Course Descriptions

The administrative process, rules and rule making, inspections and investigations, administrative hearings, rules of evidence, presumptions, burden of proof, formal and informal actions, orders, the right to, methods of obtaining, and scope of judicial review are examined.

This course is designed to continue the examination of the basic substantive provisions of the federal income tax law begun in Basic Federal Income Taxation, including the following general topics: income splitting and assignment, realization and recognition of gain and loss, capital transactions, the investment credit, and other taxable entities.

Prerequisites: SKILS 955 Evidence (may also be taken concurrently)

Prerequisites: SKILS 950 Advocacy I

This course is principally an examination of antitrust law and policy in the U.S. as evolved through prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. There is brief coverage of: (a) European Union and Canadian competition laws plus evolving proposals for supranational norms; and (b) leading market regulatory schemes such as those affecting marketing of foods, drugs, textiles, toxic substances, securities, and consumer products. In the antitrust area, commercial conduct alleged to violate price fixing, market allocation, tying, exclusive dealing, asset acquisition, and price discrimination norms are considered at length with some attention to state antitrust law.

Prerequisites: SKILS 962 The U.S. Law of Arbitration

Banking Regulation (CCLAW 957) — 2 credits

This course will focus on banks as financial intermediaries and compare them to both the securities and insurance industries. The dual banking system of state and federal regulation will be explored as to bank formation, supervision and regulation. The course will explore the ownership and control issues affecting banks and the supervision and regulation of bank holding companies and their subsidiaries engaged in nontraditional banking activities. The causes of the financial crisis of 2007-2009, together with the reaction of financial institutions, the states, the U.S. Congress and the regulators to the crisis, will also be examined. The course will include an assessment of the deposit insurance system and the problems associated with troubled and failed banks. The course will emphasize the potential administrative enforcement, civil and criminal exposure of both regulated entities and individuals involved within those industries.

Prerequisites: None

The rights, duties, and remedies of both debtor and creditor are examined. The course covers the collection process, enforcement of money judgments, and insolvency proceedings. Federal bankruptcy law is emphasized.

This course examines the basic substantive provisions of the federal income tax law. Included are the following general topics: gross income, exclusions, deductions, depreciation, basis, tax accounting, and other provisions affecting situations encountered by attorneys in general practice.

Prerequisites: None

The course will focus on the laws governing ethical issues that arise in the course of providing medical care and ensuring public health.  Specific topics include treatment at the end of life, reproductive rights, organ transplantation, genetic testing, human experimentation, and infectious disease control and prevention.  A central theme is the conflict between patients interests and the interests of others and/or societal interests.  This course also explores the intersection of ethics and economics in terms of the social right to care and the rationing of limited medical resources.

This course will provide students a comprehensive understanding of the legal issues posed by developments in genetic technologies. The course will provide an overview of the history and technical foundations of the field and examine the legal dimensions of biotechnology. Generally, the course will examine how the law reacts to legal problems that arise from new technologies and examine whether the law is capable of anticipating such problems and acting prospectively.

Prerequisites: None

Business Planning for Mergers and Acquisitions I (CCLAW 964) — 3 credits

This course first focuses on various topics that are important in M&A transactions involving both closely-held and publicly-held corporations, including directors duties, shareholder voting and dissenters' rights, basic issues under the Federal securities laws, fundamentals of Federal income taxation and accounting, use of modern valuation techniques, including DCF and CAPM, in M&A, and basic issues in antitrust and pre-merger notification. The course then turns to an analysis of various forms of negotiated acquisition, including acquisitions of stock and assets of closely-held corporations and acquisitions of publicly-held corporations in negotiated transactions. The course is based on the first half of Thompson, Business Planning for Mergers and Acquisitions: Corporate, Securities, Tax, Antitrust, International, and Related Aspects (2008).

Prerequisites: CCLAW 963 Corporations

Business Planning for Mergers and Acquisitions II (CCLAW 965) — 3 credits

This course builds on the topics covered in Business Planning for Mergers and Acquisition I, and is based on the second half of Thompson, Business Planning for Mergers and Acquisitions: Corporate, Securities, Tax, Antitrust, International, and Related Aspects (2008). The course starts with an examination of leveraged buyouts, and then focuses on the drafting of various types of acquisition agreements. The course then looks at proxy contests and then turns to hostile takeovers and going private transactions regulated by the Williams Act provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The course then looks at special topics in M&A, including spinoffs, international M&A, bank acquisitions, acquisitions of public utilities, bankruptcy acquisitions, joint ventures and ethics issues in M&A.

Prerequisites: CCLAW 964 Business Planning for Mergers and Acquisitions I

Selected practical problems involving the planning of business transactions, with emphasis upon the small business enterprise, are examined. Topics include: organization of close corporations, partnerships and LLCs; employee compensation; sexual harassment and discrimination issues; executive hiring negotiations; and raising capital through the sale of securities. This course is strongly suggested for anyone who plans on representing businesses.

Prerequisites: TAX 949 Basic Federal Income Taxation , CCLAW 963 Corporations strongly recommended

This course is a study of the law governing the reorganization of businesses under chapter 11 and related provisions of the U.S. bankruptcy code. It includes such topics as prepetition planning, the filing of a business reorganization case (either voluntary or involuntary), jurisdiction and venue, the automatic stay and “adequate protection,” the bankruptcy estate, “first day” orders, use of cash collateral, postpetition financing, wage payment orders, rights of utilities, reclamation rights, executory contracts, employment and payment of professionals, professional responsibility in the bankruptcy context, creditors’ (and other) committees, chapter 11 trustees and examiners, substantive consolidation, chapter 11 plans and disclosure statements, plan confirmation, claims objections, avoidance actions, coordination of international insolvency cases.

The most important issue of Civil Law today is its Worldview and its perspectives on Citizenship as well as on International Justice. In other words, particularities of the Civil Law sustain a worldview that stems from Roman Law-traditions and practices of the Roman Empire. These pertain to more recent legal developments taking place in a unifying Europe. The profiles of the major functionaries in today's Civil Law domain: judges, attorneys, EU civil servants and administrators mirror such traditions.  This Course is not restricted to a traditional comparative perspective. Means are provided for a correct and effective transnational communication between legal professionals. To study Civil Law and EU Law implies an approach, understanding and management of the electronic means to communicate with its citizens, institutions and courts. The EU website is an outstanding instrument to understand the structures within lawyers must operate. Where also Common Law lawyers have to direct themselves to EU Civil Law colleagues and counterparts, they should possess knowledge and skills to understand and exercise to manage that website. The Course introduces into the basic principles and skills of the site.

Civil Liberties Litigation (CL&CR 956) — 3 credits

This course examines the protection of individual rights afforded by the Constitution by analyzing litigation involving violations of individual rights by the government and its officers. The principal substantive areas addressed are prisoners' rights, police misconduct, and political surveillance. In the process of examining the substantive civil rights issues, the course will analyze advanced concepts of civil procedure, constitutional law, federal jurisdiction, and trial practice.

