Course Descriptions

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Fall 2014 Class Descriptions: First-Year Required

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Civil Procedure (LWAA510)

Instructor(s): Staff

4 credit(s), Letter Graded

Civil Procedure is the study of procedural rules governing civil actions in state and federal courts. The topics studied throughout the year include selection of the proper court and place for litigation, jurisdiction over the parties, joinder of parties and claims, contents of pleadings, discovery, pre-trial motions, conduct of trials, and conflicts between state and federal judicial systems.

Note: Required for first-year day-division students.

Contracts (LWAA520)

Instructor(s): Staff

4 credit(s), Letter Graded

An introduction to legal reasoning and analytical skills through an investigation of how the law enforces agreements. Included are such topics as: the requirements for the formation of a contract; problems of interpretation; damages for breach; the statute of frauds; illegality; and problems which arise during the performance stage of a contract, such as the creation and failure of express and implied conditions, excuse through impossibility or frustration of purpose, and discharge. Article II of the Uniform Commercial Code is introduced and compared with the common law of contracts.

Criminal Law (LWAA525)

Instructor(s): Staff

4 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Criminal Law (LLMUS), Criminal Law (MSLS)

The purpose of criminal law, the development of the common law of crimes, the elements of the widely recognized criminal offenses, and the changes brought about by major statutes in connection with their effect on the present-day systems of criminal justice in the United States are explored in this course.

Legal Writing & Research I (LWAA545)

Instructor(s): Staff

2 credit(s), Letter Graded

Legal Writing and Research (LWR) I is the first part of a two-semester program introducing students to the tools lawyers use to analyze, research, and frame legal positions and communicate them in predictive office memoranda. Students practice and actively learn legal writing and research skills by creating multiple drafts of office memoranda and conducting both print and computer-assisted legal research. The course is offered in small sections with very low student-faculty ratios so that faculty may provide individualized and frequent feedback on student work. Required for first-year students.

Torts (LWAA540)

Instructor(s): Staff

4 credit(s), Letter Graded

An exploration of the principles involved in determining whether an injured person should be compensated for harm caused by another, including such diverse topics as intentional harms, negligence, and strict liability.