J.D. Courses

We offer a variety of courses for whatever your professional interest is – private practice, public interest, government, litigation, corporate, marine, non-legal, educational, and more.

See courses offered in the Spring 2024 semester.
See courses offered in the Fall 2023 semester.
See courses offered in the Spring 2023 semester.
See courses offered in the Fall 2022 semester.
See courses offered in the Summer 2022 semester.
See courses offered in the Spring 2022 semester.
See courses offered in the Fall 2021 semester.
See courses offered in the Summer 2021 semester.
See courses offered in the Spring 2021 semester.
See courses offered in the Fall 2020 semester.
See courses offered in the Summer 2020 semester.
See courses offered in the Spring 2020 semester.
See courses offered in the Fall 2019 semester.
See courses offered in the Summer 2019 semester.
See courses offered in the Spring 2019 semester.

Learn more about the JD Program

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T

HONORS COURSE

This course will meet for six weeks.

 

Course Description

Following 9-11, lawyers in the Department of Justice and White House concluded that the United States could lawfully torture prisoners to extract information (or use "enhanced interrogation techniques," as they euphemistically put it). Their conclusions are highly controversial. This course involves reading and discussing essays related to this controversy in the anthology Torture: A Collection (Sanford Levinson ed.). This course will be taught by Professor Carl Bogus.
HONORS COURSE

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Seminar

Course Credits

1.0

Course Degree

Juris Doctor

Faculty Associated

Carl T. Bogus

Course Description

This course teaches all of the foundational skills of transactional lawyering, from advising and counseling business clients to the highest professional and ethical standards, to analyzing and drafting contracts to reflect the parties’ deal, objectives, and concerns. Students learn to understand a transaction through both its legal and business issues. In learning the process of drafting a contract, students learn to understand a client’s deal and then translate the deal into contract concepts that become the building blocks of the contract. Through exercises, simulations, and projects, students then learn to draft clear, careful, unambiguous provisions in a well-organized, readable, complete contract. Students learn how to add value to the contracted deal by drafting language or structuring the deal so that it shifts the risk levels for each party. Students also learn the art of analyzing, reviewing and commenting on drafted contracts using current practices and technologies. The class involves group exercises, simulations, and role play, as well as lecture. The type of contracts covered are relevant to most transactional law practices.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Elective

Course Credits

3.0

Course Degree

Juris DoctorMaster of Studies in Law

Faculty Associated

Collin BaileyStaci KolbKatie A. AhernMichael Prescott

Course Description

The trial advocacy course employs a learning-by-doing approach. Thus, most of the course will involve the practice of trial skills including direct and cross examination, opening statements, closing arguments, and jury selection, in a simulated courtroom environment. During the last two weeks of the course, each student will participate as co-counsel in a full-length simulated civil or criminal trial with a sitting Rhode Island judge or professor presiding.
Evidence is a prerequisite but may be taken concurrently with the permission of the Trial Advocacy instructor.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Elective

Course Credits

2.0

Course Degree

Juris DoctorMaster of Studies in Law

Prerequisite

LAW.645 – Evidence

Faculty Associated

Kelly McElroyMichelle AlvesTara I. AllenJohn GrassoThe Honorable Steven MinicucciKaren G. Smolar

Course Description

This course is designed to be an intensive study of trial advocacy skills for students interested in pursuing
litigation careers. It also serves as a foundational course for students who wish to participate in law
school-level trial competition. The course will build upon the foundation of previous instruction in LAW
641 (Trial Advocacy) and LAW 645 (Evidence) to perfect trial practice skills of organized argument, the
development of theories and themes, confidence in presentation, extemporaneous speech, and application
of law to fact. Students will have the opportunity to prepare and argue motions, make opening
statements, conduct direct and cross-examinations and deliver closing arguments. Students will participate
in a final mock trial competition at the end of the course.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Elective