Civil Procedure concerns the rules and principles that govern the litigation of a civil case. The course addresses systemic issues related to how and where a lawsuit is filed, including: personal and subject matter jurisdiction; venue; the notice required once a lawsuit has been filed; and which substantive law-state or federal-should apply in federal court. The course also familiarizes the student with the stages of a lawsuit, including: pleading; structuring the lawsuit; discovery; termination of a lawsuit without trial; trial; and actions that may be taken after a jury verdict or bench trial. Although reference is made to state laws, the course concentrates on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

This course introduces students to the dynamics of a productive attorney-client relationship, the goals of interviewing and counseling, and structures and techniques that can be used to achieve those goals. The focus is on developing students' skills in interviewing and counseling. Instruction consists of assigned reading, problem-solving exercises, group discussion, and practice through simulations.

Prerequisites: None

Using basic antitrust law as a foundation, this course will explore the myriad procedural, tactical, and strategic issues that arise in the prosecution or defense of modern "big case" commercial litigation.  After covering the basic antitrust concepts, the course will follow a major case through its principal phases, from drafting the complaint and answer, to discovery of expert witnesses, to preparing and presenting summary judgment motions, to working with jury consultants, to settlement efforts, to trial preparation and presentation. 

Prerequisites: None

This course will explore current issues in communications law including First Amendment constraints on the regulation of the content of telephone calls and television advertising, cable TV monopolies, and telecommunications regulations and deregulation. Course materials explore regulatory, constitutional, and antitrust law principles as they apply to broadcast, cable, and telecommunications activities.

The principal objective of this course is to provide students with a greater understanding of how their country's body of constitutional law is shaped by history, institutions, and current values. The comparative project, by focusing on narrow differences between two very similar countries, allows students to move beyond an acceptance of basic premises of constitutional law as "natural" or "inherent." As an important dividend, students will gain basic knowledge of foundational concepts in the legal landscape of their country's largest trading partner, hopefully providing students with a comparative advantage in seeking employment with government offices and private firms whose clients engage in substantial cross-border transactions.

This Seminar addresses selected topics that are important for U.S. lawyers in transnational practice. It introduces students to the civil law tradition and contemporary national and supranational legal systems in Europe and around the world that have grown out of or have been substantially influenced by the civil law tradition. Students will develop client counseling skills and enhance their ability to communicate with civil law trained foreign lawyers around the world. They will also develop greater appreciation of the potential comparative law methodology has to undertake private and public law reform projects efficiently and successfully.  Special emphasis is given to differences in approach and methodology of the common and civil law traditions and to applicable law problems faced by domestic courts when they have to decide cases involving foreign law. Use of comparative law methodology in private and public law reform projects is also addressed.  NOTE: Because of significant overlap in course content, students may not enroll in both Comparative Law in a Globalized World Seminar (SEM 908 offered during the academic year) and Comparative Law In a Globalized World — Transnational Perspectives (STABR 999 offered in the Florence and Capitals of Europe summer study abroad programs). 

How do we resolve problems when the substantive law or procedural rules of states or nations conflict? For example, if Hawaii enacts a statute permitting same-sex marriages, must other states recognize such a marriage? If an American-owned factory explodes in India, may the injured pursue claims under American tort law? The course will provide a review of jurisdictional concepts introduced earlier in first-year courses, introduce choice of law issues for multistate or multinational transactions or events, and examine the influence of the U.S. Constitution on the reach of a state's judicial decisions or legislation outside the state.

Conflict Resolution Theory Seminar (SEM 909) — 2 credits

This seminar is a capstone course for students interested in understanding the lifecycle and dynamics of conflict and conflict resolution, and the role played by dispute resolution systems in furnishing both resolution and an experience of justice. The course will examine relevant dispute system design principles and socio-psychological theories and research and apply them to the processes used to resolve civil disputes in the United States and other countries through general and specialized courts, administrative agencies, ADR providers, and other private organizations. Students will conduct original legal and (if possible) empirical research, using the principles, theories and research studied in the seminar to critique or propose elements of dispute resolution processes and/or systems. Students who enroll should be familiar with dispute system law and procedure from prior coursework such as Advocacy I (SKILS 950), The U.S. Law of Arbitration (SKILS 962), Negotiation/Mediation (SKILS 960), International Commercial Arbitration (INTER 984), Federal Courts (SKILS 965), Administrative Law (GOVMT 952) or other courses that include substantial coverage of dispute system law and procedure.

Prerequisites: None, however prior coursework in dispute system law and procedure is recommended as noted above. 

This seminar will examine the law and procedures governing congressional investigations through a series of case studies.  Case study topics will include  the Teapot Dome scandal, the 1929 stock market crash Pecora hearings, the House Un-America Activities and Senate McCarthy committees, Watergate, Iran-Contra,  and Whitewater, as well as an examination of special investigative commissions which will include the Roberts Commission's investigation of the Pearl Harbor attack, the Warren Commission's investigation of President Kennedy's assassination, and the 9-11 Commission's investigation of the 9-11 terrorist attacks.   These case studies will be the vehicles for studying the substantive law and legal procedures that govern the conduct of congressional investigations, including congressional subpoena power and its limits, privileges available to witnesses, testimonial immunity grants, assertions of executive privilege, contempt sanctions, perjury and false statements sanctions, and the role of counsel in congressional investigations.   

The course examines the roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches in determining limits of national and state powers and protection of the individual and civil rights provided in the United States Constitution.

This course examines current constitutional doctrine concerning religion under the First Amendment to the Constitution. The focus will be on the essential cases and principles of the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment. These cases and principles are organized along three thematic lines: (1) the regulation of religious activity (free exercise and neutrality, governmental interests, legislative accommodation), (2) the funding of religious activity (establishment and neutrality, governmental support of religious institutions), and (3) the treatment of religion in government's culture shaping activities (public schools, school curriculum, religious speech). The course ends with a discussion of the definition of "religion" for purposes of federal constitutional law.

This course examines the peculiar legal problems encountered on construction projects.  It covers contract, tort and statutory law as adapted specifically to the construction industry.  It analyzes the perspectives of an owner, developer, architect/engineer, contractor, subcontractor and bonding company, both in the context of private and public construction projects, commercial and residential.  The principal areas of inquiry are contract structure, public bidding, theories of liability, payment and security mechanisms, claims related to time, disruption and extra work, and claims arising from construction defects.  This course is designed to enable you to become familiar with construction law and the construction industry so that, whether you work in the public sector or private practice, you will be able to offer practical legal advice to construction professionals.

This course will deal with federal and state statutes and regulations that primarily protect the consumer. Federal laws covered in detail are the Magnuson-Moss Warranty-Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act, the Consumer Credit Protection Act, and federal tax lien statutes. State laws on false and misleading advertisements and full disclosure will be examined, along with state procedures for attachments in the enforcement of money judgments.

Prerequisites: None

Contracts (CORE 905) — 4 credits

Contracts is concerned with the formation of contracts. The traditional offer and acceptance are analyzed in light of problems presented by modern bargaining techniques. Voidability of contracts formed by fraud, mistake, illegality, and unconscionable advantage is also stressed. The performance of contracts and the parol evidence rule are discussed.

The course addresses the legal protection afforded to authors and artists under common law and statutory copyright. It considers the rights granted, procedure for their procurement, and protection through litigation. The course also deals with international rights, conveyancing, and interface with the antitrust laws.

This course focuses primarily on income tax problems unique to corporations and the income tax problems arising from the shareholder-corporate relationship.

