Course Catalog

Courses Titled A - B

Administrative Law (ADMN-300) 3 credits

This is a survey course designed to introduce students to the powers and limitations of administrative agencies and the legal and political mechanisms which regulate them. Emphasis will be placed on coverage of a broad range of topics rather than upon detailed analysis of any particular area. The course's function in the curriculum is to serve as a building block for advanced courses in particular regulatory areas. Students will gain a basic familiarity with the structural and procedural arenas in which administrative agencies operate. Advanced courses can therefore begin with the assumption that students have this basic understanding and proceed quickly to more detailed coverage of the issues as they arise in that particular regulatory context.

No prerequisites.

Admiralty (ADMR-300) 3 credits

In an age when information travels the globe instantaneously and people can travel to almost anywhere worldwide in less than a day, crossing the oceans in ships still takes about the same amount of time as it did 100 years ago. International transportation of everything from cars to computers occurs almost exclusively by water. It is only a matter of time before practitioners encounter Admiralty principles. This course is intended to provide a broad overview of the origins, development, and current status of admiralty law in the United States. The following topics will be discussed: sources of admiralty law; admiralty jurisdiction; maritime torts; maritime bodily injury; maritime contracts; maritime commercial instruments; maritime liens; marine insurance; maritime transportation; pollution; and miscellaneous maritime issues that do not otherwise fit into the above general categories. Guest practitioners will supplement typical class study. Grading will largely be based on a combination essay and objective question final exam.

No prerequisites.

Advanced Environmental Litigation (ENVL-345) 2 credits

This seminar will explore the pitfalls and opportunities that often arise in environmental disputes from the perspective of the parties (companies, governments, citizen groups, and indigenous groups) that commonly find themselves in those disputes. This discussion-based seminar will be divided into four parts:

  • Introduction to the parties, types of disputes, and forums for resolving those disputes;
  • Litigating at state and federal agencies, including building an administrative record, hearings before agencies, internal appeals, and preserving issues for appeal;
  • Litigating in state and federal courts, including drafting complaints, motions practice, discovery and expert witness issues, settlement, and trial; and
  • Environmental civil and criminal enforcement, including the life-cycle of enforcement actions, how actions are resolved, and special considerations of civil settlements.

The culmination of this course will be the preparation of a Litigation Strategy Memorandum. Students will pick an environmental dispute that interests them, pick a party in that dispute to represent (e.g. government, private party, citizen group), and draft a memorandum analyzing how the topics we discuss in class would apply to and inform the strategy that the party should take in the dispute.

No prerequisites.

Advanced Legal Research (LRES-350) 2 credits

This course prepares students for research in practice and clerkships. Building on the legal research skills acquired in first-year Legal Writing classes, students will learn effective research strategies and search techniques while becoming familiar with the legal resources commonly used by attorneys in day-to-day practice. This course will cover a wide range of legal research topics, including case law, statutes, court documents, administrative materials, secondary sources, and more. Students will learn through a combination of lectures, assignments, in-class exercises, and other hands-on activities.

Prerequisite: Legal Writing II (WRIT-200)

Restrictions: Course must be taken pass/fail. Students may not receive credit for more than one of the following courses: Advanced Legal Research (LRES-350) and Online Advanced Legal Research (LRES-360).

Advanced Research for Scholarly Writing (LRES-375) 2 credits

This course explores fundamental concepts and techniques of legal and interdisciplinary research. Though the course uses the lens of writing and editing scholarly articles, students will master research skills necessary for practicing law. Students will learn and practice resource selection, research strategies, and citation. Students will be expected to complete weekly assignments and one final take-home exam.

No prerequisites.

Restrictions: Course must be taken pass/fail. Enrollment in this course is available only to students who are currently in their first year of participation on a journal.

Advanced Torts (TORT-305) 3 credits

This course will address torts and tort issues not generally covered in first year foundational torts, including business torts such as fraud, negligent misrepresentation, interference with contractual relations; first amendment governed torts such as violation of privacy, defamation, and appropriation of personality; and damages issues such as wrongful death, 'wrongful' life, punitive damages, and purely economic consequential damages. It will emphasize these issues from the point of view of the personal injury or insurance law practitioner rather than from an abstract doctrinal perspective; this course is recommended for those who are preparing for a career involving personal injury and/or insurance practice. There will be no significant overlap between this course and course offerings in products liability and insurance law.

Prerequisites: Torts (TORT-100/105).

American Indian Tribal Law (INDL-325) 3 credits

This course will examine the development of tribal justice systems from pre-contact through colonization, and into our modern era of tribal self-government. We will describe modern tribal government activities and explore how disputes are resolved within American Indian nations. We will study comparative tribal constitutional law, the tribal laws governing membership in Indian nations and tribal elections, the nature of legal practice in tribal court, and how one becomes a member of a tribal bar. We will also consider how traditional areas of law are handled by American Indian nations, such as civil rights law, criminal law and procedure, domestic relations, property, contracts, torts, civil procedure, and jurisdiction. Finally, we will look at tribal economies and the role played by tribal administrative law and regulation.

No prerequisites.

American Legal History (JURS-330) 3 credits

This course is intended to provide students an overview of important trends in American legal history and an understanding of how and why the main institutions and principles of American law developed into their present forms. The course will examine how laws shaped American society and how economic, political, social, and cultural changes impacted the nation’s legal system. The intersection of law and politics and the role of courts in a constitutional democracy are central course themes. Topics covered include law and society in colonial America, the establishment of the new nation and constitution, early industrialization and the development of a slave-based regional economy, the Civil War and the period of national reconstruction, the Progressive Era, New Deal and the rise of the administrative state, the Warren Court and the Civil Rights Era, rollbacks and new federalism of the Rehnquist/Roberts Courts, and shifting legal treatment of class, gender, race and sexuality. The expectation is that this survey of American legal history will enable students to place present legal principles and practices into context and to evaluate them with a critical eye.

Each student will write a 20-page research paper on a topic of the student’s choice. Final grade will be based on participation in class discussions and the research paper.

No prerequisites.

Anti-racism and Beyond: Skills for Equitable Lawyering (LPRC-375) 3 credits

As a predicate to effective social justice advocacy, we need to hone the skills that enable us to live up to our values of anti-racism and pro-equity. These skills include empathy, deep listening, process orientation, collaboration, dialogue, and centering of minoritized voices. This course will provide the opportunity to practice these skills, among others, and to utilize them with equity design thinking to innovate potential solutions to systemic inequities in the communities we inhabit. The course will be co-created: the instructor will provide content for the first approximate 1/3 of the course and everyone will help to determine the content for the remaining 2/3 of the course.

No prerequisites.

Antitrust Law (ANTI-300) 3 credits

The United States relies on competition rather than government regulation or private cartels to determine what goods are produced and how much is charged for them in most sectors of the economy. This preference for free market rivalry over centralized control is reflected in the federal (and state) antitrust laws: monopolization, mergers, horizontal restraints, and vertical restraints. The main goal of the course is to learn and apply contemporary antitrust analysis, which employs economics, precedent, and public policy in an effort to develop legal principles that advance consumer welfare.

No prerequisites.

Applied Domestic Violence Practicum (FAML-440) 3 credits

This class builds on the introductory Domestic Violence course and provides students with the opportunity to prepare a full protection order petition with a live client. Students will learn how to create the initial petition, prepare for the ex parte hearing, prepare evidence, including declarations for the return hearing and represent the petitioner in that hearing at the end of the semester. These hearings will occur virtually. Students will learn the specific advocacy skills needed to effectively interview, counsel, and represent Domestic Violence survivors as well as how to write effectively and persuasively in this area of the law.

Experts from the field including court advocates, navigators, as well as attorneys and a commissioner will guest speak in the class. In addition to attending an in-person class weekly for the first eight weeks, each student will be assigned to a supervising attorney from the law firm, McKinley Irvin, with whom they will meet online weekly at an agreed upon time to practice the skills reviewed in class. Finally, students must be available for the date and time that the court holds the hearings at the end of the semester.

Prerequisite: Domestic Violence Law (FAML-330).

Restriction: Must be Rule 9 eligible.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Applied Family Law Practicum (FAML-435) 3 credits

This class builds on the introductory Family Law course and provides students with the opportunity to develop and apply the skills needed to practice family law. Students will work with clients from the nonprofit in the Central Area called Reclaiming our Greatness, founded by alum, Marshaun Barber. The focus of the course is to teach students how to prepare a family law case through temporary orders including dissolution, custody, and support. Students will work directly with clients and learn skills such as client interviewing, counseling, witness preparation, declaration drafting, hearing preparation, and effective communication and advocacy. Students will work in teams of two — one rule 9, one not, to prepare the case. Students who are rule 9 will possibly represent the client, under the supervision of their attorney, in a temp orders hearing at the end of the semester. Non-rule 9 students can observe these hearings. The class will meet in person for eight weeks. In addition, the team of two students will meet virtually with their supervising attorney from McKinley Irvin to apply the skills discussed in class. Finally, students must be available for the hearing date of their case. Guest speakers with include supervising attorneys, a paralegal, a clerk, expert witness, a commissioner, and a former client.

Prerequisite: Family Law (FAML-300).

Restriction: Must be Rule 9 eligible.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Artificial Intelligence and the Law (INTP-381) 3 credits

Artificial Intelligence and other applications of data science are rapidly transforming the way we make decisions, conduct business, and express ourselves. Our legal institutions are struggling to respond, and policymakers around the world are tweaking, overhauling, or remaking just about every area of law. This course will investigate the emerging legal frameworks being created to address the way Artificial Intelligence is reshaping society. Students will consider local, state, and federal laws, as well as engage in comparative analyses of approaches in other countries. The course also will focus on how AI is reshaping established common law doctrines (including torts, Constitutional Law, statutory civil rights protections, and regulatory approaches such as securities law). No prior technical knowledge is required.

No prerequisites.

Artificial Intelligence and the Practice of Law (INTP-565) 2 credits

The legal profession has been irreversibly transformed by artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI. This course will explore the uses of both traditional AI and generative AI in the delivery of legal services, including practice management, document review, e-discovery, legal research, document automation, and predictive analytics. Students will have the opportunity to interact with AI tools and practice using these tools effectively and responsibly. Students will also identify how the use of these tools intersects with the rules of professional conduct and broader ethical considerations. No technical experience is necessary to succeed in this course.

No prerequisites.

Arts Legal Clinic (INTP-401) 1 credit

This course is a collaboration between the Law School and Washington Lawyers for the Arts, a non-profit organization. Students in the clinic will work with two experienced intellectual property attorneys who serve as adjunct faculty. On the second and fourth Mondays of each month, students will participate with the adjunct faculty in interviewing and advising artists and others seeking legal assistance regarding intellectual property issues. On the remaining Monday(s) of each month, the faculty will engage the students in a variety of lawyering skills activities, including discussions of interviews from the prior week, simulated skills exercises drawing on current developments in intellectual property law, and activities devoted to ethics and professionalism.

Prerequisites: At least one of the following: Business Entities (BUSN-300); Copyright Law (INTP-320); Intellectual Property (INTP-300); Trademark Law (INTP-315); or IP Licensing Law (INTP-310).

Restrictions: This course must be taken pass/fail.

Experiential Learning: This course does not count towards the experiential learning requirement or the clinic/externship credit limit.

This course is not included in clinic registration lotteries.

Asylum Interview Skills Practicum (IMMG-415) 2 - 3 credits

Preparing an asylum application includes a statement that serves as the basis of an asylum claim. This statement can be central to the first step in success of that application. However, getting these crucial statements are more complicated than a typical client interview for two significant barriers. First, the asylee is being asked to recount a traumatic event. Second, the asylee will most likely be telling their story through an interpreter. This course covers the essentials for conducting an effective asylum interview including preparing for the interview, preparing the interpreter, conducting a trauma informed interview, a culturally aware interview, and a socially aware interview for especially vulnerable populations such as the unique ways that women and sexual minorities experience persecution in their home countries. The course will be divided into two parts. The first part introduces students to these skills in weekly meetings and involves guest speakers including an asylum judicial officer, asylum advocacy experts, an asylum trauma counselor, and of course asylum immigration attorneys who will act as supervising attorneys. Meetings with SA’s will also occur on a weekly basis at a time convenient to student and SA. The second part of the course will be devoted to students conducting these interviews under the supervision of a licensed immigration attorney on an asynchronous basis. Students have the option of taking this course as a two or three credit course.

Restriction: Professor permission required to register.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Aviation and Space Law (CIVL-310) 2 credits

This course provides students with a working understanding of the legal processes surrounding International and U.S. aviation and space law.

For aviation, the course reviews the sources of international aviation law including the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the Montreal Convention which governs international air carrier liability. U.S. aviation law is covered, including the regulatory framework, the role of the FAA and NTSB, aircraft sales transactions, and tort liability analysis. Leading case law is analyzed by way of policy, strategic problem solving, and litigation strategy.

During the last 10 years private sector space related activity has grown exponentially as reflected by the work of companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Axiom Space, and The Boeing Company. The course takes a broad look at space law both internationally and in the U.S., including review of the Outer Space Treaty, the Liability Convention, the militarization of space, space data information sharing, new technology, and U.S. law on private space activity.

Prior experience in aviation or space is not needed, and there are no course prerequisites.

Bankruptcy (BANK-300) 3 credits

This is a survey course on the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, as amended, the leading cases which have construed this statute, and associated state and federal laws governing debtor/creditor relations. Students will gain an overview of personal (or consumer) bankruptcy, as well as business bankruptcy reorganizations and liquidations. The course will emphasize practical problem-solving, considering the kinds of bankruptcy-related issues that arise in the course of a general law practice, not just those confronted in a specialized bankruptcy practice. Course topics will include the rights of debtors, the rights of creditors, the duties and the discharge of such duties by a Trustee, the rights and remedies of a Trustee, the procedural and substantive chronology of a Chapter 11 case, and the jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court.

No prerequisites.

Bar Exam Strategies and Skills (BSKL-300) 3 credits

The class focuses on building the analytical, writing, and organizational skills necessary to enhance students' ability to prepare for the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). Students will review substantive areas of law covered on the UBE, will enhance their critical thinking and analytical writing skills and become familiar with the bar exam format. This course provides students with intensive hands-on studying and writing practice and individual written feedback. Multistate Bar Exam practice test questions as well as Multistate Essay Examination questions are administered with strategy sessions to aid in the successful completion of both portions of the bar exam. Multistate Performance Test (MPT) strategies and writing techniques are reviewed along with the completion of one MPT. Memorization and outlining skills, time management strategies, and stress management techniques will also be taught.

No prerequisites.

Restrictions: Students must be graduating within two semesters to enroll.

Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Required Course: This course is required for students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum.

Bioethics and the Law (HLTH-300) 2 credits

This course examines issues arising from advances in biological sciences and technology as they impact the legal rights and responsibilities of patients, health care providers, and government policy makers. Issues explored include the legal and ethical problems associated with experimental and investigational treatments, reproductive rights, treatment at the end of life, assisted suicide, genetic engineering, and health care resource allocation

No prerequisites.

Biomedical Law and Policy (BUSN-334) 2 credits

Science has been catapulted into a "golden age of biomedical discovery" according to Marc Tessier-Lavigne due to recent technological advances such as the human genome project. In parallel, the United States has become the leading nation of choice for drug developers worldwide, notwithstanding the multiple and complex legal regimes that govern drug development and commercialization in the US. Why does the US enjoy that status, and can those legal regimes be further improved to benefit public health? This course examines how the institutions responsible for those regimes, including the NIH, PTO, SEC, FDA, and CMS, shape biomedical development today. The approach taken will allow students to understand in sequence the progression of issues that must be addressed to bring breakthrough treatments from the laboratory through funding, approval, and commercialization.

No prerequisites.

Business and Human Rights Practicum (BUSN-440) 2 credits

There is a growing consensus among inter-governmental organizations, national governments, and corporations of the need for business organizations to ensure that their operations respect human rights. You will explore the reasons business organizations should respect human rights and what specific human rights apply to business organizations. You will examine the ways in which business operations can have a negative impact on human rights. You will learn the mandatory regulations and voluntary guidelines that apply to business organizations in respect of human rights. One of the ways business organizations identify the potential for human rights violations in their operations is by developing a due diligence plan. They articulate their respect for human rights by adopting and implementing a human rights policy. In this practicum, you will develop a due diligence plan and a human rights policy for a business organization.

No prerequisites.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Business Entities (BUSN-300) 4 credits

This course begins with a brief discussion of business risk. It then deals with agency principles and considers whether a business ought to be organized as a corporation, partnership, or other entity (such as LLC or LLP). The course next considers the formation process, capital structure, and limited liability before moving on to cover questions of internal governance. If time permits, we then consider questions particularly relevant to large, publicly held corporations such as social responsibility, corporate accountability, and takeovers. This course does not involve the application of the federal securities laws. The topics are analyzed under common law principles, the Washington Business Corporation Act, and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

No prerequisites.

This is a bar-tested course.

Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Required Course: This course is required for students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum.

Business Law Drafting Lab (BUSN-430) 2 credits

In this course, students will work their way through various stages of business development, preparing the relevant documents along the way based on a hypothetical fact pattern drawn from real life.

Recommended but not required: Business Entitles (BUSN-300).

Restrictions: This course must be taken pass/fail. Students who have completed Drafting Lab: Business Law I (DRFT-300 with Business Law I as the subject) may not receive credit for this course.

Experiental Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

The Business of Intellectual Property (INTP-392) 3 credits

This course focuses on the business of intellectual property. It does that by means of an in-depth study of the day-to-day intellectual property issues faced by innovation companies (i.e., technology, pharmaceutical, biomedical, media and entertainment companies) in creating and managing their portfolios of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. The course provides practical experience in thinking of intellectual property as business executives and in-house counsel do - as an asset or business problem (instead of a purely legal concept or issue). The course includes a survey of the main intellectual property disciplines (patents, trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks). However, its primary emphasis is handling real-world intellectual property problems, such as: intellectual property licensing; setting up and maintaining "safe harbors" from copyright infringement liability for web-based enterprises; the establishment of a patent program; managing trade secrets; intellectual property due diligence for mergers, acquisitions and strategic alliances; managing open source software; and other commonly encountered intellectual property related business issues.

Prerequisite or co-requisite: Two or more of the following: Copyright Law (INTP-320); Intellectual Property (INTP-300); Patent Law (INTP-305) or Trademark Law (INTP-315).

Courses Titled C - D

Cannabis Law and Policy (BUSN-347) 2 credits

This course examines federal and state regulation of Cannabis, including marijuana and hemp. The course will look at how these regulatory systems developed, and provide comparisons of models at the State level. The course will consider Washington's current regulatory environment in the broader context of marijuana decriminalization and legalization over the past twenty years, as well as the industry's unique legal challenges and uncertainties resulting from the conflict between federal and state law. In addition, the course will look at specific impacts the Cannabis industry has had on other areas of the law, as well as practical considerations in advising Cannabis clients from seed to sale.

No prerequisites.

Civil Procedure II (CIVL-325) 2 credits

Advanced subject matter jurisdiction and procedural choice of law; advanced preclusion; advanced aspects of pre-trial and trial practice; appellate practice.

Prerequisite: Civil Procedure (CIVL-100).

This is a bar-tested course.

Part of the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Bar-Tested Course List: Students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum are required to take two courses off the Bar-Tested Course List.

Civil Rights Clinic (ADVC-430) 6 credits

The Civil Rights Clinic is a 6-credit, one-semester course offered once each year that allows students to work on important, interesting civil rights issues pending before state and federal appeals courts.

