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2009 WCL Academic Planning Guide

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Prepared by the Office of Student Affairs
March 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Introduction & Basic Scheme
  2. General Suggestions for Academic Planning
    1. Prerequisites
    2. Residency Requirement
    3. Upper Level Writing Requirement
    4. Professional Skills Requirement
    5. Other Graduate Courses
    6. Nonclassroom Credits
    7. Courses at Other Law Schools
  3. Balancing Bar Exam Requirements with Intellectual Exploration
    1. What's on the Bar?
    2. Deciding What To Take
  4. Independent Study and Externships
  5. Clinical Programs
  6. Curricular Areas
    1. Introduction
    2. First Semester of Second Year
    3. Curricular Areas
      1. Administrative Law and Regulatory Policy
      2. Corporate Law
      3. Criminal Law
      4. Family Law
      5. General Practice
      6. Health Law
      7. International Law
        1. International Organizations, State Relations, and Human Rights
        2. Transnational Investment, Trade, Banking, and Development
      9. Lawyering Skills
      10. Legal Theory and History
      11. Property
        1. Real Estate
        2. Land Use and Environmental
        3. Wills and Estates
      13. Intellectual Property
      14. Public Interest Law
  7. Who to See by Function

  1. Introduction and Basic Scheme

    This handout contains a discussion of our upper level elective curriculum and presents that curriculum in several ways with courses grouped under general topic headings. If there is a central theme, a goal to achieve, it is to attain a balance among our doctrine courses, perspective courses, lawyering skills courses (simulation and clinical), and professional field experience (externships, clinics, and legal work). All are important to your development as a well-rounded lawyer who is competent in doctrinal knowledge and has developed practice skills, sound professional field experience, and an ability- to reflect on the state of the law, the profession and the changes that will be occur in both during your professional career. This notion of balance also allows you to work toward lasting social change and improvement of the human condition. Lawyers traditionally have been social leaders; with the mantle of leadership, and the privilege it implies, there is a correlative responsibility to act affirmatively for the betterment of society. You can only discharge that responsibility if you attain professional balance.

    A solid foundation in the substantive areas of interest to you is essential. To that, add courses in lawyering skills, legal theory and history, and experiential learning. WCL prides itself on its commitment to clinical legal education, skills instruction, and supervised field experience (externships and clinics). A solid foundation in experiential learning ("plan, do, reflect") is a lifelong professional skill. Legal Theory, History, and Law and Economics courses demonstrate to a considerable degree the innovative scholarship of our faculty. They allow you to do now what you will have much less time to do in practice: reflect on the past development of the law and the legal profession, and on "conventional wisdom." By developing a knowledge base and a commitment to reflection while in law school, you will be able to continue to do so after graduation.

    This guide does not contain sequences for all course areas. For more precise advice within a particular group, you should consult the faculty members teaching in that area. The catalog course listings indicate which faculty members teach specific courses and from that you can determine who works in a particular area. You should be aware of both formal prerequisites (relatively few; see catalog), and informal notions of precedence. The latter are best ascertained from talking with faculty members teaching in the general area in which the course is grouped.

    There is no formal advisor system at WCL. You do not need to obtain approval of any faculty member or administrator to register for, add, or drop a course during advance registration or when adjusting your schedule during a drop/add period. However, this does not mean that there are no avenues of advice open to you beyond this Guide. If you have an interest in a particular area, it will be helpful to discuss your planning with faculty members teaching in that area. A list of faculty by area of interest, expertise, etc., is provided by the Office of Student Affairs. Feel free also to contact Student Affairs at any time.

  2. General Suggestions for Academic Planning

    Not every course found in the topical listings is offered every semester: some are offered only in the summer, some listed courses are not offered even though previously scheduled due to last-minute developments such as under-enrollment, and courses sometimes are added. Although the number of courses so affected is usually very small, BE SURE to check each academic period's schedule and the Docket for last-minute schedule changes. Also, consult the Docket and the Registrar for an understanding of the online registration system, as your lottery position can have a great bearing on when you are able to take certain courses and will influence when you take courses that are prerequisites for other courses in the same sequence (i.e., Business Associations for Securities Regulation; Federal Personal Tax for Federal Corporate Tax; Evidence for Trial Advocacy and most clinics, etc.).

    1. Prerequisites - Always check for prerequisites (see Catalog and schedule). If you are in doubt about a particular course, or if you wish to develop a planned sequence of courses in a particular area, you should consult a faculty member teaching in that area. If you wish to develop a sequence of the more common upper level electives, Student Affairs is always happy to help.
    2. Residency Requirement - In addition to counting degree hours (86), you also must make sure that you comply with both WCL and ABA residency requirements. Basically, full-time students must accumulate 86 credit hours in no fewer than 6 full-time semesters, or their equivalent, in which they earn no fewer than 12 hours in each semester. Part-time students must do so in no fewer than 8 part-time semesters, or their equivalent, in which they earn no fewer than 8 hours in each semester. [NB: To fulfill the residency requirement part-time students must take a third course in both semesters of the second year, or take additional credits in one semester and a course in a summer session to make both second year semesters part-time resident semesters, as the number of required course credits in these semesters total 7 and 6 respectively (not 8). Because the first year part-time course load is 19 hours, even taking 11 hours each semester in the second, third, and fourth years, will leave students one hour short of the required 86 (19 + 22 + 22 + 22 = 85). Therefore, at least one summer session is necessary for part-time students who wish to graduate in 4 years.]

