Course Schedules

• Understand techniques for effective client interviews and counseling.
• Understand rules of professional conduct and apply them to real-life contexts.
• Learn and apply relevant immigration and nationality laws and regulations to real cases.
• Understand the structure and procedures involved in immigration court and administrative applications with USCIS.
• Improve legal writing skills by producing different types of legal writing.
• Improve oral advocacy skills by engaging through court hearings and simulation exercises.
• Understand your role and responsibility for your own learning, to become a reflective practitioner in your legal career.

The Immigration and Human Rights Clinic introduces students to the practice of  law through the supervised representation of low-income immigrants and refugees  in proceedings before Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the  Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and federal courts. The Clinic is open to second and third year students who interview and counsel clients, develop case  strategy, organize evidence, draft motions and briefs, and appear on behalf of their  clients before the agency and courts. The Clinic caseload includes a variety of  immigration and nationality issues, including the defense of immigrants in removal proceedings, applications for asylum and benefits under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and claims to U.S. citizenship. Students who are  enrolled in the Clinic during the fall/spring terms must have completed or be concurrently taking the Immigration Law course or an international law course.

This survey course covers the source of immigration power and constitutional protections for aliens. It addresses the admission of aliens as immigrants and non-immigrants; grounds of removal and waivers as well as removal procedure;refugees; and asylum. To complete the overview, it also addresses issues pertaining to citizenship, its loss and its acquisition. The course must be taken either prior to or concurrent with the Immigration Clinic.

Students are permitted, with the approval and under the supervision of a member of the faculty, to engage in a course of independent study on a subject determined by the student and supervising faculty member. No student may receive credit toward graduation for more than three (3) hours of independent study, and the course may be taken on either a graded or pass/fail basis, subject to the approval of the supervising faculty member.

The Insurance Law course focuses on the special nature of insurance contracts and the insurance industry. Included is coverage of governmental supervision and control of the industry; organization and agents; making of the contract, including insurable interest and binders; construction of insurance contracts, including coverage provisions, exclusions, and other conditions; parties with interests in the contract; the company’s rights and duties upon the happening of the insured event; and rights at variance with the contract.

A survey courses that covers the American intellectual property tradition, including trade secret, copyright, patent, and trademark law. The course covers the nature of these property rights and the contours of the protections (and exceptions to protections) afford by the law.

First addresses the theory (with examples) of negotiation, mediation, conciliation, inquiry and good offices as the methods of peaceful non-binding dispute resolution. Thereafter, it addresses the theory (with examples) of arbitration and standing courts as methods of peaceful binding dispute resolution.

International Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a course that combines the (1) study of the nature, specific features, and operational functions of the different methods that encompass ADR in public and private international law, namely, negotiation, mediation, fact-finding, conciliation and arbitration, and (2) application of those methods in practice. The course addresses both the doctrinal and the practical dimensions of international ADR. Students will be provided with the basic but comprehensive foundational information related to the way in which ADR processes are defined and work in practice. Also, students will be engaged in mock setting disputes to strength their legal skills in using international ADR methods.

This course focuses on international investment and financing issues. The topics covered include (1) the use of letters of credit in international business transactions; (2) the use of foreign distributors and agents; (3) investment vehicles and investment in Europe; (4) foreign investment in NAFTA; (5) United States regulation of foreign investment; (6) economic boycotts; (7) issues confronting established investments; (8) taking an investment; (9) project financing; and (10) Third World debt, the IMF and the international monetary system. It is recommended, but not necessary that International Business Transactions, Sales and Trade and International Business Transactions, Investment and Finance (the companion course) be taken sequentially. Each course is designed to stand on its own.

This course focuses on the international sale of goods, including the Convention on the International Sale of Goods, regulation of international trade, and the resolution of international trade disputes. The topics covered include: (1) international documentary sales, bills of lading and other commercial forms; (2) tariff and nontariff barriers to trade; (3) the World Trade Organization, GATT, and TRIPS; (4) free trade areas and customs unions; (5) international transfers of technology; (6) protection and licensing of intellectual property; (7) resolution of international disputes; and (8) contractual choice of law and forum selection clauses. This course satisfies the IBT course requirement in the Public & International Law category of the core curriculum. It is recommended, but not necessary that International Business Transactions, Sales and Trade and International Business Transactions, Investment and Finance (the companion course) be taken sequentially.