Clinic students have drafted briefs challenging Arizona's ethnic studies ban; fighting bias in closing argument and the application of the death penalty; and arguing the need for diversity on medical school faculties in a brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court. The clinic is taught by faculty associated with the Law School's Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality.

Students interested in the clinic should email Professors Melissa Lee, leeme@seattleu.edu, and Jessica Levin, levinje@seattleu.edu, at least 48 hours before the lottery to confirm:

  • That you have completed Legal Writing II and Constitutional Law and that you meet the grade requirements of B or above in Constitutional Law and B+ or above in Legal Writing II. Students who have not earned such grades may request a waiver of these requirements from the clinic instructors. The Civil Rights Clinic requires a good foundational understanding of Constitutional Law and the principles of good legal writing.
    • If you do not meet the above grade requirements and wish to request a waiver, describe your prior writing experience in a class (other than legal writing), law office, or other setting in which you have been asked to write memos, briefs, reports, or other documents (not short letters or emails) that have required research, analysis, timely production of work product, and solid writing skills. In addition, please identify the person who supervised your prior writing experience, as well as your Constitutional Law I and Legal Writing II professors, together with permission for us to speak with them.
    • For those who do not yet have grades in Legal Writing II or Constitutional Law at the time of your application, identify your Constitutional Law and LWII professors and authorize the clinic instructors to contact them to assess your work in those classes.
  • That your schedule will permit you to complete 17.5 office hours per week during regular business hours.

For more information about the Civil Rights Clinic, including descriptions of the work of the Korematsu Center and copies of briefs written in its cases, explore the webpage. You can also contact Professors Lee and Levin by email with any additional questions.

Prerequisites: Constitutional Law (CNLW-200) and Legal Writing II (WRIT-200).

Experiential Learning: This course counts toward the experiential learning requirement.

Civil Rights Enforcement (CNLW-377-E) 2 credits

This course will examine the authority of the United States government to investigate and enforce various federal civil rights laws and the policy implications surrounding priority-setting in this area. The topics discussed will include educational opportunity, equal employment, fair housing, and voting, as well as the rights of persons with disabilities, servicemembers, and of all people to be free from hate crimes or unconstitutional policing. Through analysis of specific examples, supplemented by input from individuals with current or past involvement in these enforcement activities, the course will consider the ways in which changing priorities over time have affected the ways in which the government has deployed these crucial powers.

No prerequisites.

Climate Change (ENVL-372) 3 credits

Climate change remains a defining problem for contemporary human civilization, and yet the United States government has begun a very public retreat from the current global consensus around its causes and effects. In this course, we will examine the scientific underpinnings of climate change and its likely consequences, discuss international and domestic responses to the crisis, and debate the political and ethical issues that have arisen, both before and after the current administration took office. We will consider not only laws that have been specifically used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — most notably, the Clean Air Act -- but also laws that have been used to raise awareness of the issue, such as the National Environmental Policy Act. Students may also learn about laws governing how fossil fuels are extracted in the United States and how power is distributed across the energy grid.

No prerequisites.

Collaborative Law Family Practice (FAML-420) 2 credits

Collaborative Law is a consensual dispute resolution process that focuses on identifying the interests of all parties in a legal dispute and helping them to work toward a resolution reached by mutual decision rather than requiring a decision from a third party (Judge / Arbitrator). This skills course is designed both to familiarize students with the theoretical underpinnings and train them in the practical application of Collaborative Practice principles.

The course will introduce students to the concept and practice of Collaborative Law, a non-adversarial means of resolving disputes in all areas of law in which there are disputes while most often used in the family law context. Collaborative Practice is typically a multi-disciplinary process which seeks to help parties settle legal matters in a dignified manner, with respect for all of the participants, using constructive communication methods with the active participation of the parties to the dispute. Because family law is the area in which most Collaborative lawyering has occurred, this course will focus on the Collaborative divorce, touching briefly on the other legal contexts in which Collaborative Practice may be useful. Students are expected to attend class, to read the assigned materials in advance of class, to complete assignments in a timely manner and to be prepared to participate in class activities and discussions.

No Prerequisites.

Community Property (PROP-310) 2 credits

This course explores the rights of spouses, partners, and third parties to property acquired during a marriage or a marital-like relationship. Topics include the relationship necessary for creation of community property, characterization of property as community or separate, rights of spouses to manage and control community assets, rights of third parties that can attach to community and separate property, and the disposition of property upon dissolution of the community or death of a spouse or partner.

Prerequisite: Property (PROP-100).

Comparative Constitutional Law: Individual Rights in the United States and Indian Constitution (CNLW-382) 2 credits

In this course, we will study comparative constitutional law with a focus on India and the United States. You will learn comparative constitutional law principles and the reasons for studying comparative law. We will compare the basic structure of the U.S. and Indian constitution as well as of judiciary and other governmental institutions. The world's oldest democracy and world's largest democracy have a lot in common. They both derive their legal heritage from the British. India and the United States are both multi-religious and diverse societies. Both countries have faced and responded to national

security concerns in ways that have sometimes impinged on human rights. Each country has increasingly witnessed authoritarian governments that have narrowed human rights, including reproductive freedom, privacy, and immigrants' rights.

The bulk of the course will focus on discussing individual rights in the Indian and U.S. constitutions, including topics such as gender rights, privacy rights, religious freedom, free speech, affirmative action, and citizenship and immigration laws. For each topic, you will examine the constitutional framework in each country, historical and political factors that explain the

approaches taken by each country, and whether and what lessons each country might learn from the other's experience with interpreting and implementing constitutional provisions relating to people's rights.

Recommended but not required: Constitutional Law (CNLW-200).

Comparative Family Law (FAML-501) 3 credits

This course will explore and critically examine the intersection of law, family and society. Using various principles of jurisprudence, sociological theory, and empirical research, as well as guest speakers and site visits to places like the Juzgados de Violencia sobre la Mujer (Courts of Violence against Women) to compare and contrast European Union and U.S. models, with a special focus on Spain's progressive approach, as well as models from other countries, of family formation and family dissolution. In addition, this course will examine how race, gender and class mediate relational power in whose family life is defined, regulated, and protected under the law versus whose family is created outside the shadow of the law. Topics included marriage, divorce, parent's and children's rights, "third party" rights, domestic violence, adoption, and reproductive technology.

Given both the compressed nature of the course and its comparative and policy approach, there is no way that all topics covered in a traditional family law course can be explored here. The readings and discussions will include looking at case law, conventions, statutes, and law review articles, and empirical research. The goal is to use this material to understand how to critically examine our own laws as well as others and situate them within a cultural context. In doing so, we can develop more informed policy.

No prerequisites.

Comparative Law: The Middle East (INTL-350) 2 credits

Examination of the history, structure, and institutions of Islamic law, civil law, common law, and socialist legal systems in the Middle East. Although several class meetings and individual research may examine substantive law, emphasis is on study of legal systems and traditions. The primary focus will be major contemporary challenges such as the tension between secular civil law and Islamic tradition (with particular emphasis on Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia), the Israel-Palestine conflict, and institution building in Iraq.

No prerequisites.

Complex Litigation (CIVL-380) 2 credits

This advanced civil procedure course will cover the key procedural issues that arise in cases

involving multiple claims, parties and/or jurisdictions in a federal system, with particular emphasis on multi-district litigation and class actions. We will master the relevant doctrine and policy, and nurture the ability to think like a lawyer about the many strategic and tactical issues involved in litigating these cases. This course is important, if not essential, for prospective litigators.

Prerequisite: Civil Procedure (CIVL-100).

Comprehensive Pretrial Advocacy (ADVC-300) 4 credits

Using a mock case as a context, students develop patterns of thought and hands-on ability in interviewing, counseling, negotiation, oral advocacy, and drafting of pleadings, discovery, and motions. Problem solving, decision making, and the professional role of the lawyer are emphasized. Alternatives to trial, such as mediation, are discussed. The small size of the class (24 students) allows a high level of student participation in discussion and role-play.

Prerequisite: Legal Writing II (WRIT-200).

Pre or co-requisite: Evidence (EVID-200).

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Comprehensive Trial Advocacy (ADVC-305) 4 credits

Comprehensive Trial Advocacy is an advanced course taught in the context of a mock civil or criminal case. Students use their pretrial skills to integrate theory with trial practice. Students, by role playing and performing in class, learn trial skills: voir dire, opening statement, trial motions, direct and cross examination, closing argument, trial notebook, trial brief, and jury instructions. Organized in law firms, students prepare and participate in a one-day simulated jury trial.

Pre or co-requisite: Evidence (EVID-200).

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Conflict of Laws (CIVL-300) 2 credits

A concentration on the problems created for the practicing lawyer by the existence of 51 or more law-making jurisdictions within the United States. The course treats three major problems: (1) choice of the applicable state, national, or federal law; (2) recognition and enforcement of judgments across state lines and national borders; and (3) judicial (service) jurisdiction. The course deals with the "conflict revolution" that has characterized decisional law and scholarship in recent years.

Prerequisite: Constitutional Law I (CNLW-200)

This is a bar-tested course.

Constitutional Law I (CNLW-200) 3 credits

The first half of our required constitutional law sequence. This course introduces students to the Constitution and constitutional interpretation and focuses primarily on the structures of government and the functions of each branches Topics often include judicial review and the nature of the judicial power; federalism, Congress's powers, and the power of the states to regulate economic activity; and the separation of powers, the rise of the administrative state, and the powers of the Presidency.

No prerequisites.

Required course: Full-time students must take this course in the fall semester of their second year. Part-time students will take this course in their first or second year.

This is a bar-tested course.

Curriculum note: JD students who matriculated after Fall 2022 will be required to complete both Constitutional Law I (CNLW-200) and Constitutional Law II (CNLW-205) during their second year.

Constitutional Law II (CNLW-205) 3 credits

The second half of our required constitutional law sequence. This course focuses primarily on individual rights. Topics often include state action; incorporation; freedom of expression; freedom of religion; equal protection; and due process.

Prerequisite: Constitutional Law I (CNLW-200)

Required course: Full-time students must take this course in the spring semester of their second year. Part-time students will take this course in their first or second year.

This is a bar-tested course.

Curriculum Notes:

  • JD students who matriculated after Fall 2022, will be required to complete both Constitutional Law I (CNLW-200) and Constitutional Law II (CNLW-205) during their second year.
  • Students who matriculated before Fall 2022, cannot register for CNLW-205 and should instead register for CNLW-300.
  • CNLW-205 is open only to students who did not complete CNLW-200 before Fall 2023.

Constitutional Law II (CNLW-300) 3 credits

A recommended course that offers in-depth coverage of many individual rights issues including the state action doctrine, the First Amendment, substantive and procedural due process, and economic liberties.

Prerequisite: Constitutional Law I (CNLW-200).

This is a bar-tested course.

Part of the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Bar-Tested Course List: Students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum are required to take two courses off the Bar-Tested Course List.

Curriculum Note: JD students who matriculated after Fall 2022, will be required to complete both Constitutional Law I (CNLW-200) and Constitutional Law II (CNLW-205) during their second year. CNLW-300 will remain in the curriculum through Fall 2023 for students who matriculated before Fall 2022.

Registration Note: CNLW-300 is open only to students who completed CNLW-200 before Fall 2023.

Construction Law (PROP-320) 2 credits

This course will provide a broad overview of the legal concepts surrounding construction projects — an amalgam of overlapping and interrelated legal doctrines. The course begins with introductory sessions examining the legal relationships between construction project stakeholders. Throughout the course, students will examine risk allocation structures through different legal lenses and gain a deeper understanding of the legal maxims that are unique to the construction industry (like the independent duty doctrine, differing site conditions, cardinal changes, and anti-indemnity laws). Students will also evaluate the myriad disputes that arise on projects and consider questions of liability for the various project participants. No prior knowledge of the construction industry is required.

No prerequisites.

Consumer Law (COMM-310) 3 credits

This course examines issues particular to consumer transactions in formation, substance, and remedies. Topics include: common law consumer issues; FTC and state statutory approaches to consumer protection; constitutional limits on advertising regulation; the Truth in Lending Act; abuses in the marketplace, such as bait-and-switch advertising, pyramid schemes, and unconscionability; Internet-based fraud; the Fair Credit Reporting Act; warranties; privacy; identity theft; spam; spyware; and predatory lending. We will examine the evolution of consumer law as well as the economic and social policies behind it, and also focus on the practical application of the law.

No prerequisites.

Contemporary Issues in Indian Law (INDL-380) 2 credits

This seminar builds upon material covered in introductory American Indian Law courses. Seminar participants will become familiar with recent and ongoing litigation concerning American Indian tribes in areas such as child welfare, contracting, employment, environmental regulation, natural resources, gaming, land claims, religious freedom, sovereignty, taxation, and breach of trust. Students will learn to identify procedural strengths and weakness of how those cases were litigated. Students will select appropriate case studies for a class hand-out, a class presentation and a 10-page (2900 words) final paper.

Prerequisites: Prior course in American Indian law or additional assignment from instructor.

Contemporary Issues in Sports Law (SPRT-320) 2 credits

This seminar/course explores selected topics pertaining to professional and amateur sports. The seminar features presentations by members of the Seattle sports world and beyond, pertaining to sports law issues emerging in intercollegiate and professional spaces.

No prerequisites.

Contract Drafting (LPRC-430) 2 credits

This is a course in drafting business contracts, although the general principles of the course will apply to drafting other contractual agreements as well. Students will learn a conceptual approach to contract drafting: as the art of "translating" the business deal, first into contract concepts, and then into the terms of the contract itself. The course will also introduce a general template, or contract "frame," that students can use and modify in constructing contracts.

Much of the course will entail hands-on drafting, as students work through a set of contract drafting exercises. Students will work both in small groups, representing the parties to a contract and negotiating terms, and individually, assembling their own versions of the assigned contracts.

Prerequisite: Contracts (CONT-100/105).

This course counts toward the professional skills requirement.

Corporate Finance (BUSN-315) 3 credits

This is a course on financial principles as applied to complex business and commercial law disputes and transactions. Topics include, among other things, financial statement analysis, the economics of asset valuation, debt and equity investments, and capital budgeting. No previous background in finance or accounting is necessary.

No prerequisites.

Corporate Governance (BUSN-340) 3 credits

Put simply, corporate governance refers to the myriad ways in which companies are directed and controlled. This course will study corporate governance systems in the United States (primarily), but will also survey corporate governance structures abroad by way of comparison. We will study the legal and practical systems for the exercise of power and control in the conduct of the business of a corporation, including in particular the relationships among the shareholders, the board of directors and its committees, the executive officers, and other constituencies (including employees, communities, major customers and suppliers, and "society"). As one author has noted: "If the companies in which wealth is accumulated are poorly governed, if their resources are inefficiently used, if their managements are inept or if the power of their management becomes channeled in a way which conflicts with the company's interests, all stakeholders and society suffer, not just the 'owners' of the enterprise. It is therefore important that within every company there are means of ensuring that resources are used efficiently and in a manner that ensures the achievement of the company's objectives and its ability to contribute to the common good." The International Task Force on Corporate Governance of the International Capital Markets Group, International Corporate Governance: Who Holds the Reigns? 1 (1995). These questions are timeless ones, but they are also timely given the current rash of disclosures of corporate malfeasance at companies such as Enron, World-Com, and others. This course is recommended for those students pursuing an interest in business and/or commercial law, as well as those students interested in issues of corporate accountability more generally.

Prerequisite: Business Entities (BUSN-300).

Corporate Law Appellate Litigation (BUSN-370) 3 credits

The course uses Delaware corporate law and the Delaware Supreme Court as its laboratory. Each student experiences the roles of appellate attorney, both in the preparation for and the carrying out of, mock oral arguments before the Delaware Supreme Court. Each student also experiences the role of Supreme Court justice in preparing for and writing final opinions in the same case. These simulations occur in connection with one or two recent or pending Delaware Supreme Court cases. Students study the actual briefs and appellate record, and are instructed to carry out their work as both advocates and justices with the same skill, diligence and ethics as is observed in the best practices of actual appellate litigators and jurists.

The course focuses on Delaware because it is the “home” for two-thirds of this nation’s publicly-traded companies. As a result, Delaware’s Supreme Court receives a steady stream of significant cases which are briefed and argued by America’s most skilled appellate advocates. The Delaware Supreme Court jurists, and the judges on the Court of Chancery from which its appeals are taken, are universally recognized as the nation’s most knowledgeable and skilled business law jurists. Consequently, the Delaware Supreme Court is to corporate law practitioners as the U.S. Supreme Court is to constitutional law specialists - not only the most prestigious practice venue, but also the best place to learn the “ins and outs” of both substantive corporate law and appellate litigation. This course should be of particular interest to any student interested in a commercial litigation, appellate litigation, or corporate law practice (whether transactional or litigation--oriented).

Meetings and Arguments

The class is structured to simulate actual law practice and the actual work of Supreme Court jurists (and appellate jurists more generally). In order to adequately prepare for their role as mock oral advocate and mock jurist, each student must develop effective strategies for independently and collaboratively organizing and managing legal work. To assess and facilitate this learning, class generally meet individually or in small groups with the instructor during regular class time and at other times mutually convenient to the instructor and students, rather than in a large class setting. Accordingly, if the assigned class time is not your best time for meeting, arrangement can usually be made for a different time or day. These weekly meetings focus on developing each student’s understanding of the nature of the litigation process from trial court decision to completed Supreme Court opinion, the role of the various actors in that process, and the requirements that ethics and best practices demand of these actors. Finally, these meetings are utilized for ongoing student self-assessment.

Evaluation and Grading

The final grade is based the instructor’s assessment and evaluation of the student’s professional skills in connection with: (1) work in preparation for mock oral arguments as advocate and as justice; (2) work in preparation for writing a final opinion in the role of Supreme Court justice; (3) conduct of oral argument as advocate; and (4) written work produced, including mock opinions.

Pre or co-requisite: Business Entities (BUSN-300).

This course counts toward the professional skills requirement.

Copyright Law (INTP-320) 3 credits

An introduction to the major concepts of past and present U.S. and international copyright laws, moving to a more advanced analysis of specific copyright issues in the global entertainment, software, on-line arts, and media industries.

No prerequisites.

Corporate Tax (TAXL-306) 2 credits

This course examines the federal income taxation of corporations and shareholders, including incorporations, dividends, redemptions, and liquidations. Students interested in general practice, business transactional practice, or business litigation should take both this course and Partnership Tax to gain a comprehensive overview of the taxation of these two primary forms of business enterprise.

Prerequisite: Individual Income Tax (TAXL-300).

Recommended but not required: Business Entities (BUSN-300).

Criminal Motions Practice (CRIM-340) 3 credits

This course will teach students advocacy skills at several non-trial stages of a criminal case. Students will perform exercises in some or all of the following: bail hearings, discovery, motions to suppress physical evidence and confessions, and impeachment of witnesses, among other topics and settings. Students will perform in various roles, e.g., defense counsel, prosecution, witness, judge, across the semester.

  • Section A (Portnoy) emphasizes written and oral advocacy;
  • Section E (Goldsmith) emphasizes oral advocacy and does not require written submissions.

Recommended: One or more of the following - Evidence (EVID-200), Criminal Procedure Adjudicative (CRIM-300), Criminal Procedure Investigative (CRIM-305).

This course counts toward the professional skills requirement.

Criminal Procedure Adjudicative (CRIM-300) 3 credits

This course will examine issues of criminal procedure relating to trial as opposed to investigation. Topics addressed include the prosecutor's decision to charge; probable cause review prior to trial; probable cause hearings; grand jury review; the formal charging document, venue, and jurisdiction; the scope of prosecution including lesser included defenses and double jeopardy; speedy trial rights; discovery and disclosure of both prosecution and defense; the law of guilty pleas and law and practice covering the various phases of a criminal trial including voir dire; opening statement; presentation of evidence; motions to dismiss; and opening statement and closing arguments.