      Some full- and part-time students take classes in more than one summer session to accelerate their graduation, i.e., 2 2-years for full-time students and 3 2-years for part-time. There are two points to remember: First, reducing the duration of your law school career by one semester is the most that can be achieved and still be in compliance with ABA and WCL residency requirements. Second, while it is possible to add two summer sessions together to form the equivalent of a full- or part-time semester (i.e., 6 + 6 = 12 for FT, or 4 + 4 = 8 for PT; or other combinations adding to a minimum of 12 or 8), each of these summer sessions must be 35 class days in length. That is, classes must be held 5 days a week for 7 weeks in a summer session for it to qualify as one-half of a resident semester (70 class days) so that two such summer sessions can be added together to form the final, needed resident semester, full- or part-time. For example, a WCL summer session (36 class days in length) and a (second) summer study abroad program or other summer program that is fewer than 35 class days in length will not, when added together, be the equivalent of a resident semester.

      Regardless of which division you are in, if you do not shift divisions (full-time to part-time or vice versa) during your law school career and always successfully complete at least the minimum number of credit hours required for each division to maintain residency, you will not have any residency problems. If you formally shift divisions or complete satisfactorily less than the per semester minimum credit hour load required by the division you are in, you will have to pay close attention to the issue of residency requirements. You cannot graduate unless you comply with them. Please consult the Registrar before making divisional shifts.

      Finally, the term "residency" refers to being enrolled in an ABA-approved law school. If you study abroad in a summer program of an ABA-approved law school or take a summer school course at another ABA-approved law school, and receive WCL credit for this work (see the Registrar to request such transfer credit), you are deemed to be "in residence" for purposes of this requirement. See section F., infra, for a discussion of when non-WCL law courses can be counted towards our degree requirements.

    3. Upper Level Writing Requirement - Prior to graduation, you have to satisfy the WCL Upper Level Writing Requirement (a pamphlet describing the requirement is available online and in the Student Affairs office). Most students satisfy the requirement by writing a seminar paper, through a law journal note, or by a directed study research paper (see Independent Study Project, infra), although any written work product prepared in any WCL program can satisfy it if it meets the requirements of rigor, length, and single topic.
    4. Professional Skills Requirement - This is a requirement that may be satisfied by successfully completing a course that includes substantial instruction in professional skills generally regarded as necessary for effective and responsible participation in the legal profession. These skills include, but are not limited to, trial and appellate advocacy, alternative methods of dispute resolution, counseling, interviewing, negotiating, factual investigation, organization and management of legal work, and drafting. It does not include instruction in substantive law, legal analysis and reasoning, legal research, problem solving, oral communication, writing in a legal context, or professional responsibility. Applicable courses may be found on the web under the Office of the Registrar.
    5. Other Graduate Courses - You may wish to consider using the 6 credit hour graduate course transfer feature of the curriculum to broaden your course selection. When you believe a particular graduate level course is related to either the study of law or to your intended area of practice, you may petition the Registrar for approval of the course as meeting the WCL degree requirements, up to a maximum of 6 credit hours. WCL students have been creative in their use of this feature of the curriculum. For example, a student interested in a practice specializing in spouse and child abuse took a graduate level psychology course in spouse and child abuse. Other students interested in a business practice have taken courses from the business school in accounting and financial management. Bear in mind that credits earned in this manner count against the non-classroom credits that may be earned for your degree; see section F, below.

      Note also that WCL has five dual JD degree programs: JD/MBA (Prof. Perry Wallace is the WCL advisor); JD/MS in Justice (Prof. Ira Robbins); the JD/MA Law and International Affairs program (Prof. Paul Williams); and the JD/MPP and JD/MPA (AU Asst. Deann at SPA- Jackie Linde, linde@american.edu, ext 6248). While you need not be enrolled in a dual degree program to take courses offered in the other discipline, if you are you cannot transfer more than 6 non-WCL credits for WCL credit. That is, you cannot transfer 6 hours under the dual degree program, and another 6 hours under the general graduate course transfer program; the minimum number of law school credit hours required by the ABA for a JD degree is 80 and our degree hour requirement is 86.

      The procedures for obtaining approval of non-law courses are as follows: a request for administrative approval addressed to the Registrar should contain a statement of your reason for requesting the course, and

