First Year Courses | Upper-Level Courses | Academic Success Program | Concurrent Degree Programs | Clinics

The required first-year curriculum is divided into two semesters. Fall consists of Torts, Civil Procedure and Property. The second semester includes Contracts, Constitutional Law and Criminal Justice. Legal Skills in Social Context meets throughout the year.

CIVIL PROCEDURE
This course introduces students to the procedural rules that courts in the United States use to handle non-criminal disputes. The purpose of this course is to provide a working knowledge of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and typical state rules, along with an introduction to federalism, statutory analysis, advocacy and methods of dispute resolution. The course also examines procedure within its historical context.

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
This course studies the techniques of constitutional interpretation and some of the principal themes of constitutional law: federalism, separation of powers, public vs. private spheres, equality theory and rights analysis. The first part of the course is about the powers of government. The second part is an in-depth analysis of the 14th Amendment.

CONTRACTS
This course examines the legal concepts governing consensual and promissory relationships, with emphasis on the historical development and institutional implementation of contract theory, its relationship and continuing adaptation to the needs and practice of commerce, and its serviceability in a variety of non-commercial contexts. Topics covered include contract formation, the doctrine of consideration, remedies for breach of contracts, modification of contract rights resulting from such factors as fraud, mistake and unforeseen circumstances, and the modern adaptation of contract law to consumer problems. This course also introduces students to the analysis of a complex statute: the Uniform Commercial Code.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE
In this course, students are introduced to the fundamental principles that guide the development, interpretation and analysis of the law of crimes. They are also exposed to the statutory texts ã primarily the Model Penal Code, but also state statutes. In addition, students are introduced to the rules and principles used to apportion blame and responsibility in the criminal justice system. Finally, students examine the limits and potential of law as an instrument of social control.

LEGAL SKILLS IN SOCIAL CONTEXT

PROPERTY
This course covers personal property, estates in land, landlord-tenant relationships, mortgages, real estate financing and the doctrine of future interests. The course concludes with the study of private restrictions on land use and a detailed examination of zoning law.