Prerequisite: Criminal Law (CRIM-100).

This is a bar-tested course.

Part of the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Bar-Tested Course List: Students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum are required to take two courses off the Bar-Tested Course List.

Criminal Procedure Investigative (CRIM-305) 3 credits

This course will examine issues of criminal procedure that arise under the United States Constitution during the investigative phase of criminal cases: arrest, stop and frisk, search and seizure, interrogatories and confessions, informants, eavesdropping, and electronic surveillance.

Prerequisite: Criminal Law (CRIM-100).

This is a bar-tested course.

Part of the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Bar-Tested Course List: Students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum are required to take two courses off the Bar-Tested Course List.

Critical Race Theory (JURS-359) 3 credits

Throughout American history, race has profoundly affected the lives of individuals, the growth of social institutions, the substance of culture, and the workings of political economy. This impact is substantially mediated through the law and legal institutions. Understanding the interconnections between race and law, and particularly the ways in which race and law are mutually constitutive, is an extraordinary intellectual challenge. This course takes up this challenge by exploring the emergence and growth of Critical Race Theory (CRT). CRT refers to a surge of legal scholarship, starting in the late 1980s and blossoming in the 1990s, that focused on the role of race and racism in law and society. CRT recasts the role of law as historically central to and complicit in upholding racial hierarchy as well as hierarchies of gender, class, and sexual orientation, among other others. This course will trace the intellectual history of CRT through essential writings that mark its emergence and development. The course will explore key concepts associated with CRT and examine the specific analytic frameworks critical race theorists deploy to discuss the uses and meanings of race in legal institutions, politics and ideology. The course will also examine some of the questions and criticisms raised about CRT, from both inside and outside the genre, as well as the impact of the work on legal and political discourses. The central agenda of the course is an exploration of race itself — what exactly is race? — and the role law plays in constructing race and alternatingly ameliorating and perpetuating racism.

The course will be run like a seminar. Each class will be a round-table discussion of the assigned reading for the day. Each student will write a 20-page research paper on a topic of the student’s choice. Final grade will be based on participation in class discussions and the research paper.

No prerequisites.

Cybercrime: Law and Policy (CRIM-382) 3 credits

Cyberspace is a relatively new and ever changing world in which we all live and work, and where crime occurs. This class will look at how criminal law and policy has developed to address cybercrime. We will begin by looking at what cyberspace is and the particular issues that come up in this area of the law. Next, we will turn to substantive laws that prohibit the misuse of computers including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. We also will look at laws that prohibit the use of computers to commit more traditional crimes such as fraud, threats, harassment, and child exploitation. Finally, we will address the constitutional and procedural laws that govern the investigation and prosecution of cybercrime, including the Fourth Amendment, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Wiretap and Pen/Trap Acts, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Along the way, we will explore other issues important in this area of the law including jurisdiction, big data, privacy, and the role of the private sector.

No prerequisites.

Cybersecurity Planning, Incident Response, and Litigation (INTP-387) 2 credits

This course explores common cyber-attack threats, including threats from criminal groups, state-sponsored entities, and malicious employees and contractors, as well as ransomware and other cyber-extortion schemes. The course covers the actions organizations should take to decrease the likelihood and impact of security incidents, such as identifying and providing additional protection for valuable data, conducting risk assessments, drafting effective Incident Response Plans, training employees, conducting incident response drills, and purchasing cybersecurity insurance. Students will learn how counsel can assist an organization's managers respond to a cybersecurity incident by engaging a forensic investigation firm under attorney-client privilege when appropriate, working with law enforcement, and guiding incident response team members' communications with executives, Board members, and the media. The course will address the 50-state (as well as Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, and D.C.) data breach notification laws and federal, sector-specific notification regulations, including how to meet requirements to notify regulators and affected individuals. The course will train students how to respond to investigations by regulators and by the payment card networks when there is a theft of credit and debit card data. The course will study data security class action cases and appeals from regulatory decisions to determine how judicial decisions should affect how organizations respond to incidents. *Note: Randy Gainer is currently teaching this course.

No prerequisites.

Defender Clinic (ADVC-310) 6 credits

Students in this clinic will represent both juvenile and adult clients with respect to criminal legal system involvement. The work will include opportunities to participate in the representation of clients currently facing charges and also to assist clients eligible for relief from past legal system involvement (e.g., vacating convictions, reducing legal financial obligations, and eliminating obligations to register as sex offenders).

Prerequisite: Evidence (EVID-200).

Pre or co-requisite: Professional Responsibility (PROF-200).

Restrictions: Must be Rule 9 eligible. Students must meet the Law Clinic's conflict of interest rules.

Experiential Learning: This course counts toward the experiential learning requirement.

Disability Law (DSBL-300) 3 credits

The goal of this course is to create a critical dialogue about how US law and legal systems affect and respond to disability. We will be reading and learning from interdisciplinary materials, including case law, academic articles and personal memoir, to deepen our understanding of disability law and discrimination. Our discussions will include critical analysis of how law and legal systems impact individuals and communities that exist at the intersections of disability, racism, heteropatriarchy, and class. We will examine specific areas of law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Fair Housing Act Amendments, as well as legal systems that impact people with disabilities, including the systems of criminalization and involuntary treatment. The class will engage in analysis about the possible roles for lawyers and litigation in disability rights, broader social change and the movement for disability justice. As applicable, we will examine and discuss law, policy, and legal practice specific to Washington State.

No prerequisites.

Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence: Law, Advocacy and Policy (FAML-330) 3 credits

This course introduces students to the prevalence, severity, and types of family/intimate partner violence using social scientific research to dispel myths, examine treatments and interventions, and provide empirical evidence on the realities of living with domestic/intimate partner violence and advocating for survivors. In addition, we will examine DV/IPV state and federal laws and their intersection with employment, immigration, criminal, family and international law. Special attention will be paid to the cross-cultural aspects surrounding domestic violence. This course will focus on students understanding and critically examining policy implications of DV/IPV law enactment, implementation and enforcement as well as acquiring practical skills in representing clients experiencing intimate partner or domestic violence.

No prerequisites.

Courses Titled E - H

E-Discovery (INTP-370) 2 credits.

Discovery of electronically stored information ("ESI") is commonplace in modern litigation and investigations. This course introduces and examines the basics of electronic discovery ("e-discovery"). Classes will progress through most phases of the widely recognized "Electronic Discovery Reference Model," including preservation, collection, review, and production of ESI. Course materials and in-class discussion will focus on relevant court rules, case law, and best practices. This course is recommended for prospective litigators and students interested in issues related to technology and the law. Course grades will be based on participation and an "open book" final examination.

No prerequisites.

This course counts towards the professional skills requirement.

Elder Law (ESTA-310) 3 credits

As our population has aged, and the complexity of legal needs has grown, a new area of practice has emerged — Elder Law. This course will examine the major issues affecting the elderly: income and asset protection, financing health care, long term care options, planning for incapacity, and elder abuse/exploitation. We will also look at common ethical considerations and concerns in representing older clients. We will take a practice-oriented approach, using hypotheticals, role playing, and real case examples to examine how to best advise and represent our elder clients.

No prerequisites.

Employment Discrimination (EMPL-315) 3 credits

This course covers legal prohibitions against employment discrimination based on one's race, color, religion, sex, origin, age, and mental or physical ability. Sweeping changes have been made recently in the law of workplace discrimination. A large percent of the Supreme Court's docket in recent terms consisted of employment and labor cases. The world's first comprehensive declaration of equal treatment for persons with disabilities, the Americans with Disabilities Act, added 43,000,000 Americans to the groups protected against job discrimination and is profoundly impacting hiring and job assignment. There are differing opinions about what it means to "discriminate" based on factors such as sex, age, and race. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 triggers passionate response from proponents and opponents, and now provides for compensatory and punitive damages. This course addresses such issues arising from legislation forbidding employment discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, and physical ability.

No prerequisites.

Employment Law (EMPL-300) 3 credits

This is a survey course designed to provide students with a conceptual and practical overview of the law of the modern workplace. We will examine employer and employee rights and responsibilities and how courts, lawmakers, and regulators shape this dynamic. During the course, we will place current issues in historical context and cover such topics as: who is an employee (vs. an independent contractor, intern, etc.); laws regulating the hiring process; employer best practices; the employment at-will doctrine and its exceptions; torts by employers against employees and by employees against third-parties; employment agreements; arbitration of employment disputes; workplace investigations; workplace privacy, speech, and social media issues; regulation of off-work activities; implied duty of loyalty, trade secrets, and noncompetition covenants; minimum wage, overtime, and related wage and hour issues; leaves of absence and reasonable accommodation; workplace safety; and severance, unemployment compensation, and related termination issues.

No prerequisites.

Energy Law and Policy (ENVL-362) 2 credits

This course provides an overview of U.S. energy regulation and policy, highlighting the current transitions occurring in the industry including those driven by environmental concerns and developing technologies. It does not have prerequisites. We will explore the topic through review of policy studies, federal and state case extracts, regulations and agency opinions. After a brief introduction to the history and current status of energy law, the course will review energy sources, discuss electricity, including utility regulation and rate making, transmission and energy markets. We plan to tour a hydroelectric facility and have industry professional, guest speakers.

No prerequisites.

Enhanced Analytical Skills Lab (LPRC-250) 1 credit

Students taking the Enhanced Analytical Skills Lab will refine the academic skills necessary for success in law school, on the bar exam, and in law practice. Specifically, students will develop non-cognitive and cognitive skills as well as learning strategies in the following areas: critical reading, critical thinking, legal synthesis, legal argument and responding to bar-exam like essay and multiple-choice questions. The lab will draw upon the substantive material covered in other doctrinal courses.

Restrictions: Course must be taken pass/fail.

Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Requirement: Full-time students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum are required to take Enhanced Analytical Skills Lab during the fall of their 2L year; part-time students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum will take this class in the fall of their 3L year. Trusts, Estates and Enhanced Analytical Skills (ESTA-250) includes the material covered in the Enhanced Analytical Skills Lab. Students who complete ESTA-250 do not also need to complete LPRC-250.

No prerequisites.

Entertainment Law (INTP-325) 2 credits

This survey course examines the legal and business dimensions of the entertainment industry, with an emphasis on the music industry. The course will examine the business structures and financial arrangements commonly employed. The course will cover many of the practical aspects of the field, including employment agreements, multi-party negotiations, and the acquisition of rights to literary properties, while also examining the underlying theories related to the intellectual property, labor/employment, and other issues raised.

No prerequisites.

Environmental Law Fundamentals (3 credits) ENVL-300

This course will introduce students to the major federal laws aimed at protecting the human and natural environments. While discussing some policy issues throughout the semester, the course will focus on the environmental laws as they exist today. After considering some foundations in constitutional and administrative law, the course will proceed to examine the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and hazardous waste regulation. The course will also include introductions to the federal Superfund statute, to the Endangered Species Act, and to international environmental law.

No prerequisites.

Essential Lawyering Skills: Persuasive Communication, Interviewing, and Depositions (ADVC-500) 1 credit

This course will combine readings, lectures, demonstrations and workshops to teach students case analysis, communication and persuasive skills, witness interviewing and preparation, and taking and defending depositions. Students will also be introduced to new forms of technology that lawyers use in developing and implementing a litigation plan.

No prerequisites.

Essentials of Litigation Visuals and Technology (ADVC-505) 1 Credit

In this Essentials of Litigation Visuals and Technology asynchronous online short course, students interested in litigation learn how to integrate technology into their pretrial and trial visual presentations. Just as technology has become a centerpiece in modern life, it is the centerpiece in litigation. Mediators, judges and jurors expect lawyers to use technology. The course is taught in the context of mock civil and criminal cases, giving students simulated real-world experiences working with visuals and cutting-edge technology. This course is comprehensive in its exploration of visual communication strategies and technology, including, among other topics: the ethical and legal boundaries to what visuals may be displayed in trial; evidentiary foundations for visuals (animations, demonstrations, laser scanner images and so on); visual advocacy in both a pretrial venue and a courtroom; the creation of visuals; litigation software, such as Sanction, TrialPad, and SmartDraw; and meeting the trial judge's expectations of a trial lawyer's competency when employing technology.

No prerequisites.

Restriction: Students may receive credit for Visual Litigation and Today's Technology (ADVC-370) or Essentials of Litigation Visuals and Technology (ADVC-505). Students cannot receive credit for both courses.

Estate and Disability Planning Clinic (ESTA-400, former title: Trusts & Estates Clinic) 4 credits

Students represent low-income elder or disabled clients who are in need of planning for end of life/death, a possible future inability to make health care or financial decisions, and options for planning for financing costly long term care needs. Students advise clients facing difficult medical diagnoses and work with them to draft and execute documents that meet their estate planning goals. Documents generally include preparation of wills, powers of attorney, disposition of remains, special needs trusts, and health care advance directives. Student teams must maintain office hours in the Clinic offices for a total of four hours per week. Office hours must be scheduled on Monday from 2PM to 7PM, Tuesday from 2PM to 8PM, Wednesday from Noon to 8PM, or Thursday from Noon to 8PM. The days and times for office hours will be determined based on each student team's schedule. Students will be required to attend a clinic class one day per week.

Pre or co-requisite: Trusts and Estates or Trusts, Estates and Enhanced Analytical Skills (ESTA-300 or ESTA-250).

Restriction: Students must meet the Law Clinic's conflict of interest rules.

This course counts towards the professional skills requirement.

Estate Planning (ESTA-305) 3 credits

The Estate Planning course is intended to be the capstone of the estate planning area, which includes Trusts and Estates, Gift and Estate Tax, Pensions, and Community Property, among others. The course will explore planning problems for small, medium, and large estates. There will be significant emphasis on choices of technique, form of ownership, taxable and non-taxable arrangements, married and unmarried individuals, and drafting. The drafting of documents and general estate planning problem solving will play a large role in the grade for this class. There may be either a final examination or a final drafting project.

Prerequisite: Trusts and Estates (ESTA-300).

This course counts towards the professional skills requirement.

Evidence (EVID-200) 4 credits

The Evidence course examines the law governing proof in judicial proceedings under both the Common Law and modern codifications, particularly the Federal Rules of Evidence. Topics covered include relevancy; the hearsay rule and its exceptions; rules relating to witnesses, writings, and other forms of evidence; privileges; and expert witnesses.

No prerequisites.

This is a required course.

This is a bar tested course.

Exercises in National Security Law (GOVT-500) 1 credit

This course will explore cutting edge issues in national security law, including data security, terrorism, surveillance, and border security. After reading critical background materials, students will participate in exercises placing them in the role of legal advisors faced with difficult high-stakes decisions.

No prerequisites.

Externships

Externships are law-related placements outside the law school in which students do legal work for an agency or court to earn academic credit. Externships are offered as an educational opportunity in which the student is closely mentored by an on-site supervising attorney or judge and also has an opportunity for reflection and discussion with the faculty supervisor in a seminar format. For more information, please contact the Externship Office.

Prerequisites vary; please check with the externship office.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Family Law (FAML-300) 3 credits

This is a basic course covering core family law concepts. These include marriage, divorce and other forms of family dissolution, and related issues. Topics include the nature and history of both marriage and divorce, the major aspects of divorce (property division, spousal support, child support, and child custody), modification of support and custody awards, and jurisdiction for child custody and divorce actions. The course will also consider the legal treatment of separation of unmarried couples, with and without children, and the law governing prenuptial agreements. This course is recommended for those seeking a survey family law course in preparation for the bar exam.

No prerequisites.

This is a bar tested course.

Federal Courts (CIVL-305) 3 credits

This course studies the role of the federal courts in the operation of the American system of government and the reasons for creating and maintaining a dual court system with courts in both the federal and state governments. The course combines principles of constitutional law, civil procedure, and civil rights law and explores the manner in which federal courts are available as a forum in which to litigate the rights and liberties enshrined in the United States Constitution.

Among the topics that may be covered are the case or controversy requirement and justiciability, congressional power regarding the jurisdiction and operations of the federal courts, federal question jurisdiction, the development of so-called "federal common law," abstention and related limitations on federal courts' jurisdiction, Supreme Court review of state court judgments, federal habeas corpus, federal court relief against the government and government officers, and the sovereign and official immunity doctrines. Prior or concurrent enrollment in Constitutional Law is recommended, as this course requires prior knowledge of substantive constitutional law.

Recommended but not required: Constitutional Law (CNLW-200).

Federal Indian Law (INDL-300) 3 credits

Federal Indian Law examines the law that governs the relationship among American Indian tribes, the federal and state governments and those persons who may be subject to tribal jurisdiction. The course provides an overview of the history of federal Indian policy and legal development. It introduces the student to (a) civil and criminal jurisdiction within Indian country; (b) tribal sovereignty and sovereign immunity; (c) environmental law concerns in Indian country; (d) tribal taxation; (e) tribal cultural and religious freedoms; (f) Indian child welfare law; (g) Indian gaming; (h) tribal economic development; (i) tribal reserved water rights; and (j) tribal hunting and fishing rights. All of these subjects are important to the practice of law in areas such as Washington State where a significant tribal presence exists. Students will be evaluated based upon class attendance and participation (10%), in-class mid-term exam (30%), and in-class final exam (60%).

No prerequisites.

Federal Litigation (CIVL-385) 3 credits

This course is designed to give students access to the federal courthouse, and to take the intimidation out of appearing in federal court. The course will focus on developing advanced skills in both oral and written advocacy. It will also address ethical and professional issues that arise in advocacy. Students will learn by doing (although we also anticipate welcoming a few noted advocates as guests). Over the course of the semester, each student will draft a legal memo to a senior law partner. Then, students will pair up in teams of two to draft and argue one motion and draft and argue one appeal before the class and a panel comprised of guest judges and fellow students. Students will actively participate in each class session. to gain experience arguing and briefing cases in the federal courts including the U.S. District Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. At some point during the semester, students will receive a full tour of the courthouse, including the law library, Clerk of Court’s offices, judicial chambers and more.

Prerequisite: Legal Writing II: Written and Oral Advocacy (WRIT-200)

Meeting Note: this class meets once a week at the United States District Courthouse for the Western District of Washington located at 700 Stewart Street in Seattle.

Federal Tax Clinic (TAXL-405) 3 or 4 credits

Clinical training in federal income tax litigation under the supervision of members of the law school faculty. An initial classroom component will include instruction in applicable federal tax law, procedure and practice, professional skills training in interviewing and counseling, negotiation, and trial practice, and consideration of pertinent professional responsibility issues. In the practice component, students will advise and represent low-income taxpayers in controversies with the Internal Revenue Service from initial interview through any necessary tax litigation. Rule 9 eligibility is not required.

In order to expand clinical course opportunities for our students, Seattle University and the University of Washington law schools are allowing two students from each school to register for a clinical course at the other school not currently offered at their home school. SU students will have four spots in the UW Federal Tax Clinic (3-4 semester credits)

Pre or co-requisite: Individual Income Tax (TAXL-300).

Recommended: Comprehensive Trial Advocacy (ADVC-305), Evidence (EVID-200) and Professional Responsibility (PROF-200).