      • name and number of the course, and a copy of the course description;
      • your area of study in law school or your intended area of practice (include names of relevant courses taken and to be taken);
      • the relationship of the course to your area of study or your intended area of practice upon graduation;
      • your background in the area (include- related work, externship, and clinical experience to show the total scope of your involvement in the area);
      • names of similar courses previously taken in college or graduate school in the same area
      • names and numbers of other non-WCL AU courses you have previously taken for credit toward the WCL degree; and
      • any other information you deem relevant. - Please note that this policy generally requires the course sought to be transferred to be graduate level unless an undergraduate course is demonstrated to be clearly more relevant, and prohibits the transfer to WCL of courses taken on a pass-fail basis. Also, note that these courses will not count toward your JD GPA.
    6. Non-Classroom Credits - A maximum of 12 non-classroom credits may be applied toward the 86 credits required for the JD degree. Such credits include but are not limited to those in externships, field components, law reviews and journals, externship fieldwork, non-law classes, independent studies, moot court, and mock trial (NOTE: All Clinic credits are deemed "classroom credits"). For dual degree students with an AU program, the number of credits is extended to 18.
    7. Courses at Other Law Schools - In rare cases, non-WCL law courses can be taken at other ABA-approved law schools and counted toward WCL degree requirements. An interested student will present a completed "Permit to Study Abroad" or "Permit to Study at Another Law School" form which includes:
      • name and number of the course, and a copy of the catalog description;
      • your reasons for taking the course at the other law school, that is, how does it relate to your area of study in law school or your intended area of practice upon graduation (include relevant courses taken and to be taken, and externship, clinical, and work experience, to show the total scope of your involvement in the area of which the course is a part, as well as the other school having offerings WCL does not);
      • ways in which the course furthers your study in a particular field of law or prepares you for your intended area of practice upon graduation;
      • any other information you deem relevant. NOTE: Transfer students generally are prohibited from taking any non-WCL law courses in addition to those they completed prior to the date of their transfer to WCL.

      Please remember that the non-WCL law course cannot be taken on a pass-fail basis (other than an externship), and can only be accepted for transfer if the grade received is a passing grade at WCL (a "D", defined as a 1.0 on a 4.0 scale). Your transcript will reflect only the credits earned.

  3. Balancing Bar Exam Requirements with Intellectual Growth, Career Exploration, and Changes in the Legal Profession

    All law students face the problem of determining what subjects will be included on bar examinations, what courses representing these subjects should be taken in law school, what subjects can safely be learned in bar review courses, and how a law student balances the reality of the bar exam with the need to explore different areas of law as part of career development, intellectual growth, and recognizing the changes in the legal profession. What follows is an attempt to address this complex issue.

    1. What's on the Bar? Two convenient ways to get information from state bar examining authorities regarding the subject matter content of examinations:
      • Go to http://ncbex.org. This website, belonging to the National Conference of Bar Examiners, provides contact information for bar admission office around the country, a list of test dates, and a list of which jurisdictions are using which examinations.
      • Consult the BAR/BRI Digest. Although WCL does not endorse any for-profit company, the digest is a good source for a very brief synopsis of the courses covered on each state's bar exam and the address of the bar examiners for each state.

      When reviewing a list of subjects, read it carefully to determine if the examiners are telling you what areas you will be tested on, versus what areas have been included in past exams and may be tested. If it is the latter, the list may be longer and somewhat misleading for it implies that you should try to take as many courses in law school as correspond to the subjects listed.

    2. Deciding What To Take - A rule of reason and balance should be followed in deciding which courses to take based on what is covered on bar exams. Do not become wedded to taking courses just because they are on the bar exam without regard to your interests and broader career objectives. The following factors may help you find this balance:
      • If you are interested in a particular subject matter, it makes sense to take the law school course and not rely on the bar review course as a substitute for it. Bar review courses are designed to give you enough understanding to pass the bar exam. They are not a full substitute for the extended treatment of the same subject matter that a law school course provides.
      • If you are not interested in the course, there are other ways in which you can obtain a basic knowledge of a particular subject, such as a bar review course or self-study of a treatise or other resource (a Nutshell, for example, provides a reasonable, short overview of an area).
      • If you are concerned about obtaining a law school foundation in subjects traditionally covered on bar exams, one or two sections of these courses -typically are offered each semester: Business Associations; Wills, Trusts, & Estates; Federal Personal Income Tax; Sales, Secured Transactions (UCC Articles 2 and 9); Negotiable Instruments (UCC Articles 3, 4, 4A, and 5) [NB: Although a specialized area, Negotiable Instruments appears on some bar examinations. The conventional wisdom is that if only one UCC course is to be taken in law school, it should be Negotiable Instruments because it is felt to be harder than Sales or Secured Transactions due to the concept of negotiability, and because of the three courses, Sales and Secured Transactions are easier to learn in a bar review course.]

      This pattern has other implications, principally, that you have the ability to spread these courses out over the upper level years. With greater flexibility for sequencing, you can concentrate on other courses that are more to your liking earlier and still be able to get these courses before you graduate. Conversely, if you defer taking, say, BA until the spring semester of your second year of full-time or third year of part-time, and find that you like the subject matter, you would have to take Securities Regulation in the fall semester of your third year of full-time or fourth year of part-time if you wished to pursue this substantive area and postpone seminars for which these two courses are prerequisites until the last semester of your last year. Given the high enrollments in BA in the Fall semester of the second year, it appears most full-time students decide to take BA early in the second year to keep their options open for further work in this field if they wish. In addition, lawyers employing students in the second and third years and the summer between may give preference to those who have taken, or are taking, courses that are relevant to their practices at the time of employment.

  4. Independent Study and Externships

    Under WCL's Independent Study Program, it is possible to receive academic credit for directed research on a specific topic or for field placement unpaid legal employment experience with the legal department of a government agency (state, local, or federal) or a non-profit organization.

