Course Descriptions

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Administrative Law (LWPP510)

Instructor(s): Anne Kammer, Macklin Thornton

4 credit(s), Letter Graded
Concentration(s): Children's Rights (JD), Employment and Labor Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (JD), Health Law (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMUS), Employment and Labor Law (LLMG), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMG), Environmental and Energy Law (MSLS)

This course discusses the basic rules and principles governing federal administrative agencies. Subjects covered include the procedures governing administrative agencies, judicial review of administrative action, and presidential and congressional controls over agencies. The rules governing agencies are quite different from those that govern courts. Knowledge of these rules has become increasingly important, as many practitioners are now likely to spend more time dealing with administrative agencies than litigating in court.

Note:

This is a required course for the Environmental & Energy Law and Public Interest Law concentrations (JD). This course may be applied as part of the nine required credits for the Health Law Concentration (JD).

Advanced Legal Research (Online asynchronous via Canvas Modules) (LWLP512)

Instructor(s): Robert OLeary

1 credit(s), Letter Graded

Advanced Legal Research builds upon basic legal research skills that students learned in their first-year Legal Writing and Research class. Topics include identifying and using appropriate secondary sources, advanced search techniques using Lexis, Westlaw, and other subscription services to locate relevant primary and secondary source materials, developing cost-effective research strategies, and critically evaluating search results and materials. Students will also have the option to learn about additional resources and techniques for researching topics, such as legislative history, administrative law, foreign & international legal materials, and competitive intelligence research. This is an on-line web based class that will not have any in person classes. This online class will be taught the first seven weeks of the semester and students' grades will be based on weekly assignments, quizzes, & class participation (via discussion board).

This course is online asynchronous only, for the first seven weeks of the semester and does not have a designated meeting day/time.

Advanced Partnership Tax (Remote via Zoom) (LWTE504)

Instructor(s): Staff

2 credit(s)
Prerequisite(s): Partnership Tax

Advanced Partnership Taxation adopts a practitioner’s approach to understanding and drafting tax provisions embedded in partnership agreements – both simple and complex. The course explores how partnership tax principles and theory are translated into the governing legal documents – starting with a basic partnership agreement and working toward complex partnership structures. Over the course of the class, students will gain practical experience in drafting partnership tax provisions, as well as, enhancing their understanding of how those provisions affect both the tax and economic results of a given arrangement.

Note:

Please note this course will be taught remotely via Zoom.

Advanced Trial Advocacy (LWLP515)

Instructor(s): Bibianne Fell, Mary Jo Barr, Everett McAdoo

2 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Civil Litigation (JD), Criminal Litigation (JD), Criminal Law (LLMUS), Criminal Law (LLMG)

This intensive course is designed to improve each student’s individual trial presentation skills. Over two weekends, students will watch lectures and demonstrations from experienced practitioners, practice trial skills based on a hypothetical case file in workshops, receive individual critique, and participate in skills drills designed to have students repetitively practice the skill and think on their feet. 

The course will address advanced issues in trial advocacy including expert witnesses, trial technology, differences in advocacy between plaintiff/defense and criminal/civil practices, and civility in the courtroom.

Advocacy Competition Teams (LWAC500)

Instructor(s): Linda Lane

1 credit(s), P/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential

The Advocacy Competition Teams represent a variety of competitive advocacy experiences in which students learn techniques for effective and persuasive advocacy as they prepare to compete in tournaments against teams within our own law school and from other law schools.  Only students selected for membership in one of the Advocacy Competition Teams may register.  