This course focuses primarily on income tax problems unique to corporations and the income tax problems arising from the shareholder-corporate relationship.

This course primarily addresses organization and operation of commercial organizations in the Anglo-American community. Preliminarily, sole proprietorships and partnerships are considered, after which corporations-for-profit are emphasized with some attention to business trusts and non-profit corporations. In the corporate context, duties of promoters, directors, officers, and other insiders are considered. Availability in the U.S. of the derivative action is treated in terms of both unincorporated and corporate forms of organization. Also treated are the basics of securities regulation at the federal and state levels in the U.S. and the provincial level in Canada.

Prerequisites: None

This course focuses on the law and policy aspects of this important subset of National Security Law.  The course will address the legal and policy dimensions of the use of armed force, law enforcement, economic sanctions, detention operations, interrogation procedures, trial venues, and striking the appropriate balance between national security and civil liberties.  Comparing and contrasting the roles played by the three branches of government as they cope with terrorists and terrorist organizations will enhance understanding of this specialized area of the law.

This course deals with what is called substantive criminal law, i.e., crimes. Numerous crimes such as homicide, theft, and conspiracy are examined, and defenses such as self-defense and insanity are scrutinized. A primary focus of the course is the utilization and interpretation of criminal statutes.

Prerequisites: None

The Criminal Procedure course explores the interface between the criminal justice system and the United States Constitution. The course examines constitutional limits on police investigation and interrogation as well as the circumstances under which indigent defendants are guaranteed the assistance of counsel. In addition to introducing students to constitutional analysis, the course previews the ethical dimensions of defending persons accused of crime. The class also views a trial during the criminal term at the Court of Common Pleas.

This seminar will focus on two different themes. It will explore what it means to be a lawyer in the United States in comparison with what it means to be a lawyer in other countries. Among other things, participants will discuss the lawyer's role in society and the type of conduct that is regulated. This course will also examine the cross-border practice regulation that has emerged in response to the increasingly common circumstance of lawyers who handle a matter in a country other than their own.

This course covers the basic premises of compulsory education; issues concerning exclusion of students; school control of student behavior and curriculum; teacher employment problems; and issues of funding, minority rights, and school liability.

This course covers federal and state election law and will examine the constitutional basis for the regulation of elections, the development of the law in this area over the last 30 years, as well as criminal and civil enforcement of the law, the role of the Federal Election Commission, the formation and regulation of political action committees, as well as related federal tax law provisions impacting operation of political committees and advocacy organizations.  The course will also examine the intersection of the election law with congressional ethics rules, lobbying regulations and representation of political candidates and entities in election law matters.

This course introduces students to the law governing employer-provided benefit programs. It will begin with a look at the early development of welfare and pension plans offered through the workplace. The course will examine closely the landmark Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA) and its subsequent amendments. Among topics to be covered will be defined benefit and defined contribution pension programs. This will include a survey of rules relating to pension taxation, vesting, funding, alienability, guaranty, and fiduciary duties. With respect to health insurance, the course will look at issues affecting both employee and retiree health programs, including collectively bargained ones. The course will also discuss the subjects of age discrimination in employee benefit programs as well as ERISA preemption.

This course will provide an overview of significant doctrinal issues in employment discrimination law, and will seek to develop students' skills through a rigorous examination of statutory law, regulations and court decisions. It will introduce students to the fundamental legal theories underlying the substantive coverage of the most significant federal equal employment opportunity laws, and legal issues regarding their application.

This course explores the economic, political, and strategic implications of ongoing trends and structural shifts in global energy markets. It focuses especially on international markets for crude oil and natural gas; attention is also devoted to nuclear energy, the international nuclear industry, and nonproliferation challenges.

This course introduces some of the most important concepts, issues, and statutes in environmental law. After discussing the economic and ethical bases for environmental law and briefly reviewing the relevant principles of constitutional and common law, students examine a representative selection of federal statutes, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, "Superfund," and the Clean Air Act.

This course explores the various forms of litigation that arise in the practice of environmental law. Citizen suit actions, toxic torts, government enforcement actions (both criminal and civil), and other forms of litigation will be examined. Emphasis is on the practical aspects of litigation, with active class participation assumed in a problem-oriented format. The use of scientific evidence and expert testimony will be explored.

Prerequisites: RP&EL 960 Environmental Law

Major environmental issues with considerable controversy, uncertainty, or immediacy will be examined in detail (climate change, pandemic flu virus, major natural disaster, etc.). After six weeks of detailed study in the substance of the topics and the decision making process in the international community a simulation game will be conducted based on one of the topics. Teams of students will take on the roles of nations, groups of nations, or extranational organizations (for example USA, China, India, Russia, EU, Group of 77, OPEC, UN, WHO, etc.). They will develop positions based on the most current scientific information and existing policy. The game will progress through a series of moves to which they must respond with new policy positions. These will be the result of real and plausible changes scientific knowledge, economic and environmental conditions, technology, and international power relationships. The game will take approximately five weeks. In addition to content knowledge on the environmental topics; existing laws, treaties, and agreements; and international organizations; students participating in the simulation game will get experience in rapid ingest of data, analysis, negotiations, presentation techniques, preparation of analytical briefs, and leadership under pressure, much like the real world. The results of the game will then be debriefed and deconstructed, and critically analyzed to gain insights into both the issue and how various interested parties or groups will likely be affected and how they might respond.

Studies the concepts and techniques required to develop estate plans. Topics include the initial client interview, drafting of wills and trusts, powers of attorney, living wills, disability planning and income taxation of trusts and estates. The psychological and ethical aspects of estate planning will be covered. The course will also survey the federal gift, estate and generation skipping taxes. The course is intended to be an introduction to estate planning, valuable to both the person intending to specialize in the field and the general practitioner.

This course will consider the principal tax and non-tax aspects and techniques of estate planning.  Topics to be covered will include: the initial client interview, drafting of wills and trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, disability planning and income taxation of trusts and estates.  The course also will survey the federal gift, estate and generation skipping taxes.  The course is intended to be an introduction to estate planning, valuable to both the person intending to specialize in the field and the general practitioner.

This seminar seeks to examine selected aspects of the Commercial Law of the European Union. It provides an introduction to the distinct methodology of EU law and the European Court of Justice, examines the principles of the internal market, and focuses on aspects which are particularly important for US lawyers from a practical or a theoretical perspective. It covers, among others, the following topics: Introduction to the fundamentals of the EU Legal Order; the internal market; free movement of goods, customs duties, discriminatory and protective taxation; quantitative restrictions on trade; freedom of establishment and services; free movement of companies; financial services; aspects of competition law; anti-competitive agreements and monopolies; enforcement of competition law; selected comparisons with WTO and NAFTA.

This course examines basic principles of the Union legal system, such as free movement of goods, persons, services, and capital, the right of establishment, common commercial policy, and foreign policy. It also examines the organization and functions of the Union 's institutions and contrasts the United States federal experience. The relationship between Union law and the legal systems of member states will be addressed along with the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice. The relevance of the Union experience to the evolution of other common markets in North and South America and Asia will also be addressed.

This course presents evidence in trials under the Federal Rules of Evidence, at common law and in equity and with reference to administrative bodies. The reasoning from which rules arise in areas including relevancy, competency, privilege, examination of witnesses, writing, the hearsay rule and its exceptions, burden of proof, presumptions, judicial notice, and constitutional evidence problems is also addressed.

