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Labor Law

LAW 534

A study of the federal legal doctrines that regulate labor-management relationships in the private sector, including union representation, collective bargaining, strikes, and lockouts.

Law Firm Practice Management

LAW 586

This course is designed to help soon-to-be solo practitioners and attorneys in smaller firms bridge the gap between studying law and practicing law. The class is designed to cultivate proficiency in two practical areas of attorney development, which are typically learned over time rather than formally taught: (A) how to actually practice law, and (B) how to build and manage a law practice. The course covers topics such as how to get started, where to locate a law firm office, how to get your office equipped, how to secure clients, how to set fees, and detailed information about the nitty-gritty of running a small firm. While particularly relevant to solo practitioners and associates at small firms, the concepts discussed in this course will benefit new attorneys in all types of private and public sector organizations.

Law of Domestic Relations: Adult Relationships

LAW LAW 422

This course will address the regulation of domestic relationships between adults with particular focus on marital and non-marital unions, same-sex partnerships, and non-intimate relationships (friends, caregivers-caretakers, etc.). Subject areas covered may include the state’s interest in marriage, marriage alternatives, recognition and non-recognition of cohabitation, socioeconomics and demographics of cohabiting couples, economic aspects of marriage dissolution (including spousal support and division of property by courts, as well as private ordering through contracts — prenuptial, postnuptial, and separation agreements), and the related aspects of property and financial disputes between unmarried couples. This course also explores the various regulatory mechanisms that affect unmarried partners during the relationship (for instance, by determining eligibility for governmental need-based programs and for health insurance). Finally, the course will survey and compare the treatment of non-marital unions in various nations.

Law of the Sea: Ocean and Coastal Law

LAW LAW 421

This course concerns the jurisdiction in ocean and coastal waters including public international law and U.S. policy regarding regulation of marine areas and resources and access including boundaries and territorial claims. The class will address environmental and management concerns related to water quality and habitats, coastal development and public access, ocean energy rights and mineral resources, and marine species.

Law Review

LAW 560

Legal research, writing, and editing involved in the production for publication of analytical and scholarly commentary on the law. Enrollment is limited to candidates and members of the Whittier Law School Law Review.

Lawyering Skills

LAW 601

An introduction to the theoretical structures involved in interviewing, counseling, negotiation, and trial skills. Students are given the opportunity to perform simulations of lawyering tasks and discuss their externship or Clinic experiences. Prerequisite: This course must be taken with a student’s initial externship (LAW 609 or 609J) or initial Clinic experience (LAW 617, 618, or 619).

Legal Analysis Strategies

LAW 589

This course teaches the skills, processes, and strategies involved in successfully analyzing law in the context of MBE-style questions. Students will practice and refine these skills and strategies using multiple choice questions in selected subjects (Constitutional Law, Contracts, UCC, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Real Property, and Torts). Prerequisite: Students must be in their final year of law school to be enrolled in this course.

Legal Analysis Workshop

LAW 510

Legal Analysis Workshop will cover all MBE tested subjects in both essay and multiple choice form as tested on the California Bar Exam and in all jurisdictions requiring the MBE portion of the bar exam. The class is designed to introduce students to the essay writing and organization skills necessary to succeed on the essay portion of the California Bar Examination and to provide the tools to make students more effective and successful as law students and practitioners. It also covers the strategies and approach to properly answering the multiple choice questions as tested on the MBE portion of the bar exam. Prerequisite: Students must be in their final year of law school to be enrolled in this course.

Legal Aspects of Venture Capital & Private Equity

LAW 723

A survey of the legal and business structures, agreements, transactions, and regulations related to limited partner investments in an international fund; the formation and operation of funds and the general partner entity; and structuring investments and management of portfolio companies, with a special emphasis on the development of China's regulatory framework on offshore funds investing in China.