First-Year Curriculum

Units: 2

Introduction to the field of jurisprudence, the academic discipline devoted to answering the fundamental question: What is law? We will explore the many ways that scholars have attempted to define law and legal systems against a series of related concepts, including morality, authority, power, politics, planning, rationality, coercion, obedience, and violence. Critiques the prevailing theories and attempts to construct the elements for an original definition of law through a series of short written assignments.

Units: 2

Introduces students to the substantive knowledge, analytical skills, and testing methods necessary for success on the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) portion of the bar exam. The learning methodology will be iterative, consisting of substantive lectures and materials on selected multistate subjects, followed by extensive practice testing and analysis. Students will be able to quantify their progress during the semester, both individually and relative to their peers. Grading will be Pass/Fail based on timely and complete submission of weekly assignments, end-of-subject assessments, and regular attendance. The course culminates in a multiple-choice examination designed to simulate the MBE portion of the bar exam. Open to students in all jurisdictions in the fall semester of their final year of study; not Virginia-specific.

Units: 0.5

This fall-semester course, open to upper-level students who serve as peer mentors to first-year students, is designed to support peer mentors participating in the law school’s official peer mentorship program. The course will introduce students to best practices for mentorship in law school and the legal profession. As a result of enrolling in this course, students will develop appreciation and capacity for self-directed learning and reflection, effectively mentor other students, and build other professional, relational, and leadership skills.

Units: 0.5

This spring-semester course is a continuation of PEER MENTOR I, open to upper-level students who serve as peer mentors to first-year students, and is designed to support peer mentors participating in the law school’s official peer mentorship program. The course will introduce students to best practices for mentorship in law school and the legal profession. As a result of enrolling in this course, students will develop appreciation and capacity for self-directed learning and reflection, effectively mentor other students, and build other professional, relational, and leadership skills.

Units: 2

Provides students with the opportunity to develop and practice critical analytical and communication skills they’ll need to succeed in legal practice. Students will analyze multiple client problems focused on core doctrinal areas and create documents responsive to client needs. Students will receive feedback on their work throughout the semester and have opportunities to revise their work. We will explore additional skills relevant to successful practice, including management of time, projects, and stress.

Units: 2

Introduces second-year students to essential lawyering skills of trial and appellate advocacy. Lawyering Skills III & Appellate Advocacy must be taken during the second year. Meets Lawyering Skills IV requirement.

Units: 4

An introduction to the Federal Rules of Evidence. Concepts addressed include relevance, categorical rules of exclusion, character evidence, competency and credibility of witnesses, hearsay and its exceptions, privileges, authentication, and scientific evidence. May also address judicial notice and civil and criminal presumptions.

Units: 4

Introduces students to the principles and policies of federal income taxation. Provides a framework for recognizing and dealing with tax issues and with tax-related strategies or transactions encountered in other legal practice specialties, including a basic understanding of the major theoretical and structural issues posed by an income tax, and the policy considerations involved in resolving those issues; a basic knowledge of the individual income tax treatment of various types of business and personal transactions and events (including taxation of compensation and fringe benefits, the taxation of various types of investment vehicles, debt-financed property transactions, installment sales, issues related to capitalization and cost recovery, timing issues, and selected issues regarding taxation of the family); the skills necessary to apply a complex statute; an understanding of the planning function provided by tax lawyers; the technical grounding necessary for further tax study or research.

Units: 3

Most civil litigators spend the majority of their time on pretrial matters rather than in the courtroom. As a new lawyer, many of the critical pretrial litigation tasks will be assigned to you by your supervising attorney and this can be an intimidating experience if you are unequipped for such projects. This course will enhance your understanding of critical pretrial tools and provide you with practical experience using these tools so that you have some framework for approaching them in practice. To that end, this course will require you to draft a variety of litigation documents that are frequently used in federal litigation. You will also be exposed to the deposition process and given an opportunity to depose a witness. Thus, the course will strengthen a variety of fundamental litigation skills which are the “bread and butter” work of new attorneys. The course will primarily focus on the correct use of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and federal court practice, but the skills that you learn will be relevant and largely transferable to state court litigation as well. This course will satisfy the Law Skills IV requirement.

Units: 3-4

Focuses on the law governing corporations, as well as the law of agency, partnerships, and limited liability companies. Discussion will include the choice of business form, distribution of power between mergers and owners, fiduciary duties of managers, shareholder voting, and the special problems of close corporations.

Units: 3-4

Examines constitutional law in the criminal context, focusing on the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments. Topics explored include the selective incorporation doctrine, the exclusionary rule, the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, the Sixth Amendment right to counsel, and the Fifth and Sixth Amendment's application in the area of confessions and interrogation.

Units: 3

This course is designed to help you explore and prepare for a career as a private criminal defense attorney or public defender. The course will focus on the critical importance and challenges of developing positive, constructive, trust-based relationships with your clients. Methodology will include a combination of lecture, demonstration, participation in mock-client interviews, courtroom observation, and interaction with practicing attorneys.

Units: 2

Explores the intersections between criminal law and psychiatry/psychology. Discusses psychiatric diagnoses and the roles of mental health professionals within the criminal justice system, including "evaluator" and "expert." Topics include competency to stand trial, the insanity defense, false confessions, mental health and drug courts, and sex offenses and offenders.

Units: 3-4

Considers the transmission of property when an owner dies: laws of intestate distribution that are applied where there is no will; the use of wills , including rules of execution, change and interpretation; and the intention and use of trusts, with emphasis on the role of trusts in estate planning.

Units: 2-3

The common process by which the law produced by government agencies is produced and challenged. Study of the constitutional limits on bureaucratic power and structure and examination the most important sections of federal and state statutes that impose uniform procedures for the promulgation of regulations and the decision of cases before administrative tribunals. Specific examples from the work of agencies such as environmental protection agencies, industrial and professional licensing boards, labor relations boards, workers' compensation tribunals, and schools. Includes federal and state law. For their grades, students are invited to take a final examination or to produce case notes suitable for law review publication.

Units: 2-3

Surveys modern real estate transactions, such as condominiums, cooperatives, sales and leasebacks, leasehold mortgages, FHA and VA financing, tax consequences, title insurance, construction loan agreements, and shopping center leases.

Units: 2

Creation of agency relationships; contractual liability of principals (disclosed and undisclosed), agents and third parties; tort liability of principals; fiduciary duties of agents; partnership: creation, rights, and duties of partners, dissolution of partnerships; limited partnerships; limited liability companies (LLCs).

Units: 2-3

Control of private economic power in the United States, focusing on the law regarding monopolies, mergers, and restrictive business practices as regulated by the Sherman and Clayton acts. Some attention to other federal antitrust legislation such as the Federal Trade Commission Act and state antitrust enforcement.

Units: 1-3

A substantive overview of topics heavily tested on the Virginia Bar Exam.

Units: 3

Analysis of the legal relationships among children, families, and the state. Focus on how the law balances the rights and interests of children, their parents and caregivers, and the state under both the federal constitution and state law. Topics include the status, rights, and obligations of parents and children, and abuse and neglect of children, including the termination of parental rights. We will consider important and complex questions, for example, the appropriate balance between family autonomy and state regulation, and the effects of race, class, and gender on the legal rules in this area.

