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Law Center
Courses: Law (LAW)
5102: Legal Analysis
Cr. 1. (1-0). How to analyze appellate opinions
and write about them clearly and concisely
5103:6209:6358: Health Law Journal
Prerequisite: membership on Health Law Journal staff. Advancement from candidacy to staff requires publication of two case notes or one comment. Credit is given for satisfactory staff service.
5104:6211:6318: Houston Business/Tax Journal
Prerequisite: Membership on Houston Business/Tax Journal staff. Advancement from candidacy to staff requires publication of two case notes or one comment. Credit is given for satisfactory staff service.
5107: Clinic Externship II
Cr. 1. (1-0). Students have the opportunity to continue their work with an external placement. The second term in a placement allows a student to work on additional lawyering skills while continuing to improve the lawyering skills they have worked on previously.
5108: Innocence Investigations
Cr. 1. This course will cover basic issues associated with conducting factual investigations, years after a trial has occurred, to determine whether a prison inmate is innocent. The course will consider, among things, themechanics of conducting factual investigations, and will also address ethical issues associated with such investigations. Students will have the opportunity to screen cases and may have the opportunity to conduct investigations.
5110:5210:5410:6356: Law Review
Prerequisite: membership on Law Review staff. Advancement from candidacy to
staff requires publication of two case notes or one comment. Credit is
given for satisfactory staff service.
5111: Moot Court
Cr. 1. (1-0). May be repeated for a maximum of four semester hours.
5112: Mock Trial
Cr. 1. (1-0). May be repeated for a maximum of four semester hours.
5113: Advocates
Cr. 1. (1-0). May be repeated for a maximum of four
semester hours. Counts as credit for advocates board membership or
competitive team membership.
5115: Health Law Masters Course
Cr. 1. (1-0). Provides LL.M. students with
an opportunity to develop and present their own research projects as well
as to survey selected topics. The class is open to graduate students in
health law. This course is pass/fail.
5120: Legal Drafting
Cr. 1. (1-0). An introduction to researching and drafting three types of legal writing:
legislation, contracts, and trial documents. Students will do a significant amount of
drafting and obtain feedback throughout the course.
5130: Practice Management
Cr. 1. (1-0). This course will cover a variety of law practice issues (e.g. marketing,
strategic planning, partner compensation issues, relative advantages of partnerships
vs. corporations, and office and personnel management issues).
5134: LL.M. Intellectual Property Topics Series I
Cr. 1. (1-0). Discussion
of five topics of current Intellectual Property interest. Course is limited
to Intellectual Property LL.M. students. Can be taken even if student has
already taken LL.M. Intellectual Property Topics Series II (LAW 5135) since
topics will changed in each offering.
5135: LL.M. Intellectual Property Topics Series II
Cr. 1. (1-0).
Discussion of five topics of current Intellectual Property interest. Course
is limited to Intellectual Property LL.M. students. Can be taken even if
student has already taken LL.M. Intellectual Property Topics Series I (LAW 5134)
since topics will changed in each offering.
5147:5247:6354: Houston Journal of International Law
Prerequisite: Membership on Houston Journal of International Law staff. Advancement from candidacy to staff requires publication of two case notes or one comment. Credit is given for satisfactory staff service.
5151: Tax Research
Cr. 1. (1-0). A specialized course in tax research open
only to master's degree students specializing in taxation.
5181: Health Law Masters Seminar I
Cr. 1. (1-0). Provides LL.M. students
with an opportunity to develop and present their own research projects as
well as to survey selected topics. The seminar is open only to graduate
students in health law.
5197:5297:5397:5497: Selected Topics
Cr. 1-4. per semester. (1-0; 2-0; 3-0;
4-0). May be repeated for a maximum of six semester hours.
5198:5298:5398: Special Research and Writing
Cr. 1-3 per semester. (1-0; 2-0; 3-0). Prerequisites: second- or third-year
standing and consent of instructor.
5199:5299:5399: Special Problems
Cr. 1-3 per semester. Prerequisite: approval of the dean. May be repeated
for a maximum of four semester hours. For law students who wish to pursue
special studies for which a course is not organized.
5201: Intellectual Property Survey
Cr. 2. (2-0). Study of the main
principles and doctrines of trade secret, copyright, trademark, and patent
law.
5202:6344: Property I
Cr. 3. (3-0)(2-0)Cr.2. Introduction to basic principles of
property law; acquisition of property; types of property interests;
transfer of ownership; recording systems; conveyancing; landlord and
tenant; regulation of land use.
5203: Health Care Law and Aging
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5315 or
consent of instructor. Explores health care issues associated with
the aging American population.
5204:5395 Genetics and the Law
Cr. 2-3. (2-0; 3-0). Explores the many legal issues in
genetics including reproduction, access to health care, discrimination,
forensics and gene therapy.
5205: Torts II
Cr. 2. (2-0). A continuation of Torts I.
5206: Agency & Unincorporated Associations
Cr. 2. (2-0). Explores business
organizations such as limited liability partnerships and limited liability
companies as well as considering in some detail advanced issues in
partnership law. In addition, the course deals with agency and discusses
when a person may act for another person (or entity) and when a person (or
entity) is liable for the tortious acts of another.
5207: Clean Air Act
Cr. 2. (2-0). Legal requirements for air pollution
control under the federal Clean Air Act, with emphasis on the 1990
amendments and state and local approaches including an examination of the
Texas Clean Air Act.
5208: International Environmental Law
Cr. 1 or 2 (1-0; 2-0). The practical aspects of the various systems as they compare to the United States environmental law system. Also, the various environmental aspects of environmental treaties, conventions, etc. Other topics: international convention and agreements on the environment; environmental issues in the United States and foreign transactions; the European Economic Community and the environment; Latin America and the environment; free trade.
5209: Current PoliciesU.S. Customs Laws
Cr. 2. (2-0). General but
practical examination of laws and regulations enforced by the United States
Customs Service.
5212: Administrative Law Research
Cr. 2. (2-0). Provides a working
knowledge of the primary sources of law and other documentation produced by
U.S. government agencies.
5214: U.S.-Mexico Trade After NAFTA
Cr. 2. (2-0). Introduction to the legal aspects of international trade between
the United States and Mexico with emphasis on the North American Free Trade Agreement.
5215: Biotechnology and the Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). Explores the impact that biotechnology has had on specific areas of law and business. Topics covered include intellectual property and its exploitation, regulatory affairs, privacy concerns, and public policy issues.
5216: Health Care Organizations
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisites: Health Law
(LAW 5315) or consent of instructor; prior completion of Corporations
recommended. Surveys business planning, corporations, mergers and acquisitions,
antitrust, partnership, securities, and legal and tax issues as they relate
to the health care industry.
5217: Communication Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). Examines the federal regulation of
the electronic mass media with particular focus on regulatory models for
legislative and judicial oversight of broadcasting, cable, and new
communications technologies. Classroom discussion and student papers will
focus on laws governing the broadcast and cable industries and the
policy-making process by which those laws are formed.
5218: Fraud & Abuse
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: prior completion of Health
Law (LAW 5315), Health Law II or permission of instructor. Examines federal and Texas law which
impose criminal and civil penalties on health care providers for a variety
of activities ranging from payment for referrals to the submission of false
claims. Focus will be on federal and Texas illegal remuneration statutes,
the federal civil monetary penalty and exclusion laws, the federal
antireferral (Stark) law, and the federal false claims laws.
5219: Governmental Issues in Environmental Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). Review of the
federal government's role in environmental law (with emphasis on the
regulatory, as opposed to resource management aspects) vis-a-vis the
states, accomplishments versus expectations, issues which have arisen in
implementation of the joint regulatory program. Material will include
statutory and regulatory sources, scholarly writings and cases, and from
EPA policy and instructional materials.
5220: Procedure III
Cr. 2. (2-0). Procedure in the trial of a civil case
from voir dire examination of the jury to the actual trial, at the trial
and appeals court levels.
5221:5362: Employment Discrimination
Cr. 2 or 3. (2-0; 3-0). Examines the
substantive law of employment discrimination and the policy conflicts
underlying the legal and social issues raised by the cases. Basic doctrines
designed to protect individuals from unfair unemployment decisions: Title
VII; Americans with Disabilities Act; and the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act.
5222:6321: Professional Responsibility
Cr. 2-3. (2-0; 3-0). A study of the legal and
ethical responsibilities of members of the legal profession. Meets PR requirement.
5223: Post-Mortem Estate Planning
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisites: Federal
Income Tax (LAW 5359/LAW 5459) and Trusts and Wills (LAW 5339/LAW 5440). Issues
associated with estate administration; estate tax compliance and audit
procedures; examination of the use of trusts as estate surrogates.
5224: State Creditor's Remedies
Cr. 2. (2-0). Examines the remedies
available to both commercial and consumer creditors to collect a debt
through the legal system.
5225: Hazardous Waste Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). This course will focus on the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
5226: Patent Remedies and Defenses
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5332 or
consent of instructor. Statutory and rules provisions governing U.S. patent
litigation; commonly sought remedies and defenses; recent Federal Circuit
decisions; jurisdictional and venue issues.
5227: Criminal Environmental Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). Provides students an
opportunity to conduct extensive research into the area of criminal
enforcement of environmental laws. Examines concepts basic to criminal and
environmental law. Corporate defendants, mens rea and sentencing are
treated in detail.
5228: Construction Law Cr. 2. (2-0). A study of the law pertaining to architects, engineers and contractors, their interrelation, rights and obligations, in the construction process.
5229: Environmental Law Affecting Real Estate Transactions Cr. 2. (2-0). This course will cover the interaction between environmental statutes, contract provisions and the common law in
real property transactions. It will address types of environmental risks to consider in structuring a real estate transaction
and how to allocate those risks between the parties. One purpose of the course is to give the student tools to negotiate real
estate deals and draft contracts. Liability for contamination has prevented real estate development of older properties in
cities. This course will explore recent developments in the laws that are intended to rejuvenate some of these properties.
