This course is the seminar component of the Semester-in-Practice Program. Students will take the course online or on campus course (depending on the location of their placement). Topics covered in class will include legal ethics and professional responsibility, professional development, access to justice, cross-cultural lawyering, and the changing role of the legal professional. Students will have weekly readings and be expected to write weekly reflective memoranda. They will also give a presentation and prepare a final 10-12 page paper. NOTE: Students enrolled in this course may count the credits towards the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. COREQUISITE: Semester-in-Practice: Fieldwork (JD 739). -
LAW JD 743: NY Pro Bono Scholars: Fieldwork
This CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have received permission from the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office to enroll. Through the Pro Bono Scholars Program, students spend their spring 3L semester working full-time for credit at a government agency or non-profit providing direct legal services to indigent clients. Participating students sit for the February New York bar exam, and begin their fieldwork the week after. Students passing the bar exam and completing other NY bar and BU Law graduation requirements are admitted to the NY bar in late June. NOTE: Students who enroll in this program may count the credits toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. COREQUISITE: NY Pro Bono Scholars Program: Directed Study (JD 744). -
LAW JD 744: NY Pro Bono Scholars: Directed Study
This CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have received permission from the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office to enroll. This is the companion academic component for students enrolled in the Pro Bono Scholars Program: Fieldwork course. Students work with a faculty supervisor in designing their own reading list, writing a 15-20 page research paper, and submitting seven 4-6 page bi-weekly journals. COREQUISITE: NY Pro Bono Scholars Program: Fieldwork (JD 743). -
LAW JD 747: Int'l Immigration and Refugee Law & Policy (S)
We will address major themes and controversies in international immigration and refugee law and policy, including: Is there a need for international immigration law, and how is international immigration law beneficial for the facilitation of global mobility and the protection of the rights of migrants? What are some of the challenges that international migration poses to sovereign states? How is International immigration shaped by colonialism and neo-colonialism, household decision making processes, changes in national and international labor markets, and other factors? What are some of the structural forces creating inequality in access to global migration? What are the international agencies dealing with international migration? What are the main categories of migrants, how are their rights protected under international law and what is the relationship between them? What is the definition of refugee in international law? How should responsibility for international migrants be shared internationally? Classes will look into these questions through examining legal doctrine and theory and through examining case studies from different countries, including, but not limited to, the United States. -
LAW JD 749: Disability Law (S)
This seminar surveys the evolution of federal law as it relates to people with disabilities. We will cover disability discrimination in the areas of employment, education (elementary and secondary), government services, public accommodations run by private entities, and housing. In exploring these areas we will examine relevant case law and statutes (i.e. the ADA and its amendments, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the IDEA, and the Fair Housing Act) and their implementing regulations and guidance. In addition to studying legal authorities, we will engage in practical classroom exercises and hear from attorneys practicing in disability law-related settings. Readings will be assigned from Colker & Grossman, The Law of Disability Discrimination (8th ed. 2013); Colker & Grossman, The Law of Disability Discrimination Handbook: Statutes and Regulatory Guidance (8th ed. 2013)(also available online), and supplemental material. Grades will be based on class participation and a final paper. 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 763: Administrative Law Research
Many practice areas, from environmental law to immigration law, are heavily regulatory. Learn about the structure of administrative law research, from enabling statutes to agency adjudication, in this class. The class will focus on developing your understanding of the structure of administrative agencies and using the various sources of administrative law. You will learn what information is available from government sources and what specialty publishers bring to the table with an emphasis on being cost effective in the workplace. Classes will combine instruction and hands-on exercises using the major print, electronic and web based resources in administrative law. NOTE: Students may not add this course after the first class has been held. NOTE: This class counts toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. ENROLLMENT LIMIT: 16 students 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. Meeting dates -- 10/4/19-11/15/19. -
LAW JD 765: Critical Civil Procedure