Units: 2

Law relating to negotiable instruments, bank deposits and collections, and electronic money transfers, with emphasis on Articles 3, 4, and 4A of the Uniform Commercial Code, the Expedited Funds Availability Act, and Regulation CC.

Units: 2-3

Explores the core concepts involved in (1) sales and leases of goods,(2) notes, checks, and electronic forms of payment, (3) credit transactions involving letters of credit and (4) credit transactions involving collateral other than real property. Emphasize principles rather than specific rules.

Units: 3

Explores how lawyers can contribute to environmental protection through litigation, regulation, and policy advocacy. From Supreme Court decisions to local issues such as water pollution in the James River, examines the interaction of Congress, federal agencies, the states, and the courts in making and enforcing environmental law. Explores the professional roles of environmental lawyers and the perspectives of your potential future clients (environmental groups, government agencies, and businesses). Course coverage includes U.S. climate change policy, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Superfund statute. Course may include guest speakers and/or field trip.

Units: 2-3

Introduction to the taxation of corporations and their shareholders, from formation of the corporation to liquidation. Builds on knowledge and skills acquired in the Federal Income Taxation course by examining the tax consequences of corporate events such as formation, capital contributions, distributions, redemptions, stock dividends, and liquidations. In addition, considers substance versus form questions in structuring corporate transactions, choice of business entity issues, the debt/equity distinction, tax shelters, and Congressional and administrative responses to taxpayer behavior. Class discussion focuses on problems designed to develop and test step-by-step understanding of corporate tax fundamentals. There is an examination at the end of the course.

Units: 3

Introduces students to the substantive knowledge, thought process, and writing skills needed for success on the Virginia Bar Exam. The learning methodology will be iterative, consisting of substantive lectures and materials followed by extensive practice-testing and analysis. Begins by reviewing the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE) subjects; the majority of the course will then cover heavily-tested Essay Examination subjects. Practice-testing will use actual MBE and Essay Examination questions, and all substantive materials will be written by the instructor. Students will be able to quantify their progress during the semester, both individually and relative to their peers. All students will also meet individually with the instructor to discuss their progress and specific steps they can take to maximize their odds on the Bar Exam. Please note that this course is not remedial; on the contrary, the course will cover a significant amount of substantive information and will be fast-paced, particularly in the second half of the semester. Grading will be Pass/Fail based on timely and complete submission of weekly assignments and regular attendance. Students will be required to complete weekly assignments in order to pass the course.

Units: 3

Federal and Virginia procedures at various stages of a criminal prosecution, including bail, preliminary hearings, indictments, discovery, speedy trial, double jeopardy, plea bargaining, jury selection, venue, and jurisdiction.

Units: 3

Students will examine the legal history of the Civil Rights Movement nationally and locally, centering Virginia as a vanguard. While the conventional roles of courts and lawyers may have limited the ability to use law for social change, contemporary legal scholarship acknowledges the dialectical relationship between law and social movements. As such, this course considers what modern lawyers can learn by how previous movement contributors engaged the courts and law and how these encounters shaped constitutional doctrine, public discourse, social institutions, and the movement participants themselves.

Units: 3

Legal and policy issues concerning race, gender, socioeconomic, and other types of diversity. Topics include Equal Protection law, affirmative action, employment discrimination law, the potential benefits of diversity, and problems that arise in diverse institutions and organizations.

Units: 2-3

Study of federal laws prohibiting workplace discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, and disability. The primary focus of the course will be on the theories of discrimination that have evolved under the various antidiscrimination laws. Also focuses on specific issues relating to particular types of discrimination such as sexual harassment, sexual orientation discrimination, retaliation and reasonable accommodation of religion and disability. Analyzes the policy underlying the laws and whether the laws are effectively achieving the statutory goal of eliminating workplace discrimination. Discusses the effective use of the federal rules of civil procedure in employment litigation. The grade will be based on a final examination and class participation.

Units: 3

Analysis of statutory and common law regulation of the employment relationship, including employer testing and information gathering, wage and hour regulation, OSHA, workers compensation, wrongful discharge and other common law actions challenging discharge, unemployment compensation, and ERISA. Consideration of what role the law should play in various aspects of the employment relationship.

Units: 2

Provides a primer on the tools and processes of legislative advocacy for lawyers. Students will learn from subject-matter experts and participate several advocacy simulations, including a final simulation in which students will draft a piece of legislation and present it to a committee made up of legislators, lobbyists, and other policy experts. A paper that outlines explaining the rationale behind the bill, along with lessons learned after the panel presentation, will accompany this final simulation. Graded Pass/Fail.

Units: 3-4

Prepares students to (1) interview the client, (2) conduct informal fact investigation, (3) choose the proper forum, (4) draft, file and serve a complaint, (5) respond to a complaint with an answer or motion to dismiss, (6) seek or resist discovery, whether informally or through motion practice, (7) evaluate opportunities for summary judgment, (8) obtain post-judgment judicial relief in the trial court, (9) evaluate the prospects of reversal through appeal, and (10) collect money owed on judgments Also includes the law of preclusion, the law of remedies, and basic choice of law rules. The course strongly emphasizes the practical over the theoretical, and breadth of knowledge over depth of knowledge.

Units: 3

Refines and builds on the skills covered in Trial Practice or Lawyering Skills by using more complex civil and criminal problems and files developed by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy for training the more experienced trial advocate. Special emphasis will be placed on the development of a case theory and the choosing of an appropriate case theme for the more complex case. Covers use of demonstrative evidence, including photographs, charts, white boards, overheads, videos, and computer simulations. Enrollment limited. While both civil and criminal problems will be used in the class, special emphasis is placed upon civil litigation and trying a complex civil case.

Units: 2-3

The nature of the estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes and deal with issues that arise in connection with these taxes, such as valuing assets, calculating the tax, determining when a gift is made, qualifying for the gift tax annual exclusion, and determining which assets are included in the decedent's gross estate. Emphasis will be on general concepts and not on technical details.

Units: 2

Focuses on technologies that create uncertainties in the law of armed conflict and national security law. Basic understanding of these legal regimes. Explores complicated international and domestic regulatory issues including private actors control global communications systems, social media, satellites, and currencies, all of which are vulnerable to manipulation and increasingly autonomous systems and vehicles, such as drones and driverless vehicles, that can be weaponized by states or non-state actors to devastating effect. Develops the intellectual flexibility required to understand and respond to the challenges posed by new and emerging weapons or weaponizable technologies; identify and address related ethical concerns; and be better able to anticipate and respond to future developments. (No prior knowledge of the law of armed conflict, national security law, or technology is necessary.)

Units: 2-3

Nature and formation of a partnership; taxation of partnership income; transactions between related parties; termination of partnership; sale of partnership interest; distribution by partnership; special basis adjustment; and distribution to retiring or deceased partners. Also includes treatment of pass-through entities. Prerequisite is LAWE 600.

Units: 3

Explores the federal courts in detail, paying special attention to the scope of their constitutional and statutory powers. Building on concepts of Constitutional Law and Civil Procedure, addresses topics such as the federal courts' power to declare constitutional meaning, Congress' power to control federal jurisdiction, the relationship between federal and state courts, and the current scope of federal jurisdiction (including topics such as justiciability, federal question jurisdiction, and state sovereign immunity). Also introduces students to federal law pertaining to civil rights and habeas corpus actions, both of which are frequently litigated in federal courts.