5230: Mergers & Acquisitions
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: Business
Organizations (LAW 5421) or Corporations Law (LAW 5350). An
examination of the law and finance of
corporate acquisitions; evaluation of capital markets and the efficient
markets hypothesis; analysis of the motives underlying acquisitions; legal
duties and liabilities of directors facing takeover bids.
5232: Trade Secrets
Cr.2. (2-0). Study of characteristics, protection and
enforcement of trade secrets as tangible property rights. Emphasis on
litigation tactics, including specialized injunctive relief, proof,
evidence, remedies and calculation of damages.
5235: Legal Research
Cr. 2. (2-0). Teaches the basic skills needed by a
practicing attorney in order to perform legal research and prepare legal
documents. It is a required course, open to full-time first year law
students only.
5236: Legal Writing
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: passing LAW 5235 (Legal
Research). Teaches the basic skills needed by a practicing attorney in
order to perform legal research and prepare legal documents. It is a
required course, open to full-time first year law students only.
5237: Mass Tort Litigation
Cr. 2. (2-0). Addresses a comparison of class
action and other streamlining techniques; basic requirements for class
certification; mechanics of class actions and other techniques; and
day-to-day challenges in managing complex mass tort litigation. Examines
the intellectual and ethical debate regarding certain features of mass tort
case resolution. Notable practitioners and judges currently involved in
handling this type of litigation will appear as guest lecturers.
5238:6338: North American Free Trade Agreement
Cr. 2 or 3. (2-0; 3-0).
Examines the provisions of NAFTA that affect business transactions between
the United States and Mexico. To the extent feasible, class discussions
will center on problems that cover the agreement as well as domestic law.
5239: Oil and Gas Tax
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: Federal Income Tax.
Focuses on federal taxation of domestic oil and gas exploration and
production operations. Taxation of foreign oil and gas
exploration and production operations will also be included in the course,
although in summary fashion addressing tax models foreign jurisdictions can
adopt and the resulting U.S. tax overlay.
5240: Professional Malpractice
Cr. 2. (2-0). Covers the legal theories,
standards of liability, and defenses applicable to professional malpractice
litigation involving attorneys, accountants, appraisers, brokers,
consultants, and expert witnesses, among others. Students will study
current cases and trends in this area of law. The course will emphasize
litigation strategies and issues.
5242:6305: Medical Malpractice Litigation
Cr. 2. (2-0) Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5315
or consent of instructor. Malpractice law and policy including the effect
of malpractice on health care access, quality, and cost; impact of
legislative reforms on malpractice legal doctrine.
5243: Legislation
Cr. 2 (2-0). Examines the lawyering
involved through the making and applying of statutory laws. Advocacy in the
legislative arena is analyzed and compared to advocacy in the courtroom
forum.
5244: 5302: Property II
Cr. 2 (2-0) Cr. 3 (3-0). Continuation of Property I.
5245:6345 Jewish Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). The development of the Jewish legal
system over the past 3,000 years.
5246: Public Health Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: Prior completion of
Health Law (LAW 5315) or permission of instructor. Provides an overview of
basic public health law principles and will include discussion of current
controversies in public health policies.
5248:6348 Texas Criminal Procedure
Cr. 2 or 3. (2-0; 3-0). An in-depth
analysis of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and case law interpreting
the same. Where appropriate, the Texas Rules of Criminal Evidence and Texas
Rules of Appellate Procedure will be addressed and discussed. There will be
a comparative analysis of the mentioned rules and statutes with their
federal counterparts.
5249:5348: Texas Consumer Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). An advanced course in sales and
the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act designed to supplement courses in
contract and commercial law.
5250: Law Office Management
Cr. 2. (2-0). A course in the problems facing
the lawyer as entrepreneur or law firm manager.
5251: Accounting in Law Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Study of legal problems in accounting situations. Previous accounting training is not required. 5252: Dispute with Foreign Governments Cr. 2. (2-0). Recently, there has been an explosion of investment claims against foreign governments
for expropriation and other international law violations, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in
compensation. This course will explore both the substantive international law claims that private
investors may pursue against governments and the arbitral and other international forums in which
such claims may be brought, such as the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes.
Such claims and forums are of particular interest to the oil and gas and power industries, which are
the major industries involved in such claims.
5253:5339:5440: Trusts and Wills
Cr. 2. (2-0). Express, resulting and constructive
trusts, substantive and remedial aspects. Intestacy; execution, revocation,
and construction of wills; contracts to devise.
5254: Tax Fraud & Money Laundering
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: Federal
Income Tax (LAW 5359 or LAW 5459). Processes by which the IRS and Justice
Departments uncover and prosecute tax crimes and money laundering cases,
mandatory sentencing, improper investigative techniques, related non-tax
crimes and related matters.
5257: Domestic Violence Cr. 2. (2-0). Review and discussion of the interaction between the legal system and individuals/families
victimized by domestic violence. Major course topics are the shelter movement, impact of battering on
custody disputes, battered women's syndrome as it relates to a criminal defense, criminal penalties for
battering, battering as it affects immigrants and other minorities, and civil remedies as tools to fight battering.
5258: Food and Drug Law Cr. 2. (2-0). Study of government's attempts to protect the public health and individual welfare in the development and marketing of foods, drugs, and cosmetics. Covers the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with particular emphasis on the regulation of drugs, nutritional supplements, and medical devices.
5259:5397: State and Local Tax
Cr. 2. (2-0). An examination of the various laws
concerning state taxes, including income, franchise, property, excise, and
severance taxes. State taxation of interstate businesses.
5260: Advanced Corporate Tax
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisites: LAW 5359or LAW 5459 and
LAW 5352. Advanced study of the law governing the taxation of corporate
entities.
5261: Real Estate Tax
Cr. 2. (2-0). Analysis of state and federal tax
considerations pertaining to the ownership, rental, and sale of interests
in real estate.
5262: Business Litigation
Cr. 2. (2-0). Will focus on the major issues
in business litigation in Texas courts, especially as to mixed causes
of action in disputes between business entities.
5263: Taxation of Compensation
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisites: LAW 5359 and LAW 5459 (Federal Income Tax).
Taxation of qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements,
nonqualified and incentive stock options, restricted property arrangements,
part-in-interest transactions, executive compensation and severance
arrangements and welfare benefit arrangements.
5264: Business Torts
Cr. 2. (2-0). This course will cover torts that
typically cause pure economic harm (i.e., harms to the pocketbook,
rather than harms to the person or property. The course will
emphasize the operation of various business torts and will examine
the torts' applicability to particular business or economic settings.
5265: Income Taxation of Estates and Trusts
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisites: LAW 5359or LAW 5459
(Federal Income Tax). An in-depth examination of Subchapter J Taxation of estates and
trusts, including their grantors and beneficiaries.
5266: Taxation of Exempt Organizations
Cr. 2. (2-0). Study of federal and
state law concerning organizations exempt from federal income taxation
including contributions deductibility, standards for granting exemption,
private foundations, fiduciary duties and limits on political activities.
5267: Tax Accounting
Cr. 2. (2-0). Study of methods in context of federal
tax laws including cash, accrual installment methods, inventory taxation,
changes of accounting methods, and time value of money concepts.
5268: Taxation of Sales
Cr. 2. (2-0). Tax treatment of capital gains on the
sale or exchange of property, as well as similarity treated transactions.
5269: Correctional Health
Cr. 2. (2-0). Examines the law of health
care in prisons and jails to determine why and how inmate health has
assumed a constitutional dimension, as well as a range of issues such
as communicable diseases, substance abuse and mental illness.
5273: Regulation of Health Care Professionals
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite:
LAW 5315, Health Law I or consent of instructor. Explores the regulatory
environment affecting physicians and other health care professionals,
including licensing, staff privileges and peer review.
5274: Admiralty Personal Injuries
Cr. 2. (2-0). In-depth analysis of
maritime law relating to personal injuries.
5275:6325: Network Law
Cr. 2-3. (2-0; 3-0). A survey of legal issues arising from the rapid growth of internet and other on-line communications. Coverage will include intellectual property, First amendment, criminal and privacy issues.
5276:6339 Arbitration
Cr. 2-3. (2-0; 3-0). A study of the arbitration process including procedural problems related to the initiation of the arbitration procedure and the jurisdictional power of the arbitrator/as well as substantive issues including, but not limited to contractual interpretation.
5277: Health Care Finance & Policy
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: prior
completion of LAW 5315 (Health Law), Health Law II or permission of instructor. Presents a
broad overview of development and implementation of health care finance and
policy. Focuses on the impact of policy initiatives on structure,
operations and financing of health care systems. Topics include the
Medicare and Medicaid programs, health care finance reforms, evolution and
operation of integrative delivery systems, and business transactions
employed by health care entities.
5278:5378: European Union Law
Cr. 2 or 3. (2-0; 3-0). Study of the
transnational law of the European Union (formerly European Community) which
touches all aspects of trade, investment, labor relations, and human rights
in those countries who are members of the European Union.
5279: Jurisprudence
Cr. 2. (2-0). A study of various influences and perspectives on American law, including an introduction of Natural Law Positivism, American Legal Realism, Law & Economics, Critical Legal Studies, Pragmatism, and Postmodernist thought.
5280: Modern Real Estate Transactions
Cr. 2. (2-0). This course begins by walking students through each of the steps in a prototypical, but simple, real estate transaction including residential property. It will examine more complex transactions including purchasing and sales of income producing property, commercial leasing, large-project real estate lending documents, mortgage foreclosures, and construction contracts.
