Course Descriptions Spring Semester 2014

Civil Procedure (4 credits): An examination of the progression of civil cases, including jurisdiction, pleading, discovery, pretrial practice, the civil trial process, and post-verdict proceedings. The principal objectives of the course are to equip students with an understanding of the civil litigation process, to contrast the processing of a civil case with that of a criminal case, and to explore the roles of plaintiff and defense counsel.

Constitutional Law (4 credits): An introduction to the constitutional system of the United States, organized around 1) the judicial role in the constitutional scheme; 2) the allocation of power between the national government and the states; 3) the division of authority among the branches of the national government; and 4) the limitations imposed upon both national and state government for the protection of civil rights. The course exposes students to alternative theories of constitutional interpretation and contrasts constitutional decision-making with the resolution of disputes under statutory or common law.

Property (4 credits): The course focuses on ownership, the varieties of interest in land, considerations in the buying and selling of land, and the control of land use through private arrangements and the common law of nuisance. The course also emphasizes multi-stage analysis of legal problems, the intersection of diverse doctrines, and the unique concerns in the practice of transactional law.