Units: 3

Studies the economic, administrative, political, and constitutional constraints on state and local taxation ("SALT"). Does not concentrate on the laws of any particular state nor is any prior course in taxation required. Focuses on the various restraints imposed on the states' systems of taxation. Emphasis is on corporate income taxation and sales and use taxation, but some attention will be placed on individual income taxation..

Units: 2

Explores the themes rule of law v. equity; law, justice, and morality; the role of narrative; and the role of the lawyer in counseling and advocating for a client by reading literary texts (that may include classic texts, modern texts, graphic novels, etc.) and viewing some films/film excerpts. Variety of genres furthers the exploration of effective communication techniques and the role of narrative in different forms. Classroom discussions are designed to explore justice and the law through fictional stories, challenging students to reflect upon their role as lawyers in our legal system.

Units: 3

Combines both advanced legal research and writing instruction with a client-based experience. Provides students with an opportunity to explore advanced legal research in the public policy field, develop their writing skills in the context of creating an issue paper, and engage in client relations with nonprofit organizations from the greater Richmond community.

Units: 4

Provides students with opportunity to work directly with a law firm—including for-profit and non-profit firms—on a real-life market opportunity that the firm might pursue. Students will be embedded with lawyers and other professionals at the firm and, working together, develop a pitch for firm leadership on the advisability of particular opportunities. Consists of an introductory “bootcamp” on design and innovation (usually held over a weekend), bi-weekly meetings with the firm, and a capstone experience involving the final pitch to firm leadership.

Units: 3

Survey of intellectual property law, including copyright, trademark, patent and other subject matters. Serves as the foundation course for the specialist who wishes to pursue the Intellectual Property certificate, but also a good choice for the generalist who simply wants to learn the basics of intellectual property law.

Units: 2-3

Problems in international trade and investment; regulation of international trade by national governments and international agencies. Emphasis on lawyer's role in counseling firms engaged in international activities.

Units: 3

Basic principles, including sources of international law, settlement of international disputes, responsibilities and immunities of sovereign states, human rights, and the machinery of international law and justice.

Units: 2-3

Government control of use of land and eminent domain. Zoning, subdivision control, and urban redevelopment and planning.

Units: 3

Explores the history and original understanding of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. The aftermath of the Civil War witnessed the adoption of three revolutionary amendments that transformed the structure of American freedom. The Thirteenth Amendment eradicated slavery along with its badges and incidents. The Fourteenth Amendment established birthright citizenship and announced the nationalized protection of individual liberty. The Fifteenth Amendment guaranteed black males the vote, not only in the South but throughout the United States. Studies original historical documents relating to the adoption and early understanding of all three Amendments and requires a paper exploring an aspect of this critical period in our constitutional history. Meets upperlevel writing requirement..

Units: 3

Units: 3

Designed to prepare students for TechLaw careers. Considers the interplay of law, technological design, norms, and the market as modalities of regulation; competing strategies for updating the law through courts, legislatures, administrative agencies, and international institutions; efforts by incumbent and newcomer industries to use the law to promote their preferred business models; and the legal implications of other political, economic, and social impacts associated with legally disruptive technologies.

Units: 3

This course offers students the opportunity to explore what it means to be a client-centered defense attorney and a justice minded prosecutor. Students will examine the practical implications of the Standards of Practice for Indigent Defense Representation, the ABA’s Plea Bargain Task Force Report, and the ethical rules governing prosecutors and defense attorneys. Students will engage in courtroom observations and mock plea bargaining and will work together with the instructor to develop best practices.

Units: 3

An exploration of individual rights in the federal constitution, covering the speech, press, and free exercise rights in the First Amendment, the right to keep and bear arms in the Second Amendment, and the rights of equal protection and due process in the Fourteenth Amendment.

Units: 2

Units: 2

Introduces students to basic business principles and then reinforces this knowledge through application to actual business settings. There are two parts to the course. Part I will be a series of online modules on the business disciplines of Accounting, Finance and Management, where student learning will be evaluated through online assessments. Part II will be five in-person class meetings during the week before the Spring semester, where each day will cover a different business case involving actual firms and the business disciplines of Accounting, Finance and Management. Student learning will be evaluated through a short write-up for each case, verbal participation during class, and a take-home project based on a comprehensive business case. After completing the course, students will have a greater ability to apply their business knowledge in actual business settings.

Units: 2-3

Analyzes the affirmative cause of action for personal injuries caused by defective products, applicable defenses, and other relevant theoretical, policy and practical issues. Emphasis is on strict liability in tort under Section 402A of the Restatement of Torts and national developments; however, relevant Virginia developments will be assessed.

Units: 2-3

Examines the legal and public policy considerations regarding intellectual property protection in various fields and industries. In particular, explores whether intellectual property protection and enforcement is beneficial and necessary for the creation, development, and commercialization of different ideas, expressions, and other intangibles.

Units: 3

Putting legal theory into the practical context of its ultimate remedy for the client, covers primarily equitable remedies Covers the equitable remedies of bills of peace, receiverships, injunctions to enforce contracts, injunctions to prevent torts, constructive trusts to prevent unjust enrichment, restitution, equitable defenses, contempt of court, etc and a broad range of general legal topics, including the remedies available for breach of contract, commission of torts, waste and nuisance to property, civil procedure (injunctions and contempt of court), etc. Looks at the broad areas of the law from the point of view of the remedy available to the litigant. Method of Assessment: The students argue each of the cases, and then there is class discussion. At the end of the course, each student will be required to write a 1,000 word essay on some topic of equity, and there will also be an examination.

Units: 2

Technical and legal aspects of scientific aids in the trial of civil and criminal cases. Scientific experts participate as guest lecturers.

Units: 2-3

Discussion of the theory of disclosure, examination of information that is important to investors ("material" in securities lingo), and investments that fall within the definition of a "security" under federal law. Considers, mandatory disclosure by public companies; antifraud statutes (some of which apply only to public companies and some to both public and private companies); Rule 10b-5 (complete with some insider trading law); the law governing public offerings of securities; the exemptions that permit a company to sell securities outside the elaborate registration process that governs public offerings; and the rules governing re-sales. Focuses exclusively on federal law and its variety (statutes, rules and regulations, court rulings, SEC staff bulletins, no action letters, comment letters, etc.). Also considers selected aspects of enforcement of the securities laws by the SEC, the federal criminal authorities, and private lawsuits. Attendance will be both recorded and required.

Units: 3

Practice-oriented exposure to regulatory law and to legal careers working within and against government agencies. Assignments include client counseling, negotiating against the government, multi-stakeholder policy planning, writing and enforcing regulations, complaint drafting, and litigation settlement. Interactive class sessions will be devoted to problems drawn from environmental law, health, financial reform, and other areas. Grading will be based on writing assignments and in-class presentations. There is no final exam. Meets Law Skills IV requirement.

Units: 2

Units: 1

Expands the basics of legal research learned in first-year lawyering skills to specific legal issues in Virginia. Work with common Virginia primary and secondary legal resources used in all three branches of Virginia government and complete graded research problems drawn from current legal issues in the state. Pro bono and community engagement for class working with a local attorney to answer questions asked through the Virginia bar¿s pro bono legal answers portal.