Financial Institutions Law (COMM-320) 3 credits

This course is an examination and contrasting of the market and regulatory contours of the U.S. financial "ecosystem"-banks, credit unions, non-depositary financial services, secondary capital markets, shadow banking, etc.-as that "ecosystem" exists today and in relation to how American history and the political economy have affected the way it behaves and is likely to behave in the future. This course is not a substitute for the separate course offerings in Securities Regulation and Insurance Law. We will explore:

  • Banking as one of the first government-regulated entities.
  • The dual-banking charter system in the context of U.S. constitutional federalism.
  • Banks and other institutions as economic engines and their role in the empowering (or failure to empower) macro-economies and local communities.
  • The relationship of U.S. financial institutions to certain key international treaties and transnational and foreign regulatory regimes.
  • The role of disrupting technologies (FinTech)-in the areas of deposit-taking, payments, lending, and fiduciary and custodial activities-in transforming banking.
  • The role of financial regulation in response to financial crises in U.S. History, including the Great Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 and the COVID-19 Pandemic Recession.

This is a course in which you will acquire technical skills, including how to give advice to a financial institution client or employer, how to articulate public policy, or how to advocate for people aggrieved by financial actors. You will have the opportunity to learn key theoretical, historical, political, and policy principles necessary to navigate the financial sector as a lawyer, regulator, policymaker, or business professional. We also will pay particular attention to the ethical dimensions of financial institutions law and policy, emphasizing the need for legal professionals to assume a more integral role in the management of legal, compliance, and reputational risk.

No prerequisites.

Forensics (ADVC-325) 3 credits

This course addresses legal doctrines and practical issues related to the use of scientific and other expert testimony. Students will participate in and observe simulations of deposing, qualifying, and examining expert witnesses in both the civil and criminal contexts. The topics covered in exercises and class discussions will include DNA evidence, forensic pathology, engineering, probabilistic proof and statistics, scientific problems related to the legal concept of causation, and the issue of scientifically questionable forensic disciplines.

No prerequisites.

Experiential Learning: This course counts toward the experiential learning requirement.

Foundations of Privacy Law (INTP-321) 3 credits

This course explores the principles of privacy law in relation to the affairs of government, non-government organizations, and individuals. Students will examine laws that protect personal privacy, both from a historical perspective and with a more contemporary focus on how these laws change as new technologies emerge.

No prerequisites.

Freedom of Expression: Social Media, Technology, and Other Modern Problems (INTP-324) 2 credits

This course explores modern issues relating to technology and freedom of expression. It includes a comparative examination of freedom of expression in the United States and other countries around the world. It explores the regulation of speech on social media and other technology platforms, including issues like hate speech, extremist content, disinformation, revenge pornography, and cyberbullying. It tackles important contemporary questions, such as reform of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, and the intersection of free speech and other values. Finally, it examines growing challenges posed by technology to freedom of expression and democracy.

No prerequisites.

Gender and Law (JURS-397) 3 credits

This course examines how gender categories and norms about gender and sexuality are constructed in and enforced by law. Course materials engage an intersectional approach, analyzing how gender and sexuality norms are co-constituted with other categories such as race, nation, and ability. The course will look at how systems of law enforcement, including criminal and immigration enforcement, produce gendered surveillance, confinement, and violence. We will use interdisciplinary materials to ask how various scholars and social movements have understood law as both a site of the enforcement of coercive gender systems and as a potential tool of resistance to such systems.

No prerequisites.

Gender, Sexuality and Law (JURS-397) 3 credits (formerly titled: Gender and the Law)

This course examines how gender categories and norms about gender and sexuality are constructed in and enforced by law. Course materials engage an intersectional approach, analyzing how gender, sexuality, and family formation norms are co-constituted with other categories such as race, nation, and ability. The course will look at how systems of law enforcement, including criminal and immigration enforcement, produce gendered surveillance, confinement, and violence and target people cast as sexual and gender outsiders. We will use interdisciplinary materials to ask how various scholars and social movements have understood law as both a site of the enforcement of coercive gender systems and as a potential tool of resistance to such systems.

No prerequisites.

Gift and Estate Tax (TAXL-310) 3 credits

This course provides an introduction to the taxation of gratuitous property transfers, including both transfers upon death (estate tax) and transfers during life (gift tax). It is concerned solely with the federal system of transfer taxes and does not include examination of the income taxation of trusts and estates.

Pre or co-requisite: Trusts and Estates (ESTA-300).

Health Law I (HLTH-305) 3 credits

This course surveys health law and its sources, with a particular emphasis on United States health policy, the business of health care, and health care regulation prominent in a transactional health legal practice. Health law issues introduced in the course include: (1) balancing health care cost, quality, and access in the health care system; (2) the regulation of private insurance and managed care; (3) public financing of health care services through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act; (4) corporate and other legal structures including an overview of nonprofit health care organizations; and (5) selected regulatory issues as they are applied to the health care industry such as fraud & abuse, antitrust, and HIPAA. Throughout the semester, particular attention will be paid to the ways in which health policy and law impacts patients, as well as the intersections of health care, law, and ethics. Students will be evaluated based on class participation, periodic short writing assignments, and a final examination.

No prerequisites.

Healthcare Law (HLTH-335) 2 credits

This course will focus on the fundamental federal regulations that impact healthcare professionals and organizations. This course will focus on the regulations that are essential to compliance in the healthcare industry, including, but not limited to, fraud and abuse laws, HIPAA, and the Affordable Care Act. The course materials will allow students to test their knowledge and understanding with exercises designed to provide practical application. Students will be required to demonstrate an ability to interpret and analyze regulations to address arising compliance issues in a variety of health care settings.

No prerequisites.

This course is cross-listed with the online MLS course HLTH-600.

Health Policy Advocacy Clinic (HLTH-415) 4 credits

This course offers students the opportunity to develop a range of policy advocacy skills by working on current policy development projects brought to the clinic by partner organizations seeking to advance health equity and support community health improvement. See full list of projects offered by the clinic last year (PDF).

In partnership with community representatives and under the supervision of clinic faculty, students will engage in any number of critical policy development functions:

  • data analysis
  • policy research, analysis, and writing
  • creating and furthering advocacy partnerships
  • developing regulatory and legislative language
  • creating advocacy documents (policy briefs, fact sheets, comment letters, testimony, presentations)

The problem-solving, analysis, communication and leadership skills learned will be applicable to any policy advocacy project regardless of subject matter.

No prerequisites.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Homeless Rights Advocacy Clinic ADVC-440 (4 credits) & ADVC-445 (2 credits)

Do you want to make a difference on one of the most pressing challenges our region faces? Do you want to polish your research, analysis, and communication skills? The Homeless Rights Advocacy Project’s clinic is an introduction to social justice advocacy in the context of legal and policy issues relating to homelessness. Through this clinic, 2L and 3L students receive an assignment from a community client on a pressing issue. Students learn how policy issues arise, how to perform legal and factual research and analysis, and how to effectively advocate for policy changes in written and oral form. Students are graded on professionalism, class participation (including out-of-class assignments), oral presentations, and a final paper.

Unlike other 6-credit clinics that occur over a single semester, HRAP students may elect to take the HRAP clinic for the fall semester only (4 credits) or for the full academic year by continuing in the spring semester with a reduced credit load (2 credits). Completing the fall semester course is a prerequisite to enrolling in the spring clinic. Students who complete both semesters in the HRAP clinic are eligible to have their final briefs published and publicly released as part of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project's prestigious policy library. HRAP's award-winning work has been downloaded thousands of times and praised by legal aid organizations, services providers, non-profits, city officials, and street activist organizations for its impact.

Specific learning objectives covered in this clinic include understanding, practicing, and applying the following:

  • Legal research and analyses relating to homeless rights, including constitutional, civil, and human rights issues.
  • The planning, development, and management of a complex research project related to a specific policy advocacy position.
  • The hallmarks of effective policy advocacy documents.
  • Substantive, strategic, and structural similarities and differences between policy advocacy documents and the other types of legal writing (and understanding some of the reasons for these similarities and differences).
  • The creation of effective visual aids such as PowerPoints, graphs, and tables.
  • The art of persuasive oral presentations to advance policy advocacy positions.
  • Techniques to plan and progress through successive drafts of their research and analysis into a final draft with descriptive and persuasive elements.
Class Schedule

The logistical schedule of the course has three parts:

  1. Seminar session. Once a week, all students meet as a group with the professor for the seminar portion of the course to discuss readings, research, and individual and collective assignments;
  2. Oral presentations. 2-3 oral presentation practice sessions and 1 final oral presentation are scheduled at times convenient to the students and the needs of the class; and
  3. Individualized check-ins. Students, individually or in groups, submit weekly progress reports to the professor by phone, email, or in-person meetings to ensure steady progress of assignments.

Prerequisite: Legal Writing I (WRIT-100 & WRIT-105) and a grade of B or higher in the most recent Legal Writing course (WRIT-105 or WRIT-200).

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Homeless Rights Advocacy Clinic: Spring Semester (ADVC-445) 2 - 3 credits (new students = 3 credits; continuing students = 2 credits)

Do you want to make a difference on one of the most pressing challenges our region faces? Do you want to polish your research, analysis, and communication skills? The Homeless Rights Advocacy Project’s clinic is an introduction to social justice advocacy in the context of legal and policy issues relating to homelessness. Through this clinic, 2L and 3L students receive an assignment from a community client on a pressing issue, perform research and analysis, and deliver a well-researched policy brief on the topic. Some of these policy briefs become eligible to be published and publicly released as part of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project's prestigious library.

The HRAP Clinic’s learning objectives are grounded in lawyering practice and social justice.

HRAP students learn how policy issues arise, how to perform legal and factual research and analysis, and how to effectively advocate for policy changes in written and oral form. Students are graded on professionalism, class participation (including research and other out-of-class assignments), oral presentations, and a written policy brief.

Specific learning objectives covered in this clinic include understanding, practicing, and applying the following:

  • Legal research and analyses relating to homeless rights, including constitutional, civil, and human rights issues.
  • The planning, development, and management of a complex research project related to a specific policy advocacy position.
  • The hallmarks of effective policy advocacy documents.
  • Substantive, strategic, and structural similarities and differences between policy advocacy documents and the other types of legal writing (and understanding some of the reasons for these similarities and differences).
  • The creation of effective visual aids such as PowerPoints, graphs, and tables.
  • The art of persuasive oral presentations to advance policy advocacy positions.
  • Techniques to plan and progress through successive drafts of their research and analysis into a final draft with descriptive and persuasive elements.

The HRAP clinic’s unique structure ensures the development of credible, highly regarded policy briefs.

Unlike other 6-credit clinics that occur over a single semester, HRAP students may elect to take the HRAP clinic:

  • for the fall semester only;
  • for the full academic year by continuing in the spring semester; or
  • for the spring semester only.

The client research projects begin in the Fall semester, and the Fall cohort does the bulk of the work on the client project during that time. However, in order for a draft policy brief to meet HRAP’s high standards for publicly release, HRAP projects must be developed for two semesters total — both the fall and spring semester — to eligible to become policy briefs that are published and publicly released as part of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project's prestigious library. In other words, while the Fall semester represents the bulk of the work on the client project, HRAP standards require that some additional and careful work be done (either by continuing students from the Fall cohort or by new students in the Spring cohort) on the client projects during the Spring semester.

The Fall cohort students focus on:

  • Completing the vast majority of research on their specific client issue
  • Attempting or completing a certain number of client and fact/expert interviews
  • Delivering a practice oral presentation and a final oral presentation on their analysis
  • Developing some rudimentary visual supplements for student oral presentations and final draft policy briefs
  • Submitting a final draft of their written policy brief

The Spring cohort students focus on:

  • Vetting the drafts submitted in the fall with the client and other experts across the country. The vetting occurs in three ways: with Professor Rankin’s help, the Spring students (1) identify and coordinate with outside experts to review/critique the written draft; (2) schedule and complete any outstanding interviews the fall cohort could not complete within the first semester; and (3) identify additional new interviewees and conduct a new batch of interviews
  • Conducting any new research generated through the vetting process
  • Incorporating the results of any new research and all the expert feedback into a revised policy brief
  • Refining the visual supplements
  • Polishing final revisions to the policy brief to enhance its credibility and persuasiveness

As a result of these high standards, HRAP's award-winning work has been downloaded thousands of times and praised by legal aid organizations, services providers, non-profits, city officials, and street activist organizations for its impact.

The HRAP clinic’s unique structure resembles a common lawyering practice where team staffing on a specific issue may shift over time.

Students who register in the Fall semester and continue in the Spring remain focused on the same project throughout the academic year (4 credits in the Fall; 2 credits in the Spring) and are the sole authors of any resulting published policy briefs.

By contrast, new students who join in the Spring inherit a pre-existing client file and research project that they then spend the spring semester refining and finalizing. Accordingly, new Spring students spend the first few weeks working with Professor Rankin to get oriented to the project they inherit, earning an additional credit, before proceeding with similar work to continuing Fall cohort students (thus, new Spring students receive 3 credits total). Spring cohort students will share joint authorship with the Fall students whose research project they inherited.

The HRAP spring schedule works with your schedule.

  1. Continuing students from the Fall semester have only one structured session for the course in the spring: one weekly meeting with Professor Rankin on Zoom for a 30-minute individualized session. These sessions can occur individually or in groups. Prior to each weekly meeting, students submit weekly progress reports to the professor to ensure steady progress of assignments. The day and time of this meeting is determined by Professor Rankin and each continuing student team. Continuing students do not have regular weekly seminar sessions.
  2. New students (just joining in the Spring) have two structured parts to the course:

Weekly seminar sessions with new students only. Once a week, all new students in the Spring cohort meet as a group for an hour-long session with the professor for the seminar portion of the course to discuss readings, research, and individual and collective assignments. The day and time of this meeting is determined by Professor Rankin and the Spring student cohort.

Individualized sessions. Like the continuing Fall cohort students, the new Spring cohort students will meet with Professor Rankin for 30-minute individualized sessions on a weekly basis, individually or in groups. Prior to these meetings, students will submit weekly progress reports to ensure steady progress of assignments. The day and time of this meeting is determined by Professor Rankin and each new Spring student team.

Prerequisite: Legal Writing I (WRIT-100 & WRIT-105) and a grade of B or higher in the most recent Legal Writing course (WRIT-105 or WRIT-200).

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Homeless Rights Advocacy Practicum I (WRIT-415) 3 credits

Do you want to make a difference on one of the most pressing challenges our region faces? Do you want to polish your research, analysis, and communication skills? The Homeless Rights Advocacy Practicum is an introduction to social justice advocacy in the context of civil, constitutional, and human rights issues relating to homelessness. Through this practicum, 2L and 3L students receive an assignment from a community client. They learn how policy issues arise, how to perform legal and factual research and analysis, and how to effectively advocate for policy changes in written and oral form. Students are graded on professionalism, class participation (including out of class assignments), oral presentations, and a final paper. Final papers may be considered for public release as part of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project's work. HRAP's award-winning work has been praised by legal aid organizations, services providers, non-profits, city officials, and street activist organizations for its impact.

Specific learning objectives covered in this practicum include understanding, practicing, and applying the following:

  • Legal research and analyses relating to homeless rights, including constitutional, civil, and human rights issues.
  • The planning, development, and management of a complex research project related to a specific policy advocacy position.
  • The hallmarks of effective policy advocacy documents.
  • Substantive, strategic, and structural similarities and differences between policy advocacy documents and the other types of legal writing (and understanding some of the reasons for these similarities and differences).
  • The creation of effective visual aids such as PowerPoints, graphs, and tables.
  • The art of persuasive oral presentations to advance policy advocacy positions.
  • Techniques to plan and progress through successive drafts of their research and analysis into a final draft with descriptive and persuasive elements.
Class Schedule

The logistical schedule of the course has three parts:

  1. Seminar session. Once a week, all students meet as a group with the professor for the seminar portion of the course to discuss readings, research, and individual and collective assignments;
  2. Oral presentations. 2-3 oral presentation practice sessions and 1 final oral presentation are scheduled at times convenient to the students and the needs of the class; and
  3. Individualized check-ins. Students, individually or in groups, submit weekly progress reports to the professor by phone, email, or in-person meetings to ensure steady progress of assignments.

Prerequisite: Legal Writing I (WRIT-100 & WRIT-105) and a grade of B+ or higher in the most recent Legal Writing course (WRIT-105 or WRIT-200).

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Housing, Homelessness and Social Justice (JURS-347) 3 credits

This survey course examines contemporary legal, policy, regulatory, and social justice issues concerning housing instability and homelessness through an interdisciplinary lens. Rather than focusing on a single doctrine, the course challenges students to see connections across various legal doctrines, policies, and practices that affect housing and homelessness. Topics may include property, disability, poverty, constitutional, criminal, civil, administrative, health, land use, and zoning laws. The course will also challenge students to consider the role of social justice lawyering in addressing housing instability and homelessness.

No prerequisites.

Housing Justice Clinic (ADVC-425) 6 credits

Students in this clinic will represent clients seeking to remain in their homes despite the threat of eviction. Working under the supervision of clinic faculty and staff at the King County Bar Association's Housing Justice Project, students will interview clients, negotiate with opposing counsel, and prepare for - and conduct- hearings in court. In the clinic seminar, students will learn the substantive law and practical skills needed for this quick-fire form of urgently needed representation while also looking more closely at the broader issues raised by the eviction crisis in our region and country and contemplating other forms of advocacy for achieving housing justice.

Restrictions: Students must be eligible to obtain a Rule 9 license in order to participate in this clinic. Moreover, in order to work consistently with the court's schedule, students in the clinic must have one day each week - other than Friday - free of classes before 2 p.m.

Experiential Learning: This course counts toward the experiential learning requirement.

Courses Titled I

Immigrant Justice Clinic (IMMG-400) 4 credits (Formerly titled: Immigration Law Clinic)

Students enrolled in the Immigrant Justice Clinic (IJC) will represent asylum seekers and immigrant survivors of gender-based violence in applications for legal protection. Students will gain skills in client interviewing, fact development, case theory development, legal research and analysis, and advocacy. IJC students may also support immigrant rights organizations in policy advocacy efforts addressing the inequities and obstacles facing the immigrant community. Moreover, IJC students will learn to think critically about the core principles and policies behind the U.S. immigration legal system using a settler colonialism framework, while being trained in a “rebellious lawyering” approach to immigration law practice that aims to bring about transformative social change.

Recommended but not required: Immigration Law (IMMG-300).

Restriction: Students must meet the Law Clinic's conflict of interest rules.

Immigration Law (IMMG-300) 3 credits

Immigration is governed by a wide range of statutes, regulations, case law, and international treaties. This course critically examines the underpinnings as well as the substantive and procedural contents and policy implications of these various sources of immigration law. In particular, it focuses on the following aspects of immigration: admission, exclusion, deportation of noncitizens; the acquisition and loss of citizenship; the national security implications of immigration law, and state and federal laws regulating the presence of noncitizens often called "alienage laws." The course is also designed to teach basic skills in interpretation of complex statutes and administrative regulations.

No prerequisites.

Immigrant Law Clinic (IMMG-400) 4 credits

Students enrolled in the Immigration Clinic will represent clients in their applications for legal protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In 2012, an organized group of undocumented youth led a campaign which ultimately resulted in the creation of the DACA program through President Obama's executive order. DACA currently provides 700,000 immigrants with temporary relief from deportation. In 2017, the Trump administration ordered a recission of DACA; and on June 18, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the recission.

Students will gain skills in client interviewing, fact development, case theory development, legal research and analysis, and advocacy while increasing their knowledge of the intersection between criminal law and immigration law ("crimmigration.") Immigration Clinic students will also support immigrant rights organizations in policy advocacy efforts addressing the inequities and obstacles facing the DACA community. Moreover, students will learn to think critically about the core principles and policies behind the U.S. immigration legal system using a settler colonialism framework, while being trained in a community lawyering approach to immigration law practice.

Recommended but not required: Immigration Law (IMMG-300).