    1. Independent Study
      The details of this program are found in two documents that are available from Student Affairs. For an independent study, you will need the Independent Study Program Policy Statement, which explains this program, and an Independent Study Contract (blue form) for registration. The fully-executed contract (with faculty sponsor signature) and detailed description of the project are presented to the Office of Student Affairs for approval, after which it is presented to the Registrar for registration with a drop/add form.
    2. Externships (Program Director, Avis Sanders, Rm 411, x4072)
      Among the many advantages of studying law in Washington, D.C. and at the Washington College of Law is the opportunity to integrate practical experience with the theory of the classroom by participating in our Externship Program. In addition to the actual work experience you gain by working in a field placement, this program enables you to explore various career options and other facets of becoming a lawyer, thereby providing direction and insight for your postgraduate legal career. Your field work experience is enhanced by the close supervision you receive from our faculty members, either by taking one of our wide variety of externship seminars or, in some cases, by arranging for individual faculty supervision. You can obtain more information about the Externship Program by contacting the Externship Program Office.

  5. Clinical Programs

    WCL clinics are designed to provide students individualized instruction in the lawyering process and to lay a foundation for the development of the life-long skill of experiential learning. Students represent real clients and handle legal matters and litigation from start to finish; take full responsibility for their clients' cases; engage in the supervised practice of law; and learn lawyering skills (i.e., interviewing, counseling, negotiation, case preparation, decision making, discovery practice, witness preparation, trial skills, etc.). The clinical programs allow students to apply the doctrinal and theoretical knowledge gained in other parts of the curriculum to real-life practice situations. Faculty guidance, in-court supervision, and feedback are major components of clinical legal education at WCL.

    The Clinical Program (Suite 417) has materials describing each of its areas of practice and offers information sessions during the academic year. The programs are:

    General Practice* Community and Economic Development Law*
    Criminal Justice* Disability Law
    D.C. Law Students in Court Domestic Violence
    Intellectual Property International Human Rights*
    Tax Women and the Law*

    (*Possible enrollment in second year)

    Prerequisites and co-requisites for clinical courses vary, so if you are interested in a clinic, make sure you plan the courses you take accordingly.

  6. Curricular Areas

    1. Introduction

      In this section, the curriculum is broken down into identifiable areas to enable you to organize the mass of offerings into manageable groups. -There is a degree of difficulty in this approach because the relationships among various courses resist categorization. As a result, you will notice some overlap. There expressly is no attempt here to identify sequences of courses, at least beyond the initial, basic electives in a group. The best advice is to consult faculty members teaching in your area(s) of interest.

      This Guide attempts to list every course, seminar, clinic, or other academic program that is offered regularly or has been approved by the faculty for the future. Publishers of the guide expressly disclaim any warranty of completeness; our curriculum changes too quickly. Consult the Docket for last-minute additions, including specialized offerings that may only be available in a given academic period.

    2. First Semester of Second Year

      Many students have referred to this semester as the Semester of Prerequisites. A glance at the course offerings often shows multiple sections of several courses: Business Associations; Sales; Secured Transactions; Wills, Trusts & Estates; Federal Personal Income Tax; and Evidence. Most of these courses prepare you to take more courses on which they are based: Securities Regulation, Seminar in Regulation of Securities Markets, Business Planning; Estate and Gift Tax, Corporate Tax, Partnership Tax, Tax Policy; Advanced Evidence, Clinics, Civil and Criminal Trial Advocacy, for example.

      If you have not decided whether or not to pursue work in a particular area, or have decided you will not do so, there is a great temptation simply to take as many of these first level electives as you can so as to take maximum advantage of opportunities to pursue more advanced courses in several areas as early as the second semester of the first year. This course of action is not recommended. Remember that many of you will be starting your first part-time jobs or externships to get that first round of part-time legal work experience during the academic year. This experience is likely to influence your career direction to some degree. Several of your predecessors have remarked that they found they were trying to do too much in this semester under similar circumstances, especially when they found that the camaraderie of their first year sections was no longer present as their friends went in different directions.

      Best advice: Concentrate during your entire second year on courses which are formal prerequisites for more advanced courses in a particular area so that your pursuit of the advanced courses in your third year is not inhibited. Then, spread out the remaining first level electives that are bar-related and reflect traditional notions of what a lawyer's general substantive knowledge should be based on their availability in each remaining semester. Remember to avoid "loading up" on too many courses just because they appear on bars. Assess your interests and individual level of risk tolerance. However, don't push them all beyond the second year, or they will be over-represented in your third year and you will be less able to make any mid-course corrections that may be necessary or desirable.

      Also, leave room for lawyering skills courses and legal theory and history courses. Not only will you achieve the balanced education suggested earlier, but you will see yourself developing as a well-rounded lawyer as you move through law school. The transition from law school to "real world" will be much smoother.

      As a part-time student your timetable for taking electives in the second year is more limited since you are still taking required courses (Civil Procedure, Property, Criminal Procedure I and Legal Ethics if you did not take either or both in the prior summer). There is some room, however, in both semesters of the second year to take upper-level electives, probably one in each semester. Better yet, the summer sessions can be used to pick up courses and reduce the load of the regular semesters somewhat at both ends of the second and third academic years. Traditional upper-level electives that are frequently offered in the summer are Evidence and Family Law, as well as second year required courses Criminal Procedure I and Legal Ethics. If a part-time student wishes to take upper-level electives in the summer following the first year, he/she can certainly do so, but care has to be taken in choosing these courses given the degree of concentration of presentation (from 14 weeks to 9 weeks). The same caveat is probably true in the second year if a part-time student wishes to include an additional course with the minimum required courses. Best advice: Choose courses that are not too dependent on Property and Civil Procedure which you will not have had. NB: Federal financial aid regulations require you to register for at least 6 credit hours in the summer to be eligible for federal loans.