Units: 3

Specialized course in Virginia civil procedure which covers the subject of procedure from the point of view of practice in the Virginia state courts. Covers every aspect of procedure from self-help, subject matter jurisdiction, active jurisdiction, service of process, venue, parties, pleading, discovery, pre-trial motions, motions at trial, post-verdict motions, judgments, costs, and appeals Taught by lecture and discussion.

Units: 3

Focus on the laws and policies that govern the exploitation of energy resources and the production and distribution of electricity. Includes an introduction to the structure of energy law, and in particular its unique hybrid of three types of laws: (1) natural resources laws (laws regulating individual energy resources such as coal and oil); (2) public utility laws; and (3) environmental laws. Also focuses on the laws and policies that affect resources most important to the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly the laws governing coal, natural gas, and electricity. Further study of electricity restructuring (deregulation) and the ongoing Virginia and federal experience with it (including innovative use of market mechanisms) and global climate change and its relationship to energy industries. Course Requirements: Class discussion, possible in-class simulations and exercises, and either a final paper or a final examination at the end of the semester.

Units: 3

A general introduction to international human rights. Issues covered include nature of concept of human rights; origin and development of the International Bill of Rights; thematic procedures available for protection of human rights in the United Nations; standards and methods for international fact finding on human rights; cultural relativity in human rights law; implementation of the International Covenants on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights in the United States; the Inter-American Human Rights Process; and the ability of the United States to impact human rights in Third-World countries

Units: 2-3

Explores the rhetorical roots of argument, the “five types of argument” described by Wilson Huhn, and the psychology of persuasion. Using client hypotheticals based on labor and employment law, develops the skills needed to craft persuasive arguments in written and oral form. Students will write a persuasive brief and conduct oral argument. Prerequisite is LAWE 600.

Units: 2

In-depth analysis of pretrial lawyering skills using interdisciplinary materials. Explores interpersonal relationships, focusing on role of attorney in relation to client, the legal system (including other attorneys), and society. Classroom discussion and development of own skills through weekly audio- and video-taped simulations. Enrollment limited.

Units: 2

Introduction to the theory and practice of negotiations. Game theory, economic model bargaining, social-psychological theories and the problem-solving negotiation theory are each studied. Explores the different negotiation styles, techniques of preparation and information gathering, persuasion and the process of exchange in bargaining. Both dispute resolution and transactional negotiations are reviewed.

Units: 2-3

Designed for students generally interested in public policy issues as well as for those specializing in tax. Focuses on the policies and structures of a well designed tax system; examines the goals, politics, and history of tax reform; and provides an overview of the central policy issues raised by income-based and consumption-based tax systems.

Units: 2-3

Articles 2 (Sales) and 2A (Leases) of the Uniform Commercial Code, including the structure and methodology of the Uniform Commercial Code, as it is reflected in Articles 2 and 2A, and the Code's relationship to, similarities with, and differences from the general law of contract, property and tort.

Units: 3

Examines American constitutional law pertaining to religion, speech, and the media, including the law pertaining to aid for sectarian schools, prayer in public schools, conscientious objection, censorship, association, and access to trials and state secrets.

Units: 3

An introduction to the law governing contractually created interests in personal property used to secure payment or performance of obligations. Study of the creation, perfection, priority and enforcement of security interests in personal property under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Also includes an examination of relevant provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and some other state and federal statutes that affect security interests.

Units: 2

Students who successfully complete this course will have familiarity with the most commonly implicated Rules of Supreme Court of Virginia and Virginia statues governing civil procedure. Students will gain experience reading and drafting common pleadings and motions, and will develop an understanding of the strategic aspects of pleading and motions practice in Virginia civil court.

Units: 2

In this Law Skills IV pilot course, Application of contract law principles to the drafting of contracts through weekly written exercises, drafting assignments, and negotiations. Techniques to draft clear and accurate contracts and to effectively review contracts drafted by others. Several exercises will include ethical considerations in contract drafting. Meets Lawyering Skills IV requirement.

Units: 2-4

Focuses on the federal and state laws and regulations applicable to the health care industry, with a particular focus on the regulation of health care providers. Topics covered include: laws regulating referral relationships between health care providers (e.g., the federal anti-kickback statute, the federal Ethics in Patient Referrals Act and the Virginia Practitioner Self-Referral Act); the federal False Claims Act and the false claims provisions of the Social Security Act; application of the antitrust laws to health care providers; licensure of health care providers; and, state certificate of need laws.

Units: 2

The purpose of this course is to teach you how law firms work. Understanding the business of law firms and what makes firms successful reputationally, financially, and culturally is critical to your own success in, and enjoyment of, private practice. This class will explore all aspects of how law firms operate and the roles you may play during your career. You will hear from law firm leaders and practicing attorneys at multiple firms and with various degrees of experience. You will learn what to expect from your firm and what your firm will expect from you as you progress from the associate ranks to partner status. We will discuss how you can reach your goals and how you can be ready to address the likely changes in the way law firms will conduct their business in future.

Units: 3

Units: 3

Traces the history of voting rights law in the United States, considers how the passage of various Amendments to the United States Constitution and the passage and reauthorizations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 have affected how voting rights are defined and provided by states, analyzes how those laws have affected how states distribute political power through redistricting, and studies how the development of voting rights law will likely affect the future of voting rights in America.

Units: 2-3

If a cop frisks you when he shouldn't, can you collect damages from him? If a public school requires prayer before every class, what can you do stop the constitutional violation? If you call 911 and the dispatcher fails to dispatch an officer, have your rights been violated? These and many other questions are addressed in this class, the ultimate goal of which is to provide students with the knowledge necessary to enforce constitutional rights through litigation. Includes (1) several commonly-litigated constitutional rights (such as abuse by a police or corrections officer), (2) the types of defendants that can be sued, (3) the common defenses, and (4) the nature and scope of the available remedies. Also provides the opportunity to assess the underlying causes of official misconduct, the limits of litigation as a civil rights enforcement tool, and whether alternate means of enforcement might be preferable.

Units: 3

Study of what are generally considered to be business or organizational crimes. Topics to be explored may include: mail and wire fraud, conspiracy, public corruption, perjury (including false statements and false claims liability), money laundering, federal sentencing guidelines, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, grand jury practice and internal investigations.

Units: 2

Mediation from the perspectives of both the advocate and the mediator, giving participants insight into the mediation process and reasons for the elements of the process. Selection and evaluation of the mediation alternatives and potential mediators for a better case fit, increasing the likelihood of a successful mediation. Highly experiential.

Units: 2-3

Topics covered include an analysis of corporate financial statements; security pricing; and other investment topics. No preliminary ability in finance is assumed and basic skills such as the time value of money are introduced. Microsoft Excel is utilized for most calculations.

Units: 2

A survey course addressing legal issues presented by both professional and amateur sports in a variety of settings. Examines such issues as the legal concept of amateurism, the organization of amateur sports associations, and eligibility for participation as an amateur, especially in the context of intercollegiate athletics Also focuses on gender and disability discrimination issues, the organization of professional sports with the power of the commissioner and the organization of leagues. The application of antitrust law to amateur and professional sports will also be examined, along with issues presented by the representation of professional athletes and the enforcement of sports contracts. Criminal and tort liability issues presented by sports participation will also be discussed, along with workers compensation and drug testing issues.

