Course Schedules
Past Two Years
| Course | Credit | Course Description | Course Area | |
Fall 2007 |
6359 Regulated Industries |
3 |
The Antitrust and Regulated Industries courses examine two different legal approaches for controlling private economic power--the antitrust laws, which are designed to establish and maintain competitive markets, and regulatory statutes, which establish government agencies to supervise entry, rates, and service. These two approaches are examined in a way that focuses on the theoretical and practical difficulties of each approach. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2007 |
5440 Trusts & Wills |
4 |
Trusts and Wills Robert C. Palmer Fall 2007 |
Real Property, Trusts and Estates |
Fall 2007 |
7223 SEM: Regulation of Health Care Professionals |
2 |
This course explores the regulatory environment affecting physicians and other health care professionals, including licensing, staff privileges, and peer review. |
Health Law |
Fall 2007 |
7324 SEM: Criminal Procedure |
3 |
Please be advised that there may be makeup clases and no computers are permitted in the classroom. There are lateness and attendance rules. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2007 |
7204 SEM: Consumer Law |
2 |
The following topics will be covered in the class component of this course: |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2007 |
6233 Advanced Torts |
2 |
|
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2007 |
6360 Criminal Procedure II |
3 |
There are no prerequisites for this course, including Crim Pro I. Crim Pro I and Crim Pro II are not sequential courses. This course will cover myriad constitutional issues of criminal procedure relating to each stage of a criminal prosecution. Unlike Criminal Procedure I, which primarily focuses on search-and-seizure issues under the Fourth Amendment and confession issues under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments, Criminal Procedure II is concerned with "bail to jail," including the right to counsel, bail, preliminary hearings, prosecutorial and police misconduct, the prosecution's burden of proof, the Confrontation Clause, the Compulsory Process Clause, double jeopardy, sentencing issues (capital and non-capital), and appeals. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2007 |
6342 Death Penalty Law |
3 |
|
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2007 |
6336 International Environmental Law |
3 |
|
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2007 |
5378 Introduction to European Law |
3 |
|
International Law (Including Admiralty) |
Spring 2007 |
5475 Child Dependency Clinic I. (Juvenile Advocacy) |
4 |
|
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Spring 2007 |
5430 Criminal Defense Clinic-Juvenile I (Juvenile Advocacy) |
4 |
|
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Spring 2007 |
5403 Law Center Clinic I (Civil Clinic) |
4 |
|
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Spring 2007 |
5264 Business Torts |
2 |
In most first-year courses on torts, the class focuses upon torts that primarily cause personal injury and/or property damage. Tort law, however, extends well beyond these contexts. Indeed, this course will cover torts that typically cause pure economic harm -- i.e., harms to the pocketbook, rather than harms to the person or property. The course will emphasize the operation of various business torts and will examine the torts' applicability to particular business or economic settings. We will cover fraud, negligent misrepresentation, intentional interference with existing contract, intentional interference with prospective contract, insurance torts, and contort issues. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2007 |
7384 SEM: Criminal Sentencing |
3 |
|
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2007 |
7211 SEM: Environmental Law Land Use |
2 |
|
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2007 |
6348 Texas Criminal Procedure |
3 |
Procedural issues arising in Texas criminal practice are explored with emphasis placed on the Code of Criminal Procedure and case law interpretation of its provisions. Where applicable, a comparative approach is utilized to introduce the student to the Code's federal counterparts in an effort to compare and contrast the two regimes. Practical and strategic considerations are discussed from the perspective of both the prosecutor and defense counsel. This course is considered by the instructor to be an advanced class and is aimed at introducing future criminal law practitioners to the reality of the criminal justice system in the State of Texas. A solid background in evidence, criminal procedure, and constitutional law is highly recommended. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2007 |
7217 SEM: Law & Religion |
2 |
This course examines the law's treatment of religion. In addition to analysis of the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment, the course examines conscientious objection, tort liability for churches, employment discrimination, and religion and politics, as well as some comparative materials on the international protection of religious freedom. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2007 |
5258 Food & Drug Law |
2 |
|
Health Law |
Spring 2007 |
6369 ADR |
3 |
|
Procedure and Practice |
Spring 2007 |
7212 SEM: Law & Theology |
2 |
|
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2007 |
5341 Disabilities & the Law |
3 |
|
Health Law |
Spring 2007 |
5282 Advanced Legal Research |
2 |
Thorough understanding of federal & state (Texas) positive law as sources, repositories, recorders & indexers of binding law: Constitutions, Statutes, Regulations & Case law, and extensive review; |
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Spring 2007 |
5314 Federal Pre-Trial Procedure |
3 |
|
Procedure and Practice |
Fall 2008 |
5369 Insurance Law |
3 |
Examines the regulation of insurance contracts and insurance companies, including underwriting regulation, doctrines of contract interpretation, claims-processing regulation, solvency regulation and special remedies for breach. The course covers both the property/casualty and life/health "sides" of the insurance industry with an emphasis on policy issues and economics. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2008 |
7338 SEM: Women & Health Law |
3 |
Gender issues arise in many health care contexts, including reproductive rights, clinical research, disability law, confidentiality and informed consent, domestic violence, insurance coverage, and criminal law. By examining selected legal topics involving women and health care, this seminar will provide an opportunity for students to examine the gender implications of the current U.S. health care system. |
Health Law |
Fall 2008 |
5312 First Amendment |
3 |
The First Amendment course covers concepts and policy relating to the rights protected by the free speech clause, the establishment clause, and the free exercise of religion clause of the First Amendment. In the free speech area, the course covers the categories of unprotected speech, protected speech, and speech that falls between those two categories. The course explores cases involving governmental regulations that are content selective and those that are content neutral both in relation to speech that occurs in traditional public fora and nontraditional public fora. In the area of religion, the course explores the extent to which government is obligated to accommodate free exercise concerns and the extent to which such accommodations would themselves constitute a prohibited establishment of religion. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2008 |
5324 International Trade |
3 |
This course will introduce students to regulation of trade in goods and services between nations (with an emphasis on trade in goods), with an emphasis on the regime administered by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and implemented by national trade laws. The subjects to be covered will include: Trade and Economic Policy;. The Making and Impact of Trade Agreements in National Legal Systems; The WTO - History and Structure; WTO Dispute Settlement; Tariffs;. Non-Tariff Barriers; National Treatment - Internal Taxation and Other Regulation; Most-Favored-Nation Treatment; Regional Trade Agreements (NAFTA, etc.); General Exceptions to Member Obligations; Trade and the Environment;. Subsidies and Countervailing Measures; Dumping and Anti-Dumping; Safeguards; Regulating Health versus Trade Protectionism (SPS Agreement); Technical Barriers to Trade;. Trade in Services; and other issues. |
International Law (Including Admiralty) |
Fall 2008 |
5306 Law & Economics |
3 |
|
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2008 |
5333 Franchise & Distribution |
3 |