    3. Curricular Areas

      1. Administrative Law and Regulatory Policy

        Administrative Law deals with the structure, powers, and procedures of administrative agencies. These include such executive agencies as the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, Health and Human Services, etc. They also include so-called independent agencies like the National Labor Relations Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and certain agencies in the Executive Office of the President such as the Office of Management and Budget. When statutes create some new public program, responsibility for it is normally assigned to an agency. Therefore, agencies are the major operational branch of the government. They regulate industry and private behavior, they investigate, they bring enforcement actions, and they adjudicate cases. Virtually every area of federal law involves some federal agency in some respect. State agencies play essentially the same role at the state level.

        Courses
        Administrative Law Antitrust Law
        Aviation Law: Domestic and International Aspects Business Immigration Law
        Copyright Education Law
        Employment and Labor Law: The Employment Relationship Employment Discrimination
        Employment Rights Law Environmental Law
        Evidence Family- and Employment-Based Immigration Law
        Federal Courts Federal Law on Indian Tribes
        Federal Regulatory Process (summer) Food and Drug Law
        Government Contracts Government Information Law and Policy
        Government Liability Higher Education Law
        Immigration Law International and Comparative Antitrust
        International and Comparative Copyright Lobbying and the Legislative Process
        Patent Law Regulation of Derivatives
        Regulation of Energy Regulatory Law and Policy
        Secrecy Controversies Sex-based Discrimination
        Special Education Law State Constitutional Law
        Unfair Trade Practices U.S. Trademark Law
        The Washington Lawyer (LLM only) Whistleblowers
        Seminars
        Administrative Law and Regulations Advanced Antitrust
        Advanced Civil Procedure Advanced Constitutional Law
        Advanced Evidence American Courts: Structure, People, Processes, Politics
        Congress, Law-making, & Foreign Affairs Communications Law
        Disability and the Law Legislation
        Legislative Process Local Government Law
        Practicing in and before Regulatory Agencies Presidential Strategies on Rights
        Public Employment Law Public Information Law and Policy
        Transnational Reach of Economic Regulation Labor & Employment Law: Work, Family & Equity
        Externships, Field Components, and Clinics
        Commodities Futures Market Field Component [must take Seminar: Regulation of Derivatives]
        International Human Rights Clinic (asylum component)
        Community and Economic Development Clinic
        Securities Regulation Field Component [must take Regulation of Securities Markets or advanced seminar]
        Lawyering in the Public Interest and Government
        Other Courses and Seminars
        Education Law Higher Education Law
        International Telecommunication National Security Law
        Natural Resources Seminar: Tax Policy and Problems
        Special Education Law Telecommunication Law

      2. Corporate Law

        Courses
        Accounting Fundamentals and the Law Advanced Corporate Law
        Analytical Methods for Business Lawyers Business Associations
        Business Reorganization in Bankruptcy *1 Corporate Crime
        Corporate Finance Creditors Rights in Bankruptcy
        Federal Corporate Tax Federal Personal Income Tax
        International Sales Law and Accounting
        Negotiable Instruments Law of Non-Profit Organizations
        Regulation in America Sales
        Secured Transactions Securities Regulation
        Venture Capital
        Seminars
        Advanced Problems in Securities Law * Banking Law and Regulation *
        Business Planning and Securities Regulation 2 Comparative Secured Transactions
        Computer Crime Domestic Banking *
        Financial Institutions International Banking
        Mergers and Acquisitions * Regulation of Derivatives
        Regulation of Securities Markets * Selected Issues in International Business Law
        White Collar Crime
        Externships, Field Components, and Clinics
        Securities Regulation Field Component 3 Commodities Futures Trading Field Component
        Externships/Externship Seminars Community and Economic Development Clinic
        Tax Clinic
        Related Courses and Seminars
        Administrative Law Advanced Civil Procedure: Complex Litigation
        Advanced Evidence Antitrust Law
        Comparative Labor and Employment Law Employment Discrimination
        Employment Rights Law Employment & Labor Law: The Employment Relationship
        Government Contracts Lawyers and Clients: Interviewing and Counseling
        Lawyer Bargaining Pension & Employee Benefit Law
        Remedies Sex-based Discrimination
        Trial Advocacy (criminal or civil) Unfair Trade Practices
        Work and Parenting
        Dual Degree Program in Law and Business (JD/MBA; see Prof. Perry Wallace)

      3. Criminal Law

        For those who are reasonably certain they will pursue careers as prosecutors or defenders, one approach to consider when selecting courses is to take a seminar of interest, Evidence (a prerequisite for Trial Advocacy and Criminal Justice Clinic), Criminal Procedure II, and a simulation course like Lawyers and Clients: Interviewing & Counseling, by the end of the second year. In the third year, one of the clinics or Trial Advocacy (criminal), and such seminars as Advanced Criminal Procedure, or Post Conviction Remedies will yield a thorough law school preparation for criminal litigation.