Many of our most famous--and infamous--cases are procedural. Because procedural rules allow, or restrict, access to justice, procedure is a central pressure point in the struggle to eradicate structural inequality and oppression through the courts. This seminar will focus on the ways in which aspects of civil procedure decrease or perpetuate structural inequality for marginalized communities, especially regarding issues such as race, sex, gender, disability, nationality/immigration status, sexual orientation, and religion. We will read short, provocative essays to analyze which communities do, and do not, get a fair opportunity to have their claim or defense heard in court. From a critical perspective, we will engage in a discourse about the procedural, structural limitations on social justice. Another goal of this seminar is to explore a more complex view of our professional roles as attorneys. 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 766: Environmental Law Practicum (C)
THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have formally applied to and been accepted to the Environmental Law Practicum. Students receive credit for completing environmental law-related legal projects for a regional or national environmental law organization, such as the Conservation Law Foundation and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Projects will vary in scope and content based on student interest and the needs of the partnering organization. Project topics include clean energy, clean water, and environmental justice, which concerns the intersection of civil rights, fundamental fairness, and environmental policy. Students may also have the opportunity to work on litigation-related matters. Throughout the semester, students will work both under the supervision of an attorney at the partner organization and under the supervision of Professor Pam Hill. Practicum students must attend at least six class meetings with Professor Hill. Students receive either 1, 2 or 3 graded credits depending on the nature of the project and the anticipated workload. 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 767: Climate Risk & Financial Institutions: Submerging Markets (S)
This seminar will explore how the law shapes the assessment of, and response to, the financial risks of climate change. We'll look, for example, at how misaligned incentives for risk-taking (such as between a developer and a house buyer, or between a corporation and its insurer) lead to overdevelopment in flood plains and areas with high wildfire risk. After an introduction to the economics of climate change, we'll turn to questions like: What role do securities regulators, insurance commissioners, and central bankers play in the transition to a greener economy? What does "ESG" investing mean and does it do anything? Are markets foreseeing both physical risks and transition risks (i.e., stranded assets)? Our approach will consider the political economy of risk bearing, and investigate dynamics like the influence of credit ratings agencies on local government investment in sea-level rise adaptation. 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 768: Criminal Motion Practice and Advocacy
Advocacy courses in law school tend to focus on the traditional Trial Advocacy model (opening statements, direct and cross examinations, and closing arguments) or post-trial Appellate Advocacy. The vast majority of cases, however, never reach trial. Criminal Motion Practice and Advocacy will look comprehensively at the pre-trial motions that comprise the bulk of criminal litigation. Students will have the opportunity to research, write, and argue their own pretrial motions against opposing counsel. The course will travel chronologically through the life of a criminal case, beginning at arraignment and focusing on the art of motions practice. In class exercises will include arguments for Motions to Suppress searches and seizures based on search warrants, as well as Motion to Suppress hearings with live witness testimony and examination. NOTES: This class does not satisfy the upper-class writing requirement. This class counts toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. ENROLLMENT LIMIT: 12 students. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. PREREQUISITE: Criminal Procedure. 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 771: Learning From Practice Externship: Seminar
THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have received permission from the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office to enroll. This is the companion academic component for students enrolled in the Learning from Practice: Fieldwork course. This one-hour weekly seminar focuses on the ways in which lawyers develop skills on the job, and identifies best practice for professional development, mentoring, networking, communication, and interacting with clients and the media. The course also examines issues involving diversity, work-life balance, and ethical considerations. The seminar requires students to make a class presentation and keep a reflective journal chronicling their educational experience and reactions to the practice of law observed at the field placement. NOTE: Students who enroll in this externship may count the credits toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. COREQUISITE: Learning from Practice Externship (JD 809). GRADING NOTICE: This class does not offer the CR/NC/H option. -
LAW JD 773: Transaction Simulation: Auction and Sale of a Private Company
