JD Program Course Updates
This page will be updated with any corrections, time changes, new courses and cancellations throughout the year as new information becomes available. Please check back regularly to view any new announcements.
Fall 2023
Criminal Procedure: Comprehensive
LAW JD819 A1
Professor Sadiq Reza will teach this course on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:10 p.m.- 4:10 p.m.
Employment Law
LAW JD834 A1
Professor Ben Pyle will teach this course on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m.- 10:25 a.m.
Evidence
LAW JD831 B1
Please be advised that Professor Okidegbe is unable to teach this section of Evidence course as originally planned. Professor Gary Lawson has agreed to teach the section at the scheduled time. A revised book order will be placed.
Insurance Law
LAW JD850 A1
This course has been moved to the spring 2024 semester and will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.
International Business Agreements (S)
LAW JD959 A1
This seminar has been canceled.
International Law: Advanced Topics (S)
LAW JD670 A1
This seminar has been cancelled for the fall semester and moved to the spring. We will post a further update as soon as a schedule has been confirmed.
International Law Research
LAW JD707 A1, B1
Stefanie Weigmann will now teach both sections of this course. The schedule remains the same.
Islamic Law (S)
LAW JD675 A1
Professor Sadiq Reza will teach this seminar on Tuesdays from 4:20 p.m.- 6:20 p.m.
Juvenile Delinquency (S)
LAW JD824 A1
Visiting Professor Tiffani Darden will teach this seminar. The class will meet on Wednesdays from 2:10 p.m.-4:10 p.m.
Spring 2024
Asian American Racialization and the Law (S)
LAW JD 677 A1
This seminar has been added to the spring 2024 schedule and will be taught by Professor Vinay Harpalani. It will meet on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Bar Exam Skills
LAW JD608 A1
Professor Lisa Freudenheim will teach the spring 2024 Bar Exam Skills (A1) class on Thursdays from 10:40-12:40. The class will run from January 18 to April 18.
Bar Exam Skills
LAW JD608 B1
Professor Tyson-Lord Gray will teach the spring 2024 Bar Exam Skills (B1) class on Thursdays from 2:10-4:10. The class will run from January 18 to April 18.
Business Immigration
LAW JD 807 A1
Miki Matrician will teach this class on Wednesdays, 4:20 p.m. -6:20 p.m. Students can register via the Portal.
Comparative Contract Law (S)
LAW JD916 A1
Visiting Professor Rachel Ngo Ntomp will teach this seminar on Thursdays from 4:20 p.m.- 6:20 p.m.
This seminar provides an introduction to comparative contract law and the comparative methodology. It will guide students through the comparative analysis of key topics in contract formation, validity, interpretation, performance, breach, and remedies. We will examine questions like: Why does one legal system use the mailbox rule for acceptance while another relies on receipt? How does the concept of consideration manifest in legal systems across the world? How do legal systems decide on remedies like monetary damages versus specific performance? Adopting a “learning by doing” approach, students will engage with practical case scenarios under multiple legal frameworks, including international rules such as the Vienna Convention on International Sales of Goods (CISG) and the European Draft Common Frame of Reference (DCFR). The sources of study will include (but not be limited to) the common law tradition as represented by the U.K. and the U.S. and the civil law tradition as represented notably by China, Germany, France and Eastern European countries. In addition to readings, students will gain hands-on experience conducting comparative research, including through two special sessions led by law library staff. Students will learn how to effectively find, evaluate, and use foreign primary sources and academic commentary. Over the course of the semester, students will apply their growing expertise in comparative methodology and research through short written assignments. The seminar culminates in an individual (or group) research paper (approx. 6,000 words, not counting footnotes), requiring students to conduct comparative analysis of a contract law topic selected by the student after consultation with the instructor and the law librarian. PRE-REQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: Contracts (JD 813 or AM 812). UPPERCLASS WRITING REQUIREMENT: Students will be permitted to satisfy the upper- class writing requirement with this seminar by completing papers that meet the current certification standards.
Criminal Procedure: Adjudicatory
LAW JD820 A1
Professor Sadiq Reza will teach this course on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m.- 12:25 p.m.
Education Law
LAW JD777 A1
This course has been added to the spring 2024 schedule. Visiting Professor Tiffani Darden will teach this course. It will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m.- 10:25 a.m.
Employee Benefits & Employment Compensation
LAW JD790 A1
This course has been cancelled
Employment Discrimination
LAW JD853 A1
Professor Vinay Harpalani will teach this course on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:20 p.m.-5:45 p.m.
European Union Law (S)
LAW JD880 A1
Professor Daniela Caruso will teach this seminar on Thursdays from 10:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m.
