| Course | Credit | Course Description | Course Area | |
Spring 2024 |
5697 Immigration Clinic I |
6 |
As a student in this clinic, you will represent an asylum seeker from the first client interview, all the way through to the hearing in front of an immigration judge. You will be your client’s attorney and therefore responsible for all aspects of the case—client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation and development, working with expert witnesses, legal research and drafting documents, negotiations, and trial advocacy. You will work in pairs or groups of three under the supervision of one of the professors. In addition to the work you do on your client’s case, known as fieldwork, there is a classroom component to the clinic. The class will meet twice a week and will include learning lawyering skills, substantive law, procedural rules, and ethical considerations, practicing new skills through simulation, workshopping written product, and participating in case rounds. Case rounds are group problem solving sessions where a team presents a problem to the class and the class helps the team to examine the problem, consider their own goals, and brainstorm solutions. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Spring 2024 |
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. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2024 |
7338 WRS: Texas v. United States |
3 |
Everything is bigger in Texas, including the state’s impact on Constitutional Law. Seminal decisions originating in Texas have shaped every area of constitutional doctrine from immigration to voting rights to administrative law. This class will explore the role that the state of Texas and localities within Texas have played in instigating constitutional change in our federal system. Each week, we will engage in and in-depth look at a landmark Supreme Court case that came out of Texas, including inquiries into how the case developed, why the Supreme Court granted certiorari, and the impact of the eventual decision on Texas and the nation. Each student will select a Supreme Court case that originated in Texas at the beginning of the semester. They will then be responsible for presenting and leading the class discussion on that case, as well as writing a paper related to some aspect of their case. |
Constitutional Law |
Spring 2024 |
7305 WRS: Hot Topics in Criminal Law & Procedure |
3 |
The seminar in “Hot Topics in Criminal Law and Procedure” will meet to discuss readings on some of the most pressing issues in the field. We will discuss readings that include law review articles, case law, and other types of materials. Topics may include forensic science, wrongful convictions, race in criminal justice, and best practices for bail hearings, mental health and criminal justice, and electronic surveillance, among other topics. Several guest speakers will lead class discussions. In addition, there is an optional field trip to a local area prison. The course is graded based on class preparation and participation and the writing of a 35-page seminar paper. A law librarian and a member of the Lawyering Skills and Strategies program will meet with the class to provide guidance on researching and writing the seminar paper. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2024 |
5341 Disabilities & the Law |
3 |
This 3 credit survey course examines the rights of people with disabilities in the American legal system. Topics covered include the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. We will also discuss the social meaning of disability and the American disability rights movement. |
Health Law |
Spring 2024 |
5340 Marital Property Rights |
3 |
Marital Property Rights is a survey of legal issues that arise from intimate relationships. The primary focus is Texas community property law, and the rights married couples have in property accumulated while married. The other primary topic covered is Texas homestead law, basically the protection Texas law provides for a family’s home, as well as the rules that govern encumbering or selling the home. |
Family Law |
Spring 2024 |
5273 International Intellectual Property |
2 |
This course covers international intellectual property ("IP") law from the following perspectives: (i) private international IP law (ii) public international IP law, such as under multilateral treaties, and (iii) comparative aspects of IP law among the major trading countries or regions of the world. The course is designed to introduce students to key international IP issues, principles and policy questions. Although it will cover several areas of IP law, it will focus more heavily on patents. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Spring 2024 |
5333 Health Transactions |
3 |
In this advanced health law course students learn and apply substantive laws and lawyering skills to model health care transactions. Working in teams of associates under the supervision of the professors, including practicing health care attorneys, students will engage in health care contract drafting, client interviews, negotiations, due diligence, and regulatory analysis. The model health care transactions are based on deals commonly entered into by hospitals and health systems, including hospital-physician employment agreements, health care joint ventures, and acquisitions. |
Health Law |
Spring 2024 |
7342 WRS: Transnational Petroleum Law |
3 |
Transnational petroleum law or lex petrolea is conceived as the rules of law and the transnational legal order created by the transnational petroleum community constituted by States, corporations, professional industry associations and other industry actors participating in the oil and gas sector. Therefore, the course will focus on the transnational rules commonly associated with the petroleum industry such as: investment protection standards included in international investment treaties, industry standards and best practices, general principles of international law, model contracts, and arbitration jurisprudence. All these sources of law have a common element which is their transnational legal nature that transcends parties’ agreements and the regulation enacted by oil and gas producing nations. Indeed, this plurality of sources of law is considered altogether “the network” that governs transnational petroleum operations in the 21st Century. The course will also provide model contracts, standardized regulation and a collection of excerpts of arbitral awards in the oil industry which will guide our understanding of the new legal practices in the oil and gas sector. The cases under review will cover oil and gas arbitration in Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. For example: cases of international arbitration related to expropriation or indirect expropriation in Russia, Venezuela, and Ecuador; the use of industry best practices in Nigeria, Sudan, Mexico and Canada; the protection of foreign investments in the case of armed conflicts (Libya, Sudan, and Colombia); the imposition of sanctions against the oil industry in Iran, Russia, Libya, and Venezuela, and environmental litigation related to oil and gas investments. |
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Summer I 2024 |
5424 Death Penalty & Criminal Appeals Clinic |
4 |
Death Penalty & Criminal Appeals Clinic 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 both death-penalty and non-death penalty cases. For death penalty cases, students investigate claims related to the guilt-innocence and punishment phases of death-penalty cases; and research/draft post-conviction appeals, and/or clemency petitions. For non-death penalty cases, students research and draft direct appeals. Given the strict filing deadlines in criminal appellate cases, it is vital that Death Penalty & Criminal Appeals Clinic students adhere to deadlines set by the course instructor. NO BOOK FOR THIS COURSE. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Summer I 2024 |
5497 Mediation Clinic II |
4 |
Mediation Clinic students add to their list of lawyering skills learned prior to graduation by mediating real cases in Justice Courts, the Better Business Bureau, the EEOC, and for parties who have been ordered to mediate by local judges. Students will mediate 2-3 mediations per week throughout the semester. The Mediation Process class is required at the same time. For more information regarding the Mediation Clinic contact Tasha Willis, tlwillis@central.uh.edu. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2024 |
6315 Entrepreneurship |
3 |
The role of an attorney in the start, growth, and development of a business is indispensable. This course will give you practical exposure to some of the daily tasks and major issues that face an attorney working as in-house or external counsel for a start-up and early stage company. These issues include intellectual property . Students will learn how to interpret and write documents like stock option agreements, general contracts, standard operating procedures, constitutions and bylaws, and will be expected to draft versions of these documents to address real-world scenarios. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2024 |
7314 WRS: Antidiscrimination |
3 |
Antidiscrimination law has expanded dramatically over the past several decades. There has been a push to expand beyond traditionally protected classes – e.g., race, sex, and religion – to protect people on the basis of a wide range of considerations, including (but not limited to) weight, criminal records, credit histories, sexual orientation, prior salaries, genetics, disability, and appearance. Further, some laws protect only some groups within a band of identity (e.g., the ADEA protects only workers over the age of 40 and the ADA protects only persons with disabilities) while some laws protect all persons on the basis of a particular trait (e.g., Title VII protects all people on the basis of race and sex). The push to expand discrimination law and the legislative choices made to protect some groups, but not others, leads to a fundamental and somewhat rudimentary set of questions: What is discrimination? When is it wrong? And should the law do anything about it? This seminar will explore these questions and others. It will allow us to better understand why the law protects some people against some forms of discrimination – but not others. The first part of this seminar will approach discrimination law from a legal philosophy lens. We will consider hard questions, such as: What is discrimination? Why is it wrong? Is equality of opportunity possible? What is discrimination law? And what is the purpose of discrimination law? We will then move into more particular areas and queries. We will consider questions, such as: Is everyone biased? Can we do anything about it? What are the limits of discrimination law? Are there more creative approaches to achieving equality? And what are the next frontiers for discrimination law? The readings and discussions, taken together, will provide you with a foundation on which to build and revise your paper, which should fit generally within the ambit of antidiscrimination law or theory. This seminar is intended to provoke you to think long and deeply about the project of antidiscrimination. |
Employment and Labor Law |
Fall 2024 |
6344 U.S. Import Regulation |
3 |
This course is a practical study of U.S. import requirements including Customs procedures, legal issues related to the importation of merchandise, enforcement of the regulations of the myriad of federal agencies that regulate imports and, finally, the development of corporate import compliance programs. Broader topics include importing pursuant to trade agreements and importing within the context of developing security initiatives at home and abroad. The course is taught by an Adjunct Professor who began his career as an attorney within Customs and now, as a private practitioner, has 20 years of experience in this area of law. |
International Law |
Fall 2024 |
5291 Partnership Tax |
2 |
This course provides an overview of the US federal income taxation of business entities treated as partnerships for US federal income tax purposes with the objective of imparting a practical understanding of fundamental principles through a problem oriented approach to the subject matter. |
Taxation |
Fall 2024 |
5284 Energy Taxation |
2 |
The course will focus on the unique U.S. federal income tax aspects of (and tax planning and tax structuring related to) energy transition related investments (such as carbon capture use and sequestration), renewable and alternative energy (such as wind and solar), as well as each of the traditional energy sectors (including mining and mining and metals, power and utilities, and oil and gas). |
Taxation |
Fall 2024 |
5261 Real Estate Tax |
2 |
This course will cover selected federal income tax issues related to real estate acquisition, operation and disposition. Areas of focus include choice of entity, capitalization and cost recovery, the effects of mortgages on basis, dealer gain issues, like kind exchanges, and installment sales. The course is intended to be practical and cover federal income tax issues that arise daily for both clients and lawyers involved in commercial and investment real estate transactions. This course will include two or three writing assignments involving research, persuasive writing, and/or drafting agreements related to this concentration of tax law. |
Taxation |
Fall 2024 |
5374 American Legal History |
3 |
This class will examine major legal controversies and changes from the early Republic to the present, with an emphasis on how law, politics and society collided with and influenced each other in the 20th century. By studying recurring arguments over state vs. national power, who merits inclusion in the circle of legal and civil rights, and the balance between individual freedom and public authority in a changing society, we hope to explain how we got here — that is, to better understand today’s legal landscape. Topics include the legal battle over slavery and secession, the 19th and early 20th century struggle for women’s rights and suffrage, legal attacks on Native Americans and immigrants, the Lochner era and the Constitutional revolution of 1937, post-W.W.1 and W.W.2 Red Scares and McCarthyism, the legal war on Jim Crow and the Warren Court’s individual rights revolution, the conservative backlash to legal liberalism and the Bork and Thomas confirmations, Watergate and U.S. v. Nixon, the “War on Drugs” and mass incarceration, the 2000 election and Bush v. Gore, the battle for LGBT rights, and many others. |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 2024 |
5108 Advanced Health Law |
1 |
Professor Contact: michaelsewer@yahoo.com This course is required for all students enrolled in the University of Houston Law School, Health Law & Policy Institute's LL.M. degree program; it is also open to JD students. It may be taken during the first semester, but could be taken later as well. The course will require each student present a formal lecture on some aspect of health law that is timely, of special interest to the student, and relevant to health policy. These presentations should include a well thought out PowerPoint image deck prepared by the student that may be reviewed by the professor prior to the presentation if the student wishes additional guidance. The presentation will then be written in the form of a short paper for consideration for publication on line. The presentation, the paper, and class participation will constitute the criteria for grading; JD students who enroll must understand and agree that the grading curve will be applied. Students will distribute their topic for discussion to enrollees prior to their presentation day so that all can peruse the article, case, or commentary and be prepared to better offer opinions, critiques, and thoughts. The student presenting will lead the discussion and field questions from the other students or listeners; students will critique the presentation for content and communication skills anonymously; the professor will moderate and intervene as may be required. The intent of this course is to look at contemporary issues of health law, but additionally to enable students who may be seeking employment in health law to have a presentation that they may use or modify when asked to present as part of their pre-employment evaluation. The class will be open to observers, students, and faculty members who would like to attend or comment on a particular presentation. Office hours are before or after class, or to be arranged with the professor; discussion of topics and presentation style are encouraged. |
Health Law |
Fall 2024 |
6357 Comparative Judicial Systems |
3 |
The course surveys the variation of legal systems and courts across the world from a comparative perspective. Students will learn how constitutions, courts, and other legal actors vary and how these variations affect judicial decisions and the judiciary’s interaction with other branches of government in lawmaking and enforcement. |
Non-Law Courses |
Fall 2024 |
7304 WRS: Bioethics |
3 |
Bioethics explores the law and policy relating to issues such as informed consent, genetic screening, defining death, withholding and withdrawing life sustaining treatment, assisted reproduction, research involving human participants, and anatomical gifts. |
Health Law |
Fall 2024 |
6372 Analytic Methods for Lawyers |
3 |
This course equips law students with a diverse set of contemporary tools that will prove valuable in understanding law, expert testimony, and the latest in legal technology. By developing a strong interdisciplinary skillset, students will be well-positioned to take a leadership role in today's dynamic legal market, particularly in IP, energy, healthcare, and other areas in which AI will be pervasive. The curriculum covers eight key areas: (1) Databases, (2) Game Theory, (3) Network Theory, (4) Statistics, (5) Actuarial Finance, (6) AI, (7) Causal Inference, and (8) Privacy Science. Prior programming and advanced math experience are not required. Basic concepts in programming, calculus, and linear algebra will be covered by the instructor. Students will gain several practical benefits, including an ability to do basic programming with AI assistance, the technical fluency to ask intelligent questions in diverse fields; expertise in AI, including using large language models effectively; and a heightened ability to think through payoffs from legal rules and litigation strategies. Progress will be evaluated through two low-stakes formative assessments, a final exam, and a project. All sessions will be recorded via Zoom, with AI-generated summaries available for review. To participate, students will need a paid ChatGPT or Claude account, a Google Colab account, and the free Wolfram Language software provided by the University of Houston. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2024 |
6342 Climate Intervention Law & Policy |
3 |
As efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions continue to fall short of international goals and concerns mount over worsening climate change damages, attention has begun to focus on an emerging set of technologies that seek to directly manipulate the global atmosphere or alter regional ecosystems to offset or prevent climate change itself. These efforts generally involve either carbon dioxide removal from the ambient atmosphere on a massive scale, or solar radiation management to reduce the amount of energy reaching the Earth’s surface. These climate intervention technologies raise novel and fundamental challenges for both international law and domestic regulatory policy. This class will be the first law course in the United States focusing on this new field of law. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2024 |
5396 Elections and the Law of Democracy |
3 |
This course covers the law that structures the democratic process in the United States. Subjects covered include the individual right to vote and participate; reapportionment and redistricting; the regulation of political parties and primary elections; campaign finance regulation; the contested boundaries of federal and state power over election regulation; the tension between majorities and minorities in the design of representative institutions; and the role of courts in overseeing democratic processes. The course will focus primarily on American law and doctrine. The course will consider important contemporary legal issues in this area, including obstacles to individuals’ ability to participate, litigation about racial vote dilution and partisan gerrymandering, new challenges for campaign finance regulation, and issues relating to the 2024 presidential election. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2025 |
7333 WRS: Law and Social Theory |
3 |
In this seminar you will learn to analyze law in conversation with a variety of social theories. We will read a selection of authors from the Frankfurt School of social theory, Harvard Legal Studies movement, Feminism, Psychoanalysis, post-structuralism, post-colonialism and race and law. With the insights of these authors in mind, we will then reflect on the applicability of their social visions and insights to legal adjudication, education, and practice. |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Spring 2025 |
6396 Genetics & the Law |
3 |
This three credit course surveys the use of genetic information across several areas of law, including property law and IP, family law, criminal law, public health law, privacy law, and antidiscrimination law. Students enrolled in the class will produce three brief response papers of one to two pages in length and complete a take-home exam. |
Health Law |
Spring 2025 |
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 2025 |
7318 WRS: Corporate Criminal Liability |
3 |
This seminar will explore issues surrounding holding corporations criminally accountable. It will discuss the basic rules of corporate criminal liability, the principles guiding the decision whether to prosecute a corporation, and the role of culture in corporate wrongdoing. It will ask students to consider the costs and benefits of, and rationales for, applying criminal law to non-persons, and to consider the role of criminal law more generally. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2025 |
7310 WRS: Credit Cards, Law & Policy |
3 |
Credit cards are everywhere in America, but in terms a payment system, they are a relatively recent innovation. In this writing seminar, we will read law review articles, cases, and other economics/business journal articles and/or books about the history of credit cards in America, the economics of credit cards, the consumer-protection issues related to credit cards, the credit card business, and the laws related to these issues. The goal is to obtain an in depth understanding of the credit card law and market and to produce a 10,000 word paper. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2025 |
5312 First Amendment |
3 |
This course surveys the free speech and press clauses and, if time permits, the religion clauses of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Topics for discussion include political speech; artistic expression; commercial speech; time, place and manner restrictions; content versus content neutral regulations; and government speech. The course will emphasize the foundation, structure, and formulation of constitutional arguments and doctrines. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2025 |
5272 Clean Air Act |
2 |
With a focus on issues EPA is currently wrestling with, this course will examine critical air pollution challenges and the tools the federal Clean Act provides federal and state governments and local communities to use in addressing air pollution. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments were comprehensive and established numerous timelines and programs for achieving various clean air standards. As time and science has marched on, over three decades later, some problems have been solved, others improved, and yet others are still awaiting an implementable solution. Each class period will explore a particular air quality problem and the associated statutory and regulatory programs designed to address the issue. Among the topics the course will explore include aspects of climate change, regulation of mobile sources, acid rain, environmental justice, and ozone. Readings will mostly come from judicial decisions, filed briefs and relevant articles. No casebook is assigned. See the syllabus for more details. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2025 |
5270 Alternative Energy Transactions and Contracting |
2 |
Alternative Energy Transactions and Contracting: This course is designed to familiarize students with the most common forms of alternative energy currently in use in Texas, or which may become sources of alternative energy. In addition, the course will familiarize students with the problems involved in carbon sequestration. Students will prepare research papers and documents addressing issues common to alternative energy and carbon sequestration. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2025 |
6337 Appellate Civil Rights Clinic |
3 |
Students in the Appellate Civil Rights Clinic will represent clients and amici in appeals of civil rights claims in federal and state courts. Our appeals will include § 1983 cases arising from law enforcement misconduct and unconstitutional prison conditions; cases alleging discrimination in employment and public accommodations; First Amendment speech and religion clause cases; and others. We will not take criminal appeals or post-conviction petitions. Students will assume responsibility for all aspects of appellate representation, albeit with close faculty supervision. Tasks will include reviewing the trial court record, “big picture” strategizing about appellate themes, conducting legal research, drafting main and reply briefs, editing classmates’ briefs, and presenting oral argument where appropriate. Classroom instruction will teach the essentials of appellate advocacy: using the lower court record, thorough but well-tailored legal research, persuasive writing, close editing, and effective oral argument. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Spring 2025 |
5306 Criminal Litigation and Legal Issues in Criminal Procedure |
3 |
Criminal Litigation Practice is designed to incorporate the substantive law of criminal procedure into a trial advocacy course. The course will cover virtually all of the stages of a criminal case—from the probable cause hearing through the sentencing hearing and hearing on a motion for a new trial. Most of the issues addressed in this course implicate federal constitutional law principles applicable to all criminal prosecutions, whether they occur in state or federal court. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Spring 2025 |
6316 Energy Law & Policy |
3 |
This course provides an introduction to U.S. energy law and policy. It looks at how energy sources (water, wind, sun, coal, oil, gas, nuclear) are extracted, transported, and converted into energy as well as the physical, market, and legal structures governing each energy source. It introduces the key jurisdictional actors that play differing roles in energy controversies and provides students with an understanding of pervasive multi-jurisdictional approach to energy regulation. Finally, it explores current hot topics in energy law and policy and opens a dialog to analyze how those topics are interrelated to other topics such as business and economics, climate and environment, human rights, and energy security. This is a project course, no final examination. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2025 |
5240 Criminal Sentencing Law and Policy |
2 |
