Electives

A.I. and the Law Seminar

This course addresses the wide range of legal and policy issues associated with the rapid development of networked digital technologies, including digital privacy, data protection, cloud storage, artificial intelligence, personalized advertising, biometrics, government access and surveillance, criminal profiling, privacy, and disinformation. cyber security topics may include incident disclosure, data breaches, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, election interference, cyber espionage, and cyber attacks. Technical knowledge is not required. 

Race and the Law Seminar

This course addresses the history and interrelationship of race, ethnicity, and the law. Topics will include the role of the law and the legal system in racial issues including the legal and constitutional roots of slavery, American Indian dispossession, the role of the judiciary in defining race, changing definitions of race, socio-economic inequality, ongoing disparities, immigration issues, changing demographics, and civil rights. The class will include an examination of Critical Race Theory and its impact on politics and the law

Employment Law

This course will introduce the principal statutes and common-law doctrines governing the workplace and the relationship between employers and employees. Topics to be covered include the at-will doctrine and its exceptions, hiring, compensation, employee and employer rights, privacy rights, restrictive covenants, employment contracts, wage and hour law, and employment discrimination. Certain areas of the law such as contracts, torts, constitutional law, labor law, and alternative dispute resolution will also be addressed as they intersect with the history and development of employment law. Policy and practical considerations will be evaluated. 

Environmental Law

This course examines federal and some state laws that address environmental protection and governance. The course integrates many of the concepts from administrative law, constitutional law, property, and torts. This should be a fun and relevant course to anyone who wants to gain a general understanding of the regulation of the environment

Legislation and Regulation

This course introduces students to legislative process and the nature of statutory construction. It is intended to introduce the students to lawmaking through statutes and agency regulation in the modern regulatory state. This course also explores the role of public law, legislation, and administrative regulations. It considers the role and interaction of Congress and administrative agencies within the branches of government, including agency adjudication, and assesses how laws are created and passed, how courts interpret and apply statutes, and judicial standards of deference in reviewing administrative regulations.

Prosecution & Adjudication

This course will provide a detailed, practical, and realistic understanding of what occurs in a criminal case from the time an accused is arrested until the time of conviction, sentence, and appeal. Procedures in both federal and state courts will be discussed including preliminary issues such as arrest procedure, prosecutorial discretion in determining what charges will be filed, bail concerns, preliminary hearings, and grand jury proceedings. The course will then address pre-trial matters such as discovery, Brady material, and pre-trial motions practice. This section will include but not be limited to joinder and severance, speedy trial, plea bargaining, and pre-trial habeas corpus. The "trial" section of the course will discuss jury issues including jury selection and a variety of procedural issues that arise at trial including confrontation clause, hearsay, double jeopardy, and Bruton issues. Supreme Court cases, such as Apprendi and Alleyne, will generate an important discussion of not only appropriate language in indictments, but verdicts and verdict slips as well. Time will also be spent on sentencing, both state and federal. We will also briefly cover the appellate and collateral attack post-conviction processes

Practice & Performance

This course is designed to prepare students with an understanding of and approach to the Multistate Performance Test (MPT) component of the bar examination. By mastering techniques and best practices, students will develop an understanding of the MPT design and practice drafting responses under timed conditions. The course reviews and practices MPT exercises in various formats as tested on the Uniform Bar Examination and Delaware Bar Examination. This course is not designed to replace any commercial bar examination preparation course; however, the course is structured to supplement commercial preparation courses and provide a proactive approach to overall bar examination preparation.

Trial Advocacy Skills

This course will teach students to perform trial skills based on strategic themes and theories. Classroom time includes lecture/discussion and role playing/practical exercises. The students will conduct direct and cross-examination of both lay and expert witnesses, opening and closing statements, make objections and introduce exhibits. The course will culminate with each student performing in a mock trial.

Interview & Counseling Skills

This course provides students an opportunity to develop skills in interviewing, counseling, fact finding, and problem solving in a variety of litigation and transactional settings. Students will engage in simulated client counseling sessions in which they will be required to provide the "client" meaningful expertise that incorporates legal analysis with economic and ethical considerations that will shape the legal strategy developed for the client. Emphasis will be placed on the values of professionalism and the ability to integrate non-legal concerns into client representation; counseling (including active listening, questioning, and information gathering) and problem solving. A significant part of the course will involve in-class simulation exercises where you will play the role of an attorney with a partner playing the role of the client.

Contract Drafting Skills

This course will introduce drafting, negotiating, analyzing, and understanding contracts of various types. Students will learn the basic structure of contracts, standard contract provisions, and common legal contract terminology. Students will engage in drafting exercises to gain proficiency in preparing contracts.