Course Credits

2.0

Course Degree

Juris Doctor

Prerequisite

LAW.641 – Trial Advocacy LAW.645 – Evidence

Faculty Associated

Collin Mathew Geiselman

Course Description

The course will examine American Indian tribal courts, including tribal laws, codes, statutes, customs,
and the interplay between tribal courts, state, and U.S. federal law. Students will learn the intricacies of
both criminal and civil jurisdiction in tribal courts, how disputes are adjudicated on American Indian
reservations and be able to navigate the choice of law. They will gain an understanding of the rich history
of tribal courts, tribal governance, and tribal constitutions. They will gain an understanding of how
differing Native Nations organize tribal governments, including those in the Northeast region. Students
will gain an appreciation for how customs and customary law is applied in modern tribal governance and
adjudication, along with Indigenous approaches and philosophies associated with dispute resolution.
Family law, tribal membership and advocacy for civil and political rights will be discussed. Students will
be well prepared for both practice and employment in American Indian tribal courts and governments.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Elective

Course Credits

3.0

Course Degree

Juris Doctor

U

HONORS COURSE

Registration Priority will be given to 2L Honors Students

Course Description

This course will focus on the art of appellate advocacy with particular focus on two cases that will be argued this spring before the United States Supreme Court. The class will be taught by Professor Jared Goldstein and will include a trip to the Court to hear those two cases argued.
HONORS COURSE

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Seminar

Course Credits

1.0

Course Degree

Juris Doctor

Faculty Associated

Jared A. Goldstein

V

Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education

Course Description

The Veterans Disability Appeals Field Clinic is a one semester program in which law students represent military veterans whose applications for disability benefits have either been denied or granted at a level that is inappropriate to the level of disability. Working with experienced attorneys from Chisholm, Chisholm & Kilpatrick, a nationally recognized law firm specializing in this work, students will research and draft legal memoranda and briefs, participate in pre-briefing conferences and, when appropriate, argue cases before the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Clinic/Externship

Course Credits

6.0

Course Degree

Juris Doctor

Faculty Associated

Kaitlyn Degnan

HONORS COURSE

Course Description

This course taught by Adjunct Professor Teresa Paiva Weed will review the role of the Guardian ad Litem in both domestic cases as well as child abuse and neglect cases. The class will include an overview of the law and its practical application in a variety of custody disputes, including religious and education disagreements and relocation issues.
HONORS COURSE

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Seminar

Course Credits

1.0

Course Degree

Juris Doctor

W

ONLY OFFERED IN THE SPRING

Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education

Course Description

The DC SIP immerses students in the Washington DC legal and policy world through a full-time placement with a federal agency, legislative office, non-profit, or trade group. The externship placement is complemented by a weekly, two-credit, graded seminar. The seminar will cover the rules and skills relevant to government practice and the entities that interact with the federal government, such as conflict-of-interest and lobbying regulations. Substantive issues will span administrative and regulatory enforcement, legislative drafting and congressional oversight, federal judicial policy making, and public interest litigation. Guest speakers will walk students through real world issues from their careers. Students will also engage in self-reflective journaling and other writing assignments. SPRING ONLY

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Clinic/Externship

Course Credits

12

Course Degree

Juris Doctor

Faculty Associated

David M. Zlotnick

SPRING SEMESTER ONLY

Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education

Course Description

The DC SIP immerses students in the Washington DC legal and policy world through a full-time placement with a federal agency, legislative office, non-profit, or trade group. The externship placement is complemented by a weekly, two-credit, graded seminar. The seminar will cover the rules and skills relevant to government practice and the entities that interact with the federal government, such as conflict-of-interest and lobbying regulations. Substantive issues will span administrative and regulatory enforcement, legislative drafting and congressional oversight, federal judicial policy making, and public interest litigation. Guest speakers will walk students through real world issues from their careers. Students will also engage in self-reflective journaling and other writing assignments.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Seminar

Course Credits

2.0

Course Degree

Juris Doctor

Course Description

Water is our most valuable resource, and as the 21st Century continues, struggles regarding its management and use will become even more prominent as the climate changes and populations grow. This course explores legal schemes for securing, allocating, and managing water rights for public and private uses, and will address both fresh surface and ground water resources. Over the course of the semester, we will examine the riparian and prior appropriation doctrines; common law, state and federal statutory schemes and regulations for managing water use; and mechanisms for transboundary and interstate allocation of water. We will also consider social policy, history, and the value (economic, social cultural, etc.) of water, as well as the science of hydrology and hydrogeology, as a basis for water law and for understanding overall water resources management and regulations