Externship Placements offer students the opportunity to work and learn in a variety of settings outside the Law School under the supervision of a full-time faculty member. Placements are in public service or nonprofit offices, including local, state and federal government and judicial offices. Students work with experienced supervisors in those offices to develop skills in legislative drafting, opinion writing, client counseling, research, administrative and criminal practice, statutory analysis and interpretation, and application and enforcement of regulations. Through their work and class discussions, students are expected to develop a heightened awareness of the methods and functions of the legislative, regulatory, judicial, and public interest representation functions.

Available placements include state cabinet level agencies, state and federal judicial chambers, legal services offices, legislative offices, local governments, Penn State offices, and state prosecutor and public defender offices. More detailed information on our Externship Placement program can be found on our Clinics and Externships page.

Students may not register for this course until they have secured an approved placement and obtained the permission of the faculty supervisor.

Prerequisites: Law School Faculty Supervisor approval is required before registering. In addition, individual offices may establish requirements, such as completion of relevant courses, completion of a minimum number of semesters, or status as a certified legal intern 

The International Justice Externship Program will provide students with the opportunity to spend a semester at the Hague in the Netherlands earning 10 hours of academic credit for approximately 30 hours of supervised work. Students will work in the Office of the Special Prosecutor at the Hague. The externship will enable students to pursue advanced practical training and research opportunities in international criminal law beyond our curricular offerings. Students will have the opportunity to analyze sophisticated areas of international law in a real world context. Each student participating in the Hague semester is required to enroll in a concurrent two-credit seminar.  The seminar component will address international trial investigative techniques, tribunal jurisdiction and procedure, and areas of international civil and criminal law that are most relevant to legal practice before international tribunals. Highlights of the course may include analysis of the prosecutions of Slobodan Milosevic, former President, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Milan Lukic, former head of a paramilitary group called the White Eagles, and Jovica Stanisic, the former head of the State Security Service in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Students must register for the 2-credit seminar, International Justice Seminar (SEM 943), the same semester as the International Justice Externship Program (FPIJP 995). 
 

Prerequisites: Student must have completed and earned at least a C in Professional Responsibility before participating in the externship.

In addition, students must have taken at least one of the following courses: International Law (INTER 971), Introduction to Transnational Law and Legal Issues (INTER 951), The Supreme Court in Comparative Perspective (SEM 907);  History of International Law Seminar (SEM 903); International Protection of Human Rights Seminar (SEM 922);  International Uniform Enforcement of Human Rights Seminar (SEM 968);  The United Nations and International Law Seminar (SEM 941); Comparative Law in a Globalized World Seminar (SEM 908); or equivalent course approved by program advisor.

The Semester in Harrisburg Program is an 8-credit, semester long internship that provides experiential learning relating to legislative and administrative law practice and the formulation of public policy at the state government level. Enrollment is open to students in their third year of law school, and the 8-credit internship is graded credit/no credit. Internship placements must be approved by the Program directors and are in the state legislature, in state government agencies and offices, and with nonprofit groups that focus on state government affairs and administrative agencies.  The purpose of the program is to provide students advanced training and research opportunities in a specialized area of law of interest to them and to serve as an intensive “capstone semester” for coursework already completed at the law school.

Students must register for the 1-credit contemporaneous guided reflection course (FPHBG 996) during the semester that they participate in the Semester in Harrisburg Program.. This course will require a twenty-page research paper and will be graded as credit/no credit. 

Students in the program must enroll in GOVMT 987 State and Local Government Law when offered the same semester as the internship semester.  In any semester in which GOVMT 987 State and Local Government Law course is not offered students in the program must enroll in a required relevant elective course approved by the program directors,and selected from an approved list of courses in the law school curriculum, and relevant to the placement organization.

Prerequisites: Student must have completed and earned at least a C in Professional Responsibility before participating in the externship.

The Washington semester externship will provide students with the opportunity to spend a semester in Washington, D.C. earning 10 hours of academic credit for approximately 32 hours of supervised work. Students will work in one of several selected and approved governmental or nonprofit entities.

The externship will enable students to pursue advanced training and research opportunities in a particular field beyond our curricular offerings. The areas of law will include federal criminal law, international law, federal civil regulatory agency practice and procedure, and public and private nonprofit law. Students will have the opportunity to analyze sophisticated areas of law in a real world context. In the classroom component students will analyze the legal obligations and professional responsibilities of both government lawyers and private counsel.

Students must register for Federal Regulatory and Legislative Practice Seminar (SEM 914) – 2 credits the same semester as the Washington D.C. Externship Placement.  The seminar will utilize a separation of powers analysis to examine federal regulatory and legislative practice. Topics covered will include congressional investigations, federal regulatory agency jurisdiction and procedure, and areas of federal criminal law that are most relevant to legal practice in Washington, DC. The seminar's primary focus will be those areas of Washington legal practice in which administrative and regulatory law, federal criminal law, politics, and public relations intersect to create special problems and challenges for attorneys in government and private practice. A "case study" approach will be used to analyze these topics from both perspectives, examining the legal obligations and professional responsibilities of both government lawyers and private counsel. Highlights of the course include analysis of the Watergate, ABSCA, Iran-Contra, Whitewater, and Clinton-Lewinsky scandals. 

Prerequisites: Student must have completed and earned at least a C in Professional Responsibility before participating in the externship. 

This course studies legal problems pertaining to the organization, operation, and dissolution of the family. It includes material on privacy, alternative families, marriage and annulment, child and spousal support, termination of parental rights, adoption and care of the child, divorce, alimony, property distribution at divorce, and custody of children.

This course introduces contemporary issues in several topical areas of particular interest to litigating in federal courts. The course topics are varied, with the unifying theme being that each topic possesses either particular prominence or exclusive jurisdiction within the country’s federal court system. These topics include: the history and organization of the federal courts, the courts’ relationship with Congress, the arguments for and against diversity jurisdiction, the practical dynamics of federal procedure, strategic considerations involved in a litigant’s choice of federal court, ADR proceedings in federal courts, securities, bankruptcy, intellectual property, antitrust, employment discrimination, review of administrative agency decisions, immigration issues, federal criminal matters, sentencing, civil rights cases, and habeas. 

Prerequisites: SKILS 965 Federal Courts and SKILS 955 Evidence are recommended but not required

Prerequisites: None

This course involves elements of constitutional law and civil procedure, addressing the relationship of federal courts to administrative agencies and state courts. Building on the foundational knowledge of federal subject matter jurisdiction addressed in Civil Procedure, this course examines in greater detail advanced problems in standing, mootness, and ripeness. Building on the foundational knowledge of separation of powers and federalism addressed in Constitutional Law, this course examines the power of Congress to allocate judicial power among federal courts, federal agencies, and States. The heart of the course, however, consists of advanced topics including the power of federal courts to create common law, limitations (and complications) in suits against the federal and state governments and their officials, problems arising when administrative agencies or state courts are addressing matters related to the subject of a pending case in federal court, and limitations on federal appellate jurisdiction. This course should prove especially useful to students who anticipate clerking for a federal or state judge, or who plan to litigate before federal or state courts or administrative agencies.