Units: 3

This seminar explores the historical context of the environmental justice movement with a focus on the role of activists and other community stakeholders who introduced the topic into mainstream public discourse, helping to shape the laws and policies of today. Students will: (1) analyze issues related to equitable distribution of resources and consider the intersections of environmental law, housing law, and property and (2) grapple with how to define environmental justice and will consider how climate change exacerbates environmental justice concerns. Students will also refine their skills in written and oral communication while in a space that enables collaborative dialogue.

Units: 1

Seeks to develop analytical and writing skills in the area of tax law through participating in the American Bar Association's Law Student Tax Challenge (LSTC). Requires two-person teams to solve a complex problem that might arise in everyday tax practice, and to prepare a memorandum and client letter on the problem. Should submission qualify, students must be willing to attend the ABA Midyear Meeting, typically held in late January. Co-requisite: Federal Income Taxation. Enrollment by permission only.

Units: 2

Introduces and compares several legal traditions, including the civil law, Islamic law and the legal systems of China and Japan. Emphasizing on the civil law tradition, examines shared legal roots in archaic/chtonic and Roman law and their distinct evolution in England, on the continent, and in Asia. Focusing on German law (contracts, tort, property and criminal law), introduces civil law methodology and logic as well as procedure. The final grade will mainly be based on a paper, which the student presents in class.

Units: 1

Units: 0-12

Units: 2

Introduction to one of the most controversial criminal justice issues of our time¿the death penalty. Historical examination of the forces that led to abolition of the death penalty in 1972 and reinstatement in 1976, ushering in the modern death penalty era. Survey of the most prominent issues associated with the death penalty, including its justifications, cost, constitutional regulation, execution methods, housing on death row, and claims of arbitrariness, disproportionate imposition on race and class grounds, inadequate capital defense, and potential for convicting the innocent. Considers the American death penalty from a global perspective to understand the movement toward worldwide abolition and why the United States is or is not a part of it.

Units: 13

Examination of statutory and constitutional employment rights of public employees in federal, state, and local government. Concentration on legal framework for union organization and collective bargaining rights of public employees. Comparative analysis of various approaches to government employee rights, including analysis of relevant public policy issues.

Units:

Units: 2

Issues of law and policy affecting the entertainment industry.

Units: 3

Resolving conflict is a key function of any legal system, and it plays a particularly important role in international law. In this course, we will explore and assess several international dispute resolution mechanisms. In the first part, we will learn about existing inter-State mechanisms - such as the International Court of Justice, the World Trade Organization, and UN Law of the Sea Tribunal – and international dispute mechanisms that include non-State actors participation - such as investor-State arbitration, human rights courts and international criminal courts and tribunal. In the second part, we will consider specific cross-cutting issues, such as the selection of judges, available remedies and the execution of judgments. In the third and final part, we will focus on international courts in action, and we will study procedural issues, oral advocacy, the role of different parties and case adjudication.

Units: 2

Specialized course in Virginia family law procedure concentrates on actual practice in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Equips the JDR practitioner with the particular procedural aspects of jurisdiction, venue, parties, and appeals in criminal, child support, delinquency, abuse and neglect/foster care and custody cases. Taught by lecture, discussion and practical exercises.

Units: 2

Units: 2-4

Explores what happens when a business or consumer defaults on debts. While most of the classes will deal with the Bankruptcy Code, we will also cover Virginia creditors rights law.

Units: 2

Focuses on the law governing corporate mergers, acquisitions, recapitalizations, and proxy contests. Discussion will include transaction structure, purchase agreements, stockholder litigation, and relevant state and federal laws, with a primary focus on fiduciary duties in the context of buying and selling a business.

Units: 3

Examines the legal rules governing family relationships and the policies and principles underlying them. Focuses on the following topics: who can marry; the rights, duties, and obligations of marriage; the state's interest in marriage; the dissolution of marriage; property distribution upon dissolution; the arrangements between divorced parents regarding the custody, support and visitation of children; and various jurisdictional issues relating to marriage, divorce, and custody. A central inquiry of the course will explore what a "family" is, and how the definition of "family" varies according to context, reflecting social values and policy goals. Also pays special attention to policy-based and theoretical questions about families, including how race, gender, and class affect the law's regulation of families, as well as the regulation of nontraditional families. Course materials will cut across multiple legal disciplines, such as constitutional law, criminal law, and contracts.

Units: 3

The Data Literacy for Lawyers course aims to equip law students with foundational data fluency skills to make them better equipped to handle data in their future legal practice--whether it be to make their own legal arguments stronger or to better cross examine an expert witness. The course will teach students about empirical data collection as well as empirical data analysis methods, and it will pull examples from several areas of law including criminal justice, employment discrimination, trademarks, corporate law, and antitrust. There is no mathematics required in the course; statistical concepts, rather than calculations, will be taught. Believe it or not, statistical and legal reasoning are actually very similar! 

Units: 2

Exploration of this emerging field of law with an emphasis on the latest cases, legislation and legal theory behind it. Areas of study include anti-cruelty; dogfighting; cockfighting; standing; wills and trusts benefitting animals; factory farming; The Endangered Species Act; non-economic damages for harm done to companion animals; and litigation over the treatment and welfare of animals. Classes will incorporate real world contributions from many of those people directly affected by animal law, including veterinarians, prosecutors, activists and lawyers.

Units: 2

A practical survey of workers' compensation in Virginia. Focuses on providing a substantive overview of the law, combined with projects geared toward teaching students to handle actual workers' compensation cases, from the investigation and filing of a claim through hearing and appeal.

Units: 2

This two-hour course is designed to introduce law students to the substantive and administrative aspects of military law, and the military justice system in particular. Through in-class lecture and discussion, as well as assigned readings, we will focus on the practice of military law in the Armed Forces.

Units: 2

This two-credit course will examine the role of digital evidence in crimes, including procedural and substantive issues.  Specific topics will include Fourth Amendment analysis applicable to digital evidence, procedure in criminal investigations and prosecutions involving digital evidence, computer forensics, and substantive computer-related crimes.  The course will weave throughout the ever-evolving technological and cyber landscape as it applies to the law.

Units: 2

This course invites students to learn about and critically reflect on why and how state and federal governments punish people convicted of crimes and to consider how the law both limits and facilitates contemporary punishment practices.  The class explores the histories and justifications of punishment in the United States, examines the geographies and economies of punishment in the U.S., identifies experiences that the law deems collateral to punishment, and considers how, if at all, the constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment limits how governments may impose these various forms of punishment. 

Units: 2

Policy clinic that is a unique collaboration between law students and professional prosecutors through a partnership with the Committee on Justice and Professionalism of the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys (VACA). Through readings and discussions with experienced prosecutors, judges, police, defense attorneys and others, students are introduced to the professional roles of prosecutors, to their ethical responsibilities, and to the challenges faced by modern prosecutors in seeking to do justice in a rapidly changing environment. Through research and analysis, students assist the VACA Committee in its efforts to study and address issues of importance to prosecutors and the public.