Investigates – with particular reference to international problems – the history of commercial arbitration, the arbitrability of commercial subject matters, arbitration agreements and their characteristics, applicable rules and procedures, along with enforcement and judicial review of awards.

This course is designed to be an introduction to International Cybercrime, which is only a subset of a much broader trend in the criminal area; the use of digital evidence in many criminal cases. Cybercrime is a true international crime. It links victims to criminals as they travel and within their home countries. Often it is a crime with criminals in one country (which may have civil law) using servers in others which may have religious law) to commit crimes in yet another country (which may be a common law system). The course will look at the intersection of these historically diverse systems as part of this ultra modern crime. Likewise the systems we use to secure our computers are developed by companies based in other countries, some of which may not be friendly to the US, for example one of the world’s biggest anti-virus companies is owned by a Russian friend of President Putin. The international law relating to computers, the crimes associated with them and the way in which lawyers use computers and the evidence which they hold will be the focus of this course.

This course focuses on the principles, rules, agreements, linkage and policies within The World Trade Organization (WTO); international investment law and bilateral investment treaties; international monetary law; and international development assistance lead by the World Bank. This course also addresses the topics of international economic sanctions, the mechanisms of dispute settlement available in the field of international economic law as well as the mixed private and public international law solutions that occasionally appear in international economic disputes.

International Organizations is open to qualified J.D. and LL.M. students. The course is a practical application of fundamental knowledge and expertise expected of an entry level legal advisor representing a public intergovernmental organization (IGO), its organs or subsidiary bodies, including true judicial organs proper. Some limited discussion concerns the non-governmental international organization (NGO). The comparative method is used to identify general principles of international law, customary international law, international organization practice, organization internal law, and conventional law, all of which govern IGOs. The development of critical thinking skills is integrated with doctrinal material. Required reading includes comparative analysis of constituent instruments and decisional instruments, including, but not limited to adopted resolution analysis. Application of knowledge will be evaluated through class participation, student preparation of a legal memorandum advising an IGO or a principal organ on a legal issue concerning interpretation of disputed constitutional text using Articles 31 and 32 of the Vienna Convention of the Law of Treaties (1969), student presentations which compare and contrast universal and regional IGOs, and by final examination.

The course will discuss the common and civil law of lost, found, and abandoned property. Students will study the problems of national sovereignty in cultural property and the law and the various fora for seeking the return of such property,including international conventions. Additionally, the course will cover the manner in which different nations and supra-national conventions define and interpret the rights of artists in their creations, including investigation of the myriad legal issues concerning the defenses of limitations, laches and bona fide purchasers.

This course examines both the substantive and procedural law concerning various white-collar crimes that occur transnationally. Areas of criminal law include money laundering, tax evasion and corruption among others. Procedural issues such as prisoner transfer, evidence gathering and extraditions are also addressed.

Credits for Internships or Externships are available. See faculty supervisors of the Practice Credit Program.

This seminar addresses the annual Phillip C. Jessup Moot Court problem concerning public international law issues. The seminar requires the completion of a hypothetical memorial for submission to the International Court of Justice in the Hague plus the advocacy of issues contained in the Jessup problem. This writing project satisfied the Law School’s writing requirement for graduation.

The term “jurisprudence” is defined in a broad and all-inclusive manner as “the science or philosophy of law.” Jurisprudence has sometimes been used as a label for several course offerings that vary somewhat from one semester to another, depending on the instructor. In general, the Jurisprudence course introduces students to important schools of thought about the origins, purposes, and workings of law through the reading and discussion of edited works of legal philosophers. It focuses on the development of ideas about the nature of law and the judicial process, and the relationship between those ideas and the working of law; in other words, students will see how philosophies of law inform the practice of law, or Jurisprudence: Law & Literature. Sections  of  the  Jurisprudence  course  may  focus  on  particular  aspects  of jurisprudence. Examples include Jurisprudence: Critical Lawyering Theory and Jurisprudence: Gender and the Law.

Labor Law is the basic course focusing on the relationship between employers and an organized labor force and on the federal law governing that relationship. Topics explored include union organization and recognition; collective bargaining; arbitration of grievances; unfair labor practice; the National Labor Relations Board; strikes, pickets, and boycotts; and lockouts, black listing, and Ayellowdog@ contracts.

Prerequisites: Property I and Property II.