This course is one of the semester-long transaction simulations offered as part of the School's Transactional Law Program and satisfies the Transaction Simulation Requirement of the Transactional Practice Concentration. The simulated transaction is the auction and sale of a privately-held company in the single-cup coffee brewing industry. The course exposes students to the primary tasks undertaken by both junior and more senior attorneys in a private company auction and sale, and in doing so builds skills students will need as they enter transactional practice. Students will perform analytical, drafting and other legal tasks during each stage of the transaction from inception through closing, including revising and negotiating final terms of a merger agreement for the proposed transaction and preparing the related disclosure schedules. Much of the course work will be done in teams representing the company being sold or a potential purchaser of that company. The course grade will be based on drafting assignments, contributions to team efforts such as in-class presentations and negotiation sessions, and individual class participation. CLASS SIZE: Limited to 12 students. PREREQUISITE: Contract Drafting. 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 774: Transaction Simulation: Acquisition of Urban Real Estate for Major Commercial Re-Development
This course is one of the semester-long transaction simulations offered as part of the School's Transactional Law Program and satisfies the Transaction Simulation requirement of the Transactional Practice Concentration. The simulated transaction involves the sale of an urban site in Cambridge, MA comprised of buildings currently or previously occupied by commercial tenants which is to be re-developed into a high-end mixed-use multi-family and retail building. The course is intended to expose students to various transactional, regulatory and other issues faced, and lawyering tasks undertaken, by both junior and more senior attorneys in this type of transaction, and to enable students, in performing these tasks, to develop important practice skills in the area of commercial real estate. The class will be divided into teams at various stages of the transaction, with each team representing the buyer or the seller, regarding the acquisition of the property, or the local developer or capital partner regarding forming the venture that will acquire this property. Students will perform the key analytical, drafting and other legal tasks required to effectively represent their respective clients during various stages of the transaction from inception through closing. Throughout the semester students will be able to interact with a variety of real estate developers and experts. The course grade will be based on periodic drafting, negotiating and other written assignments (both in-class and homework), contributions to team efforts, and individual class participation. CLASS SIZE: Limited to 12 students. 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 776: Intellectual Property Workshop (S)
This seminar examines topics from the frontiers of intellectual property law ("IP" law). The class provides students with the opportunity to meet and interact with cutting-edge IP scholars who will be invited to speak. Students will read the speakers' research and works in progress, critique those writings in papers and/or in oral give-and-take discussions with the authors, and will be provided additional reading as appropriate. The goals of this seminar workshop are three: for students to deepen their substantive knowledge of IP law, for students to increase their abilities to participate in scholarly debate and potentially publish their own work, and for established scholars to improve their papers through the input of the workshop group. Ideally, students should have taken or be concurrently enrolled in a course in IP, Copyright, Patent, or Trademark. Students who have not taken such a course (or who are not enrolled currently in such a course) must obtain the permission of the instructor. The seminar offers a variety of writing options. Papers of suitable depth and scope are potentially capable of fulfilling both the IPIL Concentration writing requirement and the JD Upper Class Writing Requirement. 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 777: Education Law and Policy (S)
This seminar considers the legal and policy framework of K-12 public education. During the first two-thirds of the meetings, we will study the historical development of public education; school desegregation and resegregation; school finance; federalism, localism, and accountability efforts; achievement gap and equity reforms such as school choice, charters, and vouchers; single-sex public education and other identity-based public schooling; commitments to students with disabilities; and bullying. For the final third of the course, students will work in pairs to develop a topic for further research, evaluation, and problem-solving, and present their work in person and in writing to the class. Students will leave this course with a foundation in substantive education law and policy, and develop and practice the following skills: oral communication, written communication, law and policy analysis, and collaboration. This is a reading and writing intensive course. NOTES: This class does not satisfy the upper-class writing requirement. 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 778: Introduction to Risk Management and Compliance
Spanning the range of industries from health care to financial services to manufacturing and beyond, compliance is the fast-growing practice of managing the full range of legal risk within highly-regulated organizations. At the complex intersection of law, business operations, reputation, and ethics, compliance lawyers practice "preventive law" to protect companies against corporate criminal and civil liability. We will discuss how to identify and evaluate an organization's legal risks and and work in multidisciplinary teams to develop effective strategies to prevent wrongdoing (and detect violations when they do occur). Among other topics, we will look at the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and enforcement guidance from the Department of Justice and Securities & Exchange Commission to see how compliance has become a key mechanism of corporate accountability in the U.S. and globally.