5281: Research in Foreign and International Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). Techniques in
specialized research in international and foreign legal sources.
5282: Advanced Legal Research
Cr. 2. (2-0). Study of advanced techniques of
legal research using advanced computer technology as well as accessing
rarely used sources and materials for specialized legal research efforts.
5283: Forensic Medicine
Cr. 2. (2-0). Medical topics including blood
banking, paternity disputes, alcohol testing, post-mortem examinations, DNA
forensics, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, child abuse, forensic psychiatry
and forensic dentistry.
5284: Property & Casualty Insurance Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). Will address problems arising out of liability and property insurance contracts. Issues emphasized include the duty to defend to settle under liability insurance contracts, reciprocal obligations of good faith and fair dealing and issues of valuation and coverage under property insurance contracts.
5285: Practice of Environmental Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). A course in the
application of environmental law issues as they apply to business law
practice areas.
5286: Environmental Liability Management Cr. 2. (2-0). Enforcement and avoidance of liability resulting from manufacture, use and disposal of chemical, hazardous and toxic products under federal and state laws in both public and private sectors. 5287: Elder Law Cr. 2. (2-0). Explores financial and end-of-life planning for the elderly, including the use of
trusts, wills, advance directives and powers of attorney; examines the role of the guardian and
attorney ad litem; analyzes the role of Medicare and Medicaid; and considers the legal aspects of
home health, assisted living and nursing home alternatives for senior citizen care.
5288: Tax Ethics
Cr. 2. (2-0). An analysis of the civil, disciplinary and
professional rules that govern lawyers in their practice of tax law.
5291: Partnership Tax
Cr. 2. (2-0). Analysis of federal tax considerations
pertaining to partnership entities.
5292: Tax Procedure
Cr. 2. (2-0). Study of procedural requirements
pertaining to proceedings in federal tax disputes.
5293: Tax Fraud/Money Laundering
Cr. 2. (2-0). Processes by which the IRS and Justice Departments uncover and prosecute tax crimes and money laundering cases, mandatory sentencing, improper investigative techniques, related non-tax crimes and related matters. Prerequisite: LAW 5359/5459-Federal Income Tax.
5294:5375: International Litigation & Arbitration
Cr. 2-3. (2-0; 3-0). Discusses selected topics concerning the practice of law associated with international litigation & arbitration. The focus is on litigating cases with foreign parties or foreign law issues in American courts.
5295: U.S. Export Regulation Cr. 2. (2-0). Will focus on the export control procedures of the primary federal agencies that regulate U.S. Export Policy. Specifically included will be the procedures of the Department of Commerce and Bureau of Export Administration, the Department of Treasury and the Office of Foreign Asset Control, the State Department through the Office of Defense Trade Controls. Attention will be given to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Anti-Boyucott provisions and other extra-territorial aspects of U.S. Export Policy. 5296: Environmental Enforcement Cr. 2. (2-0). This course will focus on how agencies and courts enforce environmental laws
and the critical role that enforcement plays in assuring compliance and protecting the
environment. We will review the principles of civil and criminal liability under environmental
laws, assess ways to design effective environmental regulations, examine how federal and state
agencies use these tools, and craft techniques to help clients minimize their potential liability.
Our examination will center on practical strategies to manage these liabilities particularly in
regard to CERCLA, RCRA and the Clean Water Act.
5301: Contracts I
Cr. 3. (3-0). Basic contract law including the concepts
of offer, acceptance, consideration, contractual remedies, etc. The law of
sales under the Uniform Commercial Code is also covered.
5303: Criminal Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Substantive criminal law; basic concepts;
elements of crime; theories of punishment.
5304: Criminal Procedure
Cr. 3. (3-0). Criminal procedure; constitutional
and statutory limitations on search and seizure, self-incrimination; right
to counsel; right-to-jury trial; requirements of due process.
5305: Torts I
Cr. 3. (3-0). Basic tort law; intentional torts, negligence,
strict liability; causation; damages and compensation plans; vicarious
liability; special kinds of torts.
5306: Law and Economics
Cr. 3. (3-0). Introduction to the use of economic
tools and their application to legal principles.
5307: Contracts II
Cr. 3. (3-0). A continuation of Contracts I.
5308: Occupational Health Law Cr. 3. (3-0). Explores the federal regulation of workplace safety, focusing on the developing case law under the Occupational Health and Administration Act. The course also examines drug testing, cigarette smoking policies and liability of occupational health professionals.
5309: Advanced Trial Advocacy Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: Law 5327 OR Law 5386. The focus of this
course is on persuasion and methods for causing a judge or jury to view evidence from a litigant's perspective.
Emphasis will be placed on developing a persuasive theory of the case, constructing opening statements and
closing arguments to present the case theory, presenting expert testimony, and planning the presentation of
evidence so as to maximize its effectiveness.
5310: White Collar Crime
Cr. 3. (3-0). This course focuses on the criminal
statutes affecting business people, as well as the defenses available to
those charged under those statutes.
5311: Product Liability
Cr. 3. (3-0). An in-depth study of the
circumstances under which a manufacturer is or may be held responsible for
damages to third parties caused by its products. Consideration of strict
liability, negligence and contract theories.
5312:6212: First Amendment
Cr. 3. (3-0): Cr.2 (2-0). Advanced study of individual rights
guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution including the
rights of free speech and religion.
5313: Due Process Cr. 3. (3-0). An in-depth analysis of constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process including their relationship to civil rights and related movements. 5314: Federal Pre-Trial Procedure Cr. 3. (3-0). This course offers a comprehensive study of the Federal Rules and Statutes, as well
as the rules of the local Federal Court, that relate to the pre-trial phase of litigation. The
pertinent rules, decisions that interpret the rules, and pleadings will be discussed in the context
of practical thoughts relating to their use. The theory of the course is a practical application
of the rules and how their application affects the litigation process prior to trial. Arrangements
will be made to visit the local office of the Federal District Court.
5315: Health Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Provides an overview of a number of
health care topics, including the provider-patient relationship, the
organization of health care entities, health care financing, and
bioethics topics, such as end of life
decision making. The course is a prerequisite to many other health law courses.
5316: Local and State Government Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Examination of the
organization and powers of local government units and the relationships
between local, state, and federal governments. Emphasis on government's
obligations as an employer and local and state liability. Other subjects
include home rule, annexation, and extraterritorial jurisdiction;
reapportionment and voting rights; local-state conflict and preemption;
federal preemption and the application of antitrust law to local
government; legal limits on local government's police powers.
5317: Trademark and Unfair Competition
Cr. 3. (3-0). Development and
protection of trademarks under state and federal law. Various phases of
trademark and related unfair competition litigation. Intellectual Property
Survey course recommended but not required.
5318: Landlord and Tenant
Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of the legal rights of
parties to commercial and residential leasing agreements.
5319: Introduction to American Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). A course in American legal
method for foreign lawyers.
5320: Procedure II
Cr. 3. (3-0). Modern problems of pleading, parties,
depositions, and discovery in both state and federal systems.
5321: Federal Jurisdiction
Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of the jurisdiction of
federal courts under the constitution and applicable statutes.
5322: Pretrial Litigation
Cr. 3. (3-0). Intensive individualized training
and instruction in case analysis and the art of drafting and oral advocacy
relating to pretrial discovery, motion practice and pleadings, including
instruction in the law of pre-trial procedure.
5323: Conflict of Laws
Cr. 3. (3-0). The application of the conflicting
laws of two different sovereigns, including conflicts between federal and
state, conflicts between state and state, and conflicts between foreign
countries.
5324: International Trade
Cr. 3. (3-0). A course in the problems businesses
encounter in transnational dealings in goods and services, including import
controls, export controls, tariffs, and sales conventions.
5325: Admiralty: PI & Death
Cr. 3. (3-0). Treatment of personal injuries and death in the admiralty jurisdiction.
5327: Trial Advocacy (Criminal)
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5420.
Refining knowledge of criminal evidence and procedure; formulating case
theory, theme and strategy; communication skills for designing and orally
presenting opening statements, closing arguments, direct and cross of fact
and expert witnesses, voir dire, evidentiary objections and responses, and
other aspects of criminal trials before court and jury. Full trial required.
5328: Judicial Internship Clinic I
Cr. 3. (3-0). A clinic where students
can work in a judge's office.
5329: Judicial Internship Clinic II
Cr. 3. (3-0). An advanced clinic where
students can work in a judge's office.
5330:5297: Antitrust Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of federal regulations aimed at
restraint of trade and monopoly.
5331: English Legal History
Cr. 3. (3-0). Development of English law from
the twelfth to the eighteenth century with emphasis on the nature of legal
change, the relationship between legal and social change, and the
development of individual rights.
5332: Patent Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). The substantive U.S. law of patents
including eligible subject matter, novelty and nonobviousness requirements,
scope of claims, and modern infringement law.
5333: Introduction to Jurisprudence
Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of the nature of
the legal system; what law is; what law does; what makes law obligatory;
what justice is; law's relationship to morality, power, and societal values.
5334: Health Law Clinic I
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5315 or
consent of instructor. Gives students the opportunity to gain
experience In the health law field through placements in non-profit
or governmental agencies, such as a hospital's office of general
counsel. Clinics are available in Houston and surrounding areas. The
course requires completion of Professional Responsibility and a
classroom educational component to receive clinic credit.
5335: Land Use
Cr. 3. (3-0). This course will deal with the basic legal issues arising in the government control of land, including regulatory takings (especially in environmental area) and other special topics.
5336: American Indians and Indian Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Survey of
constitutional issues unique to American Indian rights.
5337: Constitutional Theory
Cr. 3. (3-0). Examines the question of whether
the Constitution authorizes judicial review and the issue of which method
of review, if any, is preferable. It considers originalism and
non-originalism, as well as feminist arguments and critical legal studies
approaches, and studies the application of these various modes by examining
several areas of constitutional law, such as separation of powers doctrine
and the first amendment.