Financial Regulation
LAW JD864 A1
This course will not be held during the 2023/2024 academic year.
Food Law
LAW JD680 A1
Professor Tyson-Lord Gray will teach this 3-credit course on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:20 p.m.- 5:45 p.m.
This is an introductory survey course in food law. We will discuss a range of issues impacting the food system from farm to table including health and safety, transparency and choice, food exceptionalism, and food justice. We will discuss these issues through an in-depth exploration into the history, development, and enforcement of major federal food statutes and regulations, with emphasis on the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Gender, Violence & the Law (S)
LAW JD798 A1
Professor Mann will teach this seminar on Mondays from 10:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m. during the spring 2024 semester.
Health Law Research
LAW JD717 A1
The course schedule has changed to Wednesdays from 8:30 am to 10:30 am. All students will be moved into a new section, B1, to facilitate this time change.
Intellectual Property
LAW JD857 B1
Professor Dogan will teach this course on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. during the spring 2024 semester.
International Environmental Law
LAW JD678 A1
Professor Charles Jalloh will teach this course on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:40 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.
This course offers a broad overview of International Environmental Law, a field of growing importance to the United States and the international community given the existential threats posed to planet earth by climate change. In the first part of the course, we examine the evolution and philosophical basis of environmental protection at the international level as well the primary sources and main global institutions concerned with global environmental protection. The second part of the course analyzes key norms of international environmental law, including sustainable development, inter-generational equity, the precautionary principle, the common but differentiated responsibility principle, the polluter pays principle, permanent sovereignty over natural resources and environmental impact assessments. The final part of the course examines specific treaty regimes. These may include protection of the atmosphere, the ozone, climate change, marine pollution, biodiversity, and species protection, as well as the interaction between international environmental law and international human rights and trade. A key theme that runs throughout the course is the role of both traditional (i.e., States) and non-traditional actors (i.e., international organizations, individuals, private companies, NGOs, and indigenous communities) in the development and application of international environmental law.
International Law: Advanced Topics (S)
LAW JD 670 A1
Professor Charles Jalloh will teach this seminar on Tuesdays from 2:10 p.m.-4:10 p.m. Students can register via the Portal.
The International Law Commission (ILC/the Commission) is the only subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly mandated by the UN Member States to initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification. The ILC, which is comprised of 34 international legal experts from around the world nominated and elected by States, has over the past seven decades made seminal contributions to the development of modern international law. This advanced seminar, which offers students a unique opportunity to learn how international law is made from a visiting faculty member who serves on the ILC, will first explore the historical origins, mandate, working methods and contributions of the ILC towards the establishment of a rule-based international legal system. The seminar will then critically evaluate the main topics under current study by the Commission, their present status, and future direction. These include Immunity of State officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction; Prevention and repression of piracy and armed robbery at sea; Sea level rise in relation to international law; and Subsidiary means for the determination of rules of international law. Overall, the seminar, which is open to students who have completed an introductory course in international law, exposes students to the process of international law’s codification and progressive development. Seminar grades will be based on a) paper (60%); b) class presentation (20%) and class participation (20%). LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT OPTION: A limited number of students will be permitted to satisfy the upper- class writing requirement with this seminar after consultation with the instructor.
Labor Law
LAW JD851 A1
This course has been cancelled.
Patent Prosecution (S)
LAW JD939 A1
This seminar has been added to the spring semester. It will be taught by Lisa Geller on Wednesdays from 8:30-10:30.
This seminar examines various aspects of U.S. patent practice including prosecution processes, strategies, post-grant options, business and ethical considerations, and management of international patent portfolios. PREREQUISITE/COREQUISITE: Intellectual Property Law, Patent Law; for LLMs, some experience with patent law is sufficient; experience as technology specialist or who have passed the patent bar may also be admitted. 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 frequently offered in alternating years. Students are advised to take this into account when planning their long-term schedule.
The Role of In-House Counsel
LAW JD978 A1
Daniel Layo will teach this course in the spring. The class will meet on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30.
Writing for Legal Change (S)
LAW JD 908
An updated course description is as follows:
This course explores various ways that legal change happens with a focus on the written methods. We will examine theories regarding when and how legal change occurs, highlighting the various roles lawyers can play in creating that change. The main modules of this course will focus on (1) clarifying the law for non-lawyers, (2) the op-eds medium, (3) amicus briefs and giving voice to non-parties, (4) advocacy for regulatory changes through rulemaking, and (5) ballot initiatives. Students will critically examine each type of writing, revising current sources and writing their own. LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT OPTION: A limited number of students may be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement.