The class covers the basic structure and function of US legal institutions: the congress, the president, and regulatory agencies, and, especially, the federal courts. It examines the role of state law and state courts in the American system of federalism. The course also studies the American judicial processes of constitutional analyses, interpretation of statues, and development of common law. Some attention is paid to court procedures, including trial by jury. Finally, students study a few topics that are illustrative of the treatment of individual rights in American law, such as freedom of speech, anti-discrimination law, and protection of private property. The class grants two credits towards the American Law degree.

This two-credit Legal Research and Writing seminar is required for LL.M. students in the American Law program and optional for students in the LL.M. programs in Banking and Financial Law and Taxation. It is specifically designed to introduce foreign lawyers to the basic principles of American legal writing. In small class settings and individual conferences, students receive guidance on drafting and editing memoranda and agreements. Their work is critiqued and rewritten. The research component of the seminar trains students to locate cases, statutes and secondary material through indexing systems and the latest computer technology. Research assignments are integrated into writing assignments -- exposing students to the methods of US legal analyses -- so that by the end of the term, students obtain the skills needed to write memoranda appropriate for submission to US law firms.

The goal of this course is to improve the ability of internationally-trained LL.M. students to resolve disputes and to productively engage in conflict. In this highly interactive class, students will examine a variety of dispute resolution processes, other than traditional court adjudication, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration, dispute system design and restorative justice. Over the course of the semester, students will engage in a series of exercises (i.e., role-plays) through which they can develop and hone their skills and approaches to dispute resolution. Discussion and short lectures will accompany the exercises, 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: 18 students.

If you want to develop the advocacy skills of a US trial lawyer, watching re- runs of Boston Legal or The Practice won't be enough. You need hands-on training. This course introduces LLM students to the structure of the jury trial process in the United States and the core skills used by trial lawyers. The seminar will give students first-hand exposure to the full range of trial advocacy skills, from opening statements to closing arguments, including conducting direct and cross examination of witnesses, making and meeting objections, introducing documents and discovery into evidence, and using hypothetical questions with expert witnesses. Throughout the term, students will try their hands at using these skills through simulated exercises and role plays. At the end of the semester, each student will perform as counsel in a simulated "mock" civil trial before a jury. Limited to 12 LL.M. in American Law Program 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.

This course will use the case method to examine legal and equitable remedies for enforcing contracts, determining what promises are enforceable, elements of assent, standards of fairness and restrictions on bargaining process, and tests for performance and breach. Designed for students preparing to sit for the bar, this course will focus on those areas emphasized on the multi-state, New York, and Massachusetts bar exams. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option.

Understanding how businesses raise money to fund their operations is essential for any transactional lawyer. This is a survey class for international LLM students on the foundations of corporate finance -- its functions in a corporation and the underlying principles of contract and corporate law that influence the structure of basic corporate finance instruments, i.e., stock, preferred stock, varieties of debt, and other aspects of capital raising for public and privately held companies. The seminar will introduce students to basic US and international accounting principles, fundamental financial statements, concepts underlying the time value of money, interest rates, the valuation of companies, and mergers and acquisitions. The focus will be on understanding the business functions of these instruments; the choices that business managers must make between different ways to raise capital; and the legal dimensions of corporate finance instruments that international corporate lawyers must know in order to advise business clients interested in doing business in the US. The course will also discuss the financial markets in which capital is raised. Prior coursework in accounting, while helpful, is not required. Basic concepts from finance, such as risk, return, control, cost of capital, diversification, etc., will be introduced conceptually rather than through using finance math. In addition, the course will have distinctly legal and practical component, exposing students to how corporate finance is captured in contractual documents. CO-REQUISITE: Corporations. Students with strong backgrounds in business or finance may find that this course is too elementary for them; they might consider JD corporate Finance instead. Limited to 25 LLM in American Law Program 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.

Individuals thinking about creating a business have a variety of business structures to consider. This course provides an exposure to the fundamentals of business organizations and modern forms of business including corporations, partnerships and LLCs as they are utilized in the US. It also emphasizes the transcendent importance of agency law as it relates to business organizations. The focus of the course is the corporation and will address the life cycle of a business from formation through dissolution. The theory of the firm is covered with an emphasis on the nuts and bolts of business law particularly issues raised by closely held as well as publicly held corporations. The fiduciary responsibilities of directors and officers as well as shareholder rights will be reviewed. Specific characteristics and the securities law requirements of public businesses will be introduced including the process by which a company “goes public”. In addition, we will introduce the methods used to finance businesses including debt as well as equity. Students will gain insight into the various alternatives used by US businesses to create long term value for their owners, customers, vendors and society. The course will provide a fundamental understanding of the concepts of various types of business organizations for students anticipating sitting for a U.S. bar exam. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. RESTRICTION: Please note that students who have taken Corporations for LLMs (LAW AM 815) or Corporations (LAWJD 816) are ineligible for the course.

Course about the legal structure and characteristics of business corporations. Topics include the promotion and formation of corporations; the distribution of power between management and shareholders; the limitations on management powers imposed by state law fiduciary duties and federal securities laws; shareholder derivative suits; capital structure and financing of corporations; and fundamental changes in corporate structure, such as mergers and sales of assets. The course serves as a PREREQUISITE to advanced courses. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option.

This course will introduce internationally-trained LLM students to the roles and responsibilities of in-house legal counsel. Students will investigate the skills and characteristics that contribute to successful and effective practice as an in-house counsel and explore the similarities and differences between in- house legal practice and outside legal practice. Topics covered during the course will include: the relationship between in-house counsel and his/her client; in-house counsel's role in adding value to his/her organization; advising and counseling clients; fact gathering and investigation; managing an in-house legal practice; selecting and managing outside counsel; and the ethical challenges of in-house counsel. This will be a hands-on course focused on practice skills development. In role plays, students will step into the shoes of in-house counsel to address a variety of situations in which an in- house counsel would be expected to act. ** 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.

Corporate law associates are often assigned "due diligence" projects in connection with transactional deals. They are asked to review a target's records and identify "anything that looks suspicious." Where to begin? This is a practical skills course that will assist LLM in American Law Program students in understanding international compliance and risk due diligence in cross-border transactions. Students will learn to identify and investigate the myriad "red flags" that can signal a target company's non-compliance with US laws governing global trade and anti-corruption. Through case studies and hands-on exercises and assignments, students will develop the lawyering skills needed to assess a target company's control framework (compliance programs), identify potential red flags of non-compliance, and advise management on the risks posed by a potential transaction. The focus will be on the compliance obligations of multinational enterprises pursuant to anti-corruption rules (primarily, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) and U.S. trade sanctions (OFAC). Students may not also take "Compliance and Risk Management in Global Commerce." (JD 918)

This course will give students a detailed introduction to the knowledge and skills necessary for an international M&A lawyer to guide clients through a typical cross-border M&A transaction. The course will have two distinct parts: (1) a deep dive into the key M&A contractual language (and underlying theories) that get negotiated in most transactions (including purchase price adjustments, indemnities, covenants, representations and warranties, and other key terms) and (2) navigating through each step in the deal process (including initial term sheet negotiations, due diligence, regulatory and third-party approvals, definitive agreement negotiations, closing mechanics, and other key steps). There will be an emphasis on underlying business principles that are common across different jurisdictions (e.g., U.S., U.K/Australia, EU/civil law countries, Africa, India, China, Japan, Asia-Pacific and other jurisdictions). Students will engage in case study hypotheticals involving real-life deals, which will be used to demonstrate the strengths and weakness of common strategies employed by law firm, in- house and other transactional lawyers. PRE- or CO-REQUISITE: CORPORATIONS. This course is open to LLM in American Law Program students.

This is a six-week class intended to provide international LLM students with an introduction to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), the model code developed for the purpose of harmonizing the varied commercial and contract laws in the United States. The course will begin with an overall survey of the UCC, including its purpose and coverage. Students will then focus on two important articles of the code -- Article 2 and Article 9. Article 2 governs the sale of goods by merchants or professional sellers and addresses such matters as offer and acceptance, consideration and contract formation, modification, repudiation, breach of contracts, and the "battle of the forms." Article 9 governs secured transactions -- business transactions in which a debtor grants a security interest in personal property to a creditor in order to ensure repayment of a debt. This article addresses such issues as creating and giving notice of a security interest in property, and resolving conflicts among creditors claiming interests in the same property. The class will use a variety of learning methodologies, including readings, lectures, small group discussions, and role-plays. The class has no pre-requisites. Enrollment is limited to 40 LLM in American Law Program students. Students may not also enroll in LAW BK 972 or LAW JD 805.