This course surveys the history and development of franchising and the laws relating to franchise relationships, with particular attention to the franchise laws affecting the distribution of motor fuels. The course will cover a broad range of legal issues and topics involved in franchise and product distribution, including franchise regulation, disclosure, and registration, types of franchises, antitrust, unfair competition, trademarks, pricing, advertising, premises liability, and contract law. The statutes examined will include federal and state laws and regulations, including the federal Petroleum Marketing Practices Act and the FTC Franchise Disclosure Rule. In addition, foreign and international franchise will be discussed. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2008 |
5261 Real Estate Tax |
2 |
|
Taxation |
Fall 2008 |
6374 Maritime Cargo, & Collision |
3 |
|
International Law (Including Admiralty) |
Fall 2008 |
7208 SEM: Public Health Law |
2 |
This seminar examines public health law and regulation and the tension between public health activities, civil liberties, property rights, and other significant interests. Topics covered include vaccination, quarantine, bioterrorism, and disease surveillance. |
Health Law |
Spring 2008 |
5307 Interagency Env'l Cooperation |
3 |
Interagency Environmental Cooperation is a class that examines and solves real problems that agencies and the public have in coordinating on environmental issues. We will hear from agency representatives at the federal, state, and possibly local level. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2008 |
5200 Depositions |
2 |
The Deposition Workshop has taken the highly successful National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) Deposition Program and transposed it to a law school setting. Over a period of four days students progress through a series of workshops in which they take and defend depositions and receive critiques on how they can improve their performances. The workshops are interspersed with lectures and demonstrations of different deposition techniques. |
Advocacy - Simulation |
Spring 2008 |
5310 White Collar Crime |
3 |
White Collar Crime is non-violent, economically motivated conduct that occurs in the course of work, or business operations. Focussing on federal crimes, the course includes traditional offenses, such as fraud and bribery; regulatory offenses, such as environmental crime, and new offenses that involve thefts of information and intellectual property. Students also analyze issues raised by white collor crime, such as federalization, prosecutorial discretion, and vicarious liability. The course is recommended to students who plan to represent business clients and to those who plan careers in criminal law. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2008 |
7214 SEM: Bankruptcy |
2 |
The seminar will provide an overview of the Chapter 11 process, emphasizing current legal and practical issues . Students will be required to read current case law and provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and actively participate in weekly discussions. A seminar paper is required. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2008 |
6382 History of Globalization: The Case of Oil |
3 |
|
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2008 |
7209 Taxation of Financial Instruments |
2 |
|
Taxation |
Spring 2008 |
6234 Law, Ethics, & Brain Policy |
2 |
Focuses on legal and ethical issues related to birth and brain development, brain injury, disorders of consciousness such as vegetative and minimally conscious states, and brain disease, treatment and research, including the impact of brain injury and disease on competency and criminal responsibility; the legal regulation of brain treatments such as psychosurgery, electroconvulsive therapy, and deep brain stimulation. |
Health Law |
Spring 2008 |
6320 Supreme Court Term |
3 |
|
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2009 |
6331 Health Law Survey: Access, Regulation, & Enterprise (Health Law II) |
3 |
(Formerly Health Law II) |
Health Law |
Fall 2009 |
6372 Analytic Methods |
3 |
This course will develop students’ skills in analytic methods likely to be used in the practice of law. The skills emphasized will be (1) statistics, which is often useful in analyzing data and examining expert witnesses; (2) decision analysis, often used both by business people and useful to lawyers making strategic decisions; (3) finance, frequently used in transactional law as well as litigation; (4) game theory, critical in analyzing situations in which you are up against an adversary; and (5) economic analysis of law, useful in creating mechanisms likely to lead to desired behavior as well as analysis of regulations. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
5235 Legal Research, & Writing (C-4) |
2 |
Course Description for the Legal Research and Writing Department for the first semester. Required First Year Course: All first year students will take one full year of Legal Research and Writing, two credits for each semester. Class size will be 20 or under. In this first semester , a variety of teaching strategies will be used: lectures, guest lectures, interactive exercises, student presentations, library work, computer work, demonstrations, one-on-one student conferences, and both individual and small group work. Legal Research, Analysis, and Predictive Writing is the required fall semester of LRW. During this semester, the emphasis will be on legal analysis and problem solving, introduction to legal research, and objective writing. The following specific skills are the focus: 1) researching, reading, and analyzing cases, other primary sources of law, and some secondary sources; 2) deriving and synthesizing rules of law; 3) assessing facts, applying legal rules to them, and analyzing outcomes; 4) statutory interpretation; 5) citation; and 6) producing and revising analyses in writing in seven to ten writings of various length and complexity. |
1st Year - Section C |
Fall 2009 |
6322 Health Law Survey: Bioethics & Quality of Care (Health Law I.) |
3 |
This introductory health law course focuses on bioethics and the mechanisms for assuring quality of health care. Topics may include death and dying, reproductive rights and emerging technologies, organ donation and transplantation, medical research, informed consent, formation and termination of medical treatment relationships, medical confidentiality, and an introduction to public health law. The course also surveys major mechanisms which seek to ensure the quality of health care, such as medical malpractice, accreditation, and professional licensure. |
Health Law |
Fall 2009 |
7213 SEM: Legal Aspects of Bioethics |
2 |
Examines the legal, ethical, and policy aspects of current controversies in bioethics. Topics include privacy and confidentiality, terminal care decisions, patient's rights to refuse treatment, organ donation and transplantation, and experimentation involving human subjects. |
Health Law |
Fall 2009 |
5319 Introduction to American Law |
3 |
An introduction to U.S. law and the U.S. legal system for foreign lawyers. |
International Law (Including Admiralty) |
Fall 2009 |
7360 Case Studies in International Finance |
3 |
|
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
6302 International Contracting |
3 |
International Contracting is a simulation course in which the students negotiate international business deals and draft the documents necessary to make them work. Students will work in teams of two, negotiating with another team of two and then working together to produce the necessary agreements. There is one preliminary problem, counting ten percent of the grade and two more complex problems, each counting forty-five percent. Foreign lawyers in the LL. M. program are welcomed in the course and add their distinct cultural and legal points of view. The course is taught by Harry Lawson, formerly mergers and acquisitions counsel to an international conglomerate and several guest speakers to discuss areas of their own expertise. The course is for three credits and meets twice a week. Students do most of their work on the problems in meetings outside the classroom. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
5409 Contracts |
4 |
|
1st Year - Section C |
Fall 2009 |
6219 U.S. Import Regulation |
2 |
|
International Law (Including Admiralty) |
Fall 2009 |
7297 SEM: Litigation in America |
2 |
Litigation in America Seminar covers topics of current interest in how legal disputes are resolved under our legal system. Possible topics to be covered are the “vanishing jury trial,” racial and gender bias in jury selection, jury nullification, reliability of expert testimony, discovery costs, e-discovery, ethical constraints on litigant behavior, the hearsay rule, and improving jury comprehension. |
Advocacy - Simulation |