Restriction: Students must meet the Law Clinic's conflict of interest rules.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Indian Law and Legal Institutions (INTL-550) 2 credits

Travel to India During Spring Break

For this course, all students will travel to New Delhi, India where they will take courses at our partner institution, Jindal Global Law School during the Spring Break of 2023. Students will learn various areas of Indian law and Indian legal history and learn about how Indian legal institutions function. The course will use a comparative law framework to explain how Indian law and legal institutions compare to U.S. law and legal institutions. In addition to classroom instruction, students will visit Indian courts and historical monuments and other relevant places around New Delhi and Agra. Students will travel together to New Delhi during Spring Break 2022 (departing on March 9 and returning March 19). Students will have a pre-trip meeting prior to leaving for India. Prior to the trip, students will select one topic or one area of law and focus during the trip on that topic. Students will submit a 10 to 15 page reflection paper on the topic no later than three weeks after returning to Seattle.

Please note: The cost of local transportation, food in the canteen, and board in the dorms at Jindal Law School will be free to students (no charge). Students will be responsible for the cost of their air transportation to New Delhi from Seattle (students and your instructor will travel on the same flight), food outside of the Jindal canteen, cost of souvenirs, and additional optional tourist activities. Jindal Global Law School is approximately a 1.5 hour drive from New Delhi.

Restrictions: Students must apply and be accepted to the course. Contact Professor Kalantry for more information. Spring 2023 applications are due by October 28, 2022.

Individual Income Taxation (TAXL-300) 4 credits

This course covers the basic concepts, rules, and policy choices involved in the Federal income tax system, including the concepts of gross income, exclusions from income, timing of receipt and recognition of income, deductions, gains and losses from the sale of property, and the basis of computing tax liability. Most other tax courses, as well as courses on pensions and employee benefits, build on the concepts learned in Individual Income Tax.

No prerequisites.

Innovating the Built Environment (BUSN-565) 2 credits

The built environment is a rich landscape for innovation to improve law and society, and in the case of confronting climate change, seeking to preserve a viable future for us. This course threads together two societal goals that intersect with the built environment-minimizing the impact of climate change and increasing the communication networks that connect us all as Americans.

Our course will therefore focus on: i)climate-driven impacts on the built real estate environment, and ii) a review of the progress and evolution of wireless communications over the past 30 years (with an emphasis on the required infrastructure and real property matters required to operate the wireless networks).

With regard to the climate change component, the course will examine climate change and analyze the growing collision with those realities and the developed real estate environment in the United

States (where we analyze and consider governmental and private sector solutions to mitigate those impacts). Climate change related issues that will be examined include: growing Western wildfire

seasons and the consequences of ever expanding development, rising sea levels and the immediate impacts on coastal communities and forecasted impacts in the coming decades, and transition from

fossil fuels that impacts on our transportation infrastructure. With this component of the program, we will evaluate the legal implications (primarily real estate focused) of this interaction and consider what steps can (or should) be taken now to minimize the climate change impacts on our communities. The actions reviewed and considered will include governmental solutions (from local to national policies and directives) and solutions offered by the private sector.

With regard to the evolution of wireless communications component, the course will use the timeline of the growth of wireless communications over the last 30 years to review and consider the interplay of real estate and the accompanying physical infrastructure required to operate wireless networks. For radio-based communications, there is an extensive amount of physical infrastructure required for the initial network builds that began in earnest in the late 1980s and the evolution of that growth with the projected needs for new antenna sites required for the national rollout of 5G communications in the

United States. Given that real property, buildings and infrastructure (e.g. light poles) are an essential component for the communications networks, each of our classes during this portion of the program will include review of select types of ground and roof top leases and related wireless network agreements commonly used in by the communications industry.

Students participating in the course will be exposed to a variety of legal and extralegal challenges and solutions to daunting social problems, along with practicing the skills of sophisticated contract selection and drafting, navigating the various governmental and regulatory layers for those components.

No prerequisites.

Insurance Law (INSU-300) 2 credits

The Insurance Law course is an overview of insurance fundamentals-the nature of insurance, its purposes and functions in commerce, and its functions in and effects on tort litigation and recovery. In addressing these fundamentals, the class learns about the insurance contract, its structure, its interpretation, and its use.

No prerequisites.

Intellectual Property (INTP-300) 3 credits

The course will provide a tour of various areas of intellectual property, which is highly relevant to innovation and technology. Course content will concentrate on federal laws of copyright, patent, and trademark, along with quick detours through some state laws, such as right of publicity, trade secret, and unfair competition. The on-line format is especially suitable for students who would like a concise overview of basic IP laws or a general introduction to upper-level IP classes. No technical background is required, and students who majored non-technical areas as undergraduates are encouraged to enroll.

No prerequisites.

International Arbitration (INTL-330) 3 credits

If you look at the world's arbitration scorecard today, you will likely see a $28 billion dispute in London between the Russian Federation and private investors; a $ 27 billion dispute in New York between Chevron Texaco and Ecuador; a $1 billion dispute in Geneva between Nigerian National Petroleum and Gulf Petro Trading, etc. The diversity of the parties coupled with the scale and complexity of the transactions make the resolution of disputes through arbitration more attractive than domestic court litigation. While arbitration does not completely displace court litigation, it is now the principal means of the resolution of transnational disputes. This course first looks at the challenges associated with court litigation when the party-litigants are from different jurisdictions and cultures, and then provides an overview of the applicable laws and treaties in international arbitration. It highlights the difficulties associated with cultural diversity in the arbitral process by profiling some of the world's leading arbitral centers. It finally offers a comparative look at problems of enforcement of arbitral awards in selected jurisdictions. At the end of the course, student will be able to see that arbitration is not an alternative means of resolution of translation disputes, it is the principal means, and that lack of familiarity with the basic tenants of this system would be a gap in any lawyer's knowledge operating in today's global marketplace.

No prerequisites.

International Criminal Law (CRIM-380) 3 credits

This course will cover: the nature and sources of international criminal law; the responsibilities of individuals, states, and others; alternatives to criminal prosecution; defenses; issues of state jurisdiction and fora; extradition and other means of obtaining personal jurisdiction; international cooperative enforcement; international tribunals from Nuremberg to former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and the Permanent International Criminal Tribunal; and a selection of specific international crimes (e.g., war crimes, crimes against humanity, human rights abuses, and drug trafficking).

Additionally, there will be a strong emphasis on the context(s) in which international criminal justice is meted out. In many cases, states that have experienced serious international criminal violations are also states in transition from one regime to another. The social, economic, and political stability of these regimes heavily impacts upon the demands and priorities of such regimes. This in turn impacts upon their ability to deliver criminal justice. There will also be an attempt to situate the demands for criminal justice alongside the broader set of demands for justice that exist in such societies. By paying attention to this context, it is hoped that the student will have a richer and deeper understanding of the many obstacles set in the way of achieving international criminal justice.

No prerequisites.

International Environmental Law (ENVL-340) 2 or 3 credits

This course is an introduction to the role of international law in environmental protection and to a range of issues raised by humankind's ecological impacts. The course begins with an overview of international law and then analyzes and critiques the legal regimes that have developed to address specific environmental crises. Among the crises addressed in the course are global warming, species extinction, destruction of rain forests, and global trade in hazardous waste. Special attention is devoted to the "North-South" conflict over responsibility for environmental protection and to the relationship between environmental protection and trade liberalization. Public International Law is recommended but not required.

Recommended but not required: Public International Law (INTL-300).

International Human Rights Clinic (INTL-402) 4 credits

The International Human Rights Clinic offers students the opportunity to work with foreign and domestic clients before international and regional human rights bodies. Students will also collaborate with human rights organizations on research and advocacy projects. Furthermore, there may be opportunities to work on cases filed in U.S. courts that incorporate elements of international law.

In addition to project work, the course has a seminar component that presents knowledge and skills essential for lawyers in this dynamic field. The interactive approach covers relevant legal principles, theory, and case law, and--on the pragmatic side--features in-class exercises designed to hone critical skills. The International Human Rights Clinic is a graded course with a substantial time commitment; it may not be taken pass/fail.

Pre or co-requisite: International Law of Human Rights (INTL-305) or instructor permission.

Restriction: Must meet conflicts of interest rules.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

International Law of Human Rights (INTL-305) 3 credits

This class will provide a comprehensive overview of the development of modern international human rights law, including the theory, institutions, practice, and procedures of the current human rights regime. The class will look at the various regional and international human rights regimes, as well as the use of international human rights law in domestic courts, particularly in the U.S. We will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the various procedures open to an international human rights lawyer, and discuss contemporary efforts to strengthen the enforcement of international human rights laws. Some of the questions we will discuss are: What are the most effective mechanisms for addressing current human rights abuses? What are the most effective mechanisms for providing relief to a victim of human rights violations? What is the relevance of international human rights law to domestic U.S. litigation?

No prerequisites.

Internet Law and Digital Commerce (INTP-330) 3 credits

In this course, students will survey the business and governing law of the Internet and online commerce. Students will learn the foundations of computers, networks, and the Internet. The course then concentrates on exploring the primary Internet business plans, the intellectual property issues that consume those businesses (including patents, trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks), online transactions and sales, first amendment and social media issues (including free speech, defamation and privacy) and other key Internet business and legal issues (such as online contracting, advertising, jurisdiction, tax and gambling).

No prerequisites.

Internet Platforms: Policy and Litigation (INTP-327) 2 credits

Do you ever wonder what legal issues e-commerce and social platforms consider when forming their intellectual property policies? And, how do these platforms defend those policies in court? Come learn about these considerations and draft a sample IP policy. Then, work in teams to conduct research as well as prepare pleadings to defend such a policy. This course includes an analysis of legislation, such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, as well as case law, such as Tiffany (NJ) Inc. v. eBay Inc.

Naser Baseer helps lead IP prosecution and enforcement efforts as Director, Associate General Counsel, at Twitter. He also works with teams to help draft policies and defend against claims. 

Recommended but not required: Intellectual Property (INTP-300), Copyright Law (INTP-320), or Trademark Law (INTP-315).

Introduction to Financial Technology (INTP-367) 2 credits

Financial technology, or "FinTech," is what we mean when we are talking about the emerging and rapidly accelerating use of technology in the financial services sector of the 21st century. Originally, FinTech described the leveraging of information technology to provide back-end services to traditional financial institutions. Recently, however, through a phenomenon often referred to as the "unbundling of banking," FinTech refers to efforts to innovate - even disrupt - the provision of financial services as we have traditionally known them, with major legal implications. We will begin with a discussion of the legal implications of FinTech in the "sharing economy," including the use of blockchain (or distributed ledger) technologies, algorithmic "smart contracts," peer-to-peer systems, and alternatives to traditional notions of money, as well as discussing the difference between both actual FinTech providers and latent ones (i.e., those who don't appear to be financial service providers but actually are). Then we will explore in depth the evolution of the business of banking and other financial services in the new world of FinTech, including FinTech solutions in the areas of trust and custodial services, direct or latent deposit-taking, lending, payments systems, and investment offerings and advising. This will involve an analysis of many applications, or "apps," that are in common use and are well known, plus others which are hidden from the view of the consumer. Finally, the course will survey the various regulatory and policy challenges in the area of FinTech: What laws and regulations affect the FinTech sector? How do we protect the consumer in this new space? How much regulation is enough? Are there challenges presented by FinTech that require new approaches to regulation and new laws to address them? During the course, attention will also be paid to what specific legal skills are required or desirable to practice, directly or indirectly, in this field

Course Materials: Handouts; provided online or in class.

Course Requirements: One research paper (on a topic approved by the professors). Length and grading standards are different for JD, LLM and MLS students.

No prerequisites.

Courses Titled J - L

Jurisprudence (JURS-300) 2 credits

This course is about the main jurisprudential approaches about the nature, function and application of law. We will first explore classical approaches like natural law and positivism. The focus of course, however, will be on modern critical theories of law: realism, critical legal studies, feminist legal theory, critical race theory, postcolonial theory and queer theory. Students will write a 20-page paper on a topic of their interest.

No prerequisites.

Jurisprudence: Human Rights and Natural Law (JURS-300) 2 credits

Do all persons have certain basic rights simply by virtue of their humanity? Or is our discourse on human rights simply another political rhetoric? Are the positive laws of a nation that fail to respect basic human rights and satisfy fundamental moral norms and principles of justice truly laws, or are they merely instruments of coercion wielded over us by those more powerful? Why have modern moral and political theories failed to provide a generally accepted and defensible moral justification for human rights and modern constitutional democracies? Does the modern natural rights framework shared by both classical and contemporary liberalism (i.e., political conservatives and liberals) have some inherent limitations that prevent the development of a defensible moral foundation for human rights within it? To overcome these limitations and establish a defensible moral foundation for human rights, must we recover the central insights of the premodern natural law tradition and develop a natural law theory responsive to modern sensibilities? Have recent attempts to develop such a natural law theory been successful? These and related questions will form the central focus of the seminar. Readings will include articles, books and excerpts from works by G.E.M. Anscombe, John Finnis, Michael Sandel, Alasdair MacIntyre, Aristotle, Aquinas, R.M. Hare, David Hume, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Pierre Manent, Germain Grisez, Ralph McInerny, Robert George and Steven Jensen. No prerequisites other than an open and inquisitive mind. Paper required.

No prerequisites.

Labor Law (EMPL-350) 3 credits

This course explores the law governing employees' collective action in the workplace, and covers topics including: union organizing; the establishment of the collective bargaining relationship; primary and secondary economic pressures (strikes, boycotts, etc.); the administration of collective bargaining agreements; and union democracy. Although much of the course material will focus on the law applicable to private-sector workers and employers, the course will also discuss some of the ways in which public sector workers are treated differently than their private-sector counterparts. Additionally, the course will cover constitutionally-imposed limits on labor activity in the public sector.

Recommended but not required: Administrative Law (ADMN-300).

Land Use Regulation (PROP-315) 3 credits

A study of the public land use planning process and such regulatory techniques as zoning, subdivision regulation, growth management, planned unit development, shoreline management, and environmental impact analysis. Attention will be given to both the procedure and substance of legal controls, the problem of administrative discretion and legal accountability, coordination of land use policies and controls within and among different units of government, the interrelated roles of planner and lawyer, and emerging methods of land use control.

No prerequisites.

Landlord/Tenant Law (POVL-350 ) 2 credits

The class will focus on the landlord-tenant relationship including common law principles, the Residential Landlord Tenant Act, and the Unlawful Detainer Process. The class will also deal with public housing, the Fair Housing Act, and the American with Disabilities Act. Finally, the class will look at the interaction of housing law and the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

No prerequisites.

Law and Economics Seminar (JURS-335) 3 credits

The goal of this course is to teach you to apply economic analysis to legal and policy issues. The course has three distinct but overlapping parts. First, you'll study the basic principles of neoclassical microeconomics along with some newer ideas from game theory and behavioral economics. Second, you'll apply these analytical tools to areas of common law (like property and torts) and legal practice (like settlement negotiations). Finally, you'll pair up with another student and write a paper on a legal or policy issue of your choice. That will involve preparing an outline, producing a discussion draft, presenting and defending that draft in class, and submitting a final version that responds to the comments you received. Your grade will be based on your draft, your presentation and defense of it, and your final paper.

No prerequisites.

Law and Religion (JURS-365) 2 credits

This course is designed to develop deeper familiarity with the major tenets of the First Amendment's religion clauses, and to allow for the exploration of the often-competing normative frameworks that drive their interpretation and application. The course will be facilitated in a hybrid, digitally-mediated format that will combine live classroom engagement with a series learning activities and online interactions. Together, these components allow students to develop their ability to use various modes of First Amendment analysis, to situate and reflect on the historical and evolutionary meaning of Religious Liberty in our constitutional tradition, and to look beyond prevailing doctrine to scrutinize emerging or modern legal challenges involving religious freedom or religious interests. We will utilize a variety of materials, including historical records, judicial opinions and scholarly articles, during the course of study, and students will have an opportunity to contribute to the scope of discussion by engaging in and then sharing some results from independent inquiry into the topic.

Prerequisite: Constitutional Law I (CNLW-200).

Law and Social Movements (JURS-387) 3 credits

This course will critically examine the relationship between law and social movements, specifically engaging texts and materials that interrogate law's role in both criminalizing and co-opting social movements. Often in the legal profession and in legal academia, as well as in popular culture, we hear of the relationship between law and social movements primarily in terms of the use of legal strategies such as litigation and policy reform to secure rights and freedoms for oppressed and excluded groups. Many people come to law school with the aim of utilizing legal skills to support and bolster the equality claims of marginalized populations. The materials used in this course will problematize the assumption that the primary role of law with regard to social movements is to support emancipatory progress. We will instead take the opportunity to look broadly at the meanings of key concepts such as discrimination, freedom, liberation, power, governance, and violence as they relate to the stories that lawyers, movement activists, governments, and the media tell about the role of law in movements for social change. Our examination will engage "law" beyond strictly jurisprudence and look at the construction of legality and illegality with regard to dissent. Our inquiry will aim to cultivate deeper understandings of the current parameters and possibilities within social movements given the incentives and disincentives provided by various technologies of legal intervention over the past half century.

No prerequisites.

Law and Social Science (JURS-355) 2 credits

Law is about regulating human behavior. Social science is therefore relevant to many areas of law. This course will survey the ways in which social science has been used in litigation and legal decision making, including numerous areas of equality law (school segregation, housing discrimination, voting rights, diversity-oriented admissions programs, sex discrimination, employment discrimination, LGBTQ rights), criminal law and criminal procedure, First Amendment, intellectual property, torts, and courtroom processes (i.e., potential biases of factfinders and legal decisionmakers). We will consider how the law could do better to integrate social science more rigorously and reliably. This will be a discussion-based seminar, graded based on a writing project or paper, with no exam.

No prerequisites.

Law and the End of Life (HLTH-385) 2 credits

This seminar will address the legal issues engendered by our increasing control over the end of life. Considering the perspectives of advocates and policymakers, we will examine patient autonomy issues at the end of life, including refusal and withdrawal of life sustaining interventions by both competent and incompetent patients, surrogate decision making, advance directives, pain management at the end of life, and the choice to hasten death with medical assistance including Washington's Death with Dignity law. We will also explore health care providers' right to refuse medical treatment, including refusals based in religious directives and refusals arising from "futility" disputes-when health care providers and families of dying patients disagree about aggressive treatment.

Pre or co-requisite: Constitutional Law I (CNLW-200).

Law in the Time of Pandemic (HLTH-390) 2 credits

This course will draw upon a wide variety of SU law faculty and guest speakers to explore the wide range of legal issues raised by the current COVID-19 pandemic. Areas to be explored include health law, family law, constitutional law, poverty law, employment law, property law, contract law, criminal law, civil procedure, and international law. Grades will be determined based upon reflection papers on seven of the topics presented. The choice of seven reflection papers will be up to the student. The course will be graded pass/no pass.

Faculty: Laurel Oates, Ron Slye, and others TBD.

No prerequisite.

Law Practice Technology and Ethics (LPRC-360) 2 credits

This course will explore the theoretical, practical, and ethical implications of using technology in the practice of law. Students will gain hands-on experience with various law practice technologies such as practice-management platforms, word processing software, and document automation tools. Students will develop skills for maintaining technological competence. Students will also explore how blockchain technology, data analytics, and artificial intelligence are affecting the practice of law. Technical experience is not required.

Lawyering for Social Change (JURS-382) 3 credits

Lawyers have long played key roles in ushering in social change. From the early abolitionists to civil rights lawyers who lent their skills to the NAACP’s campaign against segregation, to those litigating today on behalf of prisoners, immigration detainees, children caught in a school-to-prison pipeline, victims of police shootings, and the disabled, lawyers have served as vital agents of social change.