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.

This course is for foreign-trained LL.M. students. It teaches students basic principles and skills of drafting and analyzing commercial and transaction agreements under U.S. state laws, with a focus on recognizing, and addressing through contractual provisions, key business issues in transactions. While the course utilizes lectures and class discussion to introduce and explain the use of various contract concepts and techniques essential for drafting and reviewing commercial and transaction agreements, it also requires that students complete both in-class exercises and out-of-class 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 under U.S. law. The course also considers various ethical issues that may arise in the contract drafting and review process and in transactional practice generally. Grades will be based on class participation and graded drafting assignments. CLASS SIZE: Limited to 12 students. 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 course. Students who are on the wait list are required to attend the first class to be considered for enrollment. Because the course involves regular in-class exercises, some of which are done in teams, and class participation is a significant component of a student's final grade, regular class attendance is essential and thus the course cannot accommodate flexibility in attendance.

This is a transactional skills development course that focuses on IP law and emerging technologies. Students take on the persona of law firm associates of a niche IP law firm and work through actual cases. It is well suited for lawyers seeking to improve both (a) their substantive knowledge of IP law as applied to today’s cutting-edge technologies like Generative AI and (b) their practical legal skills including communication, written & oral advocacy, cross examination, and deal-making & negotiations. Students will examine actual pending IP AI cases (like Author’s Guild v OpenAI) and conduct simulated exercises – taking on the role of plaintiff, defendant, law clerk, and judge – in litigating the cases. Whether you are counsel to engineers, sales, marketing or business development professionals, or managers or organizational leaders who create or use IP – or looking to sharpen your transactional skills as a lawyer - this program is for you.

The collection, use, storage, and sharing of personal data has become increasingly important throughout society, from commerce to government and from health care to finance. For good reason, we call this the Information Age. Recall the countless high- profile privacy and data security controversies you have heard about recently: location tracking; AI systems using personal data to deny people jobs and benefits; data breaches, hacking and identity theft; and government surveillance. Law has responded with a dizzying array of new rules -- and a rapidly growing area of professional specialization for attorneys. This course serves as an introduction to the emerging law of data privacy. By the end, you will be well grounded in many challenges facing any enterprise, public or private, that collects, processes, uses, and stores personal information. In addition to knowledge of federal and state rules and enforcement activity, we will learn about the policy questions that arise in this dynamic area, the legally relevant questions to ask when assessing information practices. You will gain a basic understanding of data privacy regulation in other countries, particularly the European Union. You will also learn how to think about the relationship between law and technology more broadly. All students will benefit from more sophisticated knowledge about an issue that appears in the news every single day. But there are significant professional payoffs too. Major law firms have organized entire practice areas devoted to privacy and data protection law. These trends mean that law school graduates will have increasing job opportunities in data privacy and security law. Meanwhile, in many other practice areas -- such as securities, labor and employment, health, advertising, and the list goes on -- familiarity with privacy and security law has become a major asset. Plus, the issues are fascinating and fun. If nothing else, you can have great conversations at parties.

In our modern global information economy, the law of intellectual property has taken on enormous importance to both creators and users. This course introduces students to the principles of trade secret, patent, copyright, and trademark law, and explores the ways in which those principles are shifting and adapting in response to new technology. The course will also focus on the international comparative aspects of intellectual property and address the practical application of key IP concepts for global practitioners. The course is open to LLM students in the ALP and IP programs, without prerequisite. No scientific or technical background is required.

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.

This course will explore some of the challenges that the Internet has presented to traditional intellectual property law. We will focus especially on the role of Internet intermediaries and others who enable trademark and copyright infringement and will ask ourselves what obligations these parties should have under the law to reduce or stop infringement. We will also discuss some of the patent issues raised by the internet and AI systems.

This 3-credit course will provide a pragmatic, hands-on, practice-oriented course for generalists, the part-time IP practitioner, and those planning a career in IP Law. Students will learn foundational principles of IP, with an emphasis on pragmatic skills development for advising clients and company personnel on best practices for protecting and getting the most out of emerging, software-centric technologies and innovations. The course will address identifying the best form of IP for protecting your company's or clients' most valued innovations; unique IP characteristics of emerging technologies; performing an audit of your company or clients' IP plan; and developing a playbook for implementing an IP Protection Plan to secure and optimize the company crown jewels. Grades will be based on graded assignments, paper or exam, good faith completion of ungraded assignments, and class participation. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT: Because the course involves regular in-class exercises, some of which are done in teams, and class participation is a significant component of a student's final grade, regular class attendance is essential and thus the course normally does not accommodate flexibility in attendance.