5338:5441: Land Use and Finance
Cr. 3 or 4. (3-0; 4-0). Law pertaining to land
use and finance, as reflected in governmental regulations, zoning and other
municipal ordinances, and land-financing practices.
5340: Marital Property Rights
Cr. 3. (3-0). Marriage, divorce, and
annulment; rights of children and the community property law of Texas.
5341: Disabilities and the Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Is a study of legal
issues affecting persons with disabilities, including education,
higher education, employment, architectural barriers, transportation,
public accommodations, public services, housing and access to health
care.
5342: Health Law Clinic II
Cr. 3. (3-0). Gives students the
opportunity to gain experience in the health law field through
placements in non-profit or governmental agencies, such as a
hospital's office of general counsel. Clinics are available in
Houston and surrounding areas. The course requires completion of
Professional Responsibility and a classroom educational component to
receive clinic credit
5343: Employment Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Focuses on the expanding body of
statutes and common law dealing with the legal rights of nonunion
employees. The course examines the legal aspects of hiring practices,
conditions of employment, and termination of employment and the legal
regulation of employers and employees.
5344: Appellate Advocacy I
Cr. 3. (3-0). Intensive, individualized training
in the art of persuasive brief writing and effective oral argument, as well
as the law of appellate advocacy.
5345: Introduction to ADR
Cr. 3. (3-0). An introduction to the various methods of alternative dispute resolution including arbitration, mediation, moderated settlement conference, mini-trials, and fact finding.
5346: Current Issues in Health Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Legal implications of HIV
infection for education, employment, insurance, health care, public health
policy, and criminal law.
5347:6214: Corporate Finance Law
Cr. 2-3. (3-0; 2-0). Study of state corporate laws and
federal securities laws regulating the financing of corporations; various
financing methods, including common stock, preferred stock, and convertible
and straight debt; will also consider mergers and acquisitions.
5349: International Financial Transactions
Cr. 3. (3-0). An examination of
international commercial financing and international banking.
5350: Corporations
Cr. 3. (3-0). Examines legal issues that arise with
respect to the formation, capitalization, allocations of profits,
management and control, and dissolution of American business corporations
with special attention to the duties of officers and directors. Primary
focus will be statutory provisions of the model acts and case law.
Representative state statutes, requirements of the federal and state
securities laws, and common tax problems encountered by small corporations
will be mentioned.
5351: Juvenile Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). A survey of the statutes and case law
governing the rights of children alleged to be delinquent, incorrigible, or
neglected.
5352: Corporate Taxation
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5359. Taxation of
corporate entities; corporate formations, distributions, liquidations, and
reorganizations.
5353: Business Planning
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: Federal Income Tax
required; and either Business Organizations (LAW 5421) or
Corporations (LAW 5350). An advanced course in the legal problems
encountered in the organization of a corporation. Problems of taxation
are a major topic of this course.
5354: Public Land and Resource Management Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Covers the laws and
policies that govern the use and management of federal land comprising
one-third of the U.S., and the resources (minerals, timber, rangeland,
wildlife, recreation, and wilderness) on these lands.
5355:5297 Oil and Gas
Cr. 3. (3-0). Property concepts applied to minerals in
place and after severance from the land, including the rights and
obligations of the parties to a mineral lease.
5356: Remedies
Cr. 3. (3-0). Legal and equitable remedies available in
state and federal courts, including restitution, rescission, specific
performance, and award of damages.
5358: Sales & Leasing
Cr. 3. (3-0) The law of sales and leases including Articles 2 and 2A of the Uniform Commercial Code, and some consideration of the CISG–the law governing international sales of goods.
5359:5459: Federal Income Tax
Cr. 3-4. (3-0; 4-0). Introduction to federal income
taxation. Identification and characterization of income subject to taxation
and deductions therefrom.
5360: Licensing and Technology Transfer
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite:
IP Survey or Patent Law or Consent of Instructor. Introduction to the
transfer of technology by licensing agreements where underlying rights
are patent, trademark, copyright, or trade secret (know-how).
Agreement structures and legal limitations via antitrust laws.
U.S. law emphasis; some foreign laws considered.
5361: Women and the Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Explores the ways in which women have been treated
as a special legal category.
5363: Securities Regulation Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of state and federal statutes regulating the issuance, transfer, and trading of securities. 5364: Coastal and Ocean Law Cr. 3. (3-0). The course will deal with the origin and present status of the 1972 National Coastal
Zone Management Act and subsequent coastal management programs adopted by virtually all coastal
states. The Texas program is administered by the General Land Office and will be dealt with in
depth as the central focus of the course. Statutory law relating to citizen, state, and federal
rights and duties as they impact coastal law will be studied as a part of Texas real property law.
Cases relating to those rights and duties and Public Trust Doctrine cases are an integral part of
understanding the responsibilities of governments and rights of citizens. The course should help
prepare an attorney to advise clients concerning their rights and responsibilities, as well as
permit procedures and limitations applicable to the coast.
5365:5465: Bankruptcy
Cr. 3 or 4 (3-0;
4-0). A study of federal and state laws relating to
the remedies of debtors and creditors, including bankruptcy.
5366: Comparative Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Examination of the major legal systems
in the world today (civilian, common law, religious, and socialist).
Comparison of selected features of foreign laws, legal institutions, and
legal culture with their American counterparts. Topics include procedure,
civil law, legal profession, sources of law, court structure and others.
Countries sampled include Germany, France, Mexico, Japan, China, Soviet
Union and others.
5367: Poverty Law Clinic I
Cr. 3. (0-12). Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Clinical opportunity
in the field of poverty law. Requires 60 hours of work per credit hour.
Students will be placed with the Gulf Coast Legal Foundation.
5368: Estate Planning
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: Federal Income Tax and Trusts and Wills. Planning of
estates from the standpoint of tax savings and ease of administration.
5369: Insurance Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Examines the regulation of
insurance contracts and insurance companies, including underwriting
regulation, doctrines of contract interpretation, claims-processing
regulation, solvency regulation and special remedies for breach. The
course covers both the property/casualty and life/health "sides" of
the insurance industry with an emphasis on policy issues and
economics.
5370: International Law Cr. 3. (3-0). Basic public international law; legal organization of the international community; the relation of individuals within a state to the rules of international law. 5371:6203: International Energy Transactions Cr. 2-3. (3-0; 2-0). A study of various aspects of overseas petroleum transactions including negotiation with host countries, operating aspects of production, and product distribution and transportation. 5372: Fraud and Abuse Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: Completion of Law 6216, concurrent enrollment in Law 6216,
or permission of instructor. Examines federal and state laws that impose criminal and civil penalties on health care providers for
a variety of activities ranging from payment for referrals to the submission of false claims. The course explores the implications
of the federal and Texas illegal remuneration statutes; federal civil monetary penalty and exclusion laws; federal anti-referral
(Stark) laws; and federal false claim laws.
5373: Admiralty
Cr. 3. (3-0). Basic admiralty law; jurisdiction of the
federal courts; maritime liens; maritime torts; limitation of liability;
general admiralty doctrines; special procedures; relationship of shipper
and owner; rights of seamen.
5374: Legal History
Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of the development of the
Anglo-American legal system with emphasis on the creation of the English
systems of common law and equity.
5376:5480: Commercial Transactions Cr. 3-4. (3-0; 4-0). A study of commercial law with an emphasis on transactions involving the extension of credit; negotiable instruments law; secured transactions; consumer credit transactions; developing methods of credit payment. 5377: Life and Health Insurance Law Cr. 3. (3-0). Addresses federal and state regulation of the life and health insurance industry.
The health insurance component addresses the major federal regulatory statutes: ERISA, COBRA,
HIPAA, pending federal legislation, as well as state initiatives. The life insurance segment
addresses insurance regulations, including anti-forfeiture laws, accounting issues, securities
regulation and tax issues.
5379: Copyright Law Cr. 3. (3-0). Study of protection for literary, artistic, musical, computer, and other works of human intellect under the Copyright Act of 1976. Prerequisites and formalities for protection; nature, scope, and limitations of rights with special emphasis on fair use; infringement actions, remedies and federal preemption of state law.
5380: Labor Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of the National Labor Relations Act
and other federal legislation relating to the labor-management relationship.
5381: Legal Negotiations
Cr. 3. (3-0). An introduction to legal negotiation
as a method of reaching agreement on different matters.
5382: Administrative Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of the administrative
process at the federal and state level; agency powers; agency jurisdiction;
agency procedures; limitations on agency power; enforcement of agency
decisions; judicial review.
5383: Family Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of the law of marriage, divorce, and
child custody; legal aspects of illegitimacy, family desertion, nonsupport,
and abandonment of children.
5384: Environmental Clinic I
Cr. 3. (3-0). A clinic which places students in
governmental or public service organizations involved in the field of
environmental law.
5385: Race Theory and the Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). This course is designed to provide the student with a basic understanding
of Critical Race Theory (“CRT”) within the context of jurisprudential movements in the
law which gave rise to CRT. The course examines classic liberal theory and its rejection
by CRT scholars. 5386: Trial Advocacy (Civil)
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5420 or
consent of instructor. Refining knowledge of civil evidence and procedure;
formulating case theory, theme and strategy; communication skills for
designing and orally presenting opening statements, closing arguments,
direct and cross of fact and expert witnesses, voir dire, evidentiary
objections and responses, and other aspects of civil trials before court
and jury. Full trial required.
5387: International Tax
Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of issues in U.S. and foreign
taxation including analyses of tax consequences relating to multinational
business operations.
5388: Water Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Study of state and federal laws concerning
the ownership and control of water resources as well as environmental
protections relating to water quality.
5389: Immigration Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Study of United States laws relating to
the permanent and temporary entry of foreign nationals into the U.S.