A study of private and public means of controlling uses of private property. Emphasis is placed on municipal planning and zoning, fifth amendment regulatory takings and eminent domain. Further discussion topics include subdivision controls, first amendment land use limitations, sprawl and urban revitalization and low incoming housing.

This course offers a study and critique of the use of economics analysis for clarifying legal policy and for the appraisal of court decisions. The course will focus on the extent to which virtually all areas of the law can be understood as the institutional embodiment of the principle of economic efficiency. Prior knowledge of economics is not essential, and the course will include a brief overview of basic economic theory.

This three-hour course involves the survey and study of basic philosophic principles that have formed the law as it studied, used and practiced today, beginning with Aristotle and concluding with “Law in Other Voices” (Critical Legal Studies, Feminism, Critical Race Theory and Law and Economics). This is a seminar in which students may satisfy their writing requirement or take an exam. Each student will make three presentations to the class, and there will be general discussion of “what is law,” what are the sources of law, is law a form of political action and how should courts decide cases.

This is an introductory course in the law of financial institutions. The primary focus of the course is on federal regulation of banks and bank holding companies with some emphasis on insurance companies that are engaged in the business of banking. In this course, the student will acquire an understanding of the financial crisis of 2008, the changes that were made in response to that crisis under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and various legal issues relating to financial institutions with emphasis on regulation of banking, safety and soundness safeguards, geographic limitations, affiliations between banks and other companies, examination and enforcement, and bank failures. The legal principles involved will be learned and reinforced through class discussion, individual presentations, and assignments requiring critical analytical thinking.

Law Practice Management (LPM) focuses on preparing students to open and operate a solo or small practice law firm. The skills learned are applicable to a large firm environment as well. Students are expected to “organize” into firms with other class members (e.g. 2 to 5 students per firm, depending on class size). The “firms” then engage in a series of task assignments over the course of the semester such as (1) producing organizational documents (e.g. an Operating Agreement, etc.); (2) developing a marketing plan; (3) drafting a client engagement letter/agreement suitable to one of the firm’s areas of practice; (4) developing a space/utilization plan; (5) developing a financial plan; and, (6) developing a practice system checklist for one of the firm’s areas of practice. Faculty presentations are complemented by a series of guest speakers to expose students to diverse opinions on the challenges and best practices associated with “the business of law.” Among the guest speakers have been former LPM students who, as practicing attorneys, implemented concepts learned and plans developed in class within their successful solo and small firm practices. Ideally, the serious student will complete the class with a framework “business plan” for starting a solo or small firm practice after graduation and licensure.

Technology is rapidly changing the practice of law – in all fields, jurisdictions and venues. Therefore, proficient technical skills are essential for solo and small-firm practitioners – those who intend to open a “traditional” small firm or a “high-tech, almost-paperless” solo practice. This course provides practical as well as theoretical information to help students understand and employ efficient and powerful technological tools – both hardware and software. To achieve these ends, the following technologies, software and hardware systems are covered in the course: cloud-based systems, software and computing; website-development technologies; outsourcing and virtual assistant services; social media and blogging services; case-management, practice-management planning-and-calendaring software; document automation, assembly and management programs; billing, invoicing and accounting programs; privacy-and-security software; mobile devices and software applications; data transfer and compatibility programs; electronic discovery software and hardware; information and research software; and presentation technologies.

This course examines the role of the lawyer as leader, in the practice of law, in government, in business, and in social communities. Students will learn general leadership traits and values, and specific approaches to leadership, including servant leadership, transformational leadership, and ethical leadership. In addition, the student will learn how professionalism, the commitment of the lawyer to the client, to the legal system, to the courts, to other lawyers, and to third parties, embraces the concept of the lawyer as an ethical and professional leader.

Legal Counseling is a course in client interviewing, preparation and advocacy, designed to acquaint the student with the processes and theories surrounding legal counseling relationship. The concepts and processes of legal counseling are explored, as are the interpersonal skills, including communication skills that will aid the student in better satisfying their clients’ interests in negotiation, mediation and litigation settings. The ethics of the attorney-client relationship are emphasized, along with the need for a mature approach to client counseling and advocacy.

This course will examine the basis for legal malpractice and will explore the basic elements of the tort of legal malpractice, the creation of the attorney-client relationship, and applicable defenses. A major emphasis of the course will be on the prevention of malpractice, and will examine common mistakes made by practicing attorneys which give rise to malpractice claims. Overall, the course will seek to instill a commitment to achieve the highest ideals of the legal profession.