The scope of creative products in today's digital age is vast and constantly expanding; its boarders can be fussy at times and vary by country. It can embrace things as different as your favorite Netflix series, fashion designs, mechanical and processes inventions, biological matter, scents and sounds, the knowledge expressed in the 0s and 1s on your laptop, and much more. This seminar explores how intellectual property law and policy deal with the products of creative and inventive endeavors in the digital age. We will cover US federal copyright, patent, trademark, and trade secret law, and the international protection system of intellectual property rights. Relevant US state law will also be briefly covered. Special attention will be given to the impact of the digitization of goods and processes, and how the Internet market and people's online behavior have shaped IP law and policy in recent years. Through outside readings and assignments, in-class discussions, role plays, group projects and outside industry experts and IP thought leaders, students will gain a practical understanding of intellectual property and the dynamic forces shaping it. Assessments will include presentations and short papers. No in-class final exam will be given. Enrollment is limited to 25 LLM in American Law and Intellectual Property Law students. Students may not enroll if they are taking or have already taken the JD Intellectual Property survey class. ** 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.

Taught by Carolina Rossini, an internationally recognized and awarded professional with over 25 years of experience and a Global Council member for the World Economic Forum in the subject, this is the introductory course for candidates for the LL.M. at Boston University School of Law. This course is worth three (3) credits and is graded based on individual participation, group presentation, and a final opinion paper. This seminar brings an introduction to the field of internet and technology policy and regulation trends. It addresses the increasingly critical and complex legal and policy questions raised by advances in information technology, digital transformation, and the plataformization of the economy, with a special focus on internet governance, social media, fintech, and health. The discussion will always occur against a backdrop of international geopolitics, and economic and sustainable development. Examples of issues covered include internet governance, cybersecurity, NFTs, platforms, algorithms and more. While each topic that we will cover should merit a full course, this Seminar will offer a high-level, integrated view of core current technology policy and normative trends. It will provide enough information, bibliography, field actors identification and networking opportunities for students, and empower them to build their own life-long learning experience if wished. ** 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.

This seminar will provide foreign-trained lawyers with a practical overview of American intellectual property concepts in copyright and trademark as well as rights of privacy and confidentiality in their application and negotiation strategies in media and entertainment transactions. The course will study and analyze contracting/licensing from both a commercial and content creators' perspective. Focused on media and entertainment transactions, students will review, analyze, negotiate and draft agreements among which may include brand sponsorship, trademark licensing and product placement, content distribution, personal services for talent, such as music and TV/video production, and licensing music and clearance of rights for film and TV. Students will receive exposure to how the protection of intangible assets can further a variety of business strategies, as well as the client counseling issues to consider. International comparative analyses of concepts and strategies will be presented where applicable. Students will be evaluated based on their class participation and performance on drafting assignments, negotiation exercises and a final capstone project. Co-Requisites: Contracts; a survey IP class and/or prior exposure to copyright and trademark concepts is highly recommended. Limited to 18 LLM 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.

This class introduces internationally-trained LLM students to the rules, standards, and values that govern the procedures used in civil cases in the federal district courts of the United States. Drawing from constitutional and statutory texts, and focusing on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the class covers such civil litigation issues as: jurisdiction, choice of law, venue, pleadings, discovery, pre-trial motions, trial through judgment, joinder of parties and claims, and finality of judgments. The course will meet 1/13/2020-2/26/2020. A final exam will be scheduled for a Friday afternoon prior to spring break (date/time TBD).

This class provides an introductory level survey of U.S. constitutional law. Topics will include: the Constitution's impact on fundamental concepts of criminal and civil law; the delineation of spheres of power between the branches of the national government; the role of the judiciary and other institutions in interpreting and applying the Constitution; individual rights; substantive due process; theories of constitutional interpretation; and the practice and meaning of judicial review in a political democracy. Enrollment is limited to LLM students who obtained their law degree outside the U.S. and to students not currently enrolled in the JD four-credit constitutional law class.