Fall 2009 |
5231 Anti-Corruption Law & Development |
2 |
It has been said that if you want to find a country rich in oil, look at the countries at the bottom of Transparency International’s corruption index. Economists have labeled this paradox -- countries that are resource-rich, and yet among the word’s poorest and most corrupt -- the “resource curse.” Largely due to work by economists, corruption has been increasingly (though not uniformly) recognized as one of the most critical problems in development and has been linked to slower economic growth. Corruption in the developing world, however, has also been recognized as a threat to developed countries. Such corruption affects the United States on issues including energy security (as more oil comes from the developing world, including West and Central Africa), counterterrorism (as corruption breeds failed states, which in turn breed or harbor terrorists), and impacts our more humanistic goals of reducing poverty and resource-fueled conflicts. Recognition of the links between corruption and poverty, and between Northern security and Southern development, has energized legal efforts to promote stable governments through international anti-corruption measures and development of rule of law, and through the more robust enforcement of existing anti-corruption laws in the developed world. Using the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (2005) as a roadmap, this course will look at anti-corruption efforts, with a focus on the energy industry and developing states afflicted with the “resource curse.” We will begin by addressing the fundamentals: What is corruption? Is there a globally acceptable definition, or is any definition subject to cultural and domestic legal norms? Using U.S. laws and cases, we will examine the criminal law tools available to fight corruption, including domestic bribery and related statutes, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, anti-money laundering statutes, and related law enforcement investigative techniques, with the goal of discussing how and whether these enforcement experiences and measures can be successfully used as models in developing states. Using recent cases, including FCPA, UN Oil-for-food, and Iraqi examples, we will look how corruption occurs in the energy sector with a view towards understanding systemic vulnerabilities. Turning to preventative measures, we will look at legal and institutional models contained in the UN Convention, as well as novel prevention efforts such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, “oil laws,” and World Bank initiatives such as the Chad-Cameroon pipeline project. Requirements: Class presentation of case study (30%); exam (70%). Susan Strawn was the U.S. Department of Treasury Resident Advisor for Financial Crimes for West Africa, based in Dakar, Senegal from 2004-06. From 2003-04, she was Deputy Head of the Sensitive Information and Operations Unit of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo’s Department of Justice, and from 2002-03, she served as the Resident Legal Advisor for the U.S. Department of Justice in Pristina, Kosovo. From 1990-2004, she was a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2009 |
6339 Arbitration |
3 |
A course that is designed to give the student an understanding of the arbitration decision making process as applied in a work and commercial environment. Both a case study and a hands-on approach is taken as a means of acquainting the student with the non-judicial resolution of issues that are common to all forms of arbitration. Transcripts, exhibits and other materials taken from actual arbitration cases are supplied in order to assist the student in the understanding, preparation, and presentation of arbitral and non arbitral issues. |
Procedure and Practice |
Fall 2009 |
5330 Antitrust |
3 |
The Antitrust and Regulated Industries courses examine two different legal approaches for controlling private economic power--the antitrust laws, which are designed to establish and maintain competitive markets, and regulatory statutes, which establish government agencies to supervise entry, rates, and service. These two approaches are examined in a way that focuses on the theoretical and practical difficulties of each approach. In Antitrust, the Sherman and Clayton Acts are studied. Topics include monopolization, mergers, agreements among competitors (such as price fixing and market allocation), and distribution agreements (such as tying and exclusive dealing). Discussion will consider whether these statutes seek only to advance economic efficiency, or are intended to achieve broader political or social goals; and will also consider whether the case law does (or can) advance any of these goals. There are no prerequisites for either course. Both courses use materials that are the foundation of casebooks in revision, namely Free Enterprise and Economic Organization: Antitrust and Free Enterprise and Economic Organization: Antitrust by Flynn, First, and Bush. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
6315 Entrepreneurship |
3 |
This course examines entrepreneurship and specifically discusses the challenges and strategies one faces becoming a successful entrepreneur. Whether opening a law practice or starting a new business or commercializing a new technology we will examine and discuss issues such as raising capital, competitive strategies & responses, and related topics. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
6304 American Indian Law |
3 |
This 3-credit course explores the principles, doctrines, and texts governing the legal relations between the United States and Indian tribes, the history of federal Indian law and policy, tribal property, treaty rights and sovereignty, congressional plenary power, the trust doctrine, jurisdiction in Indian country, and tribal government. Topics specifically examined in the course include tribal lawmaking powers, gaming and economic development in Indian country, protection of Indian religious rights and cultural property, water rights, fishing, hunting and other treaty-based rights. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2009 |
5390 Environmental Law |
3 |
|
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2009 |
5365 Bankruptcy |
3 |
In recent years, large numbers of both businesses and individuals have filed bankruptcy. The course emphasizes the effect that bankruptcy can have on on-going transactions. Bothe the real-world advantages to debtors of filing bankruptcy and way in which transactions can be "bankruptcy proofed" are discussed. The 2005 Bankruptcy Code Amendments are emphasized. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
7327 SEM: Advanced Topics in Copyright Law |
3 |
Discussions, preparation of two drafts of paper, presentations of papers, final paper. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2009 |
5318 Landlord & Tenant |
3 |
A study of the legal rights of parties to commercial and residential leasing agreements. |
Real Property, Trusts and Estates |
Fall 2009 |
6347 Secured Financing |
3 |
When a debtor runs into financial trouble, the likelihood of a particular creditor getting repaid in whole or in part will often depend on whether the creditor lent on a secured or unsecured basis. Compared to an unsecured creditor, a secured creditor possesses vastly superior legal rights in the collection and enforcement of debts. This course will address the "elevated" legal rights of the secured creditor by focusing upon Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (the "UCC") -- the law of secured financing. We will discuss the rights and remedies of the secured creditor and the unsecured creditor under state law, and we will also address the effect of bankruptcy upon these rights and remedies (no prior knowledge of bankruptcy is required). The course is taught from a problem-solving approach; thus, the classes will focus upon discussing and analyzing real-world legal problems. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
6361 Property Crime in the Information Age |
3 |
"Property Crime in the Information Age” melds two independent fields, criminal law and the law of information and intellectual property. This new area of the law has evolved to protect information products from unauthorized use that is facilitated by the internet and digitization. The main focus is on federal criminal laws: trade secret theft, criminal copyright infringement, business information frauds, and identity theft, among other crimes. Policy issues, such as the relation between civil and criminal law, are examined throughout. There is no prerequisite. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2009 |
5343 Employment Law |
3 |