Technology is rapidly changing the practice of law – in all fields, jurisdictions and venues. Therefore, proficient technical skills are essential for solo and small-firm practitioners – those who intend to open a “traditional” small firm or a “high-tech, almost-paperless” solo practice. This course provides practical as well as theoretical information to help students understand and employ efficient and powerful technological tools – both hardware and software. To achieve these ends, the following technologies, software and hardware systems are covered in the course: cloud-based systems, software and computing; website-development technologies; outsourcing and virtual assistant services; social media and blogging services; case-management, practice-management planning-and-calendaring software; document automation, assembly and management programs; billing, invoicing and accounting programs; privacy-and-security software; mobile devices and software applications; data transfer and compatibility programs; electronic discovery software and hardware; information and research software; and presentation technologies.

This course provides a foundation in legal terminology and proper usage in the different areas of Mexican law. Students are exposed to the nuances associated with the Mexican legal system, fundamental legal concepts, key Latin phrases, and to the teaching techniques that characterize legal instruction at Mexican law schools.

No prerequisites

Today, most of our law is derived not from judicial opinions, but from statutes. This is true at both the state and federal levels. Thus, mastering statutory interpretation is important for every lawyer, no matter their practice area. This course will focus on interpreting statutes, primarily through the lens of the federal system, but will also explore issues of statutory interpretation at the state level in Texas, particularly when it deviates from the approach in the federal system. The primary book is: Hillel Y. Levin, Statutory Interpretation: A Practical Lawyering Course, West 2014. In addition to the readings from this book, some law review articles and Texas judicial opinions would be assigned as reading, as indicated on the syllabus. The course is graded based on two criteria: an exam and in-class participation. The exam is a traditional law school exam based on a fact pattern, as well as short essay questions. The in-class participation will stem from students’ engagement with the readings and, in particular, their participation in in class exercises. By the end of this course, students will be able to do the following: read statutes proficiently and understand the difficulties in doing so; understand the theoretical approaches to interpreting statutes; understand the practical tools of statutory interpretation; and apply all of these skills in practice.

This course teaches students how to develop a business marketing plan, including how to identify and serve markets for clients with legal needs, how to develop appropriate and ethical marketing techniques, and how to build and maintain a clientele that is served well.

Prerequisite: Negotiation

Mediation explores those situations in which an impartial person, the mediator, facilitates communication among parties to promote reconciliation, settlement, or understanding among them. The course will explore all forms of mediation, whether conducted by consent or court order (court annexed mediation), and will include extensive training in mediation and negotiation. Issues concerning qualifications, confidentiality, liability, and ethics will be covered.

Medical Malpractice Litigation, a study of the law and procedure governing medical malpractice actions in Texas, will prepare students to evaluate properly and manage effectively a medical malpractice lawsuit. Practical applications of the course include deposing medical witnesses, motions for summary judgment, and effective use of medical resources.

This course takes an in-depth look at common business and legal topics and issues that arise in the acquisition or sale of privately held companies, focusing on small and medium size entrepreneurial or family-owned enterprises. Areas covered will include the steps in the acquisition process, structuring the acquisition, elements of the acquisition agreement and negotiation issues and strategies. Students will be expected to participate actively in class discussions of weekly reading materials.

The course will concentrate on the present system of military justice in the United States. It will look at the sources of military law, including the Constitution, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), and the Manual for Courts-Martial (MCM). In addition to evaluating the UCMJ since its enactment by Congress in 1951, the course will also address the history of military justice, the scope of military jurisdiction, different types of crimes established in the UCMJ, military practice and procedure before, during and after trial, including a comparison between the evidentiary and procedural rules under the UCMJ/MCM and the federal courts, appellate court jurisdiction and role under the UCMJ, the role of the military lawyer as both advocate and counselor, and the ethics of the military lawyer, the role of the military commander under the UCMJ, significant military law cases decided by Supreme Court and other courts, a comparative analysis of military justice systems of other nations, and the trial of enemy combatants.

This is an advanced course in federal civil procedure in complex cases involving multiple parties (class actions, mass disasters), multiple claims, duplicative or multi-forum litigation and complex tort cases. Topics to be covered may include the roles of judges (judicial control of the litigation process), magistrates and counsel (ethical considerations), personal jurisdiction and due process concerns (notice), joinder, discovery, settlement, finality, and recovery of attorney’s fees.