5390: Environmental Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Environmental law, with emphasis on
legal regulation and control of activities affecting the land, sea, and air
environment.
5391: Mediation
Cr. 3. (3-0). Explores alternatives to litigation as means
of resolving disputes, focusing on mediation. Opportunity to participate as
mediator at Houston Neighborhood Justice Center.
5392: International Business Transactions Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of various international business transaction formats and their legal consequences.
5393: International Criminal Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). The laws affecting
international crimes, including sources of law, jurisdiction, extradition,
and types of defenses and claims of immunity.
5394: Space Law Cr. 3. (3-0). This course surveys the development of space law and policy from the 1930's to
evolving law for the International Space Station and future exploration and settlement of the
solar system. Topics include: International Space Law (multinational and bilateral treaties,
and the common international law of space); National Space Law (US, Russian, European, Japanese
and Chinese); and the space policy of the United States. US national space law is covered in
detail, with specific attention to the NASA Act, FCC jurisdiction and control of communications
satellites, FAA licensing of private launch services and policy issues related to remote sensing
and the military use of space. Specific issues of patent, securities, tort and contract law are
addressed in relation to current and future business activities in outer space.
5395: Genetics & the Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Study of new developments in
genetics which are taking place at a tremendous rate and are likely to
accelerate because of Human Genome Project. Explores the many legal issues
in genetics, including reproduction, access to health care, discrimination,
forensics and gene therapy.
5396: Environmental Clinic II
Cr. 3. (3-0). A clinic which places students
in governmental or public service organizations involved in the field of
environmental law.
5400: Clinic Externship
Cr. 4. (4-0). Prerequisites: 44 credit hours in
Law, LAW 5222, and consent of instructor. Externship in a public interest
law firm with responsibility for representing a client. Students must work
throughout the semester for at least 60 hours per credit hour in the
program. Includes a weekly seminar.
5401: Criminal Defense Clinic
Cr. 4. (4-0). The Criminal Defense Clinic is a law center clinic in which students are given criminal court appointments under the supervision of a practicing criminal defense attorney. Students participate in all phases of a defendant's process.
5402: Criminal Prosecution Clinic
Cr. 4. (4-0). The Criminal Prosecution Clinic is a law center clinic in which students are placed in the District Attorney's office in either Harris or Fort Bend Counties. Students get a variety of experiences in all phases of criminal prosecution.
5403: Law Center Clinic I (Civil)
Cr. 4. (4-0). The Civil clinic is an in-house law school clinic which gives students hands on legal experience as student attorneys handling legal cases under the supervision of a licensed attorney. The students provide all aspects of legal services within specific areas of the law for indigent clients from within the Houston area.
5404: Law Center Clinic II (Civil)
Cr. 4. (4-0). The Legal Clinical Studies II course is an extension of Legal Clinical Studies I. Students who take a second semester in the Civil Clinic are given the opportunity to build on the experiences and knowledge acquired in their first semester in the Civil Clinic.
5405: Immigration Clinic
Cr. 4. (4-0). The immigration clinic combines actual representation of clients with the theoretical teaching of immigration law. Each student handles ad individual caseload of 5-7 clients. The types of cases handled through the clinic include: applications for political asylum; petitions under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); family visa petitions, citizenship, special immigrant juvenile petitions; and representation of long term residents in removal/deportation proceedings.
5406: Procedure I
Cr. 4. (4-0). Introduction to civil procedure;
jurisdiction of courts; pleading, discovery; trial; effect of judgments;
appeals. Emphasis is on the federal rules of civil procedure.
5407: Judicial Internship I.
Cr. 4. (4-0). An external placement where students can work with judges on the local, state, or federal level. Students engage in significant legal research & writing projects and learn about the workings of the courtroom from an insider's perspective.
5408: Property. Cr. 4. (4-0). Introduction to basic principles of property law; acquisition of property; types of property interests; transfer of ownership; recording systems; conveyancing; landlord and tenant; regulation of land use.
5409: Contracts. Cr. 4. (4-0). Basic contract law including contract formation, prerequisites such as consideration, remedies, enforcement, interpretation, writings, and multiple parties.
5411: Health Law Clinic I Cr. 4. (4-0). Prerequisites: Completion of Law 6322, concurrent enrollment of Law 6322, or permission of instructor; OR Completion of Law 6216, concurrent enrollment of Law 6216, or permission of instructor. Gives students the opportunity to gain experience in the health law field through placements in non-profit or governmental agencies, such as a hospital's general counsel's office or risk management department. The course requires completion of a classroom educational component to receive clinic credit.
5412: Judicial Internship II. Cr. 4. (4-0). Prerequisite: Law 5328. Students will work as interns for Federal and State trial and appellate judges. They will receive training in researching legal topics and assisting judges in rendering written opinions.
5413: Torts Cr. 4. (4-0). Basic tort law; intentional torts, negligence, strict liability; causation and problems of multiple parties; damages and compensation systems; derivative liability; special kinds of torts.
5414: Immigration Clinic II.
Cr. 4. (4-0). Prerequisite: Law 5405. The course covers practical and theoretical training in immigration law. Students handle actual cases in various areas of the law including: Asylum; Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); Family Visa processing; and Citizenship cases. Students handle an actual caseload of 5-7 clients, including representation of at least one case before the court.
5420:5270:5357: Evidence
Cr. 2-4. (4-0; 2-0; 3-0). The rules evidence and reasons supporting
them, state and federal, including relevancy, impeachment presumptions,
judicial notice, competency of witnesses, privilege, and the hearsay rule
and its exceptions.
5421: Business Organizations Cr. 4. (4-0). A survey of materials relating to the legal consequences of various forms of business structures including agency, partnership, and incorporation. 5430: Criminal Defense Clinic - Juvenile Cr. 4. (4-0). Students have the opportunity to represent real clients in juvenile proceedings including hearings, bench trials, and jury trials for misdemeanors, felonies, probation violations, placement reviews, transfer hearings and any other matters that may develop through the representation of a juvenile in delinquency proceedings.
5488: Constitutional Law
Cr. 4. (4-0). Judicial review: powers of
government; federalism; requirements of due process and equal protection;
individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
5500: Clinic Externship
Cr. 5. (5-0). Prerequisites: 31 credit hours in
Law, LAW 5222, and consent of instructor. Externship in a public interest
law firm or government agency. Students must work
throughout the semester for at least 60 hours per credit hour in the
program. Includes a weekly seminar.
5510: Legal Clinical Studies I
Cr. 5. (5-0). Prerequisites: 44 credit hours in Law, LAW 5222, and consent of instructor; LAW 5420 recommended. Faculty supervised law practice with clients of legal clinic in areas including family law, consumer law, business law, landlord/tenant, community development, and probate. Includes both field work and class work. Students must work throughout the semester for at least 60 hours per credit hour in the program. Pre-semester orientation required.
5511: Legal Clinical Studies II Cr. 5. (5-0). Prerequisites: 44
credit hours in Law, LAW 5510, and consent of instructor. Faculty supervised
law practice with clients of the legal clinic in areas including family law,
consumer law, business law, landlord/tenant, community development, and
probate. Supervision of students in LAW 5510. Students must work throughout the
semester for at least 60 hours per credit hour in the program. Includes both
field work and class work.
5512: Criminal Clinic (Defense) Cr. 5. (5-0). Prerequisites: 44
hours in law, LAW 5222, 5304, 5303, 5420, and permission of the instructor.
Student work in the preparation and trial of criminal cases in the office of
the Federal Public Defender or of a prominent criminal defense attorney.
5513: Criminal Clinic (Prosecution) Cr. 5. (5-0). Prerequisites:
44 credit hours in Law, LAW 5222, 5303, 5304, 5420, and consent of instructor.
Assist in the presentation of criminal cases in a district attorney's office.
Student bar card required. Students must work throughout the semester for at
least 60 hours per credit hour in the program. Includes a weekly classroom
component and required pre semester orientation.
5514: Judicial Internship Clinic I Cr. 5. (5-0). Prerequisites:
LAW 5222 and permission of instructor. Students serve judicial internships in
federal and state trial and appellate courts.
5515: Judicial Internship Clinic II Cr. 5. (5-0). Prerequisites:
LAW 5514 and permission of instructor. Continuation of activities begun in LAW 5514
with students assuming the additional responsibilities of supervising
Clinic I students.
5516: Health Law Clinic I Cr. 5. (5-0). Prerequisites: LAW 5315,
5222, and consent of instructor. Health law internship in a hospital setting.
Includes a classroom component.
5517: Health Law Clinic II Cr. 5. (5-0). Prerequisites: LAW 5516
and consent of instructor. Continuation of LAW 5516. Includes a classroom
component.
5518: Environmental Clinic I Cr. 5. (5-0). A clinic which places
students in governmental or public service organization involved in the field
of environmental law.
5519: Environmental Clinic II Cr. 5. (5-0). A clinic which places
students in governmental or public service organization involved in the field
of environmental law.
6108:6208: Clinic Externship II
Cr. 1-2. (1-0; 2-0). Students have the opportunity to continue their work with an external placement or to seek an additional placement. The second term in a placement allows a student to work on additional lawyering skills while continuing to improve the lawyering skills they have worked on previously.
6113:6213: Innocence Investigations
Cr. 1-2. (1-0; 2-0). This course will cover basic issues associated with conducting factual investigations, years after a trial has occurred, to determine whether a prison inmate is innocent. The course will consider, among other things, the mechanics of conducting factual investigations, and will also address ethical issues associated with such investigations. Students will have the opportunity to screen cases and may have the opportunity to conduct investigations.
6200: Attorney Communication
Cr. 2. (2-0). Theoretical and practical approaches to the way lawyers communicate effectively with clients, judges and juries.