Agency Externship (LWVL596)

Instructor(s): Kimberly Gosling

1-6 credit(s), P/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Business and Corporate Law (JD), Children's Rights (JD), Civil Litigation (JD), Criminal Litigation (JD), Employment and Labor Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (JD), Health Law (JD), Intellectual Property (JD), International Law (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), LLM in Taxation (LLMT), Criminal Law (LLMG), Employment and Labor Law (LLMG), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMG), Intellectual Property Law (LLMG), LLM in International Law (LLMI), Business and Corporate Law (MSLS), Criminal Law (MSLS), Environmental and Energy Law (MSLS), Intellectual Property Law (MSLS), International Law (MSLS), Taxation (MSLS)

The Agency Externship program gives students the opportunity to gain academic credit for work in an approved government agency or non-profit organization  during the fall, spring, or summer semesters. (Note: this program applies only to government and nonprofit law office work; students who wish to receive academic credit for work at a private law firm should apply for the Law Firm Externship program.) All placements are subject to approval by the professor, and students must receive approval before enrolling in the course. Students may earn 1-6 units of credit for work performed between the start of classes and the last day of final exams; work performed outside this time period does not count towards academic credit requirements. 

Academic requirements include: mandatory orientation, time logs, reflection papers, and a satisfactory evaluation by the on-site supervisor. Academic requirements may be changed at the discretion of the professor. The externship is graded on a pass/fail basis. 

If you have been offered and have accepted a qualifying position, agree to meet the course obligations, and want to register for the course, fill out the Field Placement Form here. After you submit the form, the Law Careers office will review it and send you an email with directions on how to enroll. If you have any questions, read the FAQs available at the link to the form. If the FAQs do not answer your questions, contact the Law Careers office at lawcareers@sandiego.edu. 

Note:

There are limitations on JD concentration eligibility. Please check the JD concentrations web pages for more information. Contact Law Student Affairs to find out if your work in this externship qualifies for the concentration.

Animal Law (LWGC510)

Instructor(s): Laurence Claus

3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Requirement(s): Writing

Animal Law is a study of the range of ways that law affects and protects animals. We will explore how animal issues are addressed across major law subjects including criminal law, contracts, torts, property, wills and trusts, and through statutory regulation about animal welfare and protecting endangered species. We will also consider the ethical debates about using animals for experimentation and food. In addition to reading the materials and participating in class discussions, students will each choose an animal and write a research paper about one or more legal issues relating to that animal. They will receive detailed feedback on their draft papers and will have an opportunity to present their findings to the class. They will be graded solely on their final paper.

Appellate Clinic (LWVL501)

Instructor(s): Michael Devitt, David Schlesinger

2 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Civil Litigation (JD)
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure , Evidence or concurrent enrollment, Professional Responsibility or concurrently, Crim Pro I or concurrent enrollment

The Appellate Clinic is a semester-long clinic opportunity in which teams of students will enjoy the hands-on experience of litigating from start to finish an appeal before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. During the fall semester, students take Appellate Clinic I and will write an opening brief. Students who choose to continue,  take Appellate Clinic II in the spring semester. Students will write a reply brief and participate in oral argument. Additional periodic classroom sessions held throughout the academic year will focus upon appellate procedure and persuasive written and oral advocacy. From time to time, class sessions will feature guest speakers such as judges and local practicing attorneys. The Appellate Clinic is open only to third and fourth year law students; and students must have completed or take concurrently with the Appellate Clinic the following courses: Civil Procedure, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, and Criminal Procedure.

Note: There are limitations on JD concentration eligibility. Please check the Civil Litigation Concentration web page for more information.
Additional Information: Civil Litigation Concentration

Artificial Intelligence and the Law (LWIP506)

Instructor(s): Benjamin Lu

3 credit(s), Letter Graded
Requirement(s): Writing
Concentration(s): Intellectual Property (JD), Intellectual Property (LLMUS), Intellectual Property Law (LLMG), Intellectual Property Law (MSLS)

This course studies the different ways that the development and deployment of artificial intelligence (“AI”) and related algorithmic systems challenge, or may eventually challenge, a range of legal doctrines and policies. Examples include the application of anti-discrimination law to algorithmic decision-making systems in employment; the scope of tort liability for harms arising from autonomous machines and other AI products; the extent of intellectual property rights over content that is used to train or that is produced by generative AI models; and the limitations that due process imposes on the government’s use of algorithmic decision-making systems in policing, administrative adjudications, and other functions. This course also studies recent proposals and efforts to regulate this class of technologies, both in the United States and in other jurisdictions.