This class is for students who wish to develop their skills as instigators of social change and desire to create a specific, individualized program to perform that role. You should have a pre-existing interest, if only an inchoate one, of a law-reform nature, that you would like to expand and clarify while in school so as to land running after you graduate.

This course is for students who can see themselves working as movement lawyers, whether in solo fashion, as members of a litigation team at a specialized agency or think tank, or part-time as pro bono attorneys while working at a conventional legal job at a firm or agency.

Experience shows that many students are attracted to the study of law because they want to make the world a better place. If you are such a person, this course may be for you. It will help you learn how to perform that role and push you to think specifically and clearly about how to carry it out once you graduate.

Possible areas include: global warming; civil Gideon (state-paid legal services in civil cases); immigrant rights; school finance reform; reducing government waste; debt relief for student loan holders; abolishing the death penalty; eliminating clerical immunity for pedophile priests; improving police-community interaction; stopping police shootings; civil rights for transgendered people; ending bullying in schools; improving fairness in social media; reducing the role of money in political campaigns; universal health care; reforming state constitutions; animal rights; reforming the drug laws; ending homelessness; and many others.

Objectives: Students will develop skills--oral, written, and practical--to instigate social change and create a ten page individualized Plan to bring it about in a well-defined area.

  1. Phase One of Course (Weeks 1-8): Students will read and discuss materials on the theory and practice of social reform, including works on how the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund planned and carried out a national attack on segregation; on how gay activists secured a wave of breakthroughs; and how lawyers on behalf of other causes have marshaled litigation, grassroots organizing, social media, public education, and lobbying to bring about social change. Short readings and TWEN postings accompany each class.
  2. Phase Two (Weeks 9-11) You will engage in intensive reading and research in the specific area you expect to target, and meet weekly with the instructors to discuss your readings and draft Plan. During this phase, you will create and read an individualized list of research tools--books, websites, articles, and government archives — that will equip you with the basic knowledge you will need to get started working as an agent for social change in your specific area. You will also integrate these materials into your emerging Plan, which will lay out what you plan to do in narrative form.

    Your research should include sources for grants, scholarships, and nonprofit agencies, government offices, and litigation centers that can help support you in the early years of your practice. It may also include interviews with activists and others in a position to provide you with ideas, inspiration, solidarity, or other forms of aid.
  3. Phase Three (Weeks 12-14): Students will complete and circulate an action program (“Plan”) that will guide them in their early years as an attorney, and explain and defend their Plan to the rest of the class during a presentation, as well as give and receive constructive criticism and feedback. This Plan can serve as a basis for a detailed application for a post-graduate fellowship or grant. It can also be a “memo to myself” that you will consult from time to time as you go through life.

Grades: Your final grade will be determined based on your Plan, class participation, assignments, formal presentations, and group work.

Attendance Policy. The American Bar Association (ABA) requires that the Law School enforce an attendance policy, and we are required to follow it. Excuses for absences will be given only under the most extenuating circumstances. 100 percent attendance is a laudable and reasonable goal that is vital to establishing a community based on trust and a sense of mutual endeavor.

Recordings and Visitors. Because of the sensitive nature of the class, no visitors or recordings will be allowed.

ADA Accommodations: The Law School aims to meet the needs of students with physical, learning, and other disabilities and provides appropriate accommodations and services tailored to each person’s requirements. The administration and University Office of Disability Services work together to help such individuals achieve and maintain individual autonomy. Students with disabilities should contact the University Office so that staff can evaluate and accommodate their needs for support services.

Conduct: All students are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. University policies, the Law School Honor Code, and other appropriate policies will be followed in the event of misconduct.

Diversity: The University is committed to providing an atmosphere of learning that is representative of a variety of perspectives. In this class, you will have the opportunity to express and experience cultural diversity. Individuality and creative expression are welcome. Take advantage of these opportunities in your own work, but also learn from the information, ideas, and experiences of others.

PREVIOUS STUDENTS HAVE DESCRIBED THE CLASS IN THIS WAY:

I want to mention how appreciative I am of you designing such a spectacular course. It is because of this class that I have become so much more passionate about criminal justice reform. . . The foundation was there before the class but the course really helped me see the entire vision and the end goal.

I like to look at my Plan once in a while, when things get hard, to remind myself why I chose to take this journey in the first place. Thank you for that opportunity and for teaching that class.

I feel like I gained some incredible analytical tools and new insights. You’ve both inspired me to try to make some real changes in the legal field.

I’m beyond excited to focus . . . on the pragmatic ways to sustain and snowball real outcomes of firm change.

It is so inspiring and heartening to know that we have your support as we try to make change throughout our careers. I gained so much practical knowledge. I know that having a course like this keeps students on the track of becoming public interest lawyers when they might otherwise be discouraged by law school.

I wasn’t expecting to be going into animal advocacy as I entered law school, even though the topic had been a passion of mine for a long time. It’s almost as if I was waiting for someone to say that I had permission to pursue that goal, and your class provided that permission.

Lawyering in Spanish (LPRC-365/366) 2 credits (1 credit per semester)

This course helps Spanish-speaking students develop the ability to effectively communicate with Spanish-speaking clients. Students will learn about legal terminology, fundamental lawyering skills, cross-cultural competence, and the diversity of legal cultures in Spanish-speaking countries. The course is built around a series of practical exercises in a wide range of areas of law practice, including criminal law, family law, employment, business, and immigration. Students will also be required to participate in volunteer clinics offered at El Centro de la Raza. The clinic sessions take place on Wednesday evenings, and will be in lieu of class on those nights.

This is not a class for learning Spanish. You should be comfortable with your conversational Spanish in order to enroll. If you have questions about your qualification in this regard, contact Vice Dean Holland, who will connect you with the course instructors.

Prerequisite: Conversational Spanish (see above).

Restrictions: Course must be taken pass/fail. Students must complete both the fall and spring semesters to receive credit.

Legal Research (LRES-500) 1 credit

This course teaches critical legal research skills by using current legal issues to explore conflicts between the three branches of our government. Using free and commercial sources, we will work through typical research problems and learn unique strategies for researching constitutions, cases, statutes, and regulations. The course will explore the capabilities, limitations, and advanced searching techniques of Fastcase, Google Scholar, and commercial databases (Lexis and Westlaw). Four hours of instruction will be provided online.

No prerequisites.

Restrictions:  Must be taken pass/fail. Students who completed Online Advanced Legal Research or Advanced Legal Research must obtain permission from the professor before registering for this course.

Legal Writing II: Written and Oral Advocacy (WRIT-200) 3 credits

This course must be taken during the second year. In Legal Writing II, students learn how to research and write trial and appellate briefs and how to present oral arguments to trial and appellate courts. Students learn these skills by working on a real case, usually a criminal case. At the beginning of the semester, students are given a copy of the case file. Using the information contained in this file, they research and write a brief in support of or in opposition to a pre-trial motion and then argue the motion to their professor, who plays the part of the trial judge. After the motion has been decided, the students are given a copy of the trial record, which they learn to review. Once students have identified the issues on appeal, they then research and write an appellate brief. At the end of the semester, students deliver a twenty-minute oral argument to three practicing attorneys who play the role of appellate judges.

Prerequisite: Legal Writing I: Legal Writing, Skills, & Values (WRIT-100 and WRIT-105).

This required course must be taken in fall or spring semester of the second year.

The Legislature and the Legislative Process (GOVT-375) 3 credits

This class takes an in-depth look at American government with a focus on the Washington State legislature. It begins with context -- an exploration of issues such as "sovereignty", "balance of powers", and the "right to govern" --and then moves on to look at what a Legislature is, what it does, and how it works. This will include discussions about how public policy is developed and the roles of legislators, legislative staff, lobbyists, political parties, and others.

The class will be interactive, involving class discussion, case studies, guest speakers, and field trips and will challenge students to think critically and look as issues that arise from various points of view. It will provide students with a comprehensive overview of the legislative process and offer practical tips for working with the institution and the laws that it creates. The class is ultimately designed to demystify these complex systems so that each of the students will emerge with the tools to engage with confidence.

No prerequisites.

This course is part of the Semester in Olympia curriculum.

Courses Titled M - Q

Managing Privacy (BUSN-377, former title: Managing Privacy Risks) 2 credits

This course will focus on privacy obligations stemming from multiple sources and the design challenges associated with implementing these requirements in a computer system. Open to both computer science and law students, assignments and readings will focus on real world problems in addressing the ethical concerns about our personal information in technical systems.

No prerequisites.

Mediation Skills (ALDR-302) 3 credits

This course covers the practical skills and theoretical knowledge base that are fundamental to representing clients in mediation and to serving as mediators. Such topics include, for example, the components of the mediation process, intake, reframing and other active listening skills, negotiation dynamics, dealing with strong emotions, issues of culture and power, caucus, ethics, techniques for overcoming obstacles and achieving settlement, achieving durability of agreements and closure, and effective advocacy in mediation. Once students become strongly grounded in these fundamentals and skills, at the end of the semester we study how advocates might use many of these mediation and problem-solving skills in a creative new manner of representing clients in settlement negotiations called Collaborative Law. Once a week, the sections of the course meet together to discuss assignments and to observe and to critique skills demonstrations. Later in the week, each section meets in a Lab setting, which provides in-depth practice of mediation skills in a small, supportive environment. Students are graded on a final exam and class participation, which includes such things as class contributions and participation in simulated role plays and self-reflection. There are no prerequisites for the course, but Client Interviewing, Counseling, and Negotiations is a very helpful introduction to some of the skills taught. This course meets the law school's requirement of a professional skills development course. It is also a prerequisite for the Mediation Clinic.

No prerequisites.

Experiential Learning: This course counts toward the experiential learning requirement.

Medical Liability (HLTH-420) 3 credits

The course will examine history, policy, and practice related to liability for medical error. In addition to the doctrines of informed consent and duty-to-treat, students will address many of the practical challenges involved in determining liability of individual providers and healthcare institutions. The course will also look at recent proposals, including some that have been enacted, for health-care-related tort reform.

No prerequisites.

Mergers and Acquisitions (BUSN-305) 2 or 3 credits

This course will begin with a brief overview of the financial techniques used by lawyers, investment bankers, and corporations to evaluate proposed acquisitions of capital assets. We will then consider the possible motivations for such acquisitions. No math is involved and no economics beyond the introductory college level course. The remainder of the course is a consideration of the legal (but non-tax) issues concerning corporate acquisition transactions in both friendly and hostile settings. Some of the doctrinal issues under state corporate law such as the equivalency problem (de facto mergers) and sale of control by a controlling shareholder will be familiar from the Business Entities course. Our consideration of those issues here will be more intense and better informed than in the basic course. Finally, we will examine the federal regulations governing tender offers and proxy contests. Throughout the course a recurrent emphasis is on the lawyer as planner and counselor rather than the lawyer as adversarial advocate.

Prerequisite: Business Entities (BUSN-300).

Moderate Means Practicum (LPRC-425) 3 credits

Students in this course will learn and apply interviewing, issue spotting, focused legal writing, and practice management skills while working with individuals seeking assistance with family law, consumer, or housing matters. The Moderate Means Program serves the large group of individuals who are financially ineligible for government-funded free legal services but unable to afford to pay market rates for legal assistance. The first six weeks of the Practicum will be devoted to training in substantive law, practical skills, legal ethics, and program policies and procedures. In the second half of the semester, students will interview clients and prepare materials for referrals to attorneys available to take on the actual representation. Three hours of class meeting time are required for the first half of the semester, and eight hours of office-hours a week will be required during the second half.

No prerequisites.

Experiential Learning: This course counts toward the experiential learning requirement.

Municipal Law (GOVT-305) 2 credits

This course provides an in-depth analysis of the law of municipal corporations (cities, counties, special purpose districts) from the perspective of the corporation counsel, such as the city, district, or prosecuting attorney. Particular emphasis will be placed on the powers, authorities, and immunities of the municipal corporation or political subdivision, the legislative body, and various municipal officers. The course will also examine municipal functions and the provision of services such as zoning and development permit processing, public works contracting, code enforcement, licensing, public utility franchising, taxing, police and fire protection. Students should expect to develop an understanding of the interplay between municipal services and applicable laws, such as competitive bidding, open public meetings acts (sunshine laws), appearance of fairness, public disclosure acts, initiative and referendum, growth management, and the public duty doctrine. There will be special emphasis on the role of the corporation counsel in public meetings and hearings before the legislative body, planning commissions, hearing examiners, and other administrative bodies.

No prerequisites.

Mutual Aid (JURS-324) 3 credits

Widespread, effective social movements usually include mutual aid strategies as part of their work. This work directly addresses the conditions the movement seeks to address-for example the Black Panther Party's Free Breakfast Program, the Young Lords Party's hijacking of New York City's tuberculosis testing mobile unit to reach high-risk, medically neglected neighborhoods, and feminist organizing to provide underground abortions in the 1970's. Using materials created by activists, we will examine contemporary and historical queer and trans-focused mutual aid projects, including support for migrants, prisoners, psychiatric survivors, people with HIV/AIDS, and violence survivors.

No prerequisites.

This course is cross listed with WGST 4910 and meets on the quarter schedule.

Negotiations (ALDR- 303) 3 credits

Negotiation skills are foundational to virtually every lawyer's practice, regardless of specialty; whether or not you are prepared, you will negotiate. This course will address theory and practice, providing the students with foundational skills and experience, as well as the conceptual framework to continue to build their skills through the negotiation experience they accumulate over the course of their careers. Theory and skills will be based on the classic and excellent texts Getting to Yes by R. Fisher and W. Ury of the Harvard Negotiation Project, and Bargaining for Advantage by G. R. Shell of the Wharton Executive Negotiation Workshop. Students will develop practical negotiation skills through simulated negotiation exercises covering a wide variety of complexity and practice areas, ranging from cooperative partnership-formation scenarios to competitive litigation or purchase/sale situations. The course design will include one two-hour session discussing the readings and preparing for the week's simulation, and a second two-hour session devoted to the week's simulated negotiation exercise, obtaining in-depth training from an experienced negotiator. Students will have the opportunity to self-critique, with the aid of some videotaped exercises, in this smaller, supportive environment. Grades will be based on class participation, professionalism, and effort and skill in simulations. There will also be brief written exercises related to the simulations, and brief quizzes on the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct. No exams.

No prerequisites.

Experiential Learning: This course counts toward the experiential learning requirement.

Nonprofit Organizations, Trust Law, and Philanthropy (ESTA-320) 2 credits

This course surveys the organizational, operational, fiduciary, constitutional, wealth management, philanthropic, and other policy considerations that affect the nonprofit sector and its impact on society. This course will be of particular relevance to those students who wish to represent nonprofit entities or their donors, students who may work for or interact with the various governmental agencies that regulate nonprofit organizations and activities, and those students who wish to become involved in nonprofit and charitable endeavors as directors, trustees, or volunteers. After a brief introduction of select trust law topics relating to wealth management the course will focus upon the role and operation of nonprofit organizations and philanthropy in society.

Grades in this seminar course will be based primarily upon a research paper on a topic of relevance to the course, as selected by the student and approved (with much flexibility) by the professor. Sample topics might include (but are not limited to): a historical and policy-based examination of the nonprofit sector and philanthropic motivations; the formation, operation, and dissolution of nonprofit entities; corporate governance of nonprofit entities, including issues of compensation, liability, and fiduciary responsibility; the interaction of trust law and corporate standards of fiduciary responsibility; donor-charity dealings in crafting, managing, and modifying long-term charitable gifts; the enforcement of donor restrictions and the fiduciary obligations of nonprofit management; and current trends affecting the nonprofit sector.

Helpful but not required: Business Entities (BUSN-300) and Trusts and Estates (ESTA-300).

Not for Profit Organization Clinic (TAXL-400) 2 credits

Students in this Clinic will have the opportunity to put their interest in and knowledge of business and tax law into practice. Working in teams of two, students will work with individuals and community groups interested in creating a non-profit organization. Students will counsel their clients on the most appropriate entity for their purposes and prepare and file the documents necessary to create the organization, such as articles of incorporation, bylaws and state and federal tax documents. Students will also advise their clients about the various state laws and regulations with which the clients will need to comply. Students will receive the additional knowledge and skills necessary to do this legal representation in a classroom component. Beginning the third week of the semester, students must also maintain office hours in the Clinic offices twice a week for two hours each session. Office hours will be established based on the schedules of each student team.

Prerequisite: Individual Income Taxation (TAXL-300).

Pre or co-requisite: Taxation of Charitable Organizations (TAXL-325); or Nonprofit Organizations, Trust Law, and Philanthropy (ESTA-320); or a two-part, four-hour workshop (will be offered for enrolled students early in the semester).

Restriction: Must meet conflicts of interest rules.

Experiential Learning: This course counts toward the experiential learning requirement.

Online Advanced Legal Research (LRES-360) 2 credits

This is an online asynchronous course with no scheduled meeting times. The course runs 8 weeks, and students will be expected to complete readings and assignments each week.

This course prepares students for research in practice and clerkships. Building on the legal research skills acquired in first-year Legal Writing classes, students will learn effective research strategies and search techniques while becoming familiar with the legal resources commonly used by attorneys in day-to-day practice. This course will cover a wide range of legal research topics, including case law, statutes, court documents, administrative materials, secondary sources, and more. Students will learn through a combination of recorded lectures, readings, assignments, in-class exercises, and other hands-on activities.

No prerequisites.

Restrictions: Course must be taken pass/fail. Students may not receive credit for more than one of the following courses: Advanced Legal Research (LRES-350) and Online Advanced Legal Research (LRES-360).

Oral Advocacy: Presence, Power & Persuasion (LPRC-370) 1 credit

This four-session course will take students on the journey to effective expression: from sitting in front of the computer to standing before an audience!

Students will practice and develop: 1) Physical Presence: gesture, posture, movement, Ownership of space and time; 2) Vocal Dynamics & Presence: resonance, clarity, warmth, volume, Inflection & emphasis, pace; and 3) How to Connect with an audience through eye contact, phrasing, timing, and emphasis.

Sessions will include individual coaching and feedback, group improvisation, acting techniques, Rhetorical devises as well as exercises & practices in nonverbal skills.

No prerequisites.

Experiential Learning: This course counts toward the experiential learning requirement.

Patent Law (INTP-305) 3 credits

This is an introductory course in patent law. It is designed to provide would-be patent lawyers and non-patent lawyers alike with an understanding of the fundamentals of the United States patent law and the work of the United States Patent Office. Topics will include patentable subject matter, the requirements for patentability (utility, novelty, nonobviousness, and enablement), conduct requirements in the U.S. Patent Office, reissue and reexamination of patents in the Patent Office, patent infringement analyses, and remedies for patent infringement, patent licensing and misuse considerations. The cases and materials have been selected so as to focus, where possible, on technologically simple inventions. No technical background is necessary.

No prerequisites.

Pathways to Justice: A Critical Policy Analysis of Possibilities (CRIM-510) 1 credit

This past summer we reached an inflection point in calls to reimagine and rebuild the criminal justice system. What now? Using the award-winning documentary, The Prison Within, as our framework, we will interrogate the current retributive model of the criminal justice system and consider a new model-the restorative model of criminal justice. Our goal is to use interdisciplinary sources to inspire students to create and critically examine a justice policy that addresses the following themes: what is public safety and for whom? What is the role of legal intervention in addressing harm? What exactly does trauma mean? What are the social benefits of considering alternative models of criminal justice? What are the consequences? This course is not your typical lecture and case book model. Expect a varied source of multi media to entice your learning palate-we're on zoom after all. We will rely on expert guest speakers associated with the film, use a case study approach, engage in applied learning through small group activities, and hone practical skills to enhance your advocacy abilities.