Units: 2

This course explores the legal, business, and ethical considerations involved in starting a solo or small law firm. Students will progress from the initial concept to the launch of their practice, examining topics such as client acquisition strategies, brand positioning, compliance with ABA and Virginia State Bar ethics rules, and the effective use of technology in legal practice. Through guided discussions and practical examples, students will gain the knowledge and tools needed to successfully “hang out a shingle” and establish a sustainable law firm.

Units: 1

Explores the legal and policy responses to poverty in the United States and addresses how the law shapes the lives of poor people and communities. Special focus upon the Greater Richmond area, examining the extent of poverty, the root causes, and the historical development of social welfare policy. Focuses on the rights-based aspect of poverty law and various policies that attempt to ameliorate poverty.

Units: 3

The ADR Law and Policy course is a survey of dispute resolution, primarily domestic and is highly interactive with regular classroom simulations and activities. The course will begin with an introduction to the full spectrum of dispute resolution options, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration, litigation, and hybrid processes. We will review the ways in which the processes differ and discuss how to identify the best process for a particular dispute.

Units: 2-3

An overview of corporate governance today and the frauds that prompted the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ("SOX"), particularly WorldCom and Enron. Includes most of the major SOX reforms and related changes in stock exchange listing standards. Also treats selected topics such as CEO pay, activist investors (such as hedge funds), investments by sovereign foreign wealth funds, and the role of attorneys in corporate governance today. In addition, considers what the recent credit crisis tells us about corporate governance and addresses the increasing role of government as a direct investor in corporations and as a newly empowered regulator of decisions that boards of directors and CEOs used to make by themselves. Each student must prepare a paper, putting it through two drafts and producing a final that meets all upper level writing requirement criteria. Students take no exam.

Units: 2

Introduction to the administrative law of veterans benefits. Focus on the public policy behind veterans benefits, the practical aspects of filing disability compensation claims with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and appealing the denials of such claims. Analysis of current legislative efforts to reform the veterans benefits system.

Units: 3

The SCOTUS seminar is a topical introduction to various constitutional interpretative methods anchored around major Supreme Court cases from the last 60 or so years.

Units: 2-3

A rapidly growing and promising practice area, corporate compliance involves the design, implementation, and monitoring of corporate policies and procedures for reducing the risk of violations within a company. Studies the role of compliance officers within the corporate structure and examines a sampling of federal laws that create especially acute compliance challenges, such as anti-corruption, environmental, health care, and employment law. Students will interact with practicing lawyers and compliance professionals to help understand a company's compliance challenges in practical terms.

Units: 3

Integrates financial and managerial accounting topics with corporate governance issues to demonstrate how various stakeholder groups use accounting information to make decisions. These stakeholders include managers, board members, investors, creditors, and government regulators. Our focus is interpreting accounting information, rather than creating it. Topics include interpreting the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows, the implications of cost structure, planning, performance evaluation, and management responsibility for internal control over financial statement information. Mastery of pre-course instruction in accounting is assumed when the course begins.

Units: 2-3

One semester course learning targeted legal subjects in Spanish. Topics include immigration law, family law, labor law, contract law and criminal law and use materials written by Latin American Professors of Law and notable US attorneys. Lectures delivered in Spanish. Each class will be a combination of an academic presentation and a practical exercise exposing students to the practicalities of dealing with Hispanic clients including cultural differences of the Hispanic population. Students are assessed on a weekly basis by completing exercises which will cover: drafting memos, short essays and client letters in Spanish; preparing presentations for Hispanic audiences attending the pro bono legal clinics at the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and a final project. Students will have the opportunity to participate in the pro bono legal clinics offered by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with the support of leading law firms from Richmond twice a month and may work alongside attorneys interviewing Hispanic clients seeking legal advice on immigration, labor and family matters.

Units: 1-4

Uses an ongoing an international sports competition to addresses several salient international anti-corruption issues, including bribery, money laundering, bank secrecy, tax evasion, etc.

Units: 3

Through this seminar, students will obtain 1) a more in depth understanding of the meaning of religion, freedom and the law in the United States, 2) broader insight regarding the impact of the historical context upon the recognition and protection of religious freedom in the United States and 3) a greater comprehension of the process of constitutional decision making. Selected Supreme Court cases will be evaluated to help illuminate some of the choices that the Court had available in its decision making process, the choices that the Court made, and why.

Units: 2

Reviews some of the major ethical considerations that confront prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys, including ethical considerations surrounding the discovery process, ethical pleading principles, joint defense agreements, inadvertent disclosures, resolving disputes with clients regarding trial tactics, communicating with clients effectively, and setting and collecting fees. Students will examine these and similar questions by studying case opinions, selected secondary materials, and applicable ABA Model Rules of Professional responsibility, and by participating in weekly discussion.

Units: 1

This fall-semester course is a special topics yearlong course that will address principles of change management and process improvement in student-run law reviews.  This course is a total of 2 credits, with 1 credit awarded each semester.  In this course, student editors of the three University of Richmond law journals will critically examine their law journal’s processes, as well as explore opportunities for changing specific policies or practices at their journals.  Students will meet as a group multiple times over the course of the year, with additional journal-specific sessions and required out of class work with their journal groups.

Units: 3

Mediation Theory and Practice explores the theoretical underpinnings of mediation from inception to implementation and covers all of the tasks associated with each phase of the process. This course provides the foundational skills required of an effective mediator. It is an experiential curriculum where theory is combined with practice to empower students in developing and improving skills associated with dispute resolution generally, and in particular, mediation.  Class sessions will include mediation role-plays and participation, bringing dimensionality to course materials. Regardless of whether a student ever intends to formally function as a third-party neutral in a dispute, mediation skills are important for all attorneys, regardless of their practice area. Mediation skills improve a person’s problem-solving ability and can be transformative in the way one thinks and deals with conflict in all contexts of life.

Units: 3

This course provides an introduction to and survey of the statutes and doctrines governing the workplace and the relationship between employers and employees, whether individual employees or unionized ones. Among the topics we covered are: the nature of the employment contract, the at-will rule and its exceptions, employee mobility issues (e.g., covenants not to compete), employee dignitary and privacy interests, employee speech, layoffs, collective action and unionizing, workplace health and safety, and wage and hour laws.

Units: 2

This course explores the legal framework and policy considerations shaping K-12 education. Students will explore the historical foundations of education law and examine the statutory and regulatory frameworks governing public schools at the federal, state, and local level. Combining theoretical understanding with real-world application, this course concentrates on the skills and knowledge needed to counsel school officials through the daily challenges facing public school divisions. Key topics include school governance, employment law, First Amendment, special education, and student discipline.

Units: 2-3

This course will explore the scholarly debates surrounding originalism as a theory of constitutional interpretation. The primary goals of this course are to (1) introduce students to the field of constitutional theory; (2) explore modern debates over originalism and its alternatives; and (3) engage students in the experience of writing a scholarly paper. The course will begin by providing students with a strong foundation in originalism itself and will then turn to a range of key debates over modern originalist theory and practice (including the turn to history and tradition at the Roberts Court and the promise (or peril) of progressive originalism), as well as key alternatives to originalism like living constitutionalism (on the left) and common-good constitutionalism (on the right).