        Those who have not decided to follow such a career path or who have deferred satisfying the upper level writing requirement until the third year and who also have a demanding part-time job or are quite involved in a time-consuming law school activity (or both), may find that the combination of a clinic, Trial Advocacy, and an upper level writing requirement seminar either forecloses exploring other substantive criminal law areas or is simply too great a time commitment. Sometimes, for example, a choice will have to be made between, say, a clinic and Trial Advocacy, bearing in mind that they are not interchangeable. Although they complement each other, they are also discrete experiences.

        Courses
        Computer Crime Corporate Crime
        Criminal Defense: Theory & Practice Criminal Procedure II
        Evidence Federal Regulatory Process (summer)
        Juvenile Law Legal and Judicial Reform
        Role of the Federal Prosecutor Wrongful Convictions: Innocence and the Criminal Process
        Trial Advocacy (criminal)
        Seminars
        Advanced Criminal Procedure Advanced Evidence
        Advanced Issues in Criminal Law International Trafficking in Persons
        Military Justice Political Crime and Terrorism
        Post Conviction Remedies Race, Crime & Politics
        Role of the Federal Prosecutor Sentencing, Sanctions & Corrections
        Trial Advocacy: Trial Advocacy in the Electronic Courtroom White Collar Crime
        Externships and Clinics
        Externships/Externship Seminars Criminal Justice Clinic
        Domestic Violence Clinic
        Other Courses and Seminars
        Lawyers and Clients: Interviewing and Counseling Lawyer Bargaining
        Dual Degree Program in Law and Justice (JD/MS; see Prof. Ira Robbins)

      4. Family Law

        WCL provides both a number of courses devoted to subjects within the broad area of family law and courses within which the role of the family as a unit of legal and social organization is addressed. Because the family is an institution with significant legal and social meaning, many faculty teach about it in many different types of courses ranging from legal theory to the intricacies of legal practice. Students who know that they want to pursue legal practice in the area of family law, as well as students who are interested in the ways that the family unit structures legal responsibilities, entitlements and obligations, will find much within the curriculum to engage their interest and deepen their knowledge.

        Courses
        Chinese Law Comparative Law
        Critical Race Theory Domestic Violence Law
        Education Law Employment Discrimination
        Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Family Law
        Feminist Jurisprudence Gender and the Law
        Health Law International Trafficking in Persons
        Juvenile Law: Children's Legal Rights Law & Popular Culture
        Sex-Based Discrimination Special Education Law
        Wills, Trusts and Estates
        Seminars
        Advanced Constitutional Law: Equal Protection Advanced Family Law: State, Family and Society
        Advanced Family Law Practice Advanced Family Law Theory and Practice
        AIDS and the Law Disability and the Law
        Elder Law: Policy and Practice Family and Employment-Based Immigration Law
        Global Public Interest Practice Housing Discrimination
        Gender, Cultural Difference, and International Human Rights Gender, Labor & the Global Economy
        Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in International Human Rights Labor & Employment: Work, Family & Equality
        Reproductive Rights Selected Topics in Health Law
        Sexuality and the Law Women, Crime and the Law
        Clinics
        Civil Practice Disability Rights
        Domestic Violence International Human Rights
        Women and the Law

      5. General Practice

        Courses
        Administrative Law Alternative Dispute Resolution
        Business Associations Conflict of Laws
        Evidence Family Law
        Federal Corporate Income Tax Federal Estate and Gift Tax
        Federal Personal Income Tax Health Law
        Insurance Law Juvenile Law: Children's Legal Rights
        Lawyers and Clients: Interviewing and Counseling Lawyer Bargaining
        Remedies Trial Advocacy (civil)
        Wills, Trusts, & Estates
        Seminars
        Family Law Issues Family Law: State, Law & Society
        Family Law: Theory & Practice Local Government Law
        Pension and Employee Benefit Law Principles of French Law
        Remedies for Constitutional and Complex Cases
        Clinics
        Civil Practice Clinic Disability Rights Law Clinic
        Domestic Violence Clinic Community and Economic Development Clinic
        Women and the Law Clinic Tax Clinic
        Related Courses and Seminars
        Accounting Fundamentals and the Law Disability and the Law
        Employment Discrimination Externships/Externship Seminar
        Introduccion al Derecho Continental Land Transfer and Finance
        Law and Accounting Negotiable Instruments
        Sales Secured Transactions
        Seminar: Advanced Civil Procedure Seminar: Advanced Evidence
        Seminar: Advanced Torts Sex-based Discrimination

      6. Health Law

        Courses
        Bioethics Biotechnology and the Law
        Food and Drug Law Health Law
        Pension and Employee Benefits Law
        Poverty Law Public Health Law
        Related Courses and Seminars
        Administrative Law Advanced Food and Drug Law
        Antitrust Business Associations
        Disability and the Law Elder Law: Policy and Practice
        Externships in Health Law Fraud and Abuse in the Health Care Industry
        Law of Nonprofit Organizations Legislation
        Managed Care and the Law Mergers and Acquisitions
        Pension and Employee Benefit Law Reproductive Rights
        Clinic
        Disability Rights Law Clinic