No prerequisites.

Personal Injury Litigation (ADVC-345) 3 credits

This class introduces students to personal injury claims/ litigation from the plaintiff and defense lawyers' perspectives. The goal is to provide both key substantive law and practical exercises and tips for handling personal injury litigation. Instructors will use video clips and actual case pleadings in course materials and provide hands on experience for students to develop practical critical thinking. Fact patterns will be introduced and used throughout the course and will include premises liability and vehicle accident cases and use Civil Procedure and Rules of Evidence.

Students will learn how to handle personal injury case from beginning to settlement resolution. Since most cases settle, there will be less emphasis on trial and more emphasis on mediation and settlement negotiations, recognizing that the law school has a separate trial practice course.

Prerequisite: Evidence (EVID-200).

Experiential Learning: This course counts toward the experiential learning requirement.

Police and Prison Abolition (JURS-358) 3 credits

This course will explore abolition history, theory and practice. We will learn from historical and present-day abolition movements such as the end of U.S. chattel slavery, and abolition movements against capital punishment, police, jails and the criminal punishment system.

The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. With over 2,600 inmates on death row, 2.2 million people behind bars, and another 5 million people on probation or parole. The burden of this system has fallen predominantly on poor Black, Indigenous, communities of color and Queer and Trans communities of color. As the widely viewed film 13th revealed the U.S. criminal justice system and reliance on mass incarceration has effectively evolved chattel slavery into a more sophisticated, entrenched and insidious form of slavery. As Bryan Stevenson explains, "Slavery didn't end in 1865. It just evolved."

This course will explore how the U.S. can move from a public safety system built upon punitive systems, armed police and oppression to public health and safety systems which focus on meeting the needs of communities, addressing inequities which push people into the criminal punishment system, and ending systemic and structural oppression. It will investigate: (1) how to chart a social justice path towards abolition; (2) how to reimagine the criminal justice system so that it is no longer based on a punitive paradigm; and (3) what it would mean to imagine abolition more broadly of policing and the criminal punishment system generally.

This will be a discussion-based course with some written assignments and/or projects which will invite students to interrogate their own perspectives and beliefs, to engage in courageous conversations, and to be exercise their creativity and imaginations to envision a world beyond prisons, police and the current criminal punishment system.

No prerequisites.

Policing, Imprisonment and Justice (JURS-354) 3 credits.

Since Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, Missouri in August 2014, discourse about racially targeted policing and imprisonment in the US has proliferated. This course will put current debates in context by exploring interdisciplinary materials that provide critical perspectives on policing, imprisonment and proposals for reform. We will examine policing and imprisonment in criminal punishment systems, immigration systems and psychiatric and medical systems, looking for overlaps and distinctions between how these systems implement policing and imprisonment. We will draw from intersectional feminist scholarship, critical disability studies, anti-colonial scholarship, critical ethnic studies, critical legal studies and queer and trans studies. We will examine contemporary debates about approaches to reforming policing and imprisonment and the role of grassroots social movements in analyzing these systems, building pressure for change, and developing alternatives.

No prerequisites.

Police Violence and Misconduct: Accountability in Criminal and Civil Courts (JURS-326) 2 credits

An examination of the development and current state of the law, as well as the practical realities around attempts to hold police accountable in criminal and civil courts for unjustified killings, excessive force, and other forms of misconduct.

No prerequisites.

Poverty Law (POVL-300) 3 credits

This course aims to create a critical dialogue about the role of law in addressing issues affecting the most impoverished members of our community with a special emphasis on housing, homelessness and racial disparities in access to opportunity and criminal justice. The interdisciplinary course materials that we will be using throughout the semester have been selected to help students engage in critical analysis about the roles government, politics, non-profit policies and the legal community play in perpetuating poverty, and also in constructively addressing it.

The course will explore:

  • specific questions and histories concerning housing, homelessness, policing and imprisonment, public benefits, disaster relief, immigration, and other legal issues facing low-income populations;
  • how societal, governmental, and justice system responses to inequality have resulted in the "silo-ing" of both problems as well as responses to them, resulting in "blindness" to intersecting forms of bias and oppression that compounds unfairness and suffering;
  • how we might conceptualize different ways the law and justice system can ally itself with community-based social movements and governance frameworks aimed at redistributing wealth and life chances instead of perpetuating the unfairness and oppressive conditions perpetuated by the status quo.

No prerequisites.

Practical Skills for Technology and IP Licensing (INTP-525) 1 credit

This condensed course provides students with a hands-on introduction into IP licensing. IP licensing, the most frequently used technique for “monetizing” (i.e., extracting value from) a company’s IP, is an important, exciting, and multi-disciplinary field that requires not only legal skills (e.g., knowledge of patent/copyright/trademark/trade secret law, advanced contract drafting) but also business skills (negotiation, understanding of markets) and technical skills (understanding technology).

This course will focus on gaining an understanding of the legal issues that underlie the multi-disciplinary art of IP licensing, and how these issues impact the drafting and negotiation of licenses that meet clients’ business objectives. This course will also present students with the opportunity to gain practical experience in negotiating and drafting key clauses of agreements.

We will start by exploring the various types of IP licenses and key legal clauses. We will then discuss negotiation psychology and ethical considerations. We will also cover advanced topics in IP licensing and emerging areas of IP licensing in the context of data, software, multimedia, and digital assets.

Privacy in Practice (INTP-328) 2 credits

This course is intended to build on core principles covered in the Foundation of Privacy class and to provide students with real world examples of privacy matters that attorneys advise on from both law firm and in-house counsel perspectives. Data security matters will also be covered, but only as an introduction to the separate [“Data Security Law”] course. This course is intended to provide supplemental information for students who may be studying to take the Certified Information Privacy Professional-US (“CIPP-US”) exam administered by the International Association of Privacy Professional (but the content of this course is not designed to cover the full body of specific content tested on or otherwise necessary to learn to successfully secure CIPP/US certification).

Prerequisites: Foundations of Privacy Law (INTP-321).

Products Liability (TORT-300) 3 credits

Products liability law combines the two great common subjects: tort, with its focus on personal injury and vulnerability, and contract, with its basic assumptions about marketplace bargaining and risk allocation. Product liability law has blossomed in only three decades, making it a rich and provocative source for exploring competing legal institutions, law and politics, and law and culture. This course analyzes consumer remedies and theories of recovery in the products area, focusing on the legal effects of buying and using, as well as producing, advertising, and selling consumer products. With its emphasis on problems and on practice concerns, this course is ideal for those who contemplate a civil litigation practice.

No prerequisites.

Professional Responsibility (PROF-200) 3 credits

Legal ethics, including lawyer-client relations, lawyer-public relations, and lawyer's responsibility to the legal profession and the courts. Detailed coverage of the ABA Code of Professional Responsibility, cases and materials on professional responsibility, and important Washington law.

No prerequisites.

This is a required course.

This is a bar-tested course.

Professional Sports Law (SPRT 305) 2 credits

This course will provide students with an in-depth understanding of the legal issues facing professional sports organizations and athletes. Students will explore the legal frameworks governing the relationship between athletes and teams, the regulatory bodies that oversee professional sports, and the unique contractual and employment issues that arise in the sports industry.

Public International Law (INTL-300) 3 credits

Public international law principally concerns law made by and usually for States. The field deals with many aspects of the functioning of the international community, including activities that occur within or across State boundaries. The course aims to give students a global understanding of public international law, covering the basic concepts, principles, norms and rules that govern relations between States and their interactions with other international actors/objects. As the emphasis is on providing students with critical and practical skills in legal reasoning, research and writing on international issues, the course offers a rigorous foundation for advanced courses in the field of international law. Lectures are presented with particular attention to the impact, influence and development of public international law challenges, through the lens of Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL). The core areas addressed are 1) the nature and sources of international law; 2) territory and sovereignty; 3) international law in domestic courts; 4) international Indigenous law; 5) sanctions and the use of force; 6) international human rights law; 7) international humanitarian law; 8) international refugee law; 9) international criminal law; 10) international law of the sea; 11) international environmental law; 12) international trades laws; and 13) international dispute resolution. So, whether a student chooses to go into private practice of law, work as a domestic public lawyer or pursue advocacy in international law, this course will be a valuable asset.

No prerequisites.

Courses Titled R - Z

Race and Law (JURS-360) 2 credits

This course addresses law and its relationship to racial justice. Race is one of the fundamental axes of social injustice in the U.S. The legal system operates to create, reinforce and mask racial injustice. Yet law simultaneously provides practical tools to further social justice values. This course should help you develop a deeper grasp of the role law plays in constructing and sustaining "race" and "racism." By understanding this, you can hold our legal system more accountable to its stated constitutional values of due process of law and equal protection of the laws.

Of course, race is not the only category through which unjust power relations are formed. We cannot grasp the full extent of racism without analyzing how it intersects with other "isms" to create larger structures of social oppression; thus we will address other forms of social injustice, such as discrimination based on gender, class, sexual orientation, disability, etc. However, we will always return our focus to unlearning racism, which is so complex that it is a lifelong learning process.

By the end of the semester, you should have some basic information and tools that will allow you to communicate more effectively with colleagues, clients and other justice system stakeholders who have different racial experiences than yours; recognize issues of race that underlie our legal, political and social institutions; analyze the racial content of seemingly race-neutral laws and actions; and be better equipped to work towards achieving racial justice, in your capacities as lawyers as well as a citizens who want to make a difference.

Course evaluation will be based upon presentations and final papers.

No prerequisites.

Real Estate Drafting Lab (PROP-430) 2 credits

During the lab, students represent a hypothetical development company that is purchasing property in Seattle for a proposed multifamily development. Students prepare the numerous documents that a practicing lawyer would need to prepare in such a project. Students leave the class with a general understanding of project permitting and a familiarity with the real estate transactional process.

Recommended but not required: Real Estate Transactions (PROP-300).

Restrictions: This course must be taken pass/fail.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Real Estate Transactions (PROP-300) 3 credits

This course is an overview of basic legal issues arising from real estate transactions. It covers formation, execution, and enforcement of real estate purchase contracts and the legal issues in the making and enforcing of loans secured by real estate collateral, among other topics.

No prerequisites.

This is a bar-tested course.

Part of the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Bar-Tested Course List: Students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum are required to take two courses off the Bar-Tested Course List.

Regulation of Healthcare Quality (HLTH-345) 3 credits

This course will provide an overview of healthcare regulation in the United States that is directly related to the provision of healthcare. The substantive areas that will be explored are the regulation of: physicians and other healthcare providers, hospitals and other healthcare institutions, drugs and healthcare products and human research. Both federal and state based regulations will be examined as well as the managing administrative agencies.

No prerequisites.

Regulatory Environmental Law and Policy Clinic (ENVL-420/ENVL-425) 6 credits

Legislatures and Congress draft environmental laws, and courts regularly interpret those laws in heightened instances of conflict. But on a daily basis, and as a practical truth, our environmental laws are overwhelmingly carried out by administrative agencies. The UW Regulatory Environmental Law & Policy Clinic helps public interest organizations advocate effectively before the agencies that administer our environmental laws at both the state and federal level. We draft petitions for new or amended regulation and, to a lesser extent, draft comments on proposed rules, permits, policies or environmental impact statements. We make environmental law work better by working where environmental law works every day.

ENVL-420 Prerequisite: Administrative Law (ADMN-300) or The Regulatory State (ADMN-305).

ENVL-425 Prerequisite: Regulatory Environmental Law and Policy Clinic (ENVL-420) in the previous fall semester.

Recommended previous or concurrently: Environmental Law Fundamentals (ENVL-300).

Restrictions: This course must be taken pass/fail. Students must meet the Law Clinic's conflict of interest rules.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

This course is part of the Seattle University/University of Washington Clinic Exchange program. The clinic is taught on the UW campus and meets during the UW fall and winter quarters.

Remedies (REMD-300) 3 credits

Study of equity, unjust enrichment and restitutionary remedies, proof of damages in personal injury claims, and legal and equitable remedies for deception, duress, undue influence, hardship, unconscionability, mistakes, and breach of contract.

No prerequisites.

This is a bar tested course.

Reproductive Justice: Law and Policy (CNLW-340) 3 credits

In the wake of the anticipated Supreme Court decision on the status of abortion rights in America, this course aims to investigate what reproductive rights currently exist and within that context, explore what reproductive justice was, is or should be considering current laws at the state and federal level. Reproductive justice is defined as an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the barriers people face in exercising autonomy over their bodies and control over their health and reproductive lives. To that end, our analysis of these issues will require examining them from a social scientific intersectional lens. In addition, these questions require both national and international perspectives as we explore practical solutions from both a legal and extra legal point of view.

Of course, a portion of the course will address the topic of abortion, but other topics will include trafficking, birth control access, pregnancy care, surrogacy, and fertility fraud.

No prerequisites.

Securities Regulation (BUSN-325) 3 credits

The first part of the course will focus on the federal regulation of the offering and sales of securities through private and public offerings. We will cover the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, together with recently adopted amendments and supplements to these laws and their practical effects (i.e. Sarbanes Oxley and JOBS Act). The second part of the course will focus on the federal provisions imposing civil and criminal liability for fraud in connection with the sale of securities, emphasizing a study of the materiality of the elements for recovery, and what is the appropriate measure of damages.

While this course will focus on the relevant statutory and case framework, it will also examine Securities Regulation from the perspective of a practitioner and business person. Issues that will be covered include regulatory issues when attempting to raise funds, practical and statutory considerations when disclosing negative information to the market, how a securities class action is settled, and the most important issue that is not discussed in any textbook.

Prerequisite: Business Entities (BUSN-300).

Solo and Small Firm Business Planning (LPRC-320) 2 credits

Students will explore the various considerations that go into successful business planning, while developing a business plan for their own solo or small law firm practice or law-related business. Class discussions, course material, and guest speakers will provide with a richer appreciation for the practical and ethical elements of developing a business within the legal profession, along with a better understanding of the broader entrepreneurial business planning process.

No prerequisites.

Social Impact Advocacy (ADVC-330) 3 credits

Despite a century or more of seemingly monumental legal reforms (such as Brown v. Board of Education outlawing school segregation along color lines) and social changes, everyday headlines make plain that the U.S. constitutional commitment to "Equal Justice Under Law" remains illusory for many persons, and for some entire groups. When examined from a systems analysis, current events reveal the "systemic" and interconnected nature of a variety of daunting and seemingly intractable legal and social issues and injustices, ranging from mass incarceration and the War on Drugs to homelessness, voter suppression, protest suppression, student debt, wealth and income disparities, climate change, worker precarity, inadequate school funding, immigrant justice, the preservation of U.S. colonies such as Puerto Rico, the continuance of neighborhood and school segregation, and many more modern topical controversies that reveal identity-based oppressions and underlying systems that serve elite interests. The pressing practical question for those seeking legal reform is: How can lawyers become more effective advocates of systemic reform to achieve equal justice in everyday life for all? Relatedly, how can law be used to remedy systemic injustice, when law is oftentimes constructed and operated as a complementary system to maintain systemic societal and material inequalities based on social identities?

To tackle these and similar questions, this three-credit course examines key systemic (or structural) reasons for persistent access to justice and equal justice gaps while building a set of critical knowledges, values, skills, and attitudes (CKVSAs) for effective social impact (or systemic) advocacy. Using contemporary topics of special relevance to students, the course will survey and discuss key issues, concepts, terms, and arguments relating to law and (unequal) justice as we work on individual and group projects linked to current community issues. Assigned readings provide a critical understanding of the complex yet crucial cross-connection among law practice, legal reform, systemic change, and social impact while the hands-on community research projects emphasize the individual and collaborative development of fact-finding and analytical practices.

Upon completion of this course, all students should possess a substantive, sophisticated, and self-critical understanding of the cross-disciplinary, multi-cultural, and inter-active skillsets needed for meaningful and resilient social change.

Method of Evaluation: Final course grades are based on the following areas of individual performance and summative assessment designed for ongoing feedback, group discussion, and progressive learning: (1) consistent professionalism and participation in classroom discussions and course activities, and (2) contributions to group projects, including presentations at the end of the semester. This comprehensive method of evaluation values and balances the learning process and the covered CKSVAs in all relevant respects-including basics like advance preparation and attention to detail, punctuality and timeliness, consistent attendance and thoughtful participation, personal initiative and self-direction, and overall professional conduct that sustains successful collaboration and teamwork-because each of these technical capacities is a valued competency, and an important metric, of successful professionalism in any modern law practice or social justice role.

No prerequisites.

Sports Law (SPRT-300) 2 credits

This course examines various legal issues impacting collegiate and professional sports. Students will analyze sports cases and materials that cover multiple disciplines, including contracts, torts, constitutional law, antitrust, labor and employment, and intellectual property. Students will participate in discussions, problem-solving exercises and drafting sessions, which explore areas such as player and coaching contracts and investigation of rules infractions and possible sanctions against universities. Students will participate in discussions and problem-solving exercises, which explore areas such as player and coaching contracts and investigation of rules infractions and possible sanctions against universities.

Recommended but not required: Antitrust Law (ANTI-300).

State and Local Taxation (TAXL-355) 2 credits

This course will cover the fundamentals of state and local taxation in the United States, including a survey of the substantive law and policy implications of the taxes commonly imposed by state and local governments throughout the United States (i.e., net income-based taxes, ad valorem property taxes, sales and use taxes, and gross receipts taxes and excise taxes). The course will also explore the principal federal limitations on the states' taxing power, including the restraints imposed by the so-called "dormant" or "negative" Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, as well as the limitations arising under the Due Process, Equal Protection, and Import-Export Clauses, and the affirmative limitations on state taxation imposed by Congress (e.g.., Public Law 86-272 and the Internet Tax Freedom Act). The course will also examine some of the more common limitations on state and local taxation arising under state law (e.g., the uniformity requirement under Washington's Constitution). Finally, the course will introduce the basics of state and local tax practice and procedure. Although the course will generally be national in scope, Washington's unique system of taxation-especially the state's business and occupation tax-will be examined in detail.

Prerequisite: Individual Income Tax (TAXL-300).

Taxation of LLCs and Partnerships (TAXL-307) 2 credits

This course examines the federal income taxation of LLCS and partnerships including formation, distributions, and terminations. Students interested in general practice, business transactional practice, or business litigation should take both this course and Taxation of Corporations to gain a comprehensive overview of the taxation of the prevalent forms of business enterprise.

Prerequisite: Individual Income Tax (TAXL-300).

Recommended: Business Entities (BUSN-300).

The Modern Corporation (BUSN-302) 3 credits

For the past century, the modern business corporation has been the dominant economic institution in American society and has been a central element in American global hegemony. Moreover, the American version of the modern corporation, and the legal rules which have evolved to support and control it, have become the dominant corporate model throughout much of the world. However, the modern corporation has roots that go back to and before the establishment of the first British colonies, and the evolution of the modern corporation is inextricably linked with the birth and evolution of the United States as constitutional republic.

Nearly a century ago, Adolf Berle and Gardiner Mean’s famously warned that the modern corporation, then in its infancy, was a new form of private property which would soon rival if not surpass the nation state in its power and influence. In contrast, Thorstein Veblen also saw the threat of corporate tyranny, but from the corporate nation state itself. These competing insights are central to an understanding of the modern corporation.

In this course, we will explore the nature of the modern business corporation and its relationship to the nation state, and to federal and state governments, through the lenses of history, legal jurisprudence, and current events. Students will develop and sharpen their understanding of the role state and federal law play in the creation, evolution, and governance of the modern corporation, and how those roles have evolved and changed throughout our nation’s history. Emphasis will be placed on understanding and critiquing the modern corporation as not only a legal construct, but also as a social and economic institution, with particular emphasis on competing views concerning the purpose of the modern corporation and its relation to its owners, stakeholders, and the broader community.