The purpose of this course is to examine the law and policy of criminal sentencing. The course will explore why society punishes; who holds the power to set sentences (the social institutions); what elements factor into sentencing decisions (offense and offender characteristics); and how sentencing and punishment decisions are made (procedure and proof). The course will also explore the typical outcomes of the sentence decision, including the most expensive and visible outcome: imprisonment. Finally, the course will consider sentencing-review doctrines, including new laws and advocacy surrounding “second look” sentencing mechanisms, and the role of executive clemency. |
Criminal Law |
SummerMini 2025 |
5233 Education Law: K-12 |
2 |
This course surveys the law affecting K-12 public school districts, including Public Information and Records Management, Open Meetings Act, Special Education/504, Competitive Purchasing, State and Federal Liability and Immunities, First Amendment Issues, Fourteenth Amendment Issues, Teacher Contracts, and Student Discipline/Harassment/Bullying. |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Spring 2025 |
6201 Sexual Orientation & the Law |
2 |
In this course we will explore the relationship between sexual orientation (and/or identity) and the law. We will examine the manner in which the state regulates sexuality, gender, gender roles, and sexual orientation, in a variety of substantive legal areas. We will explore how the law is influenced by theories or myths regarding homosexuality and sexual identity as well as prevailing styles of judicial reasoning. The doctrinal discussions will focus both on the substantive law and a number of larger themes: the nature/nurture debate and its legal ramifications; the public/private distinction as exhibited in the legal conflicts between free expression and “coming out” and the right to be let alone; the reason/desire distinction, as manifested through sexual status versus sexual conduct; and the equality/diversity distinction which arises in the context of assimilation versus difference. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2025 |
6210 Construction Law |
2 |
The course will provide students with an overview of the general principals of construction law and the issues construction law practitioners navigate in the representation of their construction industry clients. You will learn about issues relating to private and public construction projects such as mechanic’s liens and bond claims, the role of the various parties involved in the construction process (ie, owner/ developer, general contractor, subcontractor, supplier), risk-allocation clauses employed in construction contracts, issues arising during contract performance, and dispute resolution forums. |
Real Property, Trusts and Estates |
Fall 2025 |
5323 Conflict of Laws |
3 |
Students interested in pursuing careers in litigation may find this course particularly beneficial. As more and more lawsuits involve disputes or transactions connected with more than one state or country, courts are increasingly called upon to decide what substantive law governs. For example, an Italian company enters into a contract with a California company that calls for performance at the Italian company’s facility in Arizona. In a breach of contract action between the two companies, will California law, Arizona law, or Italian law govern? And does (or should) the forum of the lawsuit affect the answer? Other topics of this course include the enforceability of judgments rendered in another state’s or nation’s court, as well as jurisdiction—not just personal jurisdiction over persons, but also the prescriptive jurisdiction of a state or country to regulate conduct that occurs within or outside its territory. Class discussions will provide practice in the application of theory to facts, and in the careful analysis of cases. |
Procedure and Practice |
Spring 2026 |
5471 Street Law II |
4 |
Law students will teach high school age students about the law as a continuation of Street Law I. The semester also includes preparing the high school age students to compete in a Mock Trial competition. Street Law empowers young people to be active, engaged citizens by equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to successfully participate in their communities. Law students will gain a greater knowledge of substantive law and how to explain the law to lay people, develop their ability for oral presentations both in formal settings and thinking on their feet, improve legal research skills, and gain an understanding of the legal system in the context of those persons directly affected by it. Students will participate in a weekly seminar class that will provide the resources and tools necessary for teaching the law to high school students and will commit to teach approximately 3-4 hours a week in a high school or a community organization. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Spring 2026 |
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 2025 |
7321 WRC: Domestic Violence Law |
3 |
Students will work individually and in small groups as they learn about the State laws, Federal Laws, and case law related to issues surrounding Domestic Violence. The topics may include domestic violence in the family code, criminal laws dealing with family violence, employment laws relating to family violence, and immigration and domestic violence. Writing assignments may include short articles, letters (e.g., demand, opposing counsel, client, court), pleadings, motions, and one longer paper on a chosen topic related to domestic violence. Each student will complete three to five practical writing assignments, with total production of at least twenty-one pages, based on an average of 250-300 words per double-spaced page. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2025 |
5118 Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Research |
1 |
This is a practical class, focused on finding the law and legal authorities relevant to taking and defending actions concerning the environment, energy, and natural resources. There are weekly assignments, a midterm research project and a final research project. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Summer I 2025 |
6338 Climate Change Law |
3 |
Between the election of Donald Trump, a more skeptical viewpoint by U.S. federal agencies and newly elected governments in other nations, and the enormous challenges created by physical reality of unabated global climate change, climate change law and litigation is poised for an explosion of activity over the next several years. Climate change law is already one of the most important fields of environmental law that affects virtually every major industry, civil and criminal enforcement action, large corporate deals, and international relations. Climate change lawsuits may also play a vital role in forcing action by reluctant governments and corporations as well as assigning liability for climate change damages created by past and current emissions of greenhouse gases. This course will focus on the use of international and domestic law to address climate change and to identify the obligations or liability of parties who allegedly contribute to it. We will review the current state of the science underlying climate change findings and predictions, examine how environmental and tort laws have responded to earlier novel environmental threats and risks, explore the fate of the Paris Accords and the future of other international agreements, weigh attempts to roll back federal regulations or to buttress state laws that address emissions of greenhouse gases and climate change effects, and assess how courts have responded to climate liability lawsuits and their specific legal challenges and evidentiary issues. We will focus on practical, real-world problems and solutions in this fast-growing field of law and how it will affect daily permitting decisions, lawsuits and corporate transactions. This class will use a dynamic combination of lectures, discussions, in-class exercises, sample problems and case studies. We will also bring several guest speakers to address aspects of climate change law and liability management that they encounter in their daily jobs and careers. Of course, all students should come to class prepared and able to join in discussions. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2025 |
7326 WRC: Supreme Court Term |
3 |
A discussion of current Supreme Court cases. Document File for Fall 2025. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2025 |
5346 State & Local Gov't Law |
3 |
While much of law school focuses on federal law, state and local law affects people more directly and concretely.? States and local governments have substantial law-making and regulatory authority in areas as diverse as education policy, civil rights, tax law, land use and environmental issues. States and local governments are also responsible for the financing and provision of most public?services, and?are the?locus?of much political participation by voters.?This course examines both the law governing the powers of states and local governments and how those laws impact the substantive laws and policies of states and local governments, with a focus on the laws governing the relationship between state and local governments.?Although we will discuss examples and occasional cases from Texas, students should be aware that this is not a course on Texas state government or Texas local governments. The objectives of the course are to: (1) gain a foundation in the substantive doctrinal law underlying state and local government law and policy; (2) apply critical legal thinking to identify and understand constitutional, statutory, and regulatory constraints applicable to the subject matter; (3) develop an understanding the ethical and policy issues related to the subject matter; (4) integrate the doctrinal study of the subject matter with the analytical and practical skills necessary to the practice of law; and (5) develop skills in legal analysis, reasoning, problem-solving; and written and oral communication related to state & local government law. Classes will involve on-call discussion, lecture, small group exercises, and other learning modalities. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2025 |
5259 State & Local Taxation |
2 |
This course will be an overview of the general issues involved in state and local taxation (income, franchise, sales and use, and property), including (1) constitutional limitations on a state’s ability to impose a tax on certain types of taxpayers and categories of income; (2) issues with respect to multistate income taxation, and (3) non-income based taxes (sales/use taxes, ad valorem taxes, franchise and other capital based taxes, etc.). We will also review procedure as it applies to state and local taxes. Weekly reading assignments in this course vary in length between 45-70+ pages, and therefore, there may be more reading than in a typical tax class. Students should keep in mind that such assignments may cover 3 to 4 cases on related topics. Students should come to class prepared and ready to discuss the assignments. Students with active and thoughtful class participation may see their grades raised by one grade interval (B to B+). Students who do not participate or have frequent absences are subject to a lower grade adjustment of one grade interval (B to B-). |
Taxation |
Fall 2025 |
5351 Juvenile Law |
3 |
This course focuses on the development of the juvenile delinquency system and the juvenile courts through the examination of the history of the juvenile justice system in the U.S., United States Supreme Court cases, state cases, statutes, and additional readings. We will discuss the process of how juvenile cases are handled when a child is charged with an act that would be criminal if committed by an adult. This course is based on theory and practice. Students will be responsible for participating in simulated role plays – client interviewing, a detention hearing, a transfer hearing, and/or a dispositional hearing. Students will be responsible for 3-4 reaction papers of approximately 1000 words each, and two other writing assignments. These will be described in more detail closer to the fall semester as part of the assignments will depend on our ability to visit different facilities or attend hearings in the juvenile courts. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Fall 2025 |
6341 Water Law |
3 |
As water law issues become increasingly prominent in the news, public discourse, and legal practice, many ask: is water the most important natural resource? If so, why, and how does water law affect the ways that we use and develop land, energy, and other resources? This course combines a general survey of U.S. water law and policy with an examination of water law doctrines, institutions, and policy issues of particular significance to Texas. One goal of this class, therefore, is to give students a basic introduction to the laws and institutions that have shaped the use, development, and preservation of water throughout the United States. Thus, we will examine the legal principles and doctrines that have shaped the use of surface water and groundwater in different jurisdictions across the United States, as well as the evolution of public and private rights in these resources. In addition, this class is intended to examine how water law doctrines and water law institutions have evolved in Texas. The final goal of this class is to examine the evolution of water law as it influences the use, development, and preservation of other important resources. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2025 |
6392 Privacy & Data Protection |
3 |
This course will introduce the foundations of privacy and data protection law. These foundations include privacy-related constitutional guarantees, tort law, and consumer protection. The course will cover the life cycle of data and sector-specific privacy regulation. It will also encompass the EU’s data protection regulation. Overall, the course will focus on informational privacy in the digital age. There are no prerequisites. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2025 |
7307 WRS: Advanced Topics in Intellectual Property |
3 |
Writing on a specific topic in patent, copyright, trade secret, or trademark law. Topics should best be chosen and approved before semester begins. The paper must be submitted in three graded parts at specified dates about a month apart, and the composite final paper due by the last day of regular classes. No extensions can be allowed. Learning Outcomes: During your time in this course, you will develop competence in thorough legal research and persuasive writing on subjects in the field of intellectual property law. The writing will be thoroughly supported by authorities, and clear enough to be understood by persons unfamiliar with the subject. The finished work will likely be acceptable for publication in a respected journal. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2025 |
7000 Graduate Certificate in Real Estate - C.T. Bauer College of Business |
|
This Law Center course listing is not for a specific course. Instead, it provides information about an opportunity to obtain the Graduate Certificate in Real Estate from the Stanford Alexander Center for Real Estate at the UH C. T. Bauer College of Business. The graduate certificate credential will show up on your transcript and the Graduate and Professional Programs office at Bauer will issue the certificate. The certificate requires five courses, twelve credits, at Bauer (but these courses can count toward your 90 credits needed to graduate from the Law Center with your J.D.). These courses will provide graduate-level expertise in the business and finance of real estate at all levels. -- Information from Bauer about the Graduate Certificate in Real Estate is available at this link. -- Advising about this opportunity occurs at Bauer. Interested students should contact Bauer’s Stanford Alexander Center for Real Estate, contact information available at the above link, and: 713-743-7564 or realestate@bauer.uh.edu Students will need to work with both Bauer and the Law Center’s Office of Student Affairs (OSA). There will be a registration process at Bauer to get into the certificate. The Bauer web site shows that fifteen credits are needed for the certificate, but Bauer will use your 1L property course in place of the course FINA 7381 – Principles of Real Estate to satisfy three of those fifteen credits. There will also be course registration that will involve OSA at the Law Center. |
Non-Law Courses |
Fall 2025 |
5214 Elder Law |
2 |
This course is an Introduction to Elder Law in Texas. It covers the following topics: Elder Abuse, exploitation and neglect, powers of attorney and advance directives, Social Security and retirement planning, disability benefits, Medicare and Medicaid, Long term care insurance, Estate recovery, housing options, Veterans’ benefits, and special needs trusts. |
Health Law |
Fall 2025 |
5219 E-Health |
2 |
Virtual Health, Telehealth, Artificial-Intelligence-Driven-Care, Healthcare Data Analytics Systems, are all descriptors of healthcare technology delivery systems and platforms: together, eHealth. This course will arm students with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to approach legal solutions to eHealth challenges. |
Health Law |
Fall 2025 |
5197 US Attorney Clinical Lab |
1 |
Students will have the opportunity to continue advanced criminal law studies in a small group. The clinic work component will provide students with practical experience and valuable exposure to real USAO cases. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Spring 2026 |
5101 Health Law Research |
1 |
This is a specialized course on health law research. It will focus on federal and state primary legal materials related to health law, including relevant statutes, regulations, agency guidance and decisions, and case law. Secondary sources such as treatises and practice guides specific to health law will also be discussed. |
Health Law |
Spring 2026 |
6306 The Law of Patient Care |
3 |
This three-credit course introduces students to basic legal and theoretical concepts related to the study of health law. Major topics include bioethical theories and their relevance to the law, medical malpractice, and the role of the courts in defining and applying standards of care. We will cover an array of interesting and challenging issues over the course of the semester, including the meaning of health, the nature of the physician-patient relationship, including privacy, access to care, and informed consent, public health, reproductive and genetic technologies, and end-of-life care. This class has a heavy discussion component and students are expected to come to class prepared to engage in an in-depth conversation about the assigned material. To that end, students enrolled in this course will become well-versed in the theory underlying the law and policy we study, as well as the black letter law. |
Health Law |
Spring 2026 |
5392 International Business Transactions |
3 |
The 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 effectively used 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) NAFTA and other U.S. free trade agreements, and (3) the European Union. |
International Law |
Spring 2026 |
6207 Lawyering Skills and Strategies - E2 |
2 |
Lawyering Skills and Strategies II will focus on further developing the underlying skills and strategies that lawyers must possess to succeed within the American legal system. By working through problems inside and outside of the classroom, you will continue to refine, and you will add to, the legal-research, analysis, writing, and citation skills that you learned last semester. More specifically, you will learn and practice the art of persuasion in advocating for your client—whether with your client’s opponent or to a trial court. And you will practice advanced citation skills, including those based on The Greenbook. You will continue to learn, and be expected to uphold, the ethical and professional standards required for the profession. |
1st Year - Part-Time |
Spring 2026 |
5150 Advanced Legal Research- Appellate Advocacy |
1 |
This is a specialized course on legal research methods as they pertain to appellate advocacy. It will cover general legal research topics and resources (issue analysis, secondary sources, statutes, cases, etc.) within the context of appeals. It will also cover topics and resources that are especially useful to the practice of appellate advocacy such as finding and using court rules, filings, and resources; practice books, forms, and checklists; dockets; and legislative history. |
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Spring 2026 |
7303 WRC Texas Consumer Law |
3 |
This upper-level writing course will teach skills necessary for a practicing lawyer while learning substantive aspects of Texas and federal consumer law. It is designed to enable students to learn to practice using various resources such as CLE articles, statutes, case law, practice guides, local rules, and judges rules to complete the assignments. There will also be a small presentation or oral argument component graded on a “good faith effort” completion. Students will work to improve their writing, fact investigation/review, and research skills. The course will require the completion of several short writing assignments. Drafts of the assignments will be reviewed with the instructor for feedback. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2026 |
6310 Contracts (FLLM Only) |
3 |
This course examines legally enforceable promises. The topics include contract formation, contract interpretation, the performance of contractual obligations, defenses to breaches of contract, and remedies. |
Foreign LLM |
Spring 2026 |
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 |
Spring 2026 |
6362 Natural Resources Law |
3 |
Natural Resources Law is the body of legal rules and processes that govern the human use, management, and protection of nature. In this course, we will survey the history of resource acquisition and management as well as current mechanisms for the management, use, and preservation of natural resources, including wildlife, wilderness, rivers, national parks, and energy. Among other issues, we will consider the history, jurisdiction, and authority of land management agencies and various statutes such as the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Federal Land Policy Management Act, to name a few. Throughout our study of these doctrinal issues, we will also consider competing ideas about how and why natural resources should be valued, used, and conserved. The objectives of this course are to teach the substantive law of the subject matter 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. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2026 |
6218 Client Interviewing & Counseling |
2 |
The Client Interviewing and Counseling course will emphasize a “client-centered” approach to interviewing and counseling techniques. The course will touch on the major aspects of the attorney-client relationship, including (1) the initial client interview; (2) billing arrangements; (3) case analysis, development and strategy incorporating the client’s input and expectations; (4) preparing the client for negotiations, depositions, settlement discussions or trial; (5) terminating the attorney-client relationship; and (6) collecting fees. Students will engage in mock interviews and counseling sessions throughout the semester. The professor and classmates will provide constructive feedback after each session that can and should be incorporated into future practice sessions. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Spring 2026 |
6239 Admiralty Environmental and Insurance Claims |
2 |
The Deepwater Horizon blowout resulted in more than 500,000 claims and payments of more than $60 billion, and the waters of the United States see collisions, allisions, injuries, spills, and discharges every day. Admiralty Environmental and Insurance Issues teaches the civil and criminal remedies available for the environmental claims resulting from these incidents as well as the insurance issues applicable when there is a marine accident. |
International Law |
Spring 2026 |
6241 Licensing & Technology Transfer |
2 |
A study of licensing in the following types of licenses: patent, copyright, trademark, know-how, and digital information. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Spring 2026 |
6307 Sports Law |
3 |
The course examines a wide range of amateur and professional sports topics, including the athlete/agent relationship, contracts, commissioner powers and league governance, gender discrimination and Title IX, stadium and spectator liabilities, anti-trust, labor and employment issues, intellectual property and licensing, constitutional law, and ethics. Skills focus on contract development, negotiation, dispute resolution and writing. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2026 |
6350 Maritime Personal Injury Litigation |
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. Adjunct Professor John Unger is has practiced maritime law in Houston for more than 40 years. He is the former Managing Partner at Royston, Rayzor, Vickery and William LLP. |
International Law |
Spring 2026 |
6363 Mediation Advocacy- Representing Clients in Mediation |
3 |
Mediation Advocacy is a simulation, skills-based class that will teach you the art and skill of utilizing mediation to negotiate disputes. Most lawsuits settle and, in Harris County, most courts require participation in mediation before setting a case for trial. This course will: (1) expose students to mediation practice, early dispute resolution (EDR), and general negotiation techniques; and (2) provide students with the skills needed to represent clients effectively in mediation. Students will participate in at least one mock mediation and will learn from experienced mediators, practicing lawyers, and entrepreneurs who will participate as guest speakers. Professor Moulton is also a trial lawyer with over 30 years experience. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Spring 2026 |
6371 Transnational Investment Law and Arbitration |
3 |
The Transnational Investment Law and Arbitration course provides to JD and LLM students the tools to engage in complex transnational investment transactions in globalized sectors of the world economy. The course covers the transnational regulation that governs long-term investments in transnational sectors such as oil and gas, mining, electricity, international construction projects and housing. During the last 60 years, more than 2800 Investment Treaties have been agreed between States in order to promote the development of investment projects by providing special protection to foreign investors. Also, Multilateral Investment Treaties such as USMCA or the Energy Charter Treaty create a network of transnational standards that govern the business relations in a transnational community of States and investors. Also, during the last 25 years, these transnational standards have been under the scrutiny of international arbitration tribunals which have contributed to the development of a system of investment law and promoting a transnational legal practice for lawyers and corporations. Therefore, in order to be part of the construction of this new system for transnational investment transactions, the course features special training on the interconnection of sources of law such as investment contracts, investment treaties, industry practices, national regulations and arbitration awards and decisions, and provides an overview of a transnational legal practice in a globalized economy. 1) An overview of international investment arbitration: history and statistics. 2) The notion of investment, relations between foreign investors, shareholders, state and state companies. 3) The network of sources of law that govern transnational investment transactions. 4) The consent of international arbitration related to investment transactions: Contracts, Treaties, and National Law. 5) Rules of Jurisdiction: ratione materiae, ratione personae and ratione temporis. Treaty Shopping strategies. 6) Rules of Arbitration Procedure: The rules for arbitration of different institutions such as ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, and SCC. The arbitrability of Disputes, objections of jurisdictions, and provisional measures. 7) The Applicable Law to the jurisdiction and merits phase of an investment dispute 8) Bilateral Investment Treaties Standards: Expropriation, fair and equitable treatment, national treatment, most favored nation treatment, security and protection clauses, umbrella clauses, survival clauses, and free transfer of funds. 9) The Arbitration Award. 10) The annulment of an arbitral award. The challenge of an award before national courts and ICSID Ad hoc Committee. 11) The transnational recognition and enforcement of arbitration awards. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2026 |