This course provides an overview of employment in non-unionized, private sector workplaces by examining common law doctrines and statutes that regulate the employment relationship. Specific topics include employment at will, wrongful discharge, breach of contract, discrimination, privacy, wages and hours, workplace injury, post-employment issues, and arbitration. |
Employment and Labor Law |
Fall 2009 |
5389 Immigration Law |
3 |
This course will address the fundamental issues of who gets to become a United States citizen, who we will let into the country and under what conditions, and who decides? We will review the underlying assumptions of citizenship and its various dimensions: entry for family and employment purposes, refugee and asylum issues, and international and comparative law fundamentals. |
International Law (Including Admiralty) |
Fall 2009 |
7325 SEM: Civil Rights/Section 1983 |
3 |
Description: Should a city be liable for money damages because of the widespread "custom" of police officers using a throw-down gun to cover up questionable police shootings? May a landowner who claims that his property has been "taken" by a land-use regulation recover damages for the time before it is finally determined that the regulation constitutes a "taking" of the property? Can an architect in a city planning department recover for a retaliatory job transfer which violated his constitutional (First Amendment) rights? Can a prisoner bring suit to challenge medical care that was so inadequate that it demonstrated "deliberate indifference" to her medical needs? These are just some of the issues that have been litigated using a Reconstruction-era civil rights statute, 42 U.S.C. §1983. In 1871 Congress created a civil right of action for deprivations, inflicted under color of state law, of rights secured by the Constitution or laws of the United States. The remedy languished for nearly one hundred years until it was resuscitated in 1961. Modern civil rights statutes have supplemented §1983 since the 1960s. The Reconstruction statute, along with the analagous Bivens action against federal government officials, nonetheless has such an enormous impact on the federal docket today that it has been criticized for unleashing a "flood" of litigation. In order to litigate these and other "constitutional tort" issues, lawyers need to be familiar with a complex body of law including the standards for substantive violations of constitutional law, but also issues such as municipal liability and immunity; official immunities; Eleventh Amendment immunity; damages and fees; abstention and exhaustion. This course is recommended for anyone with an interest in representing governments and government officials, or any client that might sue the government (citizen, landowner, employee, or inmate). It is also just plain fun. This is a seminar which will involve assigned reading but will primarily be organized around class presentation of papers. The written paper will satisfy the writing requirement. The grade will be based upon the paper, the oral presentation, and classroom participation. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2009 |
5370 International Law |
3 |
The course will address the nature, sources and evidences of international law; incorporation of international law into U.S. legal processes (including direct and indirect incorporation and incorporation by reference for civil and criminal sanctions; limitations on and enhancement of congressional and executive power; international agreements and customary law in U.S. legal processes; litigation of human rights; conflicts with federal statutes; and supremacy); jurisdiction under international law (both prescriptive and enforcement); foreign sovereign immunity, the act of state doctrine, and nonimmunity; and current events implicating international law. |
International Law (Including Admiralty) |
Fall 2009 |
7334 SEM: International Law & Use of Force |
3 |
The seminar will focus on international legal issues relating to the use of armed force, including attention to various permissible uses of force and criminal responsibility for use of illegal force; U.S. constitutional issues concerning decisions to use armed force abroad; terrorism; permissible detention of individuals under international law; interrogation tactics, and relevant war crimes and individual responsibility. A paper is required. |
International Law (Including Admiralty) |
Fall 2009 |
5406 Procedure |
4 |
|
1st Year - Section B |
Fall 2009 |
6334 Accounting & Finance for Lawyers |
3 |
The course teaches the basics every lawyer should know about accounting and finance in order to communicate, negotiate, and counsel effectively regarding business matters: the accounting process; the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow; financial statement analysis; auditing; time value of money; interest; credit; securities; risk; valuation; derivatives; financial decision rules; and financial markets and regulation. The course presumes no prior knowledge of accounting or finance. Exercises and brief business case studies will be assigned to develop comfort with calculations and concepts. No special mathematical knowledge is required, just basic arithmetic and algebra. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
5459 Federal Income Tax |
4 |
At most law schools the basic Federal Income Tax course is taken by almost all students. Federal Income Tax, although not a required subject at the University of Houston Law Center, is a "core course." It is one of the "building blocks" for the business law and commercial transactions courses, in addition to the advanced taxation courses. Further, the subject of Federal Income Tax is also on the Texas Bar Examination. This course as taught by the UH Law Center tax professors is not oriented to tax accounting and tax return preparation. Rather, this course addresses such important, fundamental federal tax questions as: (i) what is the definition of income? (ii) when is income to be taxed? (iii) to whom is the income taxed? (iv) what deductions are available in offsetting gross income? and, (v) what is the tax characterization of income? These questions raise such critical issues as: How are tort recoveries to be treated for income tax purposes by the personal injury plaintiff? How are the parties to a divorce property settlement treated for income tax purposes when receiving alimony and property? What are the federal income tax results on the purchase or sale of a business or of a personal residence? The objective of the federal income tax course is to enable students to be able to recognize income tax problems when they arise and to identify tax planning options for dealing with these issues. Clients demand that their attorneys be able to answer at least the basic tax questions and to know enough to refer other more complicated questions to a tax specialist. The four hour course will permit examining many of these questions in substantial depth. |
Taxation |
Fall 2009 |
5201 Intellectual Property Survey |
2 |
This course covers domestic intellectual property laws - patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret - through statues and cases. It is designed to afford the student who intends to practice in other areas an acquaintance with key IP issues, principles and doctrine, and to provide the intellectual property and information law specialist an introduction to the overall subject. The course will provide roughly equal treatment of patent, copyright and trademark law, approximately four weeks for each, with the remainder applied to the law of trade secrets, introduction, and/or review. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2009 |
6307 Sports Law |
3 |
This course will be a survey of sports law including contracts, torts, antitrust, labor law, intellectual property, agents, constitutional law, drug testing, women and sports, and ethics. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
5380 Labor Law |
3 |
This course will focus on the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, the principal law governing the relationship between private sector employer and labor unions. More specifically, the course examines the law of unionization and collective bargaining and the efficacy of federal regulation of employee efforts to collectively bargain with employers. |
Employment and Labor Law |
Fall 2009 |
5288 Tax Ethics |
2 |
An analysis of civil, disciplinary and professional rules that govern lawyers in their practice of tax law. |
Taxation |
Fall 2009 |
5259 State & Local Taxation |
2 |
This course is designed to introduce students to the field of state taxation. The course begins with a study of the Consitutional underpinnings governing the state's power to tax. We will explore the state's power to tax under the Due Process, Equal Prototection, and Commerce Clauses of the US Constitution and under similar provisions of state constitutions. The course then shifts and we will study various kinds of state taxes, namely, corporate and individual incomes taxes, sales/use taxes, ad valorem taxes, capital taxes, etc. We will also study state tax appeals systems. |