Units: 2-3

Methods for responding to conflict or crime in a collaborative manner that prioritizes healing, prevention, and community-based reconciliation. Considers the theory of restorative justice and explore restorative practices in various U.S. contexts including criminal justice (adult and juvenile), educational institutions, and community-based reconciliation in the wake of systematic injustice. Explores the emergent conception of "restorative lawyering" and inquires into the potential role of restorative principles throughout the practice of law. Meets upper-level writing requirement.

Units: 3

Covers fundamental doctrines of patent law and is designed to serve as a basic course for those who wish to specialize in this field, as well as to provide a general background for a corporate or business practice. Topics will include eligible subject matter for patenting; conditions for patentability, including utility, novelty, non-obviousness, enablement, best mode, definiteness, and adequate written description; patent infringement; defenses; and remedies. Will study statutory aspects of patent law, as well as judicial interpretation by the Supreme Court and the Federal Circuit Court. Further, course will consider justifications for the patent monopoly. An engineering or science background is not required to take the course.

Units: 3

In this seminar, students will explore how courts in the United States enforce constitutional rights—and how and why they sometimes do not.  Students will learn the causes of action, procedures, and remedies available to plaintiffs in constitutional cases, as well as the jurisdictional defenses and immunities available to government defendants.  Students will evaluate this system of constitutional rights enforcement wholistically and consider proposals for reform.  Major course themes will include the relationship between constitutional rights and remedies, the costs and benefits of enforcing constitutional rights through litigation, and the role of courts, legislatures, and the political process in constitutional rights enforcement.  Readings will consist of contemporary legal scholarship and case law.  Students will be evaluated based on class participation and a final paper on a topic of their choice.

Units: 2

Explores legal research strategies and resources more comprehensively and in-depth than what is covered during first year as well as an increased emphasis on electronic resources. Review of primary American legal sources in all types of formats plus extensive coverage of legal research in selected subject areas, such as international law, federal taxation, and labor and employment law.

Units: 5-7

Placements that primarily involve litigation. The course focuses on the litigation process, trial techniques, and professionalism. See the Director of Externships for more details.

Units: 6

Students advocate on behalf of children appearing before area juvenile courts. In the majority of cases, students serve as defense counsel for youth accused of delinquency (criminal) offenses. Students are also occasionally assigned to work on other cases which involve children's issues such as abuse and neglect or custody.

Units: 2

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has broad authority to police stock exchanges, public companies, financial advisers, broker-dealers, and the funds, firms and retail investors who trade securities in the U.S. At the SEC, the Division of Enforcement is the cop on the beat. In this course, you’ll learn how the SEC investigates misconduct in the U.S. markets and enforces the federal securities laws. We’ll cover insider trading, meme stocks, cryptocurrencies, foreign bribery, and quite a few of the case you’re reading about in the news.

Units: 3

Negotiation Theory and Practice is premised on the reality that the practice of law, the enterprise of business, and the work of dispute resolution professionals requires the use of negotiation as a tool to advocate on behalf of clients, act as agents for others, resolve disputes, transact business, manage organizations, and settle legal claims or other disputes. This course introduces students to the process of negotiation, explores the theoretical approaches underlying various systems of negotiating, and cultivates students’ negotiation skills to become more effective negotiators. Students will learn each of the major bargaining theories, explore the practical application of each theory in context, and better understand strategic movements in negotiating. Through simulated exercises and reflective discussions, students will also develop skills and confidence as negotiators, both as individuals and/or as client representatives.

Units: 2

Explores the statutory and policy aspects and underpinnings of immigration law, including immigrant and nonimmigrant classifications, admission and exclusion issues, immigration compliance and immigration reform.

Units: 2

Units: 2-3

Explore the law and policy of housing. Considers the housing market in the United States, both for renters and for homeowners. Topics may include housing affordability, inclusionary/exclusionary zoning, the subprime mortgage crisis, government programs, and housing discrimination.

Units: 2

Liability of physician for injuries arising out of the physician patient relationship. Includes coverage of standard of care, causation, informed consent, intentional torts, and recoverable damages.

Units: 1

This spring-semester course is second half of a special topics yearlong course that will address principles of change management and process improvement in student-run law reviews.  This course is a total of 2 credits, with 1 credit awarded each semester.  In this course, student editors of the three University of Richmond law journals will critically examine their law journal’s processes, as well as explore opportunities for changing specific policies or practices at their journals.  Students will meet as a group multiple times over the course of the year, with additional journal-specific sessions and required out of class work with their journal groups. 

Units: 4

Study of the law that impacts the elderly. Application of knowledge by giving legal advice to elderly clients through a medical-legal partnership with the VCU Health System. Topics include public benefit programs, the aging network, health care decision making, housing, guardianship, asset management, wills, planning for disability, and elder abuse. Client advising will include powers of attorney, living wills, simple estate planning, guardianship, long-term care, and grandparenting issues.

Units: 3

Units: 3

Will cover federal and common-law trademark law, trade secrets, and unfair competition. Within the unfair competition section, topics will include interference with contractual relations, trade libel, unfair competition under the Lanham Act, publicity rights, and consumer protection. Will also examine public policies and economic considerations underlying these rules that govern competition within the marketplace. In addition to these basic topics, will cover areas of current interest, such as the application of traditional principles to non traditional media, i.e. the Internet.

Units: 6

The Access to Justice Clinic provides legal services to clients with limited incomes in civil matters, including housing, public benefits, family, and education law cases. Under the supervision of the clinic director, student attorneys work to advance the rights of people experiencing poverty before local courts and administrative agencies. Throughout the semester-long course, students will identify barriers people experiencing poverty face in accessing legal services and consider how to incorporate access to justice initiatives into their professional lives.

Units: 2-3

A topical introductory course addressing the causes of wrongful convictions. The readings are multi-disciplinary and heavily drawn from law review articles. Class participation is an important piece. The class has several guest speakers who address public policy issues in the area of wrongful convictions. Those who take this course have priority for the spring clinic, but students not planning on the clinic are also encouraged to enroll. There is no final exam.

Units: 1-6

With faculty permission, students who have completed a clinical experience in Intellectual Property may enroll for advanced clinical work in the same field for between two and six credits. Advanced students will take leadership roles in clinic matters and complete a significant project over the course of the semester.

Units: 1-6

The Access to Justice Clinic provides legal services to clients with limited incomes in civil matters, including housing, public benefits, family, and education law cases. In the advanced clinic course, students continue their work from the main clinic course with a focus on deepening their civil litigation and client communication skills. Students in the advanced clinic work on more complex cases, building on their existing knowledge and practice. 

Units: 2

With supervision from the director of the Institute of Actual Innocence, students will screen, investigate and, when possible, help prepare cases for post-conviction litigation under Virginia's Writs of Actual Innocence. Litigation work is only possible when a case has matured to that level. Students will work in teams. The cases selected for investigation and litigation are those where there is substantial evidence of innocence. Prerequisite: First priority for enrollment goes to students who have completed the Wrongful Conviction Seminar (770). Students who have not completed the seminar must obtain approval to enroll in the clinic.

Units: 1-6

With faculty permission, students who have completed a clinical experience in the Wrongful Conviction Clinic may enroll for advanced clinical work in the same field for between two and six credits. Advanced students will take leadership roles in clinic matters and complete a significant project over the course of the semester.

