INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW
This courser covers the basic principles and rules of law, the history of the Anglo-American legal system, and gives an introduction to the contemporary legal system of the United States.
TORTS
This course covers the basic theories of civil liability for injuries to persons and property. The basic principles of the law of intentional torts such as battery, assault, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress are reviewed. This course will also outline the issues of negligence such as standard of care, breach of duty, causation, and damages. The basic principles of strict liability, in terms of products liability and vicarious liability will be investigated.
CONTRACTS
This course surveys basic principles of contracts such as formation, validity, rights of third parties, performance, breach, remedies, and damages. Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code and the Restatement Second of Contracts are also covered.
CRIMINAL LAW
This course covers the origins and sources of the criminal law, its basic principles such as actus reus, mens rea, and causation. The elements of some specific crimes are covered. Conditions of exculpation, including justification and insanity, are reviewed.
LEGAL ANALYSIS & WRITING
In the First Year, students are required to do 2 Legal Analysis and Writing courses. They are designed to provide students with the intensive knowledge and practical skills necessary for their study in law as well as the practice of law.
CIVIL PROCEDURE
This course covers various aspects of civil litigation from the filing of a complaint up to the discovery process. Jurisdiction over the person and venue and federal subject matter jurisdiction are explored. It includes joinder of parties in multi-party actions, interpleader, class actions and intervention. Modern discovery procedures, the trial process, and post-trial motions are considered.
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
This course surveys the ethical duties and professional responsibilities that apply to members of the legal profession in California and under the American Bar Association Code of Professional Responsibility and Code of Judicial Conduct.
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
This course addresses the constitutional issues of judicial review, federalism, separation of powers, and equal protection. It also includes individual rights and freedoms such as the incorporation of the Bill of Rights as against the States, freedom of speech and religion, due process, economic and personal liberties and state action.
COMMUNITY PROPERTY
This course covers classification of separate and community property, liability for debts, management and control of the community, and problems arising from the dissolution of the community or death of a spouse.
REAL PROPERTY
This course introduces the laws relating to the various types of real property interests including freehold and non-freehold estates and future interests, landlord-tenant relationships and the use of land.
WILLS & TRUSTS
This course covers the laws concerning intestate succession, wills and trusts with an emphasis on Californian law, the principles of federal estate and gift taxation, and the relationship of succession and taxes. It equips students with the skills to draft wills, trusts, codicils, and trust amendments and to do death tax projections.
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
This course addresses the constitutional aspects of various police practices, the right to counsel, arrest, search and seizure, confession, and the exclusionary rules. It also covers entrapment, line-ups, pre-trial release, preliminary hearing, grand jury investigations and review, the right to a speedy trial, discovery, plea bargaining, double jeopardy, and appeal.
CORPORATIONS
This course covers incorporation process, control and management of the corporation, duties of directors, officers and controlling shareholders. It also addresses liability for breach of the duties and violation of U.S. securities regulations.
REMEDIES
This course deals with the issues regarding equitable remedies such as injunction and specific performance. It also addresses such issues about defences and protection against certain types of tort liability including waste, nuisance, unfair competition and the law of rescission and reformation.
EVIDENCE
This course covers basic principles governing the admission and exclusion of evidence, including functions of judge and jury, examination and competency of witnesses, demonstrative evidence, the hearsay rule and its exceptions, the opinion rules, authentication and the best evidence rule, impeachment and rehabilitation, burdens of proof and presumptions, privileges, and judicial notice.
ADVANCED LEGAL RESEARCH & WRITING
This course is an intermediate writing and essay workshop in order to develop the legal writing skills of the students. It includes memorandum writing, client letters writing, and briefs writing.
COMMERCIAL TRANSACTION
This course deals with legal issues regarding commercial transactions based upon the Uniform Commercial Code and federal Bankruptcy Code. It includes negotiable instruments such as promissory notes and documents of title, secured transactions, etc.
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND NEGOTIATION
This course covers negotiation, mediation, arbitration and other forms of ADR. Students will study the legal framework including, but not limited to, the relevant California and federal statutes and the relevant rules on ethics and professional responsibility. It also includes rather modern ADR processes such as ombudsmen and mini-trials.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LAW
This course deals with problems stemming out of the differences of national legal systems of countries in terms of international business transactions. It covers international sale of goods, letters of credit and commercial documents. It also covers the World Trade Organization and the GATT.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
This course covers basic principles of the Trade Secret Law, Patent Law, Copyright Law, and Trademark Law. Appropriate federal and state statutes and common laws are considered.
IMMIGRATION
This course deals with employment and family-based benefits, exclusion and deportation, political asylum and refugees, permanent residency, U.S. citizenship, special considerations pertaining to foreign investors, and current policy and legislative issues. It also covers issues regarding legislation, agencies and the courts on immigration and naturalization.
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
This course surveys the constitutional powers and limitations on agency action, judicial review of agencies, and the procedures with which agencies must comply in regulating or providing benefits. It also covers the issues on administrative remedies.
CONFLICTS OF LAWS
This course explores the rules applied by courts in resolving cases about transactions or occurrences with relationship to more than one jurisdiction. It also covers the issues regarding the selection of appropriate rules where the laws of the jurisdictions differ.