      7. International Law

        1. International Organizations, State Relations, and Human Rights

          Courses
          Advanced Issues in International Environmental Law Asylum and Refugee Law
          Current Issues in International Organizations Environmental Issues in International Business
          EU Law International Criminal Law
          International Environmental Law International Human Rights Advocacy
          International Humanitarian Law International Law
          International Law of Biodiversity International Organizations: Law of the United Nations
          International Protection of Refugees and Displaced Persons National Security Law
          Space Law and Satellite Communication
          Seminars
          Advanced Issues in International Business Transactions Chinese Law
          Ethnic Identity and International Law Gender, Cultural Difference, Human Rights and the Law
          Global Economy & Human Rights Global Public Interest Practice
          Global Warming: Law & Policy Human Rights and Terrorism
          Human Rights in Comparative Criminal Procedure International Courts
          International Environmental Dispute Resolution International Institutions and Environmental Protection
          International Organizations and World Public Health International Protection of Human Rights
          International Trafficking in Persons Islamic Law
          Law, Policy, and American Intelligence Activities Political Crime and Terrorism
          Social, Cultural, and Economic Rights Women & Conflict
          Clinics
          International Human Rights Clinic
          Other Courses and Seminars
          Comparative Law Externships/Externship Seminars
          Immigration Law
          Dual Degree in Law and International Affairs (JD/MA; see Prof. Paul Williams)
        2. Transnational Investment, Trade, Banking, and Development

          Domestic Business Courses. It is strongly recommended that students interested in this area pursue a broad, varied curriculum of courses involving both private transactions and public regulations, and that students develop a firm grounding in both domestic and international regulation. Specifically, the following domestic courses in business regulation are recommended: Business Associations; Securities Regulations; Federal Personal Income Tax; Federal Corporate Tax; and Antitrust.

          Courses
          International and Comparative Antitrust Environmental Issues in International Business
          International Business Transactions International Commercial Arbitration
          International Copyright International Development (offered by the School of International Service)
          International Dispute Resolution Involving Sovereigns International Environmental Law
          International Finance Law and Development Finance International Law
          International Law of Biodiversity International Litigation and Arbitration
          International Trade Law I International Trade Law II
          International Trademark Law Law and Business in China
          Law of the European Union Legal Aspects of Foreign Direct Investment
          Legal Issues in International Business Managing Political Risk in Project Financings
          NAFTA and Other Regional Trade Agreements State Responsibility for the Protection of Foreign Investment
          Transnational Litigation The United States Trade Regime
          Seminars
          Advanced Issues in International Trade Advanced Issues in Int'l Business Transactions
          Advanced Tax Policy and Problems (Comparative Taxation) Chinese Law
          Dispute Settlement Processes Under Regional Trade Agreements Domestic Banking
          International Banking International Business Transactions in Latin America
          International Contract Law International Courts
          International Dispute Resolution International Environmental Dispute Resolution
          International Financial Institutions International Institutions and Environmental Protection
          International Monetary Law International Procurement Law (summer)
          Investment Under Regional Trade Agreements Latin American Legal Systems
          Law of the Sea Law, Policy, and American Intelligence Activities
          Legal Issues of Transnational Corporations Negotiating Regional Trade Agreements
          Regulation of Trade in Goods & Services Under Regional Trade Agreements
          Settlement of International Trade Disputes Trade and the Environment
          Transboundary Air Pollution
          Other Courses and Seminars
          Comparative Law Externships/Externship Seminars
          Jurisprudence

      8. Lawyering Skills

        Courses
        Advanced Civil Procedure: Complex Litigation Advanced Lawyering Skills
        Advanced Legal Research and Writing Advanced Legal Research and Writing: Introduction to Legal Scholarship
        Alternative Dispute Resolution Appellate Courts and Advocacy
        Interviewing and Counseling Law and Popular Culture
        Lawyer Bargaining Legal Drafting
        Pre-trial Litigation Remedies
        Trial Advocacy (Criminal and Civil) Trial Advocacy: Evidentiary Foundations and Objections
        Trial Advocacy in the High Tech Courtroom

      9. Legal Theory and History

        Courses
        Feminist Jurisprudence Gender and the Law
        Jurisprudence Law and Economics
        Regulation in America U.S. Legal History I and II
        Women, Crime and the Law
        Seminars
        Law and Literature Race, Crime, and Politics
        Sexuality and the Law

      10. Property

        1. Real Estate
          Courses
          Accounting Fundamentals and the Law Federal Personal Income Tax
          Land Transfer and Finance Land Use Regulation
          Law and Accounting Lawyers and Clients: Interviewing and Counseling
          Lawyer Bargaining Oil and Gas Law
          Partnership Tax Real Estate Development Law and Practice
          Seminars
          Natural Resources Real Estate Development & Planning
          Real Estate Planning
        2. Land Use and Environmental
          Courses
          Administrative Law Advanced Environmental Law
          Environmental Law Environmental Issues in International Business
          International Environmental Law International Wildlife Law and Biodiversity
          Legislation
          Seminars
          Advanced Civil Procedure: Complex Litigation Environmental Issues in Business Transactions
          Environmental Litigation Federal Public Lands and Natural Resources Law
          The Impact of Regional Integration on Environment & Labor International Environmental Dispute Resolution
          International Institutions and Environmental Protection Land Use Regulation
          Trade and the Environment Global Warming: Law and Policy
          Externships and Clinics
          Community and Economic Development Clinic
        3. Wills, Trusts and Estates
          Courses
          Accounting Fundamentals and the Law Conflict of Laws
          Federal Estate and Gift Tax Federal Personal Income Tax
          Law and Accounting Lawyers and Clients: Interviewing and Counseling
          Wills, Trusts, and Estates
          Seminars
          Advanced Tax Policy & Problems (topical, when offered) Pension and Employee Benefits Law