Prerequisites: None

The seminar will utilize a separation of powers analysis to examine federal regulatory and legislative practice. Topics covered will include congressional investigations, federal regulatory agency jurisdiction and procedure, and areas of federal criminal law that are most relevant to legal practice in Washington, DC. The seminar's primary focus will be those areas of Washington legal practice in which administrative and regulatory law, federal criminal law, politics, and public relations intersect to create special problems and challenges for attorneys in government and private practice. A "case study" approach will be used to analyze these topics from both perspectives, examining the legal obligations and professional responsibilities of both government lawyers and private counsel. Highlights of the course include analysis of the Watergate, ABSCA, Iran-Contra, Whitewater, and Clinton-Lewinsky scandals.

You'll learn why financial accounting is a system for measuring and communicating the outcomes of business activities to parties outside the firm. The purposes of this course are to: 1) provide you with a basic understanding of the concepts and principles (i.e. the jargon) underlying financial accounting practices. 2) make you comfortable with financial data (in particular, opening a 10K or annual report) 3) enable you to have a conversation with your company's accountants 4) make you aware of the care that must be taken when using financial accounting data as a source of information for making decisions 5) provide you with the technical tools and references to analyze how a particular transaction affects a firm's financial statements.

This course will run from August 28 through October 8.

This course examines the history, values and function of free expression, advocacy of illegal action, expression that provokes a hostile audience reaction, defamation, commercial advertising, obscenity, hate speech and pornography, expression in public places, symbolic speech, campaign finance laws, and speech in restricted environments.

This survey course covers the federal regulation of food, human and animal drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, biologics, and agricultural biotechnology. The primary focus will be on the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the operations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The course will also cover related statutes implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the interaction between federal regulation and private tort litigation, and international trade in FDA-regulated products.

National security policy is developed, executed and sustained on a global stage where conflicts are waged live on television and daily events are shaped not just by governments communicating through traditional media but by a range of non-state actors employing Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to influence national, regional or global public opinion.  This course will cover the modern national security policymaking process; the pursuit of national interests consistent with U.S. laws and values; the competing strategic narratives promoted by the U.S., emerging global powers and extremist groups such as al Qaeda; and the vital role of old and new media to the development of representative and responsible governance.  Case studies in government communications and media relations will range from the Cold War and Vietnam right up to the present day, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo, WikiLeaks and the on-going transformation of the Middle East. 

In this course, we will study foundational topics in Jewish law, employing a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. Beginning with the biblical foundation, we will trace how the Jewish legal tradition developed throughout the post-biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and modern periods. Along the way, we will explore the complex interplay of law, religion, society and politics in various formative stages of the Jewish normative tradition. For comparative purposes, we will also be mindful of divergent approaches espoused in the Ancient Near East, Greco-Roman civilization, Sectarian Judaism, Christianity, and medieval and modern Western jurisprudence. We will especially consider how the Jewish legal tradition emerged out of the crucible of formidable political and social challenges faced by Jews throughout the centuries.

This course will be organized topically, studying subjects from Jewish civil, criminal, ritual and ethical laws. Topics may include the issue of abortion; waging war on the Sabbath; the prohibition on coveting; honoring parents; divorce laws; the development of an independent judiciary and majority rule; the ban on self-incrimination; circumcision; laws of prayer; laws of charity; charging interest; labor laws; fraud laws, etc.

Students will become familiar with the main genres of Jewish legal writings, the main schools of Jewish jurisprudence, and the main methods of Jewish legal analysis. Students will also learn to employ interdisciplinary techniques to better comprehend the nuances of Jewish law. They will employ methods of legal theory, literary criticism, comparative religious studies and sociology throughout the semester.

This course provides students with a substantive review of selected material routinely tested on the bar exam, primarily through problems and exercises in a bar exam format designed to familiarize students with the exam and techniques for answering multiple choice questions. Individualized feedback is provided every week to assist each student identify areas of strength and weakness.  The goal is to enhance student ability to prepare for the bar exam and is intended to supplement, not replace, commercial bar preparation courses.  This course is not focused an any particular state, so all students will benefit regardless of where they are sitting for the bar exam. Students enrolled in BPREP 900 are not permitted to use laptops, phones or other devices during class. This course is not recommended for students ranked in the top third of their class. BPREP 900 is graded on a pass/fail basis but is not subject in any other respect to the Pass/Fail Option.

This course is the second part of an introductory survey of the United States healthcare system and its legal and policy problems.  The class will focus on public health and the laws governing ethical issues that arise in the course of providing medical care.  Specific topics include infectious disease control and prevention, human experimentation, treatment at the end of life, reproductive rights, organ transplantation, and genetic testing.

This introductory health law course will examine how the law influences the regulation, structure, financing, and delivery of healthcare in the United States. We will also consider the challenges facing healthcare providers, regulators, and consumers. Issues to be addressed include private health insurance and managed care, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, Medicare, Medicaid, fraud and abuse, and antitrust.

This course is intended to provide students with a general knowledge of immigration law, including such critical subjects as the constitutional powers of the federal government over immigration matters, admission and exclusion, entry, deportation, and political asylum.

In the Independent Study course the student, under the supervision of a full-time member of the faculty, will be permitted to do research and write a paper of a substantial nature on a significant subject.

Title insurance is an integral component in almost every real estate transaction in the United States. This course examines the practical role of Title Insurance pertaining to the conveyance and/or financing of real estate. An emphasis on pragmatic solutions to some of the challenges that arise in the normal course of working with real estate will be explored in this highly interactive class.

A study of special legal principles applicable to insurance contracts with an examination of the insurance industry and insurance marketing, the identity of persons and interests protected, the nature and selection of risks, the rights and duties of the contracting parties, and the enforcement of claims is undertaken.

Prerequisites: None

This course will survey the protection of proprietary rights in inventions, writings, creative expression, trade secrets, and other intangible intellectual products by federal patent, copyright, trademark and unfair competition law, and by state trade secrecy and unfair competition law.  A central theme will be the challenges to traditional legal paradigms posed by new technologies and the shift to an information-based economy.  The course is intended for all students who anticipate having corporate clients and seek a basic understanding of the laws applicable to key assets of most businesses, as well as for students interested in becoming intellectual property specialists. This course does not replace (and is not a prerequisite for) Copyrights, Patent Law, Trademarks, or any other intellectual property course. 

Prerequisites: CORE 912 and CORE 914 Legal Research and Writing I and II

Prerequisites: None

By some measures up to 90% of all international and transnational contracts include agreements to resolve disputes between the parties through arbitration. For all its success, the international arbitration system is not a simple organism. It is the product of a complex interaction of national laws, contractual agreements, specialized procedural rules, and international treaties, customs and norms. The system is designed to balance party autonomy with the sovereign and transnational regulatory interests that are implicated in disputes. This course explores the amalgam of sources that undergird the international arbitration system, as well as the strategic considerations, practical skills and policy implications that are involved.

Prerequisites: None

* International Financial Law Seminar (SEM 997A Fall 2012) 
— 3 credits

This course introduces students to key concepts and doctrines of international law. It examines the sources of international law such as custom and treaty, the bases of international jurisdiction, issues of statehood, recognition and succession, nationality, international agreements, and U.S. participation in the international legal system. The course provides students with the basics needed for both public and private international law practice.