6201: Special Topics In Discrimination Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). Following an introduction to the theoretical debates of what has come to be known as "queer theory", this course explores how courts and legislatures have defined and treated sexual identity and orientation.
6202: Asylum Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). This course will be a comparative law course covering the following areas: international origins (religious and political) of refugee law and procedure; a comparative analysis of the procedures and precedents of the U.S. and other countries in their treatment of those seeking protection within their borders; claims based on gender, juvenile status, and other social group classifications; present and future trends in dealing with refugees.
6203: International Energy Transactions
Cr. 2. (2-0). A course which provides a foundation and understanding of the scope of both domestic law and international law in respect of international arrangements among the many participants-host governments, national energy companies, private energy companies, international organizations and others-in the commencement of energy transactions until the conclusion and implementation of energy transactions.
6204: Entertainment Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). An interesting blend of torts, contracts, and intellectual property concepts that arise in entertainment law practice.
6205: Patent Prosecution
Cr. 2. (2-0). Studies substantive law and procedure governing the patent application process, and emphasizes practical application of the rules to real-life situations. Students prepare writing projects related to the preparation and prosecution of a hypothetical patent application in lieu of a final exam.
6206: Toxic Torts
Cr. 2. (2-0). Covers developments in the areas of tort law, rules of civil procedure and rules of evidence that comprise toxic tort law. Also, will explore the relationship between federal and state anti-pollution law, novel tort doctrines, like medical monitoring and fear of cancer, that provide remedies for increased risk, the law of scientific evidence and relevant developments in class action and other complex litigation.
6207: Worker’s Compensation
Cr. 2. (2-0). A legal and practical knowledge of workers’ compensation systems, both State and Federal. Emphasis will be placed on the Texas Workers’ compensation system and how it involves and relates to numerous other fields of law (including, but not limited to the following: Family Law, Employment Law, and Labor Law).
6208: Clinic Externship II
Cr. 2. (2-0). Students have the opportunity to continue their work with an external placement or to seek an additional placement. The second term in a placement allows a student to work on additional lawyering skills while continuing to improve the lawyering skills they have worked on previously.
6210: How to Reason: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Public Policy
Cr. 2. (2-0). The course will begin with the philosophy of logic, including the logic of interferences and the logic of propositions, and will relate these topics to legal analysis. It will explore common fallacies and the limits of reasoning. Then it will go on to consider certain areas of economic, ethical, political, and jurisprudential reasoning. It will introduce selected scientific models and methods, and then cover issues from the related fields of statistics and psychology.
6212: First Amendment
Cr. 2. (2-0). This course will explore the protections afforded by the Free Speech, Free Exercise of Religion, and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The course will consider such questions as the categories of unprotected speech, the scope of protection afforded to free exercise of religion, and the question of what constitutes a prohibited establishment of religion.
6213: Innocence Investigations
Cr. 2. (2-0). This course will cover basic issues associated with conducting factual investigations, years after a trial has occurred, to determine whether a prison inmate is innocent. The course will consider, among other things, themechanics of conducting factual investigations, and will also address ethical issues associated with such investigations. Students will have the opportunity to screen cases and may have the opportunity to conduct investigations.
6214: Corporate Finance
Cr. 2. (2-0). In this course we will consider the state corporate laws and federal securities laws regulating the financing of corporations, both closely held and public. We will focus on various financing methods, including common stock, preferred stock, and convertible and straight debt (but not commercial lending arrangements such as bank loan agreements), as well as dividends, stock repurchases, tender lifers and mergers. Among the legal issues we will consider are the laws regulation corporate disclosure and corporate governance.
6215: Criminal Procedure II
Cr. 2. (2-0). This course will cover issues related to the right to the assistance and counsel; bail and pretrial detention; the preliminary hearing; the grand jury process; jury selection; speedy trial; the right to a jury trial; constitutional rules related to the prosecution's burden of proof and "elements" of criminal offenses; a criminal defendant's mental health (competency-to-stand trial, diminished capacity, insanity, and mitigation at sentencing); sentencing; double jeopardy; and post-conviction claims, including ineffective assistance of counsel and prosecutorial misconduct.
6216: Health Law II (Organization and Finance)
Cr. 2. (2-0). This introductory health law course focuses on health care organizations and health care finance. Health care organizational issues considered include: regulation of health care organizations, health care transactions, antitrust, fraud and abuse. Health care financing issues include the regulation of privacy health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. This course replaces Health Law (Law 5315), and students cannot receive credit for both Health Law (Law 5315) and this course, Health Law II.
6217: HIV and the Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). Explores the legal implications of HIV infection for public health policy, education, employment, insurance, health care and criminal law.
6218: Project Financing
Cr. 2. (2-0). Through actual case studies of international projects such as Euro Disney and Enron's Dabhol power plant, students will learn the basic issues and documents involved in asset-based financing of large, jointly-held ventures. To reinforce the case studies, students will work together on a hypothetical project from start to finish.
6219: U.S. Import RegulationCr. 2. (2-0). Will focus on the Federal Regulations concerning the importation of product into the United States. All significant aspects of U.S. Customs Service procedures will be examined including the entry, valuation, classification and origin of imported product. This course will also examine the regulations of other federal agencies that regulate the importation of product, the enforcement procedures used by those agencies and the defenses and techniques that are used to both defend against and prevent legal problems.
6220: Antitrust and Health Care LawCr. 2. (2-0). This course focuses on the impact of federal antitrust laws on the health care industry. The course will explore significant regulatory actions by the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, physician networks, and joint medical ventures. Issues relating to physician unions and the selection and compensation of medical residents will also be explored.
6222: Immigration Law and BusinessCr. 2. (2-0). The course covers the law and procedures for employment based immigration including: temporary work and business visas; procedures at US Consulates abroad; obtaining permanent visas ("green cards")through employment in the United States; Department of Labor (certifications); requirements for U.S. employers hiring immigrants; employer sanctions; unfair employment practices related to immigrants.
6225: Law & Ethics in Health PolicyCr. 2. (2-0). This course will explore topics such as the goals of health care, health care reform, how health policy is made, and several areas of legal and ethical controversy such as policies pertaining to access to health care, resource allocation, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, vulnerable populations, and end of life issues.
6250: Law of Biodiversity ConservationCr. 2. (2-0). The course provides students with an understanding of the existing domestic and international legal framework for protecting critical ecosystems. The course will investigate the key U.S. laws and international treaties and conventions that address biodiversity and habitat protection, including the Climate Change Convention and the Convention on Biodiversity. The course will also expose students to new legal concepts for biodiversity conservation, including market-based incentive systems and product stewardship initiatives.
6251: Health Law TransactionsCr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: Completion of Law 6216, concurrent enrollment in Law 6216, or permission of instructor. Explores the application of federal and state regulatory principles to health care transactions. This course assumes general familiarity with issues discussed in Health Law II; e.g., the corporate practice of medicine doctrine, antitrust, and fraud and abuse. Students will gain exposure to the document drafting and document review aspects of typical health care transactions.
6300: Clinic Externship
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: 44 credit hours in
Law, LAW 5222, and consent of instructor. Externship in public interest law
firm with responsibility for representing a client. Students must work
throughout the semester for at least 60 hours per credit hour in the
program. Includes a weekly seminar.
6301:5197: International Commercial Arbitration
Cr. 3. (3-0). A comprehensive
study of international commercial arbitration which includes examination
and analysis of international arbitration procedure, arbitration
agreements, institutional rules and international conventions.
6302: International Contracting
Cr. 3. (3-0). A transactional course
dealing with various aspects of doing business across national boundaries.
There are at least three major assignments in which teams of student
negotiate and draft agreements invoking such topics as international
service contracts, joint venture agreements and construction contracts. Pass/Fail.
6303: Equal Protection
Cr. 3. (3-0). Deals with constitutional and statutory
attempts to ensure equality, particularly with respect to color but also
with respect to gender. Looks briefly at slavery, the adoption of the 13th,
14th and 15th Amendments and Supreme Court decisions, including affirmative
action and school desegregation cases.
6304: Legal Aspects of Bioethics
Cr. 3. (3-0). Examines legal, ethical, and
policy aspects of current controversies in bioethics. The topics covered
include privacy and confidentiality, terminal care decisions, euthanasia,
patients' right to refuse treatment, organ donation and transplantation,
and human subjects experimentation.
6306: Personal & Professional Ethics
Cr. 3. (3-0). Study of factors that
impact attorneys called upon to make ethical decisions. Designed to allow
students to explore such matters in small groups under the guidance of the
instructor and guest lecturers. Focuses less on stated norms of the legal
profession and more on personal determinants, such as the students' family
of origin, learning style, communication skills, susceptibility to stress,
and other similar factors. Does not satisfy the Professional Responsibility
requirement.
6307: Sports Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Analysis of topics such as
representation of the professional athlete in contract negotiations and
endorsements, the player-club contractual relationship, anti-trust and
collective bargaining issues in amateur and professional sports, sports
tort liability, and representation of the recreational amateur and
professional in sports injury litigation.
6308: Supreme Court's Term
Cr. 3. (3-0). Examines major decisions from the
most recent term of the Supreme Court. The course will not focus on any
single subject matter area. Reading will consist primarily of unedited
decisions, and class sessions will be a combination of lecture and
discussion. Exam or paper option.
6310: Federal Criminal Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Introduces students to the
practice of criminal law in federal court, with an emphasis on the drug
trafficking, money laundering and organized crime. The subjects of the
Federal Sentencing Guidelines and asset forfeiture will also be addressed.