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Seminar

Course Credits

2.0

Course Degree

Juris DoctorMaster of Studies in Law

This Course Meets for Six Weeks

Course Description

This course will use the collection of essays by Ta-Nehisi Coates, “We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy” to discuss the election of the first African American president and the political response to his presidency. Mr. Coates explores the echoes of the earlier post-Civil War Reconstruction era in American history in the response to the Obama presidency and its aftermath.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Seminar

Course Credits

1.0

Course Degree

Juris DoctorMaster of Studies in Law

Faculty Associated

Diana J. Hassel

Course Description

This seminar deals with policy, doctrine and jurisprudence implicated by corporate and other business entities' criminality. The course will cover the criminal liability of business entities and their officers, involving the study of federal criminal statutes used to prosecute corporate and white collar crime, including mail & wire fraud, conspiracy, racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO), anti-trust, securities and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Seminar

Course Credits

2.0

Course Degree

Juris DoctorMaster of Studies in Law

Faculty Associated

Susan Schwab Heyman

Course Description

This course is intended to prepare a student to advise clients about ordering their personal and financial affairs to more effectively provide for themselves and the people about whom they care. Various dispositive mechanisms inter vivos testamentary and in trust, will be covered, as well as devices to appoint health care and financial proxies. The course will also address the ethical and professional responsibilities of lawyers representing clients in this area.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Elective

Course Credits

3.0

Course Degree

Juris DoctorMaster of Studies in Law

Faculty Associated

Akilah N. Folami

Course Description

This course will examine several landmark cases concerning women’s legal rights, covering such topics as: constitutional law, reproductive freedom, sexual harassment and employment law, family law, the intersectionality of race and gender discrimination, and the role of women in the legal profession. Utilizing the Women and the Law Stories book, we will go behind the cases to discuss the litigants, history, strategies and theoretical implications involved.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Seminar

Course Credits

1.0

Course Degree

Juris Doctor

Faculty Associated

Emily J. Sack

Course Description

This course will consider and evaluate benefit delivery systems for those who suffer work related injuries. Class discussion will trace the evolution of the law from common law tort system and the use of the affirmative defenses to bar most claims to the development of benefit systems which do not utilize fault as a liability measure. The structure of the benefit system will be evaluated and distinctions considered between the various state systems as well as the federal longshore and harbor workers compensation act.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Elective

Course Credits

2.0

Course Degree

Juris DoctorMaster of Studies in Law

Course Description

In this course, which will involve both seminar and workshop components, students will focus on improving their legal analysis and writing skills. More specifically, students will explore the relationship between form and content in “real-world” legal documents by discerning both the purpose and formal attributes of those texts before attempting to create them for themselves. Such documents may include a summary of a client intake, a professional email to a client, or a short memorandum to a supervisor. In particular, this course will emphasize a recursive writing process that develops texts incrementally and prioritizes foundational elements over superficial features.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Seminar

Course Credits

2.0

Course Degree

Juris Doctor

Faculty Associated

Colleen A. BrownJustin Kishbaugh

Course Description

This one-credit graded eight-week course will shine a light on racial injustice within the criminal justice
system through the lens of the Netflix Documentary Trial 4. The 2020 documentary is about Sean Ellis, a
black man who was wrongfully convicted of killing a Boston police officer and consequently spent 22
years in prison for a crime he did not commit. This course will explore the many factors that lead to
wrongful convictions, including coerced and fabricated evidence in criminal investigations, tunnel vision
and confirmation bias, false testimony, and single witness identifications. The course will also explore the
role that effective legal advocacy can play in overturning wrongful convictions. Students will watch Trial
4 outside of class, share their thoughts in weekly forum posts and during class discussion. The course will
culminate with group presentations on other wrongful conviction cases, weaving in themes and issues
discussed throughout the class and contemplating possible solutions.

Course Type See Course Type Descriptions

Seminar

Course Credits

1.0

Course Degree

Juris Doctor
Close Course Type Descriptions

Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

Elective

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminar

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.