| Course Title |
Credit Hours |
| Administrative Law |
3 |
Deals with administrative processes in executive and independent regulatory agencies; constitutional limits on governmental agencies and structures; separation of powers and other topics relevant to government structures; limits on the delegation of power to agencies; the operation of agencies through rule-making and adjudication; executive and legislative controls over agencies; and judicial review of agency actions.
Prerequisite(s): Constitutional Law |
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| Advanced Civil Procedure |
3 |
Focuses on the procedural structures and mechanisms developed for coping with complex civil litigation. Issues to be explored include multi-party joinder; jurisdiction; duplicate litigation in a federal context; class actions; discovery issues in complex litigation, including the effective use of discovery devices and the role of computers in modern discovery; drafting discovery documents and taking depositions; judicial control of the litigation process; complex litigation; and res judicata and collateral estoppel in complex litigation.
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure I & II |
|
| Advanced Legal Research |
2 |
Reinforces and deepens the research skills learned during the first year of law school and assists students in developing an efficient and effective process for conducting research in today's law practice environment. While the course emphasizes research in multiple sources of Arkansas law, using both print and electronic sources, it also covers some areas of federal and other states' laws that may be implicated by a research problem originating in Arkansas. In addition to completing a number of short research assignments, each student completes and presents a major research project on a chosen topic in the final weeks of the course.
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| Advanced Legal Writing |
2 |
Covers advanced strategies in persuasive writing and builds on the introductory persuasive writing instruction provided in RWA II. The course approaches persuasive writing from a theoretical as well as practical standpoint. It covers persuasive writing strategies that are expressly based on theoretical principles of other disciplines, such as literature, classical rhetoric, and psychology, which contribute in different ways to an understanding of human nature and the process of persuasion.
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| Advanced Litigation |
2 |
Builds on the advocacy skills taught in Lawyering Skills II. Students are expected to participate in trial competitions during the Fall semester (if selected), preparation for which requires practice sessions outside of class. A trial competition team will be selected from class participants for the following semester.
Prerequisite(s): Lawyering Skills II |
|
| Advanced Litigation Clinic |
2 |
Continues Litigation Clinic. Students are given the opportunity to work on more complex and difficult cases, and may also mentor Litigation Clinic students.
Prerequisite(s): Litigation Clinic |
|
| Advanced Tax Clinic |
2 |
Pursuant to permission from the instructor, students work on projects dealing with advanced tax issues and advancing the goals of the tax clinic.
Prerequisite(s): Tax Clinic |
|
| Advanced Taxation |
3 |
Continues Federal Income Taxation. It examines topics not covered in the basic tax course including deferral of gains and losses on disposition on property; tax accounting; sale and leaseback of property; control of tax avoidance; and taxation of trusts and estates.
Prerequisite(s): Federal Income Taxation |
|
| Advanced Torts |
2 |
Covers topics not covered in first year torts, such as interference with business relations, misrepresentation, invasion of privacy, and defamation. The course aims to consider the nature of tort law more deeply than in the first year by exploring the frontiers of the law and the conceptual complexity of the intersection of tort principles with other legal principles such as contract and the right to free speech.
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| Advanced Torts-Media Law Seminar |
2 |
This course examines advanced concepts in tort law, such as defamation, infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy, that are relevant to the mass media. Course content reaches tangentially related areas of law such as the First Amendment as a defense, intellectual property interests in newsworthy content, and the regulation of new media. Discussion will include considerations of media ethics and policy and will focus on topical issues such as the right of publicity and the reporter’s privilege.
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| Agricultural Law |
2/3 |
Considers specific legal issues of importance to producers, processors, and sellers of food and other agricultural products, such as taxation; labor law; business planning; government regulation; and their specific application to the agriculture industry.
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| Alternative Dispute Resolution |
2/3 |
Introduces the basic concepts of dispute resolution. Contrasts the advantages and disadvantages of negotiations; mediation; arbitration; and their variations applied to specific situations such as family; neighborhood; intra-institutional; consumer; environmental; intergovernmental; and international disputes.