Units: 1-6

With faculty permission, students who have completed a clinical experience in the Children’s Defense Clinic enroll for advanced clinical work in the same field for between two and six credits. Advanced students will take leadership roles in clinic matters and complete a significant project over the course of the semester.

Units: 1-4

Students may assist professors on the full-time faculty in their scholarly research efforts, either for pay (under the University Work Study Program), or for academic credit, though not for both at the same time. Students may earn up to four hours of academic credit toward their degree requirements by serving as unpaid research assistants. The credit hours may be pass/fail or graded, at the option of the student, and with the permission of the professor. Graded credit hours require a written work product by the student that will enable the professor to determine an appropriate grade. To receive academic credit, the student must work an average of four hours per week throughout the semester, for each hour of academic credit earned. Registration is with permission of the professor and the dean's office. Limit of four semester hours total.

Units: 3

This seminar takes up the question of what legal role the family does and should play in structuring relationships and allocating resources. Looking to the historical lineage of the family, we will explore the family's use, development, and value as a basic building block of capitalism. Following a line of feminist and liberationist thought, we will also explore what work the legal family does, how it drives complex forms of inequality, and what a world without the legal framework of the family might look like. Some of the questions we will address are: how would relationships receive legal recognition and why do they need it? What does the elimination of the legal family mean for the division between public and private? How does care happen and what new collectives might we form? What does family abolition mean in a political era of regressive gender politics, tradwives, and patriarchs?

Units: 3

Advanced trial techniques and evidentiary issues in criminal practice. Oral motions, opening statements, direct examinations, cross examinations, introductions of physical evidence, closing arguments, and anticipated objections to evidence. The classroom component requires students to practice evidentiary and trial skillsweekly. Three to six members of the class will be competitively selected to compete in the John L. Costello National Criminal Law Trial Advocacy Competition in the spring, for which they will receive one additional pass/fail credit.

Units: 3

This seminar explores various theories of the relationships between personhood, power, authority, and the State—offering students the opportunity to consider the role that philosophy, politics—and even psychology—play in our conceptions of what legal power nation-states have and should hold. Students will engage the works of major historical and contemporary thinkers with a wide range of political orientations and perspectives on the role of law in society. Class discussions  use the works of jurists, philosophers, political theorists, lawmakers, popular commentators, and even artists to contextualize current geopolitical movements and legal developments in both American and international law. 

Units: 2-3

Explores the dynamics of domestic violence, its impact on families, and how our justice system responds to protect and punish those involved. Topics surveyed include mandatory arrest policies, victimless prosecutions, civil protective orders, and community-based services for domestic violence offenders.

Units: 3

A detailed examination of the law that protects literary, musical, artistic, and other works of authorship, with particular attention to the 1976 federal copyright statute, as amended. Topics include requirements for and scope of copyright protection, ownership and duration of copyright, copyright rights and remedies, fair use, interaction of copyright and digital technologies, the liability of third parties for the copyright infringement of others, and the tension between copyright and other areas of the law, such as free speech, patent, and contract law.

Units: 6

Students represent for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, as well as artists, authors and inventors from a variety of backgrounds. Students will help business startup clients by engaging in business formation counseling and by preparing and filing charter documents. Students provide legal services to established clients, such as negotiating and drafting contracts, providing corporate legal services and analysis, and facilitating strategic decision-making. Students help clients acquire and license a variety of intellectual property rights.

Units: 1

Students in this class are selected by the instructors to prepare for and participate in an interscholastic trial competition. Graded pass/fail.

Units: 1-4

Independent research on approved selected topics. Topic must be approved in writing prior to registration by the associate dean and by the instructor under whose supervision the research is conducted. Limit of three semester hours total for independent research projects.

Units: 3

This course focuses on the law and practice governing corporate mergers, acquisitions, recapitalizations, and proxy contests. Discussion will include transaction structure, purchase agreements, financing options, tax considerations, allocation of risk, the role of due diligence, and relevant state and federal laws, including fiduciary duties in the context of buying and selling a business.

Units: 4

An introduction to the law of the United States Constitution and to the legal dynamics of constitutional drafting and interpreting. Separation of powers, federalism, economic and social regulation, privileges, and immunities of U.S. citizenship, and the federal civil rights to equal protection and due process are examined from doctrinal and historical perspectives.

Units: 3

Sources of criminal law; constitutional limitations on power to create and define crimes; elements of crimes; conduct, mental state, causation; specific offenses, including homicides, sex offenses, larceny and other property offenses; defenses of mistakes, infancy, compulsion, intoxication, insanity; attempt; solicitation; conspiracy; accessoryship.

Units: 4

Basic elements of contract law. Stress on the agreement process, i.e., offer and acceptance, consideration, and substitutes for consideration. Avoidance of contractual obligations, conditions, performance, and breach of contracts are examined, as are discharge of contractual duties and remedies. Third-party beneficiaries, assignments, and illegal contracts may be examined. The Uniform Commercial Code and the Restatement are emphasized throughout.

Units: 4

Liability for personal injuries and injuries to property. Includes analysis of various intentional tort theories, the concepts of negligence and strict liability, and the privileges and defenses which may apply to actions brought in tort. May include treatment of one or more special or emerging areas such as product liability, misrepresentation, privacy, defamation, misuse of legal procedures, or interference with advantageous relationships.

Units: 4

Introduction, with emphasis on federal law, to rules governing jurisdiction, venue, service of process, pleadings, joinder, discovery, summary adjudication, trial, judgments, direct and collateral attack on judgments, appellate procedure, and choice of law in civil litigation.

Units: 4

Introduction to property laws, with emphasis on the concepts of title and possession of personal and real property; finders and bailments; rights and remedies of the possessor; donative transactions; rights of the bona fide purchaser; historical background of real property law; estates in land; concurrent ownership; conveyancing and future interests after the Statute of Uses; Statute of Frauds; contracts, deeds, and mortgages in the sale of land; recordation and title examination; covenants, easements, and licenses in the use of land.

Units: 2-3

Introduces first-year law student to essential lawyering skills including legal analysis, predictive and persuasive writing, and oral communication.

Units: 2

Introduces first-year law student to essential lawyering skills including legal analysis, predictive and persuasive writing, and oral communication.

Units: 3

Legislation and Regulation provides an introduction to public lawmaking in the modern administrative state. It examines the way Congress and administrative agencies adopt binding rules of law (statutes and regulations, respectively) and the way implementing institutions--courts and administrative agencies--interpret and apply these laws. It considers, in particular, the justifications for modern regulation, the structure of the modern administrative state, the incentives that influence the behavior of the various actors, and the legal rules that help to structure the relationships among Congress, the agencies, and the courts.

Units: 1

Introduces first year law students to the tools used in law practice to find primary and secondary sources of legal authority. Identify and evaluate these tools and sources to enunciate and interpret rules and support legal arguments.

Units: 0.5

Introduces students to competencies, guiding principles, and practices considered foundational to effective, ethical, and meaningful legal practice.

Units: 0.5

Introduces students to competencies, guiding principles, and practices considered foundational to effective, ethical, and meaningful legal practice.

Units: 2

Introduces second-year students to essential lawyering skills of trial and appellate advocacy. Must be taken during the second year.

Units: 2-3

Ethical standards of the legal profession, including judicial ethics and unauthorized practice.