This is an introductory course on US contract law specifically designed for foreign-trained LLM students from civil law traditions. Its goal is to prepare non-common law lawyers to work effectively with US counsel when structuring and negotiating contractual terms and provisions. The class brings a practical perspective to the topics covered in a traditional first-year contracts course: the fundamentals of contract formation, enforceability, defenses to enforceability, interpretation, performance, conditions, third party rights, damages, and other remedies. In addition to receiving foundational exposure to the main U.S. contract law topics, students will examine how contract law principles affect real-world US legal practice in a range of settings. Comparisons to civil law traditions will be made to elucidate doctrinal concepts and practice considerations. As a result, students will gain a deeper understanding of the practical and cross-cultural issues to consider when working with (or against) US counsel. Enrollment is limited to LLM students from non-common law backgrounds who have not taken the fall semester four- credit JD or LLM contracts class.

This class will introduce internationally trained LLM in American Law Program students to the basic doctrines and principles of substantive criminal law, including the justifications for punishment, objective offense elements, mental states, mitigating and exculpating defenses and various forms of criminal liability.

This course provides LL.M. students with an overview of the substantive rules governing the admissibility or exclusion of evidence at trial. Subjects include competency of witnesses, direct and cross-examination of witnesses, the rule against hearsay and its exceptions, expert and lay opinion testimony, privileged communications, relevancy, procedural considerations, judicial notice, burden of proof, presumptions, form and type of objections, authentication, the best evidence rule and the use of demonstrative and scientific evidence. The course is designed to give students a fundamental understanding of evidentiary rules in anticipation of taking a US bar exam.

This course exposes LL.M. students to the basic principles of real property law, including possession, ownership, rights in land, conveyances, estates, future interests, real estate contracts, easements, land use disputes, landlord-tenant issues, and land use controls, among others. The course is designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the essential doctrines of real property law for LL.M. students interested in taking a U.S. bar exam.

This course offers an approach to the lawyer's responsibilities to clients, the profession, and the public. Topics addressed will be problems of disclosure, conflict of interest, advertising, adversary tactics, competence, attorney fees, and fiduciary duties. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option.

This seminar focuses on developing the critical lawyering skills needed to succeed on the Multistate Performance Test (MPT) of the Uniform Bar Exam -- and to succeed in the practice of law: the ability to analyze and apply relevant law to specific factual situations to perform a lawyering task in writing. As with the MPT, students will be assigned lawyering tasks, which may include writing a memorandum to a supervising attorney, a client letter, a persuasive memorandum or brief, a statement of facts, a contract provision, a settlement proposal, and the like. Students will work from source files containing facts and other material, and will receive a collection of legal sources with sufficient substantive information to complete the task. The class does not teach research skills or substantive law. Rather, it focuses on developing analytical and writing skills in the American legal tradition. The class will also expose students to specific writing approaches, outlining and issue spotting techniques, and time management strategies. Enrollment is limited to 14 foreign-trained lawyers enrolled in the American Law Program. **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.

Successful transactional lawyers build their practices by adding value to their clients' transactions. In addition to having strong drafting and negotiation skills, they think creatively and strategically, more like skilled chess players than technicians. They are also effective, diplomatic communicators. This seminar teaches students how, as transactional lawyers, they can bring added value to a deal. Through role plays, simulations, in- class exercises and written assignments, students learn strategies for translating the concepts of a business transaction into legal documents. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the client's business and strategic objectives for a deal; identifying the risk and value issues that the client has not yet considered; structuring the deal; and negotiating and drafting the deal documents to achieve the client's goals. Note: Although strategic contract drafting is an element of the course, this is not a class dedicated to contract drafting. Instead, the focus is on how the various provisions of deal documents interact with each other to further a client's business objectives, and on how to work strategically to structure, negotiate, and draft the provisions to achieve those objectives. This class is open to foreign-trained LLM students in the LLM in American Law and Intellectual Property Law Programs. Prerequisites: contracts, unless otherwise waived by the instructor. Enrollment limited to 12 students.