Taxation |
Fall 2009 |
5151 Tax Research |
1 |
This is a practical class, focused on finding the law and legal authorities relevant to taking and defending federal tax positions. There are weekly assignments, a midterm research project and a final research project. The class is open to all L.LM students in the tax program, and to J.D. students with the instructor's permission. |
Taxation |
Fall 2009 |
5292 Tax Procedure |
2 |
www.tjtaxlaw.com/uh-tpc.htm |
Taxation |
Fall 2009 |
5291 Partnership Tax |
2 |
Each class will follow the Table of Contents set forth in Fundamentals of Partnership Taxation. The first class will begin with Chapter 1, An Overview of the Taxation of Partnerships and Partners, and each successive class will pick-up where the prior class left off. I expect to cover an average of 25 pages per class so that students should stay approximately 30 pages ahead of the prior class for preparation purposes. |
Taxation |
Fall 2009 |
6333 International Intellectual Property |
3 |
This course covers international intellectual property ("IP") law from the following perspectives: (i) international public law, that is, the obligations that exist among sovereign countries and what systems of obligation exist for intellectual property protection; (ii) private international intellectual property law, that is, the acquisition and enforcement of intellectual property rights internationally, such as rights arising under a counties¿ patent law, copyright law, or trademark law; and, to a lesser degree (iii) comparative aspects of IP law among the major trading countries or regions of the world. The course is designed to afford the student who intends to practice in IP an acquaintance with key international IP issues, principles and policy questions. The course will impart understanding in these areas using materials such as treaties, cases and commentary, and will focus on the major international systems related to each substantive IP area. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2009 |
5317 Trademark & Unfair Competition |
3 |
Basics of trademark law and other facets of unfair competition law under federal and state law, such as right of publicity, product disparagement and deceptive trade practices, with an emphasis on identifying and defining issues and strategy and tactics in attempting to resolve issues. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2009 |
6205 Patent Prosecution |
2 |
The objectives of this course are to teach the mechanics of patent application drafting and prosecution, to consider strategies of patent drafting to provide broad patent scope, and to consider strategies of patent drafting and prosecution to obtain enforceable and defensible patent claims. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2009 |
5213 Digital Transactions |
2 |
The objectives of this course are to teach the substantive law of digital transactions and electronic commerce (with related intellectual property concepts) in a comprehensive manner, to consider ethical and professional questions related to the subject matter, and to integrate the subject matter with the analytical and practical skills necessary to the practice of law. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2009 |
6210 How to Reason |
2 |
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Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 2009 |
5320 Procedure II |
3 |
Procedure II is a course covering the procedural aspects of trying a case in a Texas state court, up to the time of trial. Topics covered include the investigation of a case; the preparation of a petition, the service of same, and the taking of a default judgment in the event of a defendant fails to answer; determining subject-matter jurisdiction, personal jurisdiction, and venue; defensive pleading standards; discovery practice, including sanctions for discovery abuse; and dilatory and dispositive motion practice. |
Procedure and Practice |
Fall 2009 |
5357 Evidence |
3 |
The rules evidence and reasons supporting them, state and federal, including relevancy, impeachment presumptions, judicial notice, competency of witnesses, privilege, and the hearsay rule and its exceptions. |
Procedure and Practice |
Fall 2009 |
5383 Family Law |
3 |
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Family Law |
Fall 2009 |
5305 Business Torts |
3 |
In most first-year courses on torts, the class focuses upon torts that primarily cause personal injury and/or property damage. Tort law, however, extends well beyond these contexts. Indeed, this course will cover torts that typically cause pure economic harm -- i.e., harms to the pocketbook, rather than harms to the person or property. The course will emphasize the operation of various business torts and will examine the torts' applicability to particular business or economic settings. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
6306 Personal & Professional Ethics |
3 |
Personal and Professional Ethics The overall goal of the course is to explore the causes of and possible cures for law student and lawyer distress. This is done through a series of readings and speakers that focus on such matters, including an expert on personality types, one or more psychologists who work extensively with law students and lawyers, and numerous practicing lawyers and judges. The overall methodology and philosophy of the course are set out at length in an article authored by the instructor. See 45 S.Tex. L. Rev. 753, 795-804, 809-813 (2004). The course will be graded pass-fail. It will require preparation of short reflective papers (1-2 typewritten pages) on topics growing out of class presentations and discussions, and the completion of evaluative instruments designed specifically for the course. Enrollment is limited to 60 students. |
Procedure and Practice |
Fall 2009 |
5335 Land Use |
3 |
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Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2009 |
6350 Admiralty, PI & Death |
3 |
The objectives of this course are to teach the substantive law of the subject matter in a manner which will provide a historical review of the law and present day status; to consider ethical and professional questions related to the subject matter, and to integrate the subject matter with the analytical and practical skills necessary to the practice of law in this area. |
International Law (Including Admiralty) |
Fall 2009 |
5347 Criminal Procedure: The Investigation Process |
3 |
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Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2009 |
5311 Products Liability |
3 |
The course is a general survey of the field of products liability. It examines various theories of recovery for injuries caused by product. The primary focus is on the special set of doctrines that are reflected in the Second Restatement of Torts and Third Restatement of Torts: Products Liability. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
5371 International Petroleum Transactions (formerly known as Int'l Energy Trans.) |
3 |
International Petroleum Transactions provides an overview of the laws, contracts, and legal issues that arise between host governments and oil companies that seek to invest in and develop oil and gas owned by the host governments. The course includes: ascertaining title to the minerals, especially in federalist countries or countries with indigenous tribes; resolving boundary disputes between nations; a comparison of the most commonly used granting contracts (licenses, production-sharing contracts and service contracts); issues arising under the international Joint Operating Agreement; sustainable development in resource development, including social impact assessment, human rights issues and litigation, and liability for transboundary pollution and oil spills; anti-corruption laws and codes; international arbitration; and other issues as time permits. The course also provides a good background to the future of the western majors in the global context of international energy. The class will have several guest lecturers who are leading practitioners in specialized areas of international petroleum transactions. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2009 |
5350 Criminal Procedure: The Adjudication Process |
3 |
