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Legal Methods I
LAW 394
Legal Methods I is designed to improve law school skills; both improve fluency in essay and multiple choice questions (the 2 formats most frequently used to assess a law student’s ability to apply rules of law to hypothetical fact patterns) and enhance comprehension of selected legal principles studied during the first year of law school. Legal Methods has two components: (1) large group seminar of Advanced Torts concepts and (2) application of the law to a specific critical skill. The break-out sessions are led by Academic Support Fellows. Enrollment Criteria: Legal Methods I will be a graduation requirement for students with a CPGA below 2.8 at the end of their second semester in law school. Students who do not pass Legal Methods I will be required to take Legal Methods II as a graduation requirement.
Legal Methods II
LAW 395
Legal Methods II is designed to improve fundamental law school skills. Through repeated exposure to bar and bar-style essays and in-class assignments, students enhance both comprehension of selected legal principles tested on the California Bar Exam and their exam writing skills. Legal Methods II has three components: (1) a review of an important law school skills, (2) a substantive review of a highly tested topic, and (3) an in-class essay on that topic. Feedback is provided each week. Enrollment Criteria: Legal Methods II is a graduation requirement for students who did not pass Legal Methods I, and encouraged for graduating students below a 2.8 CGPA.
Legal Policy Clinic Seminar
LAW 352
Legal Policy Clinic consists of a series of readings on various non-litigation policy analysis and strategies. Students are required to write on legal topics of his/her choice: (1) Letter to the Editor; (2) Petition for review; (3) Petition to publish or depublish an appellate opinion; (4) Amicus Curiae brief; or (5) Community educational plan with course teaching materials. One of the major goals of this course is to instill in law students a desire and ability to engage in a lifetime of pro bono legal public policy analysis and service.
Legal Writing I
LAW 106
Legal Writing I is the first of two required writing courses that students must take in their first year of law school. In this course, students learn the fundamentals of legal writing, legal analysis, legal research, and oral advocacy. Legal Writing I focuses on objective legal writing.
Legal Writing II
LAW 107
Legal Writing II is the second of two required writing courses that students must take in their first year of law school. In this course, students reinforce the skills they learned in Legal Writing I, and they develop additional skills as they learn more about the fundamentals of legal writing, legal analysis, legal research, and oral advocacy. Legal Writing II focuses on persuasive legal writing and all students participate in an oral advocacy competition.
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Parenting Legal Issues
LAW 968
This survey course will focus on the legal issues surrounding gay and lesbian parenting, contrasting the approach of various nations with the prevailing approaches in the United States. The course will address the legal issues faced by the LGBT community with particular emphasis on children of LGBT couples.
Local Government Law
LAW 550
This is a survey course designed to prepare future lawyers to deal with the types of local government issues often encountered in private practice or as a local government lawyer. The course begins with a study of the types of local governments and their powers. The legal relationships of local governments with each other and with the state and national government will also be examined. Other areas of coverage may include local government revenue powers, legal liability of local governments, local government employment law, local government contracting, land use control, and researching local government law. The course is designed to teach the basics of local government law for any state, but many of the cases and illustrations will focus on California law and current events.
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