Spring 2027 Class Descriptions
Biotechnology Law (LWIP510)
Instructor(s): Staff
2 credit(s), Letter Graded
As one of the fastest growing industries in California (and throughout the world), biotechnology offers increasing opportunities for attorneys who can serve the broad and complex legal needs of companies developing biotech products. Developing these products, especially drugs and biologics, involves significant risks, long lead times, and typically many rounds and types of financing, including funding development through collaborations and strategic partnerships. Global intellectual property protection is also essential; biotech patents can be excessively expansive and must be pursued strategically. Biotech companies face many critical and complex regulatory hurdles to comply with a broad array of U.S. and international rules, obtain marketing approval, and satisfy governmental reimbursement and pricing requiremens. We will be reviewing these issues, risks and challenges topically, looking at case studies of notable biotech companies (including Genentech and Theranos) and inviting leading industry executives and legal practitioners to share their insights.
In addition to reading the assigned materials and participating in class discussion, each student will be required to write a substantial final paper on an approved topic related to biotechnology and the law. There will also be one or two shorter written assignments based on the readings.
Business Planning (LWBC520)
Instructor(s): Dennis Doucette
2 credit(s), Letter Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential OR Writing
Concentration(s): Business and Corporate Law (JD), LLM in Business and Corporate Law (LLMB), Business and Corporate Law (LLMUS), Business and Corporate Law (MSLS)
Prerequisite(s): Tax I, Corporations
This seminar combines advance work in Corporations, Federal and State Securities laws, and Federal Taxation in the context of business planning and counseling. The course is based upon a series of problems involving common business transactions which present corporate securities law and tax issues for analysis, and resolution. The problems cover such topics as factors in the decision to incorporate; the formation of partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations, both closely held and publicly owned; securities law considerations in raising capital; corporate distributions; the sale and purchase of businesses; mergers and other forms of acquisition; and recapitalization, division, and dissolution of corporations.
This course may fulfill either the Experiential OR Upper Division Writing requirement. Students will be asked in class at the beginning of the semester to elect which requirement they would like this course to fulfill. The student's election is final.