This course focuses on the constitutional and procedural rules applicable in criminal prosecutions from arrest to sentencing/appeal. The course will cover the charging process (for both individuals and corporate entities), drafting Indictments, grand jury practice/secrecy, bail/detention, discovery (including Brady/Giglio), speedy trial issues, guilty pleas, trial practice/procedure, guideline sentencing/variances, and appeals. The course will also cover the DOJ policies applicable from charging to sentencing found in the United States Attorney’s Manual and other public materials. The course is designed to provide students with an understanding of criminal procedure and perspective on how the rules work in practice. This class is separate from Criminal Procedure: The Investigative Process – the two courses are not sequential in nature and neither course is a prerequisite for the other course. They may be taken separately or at the same time. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2009 |
5374 American Legal History |
3 |
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Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 2009 |
5285 Practice of Environmental Law |
2 |
Environmental Law is NOT a prerequisite for this class. While will discuss some of the major environmental statutes, it will only be as examples of the practical aspects we focus on. This class will concentrate on what environmental lawyers actually do on a daily basis. I will use examples and problems to illustrate several key practice contexts: - administrative rulemaking and permitting (both federal and Texas); - compliance counseling (interpretation of regulations, advising the client, audits, inspections and reporting); - enforcement (administrative, civil, criminal and citizen suits); - private litigation (causes of action, burden of proof, use of expert testimony); - business and real estate transactions (due diligence, corporate transactions, contaminated land liability) - ethics. There is no casebook, instead readings will be distributed each week. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2009 |
5344 Appellate Advocacy |
3 |
This course consists of three components: class presentations (lectures, discussions, videotapes); writing assignments; and oral arguments. |
Advocacy - Simulation |
Fall 2009 |
5268 Taxation of Sales & Exchanges |
2 |
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Taxation |
Fall 2009 |
6226 Advanced Oil & Gas Contracts |
2 |
Advanced Oil and Gas Contracts: This course is designed to familiarize students with some of the documents which are in common use in the domestic, on shore oil and gas industry, including oil and gas leases, operating agreements, farmout agreements and several other forms of agreements. The course will stress solutions, which are to be worked out by the students, for problems which are commonly presented to counsel representing oil and gas companies. Students will prepare and submit, on a weekly basis, drafts of documents or portions of documents, addressing particular issues. A course in oil and gas law is highly recommended as a foundation for this course. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2009 |
5392 International Business Transactions |
3 |
This course will consider key elements of contemporary transnational business law from the standpoint of a practicing attorney based in the U.S.A. It is designed to identify those elements and to suggest how they may be dealt with most effectively in structuring, negotiating and documenting transnational business transactions. In addition to relevant U.S. law, particular attention will be given to: (1) the World Trade Organization and related agreements, (2) the European Union, and (3) NAFTA and other U.S free trade agreements. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2009 |
5221 International Commercial Arbitration |
2 |
Winston Churchill said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the rest. For international commercial transactions, international arbitration is the worst form of dispute resolution, except for all the rest. Supported by an international treaty signed by more than 130 nations, international arbitration has become the prevailing method of resolving international commercial disputes. And international transactions have become increasingly common in the global economy¿the daily volume of international trade today across national borders exceeds the total volume of international trade through the end of the nineteenth century! This is a comprehensive course covering all stages of the international arbitral process, from the drafting of the arbitration clause to the enforcement of the arbitral award. It should be of value both to students who plan to develop a transactional practice as well as those planning to become trial lawyers. This will be a highly interactive course. In addition to relevant written material, the course will also feature videotaped scenes from mock arbitrations that the Institute for Transnational Arbitration generated at its Annual Arbitration Workshops. Consisting of mock scenarios, and performed by some of the world's leading international arbitrators and counsel, the videotapes vividly demonstrate the major phases of an international arbitration. Students will be assigned roles as counsel and as arbitrators and will either argue (in the case of counsel) or deliberate (in the case of arbitrators) various issues presented in the hypothetical scenarios. The course will begin with preliminary considerations bearing on the selection of the international arbitral process. The course will then address the five stages of the international arbitral process: Stage I. The making and enforcement of the arbitration agreement. Stage II. The selection and appointment of the arbitral tribunal. Stage III. Preliminary proceedings, including procedural orders and interim relief. Stage IV. The evidentiary hearing on the merits. Stage V. The making and enforcement of the arbitral award. Ben H. Sheppard, Jr. is a Distinguished Lecturer and Director of the A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center. Prior to his retirement, he was a partner at Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. in Houston, where he practiced from 1969-2005, and was co-chair of the firm's international dispute resolution practice. |
International Law (Including Admiralty) |
Spring 2009 |
5394 Legislation |
3 |
For most lawyers today, reading and interpreting statutes is among the most important parts of their job. This class will introduce you to the legislative process that creates those statutes and teach you the theories and doctrines of statutory interpretation used in the state and federal courts. The course is especially useful for litigators and those interested in working in and with legislatures. |
Procedure and Practice |
Spring 2009 |
5308 Federal Courts |
3 |
This course covers the jurisdiction of the federal courts and a number of other issues concerning the relationship of the federal and state courts. Specific topics to be covered include: congressional control over the jurisdiction of the federal courts; justiciability doctrines such as standing; enforcement of federal rights against state officials; federal question and diversity jurisdiction, including supplemental jurisdiction; federal common law; the 11th Amendment and sovereign immunity; abstention doctrines; and federal appellate jurisdiction, including United States Supreme Court review of state court judgments. |
Procedure and Practice |
Spring 2009 |
5345 Class Actions |
3 |
Class action is the most controversial of all procedural devices. After studying the technical issues (prerequisites, certification, notice, opt out, settlement, res judicata) and its specific applications (antitrust, security, discrimination, mass tort), we will be able to better understand the political and social implications behind class actions. The course also deals with non-class aggregation, like joinder, impleader, interpleader, intervention, consolidation, transfers, and bankruptcy. It is also a good review of Civil Procedure. |
Procedure and Practice |
Spring 2009 |
6357 Children's Rights |
3 |
This course looks at the status, rights and obligations of children in the United States, the representation of children in various types of cases including child welfare, foster care, and medical decision-making. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2009 |
5361 Women & the Law |
3 |
Description: From the history of protective labor legislation in the United States, to the constitutional law of privacy, to issues of equity in divorce, to employment law, "Women and the Law" is a course that explores the ways in which women have been treated as a special legal category. It considers the role of law in defining the relationship between men and women and the legal theories that seek to redefine the social significance of gender. This course is open to all students and is useful for anyone who has a special interest in gender-related legal issues. It also provides a more generally useful introduction to several different areas of law, such as Title VII employment law or family law. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2009 |