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| Animal Law Seminar |
2 |
Explores a variety of legal, ethical, and policy issues relating to animals and their treatment. Possible topics include treatment of food animals throughout their lives including slaughter, use of animals in medical and scientific research, biotechnology (creation and patenting of new life forms), hunting laws and regulations, and protection of endangered species and of wildlife in general.
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| Antitrust Law |
3 |
Considers the legal and economic concepts of competition and monopoly; the policy and judicial interpretations of the Sherman and Clayton Acts; and their application to business practices and industrial structure.
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| Arkansas Criminal Trial Practice |
3 |
Uses a problems-based, practice-oriented approach to analyze the Arkansas Criminal Code; Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure; and Arkansas Rules of Evidence.
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Trial or Pre-Trial, Evidence |
|
| Arkansas Water Law and Policy Public Service Seminar |
2 |
Students enrolled in or who have completed the Water Law class will meet periodically during the semester for more in-depth consideration of Arkansas water law and policy issues. As part of that in-depth consideration, students will be assigned research and writing projects responsive to the expressed needs of governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations having responsibility for protecting and developing Arkansas’ water resources. The research and writing projects may require that students consult with representatives of the governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations to help ensure that the research projects are coordinated and focused toward providing the most effective and appropriate responses to the agencies’ and organizations’ needs. Seminar students will share the learning from their research and writing projects through presentations to the students enrolled in the Water Law course.
Prerequisite(s): Property I & II, Completion of or current enrollment in Water Law |
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| Bankruptcy Law |
2 |
Covers various aspects of Chapters 7, 11, 12, and 13 bankruptcy issues including means testing, petitions and schedules, property of the estate, trustee avoiding powers, automatic stay issues, disclosure statement and plan confirmation issues, reaffirmation of debts, discharge and dischargeability of debts, and executory contracts. In addition to classroom discussions of text problems and outside lecturers from the bankruptcy bar, students are encouraged to attend a one-hour session of bankruptcy court to experience bankruptcy proceedings first hand. This course covers the basics and lays the framework for students who want to enroll in the more advanced class that covers Chapters 11 and 13 only.
Prerequisite(s): Secured Transactions |
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| Bioethics Seminar |
2 |
Covers bio-ethical issues from birth to death, including legal and ethical issues surrounding selling and donating organs, property rights in human tissue, cloning, stem cell research, and the right to die.
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| Business Associations |
4 |
Emphasizes agency, partnership, close corporations, limited liability firms, corporate formation, piercing, fiduciary duty and governance. Additional topics to be covered at the discretion of the instructor include mergers, derivative suits, insider trading, proxy statements and corporate finance.
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|
| Chapters 11 & 13 Business Reorganization |
2 |
Students discuss and respond to events that might occur in a business reorganization under Chapters 11 & 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. Each student is required to draft plans for hypothetical Chapters 11 & 13 reorganizations.
Prerequisite(s): Bankruptcy |
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| Civil Liberties |
2/3 |
Examines suits under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 against state and local governments and their agents for violations of rights guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
Prerequisite(s): Constitutional Law |
|
| Civil Procedure I |
2 |
Civil Procedure I and II provide an overview of the litigation process from commencement of an action through appeal, with emphasis on pretrial procedures. Topics covered include personal and subject matter jurisdiction; process; pleading; discovery; pretrial and post-verdict motions; judgments; res judicata; and some appellate procedures.
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| Civil Procedure II |
3 |
Civil Procedure I and II provide an overview of the litigation process from commencement of an action through appeal, with emphasis on pretrial procedures. Topics covered include personal and subject matter jurisdiction; process; pleading; discovery; pretrial and post-verdict motions; judgments; res judicata; and some appellate procedures.
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure I |
|
| Commercial Paper Transactions |
3 |
Covers Uniform Commercial Code Articles One, Three, Four, Five, and Seven; commercial paper transactions involving negotiability; rights and liabilities of parties; transfer; holders in due course; defenses; the collection process; and letters of credit.