5371 International Energy Transactions |
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: an overview of National Oil Companies (the largest reserve owners today), 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, such as arbitration and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2026 |
7308 WRS Scientific Evidence |
3 |
The purpose of this seminar is to offer an overview of topics in scientific evidence with a focus on mass and toxic torts. The primary impetus for the seminar is three United States Supreme Court opinions addressing the admissibility of expert testimony. In the first of these cases, Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 113 S. Ct. 2786 (1993), the Court determined that the rule in Frye v. United States, 293 F. 1013 (D.C. Cir. 1923) that established the general acceptance test of the admissibility of scientific evidence did not survive the adoption of the Federal Rules of Evidence in 1975. The Daubert court then sketched out the factors trial courts might consider in determining admissibility. In the opinion of many, the “Daubert revolution” has opened a new period in the relationship between science and law. Trial court judges have been invited to take a much more active role in determining admissibility, an invitation that a number of courts have already accepted. The Daubert opinion also has caused people to reconsider how expert testimony should be presented to courts. Although Daubert first emerged and took root in mass tort cases (Daubert concerns the drug Bendectin), its reach has steadily expanded into nearly every area of expert witnessing. Each person in the seminar has two obligations: a) to read the materials and participate in class and b) to write a term paper. As to the first obligation, there is a lot of reading. I expect everyone to have read each week material prior to class. If you think this will not be possible, you should not take this course. The grade in the course will be based primarily on the second requirement, the term paper. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2026 |
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 |
Spring 2026 |
7346 WRS Current Issues in Intellectual Property Law |
3 |
This advanced-level seminar will take a deep dive into some of the latest trends, challenges, and innovations in the dynamic intellectual property (IP) law field. Topics such as artificial intelligence, social media, the metaverse, international IP protection, indigenous knowledge protection, and open access frameworks will be explored within the context of IP law. Drawing from contemporary writings, case law, legislation, and news reports, students will critically analyze the evolving legal frameworks and their implications for creators, businesses, consumers, and the general public. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Spring 2026 |
5317 Trademark & Unfair Competition |
3 |
The course approaches trademarks from both historical and modern (i.e., internet) settings and deals with related issues of unfair competition such as commercial disparagement/defamation, right of publicity, privacy rights, and false advertising. It contrasts the predominantly use-based trademark system in the United States with registration-based systems in other countries. It examines ways in which an organization can develop, register, and assert trademark rights, as well as methods for enforcing those rights focused predominantly on the trademark infringement and dilution actions. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Spring 2026 |
5209 Legal Spanish for Spanish Speakers |
2 |
An advanced-language course for students already fluent in Spanish. Students will strengthen their communicative language skills such as speaking, writing, interpreting, and vocabulary building within the context of several areas of legal practice, including but not limited to criminal law, civil law, and immigration law. |
International Law |
Spring 2026 |
5211 Energy and the Environment |
2 |
An environmental law course that will explore pivotal issues involving the synergistic relationship between energy law and environmental law. The course will examine several critical topics of global importance associated with various sources of energy and the impact on natural resources and the environment. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2026 |
5217 Fraud and Abuse |
2 |
This course explores the administrative, civil, and criminal enforcement of health care fraud and abuse laws and the resulting penalties imposed on health care providers for a variety of unlawful activities. In particular, the course examines the implications of federal and state Anti-Kickback laws, the federal anti-referral (Stark) law, federal and state false claims laws, federal civil monetary penalties and exclusion authorities, and various federal criminal statutes, as well as the strategies employed by the government to pursue health care violations and by defense attorneys who represent accused providers. |
Health Law |
Spring 2026 |
5218 Human Trafficking Law |
2 |
This class will focus on human trafficking and related federal criminal immigration issues facing local communities, states, the federal government, and the international community. We will cover legal and public awareness measures that are taken to prevent, deter, and respond to human trafficking, including the social service organizations that are critical to the restoring victims and preparing witnesses in trafficking cases. The class will begin by focusing on the legal definitions and framework of trafficking and move to an historical overview of state and federal laws passed to address trafficking offenses, involving both U.S. citizens and immigrants placed into labor servitude or the commercial sex trade by force, fraud, or coercion. The Trafficking Victim’s Protection Act and its eleven years of progress will be covered along with the visas and witness issues that are common with trafficking victims. During the class you will see how this framework guides the United States’ effort to combat human trafficking in both domestic and international forms. There will be guest speakers from time to time who will be announced. |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2026 |
5220 Entrepreneurship Law and Venture Capital Finance |
2 |
This course is designed to introduce students to the unique challenges entrepreneurs face and related legal considerations. The course approach is practical and will encourage students to think critically about the tension between risk and return when advising start-ups and growth-stage companies. Topics will include preparation for an initial investment, due diligence, entity governance, equity compensation, founders agreements and vesting, intellectual property rights, the fundraising process, basic terms negotiations, convertible debt and future equity instruments, venture capital-style equity investments, and exit transactions. The objective is to introduce students to the legal issues most frequently encountered by high-growth early stage companies, and purchasers of equity in those companies, throughout the fundraising cycles. The course will seek to expose students to the skills transactional lawyers need when advising entrepreneurial ventures and their investors. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2026 |
5222 Introduction to the Law of Mexico |
2 |
This course will provide a general introduction to the Mexican legal system. Topics to be covered will include an overview of Mexican legal history; Mexican constitutional law; the Mexican judicial system; introduction to civil and commercial law; real estate law; civil procedure; and criminal law. The course will also include an introduction to conducting basic research on Mexican law. We will also cover transborder litigation and enforcement of foreign judgments in Mexico. |
International Law |
Spring 2026 |
5225 Financial Products Taxation |
2 |
The course will cover an understanding of how financial products are sought to be used (or abused) to “optimize” the tax characteristics of income—by recasting, for example, returns on equity as those on debt, or fixed returns as contingent returns, or ordinary income as capital gains, or domestic-source income as foreign-source, and so on. |
Taxation |
Spring 2026 |
5227 Procedure of Patent Litigation |
2 |
The Course will focus on how to litigate a patent infringement case in Federal District Court and the relationship of the district courts and the Federal Circuit in patent litigation. In particular, the course will examine a hypothetical patent case from the pleadings, through the Markman hearing, and to trial. The course focuses on the hands-on issues that patent litigators face in their day to day trial preparation. The goal is to provide the students with an overall process for how a patent case is conducted all the way through trial. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Spring 2026 |
5244 Employee Benefits Plans & Compensation |
2 |
The laws governing employee benefits and executive compensation are ever-changing and of interest to employers, employees and law makers. Practitioners in this area can be found at big law firms, family law firms, insurance companies, banks, in-house counsel, unions and government. This 2-hour course provides a basic overview of the specialized employee benefit plans (such as 401(k) plans, pension plans and health and welfare benefit plans) governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”), and the applicable provisions under the Internal Revenue Code (“Code”). This course also will review the taxation under the Code of executive compensation arrangements, such as non-qualified deferred compensation plans, stock options and other equity plans. Students will gain a historical perspective of ERISA’s origins to learn how the need for federal action came about and lean about more recent legislative actions in this area, such as Obamacare, along with pertinent case law. The course will focus on the ERISA and tax aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation plans and arrangement from both the employer and employee perspectives. The goal of the course is to convey a practical understanding of how ERISA and the Code impact employee benefits that are provided by employers to employees! |
Taxation |
Spring 2026 |
5251 VOIR DIRE- The Art of Juror De-Selection |
2 |
The most important part of any trial is picking your jury - the audience that will hear your presentation and ultimately decide your case. In this class, the students will learn about the psychology as well as the law behind choosing a jury for any kind of case. Through practical exercises as well as a study of the applicable legal principles and case law, the class will learn techniques to try to get the panel talking so you can get the information you need from jurors to determine whether they will be a good fit for your case, how to properly strike for cause and preserve error as well as the best way to use peremptory strikes to ultimately try to get the best panel possible. The class will end with the students doing a full voir dire as well as closing arguments with the opportunity to watch jury deliberations to see how the panel they ended up with impacted the decision that was made. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Spring 2026 |
5254 Tax Controversy & Litigation |
2 |
The Tax Controversy & Litigation course will cover the tax controversy process, starting with handling an IRS civil audit, administratively protesting before IRS Appeals, and representing a client in litigation before the United States Tax Court. Students will be instructed in taxpayer/client interview techniques and counseling, case evaluation, negotiation and settlement techniques, and trial techniques and strategies. At the Tax Court level students will learn: preparation and filing of the Tax Court Petition, Tax Court pre-trial procedures, presentation of a mock trial before Judge Vasquez from the Tax Court, and the post-trial briefing process. The course will be taught in the simulation format that is used in Trial Advocacy courses, culminating in a mock trial before Judge Vasquez from the Tax Court. This two-credit course brings U.S. Tax Court Judge Juan F. Vasquez to Houston to teach a course on Tax Controversy & Litigation. His fellow teacher will be Juan F. Vasquez, Jr., Shareholder of the law firm of Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Martin and Chair of the ABA Tax Section's Committee on Court Procedure and Practice. NO FINAL EXAM!!! |
Taxation |
Spring 2026 |
5271 Advanced Negotiation |
2 |
This course will focus on in-depth analysis, planning and practice of preferred systems and techniques for complex negotiations involving both hard and soft interests. The analytical skills to be emphasized are (1) Identification of Interests, (2) Analysis and improvement of each party's BATNA, (3) Development of options, and (4) Assurance of transparency, implementation and enforcement. Class size is limited to 12 students in order to assure the faculty/student ratio necessary for in-depth analysis and training. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Spring 2026 |
5296 International Energy Contracts |
2 |
This course is designed to enhance the students´ knowledge of major types of international oil and gas agreements while providing practical, hands-on experience in contract drafting and negotiation. Students will be provided a detailed and realistic fact pattern showing how oil and gas deals are conceived of, proposed, negotiated and eventually formalized. The students will then apply the fact pattern to various types of oil and gas model agreements. In short, Professor Nadorff will show the students how an international oil and gas lawyer approaches every day oil and gas industry legal and commercial challenges, including how to navigate office “politics” and deal with various types of industry players. The course contains the following major components: • A discussion of the role of the contract drafters and negotiators in the oil and gas industry. • Practical tips on how to write contracts and other documents more clearly and effectively as well as identifying pitfalls to be avoided. • Contract drafting and negotiation strategies. • A thorough discussion of pre-contractual documents (letters of intent, memoranda of association, etc.), including a detailed in-class review and re-write of a poorly conceived and drafted letter of intent. • An introduction to the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) and the AIPN Model Form Contracts (including their proper use and potential abuse). • In class, on-screen editing by the students of key AIPN Model Form Agreements (most likely: Confidentiality, Joint Study and Bidding, Farmout, Joint Operating Agreement, International Consultant, and Well Services). • In-class negotiations and other simulated exercises based on the supplied fact pattern. It is anticipated that for each class, Professor Nadorff will invite a different oil and gas lawyer or negotiator in order to: (i) share professional experiences; (ii) provide personal perspectives and (iii) to help facilitate the in-class exercises. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2026 |
5307 How to Reason |
3 |
This course will begin with a study of logic, including the logic of inferences and the logic of propositions. It will explore common fallacies and the limits of reasoning. Then it will go on to consider certain areas of economic, ethical, political, and jurisprudential reasoning. And it will cover certain other thinking tools that can be used to analyze the law. Description Course PPTs |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Spring 2026 |
5308 Federal Courts |
3 |
This course cover procedural issues such as how litigants can get their cases into federal court, questions regarding the relationship between state and federal courts, and at a general survey level, some of the substantive claims and defenses that parties most commonly raise in federal court. Topics to be covered include congressional control over the jurisdiction of the federal courts; federal question jurisdiction; justiciability doctrines such as standing, ripeness, mootness, and the political question doctrine; enforcement of federal rights against state and federal officials; federal common law; the 11th Amendment and sovereign immunity; official immunities; abstention doctrines; and United States Supreme Court review of state court judgments. |
Procedure and Practice |
Spring 2026 |
5309 Advanced Trial Advocacy |
3 |
Advanced Trial Advocacy builds off of the skills learned in Trial Advocacy by focusing on the techniques of persuasion. Students in this intensive course learn about using focus groups, developing and refining case theories and themes, selecting juries in light of the case theory being pursued, and presenting understandable and persuasive exhibits and expert testimony. Students try three jury trials during the course of the semester. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Spring 2026 |
5320 Pretrial Procedure |
3 |
This course covers 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 |
Spring 2026 |
5325 National Security Law |
3 |
National security law is a wide-ranging, and expanding, field of law. It combines constitutional doctrines dating to the earliest days of the Republic, detailed statutory laws, complex regimes of appropriations law, and a patchwork of international law commitments. It spans foreign and domestic affairs. It is used to justify a tremendous range of government action. And its consequences are often existential—both for those on whom the law operates and for our body politic. This course will address seven topics: an introduction to the constitutional underpinnings of the modern national security state, government lawyering in the national security state, foreign relations law, foreign and domestic intelligence collection, the military and armed conflict, and national security in domestic affairs. Assessments will be both written and oral, modeling the skills integral to the practice of government lawyering (and client-facing lawyering more generally). |
Constitutional and Criminal Law |
Spring 2026 |
5266 Taxation of Exempt Organizations |
2 |
This course is designed (i) to orient students to the laws governing nonprofit organizations; (ii) to familiarize students with the taxation of nonprofit organizations under federal law; and (iii) to introduce students to basic planning techniques for avoiding or minimizing taxes imposed on nonprofit organizations and their managers. |
Taxation |
Spring 2026 |
5349 In-House Counsel Fundamentals |
3 |
This course will give students insight into the complex function of in-house counsel and provide the basic tools needed to succeed in an in-house role. The course will focus on developing skills in risk management, negotiation, corporate communications, commercial contracts, compliance, ethics, litigation management at all stages, advising and counseling on common employment issues, and gaining the trust of your organization. Students will also see how basic legal principles regarding attorney-client privilege, contract formation, and corporate governance are used on an everyday basis. Course instruction will take students through their first year as in-house counsel at MiniPrivateCo and MegaPublicCo using case studies based on real-world examples. This course will benefit all students interested in a legal career advising businesses, whether it be as in-house or outside counsel. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2026 |
5352 Corporate Tax |
3 |
The following information is provided with respect to the Corporate Taxation course. Objective: This course will provide comprehensive treatment of the federal income tax law applicable to corporations and their shareholders. Topics to be covered include: a) The formation of corporations and transfers of assets to controlled corporations; b) The capital structure of a corporation; c) Distributions from corporations (e.g., dividends, redemptions & liquidations); d) Special types of corporations (e.g., S corporations); e) Corporate reorganizations, mergers, restructurings, etc., and f) Affiliated corporations.The objective is to consider both the technical rules and the underlying policy objectives of the corporate income tax rules, with particular emphasis on current transactions and tax planning. |
Taxation |
Spring 2026 |
5354 Environmental Law Practicum |
3 |
This course will overview key areas of practice within environmental law such as regulatory counseling and permitting, contested administrative hearings, civil enforcement, criminal liability, private litigation over environmental contamination, policy advocacy, auditing and privileged investigations, and environmental aspects of corporate transactions. Each lecture topic will be paired with a separate presentation by a guest speaker who practices in that area, and who will participate in a simulation of a live project or case that a team of students will work on. These speakers have included in prior years the Harris County Attorney (civil enforcement), the Galveston Bay Foundation (permitting), the Harris County District Attorney (criminal), the Audubon Society (policy advocacy), in-house counsel for several energy corporations (transactions, counseling), plaintiff’s environmental attorneys (contested case hearings), NGOs (regulatory commenting), and others. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Spring 2026 |
6393 Patent Remedies & Defenses |
3 |
The basic doctrines governing modern U.S. patent litigation; details of the main injunctive and monetary remedies for patent infringement and the limitations thereon; jurisdictional and venue problems. Four kinds of estoppel; details of fifteen affirmative defenses; discovery controversies and governing case law; impact of prior judgments on the same patent. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Spring 2026 |
5375 Administration of Estates and Guardianship |
3 |
Administration of Estates and Guardianships. A skills class that will cover all types of administrations encountered with decedent’s and incapacitated estates: Dependent Administrations, Independent Administrations, Probating wills, alternative to probate administrations, Intestacy and guardianships. Students will review and be exposed to defective wills as well as proper wills and learn how to get them admitted into probate in addition to reviewing a variety of estate administration pleadings. Students will draft a will and prepare the pleadings to get the will admitted into probate as part of their examination grade. |
Real Property, Trusts and Estates |
Spring 2026 |
5332 Patent Law |
3 |
This course will introduce students to the law and policy of the United States patent system. This course begins with a discussion of the origin of the patent system followed by a look at the composition of an issued patent and the procedural mechanism for obtaining patent rights. We will then proceed with an examination of the substantive requirements of patentability, including the disclosure requirements, novelty, nonobviousness, utility, and subject matter. Next, we will consider issues associated with enforcing a patent, including the scope of a patent owner’s rights, and the common defenses to a patent infringement suit. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Spring 2026 |
5330 Antitrust |
3 |
This course introduces the foundations of U.S. antitrust law and policy. Focusing primarily on the Sherman and Clayton Acts, it examines how courts and enforcement agencies apply these statutes. Readings draw from case law, scholarly analysis, historical materials, and contemporary developments. Major topics include the goals of antitrust law, anticompetitive agreements, monopolization, merger review, political economy considerations, political developments, and emerging challenges. By the end of the course, students will be able to understand the legal, economic, and policy principles that shape antitrust enforcement and assess reform proposals. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2026 |
6329 Trade & Sustainable Development |
3 |
This course introduces students to basic legal principles of international trade and its relevance to economic development and sustainability principles. The course provides historical and comparative perspectives on sustainability principles and how they have evolved into trade and economic policy. Students will review U.S. trade law and policy and its connection to the international trade rules established through the GATT, the World Trade Organization, and relevant regional trade agreements. As countries begin to transition their economies towards clean methods of supply-chain production and clean energy, international trade rules become increasingly relevant to business practices. Local and global aspects of sustainable development will be discussed as well as related topics of dispute settlement, supply-chain management, corporate social responsibility and international standards, border tax adjustments, tariff and non-tariff policies, digitalization and technology, human rights, and energy policy. This course will have a final take-home exam. No pre-requisites are required to take this course. . |
International Law |
Spring 2026 |
5336 Public Health Law |
3 |
This course provides an in-depth examination of public health law principles and challenges. Students will explore constitutional issues related to public health and develop an understanding of the state’s public health powers and duties as they are balanced against an individual's legally protected rights. The course will explore a range of public health law issues, including infectious disease control measures, immunization policy, emergency preparedness and bioterrorism, government regulation of unhealthy products, the state’s role in promoting healthy behaviors, and public health surveillance and privacy issues. |
Health Law |
Spring 2026 |
7336 WRS Reproductive Rights & Justice |
3 |
In the wake of Dobbs, the question of whether and how the government should regulate reproduction is more pressing than ever. This course will provide students with the tools to answer this question by exploring the law and theory of reproductive regulation in the United States. Students will learn both historical and contemporary approaches—including reproductive rights and reproductive justice frameworks—equipping them to understand how the law reached this point and how it might change going forward. |
Health Law |
Spring 2026 |
6332 ADR Survey |
3 |
The vast majority of day-to-day disputes are resolved (formally and informally) without litigation. This survey course focuses on introducing students to some of the most common processes involved in so-called “alternative” dispute resolution, including negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. In addition to the legal foundations of these processes, the course emphasizes psychological insights and practical strategies for lawyers. A core component of this course is simulation exercises, in which students get the chance to try out techniques and strategies for themselves. To ensure that all students get the most out of these exercises, a large part of the course grade is based on students’ preparation for and participation in every class session. Missing class without prior notice, or missing several classes even with prior notice, will make it difficult to successfully complete the course. The remainder of the course grade will be based on short written assignments and a final exam. |