This “real property” course covers the rights and interests of the parties to mortgages and other security devices, as well as those of transferees and of innocent third parties. Topics covered include the deed of trust; the vendor’s lien and superior title; mechanic’s and materialman’s liens, both constitutional and statutory; and remedies such as foreclosure, redemption, and marshaling
of assets.

Negotiation is a course in conflict prevention and resolution, designed to acquaint the student with the processes, and theories, surrounding conflicting human interactions, particularly in the legal world. The theories of integrative and distributive bargaining are explored, as are the interpersonal skills, including communication skills, that will aid the student in better satisfying their interests in any negotiation setting, whether interpersonal, legal or otherwise. Gender and cultural differences are reviewed, as are the dynamics of large group conflict resolution and the use of agents and intermediaries in negotiations. The ethics of negotiation are emphasized, along with the need for a mature approach to conflict resolution.

This course is the study of the law governing interests in oil and gas, with an emphasis on Texas law. Topics explored include the nature of interests in oil and gas; oil and gas leases; lease covenants, express and implied; title and conveyancing problems; transfers; and pooling and unitization.

This course examines the nature of patent protection. Circumstances under which this method of protecting inventions and other original works is appropriate, and the steps necessary to secure, maintain, and enforce the protection, are emphasized.

This two credit class will introduce the students to the law and skills unique to practice before the Texas Child Welfare Courts. The class is intended to allow students to complete the writing requirement; it is requested that it also be considered as an approved course for the following required core curriculum subjects: Persons and Property, Public and Private Law, and Experiential Learning. The course requires substantial writing including drafting of the following: an answer with counter petition, Special Exceptions, objections to the admission of the Service Plan, a proposed or amended service plan to be presented to the court, portions of a Case Planning/Trial Notebook, memos to the file and/or to counsel for other parties, various fact specific motions, proposed (substantive) orders, and possibly a Rule 11 agreement.* The minimum number of words for meeting the writing requirement in this class is 7,000 (determined by considering non-original language contained in some of the documents). In the Fall 2017 students submitted written material ranging from just over 7,000 to 24,759 words. * M.Jur. students and J.D. students who have already met the writing requirement have a somewhat reduced list of writing assignments.

This course focuses on the need for, philosophy of, and historical development of modern products liability law. Emphasis is placed on the causes of action available to a person injured by a defective product, defenses available to responsible parties, damages sustained as a result of the defect, and the various situations in which litigation of this type arises.

Professional Responsibility explores the legal, ethical and moral responsibilities of lawyers to clients, courts, the community and the legal profession. The current professional rules of professional conduct and the policies underlying them, are examined. However, consistent with ABA standards, students should be aware that the course in Professional Responsibility does not prepare students for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE). As with all other bar examinations, students intending to take the MPRE should plan to take a commercial bar preparation course prior to taking the MPRE. Information on such courses will be provided to all students enrolled in the Professional Responsibility course.

Prerequisite: Con Crim Procedure & TX Crim Procedure

Prosecution Law and Ethics explores the unique and critical role of the prosecutor in the American criminal justice system. As administrators, decision-makers, and advocates, prosecutors have vast discretionary authority and correspondingly broad ethical obligations that extend beyond the guidelines of professional conduct applicable to other lawyers. Focusing on state and federal constitutional and statutory constraints, the course will address such topics as the prosecutor’s: role in criminal investigations, relationship to the grand jury, broad authority to determine criminal charges and negotiate plea agreements, obligation to provide fair discovery and notice of exculpatory evidence, responsibility to maintain fair process while acting as an advocate in criminal adjudication, role in sentencing determinations, and duty to seek correction of wrongful convictions. In addition, students will consider ethical conflicts within the prosecutor’s own office or between the prosecutor and defense counsel that can make ethical compliance difficult.

This course is open only to students who have taken and passed Constitutional Criminal Procedure or Texas Criminal Procedure. It is also a prerequisite, starting in the 2019/2020 academic year for students who wish to participate in the four-credit intensive internship at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.

This basic International Law course is a survey of the law of nations and includes the nature, history, and philosophies of public international law; sources of public international law, including treaties, custom, general principles of law, adjudication, and doctrinal writings; international legal personality and recognition; territory; jurisdiction and jurisdictional immunities; state responsibility and state succession; peaceful dispute resolution; use of force; and international organizations.

