J.D. Courses

Course Description

Through the Environmental and Land Use Law Clinical Externship, students train in legal offices or departments of government agencies and non-government organizations doing environmental and land use legal work in Rhode Island and southern New England. Externs are exposed to the various ways in which environmental and land use law is practiced by government agencies and non-government organizations through litigation, administrative rulemaking and adjudication, and engagement in the legislative process. The students also participate in a two-credit, graded seminar “Advanced Topics in Environmental and Land Use Law” that will be designed by the professor, after consultation with the field supervisors, to teach substantive law, regulation, and policy directly relevant to the students’ field work, as well as the ethics and legal skills required of an environmental attorney.
4 Credits- 180 hours (approx. 2 days/week for 14 weeks). SPRING ONLY

Course Description

Through the Environmental and Land Use Law Clinical Externship, students train in legal offices or departments of government agencies and non-government organizations doing environmental and land use legal work in Rhode Island and southern New England. Externs are exposed to the various ways in which environmental and land use law is practiced by government agencies and non-government organizations through litigation, administrative rulemaking and adjudication, and engagement in the legislative process. The students also participate in a two-credit, graded seminar “Advanced Topics in Environmental and Land Use Law” that will be designed by the professor, after consultation with the field supervisors, to teach substantive law, regulation, and policy directly relevant to the students’ field work, as well as the ethics and legal skills required of an environmental attorney.

Course Description

This honors perspectives course will explore the distribution of environmental benefits and burdens throughout the world, with an emphasis on United States laws, regulations, and policies. This course will explore whether the U.S. environmental laws, policies, and regulations are truly equal in their treatment of people regardless of race, color, income, or nationality. Through a series of readings (books and supplementary materials), participants in this course will explore the history surrounding the environmental justice movement: whether historically there has been environmental justice in the United States, whether there is currently environmental justice in the United States, and what the future of environmental justice is.

Course Description

The regulation and control of water, air and land is the broad subject matter of this course. The emphasis is on federal statutory and regulatory law but international issues and state and local regulation will be reviewed in areas in which they have broad relevance.

Course Description

This course is geared toward those interested in competing in the Pace Environmental Moot Court Completion. The competition should be of interest to anyone interested in the moot court experience, but will be of special interest to those interested in pursuing careers in administrative law, in general, and in environmental law, in particular. The course is meant to prepare students for both the brief writing and oral argument required by the Pace competition. In order to enroll in the course a student must be currently taking either Environmental Law or Administrative Law or have already taken either one of those courses.

Course Description

This course deals with the practical application of estate planning principles to various client situations. Topics include client interviews; estate planning for young adults, individuals contemplating marriage, unmarried couples, young couples with children, and older clients with children; transfers to grandchildren; planning for second marriages; asset protection; retirement planning; perpetual trusts; charitable gifts; and an overview of estate administration. Wills and Trusts is a prerequisite.

Course Description

This course introduces the law controlling the introduction and exclusion of evidence in civil and criminal trials. Topics include burden of proof, presumption, judicial notice, burden of production, burden of persuasion, competency of witnesses, relevancy, examinations of witnesses, privileges, hearsay, demonstrative evidence, documents and the function of judge and jury.

Course Description

This course focuses on the theory and practice of leadership and its implications in the professional and personal lives of lawyers and students. Students will study how lawyers (including those who work at firms, in-house, or in other roles) view leadership, ethics, and their roles in society. Students will learn how lawyers who are leaders are more successful and fulfilled in their careers. Through interactive exercises, readings, and guest presentations, students will develop their capacity to lead with integrity by learning the role of values in leadership, how to deal with challenges, and how to assess risks. Students will gain insight into and develop their values, identity, and self-leadership. Topics include: competing leadership paradigms (e.g., power vs. service), the styles and practices of leaders, leading, values-based leadership, communicating as a leader, understanding yourself and others, leading change, and articulating a vision.

Course Description

This course is intended to provide the student with an understanding of the contexts in which family conflict arises, the various legal and practical issues in play when families disintegrate, and with in-depth training in the skills that a mediator might employ to help the divorcing parties resolve their differences. The course exposes the student to relevant factors and normative approaches used by courts in dividing property, determining child support, custody, visitation, and spousal support among other issues, while recognizing that parties in mediation are empowered to reach their own agreements with the aid of the mediator. Role playing exercises are used to integrate theory with practice.

Course Description

This course examines the underlying social and economic principles of family life, its regulation by government, and constitutional limitations on regulation. Direct laws covering marriage, divorce, and child custody will be examined but also the course will cover those areas of law--property, income maintenance, medical care, schooling and crime--that also have direct impact on families in this society.

Course Description

This course will examine the relationship of the federal courts to the other branches of the federal government and to the governments of the several States. Issues covered will be Constitutional limits on federal-court jurisdiction; Congressional control over the jurisdiction of the federal courts; the availability of judicial review for executive action; and, the relation between state and federal courts.

These issues will be examined in the light of judicial review of the detention of persons pursuant to the writ of habeas corpus, and, in particular, federal-court review of the detention of persons resulting from State-court criminal convictions.

Course Description

This course provides a survey of the federal income tax system as it relates to individual and business activity. Topics include code, regulation, and case analysis; tax policy, economics, and public finance; and tax legislation. Specific concepts included are income, exclusions, deductions, credits, tax accounting, and tax procedure.