Procedure and Practice |
Spring 2026 |
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 |
Spring 2026 |
7328 WRC Writing for Criminal Defense |
3 |
This is an upper level class intended to help students become more proficient, efficient, and effective at researching, analyzing legal issues, and composing and organizing written documents in criminal cases. It will build on concepts learned in your first year writing class and will help students to refine and further develop problem solving, factual investigation and drafting skills. |
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Spring 2026 |
5238 Mental Health Law |
2 |
This course will examine issues relating to the role of state and local agencies and the courts in mental health care and treatment. Particular attention will be given to state mental health law, including civil commitment and treatment, and the impact that mental health issues have on criminal procedure (competency, insanity defense); mental health care policy and regulation; and practice issues for attorneys practicing in the area of mental health. Federal statutes impacting mental health issues will be included. |
Health Law |
Spring 2026 |
6366 International Arbitration Advocacy |
3 |
International arbitration is a growing field and increasingly is the mechanism by which the largest international commercial disputes are resolved. This course has two primary aims: (1) to expose students to international arbitration practice; and (2) to provide students with the skills they need to represent clients effectively in international commercial arbitrations. The backbone of the course will be a mock arbitration with the students advocating the entire matter through each stage of the arbitration process. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Spring 2026 |
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 2026 |
7316 WRS Consumer Credit & Policy |
3 |
This course will consider a variety of different consumer credit products such as mortgages, credit cards, payday loans, and auto title loans. We will read and discuss law review articles, statutes, cases, and/or books that deal with the law that currently governs these products, and we will consider how to change the laws to meet policy goals. Students' grades will be based on an outline, rough draft, final paper, and presentation on a consumer credit topic, and on class participation. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Spring 2026 |
5376 Colloquium |
3 |
Course Description and Learning Outcomes: The Colloquium is an attempt to create a cooperative scholarly enterprise in which students and faculty from other schools work collaboratively. Each week, the invited faculty speaker presents a work in progress to the class. Prior to class, students read the paper and come prepared to discuss and critique it. We meet on Mondays from 12:00-2:00 pm and serve a catered lunch to all participants. (I will ask you at the start of the semester for any dietary restrictions/preferences.) Along with the students enrolled in the class, the audience will also include UHLC faculty who attend the weekly talks. As for learning outcomes, the course teaches skills in legal analysis, reasoning, and legal communication by deepening our ability to understand, identify, and engage with the kind of policy arguments that many lawyers are asked to take on. In doing so, students can more fully develop themselves professionally through the practice of forming and offering well-informed opinions, both descriptively and prescriptively. |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Summer I 2026 |
5515 Judicial Externship II |
5 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements with a state or federal judge at either the district court or appellate court level. Many judges/justices in the Houston area participate as field placement supervisors, and welcome applications from Rising 2Ls, 2Ls, Rising 3Ls, and 3Ls. If a student wishes to work for a judge outside of Houston over the summer, s/he should first contact the Externship Director to discuss the possibility, and should do so before accepting a position with that judge. Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Judicial Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/clinic. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Students in this course do not need to attend an orientation, as they have already completed Judicial Externship I. Students will still be responsible for submitting journal entries and/or reflective writing assignments, time logs, and evaluations, and possibly attending an in-person meeting with the ED over the course of the semester. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Summer I 2026 |
5472 Death Penalty & Criminal Appeals Clinic |
4 |
Death Penalty & Criminal Appeals Clinic 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 both death-penalty and non-death penalty cases. For death penalty cases, students investigate claims related to the guilt-innocence and punishment phases of death-penalty cases; and research/draft post-conviction appeals, and/or clemency petitions. For non-death penalty cases, students research and draft direct appeals. Given the strict filing deadlines in criminal appellate cases, it is vital that Death Penalty & Criminal Appeals Clinic students adhere to deadlines set by the course instructor. NO BOOK FOR THIS COURSE. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Summer II 2026 |
5378 Statutory Interpretation and Regulation |
3 |
This course introduces students to the role of statutes and administrative regulation in the practice of law today. The course covers, as its primary subject, the interpretation of statutes and regulations. This element includes the close reading of one or more complex statutes. The course also covers, as a second element, basic aspects of administrative law: in particular, how agencies implement and enforce statutes and regulations. The course may also include other elements, such as legislative process or regulatory policy. |
1st Year - Part-Time |
Summer I 2026 |
7311 WRS Leadership, Law & Power |
3 |
This seminar exposes students to theories of leadership and examines pipelines to power within the legal profession and beyond. The seminar focuses less on “how” to be a leader and more on the structural paths followed by those who succeed in leadership roles with an eye toward reforms. Students will develop a rich understanding of the importance of storytelling to inform and persuade, and they will acquire knowledge of numerous transformative leaders in law and other professions. Students will develop competency in research/scholarly writing while working collaboratively with their peers and presenting their ideas. Students will produce a high-quality scholarly research paper that may fulfill the UHLC writing requirement. Additionally, students will receive guidance about how to potentially publish their research as an op-ed, trade publication essay, or scholarly article. |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Summer IV 2026 |
5303 Criminal Law |
3 |
This substantive criminal law course aims to provide you with four basic competencies to equip you to practice criminal law, and these skills will serve you well as lawyers in whatever field you may choose. First, the course will familiarize you with blackletter criminal law. A second area of competency this course will provide is the skill of statutory analysis. Third, this course will prepare you to address the most fundamental ethical and philosophical issues regarding the punishment of human beings for wrongdoing. A fourth thing this course will do is to introduce you to some of the practice skills you will need to handle criminal law cases as a lawyer. |
1st Year - Part-Time |
Summer II 2026 |
5200 Depositions |
2 |
Through a combination of lectures and in-class exercises students learn how to effectively prepare for, conduct and use depositions in both pretrial litigation and at trial. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
SummerMini 2026 |
6230 The Current Crisis in the Middle East |
2 |
This course will provide insight into substantive areas of history, religion, politics (regional and worldwide), longstanding relationships, legal systems, human rights and women’s rights framed by current events in the most volatile and important region in the world. Since the beginning of civilization, the Middle East has been the hotbed of ongoing conflict. It is to the point where one conflict is almost indistinguishable from another. The current provocation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran could potentially alter the map of the Middle East and have a massive irrevocable impact on the entire world. This course will begin by examining the issues leading up to the current hostility and continue through the potential outcomes and its potential impact on the world. This course will be a timely and interesting way to begin to understand the issues involved in this region and how it can impact Houston and the world. |
International Law |
Summer II 2026 |
5385 Introduction to the Laws of European Union |
3 |
The aim of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of how the European Union uses the law as a means to achieve market objectives through national and international business transactions .To this end the class will examine the basic components lawyers need to know when preparing to draft contracts involving EU member states. These include: • the emergence of the European Economic Community • how the European Union is administered/governed by the four main institutions • the sources and general principles of the European Community law • how European Community law is integrated at a national level • the contributions of the Court of Justice to this process • how European community law is enforced at both a national and European level The course will be graded on a series of short and practical written assignments, which will guide students through the drafting of a basic contract enforceable within the European Union. There will be four contractual drafting assignments that will be designed to build upon each other so that the fourth and final assignment will result in a draft of a complete contractual agreement. Over the course of the semester, each student will prepare an agreement governed by European Union law. The agreement should not exceed ten (10) pages. Additionally, 15% of the grade will be based on a student experiential in class assignment. |
International Law |
Summer I 2026 |
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. NO BOOK FOR THIS COURSE. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
SummerMini 2026 |
6217 Negotiation and Creative Problem Solving |
2 |
"Negotiation tactics & strategies, including creating value, claiming value, and coalition building. Will feature exercises and guest speakers and will link negotiation skills to legal practice. Mandatory attendance and participation, requiring robust pre-class preparation each week." |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
SummerMini 2026 |
6200 Attorney Communication and Persuasion |
2 |
Communication is at the very heart of what we do as lawyers. Knowing how to establish rapport, ask the right questions and present compelling arguments is as important to the transactional lawyer as it is to the trial lawyer. This course helps students become more effective, precise, clear, credible, and persuasive. The course teaches students about the psychological underpinnings of the communication process, identifies how people process information and outlines how to communicate more clearly, powerfully and persuasively in a variety of legal settings. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
5103 Health Law Journal |
1 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6209 Health Law Journal |
2 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6358 Health Law Journal |
3 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5104 Houston Business Tax Journal |
1 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6211 Houston Business Tax Journal |
2 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6318 Houston Business Tax Journal |
3 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5110 Houston Law Review |
1 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5210 Houston Law Review |
2 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5410 Houston Law Review |
4 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6356 Houston Law Review |
3 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5147 Houston Journal of International Law |
1 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5247 Houston Journal of International Law |
2 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6354 Houston Journal of International Law |
3 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5116 Advocacy Board ONE |
1 |
The course enables students to lodge credit for participation in the governance and operation of Blakely student advocacy organizations. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
5117 Advocacy Board TWO |
1 |
The course enables students to lodge credit for participation in the governance and operation of Blakely student advocacy organizations. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
5125 Advocacy Competition FOUR |
1 |
The course enables students to lodge credit for Blakely administered competitions. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
5128 Advocacy Competition ONE |
1 |
The course enables students to lodge credit for Blakely administered competitions. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
5129 Advocacy Competition THREE |
1 |
The course enables students to lodge credit for Blakely administered competitions. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
5130 Advocacy Competition TWO |
1 |
The course enables students to lodge credit for Blakely administered competitions. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
5133 U.S. Legal skills |
1 |
This listing is a non-operational placeholder. Students cannot directly register for this course. General information about this course is available here: https://www.law.uh.edu/llm/US-Legal-Skills-Class.asp |
Foreign LLM |
Fall 2026 |
5198 Special Research & Writing |
1 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5298 Special Research & Writing |
2 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5398 Special Research & Writing |
3 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6309 Master Thesis - International |
3 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6311 Master Thesis - Intellectual Property |
3 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6312 Master Thesis - Tax |
3 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6313 Master Thesis - Energy |
3 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6314 Master Thesis - Health |
3 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
6300 Government and Nonprofit Externship I |
3 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements at either a nonprofit organization or a government agency. A list of preapproved placements is located on the Externship Program’s webpage at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. If the placement where a student wishes to work for credit is not on the approved list, s/he must seek approval from the Externship Director before accepting a position at that placement. (Students working at law firms, even on a volunteer basis, cannot receive credit under ABA accreditation regulations.) Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Any JD student doing his/her first-ever externship for credit is required to attend an on-campus orientation. The date/time of the orientation is TBD. Students are responsible for reading their law school email and The LEX consistently to keep up with this information as it becomes available. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
6301 Civil Justice Clinic II |
3 |
Students will represent clients in connection with a wide range of Texas civil litigation matters, including family, guardianship, probate, landlord/tenant, deceptive trade practices, real property, bankruptcy, and debt-collection. Representation will include court/trial appearances, mediation, negotiation, document drafting and case investigation. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at https://uhlc.wufoo.com/forms/m1263f5v0xj9tln/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in this course. If you are accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. For fullest consideration, please apply before course registration opens. Students must work in the Clinic 50 hours per course credit hour. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
6317 Mediation Clinic II |
3 |
Mediation Clinic students add to their list of lawyering skills learned prior to graduation by mediating real cases in Justice Courts, the Better Business Bureau, the EEOC, and for parties who have been ordered to mediate by local judges. Students will mediate 2-3 mediations per week throughout the semester. For more information regarding the Mediation Clinic contact Tasha Willis, tlwillis@central.uh.edu. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5199 Journal of Consumer and Commercial Law |
1 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5299 Journal of Consumer and Commercial Law |
2 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5498 Journal of Consumer and Commercial Law |
4 |
|
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5202 Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic II |
2 |
Students represent entrepreneurs, small businesses, and non-profit organizations in connection with entity formation, drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, raising capital, buying and selling equity and assets, working with employees and independent contractors, and other transactional business law matters. Students work under the supervision of a professor who is a member of the State Bar of Texas. The course has a classroom component that meets once each week during the semester. Student attorneys present and discuss their client matters during class meetings. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at https://uhlc.wufoo.com/forms/m1263f5v0xj9tln/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in this course. If you are accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. For fullest consideration, please apply before course registration opens. Students must work in the Clinic 50 hours per course credit hour. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5203 Government and Nonprofit Externship I |
2 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements at either a nonprofit organization or a government agency. A list of preapproved placements is located on the Externship Program’s webpage at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. If the placement where a student wishes to work for credit is not on the approved list, s/he must seek approval from the Externship Director before accepting a position at that placement. (Students working at law firms, even on a volunteer basis, cannot receive credit under ABA accreditation regulations.) Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Any JD student doing his/her first-ever externship for credit is required to attend an on-campus orientation. The date/time of the orientation is TBD. Students are responsible for reading their law school email and The LEX consistently to keep up with this information as it becomes available. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5205 Immigration Clinic II |
2 |
As a student in this clinic, you will participate in the representation of clients with immigration cases. The clinic’s case load includes people seeking asylum and other humanitarian relief from removal, Special Immigrant Juvenile status, and visas for victims of crime and trafficking, in addition to other family-based immigration. You are your client’s attorney and will be responsible for all aspects of the case—client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation and development, working with expert witnesses, legal research, drafting documents and applications, negotiations, and trial advocacy as necessary. You will work under the supervision of one of the professors. In addition to the work you do on your client’s case, known as fieldwork, there is a classroom component to the clinic. The clinic will meet once per week for one hour for case rounds. Case rounds are group problem solving sessions where a team presents a problem to the class and the class helps the team to examine the problem, consider their own goals, and brainstorm solutions. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5301 Immigration Clinic II |
3 |
As a student in this clinic, you will participate in the representation of clients with immigration cases. The clinic’s case load includes people seeking asylum and other humanitarian relief from removal, Special Immigrant Juvenile status, and visas for victims of crime and trafficking, in addition to other family-based immigration. You are your client’s attorney and will be responsible for all aspects of the case—client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation and development, working with expert witnesses, legal research, drafting documents and applications, negotiations, and trial advocacy as necessary. You will work under the supervision of one of the professors. In addition to the work you do on your client’s case, known as fieldwork, there is a classroom component to the clinic. The clinic will meet once per week for one hour for case rounds. Case rounds are group problem solving sessions where a team presents a problem to the class and the class helps the team to examine the problem, consider their own goals, and brainstorm solutions. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5414 Immigration Clinic II |
4 |
As a student in this clinic, you will participate in the representation of clients with immigration cases. The clinic’s case load includes people seeking asylum and other humanitarian relief from removal, Special Immigrant Juvenile status, and visas for victims of crime and trafficking, in addition to other family-based immigration. You are your client’s attorney and will be responsible for all aspects of the case—client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation and development, working with expert witnesses, legal research, drafting documents and applications, negotiations, and trial advocacy as necessary. You will work under the supervision of one of the professors. In addition to the work you do on your client’s case, known as fieldwork, there is a classroom component to the clinic. The clinic will meet once per week for one hour for case rounds. Case rounds are group problem solving sessions where a team presents a problem to the class and the class helps the team to examine the problem, consider their own goals, and brainstorm solutions. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5405 Immigration Clinic I (FLLM ONLY) |
4 |
As a student in this clinic, you will represent an asylum seeker from the first client interview, all the way through to the hearing in front of an immigration judge. You will be your client’s attorney and therefore responsible for all aspects of the case—client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation and development, working with expert witnesses, legal research and drafting documents, negotiations, and trial advocacy. You will work in pairs or groups of three under the supervision of one of the professors. In addition to the work you do on your client’s case, known as fieldwork, there is a classroom component to the clinic. The class will meet twice a week and will include learning lawyering skills, substantive law, procedural rules, and ethical considerations, practicing new skills through simulation, workshopping written product, and participating in case rounds. Case rounds are group problem solving sessions where a team presents a problem to the class and the class helps the team to examine the problem, consider their own goals, and brainstorm solutions. |
Foreign LLM |
Fall 2026 |
5601 Immigration Clinic I |
6 |
As a student in this clinic, you will represent an asylum seeker from the first client interview, all the way through to the hearing in front of an immigration judge. You will be your client’s attorney and therefore responsible for all aspects of the case—client interviewing and counseling, fact investigation and development, working with expert witnesses, legal research and drafting documents, negotiations, and trial advocacy. You will work in pairs or groups of three under the supervision of one of the professors. In addition to the work you do on your client’s case, known as fieldwork, there is a classroom component to the clinic. The class will meet twice a week and will include learning lawyering skills, substantive law, procedural rules, and ethical considerations, practicing new skills through simulation, workshopping written product, and participating in case rounds. Case rounds are group problem solving sessions where a team presents a problem to the class and the class helps the team to examine the problem, consider their own goals, and brainstorm solutions. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5206 Government and Nonprofit Externship II |
2 |
Well in advance of the semester in which they want to work, students should secure their field placements at either a nonprofit organization or government agency. A list of preapproved placements is located on the Externship Program’s webpage at www.law.uh.edu/externship. If the placement which a student wishes to work for credit is NOT on the list, s/he must seek approval from the Externship Director before accepting an position at that placement. (Students working at law firms, even on a volunteer basis, cannot receive credit under ABA accreditations regulations.) Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Students taking an Externship II course have necessarily already completed Externship I; consequently, s/he does not need to attend an orientation prior to starting work. However, Externship II students must still comply with all other externship requirements (time logs, journal entries and/or reflective writing assignments, completion of evaluations, and possibly a face-to-face meeting with the ED.) Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5415 Government and Nonprofit Externship II |
4 |
Well in advance of the semester in which they want to work, students should secure their field placements at either a nonprofit organization or government agency. A list of preapproved placements is located on the Externship Program’s webpage at www.law.uh.edu/externship. If the placement which a student wishes to work for credit is NOT on the list, s/he must seek approval from the Externship Director before accepting an position at that placement. (Students working at law firms, even on a volunteer basis, cannot receive credit under ABA accreditations regulations.) Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Students taking an Externship II course have necessarily already completed Externship I; consequently, s/he does not need to attend an orientation prior to starting work. However, Externship II students must still comply with all other externship requirements (time logs, journal entries and/or reflective writing assignments, completion of evaluations, and possibly a face-to-face meeting with the ED.) Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5416 Civil Justice Clinic I |
4 |