Class preparation and participation is the essence of this course, and will be the basis for 100% of each student’s final grade. Central to the satisfaction of this requirement, each student will prepare a short written “ticket” prior to each class demonstrating their preparation for and engagement with class materials, including consistent engagement with the Wall Street Journal and with the constantly changing spectacle of American business leadership (think, for example of Elon Musk as a central figure in American foreign policy and owner of Twitter, and Boeing and Starbucks as major actors in American life). Admission to class each day is predicated on advance submission of a satisfactory ticket, using Canvas. Students are allowed 3 unexcused absences. Attending class without prior submission of a satisfactory ticket will be treated as an unexcused absence.

No prerequisites.

The Regulatory State (ADMN-305) 3 credits

This course surveys the vast universe of rules and regulations that literally impact every citizens’ life from cradle to grave. Federal government agencies are authorized by Congress through enabling legislation to promulgate regulations, which have the full force of law. And all 50 states have administrative agencies that similarly issue and enforce regulations. There are so many laws and regulations that experts cannot agree on how to count them. The number and impact of all these agencies and rules have led many to refer to our government as The Regulatory State. This course includes substantial content on the economics and public policy of regulation, as well as coverage of many aspects of administrative law.

This course has two components: the class meets twice per week in person. Additionally, there is an online component which provides additional information through articles, videos, and cases, with an assessment on this online content due each week.

No prerequisites.

Restriction: This course is substantially similar to Administrative Law (ADMN-300). The Regulatory State (ADMN-305) will serve as a prerequisite for any course listing Administrative Law (ADMN-300) as a prerequisite. Students may not receive credit for both Administrative Law (ADMN-300) and The Regulatory State (ADMN-305).

Theories of Property (PROP-380) 1 credit

This one-credit seminar will provide an introduction to the most influential contemporary theories of property, as well as an opportunity to discuss how those theories might approach several important questions within property law. The seminar will survey the contending theories, including various utilitarian/welfarist theories of property, Lockean and libertarian theories, as well as Aristotelian and "human flourishing" approaches associated with Catholic Social Teaching. The course will then explore these various property "controversies" through the lenses of these theories. We will discuss questions such as redistribution, eminent domain, regulatory takings, and the right to exclude. The course will be graded on the basis of a series of short essays written in response to the readings as well as class participation.

Prerequisite: Property (PROP-100).

Trademark Law (INTP-315) 2 credits

This course focuses on the day-to-day realities of trademark practice, including the origin, nature, and extent of trademark rights; what constitutes "use" of a trademark for purposes of ownership, enforcement, and liability; the protectability of nontraditional trademarks such as colors and configurations; client counseling and resolving trademark disputes; protecting and enforcing trademark rights; and the limitations on trademark protection. Along the way, the course addresses such related areas of law as federal and common law of unfair competition and deceptive advertising, trade dress, rights of publicity, Internet domain names, and uses of trademarks in Web advertising.

No prerequisites.

Trademark Law Clinic (INTP-415) 3 credits

Students represent clients who are seeking federal protection for their trademark. Students will advise clients on the selection and adoption of trademarks and work with them to file a federal trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Students will be responsible for preparing a trademark clearance search, filing a federal trademark application, responding to any inquiry or refusal from the US Trademark Office, filing maintenance documents, and the preparation of any other documents or filings necessary in the course of prosecuting and maintaining a federal trademark application or registration. Student teams must maintain office hours in the Clinic offices for a total of three hours per week. Office hours must be scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 7 pm or Wednesdays from Noon to 8PM. The days and times for office hours will be determined based on each student team's schedule. Students will be required to attend a clinic class two days per week.

Prerequisite: Intellectual Property (INTP-300) as a prerequisite or Trademark Law (INTP-315) as a pre or co-requisite.

Restriction: Students must meet the Law Clinic's conflict of interest rules.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Transactional Law: Making the Deal (BUSN-384) 3 credits

Students will acquire experience and training in transactional lawyering by engaging in problem-based learning and interacting with practicing deal lawyers. Students will analyze and discuss key points of negotiating, structuring, and documenting complex transactions. Special emphasis will be placed on problem solving, decision making, and embracing the professional role of the deal lawyer. Grades will be based on participation (preparation, answers and volunteer comments, etc.), professionalism (attendance, being on time, collaboration, etc.), effort and skill; there will be no final exam.

No prerequisites.

Transitional Justice — Lessons from Morocco and the US (INTL-367) 3 credits

This virtual course offered by Seattle University and Moulay Ismail University (Morocco) will be taught by professors from both institutions and include law students in both Morocco and the United States. It will examine the history and role of transitional justice in Morocco and the application of transitional and transformative justice principles to U.S. criminal justice reform. In learning about the impact of racism on criminal prosecution in the United States, students will perform research on how transitional and transformative justice might provide ideas for criminal justice reform efforts.

Students will be assigned a series of prompts for preparation of reflection papers and essays. This course meets twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 am to 9:20 pm (3 pm to 4:20 pm GMT). Assignments include assessments, reflections, online discussions and a research project on transitional and transformative justice that will be provided to the Black Community Lobby to be used in future legislation.

No prerequisites.

Transitioning to Practice: A Crash Course on the Essentials (LPRC-305) 1 credit

Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu and local practitioner Stephanie Jensen will provide an overview of some essential tools and tips for your transition from being a student to a practicing attorney. This seminar style class will address an array of topics to help you start your career off on the right track, including: reading and using local, state, and federal court rules; succeeding at briefing and oral argument (at both the trial and appellate levels); navigating discovery and technology; engaging in all aspects of trial practice from preparation to jury selection and putting on your case; excelling at the business of law, from client development to case organization; and the "softer" skills of managing employer expectations, career development, and professionalism.

Restrictions: Must be graduating in Spring or the following Summer or Fall. This course must be taken pass/fail.

Transnational Business Transactions (BUSN-500) 3 credits

This course is aimed at examining the impelling need to harmonize rules governing transnational transactions, to unify diverging domestic legislations and to create a very uniform law on international commerce. It seeks to discuss first why harmonize, what to harmonize and how to harmonize; to trace, afterwards, the harmonizing path over last decades; and finally to highlight the areas where harmonization has been sought with a highest intensity and perseverance in order to understand why sometimes international efforts have succeeded and sometimes have failed instead. The most prominent international instruments will be analyzed in depth seeking for common features and diverging characteristics. The course will entail the completion of several practical exercises (as they will be specified in the final program), consisting of the analysis of international instruments, the drafting of contracts ruling transnational transactions and the problem solving in commercial situations. Finally, the course will explore key international organizations. Field trips may include a visit to the International Organization of Securities Commissions.

No prerequisites.

Transnational Litigation and Arbitration (INTL-330) 3 credits

The unprecedented rise in the sheer volume of the cross border movement of persons (natural as well as juridical), and goods and services has made international lawyering more important and more complicated than ever. It is not difficult to imagine the volume and variety of disputes that these levels of intercourse and interdependence naturally produce. These disputes are supposed to be revolved in an environment of independent and remarkably diverse legal systems and traditions. As national legal systems are ordinarily designed to address municipal legal problems, their adoption to the transnational setting presents unique and complicated legal problems. The principal objective of this course is to introduce students to the procedural issues associated with these transnational disputes and the mechanisms of their resolution by focusing on representational challenges.

The scope of the coverage is limited to the two most important mechanisms of dispute resolution: court litigation, and international arbitration. The first half of the course covers jurisdiction in transnational context, recognition and enforcement of court judgments and arbitral awards. The Second half focuses on practical experience. Students will be assigned to simulated cases and will write briefs and argue cases in class. The details will be explained in class.

No prerequisites.

Tribal Administration Law (INDL-345) 2 credits

This course will provide an overview of the integration and application of strategic and operational management principles in tribal governments. Topics will include the development of goals, strategies, and approaches to implementation. The course will focus on tribal strategic plans and issues specific to tribes, such as the federal-tribal relationship, tribal constitutions, and tribal ordinances and regulations. This course will provide an overview of organizational management theories with an emphasis on tribal governments. It will focus on the various types of tribal governments, the role of tribal managers, tribal management functions, communications processes, and management information systems design and development. It will also explore different models of delivering services on reservations.

No prerequisites.

Tribal Court Practice (INDL-370) 3 credits

Native Americans are a traditionally underserved community facing enormous challenges in health, safety, and economic development. As independent sovereigns, many tribes operate their own justice system to address these challenges. Practicing in tribal court presents some unique challenges and opportunities. This course will provide an overview of the history of Native people and culture. It will include a review of the development of tribal justice systems, a discussion of the impact of intergenerational trauma, religious freedom, and the role of the family in tribal communities. Some of the specific areas of law to be reviewed will be child custody and support, housing, consumer rights, and criminal prosecutions and defense. In addition to tribal court proceedings, the course will review traditional methods of dispute resolution and how they may be employed today.

The course will be graded based on simulated practice including drafting pleadings and motions and arguing matters before a court. The course will be offered as a hybrid on-line course work and in-person arguments.

No prerequisites.

Tribal Governmental Gaming (INDL-330) 2 credits

This seminar will review the legal, political and social forces that led to the enactment of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) and examine the implementation of the Act. The course covers all of the major issues involved in IGRA, including: management contracts; the powers of the National Indian Gaming Commission; the classification of various gaming activities; tribal authority over gaming; the role of the states in the regulation of Indian gaming; and the determination of where Indian gaming facilities may be located. Requirements for the course include informed class participation and the preparation of a research paper. The Federal Indian Law course is not a prerequisite, but it will be helpful in understanding the concepts involved in IGRA and the issues that have arisen in the implementation of the Act.

No prerequisites.

Trusts and Estates (ESTA-300) 3 credits

This course, which stands on its own as a survey course and also serves as an introduction to Estate Planning, covers the law of wills, trusts, and intestate succession. It includes execution and revocation of wills; creation, modification, and termination of trusts; problems of construction; restrictions on testation and transfers in trust; and future interests. The course covers some aspects of fiduciary administration, but not taxation.

No prerequisites.

This is a bar-tested course.

Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Requirement: Students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum are required to take either Trusts & Estates (ESTA-300) with the T&E Enhanced Analytical Skills Lab (ESTA-301)or Trusts, Estates & Enhanced Analytical Skills (ESTA-250). Full-time students must fulfill this requirement during the fall of their 2L year. Part-time students must fulfill this requirement during the fall of their 3L year.

Trusts and Estates Enhanced Analytical Skills (ESTA-250) 4 credits

This course, which stands on its own as a survey course and also serves as an introduction to Estate Planning, covers the law of wills, trusts, and intestate succession. It includes execution and revocation of wills; creation, modification, and termination of trusts; problems of construction; restrictions on testation and transfers in trust; and future interests. The course covers some aspects of fiduciary administration, but not taxation. In addition, this class includes a lab, in which students will hone their analytical skills through weekly writing assignments focused on synthesizing the materials that were addressed in class.

No prerequisites.

Trusts and Estates Enhanced Analytical Skills Lab (ESTA-301) 1 Credit

Students taking the Trusts and Estates Enhanced Analytical Skills Lab will refine the academic skills necessary for success in law school, on the bar exam, and in law practice. Specifically, students will develop skills in the following areas: critical reading, critical thinking, legal synthesis, legal argument and responding to bar-exam like essay and multiple-choice questions. The lab will draw upon the substantive material covered in Trusts and Estates, thus, Trusts and Estates is a co-requisite for the lab course.

Co-requisite: Trusts & Estates (ESTA-300-A).

Restrictions: Course must be taken pass/fail.

Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Requirement: Students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum are required to take either Trusts & Estates (ESTA-300) with the T&E Enhanced Analytical Skills Lab (ESTA-301) or Trusts, Estates & Enhanced Analytical Skills (ESTA-250). Full-time students must fulfill this requirement during the fall of their 2L year. Part-time students must fulfill this requirement during the fall of their 3L year.

UCC Sales (COMM-350) 3 credits

The course covers the law governing the sales of tangible personal property. The course deals with contracts for the sale of goods, involving issues that generally are not dealt with in first year contracts. The course covers shipment of the goods when the parties are at a distance and the risk of loss should the goods be damaged or destroyed prior to acceptance by the buyer. Of central importance is the seller's obligations with respect to the quality of and title to the goods. Discussed under this topic are the creation and content of express and implied warranties; the manner in which they may be modified or disclaimed; and the contractual alterations the parties can make to the remedies provided by the law. The course also treats the buyer's right to reject or revoke acceptance of non-conforming goods; the buyer's and seller's remedies in the event of breach; and the right of the buyer or seller to reclaim goods from an insolvent seller or buyer. Although the central source of law for this portion of the course is Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, the course also will consider the interface between the Code and products liability law.

No prerequisites.

This is a bar-tested course.

Part of the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Bar-Tested Course List: Students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum are required to take two courses off the Bar-Tested Course List.

UCC Secured Transactions (COMM-355) 3 credits

The course covers the law pertaining to security interests in personal property. The course addresses the manner in which parties can create interests in personal property to secure the payment of a debt and the consequences of creating such an interest. Discussed are the manner of creating and perfecting security interests; priorities among secured parties; priorities between secured creditors and unsecured creditors and purchasers; and the remedies that exist in the event of default or improper seizure of the secured property. The course also considers the scope of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, which governs secured transactions, attending to such issues as leases that are intended for security and consignments of goods. In addition to treating these issues under Article 9, the course considers the effects of the Bankruptcy Act upon security interests when the debtor is in bankruptcy proceedings with emphasis upon such issues as voidable and preferential transfers.

No prerequisites.

This is a bar-tested course.

Part of the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum Bar-Tested Course List: Students subject to the Bar Success Prescribed Curriculum are required to take two courses off the Bar-Tested Course List.

Visual Litigation and Today's Technology (ADVC-370) 2 credits

In this Visual Litigation and Today's Technology online course, students interested in litigation learn how to integrate technology into their pretrial and trial visual presentations. Just as technology has become a centerpiece in modern life, it is the centerpiece in litigation. Mediators, judges and jurors expect lawyers to use technology. The course is taught in the context of mock civil and criminal cases, giving students simulated real-world experiences working with visuals and cutting-edge technology. This course is comprehensive in its exploration of visual communication strategies and technology, including, among other topics: the ethical and legal boundaries to what visuals may be displayed in trial; evidentiary foundations for visuals (animations, demonstrations, laser scanner images and so on); visual advocacy in both a pretrial venue and a courtroom, from opening statement through closing argument; the creation of visuals; litigation software, such as Sanction, TrialPad, and SmartDraw; and meeting the trial judge's expectations of a trial lawyer's competency when employing technology.

No prerequisites.

Restriction: There is substantial overlap between Visual Litigation and Today's Technology (ADVC-370) and Essentials of Litigation Visuals and Technology (ADVC-505). Students cannot receive credit for both courses.

Voting Rights and Election Law (CNLW-380) 3 credits

This course will explore the fundamental law of democracy in the United States. Topics include the right to vote, gerrymandering, the Voting Rights Act, election administration, ballot propositions, political parties, and campaign finance.

Pre or co-requisite: Constitutional Law (CNLW-200).

Washington State Constitutional Law: Practice and Perspective (CNLW-317) 3 credits

This course will cover issues that arise under the Washington State Constitution in legal practice. At the end of this court, students should able to:

  • Recognize that a client faces an issue under the State Constitution.
  • Design and execute research plans to make and assess arguments as to the appropriateness, under the state constitution, of various actual or proposed actions of state or local government entities.
  • Advise clients (public and private) as to availability of rights, remedies, or limitations on action under the state constitution.

Students will also have the chance to engage with important figures whose work in Olympia will shed light on the challenges and opportunities for lawyering in this arena.

No prerequisites.

Washington State Administrative and Regulatory Law and Policy (ADMN-360) 3 credits

A course designed to expose students to the particular laws, regulations, procedures, and institutions of Washington State's administrative and regulatory bodies. This course will provide a thorough training in the basic structures and substantive and procedural law in these areas, and will also introduce students to some of the most important contemporary players, interests, and issues through problems, guest speakers, and field trips.

No prerequisites.

This course is part of the Semester in Olympia curriculum.

Washington State Constitutional Law Seminar (CNLW-315) 2 credits

This course will combine theoretical and practical analysis of the Washington State Constitution. The course will be relevant to students who intend to practice in Washington, particularly those whose practices will involve state government, judicial decision-making, lawmaking, or politics. Theoretical aspects of the course will examine the structure, content, role, and interpretation of state constitutions. The practical component will survey and analyze the state constitutional provisions and rulings of interest to Washington practitioners. The course will be structured around the three overlapping aspects of the Washington State Constitution: the personal constitution (individual rights), the political constitution (allocation of political power), and the working constitution (functions of and limitations on state government).

Prerequisite: Constitutional Law I (CNLW-200).

White Collar Crime and Corporate Scandals: Where are the Lawyers? (BUSN-354) 2 credits

Opiods, Vokswagen, Wells Fargo, General Motors, Enron. Over the last few decades, the list of major corporate scandals has become increasingly notorious. We'll take a deep dive into a number of these scandals and examine them through different lenses. For each, we'll ask: What breakdowns took place that allowed the conduct to take place? Should that conduct be prosecuted? What role did inside and outside counsel play and what is the responsibility of lawyers, under the Rules of Professional Conduct and beyond? And we'll use the scandals to explore a number of legal issues that come up in prosecuting and defending these types of cases, such as: the use of internal investigations; the responsibility of the Board of Directors; the use (or overuse) of certain criminal statutes; and the Organizational Sentencing Guidelines.

No prerequisites.

Workers' Rights Clinic (EMPL-420) 6 credits

The Worker's Right Clinic is offered through a partnership with Seattle University School of Law and the Fair Work Center. Students in the Worker's Rights Clinic will help low wage workers understand and enforce their workplace rights. Though the clinic will offer services to all workers, special emphasis will be placed on understanding and enforcing Seattle's minimum wage, paid sick and safe leave and ban-the-box protections. Students will engage in three major areas of client work: (1) initial interviews with workers to help with issue identification and legal information; (2) periodic community clinics, providing counseling and brief advice to workers; and (3) representation of workers in employment claims through an administrative or judicial processes. Students may also work on policy advocacy and impact litigation. While students are engaged in this representation, students will also study foundational employment doctrine, reinforce their skill development, and examine the causes and consequences of income inequality in the United States.

Recommended but not required: Employment Law (EMPL-300) or Labor Law (EMPL-350).

Restriction: Students must meet the Law Clinic's conflict of interest rules.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Youth Advocacy Clinic (ADVC-310) 6 credits

Students in the clinic represent clients in a variety of matters. Our client list includes: (1) individuals charged as juvenile offenders; (2) unaccompanied immigrant minors seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status; (3) individuals seeking relief from the obligation to register as juvenile sex offenders. The seminar component of the clinic offers a sequence of simulations of the necessary lawyering skills, including a simulated Motion Hearing before an actual judge (on a Saturday, usually at the end of the sixth week of the term).

Prerequisite: Evidence (EVID-200).

Pre or co-requisite: Professional Responsibility (PROF-200).

Restrictions: Must be Rule 9 eligible. Students must meet the Law Clinic's conflict of interest rules.

Experiential Learning: This course counts towards the experiential learning requirement.

Note: Request descriptions for courses offered prior to Fall 2017 through the Office of the Registrar.

Contact

Brooke D. Coleman
Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Fredric C. Tausend Professor of Law
Sullivan Hall 210I
206-398-4987
colemanb@seattleu.edu