Prerequisites: None

This course is intended to acquaint students with the impact of globalization upon the process of litigation. It focuses upon the adjudicatory  resolution of disputes created by international contracts and global business transactions through the standard legal trial process and arbitration. Various basic topics are treated, including (1) the certification and training of international lawyers; (2) the liability exposure of multinational enterprises; (3) the State as an actor in global commerce; (4) problems of comparative jurisdiction, service of process and evidence-gathering, proof of foreign law, and the enforcement of foreign judgments; (5) the extraterritorial application of national law; and (6) attempts to establish a transborder law and legal process. The course also provides a thorough introduction to international arbitration and investor-state arbitration.

This course treats the unique problems concerning U.S. taxation of the foreign income and operations of U.S. persons and enterprises and the incidence of U.S. taxation on foreign persons and enterprises, including the following basic topics: the tax treatment of international business and investments, sales and financing, the sourcing of income, inclusions and exclusions, the foreign tax credit, controlled foreign corporations, and tax avoidance. This course stresses the role of international tax treaties and examines, on a comparative basis, the tax rules of other countries in order to better understand our own system and to gain an understanding of the overall impact of taxation in the international setting.

This course presents the range of legal issues arising from the emergence of cyberspace. The course considers how the law has reacted to challenges posed by the Internet as well as how the law is shaping its future. Specific areas covered include jurisdictional analysis, First Amendment/free speech, digital copyrights, trademarks and domain names, electronic privacy, e-commerce, and Internet governance.

To develop a good foundation for the LL.M. students' other course work, this course introduces the United States court system, the role of the Constitution in the United States legal system, and other foundation materials in United States law. The goal is to introduce students to distinctive aspects and/or fundamental principles in U.S. law. Enrollment in this course is limited to LL.M. candidates.

This course examines the legal position of the child in society and the extent to which the child may be legally controlled by parent(s) or state. Subject matters include the right of the child to control reproductive decision-making, child support and paternity issues, child pornography and minors' access to pornography, child abuse and neglect, foster care, termination of parental rights, adoption, medical treatment of juveniles, and medical experimentation on juveniles. The course also examines the delinquency jurisdiction of juvenile court, the constitutional protections afforded the child accused of criminal activity, adjudications of delinquency, punishment or placement of the child in the dispositional phase of juvenile proceedings, and treatment of the child as an adult offender.

This course is an extended study of the federal National Labor Relations Act focusing on the right to form and join labor organizations, strikes, boycotts and picketing, collective bargaining, and the enforcement of collective bargaining agreements.

This course is an extended study of the federal National Labor Relations Act focusing on the right to form and join labor organizations, strikes, boycotts and picketing, collective bargaining, and the enforcement of collective bargaining agreements.

The public regulation of private property raises some of the more interesting and difficult questions in property law. On one side of the debate is the government, which seeks to regulate land use in ways that it believes promote the public interest. On the other side are private property owners who often object to restrictions placed on their ability to use their property as they deem best. In studying this tension between public goals and private rights, the course will explore the constitutional limitations placed on governments in the area of land use regulations as well as topics such as variances, special use permits, vested rights, subdivision controls, exactions and impact fees, exclusionary zoning, the rebuilding of urban cores, and the managing of growth in suburban areas.

Examination of laws and public policies affecting older adults and families, including health & long-term care.  This seminar will analyze demographic trends of aging world populations, including alternative public benefit and private retirement strategies affected by laws.  Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, protection of older adults, long-term care planning, and consumer protection laws will be introduced, with opportunities for students to select individual topics for in-depth research, writing and presentation in class. The seminar will also examine roles for specialists in elder law, whether in private practice or as public advocates.

Major issues and concepts in law and social policy regarding individuals with handicaps are introduced. Topics include: income maintenance programs, special education, federal and state anti-discrimination laws, accessibility, special health issues, institutionalization and de-institutionalization. This is a required course for participation in the Disability Law Clinic.

This seminar will explore the different ways in which the law regulates and accounts for sexuality in general and sexual orientation in particular. Topics to be covered will include rights to privacy and their impact on the ability of the state to regulate sexual conduct; rights to equal protection by lesbians and gay men; the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy; rights to free speech and associations of lesbians and gay men (and of those who do not want to associate with them): same-sex marriage and adoption by lesbians and gay men; employment discrimination; and legal issues involving transgendered individuals.

The objectives of this course include an examination of the interface between law and the arts with an eye to both theoretical and practical implications and a striving to identify creative and serviceable solutions to the problems that have frustrated the growth and harvest of the creative effort. The investigation will be directed toward subject areas that reflect functional divisions within the arts; i.e., the visual arts, dance, music, the literary arts, and areas such as television and film. The course includes a mandatory overnight field trip to New York City at the students' expense. It is a prerequisite for the Art, Sports, and Entertainment Law Clinic.

Employer-provided pension and health care programs play a critical role in the lives of individuals, families, and communities. They also affect corporations, financial markets, and the economy as a whole. Employee benefit programs are, in short, an important staple of modern law practice. This course surveys the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and relevant portions of the Internal Revenue Code. Classes examine what benefit plans must do regarding reporting and disclosure, accrual, vesting, funding, and fiduciary standards. The course covers health care reform, the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution programs, and the effect of stock market volatility on benefit programs. Throughout the semester, students examine the policy goals underpinning federal benefits law. The course surveys major issues in ERISA litigation, including that statute's claims and remedies provisions, as well as its preemption of state law.

This seminar provides students with an opportunity to analyze and discuss ethical and legal issues relating to representation of business entities. Issues covered include (1) who is the client for the lawyer who represents a business entity; (2) what special rules govern confidentiality and information sharing in the representation of a business entity; (3) how should a lawyer respond to evidence of client fraud or other illegal activities; (4) what are the potential liabilities for furnishing legal advice or providing legal opinions for business transactions that are later found to have been fraudulent or illegal; (5) when is a business entity required or permitted to reimburse employees for legal expenses relating to their employment activities; and (6) what special obligations and responsibilities are imposed on "in-house" attorneys who are full-time employees of a business entity.

The Legal Analysis, Research & Writing (“LARW”) course is designed to teach each student to think, write, and speak like a lawyer. Students must learn to solve clients’ problems by using effective research techniques, accurate and in-depth legal analysis, and clear and concise written and oral communication. These skills will improve only with practice. Therefore, the LARW course uses a problem-solving approach through which students will represent a fictional client and provide those clients with legal advice. Through this approach, students will learn essential skills of successful lawyers, including researching legal authorities, applying the law to a client’s situation, and communicating that analysis in writing and verbally. In LARW I, the focus is on objective analysis and writing. Students learn to draft the primary tool for communicating objective analysis, which is the office memorandum. Students receive individual feedback from their professor throughout the course.

LARW II continues to build on the skills learned in LARW I. Students continue to analyze clients’ problems using various sources of legal authority, to use additional research sources, and to further refine their writing style. However, LARW II focuses on persuasive writing, so students will learn to draft documents that are submitted to a court called “briefs” or “memoranda of law.” Students also will learn to present an oral argument to a court. LARW II continues to implement the problem-solving approach to teach persuasive writing, and students continue to receive individualized feedback throughout the course.