Students will represent clients in connection with a wide range of Texas civil litigation matters, including family, guardianship, probate, landlord/tenant, deceptive trade practices, real property, bankruptcy, and debt-collection. Representation will include court/trial appearances, mediation, negotiation, document drafting and case investigation. The Clinic has a classroom component that meets for two hours each week over the course of the semester. The classroom component will focus on (a) cultivating students’ civil litigation practice skills, (b) introducing substantive law topics within the Clinic’s practice areas, and (c) reviewing and discussing the Clinic’s active cases. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at https://uhlc.wufoo.com/forms/m1263f5v0xj9tln/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in this course. If you are accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. For fullest consideration, please apply before course registration opens. Students must work in the Clinic 50 hours per course credit hour. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5500 Government and Nonprofit Externship I |
5 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements at either a nonprofit organization or a government agency. A list of preapproved placements is located on the Externship Program’s webpage at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. If the placement where a student wishes to work for credit is not on the approved list, s/he must seek approval from the Externship Director before accepting a position at that placement. (Students working at law firms, even on a volunteer basis, cannot receive credit under ABA accreditation regulations.) Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Any JD student doing his/her first-ever externship for credit is required to attend an on-campus orientation. The date/time of the orientation is TBD. Students are responsible for reading their law school email and The LEX consistently to keep up with this information as it becomes available. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5514 Judicial Externship I |
5 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements with a state or federal judge at either the district court or appellate court level. Many judges/justices in the Houston area participate as field placement supervisors, and welcome applications from Rising 2Ls, 2Ls, Rising 3Ls, and 3Ls. If a student wishes to work for judge outside of Houston, s/he should first contact the Externship Director to discuss the possibility, and should do so before accepting a position with that judge. Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Judicial Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Any JD student doing his/her first-ever judicial externship for credit is required to attend an on-campus orientation. The date/time of the orientation is TBD. Students are responsible for reading their law school email and The Lex consistently to keep up with this information as it becomes available. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5600 Judicial Externship I |
6 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements with a state or federal judge at either the district court or appellate court level. Many judges/justices in the Houston area participate as field placement supervisors, and welcome applications from Rising 2Ls, 2Ls, Rising 3Ls, and 3Ls. If a student wishes to work for judge outside of Houston, s/he should first contact the Externship Director to discuss the possibility, and should do so before accepting a position with that judge. Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Judicial Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Any JD student doing his/her first-ever judicial externship for credit is required to attend an on-campus orientation. The date/time of the orientation is TBD. Students are responsible for reading their law school email and The Lex consistently to keep up with this information as it becomes available. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5602 Government and Nonprofit Externship I |
6 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements at either a nonprofit organization or a government agency. A list of preapproved placements is located on the Externship Program’s webpage at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. If the placement where a student wishes to work for credit is not on the approved list, s/he must seek approval from the Externship Director before accepting a position at that placement. (Students working at law firms, even on a volunteer basis, cannot receive credit under ABA accreditation regulations.) Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Any JD student doing his/her first-ever externship for credit is required to attend an on-campus orientation. The date/time of the orientation is TBD. Students are responsible for reading their law school email and The LEX consistently to keep up with this information as it becomes available. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5603 Government and Nonprofit Externship II |
6 |
Well in advance of the semester in which they want to work, students should secure their field placements at either a nonprofit organization or government agency. A list of preapproved placements is located on the Externship Program’s webpage at www.law.uh.edu/externship. If the placement which a student wishes to work for credit is NOT on the list, s/he must seek approval from the Externship Director before accepting an position at that placement. (Students working at law firms, even on a volunteer basis, cannot receive credit under ABA accreditations regulations.) Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Students taking an Externship II course have necessarily already completed Externship I; consequently, s/he does not need to attend an orientation prior to starting work. However, Externship II students must still comply with all other externship requirements (time logs, journal entries and/or reflective writing assignments, completion of evaluations, and possibly a face-to-face meeting with the ED.) Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
6206 Military Justice Clinic II |
2 |
Students in the Military Justice Clinic II course will continue to work with their assigned defense teams on military criminal justice cases pending adverse administrative board hearings and felony-level courts-martial. As members of the defense team, students will participate in pretrial conferencing, strategy sessions, investigation, witness interviews, discovery, expert consultant identification, motions practice, and representation at hearings. The Military Justice Clinic II course will continue the student’s education through practice before military courts and administrative boards. At the conclusion of their clinical work, those students with an interest in further military service will have demonstrated their commitment to service along with valuable practical experience. The Clinic’s supervising attorney will advise and assist those students interested in further service with applications to the multiple services Judge Advocates General Corps. Clinic coursework will consist of a classroom component and a practical component. All case-specific work will remain confidential and protected under the Attorney-Client Privilege. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5224 Civil Justice Clinic II |
2 |
Students will represent clients in connection with a wide range of Texas civil litigation matters, including family, guardianship, probate, landlord/tenant, deceptive trade practices, real property, bankruptcy, and debt-collection. Representation will include court/trial appearances, mediation, negotiation, document drafting and case investigation. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at https://uhlc.wufoo.com/forms/m1263f5v0xj9tln/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in this course. If you are accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. For fullest consideration, please apply before course registration opens. Students must work in the Clinic 50 hours per course credit hour. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5228 Judicial Externship I |
2 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements with a state or federal judge at either the district court or appellate court level. Many judges/justices in the Houston area participate as field placement supervisors, and welcome applications from Rising 2Ls, 2Ls, Rising 3Ls, and 3Ls. If a student wishes to work for judge outside of Houston, s/he should first contact the Externship Director to discuss the possibility, and should do so before accepting a position with that judge. Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Judicial Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Any JD student doing his/her first-ever judicial externship for credit is required to attend an on-campus orientation. The date/time of the orientation is TBD. Students are responsible for reading their law school email and The Lex consistently to keep up with this information as it becomes available. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5229 Judicial Externship II |
2 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements with a state or federal judge at either the district court or appellate court level. Many judges/justices in the Houston area participate as field placement supervisors, and welcome applications from Rising 2Ls, 2Ls, Rising 3Ls, and 3Ls. If a student wishes to work for a judge outside of Houston over the summer, s/he should first contact the Externship Director to discuss the possibility, and should do so before accepting a position with that judge. Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Judicial Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/clinic. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Students in this course do not need to attend an orientation, as they have already completed Judicial Externship I. Students will still be responsible for submitting journal entries and/or reflective writing assignments, time logs, and evaluations, and possibly attending an in-person meeting with the ED over the course of the semester. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5275 Mediation Clinic II |
2 |
Mediation Clinic students add to their list of lawyering skills learned prior to graduation by mediating real cases in Justice Courts, the Better Business Bureau, the EEOC, and for parties who have been ordered to mediate by local judges. Students will mediate 2-3 mediations per week throughout the semester. The Mediation Process class is required at the same time. For more information regarding the Mediation Clinic contact Tasha Willis, tlwillis@central.uh.edu. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5277 Records Sealing and Expunction I |
2 |
Having a criminal or juvenile delinquency record can create major barriers in obtaining employment, financial aid, housing, public benefits, educational and licensing opportunities, and many other benefits. Most juvenile records and certain adult records can be sealed or removed from an individual’s criminal history, thereby increasing opportunities for employment, education, and more. This course will give law students the opportunity to assist real clients and to learn how to practice in three different court systems (juvenile, criminal, and civil) and train students in three different types of records clearing procedures: (1) juvenile records sealing; (2) expunctions of adult criminal records; and (3) nondisclosure orders for adult criminal records. The course has a classroom component that meets once each week in a synchronous online format. Students must apply to the course by submitting the online application at https://uhlc.wufoo.com/forms/m1263f5v0xj9tln/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in this course. If you are accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Affairs. For fullest consideration, please apply before course registration opens. Students must complete 50 hours of work per course credit hour. |
Criminal Law |
Fall 2026 |
5285 Entertainment Law Clinic II |
2 |
The Entertainment Law Clinic is an advanced entertainment law course for students who want to further expand their practical skills in transactional and administrative entertainment practice. Students, having successfully completed the Entertainment Law Clinic I will continue representing clients in various entertainment fields, including music, film and television, dance, and the visual arts. The Entertainment Law Clinic I classroom component will be supplanted by a semester-long case study of litigation in a relevant field, including copyright, trademark, right of publicity or NIL, or entertainment contracts. Students will be expected to develop strategies, analyze legal theories, and critically assess defensive and prosecutorial postures. Students must apply to the clinic by submitting an online application located at http://law.uh.edu/clinic. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in the clinic via PeopleSoft. If your application is accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
5300 Criminal Justice Clinic |
3 |
The Criminal Defense Practice Clinic is a hybrid program offered through the UHLC Clinics Program. It consists of a weekly classroom component along with hands-on practical experience handling misdemeanor and felony cases in the Harris County Criminal District Courts and County Criminal Courts at Law. These cases will be handled by the student attorney from initial arraignment of the client to either a plea bargain, dismissal, or trial at the end of the process. The student attorney will be responsible for all aspects of his or her case, including client interviews and updates; legal research of any issues in the case; analysis and evaluation of the State’s evidence; weighing and considering the various options available to the client for case resolution; and, if needed, sitting first chair during a criminal trial if the client so chooses. During the classroom component, a variety of topics will be discussed, including a detailed walkthrough and analysis of the Harris County criminal justice system, law practice management, trial strategies, and more. Students will also be exposed to the many aspects of the criminal justice system, including hearings before a judge, plea negotiations with prosecutors, and interviews with witnesses. Cases will be selected to provide students with a variety of experiences. It should be noted that essentially all court settings begin at 9am each day, if a case is set for a given day. If you have other classes you need to take that are only held in the morning, you will miss out on a significant source of clinic hours. Please set your schedule accordingly. If you have questions regarding this, please feel free to contact Professors Locascio and Touchstone. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5253 Criminal Justice Clinic II |
2 |
The Criminal Defense Practice Clinic 2 is a hybrid program offered through the UHLC Clinics Program. It consists of a weekly classroom component along with hands-on practical experience handling misdemeanor and felony cases in the Harris County Criminal District Courts and County Criminal Courts at Law. These cases will be handled by the student attorney from initial arraignment of the client to either a plea bargain, dismissal, or trial at the end of the process. The student attorney will be responsible for all aspects of his or her case, including client interviews and updates; legal research of any issues in the case; analysis and evaluation of the State’s evidence; weighing and considering the various options available to the client for case resolution; and, if needed, sitting first chair during a criminal trial if the client so chooses. During the classroom component, a variety of topics will be discussed, including a detailed walkthrough and analysis of the Harris County criminal justice system, law practice management, trial strategies, and more. Students will also be exposed to the many aspects of the criminal justice system, including hearings before a judge, plea negotiations with prosecutors, and interviews with witnesses. Cases will be selected to provide students with a variety of experiences. It should be noted that essentially all court settings begin at 8:30am, 9am, or 9:30am each day depending on the court, if a case is set for a given day. If you have other classes you need to take that are only held in the morning, you will miss out on a significant source of clinic hours. Please set your schedule accordingly. If you have questions regarding this, please feel free to contact Professors Locascio and Touchstone. Text: Required: O’Connor’s Texas Crimes & Consequences, T.B. Todd Dupont II Required: O'Connor's Texas Criminal Offenses & Defenses, Jani Maselli Wood *If you have the required books from previous semesters/years, those can be used for Clinic 2* |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
6340 Criminal Justice Clinic II |
3 |
The Criminal Defense Practice Clinic 2 is a hybrid program offered through the UHLC Clinics Program. It consists of a weekly classroom component along with hands-on practical experience handling misdemeanor and felony cases in the Harris County Criminal District Courts and County Criminal Courts at Law. These cases will be handled by the student attorney from initial arraignment of the client to either a plea bargain, dismissal, or trial at the end of the process. The student attorney will be responsible for all aspects of his or her case, including client interviews and updates; legal research of any issues in the case; analysis and evaluation of the State’s evidence; weighing and considering the various options available to the client for case resolution; and, if needed, sitting first chair during a criminal trial if the client so chooses. During the classroom component, a variety of topics will be discussed, including a detailed walkthrough and analysis of the Harris County criminal justice system, law practice management, trial strategies, and more. Students will also be exposed to the many aspects of the criminal justice system, including hearings before a judge, plea negotiations with prosecutors, and interviews with witnesses. Cases will be selected to provide students with a variety of experiences. It should be noted that essentially all court settings begin at 8:30am, 9am, or 9:30am each day depending on the court, if a case is set for a given day. If you have other classes you need to take that are only held in the morning, you will miss out on a significant source of clinic hours. Please set your schedule accordingly. If you have questions regarding this, please feel free to contact Professors Locascio and Touchstone. Text: Required: O’Connor’s Texas Crimes & Consequences, T.B. Todd Dupont II Required: O'Connor's Texas Criminal Offenses & Defenses, Jani Maselli Wood *If you have the required books from previous semesters/years, those can be used for Clinic 2*Locascio and Touchstone. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5314 Lawyering Skills and Strategies - A2 |
3 |
Lawyering Skills and Strategies I will focus on an introduction to the American legal system and the underlying skills and strategies that lawyers must possess to succeed within it. By working through fact-specific problems both inside and outside the classroom, students will learn to identify legal issues; to locate and to assess the governing law; to gather initial facts from the client; to communicate with the client; to analyze legal issues within the context of particular fact patterns; to cite to the governing law; and to write clear and concise documents that reflect that legal analysis or that address the client’s transactional needs. |
1st Year - Section A |
Fall 2026 |
5319 Introduction to American Law |
3 |
An introduction to U.S. law and the U.S. legal system for foreign lawyers. |
Foreign LLM |
Fall 2026 |
5316 Entertainment Law Clinic II |
3 |
The Entertainment Law Clinic is an advanced entertainment law course for students who want to further expand their practical skills in transactional and administrative entertainment practice. Students, having successfully completed the Entertainment Law Clinic I will continue representing clients in various entertainment fields, including music, film and television, dance, and the visual arts. The Entertainment Law Clinic I classroom component will be supplanted by a semester-long case study of litigation in a relevant field, including copyright, trademark, right of publicity or NIL, or entertainment contracts. Students will be expected to develop strategies, analyze legal theories, and critically assess defensive and prosecutorial postures. Students must apply to the clinic by submitting an online application located at http://law.uh.edu/clinic. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in the clinic via PeopleSoft. If your application is accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
5321 Law Office Management How to Make Money as a Lawyer |
3 |
This course is a guide to understanding how you can be successful financially and thrive as a practicing attorney by either working at a law firm or by starting your own practice. Topics covered include: understanding various firm business models, basic law firm accounting and finance, marketing, professional development, case selection and valuation, law firm niche selection, how firms cash flow, hiring/firing staff, and ethical issues. |
Procedure and Practice |
Fall 2026 |
5322 Pretrial Litigation |
3 |
The objective of the course to provide law students with an opportunity to apply the pre-trial rules of Texas civil procedure to a civil case problem. This course will expose students to the use of the rules in an adversarial setting and require students to engage in advocacy, strategic thinking, and logical analysis. Students will receive actual experience in interfacing with clients, drafting pleadings, interpreting the rules, arguing motions in civil district court, mediating, and taking depositions. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
5328 Judicial Externship I |
3 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements with a state or federal judge at either the district court or appellate court level. Many judges/justices in the Houston area participate as field placement supervisors, and welcome applications from Rising 2Ls, 2Ls, Rising 3Ls, and 3Ls. If a student wishes to work for judge outside of Houston, s/he should first contact the Externship Director to discuss the possibility, and should do so before accepting a position with that judge. Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Judicial Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Any JD student doing his/her first-ever judicial externship for credit is required to attend an on-campus orientation. The date/time of the orientation is TBD. Students are responsible for reading their law school email and The Lex consistently to keep up with this information as it becomes available. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5329 Judicial Externship II |
3 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements with a state or federal judge at either the district court or appellate court level. Many judges/justices in the Houston area participate as field placement supervisors, and welcome applications from Rising 2Ls, 2Ls, Rising 3Ls, and 3Ls. If a student wishes to work for a judge outside of Houston over the summer, s/he should first contact the Externship Director to discuss the possibility, and should do so before accepting a position with that judge. Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Judicial Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/clinic. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Students in this course do not need to attend an orientation, as they have already completed Judicial Externship I. Students will still be responsible for submitting journal entries and/or reflective writing assignments, time logs, and evaluations, and possibly attending an in-person meeting with the ED over the course of the semester. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5331 Anatomy of Corporate Agreement |
3 |
The purpose of this course is to prepare students for their first year of general corporate practice, whether in an in-house, law firm, or solo practice setting, by completing a simulated financing for an M&A transaction. The course will focus on how secured transactions law, bankruptcy law and corporate law influence the structuring and documenting of the financing for a typical M&A transaction. Students will work through a hypothetical transaction that will be the focal point of the entire semester. The class will begin by discussing alternative capital structures and how bank loans are used to finance acquisitions, along with growth and working capital needs. We will then analyze and draft credit and security documents, and learn how specific contract provisions are important to both borrowers and lenders. We will analyze all stages of a finance transaction, and discuss the often divergent strategies and goals of lenders and borrowers. The fundamentals of negotiating critical provisions of a leveraged finance transaction will be stressed, with emphasis on private equity investors and their finance sources. The professor will relate many of his experiences in global finance transactions and share provisions from actual loan documentation to demonstrate how those fundamentals are applied in actual transactions. Although the course will be of particular interest to those pursuing a corporate or commercial law career, the concepts are applicable to any transactional practice. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2026 |
5339 Trusts & Wills |
3 |
This course is designed (i) to expose students to the most essential doctrines of the law of trusts and the law of wills in the context of the law of gratuitous transfers in general; (ii) to familiarize students with significant provisions of statutory laws (including the Texas Probate Code and the Texas Trust Code) of relevance in these fields; and (iii) to help students develop critical problem solving skills in the law of trusts and the law of wills. |
Real Property, Trusts and Estates |
Fall 2026 |
5350 Mediation Clinic I |
3 |
Mediation Clinic students add to their list of lawyering skills learned prior to graduation by mediating real cases in Justice Courts, the Better Business Bureau, the EEOC, and for parties who have been ordered to mediate by local judges. Students will mediate 2-3 mediations per week throughout the semester. For more information regarding the Mediation Clinic contact Tasha Willis, tlwillis@central.uh.edu. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5361 Financial Statement Analysis and Business Practices for Lawyers |
3 |
Financial Statement Analysis and Business Practices for Lawyers is a graduate level course that will cover the area of introductory financial reporting and analysis. Included in the course will be introduction to the mechanics of financial accounting, the building of financial statements, reporting and analysis of financial information and in depth study of accounting principles and procedures. Certain business and financial practices are also covered. The reporting of the financial and operating results of the business entity through the financial statements is a major objective of any company or organization. By the end of this course you will know the reporting requirements of public companies, how the information in the financial statements is used and analyzed and how the information is accounted for and derived in the form of financial statements. You will also know how to read financial statements as a decision maker in evaluating companies and how lawyers must use this information in their practices. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2026 |