There is no such thing as a good lawyer who is not also a good writer. Whether you are writing a court document, a legal development update, a settlement agreement, or a simple internal email to colleagues, your ability to make proper decisions about tone, style, language and organization will play a big role in your effectiveness as a practitioner and overall professional identity. This seminar will focus on the best practices for effective writing across a broad range of legal communications. Weekly assignments will build upon -- but not overlap with -- the fall semester Legal Research and Writing seminar's assignments. Students will be exposed to a range of writing styles and approaches suitable for different audiences. Assignments will focus on the craft of writing and effective expression, not on substantive legal issues or legal research and may include such work products as lawyer-to-lawyer letters, informal client advisories, internal communications and official submissions to government agencies. Students will receive direct individual feedback on their assignments. Enrollment is limited to 14 LLM in American Law Program students who are not enrolled in Professor Sugarman's "Advanced Legal Writing for LLMs: The Essentials for Bar Exam Writing and Beyond."

This 2-credit course is designed to give the student an overview of U.S. immigration law. The focus is on the day-to-day practice of immigration law, including an examination of the substantive and procedural aspects of this practice. Topics covered include power of the Congress to regulate immigration; the effect of politics on immigration policy; nonimmigrant and immigrant visa classifications; the law of asylum; the intersection of immigration law and criminal law; grounds of removal from the United States; relief from deportation, immigration court representation and access to justice; and the law of naturalization and derived citizenship. There are no prerequisites for this course. There is no writing requirement, but there will be weekly quizzes and a final examination. Class attendance and participation are essential. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. RESTRICTION Students may not enroll in both Immigration Law for LLMs and Immigration Law: LAW JD 968.

This 3-credit seminar will provide an overview of international human rights advocacy beginning with the history of the international human rights movement and different theoretical perspectives about human rights advocacy. The seminar will also analyze the process by which human rights law is made, the various human rights actors and stakeholders, and the interplay between international human rights mechanisms and domestic legal systems and movements. Throughout we will consider what makes for effective human rights advocacy and what are the major critiques of the human rights movement. In order for students to develop the skills necessary to become practicing human rights lawyers and activists, the seminar will also include skills-oriented sessions and case rounds. Class exercises and simulations will help foster the development of lawyering and advocacy skills. Case rounds will give students the opportunity to present on their work, reflect on theory and practice, and solicit class feedback and discussions about challenges faced in their projects. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR/NC/H option. ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT: Because the course involves regular in-class exercises, some of which are done in teams, and class participation is a significant component of a student's final grade, regular class attendance is essential and thus the course normally does not accommodate flexibility in attendance. RESTRICTION Students may not enroll in both International Human Rights in Practice and International Human Rights (S): LAW JD 991

This is a practical skills seminar designed to introduce LLM students to the theory and practice of legal interviewing and client counseling. Through a combination of classroom discussion, readings, reflective writing, simulations and role-plays, students will learn the skills and techniques lawyers use to help clients make sound decisions. These include: identifying and obtaining relevant facts; effectively formulating questions; actively listening; identifying legal problems; clarifying client needs and objectives; formulating potential strategies; assisting clients in evaluating options; and communicating difficult information to clients, in litigation and transactional contexts. This course will provide opportunities for experiential learning, allowing students to develop and practice interviewing and counseling in real- world contexts. Enrollment limited to 18. **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.

This seminar exposes international LLM students to how business lawyers effectively and ethically represent their clients in negotiating complex commercial contracts. Through role plays, in-class discussions, and written assignments, students will learn strategies to move negotiations from a binary win/lose result to a win-win outcome that can lay the groundwork for a productive start or continuation of a contractual relation. The seminar is hands-on, with a focus on developing practical negotiation skills in contexts that replicate actual legal practice with an unfamiliar opposing party. While students will have an opportunity to draft business and legal provisions of commercial agreements, the emphasis will be on strategies to effectively negotiate these provisions. ** 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.

Whether you are a litigator, dealmaker or in-house counsel, your performance will turn in large part on your ability to negotiate effectively. The goal of this course is to improve your effectiveness as a negotiator. Students will engage in a series of negotiation exercises (i.e., role plays) through which they can develop and hone their skills and approaches to negotiation. Discussion and short lectures will accompany the role-plays, as appropriate. There will be short written assignments (3-5 pages) as well as a longer paper (12-15 pages) due at the end of the semester. No final exam. ENROLLMENT LIMIT: 12 students. GRADING NOTICE: This class does not offer the CR/NC/H option. RESTRICTION: Students may not enroll in Negotiation for LLMs (JD891) and Negotiation (JD921) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (JD881). **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.