      11. Intellectual Property

        Courses
        Advanced Intellectual Property: IP and Human Rights E-Commerce Law and Drafting
        Copyright Entertainment Law
        Intellectual Property Policy and Law Intellectual Property Management
        International and Comparative Copyright Law International and Comparative Patent Law
        International and Comparative Trademark Law IP and Cyberspace
        Law of Information Privacy
        Media Law: Mass Media Patent Law
        Patent Acquisition and Exploitation Patent Prosecution
        Sports Law U.S. Trademark Law
        Seminars
        Advanced Copyright Antirust, Innovation, and Intellectual Property
        Communications Law International Contracts and the Transfer of Intellectual Property Rights (summer)
        IP Protection and Enforcement Law and the Visual Arts
        Clinics
        Intellectual Property Clinic

      12. Public Interest Law

        Courses
        Administrative Law Animal Law
        Antitrust Law Asylum and Refugee Law
        Campaign Finance Law Civil Rights and Remedies
        Domestic Violence Education Law
        Employment Discrimination Evidence
        Family Law Family- and Employment-Base Immigration Law
        Federal Courts: Securing Civil Rights Federal Law on Indian Tribes
        Federal Regulatory Process (summer) Gender and the Law
        Global Public Interest Practice Health Law
        Housing Law Immigration Law
        Advanced Immigration Policy and Litigation Juvenile Law
        Law of American Political Process Lawyer Bargaining
        Lawyers and Clients: Interviewing and Counseling Legal and Judicial Reform
        Poverty Law Sex-based Discrimination
        Unfair Trade Practices U.S. Legal History I and II
        Seminars
        Administrative Law and Regulations Advanced Civil Procedure: Complex Litigation
        Advanced Evidence AIDS and the Law
        Community Development and Advocacy Disability and the Law
        Elder Law: Policy and Practice Family Law Issues
        Global Public Interest Practice International Organizations and World Public Health
        Law of Non-Profit Organizations Legislation
        Pension and Employee Benefits Law Property Interests in People
        Public Health Law Public Information Law and Policy
        Race, Crime, and Politics Sexual Assault Cases: Prosecution and Defense
        Sexuality and the Law Social Justice
        Special Education Law
        Clinics
        All Clinics Externships/Externship Seminar: Lawyering in the Public Interest and Government
  7. Who to See by Function
    Concern Office
    Adjunct & Full-time Faculty; Book Orders;
    Curricular Needs; Faculty Evaluations for Academic Affairs     		Office of Academic Affairs; Suite 362;
    274-4010
    Building; Room Scheduling Facilities Management, Rm 365; 274-4007
    Academic Advising; Honor Code; Independent Study
    Approval; Leave of Absence; Personal Counseling and
    Referral; Dual Degree Programs; ADA; Docket; Commencement     		Associate Dean for Student Affairs
    Suite 300; 274-4030
    Add/Drop of Courses; Certifications; Course Schedules;
    Degree Audit; Divisional Shift; Exam Deferrals; Letters of
    Good Standing; Notary; Credit Overload/Reduction; Registration;
    Residency; Student Records; Transcripts; Transfer Student Credit Evaluation;
    Graduation Application and Clearance; Non-WCL law credit; non-law course credit     		Registrar's Office; Room 304/308; 274-4080
    Diversity services and student groups Director, Office of Diversity Services;
    Suite 300; 274-4032
    Financial Aid (Tuition Remission Scholarships,
    Dean's Fellowships, federal and private loans, bar loans)     		Office of Financial Aid;
    Room 507-514; 274-4012
    Admissions; Undergraduate Transcripts WCL Admissions; Room 507-514; 274-4101
    Career Services and Counseling Office of Career and Professional Development;
    1st Floor; 274-4090
    Employment & Payroll Assistant Dean for Finance &
    Administration; Room 370/372; 274-4062
    Alumni Affairs; Development; The Advocate Associate Dean for Development and
    Alumni Relations; Room 374-378; 274-4050
    Clinical Programs; Lawyer Referral Office of Clinical Programs;
    Room 417-427; 274-4142
    International Legal Studies Program Director, International Legal Studies Program;
    Room 338; 274-4110
    Externships Externship Program, Room 411; 274-4046
  1. All courses and seminars marked with * require Business Associations and Securities Regulation as prerequisites. Business Associations is a prerequisite for Securities Regulation.
  2. Requires Business Associations and Federal Personal Income Tax.
  3. Must be enrolled in an advanced course or seminar to participate in a Field Component; Seminar: Regulation of Commodities Markets must be taken, either at the same time or later, if one takes the CFTC Field Component.
 
Washington College of Law  -  4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW  -  Washington, DC 20016  -  202-274-4000