5365 Bankruptcy |
3 |
In bankruptcy, the answers are never obvious. Your client’s future will hinge upon whether you can solve seemingly impossible financial and legal issues. In this class, you will learn how to negotiate and litigate using the leverage created by the Bankruptcy Code. You will understand the roles, rights, and responsibilities of debtors, secured creditors, unsecured creditors, advisors, trustees, committees and bankruptcy courts. You will appreciate the differences among Ch. 11 business reorganizations, Ch. 13 consumer rehabilitations, and Ch. 7 liquidations. Guest lecturers from Houston’s bankruptcy community will balance legal theory with practical examples. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2026 |
5386 Trial Advocacy |
3 |
Trial Advocacy and Pretrial Litigation are the core of the Litigation Skills Program. Students completing these two courses graduate with the ability to pick up a case and carry it through from the initial interview to final judgment. The Trial Advocacy course is essential to understanding how disputes are often resolved in our legal system. Students acquire the skills necessary for trying cases by learning how to formulate a case theory, present an opening statement and closing argument, conduct direct and cross examinations of fact and expert witnesses, engage in jury selection, make and respond to evidentiary objections, and perform all other aspects of actually trying a case before a judge or jury. Each week's class consists of a large group session in which there is a discussion and demonstration of the advocacy skill being taught that week. Following the large group sessions, students are broken into small groups in which they meet with several adjunct professors and practice the advocacy skill assigned for that week. Students choose a small group focusing on either civil cases or criminal practice. The Trial Advocacy course ends with a mock trial, complete with a jury, held at the Harris County Civil and Criminal Courthouses. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
5395 Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic II |
3 |
Students represent entrepreneurs, small businesses, and non-profit organizations in connection with entity formation, drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, raising capital, buying and selling equity and assets, working with employees and independent contractors, and other transactional business law matters. Students work under the supervision of a professor who is a member of the State Bar of Texas. The course has a classroom component that meets once each week during the semester. Student attorneys present and discuss their client matters during class meetings. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at https://uhlc.wufoo.com/forms/m1263f5v0xj9tln/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in this course. If you are accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. For fullest consideration, please apply before course registration opens. Students must work in the Clinic 50 hours per course credit hour. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5401 Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic II |
4 |
Students represent entrepreneurs, small businesses, and non-profit organizations in connection with entity formation, drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, raising capital, buying and selling equity and assets, working with employees and independent contractors, and other transactional business law matters. Students work under the supervision of a professor who is a member of the State Bar of Texas. The course has a classroom component that meets once each week during the semester. Student attorneys present and discuss their client matters during class meetings. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at https://uhlc.wufoo.com/forms/m1263f5v0xj9tln/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in this course. If you are accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. For fullest consideration, please apply before course registration opens. Students must work in the Clinic 50 hours per course credit hour. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5402 Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic I |
4 |
Students represent entrepreneurs, small businesses, and non-profit organizations in connection with entity formation, drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, raising capital, buying and selling equity and assets, working with employees and independent contractors, and other transactional business law matters. Students work under the supervision of a professor who is a member of the State Bar of Texas. The clinic has a classroom component that meets once each week for 2 hours over the course of the semester. Student attorneys present and discuss their client matters during class meetings. The classroom component also provides students with a solid understanding of contract drafting and other skills necessary to be a successful transactional attorney. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at https://uhlc.wufoo.com/forms/m1263f5v0xj9tln/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in this course. If you are accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. For fullest consideration, please apply before course registration opens. Students must work in the Clinic 50 hours per course credit hour. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5400 Government and Nonprofit Externship I |
4 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements at either a nonprofit organization or a government agency. A list of preapproved placements is located on the Externship Program’s webpage at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. If the placement where a student wishes to work for credit is not on the approved list, s/he must seek approval from the Externship Director before accepting a position at that placement. (Students working at law firms, even on a volunteer basis, cannot receive credit under ABA accreditation regulations.) Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Any JD student doing his/her first-ever externship for credit is required to attend an on-campus orientation. The date/time of the orientation is TBD. Students are responsible for reading their law school email and The LEX consistently to keep up with this information as it becomes available. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5404 Civil Justice Clinic II |
4 |
Students will represent clients in connection with a wide range of Texas civil litigation matters, including family, guardianship, probate, landlord/tenant, deceptive trade practices, real property, bankruptcy, and debt-collection. Representation will include court/trial appearances, mediation, negotiation, document drafting and case investigation. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at https://uhlc.wufoo.com/forms/m1263f5v0xj9tln/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in this course. If you are accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. For fullest consideration, please apply before course registration opens. Students must work in the Clinic 50 hours per course credit hour. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5403 Street Law I |
4 |
Law students will teach students in Houston Area high schools and juvenile probation facilities about the law focusing on constitutional law and advocacy skills. Street Law empowers young people to be active, engaged citizens by equipping them with the legal knowledge and advocacy skills they need to successfully participate in their communities. Law students will gain important and useful skills applicable to all future practice areas including, gaining a greater understanding of substantive law; learning how to effectively explain that law to lay people; developing public speaking skills; fostering the ability to think on their feet; improving legal research and writing skills; and understanding the legal system in the context of persons directly affected by it. Students will participate in a weekly seminar class that will provide the resources and tools necessary for teaching the law to high school age students and will commit to teach approximately 3 hours a week in a high school or a juvenile probation facility. This includes preparing lesson plans and developing innovative and creative teaching skills to encourage enthusiastic class participation. Students will have substantial creative license in the creation of their specific and unique teaching techniques. Students must complete 50 hours of course work per course credit hour. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5412 Judicial Externship II |
4 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements with a state or federal judge at either the district court or appellate court level. Many judges/justices in the Houston area participate as field placement supervisors, and welcome applications from Rising 2Ls, 2Ls, Rising 3Ls, and 3Ls. If a student wishes to work for a judge outside of Houston over the summer, s/he should first contact the Externship Director to discuss the possibility, and should do so before accepting a position with that judge. Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Judicial Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/clinic. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Students in this course do not need to attend an orientation, as they have already completed Judicial Externship I. Students will still be responsible for submitting journal entries and/or reflective writing assignments, time logs, and evaluations, and possibly attending an in-person meeting with the ED over the course of the semester. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5411 Military Justice Clinic |
4 |
Students in the Military Justice Clinic will be assigned to defense teams in military criminal justice cases pending adverse administrative board hearings and felony-level courts-martial. As members of the defense team, students will participate in pretrial conferencing, strategy sessions, investigation, witness interviews, discovery, expert consultant identification, motions practice, and representation at hearings. The Military Justice Clinic will serve to familiarize students with practice before military courts and administrative boards. At the conclusion of their clinical work, those students with an interest in further military service will have demonstrated their commitment to service along with valuable practical experience. The Clinic’s supervising attorney will advise and assist those students interested in further service with applications to the multiple services Judge Advocates General Corps. Clinic coursework will consist of a classroom component and a practical component. All case-specific work will remain confidential and protected under the Attorney-Client Privilege. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5413 Military Justice Clinic II |
4 |
Students in the Military Justice Clinic II course will continue to work with their assigned defense teams on military criminal justice cases pending adverse administrative board hearings and felony-level courts-martial. As members of the defense team, students will participate in pretrial conferencing, strategy sessions, investigation, witness interviews, discovery, expert consultant identification, motions practice, and representation at hearings. The Military Justice Clinic II course will continue the student’s education through practice before military courts and administrative boards. At the conclusion of their clinical work, those students with an interest in further military service will have demonstrated their commitment to service along with valuable practical experience. The Clinic’s supervising attorney will advise and assist those students interested in further service with applications to the multiple services Judge Advocates General Corps. Clinic coursework will consist of a classroom component and a practical component. All case-specific work will remain confidential and protected under the Attorney-Client Privilege. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
6213 Innocence Investigations |
2 |
Innocence Investigations 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. Students investigate inmates’ claims of actual innocence and assist attorneys in providing post-conviction legal assistance once those claims are verified. NO BOOK FOR THIS COURSE. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
6331 Military Justice Clinic II |
3 |
Students in the Military Justice Clinic II course will continue to work with their assigned defense teams on military criminal justice cases pending adverse administrative board hearings and felony-level courts-martial. As members of the defense team, students will participate in pretrial conferencing, strategy sessions, investigation, witness interviews, discovery, expert consultant identification, motions practice, and representation at hearings. The Military Justice Clinic II course will continue the student’s education through practice before military courts and administrative boards. At the conclusion of their clinical work, those students with an interest in further military service will have demonstrated their commitment to service along with valuable practical experience. The Clinic’s supervising attorney will advise and assist those students interested in further service with applications to the multiple services Judge Advocates General Corps. Clinic coursework will consist of a classroom component and a practical component. All case-specific work will remain confidential and protected under the Attorney-Client Privilege. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
6322 Military Justice Clinic |
3 |
Students in the Military Justice Clinic will be assigned to defense teams in military criminal justice cases pending adverse administrative board hearings and felony-level courts-martial. As members of the defense team, students will participate in pretrial conferencing, strategy sessions, investigation, witness interviews, discovery, expert consultant identification, motions practice, and representation at hearings. The Military Justice Clinic will serve to familiarize students with practice before military courts and administrative boards. At the conclusion of their clinical work, those students with an interest in further military service will have demonstrated their commitment to service along with valuable practical experience. The Clinic’s supervising attorney will advise and assist those students interested in further service with applications to the multiple services Judge Advocates General Corps. Clinic coursework will consist of a classroom component and a practical component. All case-specific work will remain confidential and protected under the Attorney-Client Privilege. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
6240 Death Penalty & Criminal Appeals Clinic |
2 |
Death Penalty & Criminal Appeals Clinic 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. Students investigate claims related to the guilt-innocence and punishment aspects of death-penalty cases; and research/draft direct appeals, post-conviction appeals, and/or clemency petitions. Although the same substantive material is covered in both Innocence Investigations and Death Penalty & Criminal Appeals Clinic, the classes differ in terms of the type of case work performed by students. Death Penalty & Criminal Appeals Clinic students work on claims related to both actual and legal innocence. Given the fact that criminal appeals have strict filing deadlines, it is vital that Death Penalty & Criminal Appeals Clinic students adhere to deadlines set by the course instructor. NO BOOK FOR THIS COURSE. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
6335 Entertainment Law Clinic |
3 |
The Entertainment Law Clinic is an advanced entertainment law course for students who have completed the prerequisite substantive Entertainment Law course and seek practical experience in transactional and administrative entertainment practice. Students will represent clients in various entertainment fields, including music, film and television, dance, and art, as well as small businesses and non-profits operating in these fields. Students will principally focus on trademark and copyright prosecution and counseling, contract drafting and negotiation, royalty stream creation and retention. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
6355 Government and Nonprofit Externship II |
3 |
Well in advance of the semester in which they want to work, students should secure their field placements at either a nonprofit organization or government agency. A list of preapproved placements is located on the Externship Program’s webpage at www.law.uh.edu/externship. If the placement which a student wishes to work for credit is NOT on the list, s/he must seek approval from the Externship Director before accepting an position at that placement. (Students working at law firms, even on a volunteer basis, cannot receive credit under ABA accreditations regulations.) Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Students taking an Externship II course have necessarily already completed Externship I; consequently, s/he does not need to attend an orientation prior to starting work. However, Externship II students must still comply with all other externship requirements (time logs, journal entries and/or reflective writing assignments, completion of evaluations, and possibly a face-to-face meeting with the ED.) Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
6364 Contract Drafting |
3 |
This simulation course's goal is to help a new lawyer impress his- or her first supervising attorneys with how knowledgeable the new lawyer is about the ways that businesses use contracts to work together. We will draft a series of contracts for a small tech company, "MathWhiz," including for its dealings with a giant corporate customer, "Gigunda Energy." Along the way, we will study the following, among other things." • key legal doctrines that could cause big future problems for clients if not dealt with properly • business planning, a.k.a. R.O.O.F.: Rooting Out Opportunities for [Failure] • watching out for SPP, i.e., S[tuff] People Pull • creating contractual incentives for good behavior to help head off disputes • specific techniques for drafting contracts that can be quickly reviewed and negotiated • spotting and eliminating ambiguities, which can be a leading cause of contract-related disputes • how not to get taken advantage of in contract negotiations • avoiding jail time for both clients and lawyers • earning a reputation as a deal-maker, not a deal-breaker • positioning the client for future litigation without spooking the other side While this course no longer satisfies the upper-division writing course requirement, students will still get considerable practice in drafting workable, readable contract language. Class sessions spend a lot of time brainstorming and war-gaming typical real-world business situations. Socratic method is used extensively, but in a modified form: Most questions are posted in advance; when a question is posed in class, students are asked to turn to their neighbors and discuss, then the question is discussed by the whole class. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2026 |
5391 Immigration and Family Law |
3 |
In this class, students will work individually and in groups to find legal solutions to hypothetical situations where immigration and family law intersect (e.g. marriage/paternity, divorce/custody, adoption, domestic violence, and the Hague Convention). Students will study and learn about family-based immigration law and how it relates to representation of individuals in both family and immigration court. This course will help students develop the practical skills that will enable them to successfully represent clients who are seeking immigration benefits through a family member and the practical aspects of representation of non-citizens in family court. |
International Law |
Fall 2026 |
5326 Criminal Procedure |
3 |
This constitutional law course involves the police investigation of criminal activities. Topics include the rules governing search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment, confessions under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments, the role of the due process clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments with respect to the foregoing, and the remedy of exclusion for constitutional violations. |
Criminal Law |
Fall 2026 |
6224 Remedies |
2 |
This course deals with the wide array of legal and equitable remedies available in civil actions - including injunctions (and the related contempt power), specific performance, common law "writs," restitution, money damages, attorney's fees, and pre-judgment interest. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2026 |
7334 WRS 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 |
Fall 2026 |
6319 Civil Procedure (FLLM Only) |
3 |
This course provides an introduction to the civil adjudicative process, primarily that of the federal courts, including jurisdiction, pleading, dispositive motions, discovery, and trial procedures. |
Foreign LLM |
Fall 2026 |
6238 International Risk Management |
2 |
This course will look at the legal framework for international oilfield service contracts, including both substantive law and practical counseling. The issues and solutions discussed in this course will be similar to those that arise in many other international agreements for the sale of services, which commonly form the substance of much international legal work in Houston. The course would be divided into three basic segments: 1. The first part of the course will set forth the background of international oilfield services contracts, including a review of the underlying treaties, statutes and regulations applicable to these contracts. These would include treaties and laws regulating the creation of oilfield projects, including international trade agreements, such as the WTO. This part will also include a series of discussions and reading assignments relating to enforcement, through litigation or arbitration, of international energy projects, including the New York Convention for Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, extraterritorial aspects of U.S. law, and conflict of laws and comparative law issues (e.g., differences between the law of the United States and England, as well as the general principals of law in common law and civil law countries). 2. The second part of the course will involve analysis of a specific hypothetical drilling agreement. We will use a format that involves the client having negotiated the basic terms of the agreement, which must then be dealt with by the attorneys for the client. The class will assist in the initial evaluation of the deal to advise the client concerning the risks that the company has undertaken. 3. The third part of the course will involve an analysis of problems that arise under the hypothetical drilling agreement, including: counseling of the client as the drilling commences and problems begin to arise; counseling the client and assisting the client them in protecting the company’s interests as the contract begins to slide towards dispute resolution; the conduct of the arbitration, with an emphasis on the strategic elements thereof. This will include multi-national mechanisms for the protection of assets. In each of the above stages, the General Counsel for the client will provide feedback to the class concerning the pragmatic, practical steps that should be taken to protect the client’s interest. The senior partners of your firm will serve as your mentor as to the substantive legal issues before you. The students will be given a project in which they will draft relevant contract provisions based on the materials taught in the first part of the course. The work will be discussed in class, citing specific “client issues and goals.” The students will participate in teams and will then be asked to redraft the provisions to provide solutions. A “model redraft” of the contract will then be given to the class. The students will be graded in two parts. First, they will be asked to analyze the “model redraft” provisions based on the legal issues and rules matters studied during the the course. This portion of the course will count for 20% of the final grade. Second, 80 percent of the grade will be based on a final exam that will be comprehensive and will cover the entire course material. |
International Law |
Fall 2026 |
6353 Well-Being in the Law |
3 |
This course will offer an in-depth exploration of the factors that influence physical, emotional, social, and financial well-being, particularly in law students and lawyers. We will learn techniques and participate in mindfulness activities (including meditation, yoga, sound baths, and others) designed to improve awareness of—and enhance—our own well-being. Experienced practitioners in various mindfulness disciplines, financial professionals, and practicing lawyers will join as guest speakers throughout the semester. This is an experiential course and will require your active participation. |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 2026 |
5409 Contracts- B2 |
4 |
This course examines legally enforceable promises. The topics include contract formation, contract interpretation, the performance of contractual obligations, defenses to breaches of contract, and remedies. |
1st Year - Section B |
Fall 2026 |
5204 Commercial Finance Transactions |
2 |
This course will immerse students in practical business and legal concepts inherent in commercial financing transactions and demonstrate how those issues manifest themselves in the financing documents drafted by lawyers. Students will learn the provisions of financing documents, and, importantly, learn the legal and business issues behind the provisions. The tools and concepts taught in class lectures will be implemented by students in practice through negotiation and drafting of a commercial loan utilizing real world current forms of a syndicated credit agreement and term sheet. This course will provide the basic foundational legal and business concepts related to commercial loan agreements that practicing attorneys wish all first year attorneys were already familiar with. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2026 |
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 140 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 |
Fall 2026 |
5246 Lawyers as Leaders |
2 |
Throughout history, lawyers have played critical leadership roles in both the public and private sector. In every aspect of American society, lawyers lead and actively serve in leadership capacities in their communities and the legal profession. While leadership training is part of the fabric of law school, specific emphasis and training is important and helpful to adequately equip our graduates with the leadership skills needed in this increasingly-complex and ever-changing professional environment. Recent studies show that an ever-increasing number of employers are seeking graduates with leadership skillsets. Topics will include leadership styles and strategies, personality assessments, public service and professional responsibilities, and leadership opportunities for lawyers. Using a variety of study methods, students will discuss leadership lessons learned by experienced leaders through challenging circumstances. Using introspective tools and team-building exercises, students will boost strengths and minimize weaknesses to better equip them for their future. |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 2026 |
5382 Administrative Law |
3 |