This course is a policy course but is not a Title VII or employment discrimination course. Rather, this course addresses the many and various ways in which the issue of race and the American legal system interact. As a survey course, the class will deal with various topics ranging from affirmative action, the criminal justice system, and racist/hate speech to interracial adoption, issues of minority women, and housing discrimination. There is no course book for the course. Instead, the course materials are both traditional (law review articles, cases, and statutes) and non-traditional (Ebony, Hispanic, and various videos). While not a basis for grading, the format of the class nevertheless anticipates and necessitates the full participation of each class member. The class will offer invigorating and lively (if not heated) discussion and analysis of historical and contemporary issues of race and the law.

In Remedies students explore the various types of judicial relief, equitable and “at law,” available to people who have suffered or might suffer a substantive wrong, such as a tort or breach of contract. Students examine the maxims of equity and equitable remedies, including an in-depth study of injunctions; substitutionary money damages, including compensatory and punitive damages in contract and tort cases; and restitution-based causes of action such as “quasi-contract,” subrogation, and constructive and resulting trusts. The course presumes the violation of a substantive right and attempts to answer the question, “What relief should the injured party seek from the court?”

Sales is a Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) course. Article 2 of the UCC is explored, including the creation of sales contracts, the relationships between buyers and sellers, the rights and obligations of the parties, and the remedies available for breach of the contract. Other areas explored include risk of loss on shipment or storage, commercial impracticality, letters of credit, and documents of title. A student who takes this course may not also take the combined course on Sales and Secured Transactions.

This course will focus on Articles 1, 2, and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, the provisions governing the sale of goods and security interests involving or related to goods. Because the course combines topics covered in the Sales and the Secured Transaction courses, students who have completed either Sales or Secured Transactions are not be permitted to enroll in this course.

One of the UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) courses, Secured Transactions is the study of using personal property as collateral for a loan or grant of credit. Topics considered include methods of creating and perfecting security interests; issues of priority; interrelationships between federal bankruptcy law and the UCC; and creditors’ rights and obligations after debtors’ default. A student who takes this course may not also take the combined course on Sales and Secured Transactions.

One of the UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) courses, Secured Transactions is the study of using personal property as collateral for a loan or grant of credit. Topics considered include methods of creating and perfecting security interests; issues of priority; interrelationships between federal bankruptcy law and the UCC; and creditors’ rights and obligations after debtors’ default. A student who takes this course may not also take the combined course on Sales and Secured Transactions.

This course covers various amateur sports law issues and focuses on legal regulation of interscholastic, intercollegiate, and Olympic sports. This course also covers the legal framework governing the relationship between an agent and a professional athlete and analyzes ethical issues relating thereto. Topics covered may include constitutional law, tort law, contract law, Title IX gender discrimination, federal disability discrimination laws, the legal relationship between a university and its student athletes, regulatory authority of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, United States Olympic Committee, and high school athletic associations, antitrust law, resolution of disputes affecting Olympic sports (including the jurisdiction and operation of the Court of Arbitration for Sport), and regulation of private educational institutions and sports associations.

Texas civil pretrial procedure, law and practice, from client engagement to trial. It is highly recommended that students have a working knowledge of the civil rules of evidence before taking this class.

Prerequisite: Federal Income Taxation

This course covers major issues relating to the taxation of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and other types of business entities. Topics to be considered include entity formation, capital structure, operating distributions, sale of interests, mergers and other reorganizations, and liquidations. Subchapters C, K, and S of the Internal Revenue Code will be explored.

Prerequisite: Federal Income Taxation

This course covers major issues relating to the taxation of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and other types of business entities. Topics to be considered include entity formation, capital structure, operating distributions, sale of interests, mergers and other reorganizations, and liquidations. Subchapters C, K, and S of the Internal Revenue Code will be explored.

This course offers a detailed examination of pre-trial procedure, using the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure as a model, with comparisons to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Topics covered may include preservation of error; the Texas court system; impleader; intervention; suits on a sworn account; parties; and discovery. Students who plan to practice in Texas are required to take Texas Civil Procedure I.

Prerequisite: Texas Civil Procedure I

This course offers a detail examination of trial, post-verdict, and appellate procedure, using the Texas rules of Civil Procedure as a model, with comparisons to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Topics covered include continuances; recusal; summary judgments; jury selection; directed verdict; jury argument; jury change and verdict; post-verdict motions; findings of fact and conclusions of law; jury misconduct; res judicata and collateral estoppel; and introduction to appellate procedure.