Course Description

The course will explore the foundational principles and doctrines governing the legal and political relationship between the United States and Indian tribes. The history of federal Indian law and policy, tribal property rights, congressional plenary power, the trust doctrine, tribal sovereignty, jurisdiction in Indian Country, and tribal government are the major topics covered in this course. Students will learn the intricacies of both criminal and civil jurisdiction in tribal courts, and how disputes are adjudicated on American Indian reservations. Students will be well prepared for the practice of Indian law in federal, state or tribal courts, for employment with American Indian tribal courts and governments and will gain familiarity with noteworthy topics such as Indian Gaming and the Indian Child Welfare Act. Guest speakers from American Indian tribal courts and tribal governments will be featured.

Course Description

This course introduces students to Federal District Court litigation and representation in the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, both academically and practically, with a focus on representing immigrants. Students will learn tools to prepare for litigation and appellate practice, including drafting petitions for review, motions, mooting a First Circuit case. This course satisfies the writing requirement.

Course Description

This course combines what has traditionally been taught in two separate courses on Pretrial Practice and Trial Advocacy. The idea behind this course is that federal litigation must be viewed holistically, meaning with an understanding and appreciation for the reality that litigation, from the filing of a complaint through trial, is an integrated process that begins with a well-pled complaint, proceeds through discovery, often involves substantive and dispositive motion practice, and ends (if it is not resolved earlier) at trial. The course is a full year long in order to mimic the actual life cycle of a case in federal court. Students will work on an actual case by drafting pleadings, taking/defending depositions, filing and arguing at least one dispositive motion, and ultimately trying the case before a judge and jury. In addition, throughout the year, students will receive lectures, practice exercises, and guest lectures on key aspects of litigation, including complaint drafting, deposition skills, settlement process and strategy, and trial tactics. This course will be taught primarily by a seasoned litigator and a faculty member, both of whom have practiced in federal court. The students will be split into teams and each team with have a lawyer-coach assigned to assist them. Judge William Smith of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island will attend a limited number of the class sessions and preside over some courtroom activities, as his schedule permits.

Course Description

Taught by Professor Emily Sack, this course examines how feminist legal theorists have understood and critiqued our legal system and its norms. The course will explore various schools and debates within feminist legal theory, and how feminist scholars bring feminist analysis to bear on a number of contemporary issues of law and public policy, including intimate and familial relationships, work and wealth distribution, and the regulation of sexuality.
HONORS COURSE

Course Description

This seminar will look at selected topics of free speech and religion that are not ordinarily covered (or covered in any depth) in the constitutional law survey course. Topics may include: student speech, hate speech, compelled speech, the constitutionality of campaign finance restrictions, comparative international protections for religious freedom (e.g., restrictions on headscarves and Scientology), and protection for sacred sites. Students will select three or four of these topics to write short (5+ page) papers and lead discussion. Satisfactory completion of these papers will fulfill the writing requirement.

Course Description

This course is an abridged treatment of Remedies topics that are testable on the Multistate Bar Exam.

Course Description

Genocide in the 20th Century: In this course, which meets on Friday and Saturday on two separate weeks, Professor Noone explores the phenomenon of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and the legal instruments available to identify and punish atrocity crimes.

Course Description

Through our Prosecution Clinical Externship Program, students train in a prosecution or government office on the federal, state or municipal level. Students will gain valuable hands-on experience representing the government in a variety of settings, including criminal prosecutions. Students may be certified to appear in court in some of these settings. Students will participate in a weekly seminar with classmates who are working in a variety of prosecutorial and government settings.
8 Credits- 360 hours (approx. 5 days/week for 10 weeks) SPRING ONLY

Course Description

Through our Prosecution Clinical Externship Program, students train in a prosecution or government office on the federal, state or municipal level. Students will gain valuable hands-on experience representing the government in a variety of settings, including criminal prosecutions. Students may be certified to appear in court in some of these settings. Students will participate in a weekly seminar with classmates who are working in a variety of prosecutorial and government settings.
4 Credits- 180 hours (approx. 2 days/week for 14 weeks) SPRING ONLY

Course Description

Through our Prosecution Clinical Externship Program, students train in a prosecution or government office on the federal, state or municipal level. Students will gain valuable hands-on experience representing the government in a variety of settings, including criminal prosecutions. Students may be certified to appear in court in some of these settings. Students will participate in a weekly seminar with classmates who are working in a variety of prosecutorial and government settings.
6 Credits - 270 hours (approx. 3 days/week for 14 weeks) SPRING ONLY

Course Description

Through our Prosecution Clinical Externship Program, students train in a prosecution or government office on the federal, state or municipal level. Students will gain valuable hands-on experience representing the government in a variety of settings, including criminal prosecutions. Students may be certified to appear in court in some of these settings. Students will participate in a weekly seminar with classmates who are working in a variety of prosecutorial and government settings.

Course Description

Through our Prosecution Clinical Externship Program, students train in a prosecution or government office on the federal, state or municipal level. Students will gain valuable hands-on experience representing the government in a variety of settings, including criminal prosecutions. Students may be certified to appear in court in some of these settings. Students will participate in a weekly seminar with classmates who are working in a variety of prosecutorial and government settings.

Course Description

In this seminar, students will learn about starting and managing a law practice. Including goal setting, and having a vision for your firm, developing a business plan, How to incorporate best practices for hiring, managing, and firing employees, managing firm finances, self-care and avoiding burnout, and dealing with difficult client situations.