Administrative agencies execute laws affecting almost every aspect of modern legal practice and daily life — including regulating labor-management relations, patents, telecommunications, workplace health and safety, financial markets, national security, immigration, and much more. This course covers the principles and procedures common to all federal agencies, derived in large part from the U.S. Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act. Topics include the sources of agency authority, the constitutional and statutory framework that governs agency adjudication and rulemaking, the role of agencies in interpreting statutes and regulations, and judicial review of agency actions. |
Procedure and Practice |
Fall 2026 |
6373 Tax Policy |
3 |
Designed (i) to introduce students to recurring themes of tax policy; and (ii) to develop students’ ability to analyze and discuss existing and proposed laws in terms of the tax policies that such laws do and do not serve. |
Taxation |
Fall 2026 |
6203 Bankruptcy Tax |
2 |
Bankruptcy Tax explores the resolution of the conflicting policies underlying the bankruptcy laws and the tax laws. When should generally applicable procedures for the determination and collection of taxes by modified to accommodate the orderly administration of a debtor's bankruptcy estate? When should rules requiring taxation of debt relief be overriden in the interests of affording a fresh start? How should rules limiting carryover of corporate losses be adjusted to recognize the investment of creditors in those losses? We will carefully explore bankruptcy rules circumscribing the audit and tax determination procedures, the place of interest and penalties under the Bankruptcy Code, The tax implications of modifying debt, the exclusion of a debtor's discharge of indebtedness from gross income and the consequent reduction of his tax attributes, and the conditions for mitigation in bankruptcy of rules cutting off losses and credits when ownership changes occur. |
Taxation |
Fall 2026 |
6377 Entertainment Law |
3 |
The course will focus on the constitutional, statutory, and common law framework of entertainment law and its practical implications for practitioners. With the Constitution as our base camp, we will explore the fusion of laws that govern the world of entertainment, including copyrights, trademarks, contracts, and tort law. We will then analyze their impact on the business and legal affairs of recording artists, record companies, publishers, radio and TV broadcasting, and the motion picture industry. The goal will be not only to provide you with a comprehensive insight into this unique field but also prepare you to advise clients with entertainment law related issues, whether they will be in transactions or litigation. Your Grade: Your course grade will be determined by a open-book final exam with short answer questions, longer answer questions, true/false questions which ask you to explain your answer, and multiple choice questions. The exam will count for 90% of your grade. The other 10% of your grade will be based on class participation, so come prepared to take part in class with the skill and eloquence of Vincent Gambini. While I will enforce attendance to the extent required by the school, your failure to attend and participate will be your loss. Since the course will not require a paper or homework assignments, the reading assignments will be non-wimpy. The class Web Board, which includes past exams and student answers, will give you an idea of what the course will cover. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
6333 International Intellectual Property |
3 |
This course covers international intellectual property ("IP") law from the following perspectives: (i) private international IP law (ii) public international IP law, such as under multilateral treaties, and (iii) comparative aspects of IP law among the major trading countries or regions of the world. The course is designed to introduce students to key international IP issues, principles and policy questions. Although it will cover several areas of IP law, it will focus more heavily on patents. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
5377 Admiralty, Maritime Commerce |
3 |
This course will cover the general maritime law of commerce, including: maritime jurisdiction (in rem, quasi in rem and in personam) and the interplay between state and federal jurisdiction under the Savings to Suitors Clause, maritime procedure and substantive maritime law including contracts, torts (other than personal injury & wrongful death), collisions, cargo, limitation of liability, insurance, maritime liens, tugs, towage, pilotage and salvage. Whether or not one ever anticipates practicing maritime law to any great extent, the intent is that the student will come away with a much better understanding of federal jurisdiction and its impact on litigation practice generally. |
International Law |
Fall 2026 |
6220 Trademark Prosecution |
2 |
This two-hour course provides hands-on training and instruction on the procedure of Trademark prosecution, from pre-application searching and client admonishment through the filing of renewal documents ten years after registration. Particular attention will be paid to the bases for application-filings and common refusals. Class discussion will focus on the law, precedent, and the USPTO’s Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure. The course will also familiarize students with the electronic systems used by the trademark bar for searching databases of current registrations and pending applications, filing electronic applications, and responding to official correspondence issued by the USPTO. Upon completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and understanding required to prosecute a trademark registration for others when licensed to practice law. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
6205 Patent Prosecution |
2 |
This simulation course approaches patent prosecution from a practical perspective, aiming to equip students with fundamental skills not only in claim drafting, but also in argumentation, advocacy, and collaboration with inventors, clients, and patent examiners. An overarching goal of this course is to help students to begin developing an identity as an intellectual property counselor—a practitioner whose mission is far broader than merely to secure patent protection. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
5232 Trade Secrets |
2 |
In 2016, trade secret law became more important when the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) became federal law. This course studies the doctrine surrounding trade secrets – secret information that gives a company a competitive advantage. It examines ways in which an organization can identify and protect trade secret rights, as well as methods for enforcing those rights in court and otherwise focused predominantly on the trade secret misappropriation through an in-depth discussion of various provisions of the Uniform Trade Secret Act (state law), the DTSA (federal law), the Economic Espionage Act (federal law), and relevant case law. The course also examines issues related to employment (training, policy, hiring, firing), non-disclosure agreements, the relationship between trade secret law and unfair competition, and implied obligations concerning the use of confidential information. Most commercial litigators regularly have trade secret causes of action, so trade secret law is important for both the IP-litigator and the general litigator alike. It is also important for the transactional attorney, particularly as it relates to compliance and data protection. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
5379 Copyright Law |
3 |
Basic Copyright, platformed on Copyright Act of 1976 as amended. (For primary emphasis on Internet, international, etc., see advanced courses in IPIL curriculum.) |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
5368 Estate Planning |
3 |
This course is designed (i) to familiarize students with statutory law (including the Internal Revenue Code and Texas Probate Code), case law, and administrative law of relevance in the practice area of estate planning; and (ii) to develop students¿ ability to understand and apply basic estate planning techniques. |
Taxation |
Fall 2026 |
5267 Tax Accounting |
2 |
Study of methods of accounting in the context of Federal tax laws including cash, accrual, installment methods, inventory taxation and time value of money concepts. The course will focus on the appropriate taxable year for including items of income, gain, loss and expense. The course will cover cash, accrual, installment and inventory methods as well as time value of money rules. The course will cover various judicial doctrines of taxation including the tax benefit rule, claim of right doctrine, economic benefit doctrine and constructive receipt concepts. Through the case method, students will learn the application of the principles of taxation in the context of tax planning. The reasoning and methodology utilized in the course will provide a sound basis for the study and analysis advanced tax topics in subsequent courses. |
Taxation |
Fall 2026 |
5338 Legal Writing |
3 |
This is a course in two parts: As a preliminary matter, this course focuses on an introduction to the American legal education system and the skills a student must possess to succeed. The curriculum will include instruction in the case method of the study of law in the United States, including briefing a case and recitation; the importance of outlining as a method of exam preparation; and actual exam writing skills, especially if a majority of students are more familiar with an oral exam tradition. Then this course shifts focus to a skills-based examination of the U.S. legal system. This curriculum will be problem-based, using fact-pattern simulations to develop oral communication, legal writing, research, and analysis skills essential to practice in the U.S. legal system. |
Foreign LLM |
Fall 2026 |
5288 Tax Ethics |
2 |
This course covers Tax Ethics and Professional Responsibility of the Tax Attorney. We will exam and review the interaction of various laws, regulations, and cases which govern the professional conduct of the tax attorney and other tax professionals. At the end of this course the student should understand the role of the tax lawyer in the practice of tax law; the rules and regulations which govern the professional ethics and responsibility to the client and the legal system in the area of tax practice. |
Taxation |
Fall 2026 |
6386 Oil & Gas Tax |
3 |
Oil and Gas Income Taxation covers the United States federal income taxation of domestic oil and gas operations and transactions. The course examines taxation associated with the operational life cycle of oil and gas operations including exploration, development, production and abandonment. The study of transactions involving oil and gas interests analyzes acquisition, disposition, structuring and investment. Course participants learn the historical context and development of oil and gas provisions found in the U.S. tax law. Current tax legislative proposals or enactments that affect the oil and gas industry are addressed if warranted. The emphasis is on federal income taxation of domestic oil and gas transactions, although certain international tax aspects of the oil and gas business will be referenced and contrasted throughout the class. |
Taxation |
Fall 2026 |
5387 International Tax |
3 |
This course provides a comprehensive analysis of the two most important fundamental areas of the U.S. income taxation system relevant to cross-border transactions: i) How does the United States tax non-resident aliens and foreign corporations on their income derived from U.S. sources? and, ii) How does the United States tax U.S. persons and U.S. corporations on the income which they receive from sources outside the United States? Specific topics to be covered will include: a) Taxation of U.S. citizens and enterprises organizing businesses and realizing income in foreign locations, including the use of the foreign tax credit and the taxation of tax haven based income b) U.S. and foreign income tax treatment of export and import income c) The possible economic reallocation of income and deductions between U.S. enterprises and related foreign enterprises d) Taxation of (i) foreign portfolio income realized by foreigners in the U.S., (ii) foreign businesses deriving income in the United States and (iii) gains from foreign investment in U.S. real estate; and (e) Foreign currency transactions. |
Taxation |
Fall 2026 |
5459 Federal Income Tax |
4 |
Federal Income taxation is a core course that is essential for students that want to practice business or commercial law. This course is designed (i) to introduce students to the basic doctrines of federal income tax law in the context of federal tax policy; (ii) to familiarize students with significant provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and United States Treasury regulations that govern personal income taxation, as well as judicial and administrative decisions interpreting the same; and (iii) to help students develop critical problem solving and issue identification skills in federal income tax law. Because tax issues can have a significant impact on a wide array of legal contracts and legal arrangement, it is important that practicing lawyers have the ability to identify tax issues in the course of their representation of clients. |
Taxation |
Fall 2026 |
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 2026 |
6233 Internet Law |
2 |
This course covers a survey of legal issues arising from the rapid growth of the internet and other on-line communications. The focus will be on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights on the Internet, including copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets. The course will also include discussion on jurisdictional issues, data privacy, and computer crime. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
6500 Government and Nonprofit Externship II |
5 |
Well in advance of the semester in which they want to work, students should secure their field placements at either a nonprofit organization or government agency. A list of preapproved placements is located on the Externship Program’s webpage at www.law.uh.edu/externship. If the placement which a student wishes to work for credit is NOT on the list, s/he must seek approval from the Externship Director before accepting an position at that placement. (Students working at law firms, even on a volunteer basis, cannot receive credit under ABA accreditations regulations.) Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Students taking an Externship II course have necessarily already completed Externship I; consequently, s/he does not need to attend an orientation prior to starting work. However, Externship II students must still comply with all other externship requirements (time logs, journal entries and/or reflective writing assignments, completion of evaluations, and possibly a face-to-face meeting with the ED.) Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5134 Advanced Legal Research: Trial Advocacy |
1 |
This is a specialized course on legal research methods as they pertain to trial advocacy. It will cover general legal research topics and resources (issue analysis, secondary sources, statutes, cases, etc.) within the litigation context, focusing on practical application. Students will apply their skills through research problems that simulate legal practice. |
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5242 Intermediate Legal Research |
2 |
Building on the legal research process introduced in Lawyering Skills and Strategies, Intermediate Legal Research focuses on using print and electronic research tools to find and analyze legal information. Students will apply their research and analysis skills to simulated research problems from clients and build on their basic techniques for finding and analyzing legal information in the major electronic databases and cost-effective alternatives. Students will also be introduced to research tools and strategies not included in the LSS curriculum, including regulatory research, legislative history research, and more. |
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5344 Appellate Advocacy |
3 |
The course introduces students to appellate advocacy and the appellate process, with a focus on oral appellate advocacy. Students engage with a hypothetical problem by identifying, researching, and analyzing legal issues and then honing their appellate advocacy skills with briefing and oral arguments. The course culminates with students delivering an oral argument to a panel. This is an experiential, simulation course. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
6360 Trial Advocacy for Non-Litigators |
3 |
Trial Advocacy for Non-Litigators provides students who do not have any trial experience with a chance to gain basic litigation training. This class is ideal for students who plan to pursue a career as a transactional attorney, but want to acquire the knowledge and skills required to try a case. The class is a mirror of the evening trial advocacy class, so students will learn the skills of case analysis, direct examination, cross examination, opening statement, closing argument, and voir dire. The course provides learning by doing and requires skill performance by each student every week. The final examination is a full jury trial. Evidence is not a requirement for this course. Evidentiary issues relating to the case files will be identified by faculty and discussed in class. Mock trial students or students with previous trial training are not eligible for this class. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
7335 WRS Animal Law |
3 |
Animal Law is one of the fastest growing fields of legal practice and may involve issues of constitutional law, administrative law, environmental law, family law, and estates and trusts. In this class, we will address a broad range of topics including: the historical status of animals in the law; state legislative efforts and citizen initiatives to strengthen animal protection laws; the application of federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare Act, to captive animals, wildlife, and farm animals; animal-related torts; constitutional standing to sue on behalf of animals; companion animals and the law; and the movement to obtain legal recognition of the rights of animals. All perspectives will be considered in class discussion and assignments. Students will be assessed through a combination of classroom participation, written reflections, and a final paper. |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 2026 |
5262 Healthcare Compliance |
2 |
This course will examine health care compliance programs and the laws, regulations, and federal guidance attendant thereto, including OIG rules and federal agency enforcement actions. This course will explore ethical considerations of building effective compliance programs, including state law implications. This course will explore how to handle both internal and external investigations, including whistle-blower actions. This course will focus on the practical implications of laws that apply to health care organizations, and how organizations help ensure adherence to relevant rules through effective compliance programs. |
Health Law |
Fall 2026 |
6232 HIPAA |
2 |
This course is designed to help you understand the HIPAA Privacy Rule, and will look at the requirements of covered entities, business associates, and subcontractors. The course is open to all JD and LL.M students, and while recommended it is not required. The course will start with an overview of the HIPAA rule, and students will achieve an understanding of who is and who is not a covered entity, what constitutes protected health information, and how protected health information can and cannot be used or disclosed within the rule. The course will look beyond the rights of individuals to explore the public policy exceptions within the rule, and will look at when protected health information may be used or disclosed without specific permission, when oral permission to disclose limited information is sufficient, and when written disclosure is required. Limitations to disclosure for marketing and fundraising purposes will be discussed, as will specific requirements for psychotherapy notes. Notification requirements with regard to breaches and complaints as well as other administrative requirements will also be discussed. The course will consist of 15 sections; some but not all may be covered in a single session. 1) Introduction, overview, and covered entities 2) Protected health information 3) Uses and disclosures for treatment, payment, or operations 4) Uses and disclosures allowed under public policy 5) Disclosures for which oral permission is allowed 6) Uses and disclosures for which written authorization is required 7) Special considerations for disclosures of heightened protections 8) Uses and disclosures related to fundraising 9) Special considerations for research disclosures not requiring authorization 10) Business Associates and Business Associate agreements 11) Miscellaneous issues 12) Individual rights 13) Compliance and enforcement 14) Organizational issues 15) Preemption The course will use handout material and linked references; students will be required to prepare the assigned readings. A number of relevant cases will be discussed as time permits. A midterm written examination will be given, and we will discuss whether or not that should count toward the final grade on the first day of class. There will be a two-hour written final examination that will have both multiple-choice questions and an essay. Class participation and level of preparation may be counted toward the final grade. Attendance as required per University of Houston Law Center standards, and attendance will be recorded. The use of personal computers in class is restricted to activity related to this class; violations will be noted. Office hours are before each of the class sessions in the Health Law & Policy Institute library, or by arrangement. |
Health Law |
Fall 2026 |
5258 Eminent Domain and Private Property Rights |
2 |
Texas is home to eight of the nation’s 15 fastest-growing cities and boasts five of the top 10 cities in the total number of new residents. This growth is not a new phenomenon. Texas has added more residents than any other state since 2000. But what happens when the infrastructure growth associated with the Texas population boom impacts private property owners? An inherent tension exists between public projects needed to accommodate Texas’s expansive growth and fundamental property rights protected by the U.S. and Texas Constitutions. Eminent domain—the power of a governmental entity (or those with its delegated authority) to take private property and convert it into public use for just compensation—is designed to balance public and private property interests. Class discussions and reading assignments will explore whether the current eminent domain framework protects property owners and the public. The subject is generally divided into two interrelated parts: (1) the origins of eminent domain, public use, and public necessity; and (2) “just” compensation (including evidentiary and procedural issues that impact value). |
Real Property, Trusts and Estates |
Fall 2026 |
6226 Advanced Oil & Gas Contract Drafting |
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 2026 |
5327 Asylum Law |
3 |
This course will cover United States asylum and refugee law, as well as protection under the Convention Against Torture and withholding of removal. |
International Law |
Summer I 2026 |
5120 Texas Legal Research |
1 |
This course will expand on research skills explored in your first-year lawyering skills and strategies course with a focus on Texas specific resources. Topics for the class will include sources for Texas case law, statutory, and regulatory research; secondary sources and practitioners’ materials specific to Texas; and understanding and using Texas legislative histories. Throughout the course, you will learn the research skills typical of a new attorney. You will know how to: • Identify a full range of Texas primary and secondary materials available, regardless of type or format • Locate Texas statutes, rules, and regulations using effective and efficient search techniques • Analyze and interpret what you find • Apply your research findings to a set of facts based in Texas law |
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5140 Legal Methods |
1 |
This listing is a non-operational placeholder. Students cannot directly register for this course. General information about this course is available here: https://law.uh.edu/student/academic-success/homepage.asp#LegalMethods This pass/fail course heightens skills and techniques for learning law and demonstrating legal knowledge in academic and applied environments. The day and evening programs are considered together for the class rank assessment. Students who vest into the course must complete it with a pass before continuing with the J.D. program in the semester that the course immediately precedes. |
1st Year - Electives |
Fall 2026 |
5407 Judicial Externship I |
4 |
Well in advance of the semester during which they want to work, students should secure their own field placements with a state or federal judge at either the district court or appellate court level. Many judges/justices in the Houston area participate as field placement supervisors, and welcome applications from Rising 2Ls, 2Ls, Rising 3Ls, and 3Ls. If a student wishes to work for judge outside of Houston, s/he should first contact the Externship Director to discuss the possibility, and should do so before accepting a position with that judge. Once a student secures a position, s/he must apply to the Judicial Externship Program at www.law.uh.edu/externship/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re approved, the Externship Director will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. Any JD student doing his/her first-ever judicial externship for credit is required to attend an on-campus orientation. The date/time of the orientation is TBD. Students are responsible for reading their law school email and The Lex consistently to keep up with this information as it becomes available. Students will be required to work at their placements for 60 hours to earn each hour of academic credit. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5363 Securities Regulation |
3 |
SECURITIES REGULATION Federal securities law has three basic policy goals: (a) providing information to investors; (b) ensuring the orderly operation of American securities markets; and (c) preventing fraud. The course in Securities Regulation focuses on each of these areas. The first part of the course considers the law applicable to selling securities to the public. Specifically, it deals with the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the exemptions that allow issuers to escape registration. The second part of the course examines the regulation of markets, brokers, and dealers by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The third part of the course reviews the most important antifraud provisions of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2026 |
5489 Mediation Clinic II |
4 |
Mediation Clinic students add to their list of lawyering skills learned prior to graduation by mediating real cases in Justice Courts, the Better Business Bureau, the EEOC, and for parties who have been ordered to mediate by local judges. Students will mediate 2-3 mediations per week throughout the semester. The Mediation Process class is required at the same time. For more information regarding the Mediation Clinic contact Tasha Willis, tlwillis@central.uh.edu. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in these courses via PeopleSoft: if you’re accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. |
Practice Skills - Clinics and Externships |
Fall 2026 |
5358 Sales & Leasing |
3 |
