First Year Curriculum

Visit the Course Catalog Fall Semester Spring Semester

Fall Semester

Professor Denicola portrait

Meet the Contracts Professors
Professor Denicola
Professor Lee

Contracts

Law 501/G; 5 credit hours

The basic principles governing the creation, interpretation and enforcement of private agreements.

Professor Hurwitz portrait Professor Perlman portrait

Meet the Torts Professors
Professor Hurwitz
Professor Perlman

Torts

Law 503; 4 credit hours

The legal protection afforded in civil proceedings against interference with the security of one’s person, property, relations and other intangible interests. The course covers the substantive principles that govern tort claims (ranging from claims for intentional wrongdoing, to negligence claims, to claims that the defendant is strictly liable for harms caused to the plaintiff), and further explores the theoretical bases and practical implications of such claims.

Meet the Crim Law Professors
Professor Fidler
Professor Parsi

Criminal Law

Law 508/G; 3 credit hours

Substantive criminal law, focusing on the theoretical foundations, general principles and doctrines that govern the rules of liability and defenses, both in the common law tradition and under the Model Penal Code.

Professor Hayden portrait

Meet the Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research Professor
Professor Hayden

Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research

Law 513/G; 3 credit hours

The emphasis of this course is on the development of legal research and writing skills; writing is the lawyer’s most commonly used skill, and effective writing rests on effective research. Communicating like a lawyer, however, means not only communicating professionally but also conducting oneself ethically. In addition to providing sustained and intensive instruction on legal research and writing, this course introduces students to many facets of professionalism and to the skills necessary to make ethical and professional choices.

Legal Analysis, Writing and Research 

Spring Semester

Professor Medill portrait Professor Duncan portrait

Meet the Property Professors
Professor Medill
Professor Duncan

Property

Law 505/G; 5 credit hours

Depending upon the section, the course may include problems in possession, gifts of personal property, bona fide purchasers of personal property including recording and priorities, estates in land, landlord and tenant, the modern land transaction, controlling the use of land, easements, licenses and equitable servitude’s and constitutional limitations on the power of government to restrict individual economic liberties.


Meet the Civ Pro Professors
Professor Jefferis
Professor Gaughan

Civil Procedure

Law 516/G; 4 credit hours

An introduction to the theory and practice of litigation in federal and state courts. Topics studied include jurisdiction, pleading, joinder, discovery,motion practice,the right to jury trial, trial and post-trial motions, appellate review and preclusion doctrine.

Professor Lepard portrait Professor Schaefer portrait

Meet the International Perspective Professors
Professor Lepard
Professor Schaefer

International Perspectives in the U.S. Legal System: Practicing Law in a Global Legal Environment

Law 518/G; 3 credit hours

This course will help students situate their study of traditional first-year courses in an international context and to prepare for legal practice in a global legal environment, including an understanding of how to handle the inevitable treaty and foreign law issues that can arise in the practice of virtually every area of law. The course will cover the sources of international law and the relationship of international law (particularly treaties) to the U.S. legal system. It will also include an overview of conflict of law rules, a survey of differences and similarities in the major legal systems of the world, and a comparative examination of how foreign legal systems regulate other areas of law studied in the first year, such as torts, contracts, criminal procedure and civil procedure.

Professor Hayden portrait

Meet the Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research Professor
Professor Hayden

Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research

514/G 3 credit hours

The emphasis of this course is on the development of legal research and writing skills; writing is the lawyer’s most commonly used skill, and effective writing rests on effective research. Communicating like a lawyer, however, means not only communicating professionally but also conducting oneself ethically. In addition to providing sustained and intensive instruction on legal research and writing, this course introduces students to many facets of professionalism and to the skills necessary to make ethical and professional choices.