5230 Mergers & Acquisitions |
2 |
Mergers and Acquisitions: This course considers the economic and legal aspects of mergers and acquisitions. The course is roughly divided into three parts. The first part considers the problem of mergers and acquisitions through the lens of modern economic theory. This portion of the course addresses the value that business combinations create for society and asks why acquirers typically pay substantial premiums to purchase established companies. The second part of the course addresses the legal rules applicable to takeover defense and asks whether the law is a fair reflection of the economic conclusions drawn from the first part of the course. The third part of the course considers the federal securities laws applicable to mergers and acquisitions, principally Sections 13 and 14 of the Securities Exchange Act. Prerequisite: The students must have taken or be simultaneously taking Business Organizations. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2009 |
5362 Employment Discrimination |
3 |
This course focuses on employment discrimination law and theory, more specifically, on federal antidiscrimination statutes prohibiting discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability. |
Employment and Labor Law |
Spring 2009 |
6325 Internet Law (formerly known as Network Law) |
3 |
This course covers a survey of legal issues arising from the rapid growth of the internet and other on-line communications. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Spring 2009 |
5323 Conflicts of Law |
3 |
This course covers important subjects that a lawyer will confront in many types of domestic and international law practice. The course will deal with the rules applicable under domestic and international law governing the following subjects: choice of applicable law; jurisdiction to adjudicate (judicial jurisdiction); prescriptive jurisdiction (jurisdiction to legislate); enforcement of foreign judgments; and related topics. The course will deal with both domestic conflicts (state-to-state, state-federal), as well as international conflicts, and will deal with principles established according to case law, statutory law, constitutional law, and international law. While concentrating on case law and litigation, the course is useful for those who intend to pursue a career in litigation, as well as those who wish to pursue a sophisticated international business law practice. The grade in the course will be determined by performance on a final exam, primarily involving essay questions in a traditional law school format. |
Procedure and Practice |
Spring 2009 |
7304 SEM: Problems in International Trade & Investment |
3 |
This seminar will focus on subjects that come under the heading of international economic law, a broad term that covers all aspects of the legal relations between nations involving either private or public subjects. |
International Law (Including Admiralty) |
Spring 2009 |
7349 SEM: Constitutional Law |
3 |
The Seminar will focus on four controversial issues in the area of Constitutional Law: Gay Rights, Abortion and Related Gender Issues, Affirmative Action, and the Teaching of Creation Science. After an opening organizational session, my plan is to meet twice weekly for the first eight weeks of the seminar, devoting four seminar sessions to a spirited discussion of each of these issues. Each student will be required to write, on one of the above four topics, a term paper (40 typewritten pages exclusive of endnotes, double spaced, letter size) that meets the Law Center's writing requirement. Dates will be set for topic choice and for initial drafts, and the last four weeks of the seminar will be left free for completion of the term paper and for consultation with me. With respect to our discussion of each of the above topics, I will select "volunteers" who will help me in stimulating our discussion. The Supreme Court has spoken recently with respect to the above four topics, so we should have ample fodder for our discussions. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2009 |
7352 SEM: International Environmental Law |
3 |
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Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2009 |
6232 Legal Drafting |
2 |
Course Descriptions for the Legal Research and Writing Department I. Required First Year Course All first year students will take two semesters of Legal Research and Writing, two credits each semester. Class size will be 20 or under. In both semesters, a variety of teaching strategies will be used: lectures, guest lectures, interactive exercises, student presentations, library work, computer work, demonstrations, one-on-one student conferences, and both individual and small group work. a. Legal Research, Analysis, and Predictive Writing is the first required semester of LRW. During the first semester, the emphasis will be on legal analysis and problem solving, introduction to legal research, and objective writing. The following specific skills are the focus: 1) researching, reading, and analyzing cases, other primary sources of law, and some secondary sources; 2) deriving and synthesizing rules of law; 3) assessing facts, applying legal rules to them, and analyzing outcomes; 4) statutory interpretation; 5) citation; and 6) producing and revising analyses in writing in seven to ten writings of various length and complexity. b. Legal Research and Advocacy is the second semester of LRW. During the second semester the emphasis will be placed on 1) advanced analytical and problem solving skills (assessing facts, applying legal rules to them, and analyzing outcomes); 2) oral and written advocacy; 3) fundamentals of legal drafting and academic writing, with an emphasis on ethical considerations, particularly avoiding plagiarism; and 4) expanded research including use of legislative history and administrative regulations. The students will develop advanced skills in these areas by production and revision of five to seven writings of various complexity and length, as well as completion of increasingly complex research assignments throughout the semester. II. Advanced Legal Writing Advanced Legal Writing will be an upper level class intended to help students become more proficient, efficient, and effective at analyzing legal issues and composing and organizing written writings. The course content will build on concepts learned in the two required LRW semesters and will help students refine and further develop problem solving, factual investigation, and drafting skills. The goal of the course is to prepare students to undertake the writing tasks demanded of lawyers and expected by legal employers. The one-semester, two-credit course is available to second and third year students, and enrollment is capped at 25. This class provides opportunity for students to refine and develop a variety of skills needed to represent and advise clients competently and ethically. Advanced Legal Writing builds on and reinforces skills introduced and developed in the first two semesters of LRW: 1) close and critical reading of primary and secondary sources; 2) legal analysis and problem solving; 3) comprehensive legal research; and 4) clear, concise, precise, and accurate legal writing and oral communication. Students draft writings such as contracts, engage in problem solving, conduct factual investigations, and organize and manage legal work. To achieve the goals of the course, assignments will be created from the following categories: 1. researching, analyzing, and resolving complex legal issues; 2. drafting opinion and demand letters; 3. drafting attorney-client agreements, settlements, and other reflective writings; 4. drafting pleadings and motions; 5. conducting factual investigation in client interviews and in writing; 6. communicating orally in client interviews, motion hearings, and law firm meetings; 7. organizing and managing legal tasks; and 8. recognizing and resolving ethical issues. III. Academic Writing Academic Writing is designed to improve students’ abilities to recognize unresolved questions in the law as well as emerging patterns and trends in the development of legal principles, research legal and interdisciplinary topics, analyze legal issues, recognize and logically refute contrary views, assess ethical questions, and communicate their analyses and conclusions in clear, precise, and accurate writing. The one-semester, two-credit course will be available to second and third year students, and enrollment will be capped at 25. The course focus will be on foundation skills required to produce a scholarly piece, including 1) selecting a manageable claim worth writing about, 2) determining whether the selected topic will be of benefit and interest to the legal community, 3) insuring judiciously comprehensive treatment of the subject, and making reasoned decisions as to what to omit, 4) developing interdisciplinary perspectives if desirable, 5) insuring academic honesty with proper citations, 6) connecting to broader, parallel, or subsidiary issues, 7) organizing the paper into mutually exclusive but connected parts that flow logically from beginning to end, presenting the unresolved problems and solutions, 8) editing, proofreading, and rewriting with a critical eye, and 9) using citation to enhance the scholarly piece and attribute proper credit to contributing sources. To achieve the goals of the course, a variety of teaching strategies will be used: lectures, interactive exercises, library work, computer work, demonstrations, one-on-one student conferences, and both individual and small group work. Assignments will include research projects designed to help students identify and develop a topic, ethical questions that are resolved either in class discussions or in individual or small-group writings, several short topic-related writings that are faculty-critiqued in writing, peer evaluated, or assessed in individual student-faculty conferences, and a final paper. |