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| Conflict of Laws |
3 |
Covers law controlling cases with significant aspects relating to more than one state of the United States or to more than one country; focuses primarily on jurisdiction, choice of law, and enforcement of judgments; examines statutes and common law rules and theories, underlying policies, and control exercised by the federal government through constitutional limitations.
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure I & II; Constitutional Law strongly recommended. |
|
| Constitutional Law |
4 |
Constitutional Law studies the constitutional aspects of judicial review; interstate commerce; separation of powers; federal-state relationships; and protection accorded individuals and property under the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment. Specific subjects include: race and gender discrimination; the right to privacy and autonomy (including the rights to procreation, abortion, travel, and association); content-based and content-neutral regulation of speech; and a survey of the law of religion.
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| Construction Law |
2 |
This course focuses on the numerous legal issues unique to construction-related contracts, emphasizing remedies for breach and the role of alternative dispute resolution in modern construction litigation. Other topics to be examined include statutory lien rights for builders and contractors, the effect of bonding requirements upon contract interpretation, and the interrelation of project owners, contractors, subcontractors, engineers, and their sureties.
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| Contracts I |
3 |
Contracts I and II cover the formation of contracts; offer and acceptance; consideration and substitutes for consideration; mistake, unfairness and overreaching; unconscionability; the Statute of Frauds; interpretation; performance and breach; impossibility and frustration; third party beneficiaries; and assignment of rights and delegation of duties.
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|
| Contracts II |
3 |
Contracts I and II cover the formation of contracts; offer and acceptance; consideration and substitutes for consideration; mistake, unfairness and overreaching; unconscionability; the Statute of Frauds; interpretation; performance and breach; impossibility and frustration; third party beneficiaries; and assignment of rights and delegation of duties.
Prerequisite(s): Contracts I |
|
| Corporate Taxation |
3 |
Covers federal income taxation of corporations and their shareholders, including transactions among shareholders and corporations; tax consequences of choice of the corporate form of business organization; corporate formation; distributions; liquidations; redemptions; and reorganizations.
Prerequisite(s): Federal Income Taxation |
|
| Criminal Law |
3 |
Provides an overview of the general principles of criminal liability, the substantive law of crimes, and the theory of punishment.
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| Criminal Procedure Post Trial Process |
2/3 |
Covers the criminal process following return of the verdict in the guilt/innocence phase of trial (except for sentencing), focusing in particular on the following topics: effective assistance of counsel; motions for new trial; notice of appeal and designation of the record on appeal; preservation of error for direct appeal and post-trial litigation; direct appeal; disposition of issues on direct appeal; certiorari to the United States Supreme Court; retroactivity of United States Supreme Court decisions, state post-conviction litigation; appeal in state post-conviction process; federal post-conviction litigation; exhaustion of remedies; deference to state fact and law findings; procedural default; the "new" rules doctrine; certiorari in the federal habeas process; and double jeopardy issues.
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Law |
|
| Criminal Procedure Pretrial Process |
3 |
Focuses on the principle U.S. Constitutional issues arising in the pretrial investigation phase of a criminal case, including Fourth Amendment limitations; Fifth Amendment protections; the Sixth Amendment right to assistance of counsel; and the remedy for violation of any of these Constitutional provisions: exclusion of tainted evidence.
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Law |
|
| Criminal Procedure Trial Process |
3 |
Focuses on issues arising in the trial phase. The course begins with the initial charging instrument and ends with conviction. The course covers the principal U.S. Constitutional issues which arise, including limitations on the prosecutor, right to bail, grand jury, double jeopardy, pleas and the effective assistance of counsel.
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Law |
|
| Critical Race Theory Seminar |
3 |
Provides insight into the role of race in the law. The course allows students to grapple openly with the role race played and plays in the law's creation and implementation/enforcement, as well as the formation of a "level playing field."
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|
| Cyber Law |
2 |
An upper-level, writing-intensive course covering the effect of the Internet on the evolving face of the law, specifically focusing on free speech, intellectual property, privacy, and jurisdictional concerns.
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| Decedents' Estates & Trusts |
3 |
Covers law of gratuitous transfers, including intestacy; testate succession; trusts; powers of appointment; other related will substitutes; and the administration of estates and trusts.