Prerequisites: None

This course deals with the enactment and construction of statutes with specific attention to the organization, procedures and powers of federal and state legislative bodies, to statutory drafting and construction, and to lobbying.

Prerequisites: Students must have taken at least one of the following courses: INTPR 960 Copyrights, INTPR 985 Trademarks, and/or INTPR 980 Patent Law; or receive specific permission of the faculty member after demonstrating special qualifications for the subject matter.

This course explores U.S. common law analytical methods and discourse. Students will analyze cases and statutes to solve client problems. Students will draft objective memoranda and other documents to communicate their legal analysis in writing. Students will also learn the basics of U.S. legal research.

This course has several segments covering such matters as federal and state power over Native American affairs; personal rights and liberties under tribal law; and the history of treaties with and legislation concerning Native Americans.

This course provides a basic overview of federal and state regulations and of the common law affecting title to and exploitation of such resources as water, coal, oil, gas, and public lands. Common mineral leasing provisions are given particular emphasis.

This course combines the law and ethics of negotiation, mediation and settlement with economic and psychological bargaining theory and regular hands-on practice in representing clients in negotiation and mediation.  Bargaining theory (including distributive and integrative bargaining), relevant socio-psychological research, negotiation and mediation ethics, the law of settlement, and the basics of contract drafting are all introduced. Instruction consists of assigned reading, a series of simulations and exercises (including drafting a resulting contract), written negotiation planning and self-evaluation, feedback, and group discussion.  The course also may involve participation in a full-day Saturday program, and students should be prepared to experiment with various means to maximize their facility in using videoconferencing and other technologies to negotiate and represent clients in mediation.  Prerequisite for Conflict Resolution Theory Seminar.

Prerequisites: None

This course presents an overview of laws and policies that affect the nonprofit sector, a vital component of national and international economies.  Students will examine alternative legal structures (including how to form a nonprofit corporation under U.S. law), federal and selected state tax laws, fiduciary duties of governing boards, charitable gifting rules, restrictions on private inurement, and the important roles played by nonprofits nationally and globally. The course will permit students to examine specific legal issues relating to selected nonprofit organizations such as religious organizations, private schools, hospitals and long-term care facilities, social clubs, trade and professional organizations or political organizations. Students may engage in comparative examination of practices and foreign laws of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

This course examines the income tax consequences of the formation, operation, and liquidation of a partnership, the classification of an entity as a partnership, distributions by a partnership, and sales of partnership interests.

This course is an examination of the legal requirements for obtaining patent protection for an invention. The statutory foundations of United States patent law are examined through an analysis of patent prosecution practice and patent litigation. The course also considers United States patent practice in the context of international intellectual property law.

In the modern economy commercial parties use a variety of payment mechanisms. This course provides an overview of different payment systems (including checks, credit and debit cards, wire transfers, and letters of credit), the credit system, and the devices that enhance creditworthiness (including notes, guaranties, and standby letters of credit). Classroom discussion is devoted almost exclusively to developing analyses of written problems contained in the course text. Because this course requires familiarity with the Uniform Commercial Code, students should take another Uniform Commercial Code course prior to or concurrently with this course.

Payment Systems and Financial Transactions is a general overview of the law of negotiable instruments (e.g., checks), and other mechanisms for making payments, including credit cards, debit cards, ACH payments, and wire transfers. The course also will cover credit enhancement systems such as guaranties and letters of credit. The course will address both uniform state law (UCC Articles 3, 4, 4A, and 5), and applicable federal statutes and regulations (such as the Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Truth-in-Lending Act, and the Electronic Fund Transfers Act).

This course provides a general overview of the law of negotiable instruments (e.g., checks), and other mechanisms for making payments, including credit cards, debit cards, letters of credit, wire transfers, and electronic payment devices.  The course also will cover credit transactions, including notes and guaranties, and securitization of assets.  The course will address both uniform state law (UCC Articles 3, 4, and 4A), and applicable federal statutes (such as the Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Truth-in-Lending Act, and the Electronic Fund Transfers Act).

This course is a step-by-step analysis of the procedure, planning, tactics, and strategy in defending and prosecuting a criminal case in Pennsylvania from pre-arrest through appeal. Special emphasis is placed on all aspects of the procedure and law relating to the suppression of evidence.

This class will acquaint the student with civil procedure at the state trial court level. Using Pennsylvania as the model, the course traces a civil case from service of process to trial and includes discussion of venue, pleadings, discovery and dispositive motions. The course also deals with other important aspects of civil practice including statutes of limitation, comparative negligence, compulsory arbitration and settlement.

This seminar is designed to improve students’ understanding of the theoretical and policy justifications underlying the prosecution of white collar crime.  Students will examine current issues in the debate over corporate criminal liability, prosecutorial discretion, the use of plea agreements to achieve structural reform of corporations, and the federalization of crime.  In addition, the class will examine white collar crime in particular industries such as health care and securities regulation.  Students will examine these issues both theoretically and practically by reviewing law review articles, Department of Justice policies, pleadings, and case studies on some of the most notorious white collar crime cases in recent years.   

This is a study of guilty pleas and sentencing alternatives, post-conviction remedies, parole, probation, commutation, and pardon. The course will also examine the law of corrections and prisoners' rights.

This course deals primarily with the handling of estates following death. Emphasis is thus placed on accounts and distribution, the responsibilities of estate administrators and personal representatives, inheritance tax problems, and will contests. Other topics include avoidance of probate and the drafting of wills.

This course incorporates and expands the concepts derived from the basic Torts, Contracts, and Uniform Commercial Code coverage of products liability. Emphasis will be on the substantive and procedural law of contract, negligence, and strict liability developed by courts and administrative tribunals. Proposals for legislative reforms will also be studied.

Through the use of hypothetical situations, this course attempts to generate student sensitivity to ethical problems faced by lawyers in various kinds of practice. The ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the older Code of Professional Responsibility are the basic tools, but discussion centers as well on case law, ABA opinions and standards, statutes, and the dictates of conscience. Discipline and professional malpractice are also treated.

Prerequisites: None

This course introduces the basic concepts and principles in the law of property. Topics include: acquisition and allocation of property rights; restrictions on owners' rights to use, limit access to, and sell or dispose of their property; and the relationships among multiple owners of rights in the same property. The emphasis is on real property, although the course also addresses intellectual property and other types of personal property.

With the perception that the federal judiciary is increasingly hostile to constitutional claims, individuals have turned to state constitutions as an independent source of rights in civil and criminal litigation. This course will explore the unique procedures and methods of state constitutional rights interpretation. In lieu of an examination, persons enrolled in the course will brief questions of state constitutional law in an arena where the United States Constitution fails to afford protection.

Prerequisites: None

Remedial devices focusing on the theory and application of legal and equitable relief are analyzed comparatively. The course covers the procedural and substantive law elements of damages, specific performance, injunctions, declaratory judgments, reformation, rescission, and restitution.

Article Two of the Uniform Commercial Code is an integrated body of statutory law that prescribes the rights and obligations of parties involved in transactions in goods. Although we will review general principles of contract law and contrast them with the approach adopted in Article Two, this course emphasizes the special techniques of statutory construction utilized in interpreting a code as opposed to an isolated statute. Classroom discussion is devoted almost exclusively to developing analyses of written problems distributed to the students in advance of the class. The problems require students to fashion arguments based on the statutory language. The problems also require students to develop an understanding of the legal and commercial context based on the assigned readings, and then to interpret the statutory language in light of this context. The course topics are: code methodology (including the history and jurisprudence of Article Two), contract formation and interpretation, performance obligations, breach and remedies.