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Spring 2009 |
6373 Advanced Family Law (Family Law Practice) |
3 |
This course will be a practical and thorough review of Texas family law practice and procedure with an emphasis on issues that arise in the actual practice of family law. It will cover the division of property, a wide array of children's issues, temporary orders, discovery in a family law case, retirement plans, protective orders, trial skills, interviewing clients, setting and collecting attorney's fees, understanding mental health evaluations and the valuation of assets. |
Family Law |
Spring 2009 |
6327 Criminal Litigation |
3 |
Criminal Litigation will involve weekly oral advocacy exercises involving factual hypotheticals implicating the relevant substantive law principles. The exercises will require every student to play the role of either defense counsel or prosecutor. The hypotheticals will involve fully developed factual scenarios. No additional factual development will be required. The exercises seek to hone students' advocacy skills and, in particular, students' ability to marshal the relevant legal principles as applied to the factual hypotheticals. Students' grades will be based solely on the oral advocacy exercises. No paper or written exam will be required. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2009 |
5280 Modern Real Estate Transactions |
2 |
This is a "nuts & bolts", practical course that will consider a wide range of common real estate transactions and related matters. While some consumer transactions will be considered, the primary focus will be on commercial transactions. Matters to be considered will include broker listing agreements, commercial and residential sales contracts, various conveyancing documents, chain of title and basic concepts of document recordation, basic forms of real estate finance, deed of trusts, foreclosures, leases, title commitments and title policies, basic issues of oil and gas as they may impact real estate transaction, and mortgage loan issues, including construction lending. The course materials will be the Texas Property Code, real estate documents, and some textual materials. Very few cases will be studied. Course presentation will be primarily lecture, but there may be some limited class participation; students will be expected to review assigned documents and limited readings prior to class. The object of the course is to give the student a basic foundation of understanding of real estate practice in the real world. |
Real Property, Trusts and Estates |
Spring 2009 |
7224 SEM: Comparative Consumer Law |
2 |
This Seminar will exam various areas of American consumer law, and compare them to the law of other jurisdictions. Among the topics covered will be, debt collection, class action, false and deceptive practices, punitive damages, comparative damages, time-share sales, breach of warranty, arbitration and medication, and products liability. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2009 |
5265 Income Taxation of Trusts & Estates |
2 |
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Taxation |
Spring 2009 |
5293 Tax Fraud & Money Laundering |
2 |
This course introduces the student to both the substance and procedure of criminal investigations and prosecutions of federal tax crimes. The most commonly charged federal tax crimes such as tax evasion, tax perjury, aiding and assisting, etc., are covered, together with an introduction to the other crimes that often accompany tax crimes, such as Title 18 crimes for aiding and abetting, conspiracy, wire and mail fraud, and false statements. Finally, the course introduces crimes related to currency reporting and money laundering which often have tax components and in which the IRS plays a significant enforcement role. In the latter regard, the course will cover recent initiatives by the IRS to refocus its criminal investigations toward more on traditional tax crimes. In addition to introducing the student to these various crimes, the course covers related matters, including significantly the United States Sentencing Guidelines, forfeiture, statutes of limitations, civil tax considerations, investigation techniques and procedures (including the roles of the IRS's Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Justice Tax Division and the grand jury), international evidence gathering techniques (such as treaties and letters rogatory), privileges (including the Fifth Amendment privilege and the attorney-client privilege), and methods of proof in tax investigations (direct methods and indirect methods, such as net worth). |
Taxation |
Spring 2009 |
5497 Criminal Practice Clinic |
4 |
Students in the Criminal Practice Clinic work at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and handle the prosecution of a variety of misdemeanor level criminal cases, with some opportunities for felony case work. Typical cases include possession of marijuana, intimidation by telephone, physical assault, indecent exposure, trespass, theft, receiving stolen property, theft by deception, joyriding, disturbing the peace, and misdemeanor child abuse. An effort is made to provide students with a variety of practice experiences. The insight and experience is valuable to any individual interested in criminal law, whether on the prosecution or defense side. Students are supervised by Assistant District Attorneys in the District Attorney’s Office. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Summer III 2009 |
5470 Innocence Investigations |
4 |
This course explores the substantive law, investigative techniques, and post-conviction appellate remedies applicable in capital (death penalty) and non-capital cases. Lectures will cover topics such as: Texas criminal statutes, state/federal habeas law, clemency proceedings, investigative techniques, and capital trial strategy. In addition to attending lectures, students work on actual cases. For non-capital cases, students investigate inmates’ claims of actual innocence and assist attorneys in providing post-conviction legal assistance once those claims are verified. For capital cases, students investigate claims related to the guilt-innocence and punishment phases of capital murder trials and assist attorneys in investigating and researching legal claims. |
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Summer IV 2009 |
6363 Practice Skills - Elective |
3 |
Through readings, class discussion, simulations and written exercises students will develop the knowledge, analytical approach and skills necessary to help in the practice of law. Students develop client interviewing and counseling techniques, case plans, conduct factual investigations which include witness interviews and discovery, create a client file, and participate in a negotiation and/or mediation. Daily participation is critical to success in this course. Reading how to conduct a client interview is not the same as doing one. This course creates the opportunity for students to develop their own style of lawyering, and completing all in class and out of class exercises are critical to this process. Each exercise helps prepare students for the next. Therefore, preparation and participation in class and for the simulations are part of the grading process. Written assignments are also part of the course work and a final exam evaluates the knowledge and skills you obtained through the course. No matter what area of law you decide to practice (or even if you decide to pursue an alternative career) this course will help prepare you for life after law school. |
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