6315: Advanced Trusts & Wills
Cr. 3. (3-0). This course presents a practical approach to understanding such diverse issues as probate jurisdiction, estate administration, alternatives to formal probate proceedings, special proceedings, creditor claims, common law and putative spouse issues and contested probate issues. Emphasis is on real world pleading and trial practice. Prerequisite: Trusts & Wills
6316: Law Center Clinic II
Cr. 3. (3-0). Students continue to improve the lawyering skills they have developed by participating in an in-house clinic. In addition, students help train Clinic I students in clinic procedures and lawyering skills. Prerequisite: Law 5222: Professional Responsibility & completion of 45 credits.
6317: Law & Social Science
Cr. 3. (3-0). The course is designed to engage a small number of students into the editorial program of the Review, including research and writing. Students will meet weekly for approximately 1 month in the fall to gain an overview of the types of studies published in the journal. Throughout the course they will be actively involved in choosing reviewers for submitted articles, editing articles accepted publication, and choosing what mix of articles to put into each issue.
6319: State & Local Government Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). This course examines the organization and powers of local government units and the relationship between local, state, and federal governments. It also emphasizes government's obligations as an employer, and local and state government liability, especially for state and federal (constitutional) torts.
6320: Supreme Court Terms
Cr. 3. (3-0). Examines major decisions from the most recent term of the Supreme Court. The course will not focus on any single subject matter area.
6322: Health Law I (Bioethics and Quality of Care) Cr. 3. (3-0). This introductory health law course focuses on bioethics and the quality of care. Bioethics issues to be covered include: control of death/dying, reproductive technologies, organ donation/transplantation and public health. The course also will survey the major mechanisms for ensuring the quality of health care including medical malpractice, professional licensure, and institutional regulation. This course replaces Health Law (Law 5315) and students cannot receive credit for both Law 5315 and this course, Health Law I.
6324: Transactional Clinic Cr. 3. (3-0). The Transactional Clinic works with the University's Small Business Development Center to work with clients who need advise and assistance with their small business. Under the supervision of the instructor, student attorneys advise and prepare necessary documents to form LLCs or Corporations, negotiate commercial leases, and draft service, investment or other contracts as necessary. Students periodically assist non-profit organizations as well.
6325: Network Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). A survey of legal issues arising from the rapid growth of Internet and other on-line communications. Coverage will include intellectual property, First Amendment, criminal, and privacy issues. A working knowledge of cyberspace is helpful, but not required.
6335: Medical Malpractice Litigation
Cr. 3. (3-0). A broad-based study of malpractice law and policy, including the effect of malpractice on health care access, quality, and cost; malpractice legal doctrine; and legislative reforms. Prerequisite: Prior or concurrent enrollment in Law 5315-Health Law, Health Law I, or permission of instructor.
6336: International Environmental Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). The practical aspects of various systems as they compare to the United States environmental law system. Also, the various environmental aspects of environmental treaties, conventions, etc.
6337: Personal & Professional Ethics
Cr. 3. (3-0). This course is concerned with the factors that actually impact on attorneys when they are called upon to make ethical decisions. It is designed to allow students to explore such matters in small groups under the guidance of the instructor and guest lecturers. The course is focused less on the stated norms of the legal profession (disciplinary rules) and more on personal determinants, such as the students' family of origin, learning style, communication skills, susceptibility to stress, and other similar factors. Does not satisfy the Professional Responsibility requirement.
6340: Business Law & Immigration
Cr. 3. (3-0). Concentration upon the employment and commercial aspects of U.S. immigration law, leaving aside family law and refugee law considerations. Also covering various employment and business-related immigrant and non-immigrant classifications.
6341: Computer Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Selective aspects of the legal problems faced by business selling, buying, and using computer hardware and software.
6342: Death Penalty Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). This course covers substantive death penalty law, beginning with the supreme court's decision in 1972 to strike down all then-existing law, and continuing through the court's most recent term. Primary focus will be on federal decisions, by the supreme court and the court of appeals, but state court decisions, particularly cases from Texas, will also receive significant attention.
6343: Energy Law & Policy
Cr. 3. (3-0). An introductory survey to the legal and policy issues concerning energy resources, conservation, and use.
6346: Payment Systems
Cr. 3. (3-0). This course explores and compares the law of various "money substitutes", with emphasis on the check system. The allocations of risk by the check system, the credit card system, the debit card system, the wire transfer system, and the letter of credit system are compared and contrasted.
6347: Secured Financing
Cr. 3. (3-0). This course will focus on the law of secured financing-Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. The course will center around problem sets rather than cases, as problem-solving helps the student to learn and to understand how Article 9 operates in practical situations.
6349: Texas Coastal Management Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). This course will deal with the origin and present status of the 1972 National Coastal Zone Management Act and subsequent coastal management programs adopted by virtually all coastal states.
6350: Admiralty, PI & Death
Cr. 3. (3-0). Treatment of personal injuries and death in the admiralty jurisdiction.
6351: ADR Survey
Cr. 3. (3-0). This is a survey course about ADR procedures. The focus is on skills and processes of dispute resolution, including arbitration, mediation, and negotiation.
6352: Civil Rights - Section 1983
Cr. 3. (3-0). Police beatings and sexual harassment or assault by teachers and judges; regulatory takings and firings for exercising First Amendment rights; loss of a license without due process; desegregation and other institutional impact suites-there are just some of the issues that have been litigated under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983. The statute creates a civil action to remedy these and other "constitutional torts".
6353: Issues in Employment Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Focuses on discrete and emerging problems in employment and discrimination law and provides an opportunity to consider a limited number of issues in depth.
6355: Clinic Externship II
Cr. 3. (3-0). Students have the opportunity to continue their work with an external placement or to seek an additional placement. The second term in a placement allows a student to develop additional lawyering skills while continuing to improve existing lawyering skills.
6357: Children's Rights Cr. 3. (3-0). Students will explore the interaction between children and the legal system. It will examine the constitutional rights of children, child custody and visitation, abuse and neglect proceedings, adoption, juvenile delinquency, regulation of children's conduct, financial responsibility and control and the medical decision making process for minors.
6500: Clinic Externship II Cr. 5. (5-0). Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Students have the opportunity to continue their work with an external placement or to seek an additional placement.
7201: SEM: Comparative Patent Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5226 or
LAW 7328. Patent laws of other countries and international patent treaties.
7202: SEM: Advanced Topics in Patent Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5332.
Advanced topics of current interest in the patent field. Open to J.D.
and LL.M. students.
7203: SEM: Health Law and the Constitution
Cr. 2. (2-0). This seminar focuses on the constitutional implications of modern health care debated including constitutional aspects of health care treatment decisions, public health issues, and funding for health care.
7204: SEM: Law & Psychology
Cr. 2. (2-0). This advanced seminar will focus on the complex relationship between psychology and the law, with emphasis on empirical strategies to support health and social policy development.
7205: SEM: Regulation of Biomedical Research
Cr. 2. (2-0). Advanced Research and writing class focusing on federal regulation of biomedical research involving human subjects.
7210:7316: SEM: Health Legislation
Cr. 2-3. (2-0; 3-0). Focuses on state legislation, but issues relating to federal legislation, city codes, and regulations are also addressed. Include technical aspects of legislative and regulatory drafting as well as the procedural and political process of getting legislation passed and regulations implemented.
7220:7316: SEM: E-Health Law
Cr. 2-3. (2-0; 3-0). This seminar examines regulatory approaches to new technology (including telemedicine, cybermedicine, and medical privacy) by state legislatures, boards of medicine and pharmacy, and federal agencies. Also examines efforts by the AMA, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NAPB), the Federation of State Medical Boards, and other organizations to address e-health issues.
7237:7397: SEM: Arbitration
Cr. 2-3. (2-0; 3-0). A study of the arbitration process in
labor, commercial, and other contexts.
7238: SEM: Law and Psychiatry
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5315 or
consent of instructor. Topics in law and psychiatry including civil
commitment, right to treatment, right to refuse treatment, competency to
stand trial, the insanity defense, and the role of the psychiatrist in the
sentencing process.
7253:7397:SEM: Election Law
Cr. 2. (2-0). A survey of state and federal
regulation of elections.
7255:SEM: Health Care Law and Policy
Cr. 2. (2-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5315
or consent of instructor. Topics include organizational structure of
hospitals, national health legislation and regulation, access to health
care, reimbursement issues including Medicare and Medicaid, and cost
containment regulations.
7301:SEM: International Trade
Cr. 3. (3-0). Concentrates on the private
law of international trade in goods and on national and international
regulation of trade across national borders. International trade in
services may also be included as well as related subjects such as financing.
7302:SEM: Reproductive Health Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5315
or Consent of instructor. Covers a sampling of the ethical and
legal controversies that have arisen as technological developments in
reproduction have evolved, including sterilization, abortion,
artificial reproduction and parental-fetal conflicts.
7303:SEM: Law & Bioethics: (Legal Aspects of Bioethics)
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5315
or consent of instructor. Examines the legal, ethical and
policy aspects of current controversies in bioethics including
privacy and confidentiality, terminal care decisions, patients' right
to refuse treatment, organ donation and transplantation, and human
subject experimentation.
7304:SEM: Problems in International Trade & Investment
Cr. 3. (3-0). J.D.
students require consent of instructor. Issues relating to international
trade (multi-lateral and regional) and investment and their relationship to
environmental concerns are explored through selected readings and student
papers.
7305:SEM: Consumer Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
Focus on the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
7306:SEM: Criminal Justice
Cr. 3. (3-0). In-depth overview of the criminal
justice system with specific attention to both federal and Texas law and
procedure. Analysis of the system with consideration of each of the
participants: victim, police, prosecutor, defense bar, jury, judiciary, and
corrections. Responsibilities, practice, and ethics of each agency.
7307:SEM: Disabilities and the Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite:
Disabilities and the Law (LAW 5341). Focuses on some of the more complex
issues of disability rights law. Class discussion will be based on readings
on mental illness, drug and alcohol use and abuse, genetics, and HIV
infection as a disability.
