Catherine Lee Wilson Associate Professor of Law
Biography
Professor Wilson joined the faculty in 1993. She received her bachelor's degree (summa cum laude) from Creighton University. She received her law degree from the University of Alabama, where she was selected to the Orders of the Coif and Barristers. After law school, Professor Wilson served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert S. Vance, U.S. Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit. Prior to joining the Nebraska faculty, she was a litigation associate with the Atlanta law firm of Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan. Professor Wilson teaches Banking Law, Sales, Payments Law, Secured Transactions, Bankruptcy, and Electronic Commerce.
Courses
Banking Law Law 656/G (1-4 cr hr)
Law of commercial banking. History and structure of the American banking system; the formation of a new bank; the regulation of traditional banking activity, including lending limitations; reserve requirements; capital adequacy; equal credit laws; failed banks; branch banking; and future trends in banking.
Bankruptcy Law 736/G (1-4 cr hr)
After surveying the rights of creditors and debtors under state law, considers the impact of bankruptcy upon secured and unsecured creditors and upon stockholders. The bankruptcy trustee's avoiding powers are studied. Code Chapter 12: Adjustments of Debt for Family Farmers considered in some detail. Chapters 7, 11, and 13 liquidations and reorganizations surveyed with selected topics considered in depth. The negotiated settlements and "workout agreements" which characterize this area of practice emphasized.
Economic Justice Seminar Law 725/G (3 cr hr)
A social justice critique of free markets. The relationship of legal rules to the distribution of wealth. Introduction of a range of materials and critique the economic theory underlying various approaches to law and economics. Readings will include an interdisciplinary perspective Current topics in economic inequality, e.g., access to credit, housing and others.
Payment Systems Law 627/G (1-4 cr hr)
Negotiable instruments, bank collections, negotiable documents, selected aspects of sales, and products liability.
Secured Transactions Law 644/G (1-4 cr hr)
Creditors' remedies outside of bankruptcy, secured financing of personal property, and the impact of federal bankruptcy law on secured creditors.
Electronic Commerce Law 613/G (3 cr hr)
Participation on Blackboard required. There are no prerequisites, although students who have taken a Uniform Commercial Code course will find that helpful. Issues arising in electronic commerce, including setting up a business in cyberspace, the privacy issues associated with online data collection, and the laws governing the sale of goods, licensing, secured transactions and payments in an electronic environment. A variety of state, federal and international legislation and directives will be considered, including the Communications Decency Act, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the USA Patriot Act of 2001, the financial privacy provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, digital signature statutes and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
Introduction to Compliance Law 589/G (3 cr hr)
This course focuses on the framework underlying the recent surge in compliance programs. The course will begin with an overview of the relationship between corporate governance, risk and compliance. The course will then identify common features of a compliance program. This course will expose students to specific regulations affecting corporate compliance, such as Sarbanes-Oxley, SEC investigations, anti-money laundering, data protection, consumer finance, anti-corruption laws (such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) and health care. Throughout this course students will discuss the role of a compliance officer and the coordination and integration of counsel and other experts, such as accountants. The course will explore ethical considerations of a compliance program, such as privilege and confidentiality and the role of legal counsel versus the compliance officer, and will emphasize building a culture of compliance in an organization.
Sales and Leases Law 655/G (3 cr hr)
A study of the law governing the sale and lease of goods with primary emphasis on Article 2 and 2A of the Uniform Commercial Code. Among the topics included are: contract formation and modifications; acceptance and rejection of goods; warranties; risk of loss; and remedies for breach of contract, including breach of warranty remedies and some non-UCC remedies in consumer transactions. On selected issues, the Convention on the International Sale of Goods will be examined. With this course, students will develop their contract drafting skills and enhance their ability to read and analyze a statute.