Both nationally and internationally, sales and leases of goods play a central role in commerce. This three-hour course uses a problem-based approach to look in depth at the Uniform Commercial Code Articles 2 (sales) and 2A (leases) to study US law. To study international contract law, it will also cover the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (the CISG), which has been adopted by over 80 countries, including the United States. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2026 |
7345 WRS Law and Artificial Intelligence |
3 |
What can artificially intelligent machines do? What should they do? This course will explore those two questions, especially as they relate to law and legal process. Already, artificial intelligences make many explicitly-legal decisions—for example, about pre-trial incarceration and policing. They also make many other decisions that, when humans make them, the law closely regulates. AI systems determine which candidates are interviewed for jobs, which applicants’ loans are approved, and what stocks hedge funds buy and sell. Are these systems up to the job? Can they perform their assigned tasks competently and fairly? Or does their use generate systemic risks in the arenas where they operate? Even if they can perform these tasks, should we trust them? Or will AIs reproduce their human creators’ greatest flaws, acting unfairly and discriminatorily and thereby further entrenching already-dire social inequalities? |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
5357 Evidence |
3 |
This course aims to provide you with a working knowledge of the Federal Rules of Evidence as well as the Texas Rules of Evidence. Texas, like most states, has adopted a set of evidence rules based on the federal rules, so we will only refer to the Texas rules only when they significantly differ from the federal rules. The rules of evidence govern the introduction of all types of evidence (e.g., testimonial, tangible, documentary, photographic, demonstrative, or scientific). In order to fully comprehend the rules as applied during a trial it is essential to study them in the context of litigation. We will therefore study the application of the rules through a series of problems interspersed throughout the course. These problems call on you to play the role of an attorney who is handling an evidentiary issue in court. You may be required to lay the foundation for admission of evidence or to object to an opponent’s offer to admit evidence. |
Procedure and Practice |
Fall 2026 |
6321 Professional Responsibility |
3 |
This course is a study of the legal and ethical responsibilities of members of the legal profession. A required course, Professional Responsibility focuses on both the Model Rules of Professional Conduct as well as the current law governing the conduct of lawyers. |
Procedure and Practice |
Fall 2026 |
5370 International Law |
3 |
This course has three objectives. First, it will address the nature and sources of international law, with a particular focus on how to reason like an international lawyer. Second, it will establish the powers, responsibilities, privileges, and immunities of the primary actors in the international legal system (particularly, states, international organizations, corporations, and individuals). Third, it will introduce select topics regarding international law, including the laws of war, human rights law, international criminal law, and incorporation of international law into the U.S. legal system. Throughout, the course will apply these doctrines to pressing current events, so that students leave the class with a nuanced understanding of how international law shapes (and is shaped by) geopolitics and prepared for more specific upper-level international law courses. |
International Law |
Fall 2026 |
5345 Real Estate Transactions |
3 |
This course provides an introduction to real estate transactions and covers a wide range of legal issues relating to the conveyancing and financing of real property. The first part of the course covers key legal issues and documents in a typical real estate transaction and considers the purposes and priorities of each phase of a real estate transaction, including how to manage client risk in a transaction. The second part of the course focuses on real estate finance and covers the key legal issues relating to mortgage law and other aspects of real estate finance. The primary focus is on residential transactions, but the course will also cover some issues related to commercial transactions. The objectives of this course are to: (1) gain a foundation in the substantive law of real estate transactions; (2) apply critical legal thinking to identify and understand controlling legal principles applicable to the subject matter; (3) develop an understanding the ethical and policy issues related to the subject matter; (4) integrate the doctrinal study of the subject matter with the analytical and practical skills necessary to the practice of law, including drafting and reviewing portions of real estate documents used in practice; and (5) develop skills in legal analysis, reasoning, problem-solving; and written and oral communication related to real estate law. |
Real Property, Trusts and Estates |
Fall 2026 |
5335 Land Use |
3 |
This course examines land use law and policy. Land is one of the most fundamental and valuable resources to individuals and communities, and a wide array of public regulation as well as private controls shape the use and development of land. Specific topics that will be covered in the course include planning, zoning, subdivision regulation, aesthetic and historic preservation, regulatory takings, inclusionary housing, environmental review, private covenants, and the role of markets. Throughout our study of these issues, we will consider competing ideas about how, when, and why land use should be regulated and the comparative advantages and disadvantages of various land uses controls. The objectives of this course are to: (1) gain a foundation in the substantive law of land use; (2) apply critical legal thinking to identify and understand controlling legal principles applicable to the subject matter; (3) develop an understanding the ethical and policy issues related to the subject matter; (4) integrate the doctrinal study of the subject matter with the analytical and practical skills necessary to the practice of law; and (5) develop skills in legal analysis, reasoning, problem-solving; and written and oral communication related to land use law. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2026 |
5381 Legal Negotiations |
3 |
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes: At the end of this course, students will be able to: • Explain the negotiation process; • Define and determine your BATNA; • Identify non-verbal negotiation communication; • Identify negotiation styles; • Develop effective negotiation strategy and approach; • Engage in effective and successful negotiation outcomes. |
Blakely Advocacy Simulation |
Fall 2026 |
5421 Business Organizations |
4 |
Business Organizations concerns the state and federal law applicable to partnerships, corporations, and other similar entities. In general, the course deals with the formation, operation, and dissolution of these various types of business enterprises. The readings focus upon the legal rights, privileges, and obligations associated with the entities themselves, as well as with their owners, directors, managers, and employees. Both doctrinal principles and policy underpinnings will be explored and emphasized throughout the class. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2026 |
6381 Large Language Models for Lawyers |
3 |
Artificial intelligence is transforming legal practice faster than any technology since the internet, and lawyers who understand it will define the profession's future. This course teaches you to work fluently with tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude — not as novelties, but as professional instruments for research, writing, analysis, and client service. You'll learn prompt engineering, multimodal AI, retrieval augmented generation, and how to evaluate commercial legal AI products critically. For 2026, the course places special emphasis on AI agents — autonomous systems that can execute multi-step legal workflows — which have matured dramatically and now represent the field's most consequential frontier. You'll build with platforms like Claude Cowork, Midpage, and Protégé to see what agents can actually do in practice. The heart of the course is your project. Every student designs and builds a working legal technology application, with close guidance from Professor Chandler at every stage — from initial concept through final presentation. Past students have built Supreme Court outcome predictors, automated voir dire assistants, construction law hallucination checkers, and immigration document drafters. Your project will be yours to keep and develop after the course ends. No programming background is required or expected. English is the new programming language, and the course is designed so that non-coders compete on equal footing. If you can describe what you want clearly, you can build it. The AI landscape shifts weekly. The syllabus adapts accordingly, ensuring you graduate with skills that are current, not already obsolete. |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 2026 |
5389 Immigration Law |
3 |
Immigration is a complex and dynamic area of legal study and practice. This course will introduce you to the basic concepts and procedures underlying the practice of immigration law in the United States. We will aim both to understand the statutory complexities of the area as well as to place our current laws in their historical, social, and political contexts. The course will be an important foundation for those of you interested in practicing immigration law, but it will also be of use to those of you planning to enter other fields, such as family law, criminal law, employment law, and business law. Immigration law intersects with each of these in important ways. |
International Law |
Fall 2026 |
5343 Employment Law |
3 |
Employment Law - Focuses on the expanding body of statutes and common law dealing with the legal rights of nonunion employees. The course examines the legal aspects of hiring practices, conditions of employment, and termination of employment and the legal regulation of employers and employees. |
Employment and Labor Law |
Fall 2026 |
7341 WRS The Modern Corporation and Society |
3 |
This course will consider the role of modern business corporations in society. Should corporations be run exclusively in the interests of shareholders? How should boards of directors manage the claims of various groups affected by corporations? By what standards should we judge executive compensation? Should corporations be entitled to claim various constitutional rights, including freedoms of speech, association, and religion? After surveying foundational work in corporate theory, we will address these questions through a close reading of materials in law, economics, political theory, and business ethics. |
Business and Commercial Law |
Fall 2026 |
6365 Health Law Finance and Transactions |
3 |
This course provides students with an understanding of how the health care system is currently organized, financed, and regulated, and explores what the health care system of tomorrow may look like. Students are introduced to the major laws and regulations that regulate health care finance and transactions, including the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare"). The first part of the course focuses on health insurance and looks at federal and state regulation of private health insurance, the public insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid, and the new health care exchanges. We then study the business of health care and the laws that impact health care business transactions, including the tax laws governing tax-exempt organizations, the antitrust laws, and the fraud and abuse laws. |
Health Law |
Fall 2026 |
5310 White Collar Crime |
3 |
White collar offenses are typically non-violent, economically motivated conduct occurring in the course of business. Focusing on federal law, the course includes traditional offenses such as fraud and regulatory offenses such as healthcare violations. Students also analyze issues raised by white collar crime, such as the criminal liability of corporations, managerial liability, and prosecutorial discretion. 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 |
Fall 2026 |
5390 Environmental Law |
3 |
Environmental law plays a pivotal role in protecting our personal health and welfare, guiding economic development and business life, and shielding our most precious natural treasures and resources from misuse or harm. Because it protects such broad and often conflicting purposes, environmental law has evolved from its common law roots into a complex set of federal and state statutory protections, administrative regulatory prohibitions, and often convoluted judicial interpretations. This course will introduce you to the broad field of environmental law and give you a practical sense of the key skills and tools you would need to start handling environmental projects. This course will use a combination of lectures, class discussions, in-class exercises and sample problems, and case studies. We will use role-playing exercises to give you experience in real-life negotiations. The course will start with theoretical overviews of the commonality of environmental laws and will then focus on specific statutes, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, RCRA, CERCLA, and the Endangered Species Act. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2026 |
5355 Oil & Gas Law |
3 |
The oil & gas industry is prevalent throughout Texas, and has the ability to affect many different types of legal practice in Texas. Therefore, students will learn a bit about the industry's history and its jargon, as well as the regulatory protocols used by states; however, most of the semester will focus on the primary legal documents used by landowners, royalty owners and energy companies -- the Oil & Gas Lease, the Joint Operating Agreement, and the Farmout Agreement. Time permitting, we will also spend a class or two toward the end of the semester talking about recent legal and technical developments. |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2026 |
6326 Diplomacy for Oil and Gas |
3 |
This course features the crossroads between geopolitics and the law of the oil and gas industry. The 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia has highlighted energy security concerns in a global economy that still relies heavily on the use of hydrocarbons. Under a new system of balance of power, it is necessary to review the law that governs energy transactions including contracts, international treaties, and transnational sanctions regulation to deal with energy transition and energy security policies that affect the performance of energy operations. From Houston, a world capital of energy diplomacy, we will study the legal instruments that have been built to govern inter-state and state-corporate relations in the oil industry, providing to the students political and economic background for investment strategies of the oil industry. Readings for this course will be focused on international treaties and public international law applicable to the oil and gas industry. We will also study selected chapters on energy geopolitics such as: 1)The Energy World is Flat by Daniel Lacalle and Diego Parrilla 2)The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World by Daniel Yergin 3)The End of Power by Moises Naim 4)Crude Volatility: The History and the Future of Boom-Bust Oil Prices by Robert McNally" 5) The New Map, by Daniel Yergin |
Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law |
Fall 2026 |
5408 Property |
4 |
This course covers the doctrines, underpinnings and policy of property law. We will examine what makes property rights distinctive; how property rights are created, transferred, and destroyed; and what the powers and duties of property owners are. This course will serve as a foundation for a variety of upper-division courses, including intellectual property, real estate transactions, environmental law, land use, and trusts and estates. |
1st Year - Part-Time |
Fall 2026 |
5406 Procedure |
4 |
This course provides an introduction to the civil adjudicative process, primarily that of the federal courts, including jurisdiction, pleading, dispositive motions, discovery, and trial procedure. |
1st Year - Part-Time |
Fall 2026 |
5383 Family Law |
3 |
This course generally deals with legal issues relating to parents and children. This includes subjects such as parental rights, medical treatment choices for children, standards for what constitutes child abuse, paternity, adoption, child custody, child support, spousal support, divorce, the lawyer’s role in solving family problems, assisted reproduction, alternate dispute resolution, de facto relationships, and marital agreements. |
Family Law |
Fall 2026 |
5488 Constitutional Law |
4 |
This introductory course will cover the text of the United States Constitution, the power of judicial review over federal and state legislation, and the scope of (and limitations on) the federal government’s power. It will cover the constitutional allocation of federal power amongst the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution will also be addressed, including rights such as due process and equal protection created or incorporated by the 14th amendment. The course will help you understand the historical development of the Constitution, including the movement away from the Articles of Confederation, the early disputes over federal power, the changes created in the wake of the Civil War, the expansion of federal power during the New Deal era, and the modern scope of federal legislative, judicial, and executive powers. It will also help you appreciate, recognize, and form your own views on the different theories of interpreting the Constitution, textualism vs. non-textualism; static vs. dynamic; pragmatic vs. formalist. There will be a midterm and a final. |
2nd Year - Part-Time |
Fall 2026 |
6376 Intellectual Property Survey |
3 |
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 2026 |
6336 The Law and Theology |
3 |
The goals of this course are (i) to introduce students to selected topics in the study of theology that conceptually parallel specific subjects in law and legal philosophy; (ii) to expand students’ understanding of how theological thought can inform legal inquiry, and how legal thought can inform theological inquiry; and (iii) to increase students’ awareness and enhance students’ comprehension of the variety of historical and contemporary approaches to resolving problems that have arisen in theological and legal thought. |
Law And Society/ Interdisciplinary |
Fall 2026 |
5250 Reproductive Rights |
2 |
This course considers the law related to reproductive health, including the regulation of sex, pregnancy, and reproductive decision-making. The course will address legal questions that arise in the context of family planning and pregnancy. |
Health Law |
Fall 2026 |
6369 Legal Analysis and Writing |
3 |
Legal Analysis and Writing will familiarize students with the structure of the bar exam, offer bar exam preparation and test-taking strategies, and provide face-to-face and written performance feedback through a series of simulation exercises. This class does not replace the post-graduation course from a traditional, private bar preparation company. Rather, it is employed in conjunction with those programs. The course will address general bar exam test-taking strategies with a focus on items which are non-state specific and common to almost all bar examinations across the country. This course hosts small sections. Some students are subject to mandatory enrollment in this course and will fill seats first. Any remaining spots will be subject to general registration procedures. Once full, if a spot opens, enrollment will proceed from the waitlist. This class is only open to 3Ls graduating this academic year. Any other student that registers for this course will be removed. Students vest into the requirement to take this course based on academic performance or class rank measured at various points during the J.D. program. The day and evening programs are considered together for the class rank assessment. Students who vest into the course must complete it with a pass in order to graduate. General information about this course is available here: https://law.uh.edu/student/academic-success/homepage.asp#LegalAnalysis |
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5342 Professional Writing Strategies |
3 |
This course introduces students to the Multistate Performance Test (“MPT”), which is a component of the Texas bar examination and the Uniform Bar Exam (“UBE). Through this course students will actively employ the MPT skills through multiple assessments and exercises. Students will receive instructive as well as constructive feedback with regard to their individual MPT performance along with numerous strategies to attack the MPT. Students will also be given numerous opportunities to actively self-evaluate their performance to help leverage their ability to independently identify, address, and solve areas of opportunity to improve. |
Practice Skills - (Research and Writing) |
Fall 2026 |
5297 Trademark Prosecution Clinic 2 |
2 |
Students will represent clients from various industries, primarily small business owners, and they will focus on trademark prosecution and counseling, including creating search strategies, employing legal and fact-based analysis, and giving advice to clients on successful trademark protection strategies both at the USPTO and in commerce. Students must apply to the Clinic by submitting the online application at https://uhlc.wufoo.com/forms/m1263f5v0xj9tln/. Students should not attempt to enroll themselves in this course. If you are accepted, the Clinic Program Manager will enroll you via the Office of Student Services. For fullest consideration, please apply before course registration opens. Students must work in the Clinic 50 hours per course credit hour. |
Intellectual Property and Information Law |
Fall 2026 |
Graduate Certificate in Real Estate - C.T. Bauer College of Business |
|
This Law Center course listing is not for a specific course. Instead, it provides information about an opportunity to obtain the Graduate Certificate in Real Estate from the Stanford Alexander Center for Real Estate at the UH C. T. Bauer College of Business. The graduate certificate credential will show up on your transcript and the Graduate and Professional Programs office at Bauer will issue the certificate. The certificate requires five courses, twelve credits, at Bauer (but these courses can count toward your 90 credits needed to graduate from the Law Center with your J.D.). These courses will provide graduate-level expertise in the business and finance of real estate at all levels. -- Information from Bauer about the Graduate Certificate in Real Estate is available at this link. -- Advising about this opportunity occurs at Bauer. Interested students should contact Bauer’s Stanford Alexander Center for Real Estate, contact information available at the above link, and: 713-743-7564 or realestate@bauer.uh.edu Students will need to work with both Bauer and the Law Center’s Office of Student Affairs (OSA). There will be a registration process at Bauer to get into the certificate. The Bauer web site shows that fifteen credits are needed for the certificate, but Bauer will use your 1L property course in place of the course FINA 7381 – Principles of Real Estate to satisfy three of those fifteen credits. There will also be course registration that will involve OSA at the Law Center. |
Non-Law Courses |
Fall 2026 |
5237 FDA Law |
2 |
Pharmaceutical products and medical devices account for a significant portion of healthcare services, so a basic understanding of FDA/Pharmacy law is essential for any student wishing to work in, or to represent clients in the healthcare sector. This course provides a manageable introductory survey of the major substantive topics in FDA Law, particularly relating to drugs, biologics, biosimilars, and medical devices and the interaction of state pharmacy laws relating to dispensing and distribution of those products. After providing a basic tour of FDA law and applicable state pharmacy laws, the course will turn to discussion of hot topics in FDA/Pharmacy laws, which students will select in consultation with Professor Armstrong. |
Health Law |
Fall 2026 |
7339 Cougar Venture Fund |
3 |
The course number is: ENTR-7339. This is a UH Bauer college of business course. This course allows students to learn how to evaluate a startup company for purposes of a venture capital transaction, including due diligence for the investment and transaction. |
Non-Law Courses |
Fall 2026 |
5292 Tax Procedure & Practice |
2 |
This class covers the procedural aspects of dealing with the Internal Revenue Service, the agency that administers the federal tax system. The focus is from the private practitioner's perspective in assisting clients navigate the daunting administrative requirements. The class offers the following principal subjects: • Administrative Organization of the IRS. • The Regulatory Process -- IRS Pronouncements such as Regulations, Revenue Rulings, Technical Advice Memoranda and Private Letter Rulings • IRS Audits, including use of IRS Administrative Summonses and Statutes of Limitations Penalties (Civil and Fraud) and Interest • IRS Administrative Appeals • Civil Tax Litigation with the IRS -- Tax Court, District Court, Court of Federal Claims, Courts of Appeals and United States Supreme Court. • Collections, including IRS liens and levies • Federal Tax Crimes, Methods of Proof and Investigative Techniques • Ethics of Practice in the Tax Procedure Context |
Taxation |
Fall 2026 |
5397 Texas Child Welfare Law |
3 |
This experiential course immerses students in the practice of child welfare law in Texas. Students will manage a simulated case from intake to resolution, developing skills in client interviews, drafting petitions and motions, conducting statutory hearings, and presenting a final policy paper. |
Family Law |
Fall 2026 |
7397 WRS Free Speech and the University |
3 |
This course examines the boundaries of speech in universities through the lens of some of the most compelling defenses and criticisms of free speech and academic freedom. The course exposes students to the complex legal, social, and philosophical interests that are implicated in questions regarding the value and limits of free speech in universities. Students also develop their research, writing, and analytical skills by researching and writing a substantial paper. Lastly, students are expected to conduct themselves as members of a scholarly community, culminating in paper presentations and discussions. |
Constitutional Law |
Fall 2026 |
5418 Torts- A2 |
4 |
Basic tort law; intentional torts, negligence, strict liability; causation and problems of multiple parties; damages and compensation systems; derivative liability; special kinds of torts. |
1st Year - Section A |
Fall 2026 |
5216 Space Law |
2 |
The major objectives are to provide a basic understanding of the legal regime governing outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies. In providing this basic understanding the course would start with an analysis of the development of space law and fundamental legal principles applicable to outer space, to also include the International Space Station and its legal structure. After providing a basic understanding, the course will then concentrate on recent developments and more specific topics in space law which include property rights and claim of sovereignty over outer space and celestial bodies, Outer Space Treaty requirement that are applicability to new proposed activities in space, commercialization and privatization and examining recent U.S. developments in the areas of space law and policy. |
International Law |