7308:SEM: Scientific Evidence and the Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Explores
scientific issues surrounding several substances and products (such as
asbestos, Bendectin, Electro-magnetic fields, passive tobacco smoke, and
breast implants) which have generated mass tort litigation in the past or
are candidates for future litigation. Others have had their greatest impact
in other areas; for example, DNA evidence and alcohol testing have
primarily been an issue in criminal cases, while drug testing has been an
important issue in employment law.
7309:7297:SEM: Occupational Health Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: Health Law
(LAW 5315) or consent of instructor. Explores the federal regulation of
work-place safety and health with special emphasis on the Occupational
Safety and Health Act. Also includes such contemporary issues as drug
testing and cigarette smoking policies.
7310:SEM: Sales
Cr. 3. (3-0). Advanced study and research on statutes and cases governing the law of sales, focusing on the UCC.
7311:SEM: Advanced Family Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). This seminar will focus on issues relating to child support under state and federal law.
7312:SEM: Employment Law Cr. 3. (3-0). Advanced research, writing and study of employment law topics. 7313:SEM: Advanced Issues in Civil Jurisdiction Cr. 3. (3-0). There are no prerequisites, although the course may be more accessible to students who have taken Law 5320, Law 5321, and/or Law 5323. This course will involve intensive examination of issues which arise from the formulation and exercise of principles of legislative and judicial jurisdiction including conflicts between federal and state authority, and between domestic and international spheres of power.
7314:SEM: Advanced Commercial Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). This seminar considers pending revisions of the UCC including Article 2, Article 2B and Article 9.
7315:SEM: Advanced Dispute Resolution
Cr. 3. (3-0). Advanced research & writing class on varied forms of dispute resolution. Typical topics include Mediation and Arbitration.
7317:SEM: Race Theory & the Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). The course is designed to provide the student with a basic understanding of Critical Race Theory ("CRT") within the context of jurisprudential movements in the law which gave rise to CRT. The course examines classic liberal theory and its ultimate repudiation by CRT scholars.
7318:SEM: Advanced Criminal Law Topics
Cr. 3. (3-0). Students develop their basic knowledge of substantive criminal law and criminal procedure by exploring current issues through case law, law review articles, and guest lecturers.
7319:SEM: Advanced Topics in Environmental Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Class sessions will review the interrelationship between law, transportation and the environment, with particular emphasis on new developments in transportation technology and urban design.
7320:SEM: Advanced Contracting: Draft. & Plan. Issues Cr. 3. (3-0). Will focus on drafting general UCC and similar contracts and also include some discussion of issues in software licenses.
7321:SEM: Advanced Issues in Child Support Cr. 3. (3-0). Various possible models for a child support system. Specifically, how should the amount of child support be calculated depending on characteristics of the involved parties. Students cannot receive credit for both this seminar and Law 7311.
7322:SEM: Advanced Topics in Legal Ethics Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: Law 5222, Law 6321. Will discuss some recurring themes in professional responsibility, especially with respect to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and the Texas Ethics rules. We apply those themes to current ethics issues. Students may not receive credit for BOTH this course and Law 7397.
7323:SEM: Arbitration Cr. 3. (3-0). This seminar focuses on current issues relating to arbitration law and practice. Subjects may include commercial, consumer, employment, international, labor, and maritime arbitration topics.
7324:SEM: Criminal Procedure
Cr. 3. (3-0). A study of the criminal system
and the constitutional guarantees stemming from the Bill of Rights and the
14th amendment.
7325:SEM: Civil Rights/Section 1983
Cr. 3. (3-0). Substantive and
procedural problems in litigating a civil rights course of action under 42
U.S.C. 164 § 1983.
7327:SEM: Advanced Topics in Copyright Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Provides students the opportunity for in-depth exploration of topics of interest to them, including technological, international and historical problems in the field of copyright law. Prerequisite: Intellectual Property Survey or Copyright Law (preferred), or permission of instructor.
7328:SEM: Intellectual Property Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5332or LAW 5379 or LAW 5201.
Currently controversial topics in the intellectual property law field.
7329:SEM: Human Rights
Cr. 3. (3-0). Seminar addressing several human
rights problems, including the sources and content of human rights law and
the types of remedies that are available for the protection of human rights
at the international, regional, and domestic (U.S.) levels.
7330:SEM: Election Law Cr. 3. (3-0). This seminar studies federal and Texas Constitutional, statutory and regulatory actions relating to elections. Particular attention is directed to suffrage, elections, campaign finance and redistricting.
7331:SEM: Women & the Law Cr. 3. (3-0). Explores the ways in which women have been treated as a special legal category in a number of different substantive areas. It also considers the jurisprudential theories that seek to redefine the social significance of gender. 7332:SEM: Comparative Issues in Marital Property Cr. 3. (3-0). A review of recent changes throughout the world regarding the regulation of unmarried partners. Differences across countries and across states in the U.S. will be discussed, and proposals for change in the U.S. will be evaluated. Student cannot receive credit for both this seminar and Law 7346.
7333:SEM: Energy, Law and Policy Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisites: Energy Inc. (Law 5397) or Law 6343, or permission of instructor. Recommended: Law 5390. This seminar allows the student to explore in depth a topic of student choice in energy law and policy, such as: electricity restructuring; repeal of PUHCA; FERC jurisdiction; environmental problems with siting powerplants or pipelines; access to offshore leases; international energy transactions; proposals to regulate mobile source pollution; global climate change and fossil fuels, etc.
7335:SEM: Tax Policy
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5359. Consideration
of problems in the field of federal tax policy.
7336:SEM: Family Law Cr. 3. (3-0). In depth analysis of selected issues relating to family law, marital property rights and divorce. Prerequisite: Family Law or permission of instructor. 7337:SEM: Law & Religion Cr. 3. (3-0). This seminar examines how religion is treated in different areas of the law. We begin with definitions of law and religion and some similarities between religious and legal reasoning. We will study the U.S. Supreme Court's First Amendment jurisprudence. With this constitutional background in place, we explore how religious issues arise in other areas of the law.
7338:SEM: Women and Health Law Cr. 3. (3-0). Gender issues arise in many health care contexts, including reproductive rights, clinical research, disability law, confidentiality and informed consent, domestic violence, insurance coverage, and criminal law. By examining selected legal topics involving women and health care, this seminar will provide an opportunity for students to examine the gender implications of the current U.S. health care system.
7340:SEM: Higher Education Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Advanced study, research and
writing concerning legal issues in post-secondary education, including
governance, faculty, students, and regulation by state and federal
governments.
7341:SEM: Maritime Cargo and Collision Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Study of
liability, insurance, underwriting and personal injury issues arising out
of maritime collisions both within and without national territorial waters.
7343:SEM: Legal History
Cr. 3. (3-0). Seminar on the development of law,
legal institutions and the legal profession.
7346:SEM: Marital Property Rights
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5340.
Advanced study of marital property rights, including rights of creditors of
spouses, powers of spouses to manage property and tax considerations at
divorce.
7347:SEM: Bankruptcy Code
Cr. 3. (3-0). A seminar emphasizing the drafting
of the key documents in a chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.
7349:SEM: Constitutional Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Selected topics in
constitutional law. Varies from year to year.
7351:SEM: Juvenile Law Cr. 3. (3-0). This seminar will explore the rights of children in legal proceedings through a survey of cases, statutes, and readings. Students will be responsible for preparing a paper and a presentation.
7352:SEM: International Environmental Law Cr. 3. (3-0). The foundations for legal response to current global environmental challenges and the exploration of the leading issues. Issues of current (or historical) interest and an analysis of how international laws and institutions may help resolve them. 7357:SEM: Information Law
Cr. 3. (3-0). Legal issues concerning
collection, storage, access, disclosure and concealment of information
concerning private citizens, commercial entities and public agencies;
proprietary rights and rights of privacy are covered.
7359:SEM: Foreign Affairs and the Constitution
Cr. 3. (3-0). A seminar in
the powers of the President and Congress and the role of the judiciary
concerning constitutional matters involving foreign affairs.
7360:SEM: Law and Literature
Cr. 3. (3-0). A seminar in the treatment of
selected problems both by law and in literature.
7361:SEM: Law and Society
Cr. 3. (3-0). Study of relationships between
social science research and theory and the administration of law, including
the use of expert witnesses and reliance on survey or other statistical
data as evidence for legal decisions.
7362:SEM: Taxation of Failing Business Cr. 3. (3-0). A seminar in the tax problems faced by both debtors and creditors where corporations, partnerships, and proprietorships are in financial difficulty, whether in or out of bankruptcy proceedings. 7365:SEM: Bankruptcy Cr. 3. (3-0). This seminar will provide an introduction and overview of Chapter 11 business reorganizations. The class will study the course of a Chapter 11 case from the filing of a petition through confirmation of a plan of reorganization. Special emphasis will be placed on the practical aspects of the reorganization process, as the class is introduced to the legal principles of Chapter 11 reorganizations. Seminar papers will be required.
7382:SEM: Lender Liability
Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: LAW 5376 or LAW 5480.
An exploration of the techniques that secured creditors should
utilize in enforcing rights in order to avoid liability to debtors.
7384:SEM: Criminal Sentencing
Cr. 3. (3-0). Seminar examining the
traditional goals of the criminal justice system including the Federal
Sentencing Guidelines, the use, viability, and appropriateness of
alternatives to incarceration and the considerations regarding the sentence
of death.
7385:SEM: Environmental Law and Policy
Cr. 3. (3-0). Emerging issues in
the field of environmental law, including biotechnology, racism, commercial
lender liability, environmental ethics, and environmental activism.
7386:SEM: Products Liability
Cr. 3. (3-0). Liability of manufacturers,
processors, suppliers and retailers for loss resulting from unreasonably
dangerous products.
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