Prerequisite(s): Property I |
|
| Disability Law |
3 |
Emphasizes federal and state legislation and case law affecting people with physical, mental, and developmental disabilities. Representative issues covered include education, employment, access, public services, and health care.
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|
| Drafting Contracts |
2 |
Drafting Contracts is a skills course that emphasizes precision of expression and organization of documents. Students complete 12-15 drafting exercises during the first part of the course and draft one or two major contracts in the second part of the course. There is no final exam, and the course ends before the exam period begins.
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|
| Employee Benefits Law |
3 |
Offers a combined overview of employee benefit regulation, including health care and disability issues and retirement savings through qualified plans, 401K plans, and cash balance plans. The course also addresses deferred compensation through non-qualified plans. The course focuses on two distinct statutes that are most relevant in this area: The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Code). The course addresses ERISA litigation including issues relating to preemption, fiduciary responsibility, disclosure requirements, and managed care litigation.
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|
| Employment Discrimination |
2/3 |
Surveys substantive, procedural, and remedial rules of law pertaining to employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and physical or mental handicap. The course deals primarily with the interpretation and application of various federal statutes, with emphasis on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972. Pertinent First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendment questions are also considered.
Prerequisite(s): Constitutional Law |
|
| Employment Law |
2/3 |
Covers federal and state law relating to employers and employees, including drug testing, use of references, employment at will, the Family and Medical Leave Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, and Occupational Safety and Health Act.
|
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| Environmental Law |
2/3 |
Examines federal and state legislation pertaining to the protection of environmental quality. The course covers statutes, administrative regulations, and judicial decisions relating to all major aspects of environmental protection such as clean air, prevention of water pollution, and hazardous waste regulations.
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|
| Estate and Gift Taxation |
2/3 |
Studies federal estate and gift tax statutes, regulations, and case law, followed by consideration of the practical impact of these taxes on private planning of business arrangements and property dispositions.
Prerequisite(s): Property I & II |
|
| Estate Planning |
2/3 |
Surveys alternative methods of disposing of small and large estates by will, life insurance, inter vivos arrangements, or combinations of several methods and considers resulting tax and administrative problems. Students complete exercises in gathering and analyzing facts and in planning and drafting trusts, wills, and related documents.
Prerequisite(s): Estate and Gift Taxation; Decedents' Estates and Trusts |
|
| Evidence |
3/4 |
Emphasizes the Federal and Uniform Rules of Evidence, including those rules relating to real, testimonial, and circumstantial proof; impeachment and cross-examination of witnesses; hearsay; presumptions; expert testimony; privileged communications; and judicial notice.
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|
| Externships |
2 |
Consists of field placement of students with government agencies, state or federal legislators, non-profit legal services organizations, or members of the judiciary. The program attempts to expose students to a wide range of public service practice settings, as well as to the state and federal legislative and judicial process. The course is a pass/fail course.
Prerequisite(s): Must have completed 30 hours. |
|
| Family Law |
3 |
Studies legal aspects of family relationships, including issues which arise during the creation and dissolution of marriage relationships; property settlements; support obligations; and child custody.
Prerequisite(s): Constitutional Law recommended |
|
| Family Mediation Seminar |
3 |
Focuses on the unique skills needed to work with families undergoing change and experiencing conflict situations. Students learn how to screen for domestic abuse, address family dynamics, and understand financial issues in divorce. During the course, students are exposed to a range of other family conflicts. This course meets the training requirements of the Arkansas Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission for inclusion on their family mediation roster. (There are additional requirements. Please refer to the ADR Commission website for full details.)
Prerequisite(s): Mediation Clinic or Mediation Seminar |
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| Federal Income Taxation |
3 |
Surveys the federal income tax, particularly as applied to individuals. Subjects include income; exclusions; deductions; and the income tax consequences of sales and exchanges; gifts and inheritances; annuities; divorce; and personal injury settlements.
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|
| Federal Jurisdiction |
3 |
Covers the jurisdiction of the United States Courts with emphasis on problems arising from the nature of the federal system; including the nature of the federal judicial function; Congressional control of judicial power among federal and state courts; federal subject matter jurisdiction; law applied in federal courts; and appellate review.