This course deals with the creation, enforcement, and priorities of personal property security interests under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code and related statutes. It addresses:(a) encumbrances on consumer, commercial, and industrial goods, (b) inventory and receivables financing for manufacturers, distributors, and dealers, and (c) personal property agricultural financing. Relevant provisions of other Articles of the UCC and other state and federal statutes are integrated into the course as required.

Prerequisites: None

This course explores how various areas of the law impact the sports industry.
The "law" that is used by most sports lawyers is principally the application of settled principles of other legal fields to the sports industry: contract law, labor law, tax law, products liability law, intellectual property law, etc.

The Sports Law course, then focuses on important areas that provide the foundational principles that drive the outcome of most legal disputes arising in the sports industry. The course also examines on certain areas of the law such as antitrust, labor, and constitutional law, that have specific and unique applications to sports.

Beginning with historical and constitutional aspects, students will analyze in detail recent developments in state and local taxation and their impact on client representation. Attention will be concentrated on corporate, sales and use and other business taxes, death duties, and property taxes and exemptions.

The course covers the wide variety of tools that lawyers and judges use to interpret statutes. A basic introduction to the legislative process and how important aspects of that process are relevant to statutory interpretation is also included. Students will be introduced to important techniques of statutory interpretation and the theoretical support for varying approaches to how judges do and should interpret statutes. 

Students who took this course as a first-year enrichment course may not enroll in the upper-level offering of the course.  

The process and techniques of research necessary for the practice of law are explored from historic, conceptual, and practical perspectives. The tools of legal research, including technology based sources, are investigated in detail. Skills needed to research factual issues will also be developed.

Prerequisites: None

This course is designed to provide students with an advanced understanding of ways lawyers use primary and secondary legal research sources and finding tools to successfully represent their clients. An emphasis is placed on the development of effective legal research strategies that take into account choice of format (e.g., the relative advantages and disadvantages of print and electronic sources), cost/benefit analysis of format choice, evolving approaches by law firms and private practitioners to billable research hours, use of computerized tools to organize research results, and presentation of research results to case supervisors. Course content will be presented in a hybrid format consisting of two hours per week of in-class meetings with the remaining credit to be completed by coursework outside scheduled class time through online and written assignments.

Prerequisites: CORE 912 Legal Analysis, Research and Writing I and CORE 914 Legal Analysis, Research and Writing II

This course examines the contribution of the judiciary to political governance in comparative perspective. It focuses on the Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice, which is the highest court of the European Union. It also takes into account selectively judgments of other constitutional courts. It seeks to explore the function of judicial review in modern democracy through a study of judicial decisions in selected areas. It examines the relationship between the judiciary and the other organs of government and the role of courts in protecting the citizen. It focuses on the following areas: federalism, the protection of human rights, the principles of democracy, non-discrimination, equality, proportionality, legitimate expectations, and fair hearing; Locus standi, remedies for the protection of constitutional rights, and the liability of public bodies and state agencies.

The Supreme Court, including procedure and practice, principles of adjudication, and history, as well as the topics of the current term are studied. Students are required to present analyses of current cases as well as an analytical paper on approved topics of constitutional law.

Tort law seeks to remedy civil wrongs that result in harm to person or property. The class will focus on basic concepts such as the intentional torts, negligence, strict liability, and products liability.

The law of trademarks is central to the concept of fair dealing in the commercial environment. The history of common law and statutory trademarks is explored as well as registration, conveyancing and foreign rights. The course deals with the duty of the merchant to compete honestly and remedies for failure to do so.

This course examines the disposition of property at death by intestate succession and by will. The execution, revocation, construction, and contest of wills, as well as limits on the power to dispose of property by will, are studied. This course also examines the creation, purposes and termination of trusts, including informal trusts, and the interrelationship between trusts and wills.

The inexorable paces of globalization and interdependence have made the need for international cooperation more acute. The role of the United Nations in these processes has become both more relevant and controversial. Notwithstanding the critical voices that have questioned the relevance or usefulness of the world body from certain national perspectives and points of view, the United Nations, through its activities and programmes, continues to have a considerable impact on countries and societies around the world, in such areas as conflict prevention and resolution, control of population displacements, humanitarian action, and social and economic development. These considerations, among others, make a study of the United Nations and International law more important today than it has ever been.

The course is for LL.M. students who speak English as a second language. It serves as a companion to [a substantive law course, e.g., Constitutional Law I]. Students will build skill in analyzing cases, applying case holdings to hypothetical facts and understanding the material presented in the substantive law course. Also, students will learn and practice skills necessary for success in law school, e.g., preparation of effective case briefs, class notes, and course outlines.

This course will cover the substantive law and procedures of major white collar crimes, including conspiracy, fraud, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, money laundering, public corruption, and economic crimes. It will also examine their civil counterparts and civil and administrative consequences and analyze the theory and policies of these hybrid criminal statutes. Finally, the class will learn and practice skills associated with white collar crime cases, for example, investigative techniques, negotiation, and development of effective theories of the case.

The Law School, School of International Affairs, and Penn State Public Broadcasting are collaborating to produce a nationally syndicated public television and worldwide internet program series portraying trials of important public controversies implicating questions of international human rights or other questions of public significance (eg., the status of Iranian nationals imprisoned by the U.S. in Iraq; the permissibility of certain interrogation techniques; the ouster of Honduras elected president; developing nation intellectual property rights in indigenous species and/or to patented medicines; Palestinian property and nationality rights; etc.).  Each side of each issue will be presented as fairly, thoroughly and zealously as possible through arguments by noted advocates and examinations of expert witnesses.  The cases will be tried before a panel of jurists and/or to juries, in front of live audiences in the Lewis Katz Building or Lewis Katz Hall auditoriums or courtrooms.  The work of students in this class will include (i) identifying potential issues for trial in the series; (ii) researching and preparing a position paper on both sides of a selected issue; (iii) identifying academic or other experts capable of serving as witnesses in the trials of particular issues; (iv) conducting moot trials with arguments and witness examinations of researched issues; (v) collaborating with the professors and Penn State Public Broadcasting producers in the planning and production of the television series.

The goal of this course is to improve the legal reading, writing, and editing skills of students. The course will reinforce rules of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, usage, voice, tone, style, and organization. The emphasis will be on the application of these rules in the context of legal writing. Students will learn how to craft sentences that are accurate, brief, clear, precise, and sometimes persuasive.

Students will be required to submit a writing sample to the instructor at the time of registration.

Prerequisites: Faculty approval required.

The goal of this course is to improve the legal writing and editing skills of students. By engaging in the process of directed writing and editing, students will learn to write clearly, succinctly, precisely, and sometimes persuasively. Emphasis will be given to organization and integration of procedural and substantive aspects of cases.

Students will be required to submit a writing sample and statement of interest to the instructor before enrollment in the course is approved.

Prerequisites: Faculty approval required.

Prerequisites: CORE 912 and CORE 914 Legal Analysis, Research and Writing I and II