Pre-requisite: Constitution Criminal Procedure

This course focuses on the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and the cases interpreting the Code. Students analyze the various provisions of the Code as it relates to the prosecution and defense of criminal defendants from arrest through conviction. No pre-requisite when the course is offered in the Evening Program.

Texas Land Titles builds upon the first-year property course, and explores in more detail the basic tools and steps necessary to examination of title to real property, as well as the procedural and substantive methods of clearing or eliminating title defects. Also included in the course are methods of title assurance, mineral title, and the Texas adverse possession statutes.

This course will consider rights and interests in water, emphasizing the unique law of Texas. Topics will include interstate allocations of water affecting Texas, public rights in water, private rights in surface water and private rights in groundwater.

This intellectual property and business course examines the nature of the legal protection afforded to those who use trademarks. Also included are problems relating to trade secrets, franchising, false advertising, commercial bribery, and unfair trade practices and competition.

(Prerequisite: Evidence)

Trial Advocacy classes are designed to give students an introduction to specific trial advocacy techniques such as voir dire examination of jury panels, opening statements, and direct examination of witnesses. The techniques are demonstrated by instructors and students are given opportunities to perform, and receive instruction concerning, exercises in many aspects of the trial of civil and criminal cases. (Prerequisite: Evidence)

Trusts are one of the most frequently used and beneficial of the tools available to the modern estate planner. A trust is a special type of property transfer which separates the equitable interest in property from the legal interest. The holder of the legal interest, the trustee, manages the property according to the directions contained in the trust instrument and state law for the benefit of the beneficiaries who own the equitable title. The trustee is a fiduciary and must deal with the property exercising a high standard of care and with the utmost degree of loyalty. This course deals with the creation, administration, and enforcement of private and charitable trusts under the Texas Trust Code. Coverage of resulting trusts and constructive trusts is also included.

Water Law surveys the subject of rights and interests in water. The topics covered include the common law development of the two major methods of determining water rights in surface water in the United States (“riparian rights” and “prior appropriation”), issues concerning ground water allocation, modern statutory administration of water, public trust doctrine, transboundary water issues, and federal and state authority in water management.

This course is designed to give students the knowledge and practical skills needed to navigate complex fraud prevention laws. Students will examine both federal and state laws used to combat fraud against the government, including qui tam actions brought pursuant to the False Claims Act. These laws encourage and protect private citizens (whistleblowers) who bring claims against companies that are allegedly engaged in defrauding the government. Students will examine these laws and their application from the perspective of the whistleblower, the government, and the defense. Through an in-depth review of statutory law, case law, administrative history, and government memos on fraud prevention, students will gain an understanding of the significant role qui tam cases play in preventing fraud on the government. Moreover, students will take a hands-on approach to learning, including a practical assignment that involves preparing for and conducting either a whistleblower client interview or a deposition. With a rise in federal and state legislation related to whistleblower claims—and with the government’s use of such laws increasing—it is important for any student interested in pursuing a career in white collar law to have a solid foundational understanding of this area of law.

Wills & Estates is the study of the disposition of property at death, whether by non-probate transfers, intestate succession, or will. The course examines the different types of inter vivos transfers that have testamentary effect, such as multiple-party bank accounts and life insurance; analyzes how property passes if a person does not have a will; and details various aspects of wills including validity, revocation, interpretation, and construction. The estate administration process consisting of collecting the decedent’s property, paying debts, and distributing property to heirs or beneficiaries, is also studied. The course also provides brief coverage of other estate planning issues such as professional responsibility, planning for incompetency and death, and the drafting of wills.

Covers the materials in Wills & Estates and Trusts in a more condensed format.

This course examines the American criminal justice system through an unusual prism: that of cases in which innocent people have been convicted. The course covers the principle causes of wrongful convictions as well as various reform efforts.

This course introduces foreign LL.M. students to the key features of the American legal system.

This writing and composition course is intended for international students whose first language is not English. The emphasis in the course is on improving the students’ writing and composition skills. Related ESL skills will also be taught. The course will be offered on an audit bases with no credit towards the chosen LL.M. program of study.

Designed for foreign-trained LL.M. students, this course provides an introduction to basic principles of American legal research and Writing. Students review American research techniques and prepare documents such as memoranda, contracts, and client letters. This two credit-hour course is required for
Foreign-trained students who intent to take the New York bar exam.