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure I & II |
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| Film and Criminal Law |
2 |
Course consists of watching a criminal law-based film each week following an hour discussion of the film shown the preceding week. Students will be given weekly questionaires about the films and required to read and complete them. The goal of the course is to encourage students to learn about the legal profession by reflecting on the issues presented in the films.
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| First Amendment Seminar |
2 |
Focuses on the theoretical underpinnings of the First Amendment's speech, press, and religion clauses. The course focuses on topical first amendment issues, including the regulation of hate speech, the status of cable television, and the proper role of religion in public life.
Prerequisite(s): Constitutional Law |
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| First Amendment: Church/State |
3 |
This course considers the theoretical and practical issues presented by the Constitution's Religion Clauses. The course considers the meaning of and interaction between the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses. Specific topics may vary from year to year due to the changing nature of this area of law but may include the permissibility of religiously based exemptions to laws of general applicability, the extent to which government may or must accommodate religion, and the legal issues involved in church governance and church property disputes.
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| First Amendment: Free Speech/Free Press |
2/3 |
Surveys First Amendment law from the defense against speech crimes and civil claims to modern constitutional issues such as the law of news-gathering. Covers First Amendment treatment of expressions including obscenity, fighting words, symbolic speech, commercial speech, hate speech, and student speech. The course includes comparative perspectives and problems of multinational law.
Prerequisite(s): Constitutional Law recommended |
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| Freedom of Information/Access to Government Seminar |
2/3 |
Examines citizen access to government, primarily under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and federal and state sunshine laws, emphasizing the role of the media client and lawyer as proxy for the people. Covers current issues of Arkansas law, including legislative battles over openness in state and local government, as well as multistate issues, such as cameras in the courts, secret anti-terrorism proceedings, and the difficulties of e-mail.
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| Gender and the Law Seminar |
2 |
This seminar not only incorporates issues that affect women in the legal system, but also encompasses legal issues related to sexual orientation (which affects men and women), heterosexism as expressed through legal doctrine, and how the legal system affects men. Discrete issues are identified and discussed in depth, with an emphasis on policy, jurisprudence, and interdisciplinary resources.
Prerequisite(s): Constitutional Law is strongly suggested but not required. |
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| Government Regulation of Business |
3 |
Examines the legal issues raised by direct government regulation in industries such as cable television; airlines; telecommunications; health care; electric power; natural gas; and trucking. Also examines other forms of government regulation, such as restrictions on entry to the practice of law; environmental and safety regulations, and requirements for labeling and advertising of products. Finally, the course includes a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of direct government regulation as compared to indirect regulation through state and federal antitrust laws and the merits of deregulation.
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| Health Law |
2/3 |
Examines the health care system as it meets standards of access, cost, and quality. Quality controls of professionals and institutions, health insurance (both public and private), and the organization of health care entities are examined. Compliance with government regulations as well as tax, antitrust issues, and policy development in health care are covered.
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| Immigration Law |
3 |
Concentrates on both practical and policy issues in immigration law. Covers substantive immigration law as embodied in statutes, regulations, and practices of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and judicial decisions. Practice and procedure is also covered, though to a limited degree.
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| Independent Study |
1 |
Consists of the preparation of a substantial research paper on a legal topic. The student works under the supervision of a faculty member. Special rules for this course are available in the Office of Student Records.
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| Insurance |
3 |
Emphasizes matters likely to arise in ordinary insurance litigation such as statutory and decisional law limitations on policy defenses; the meanings of terms of art and standard policy provisions; the insurable interest requirements; assignments of policy; change of beneficiary; and co-insurance.
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| Intellectual Property |
2/3 |
Surveys trademark law; false advertising; copyright law; legal protection of the right of publicity and the author's non-copyright interests; and patent law, including the related doctrine of the law of trade secrets.
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| International Criminal Law |
3 |
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| Interviewing & Counseling |
2 |
Focuses on interviewing and counseling clients in both litigation and transactional contexts; explores the basic theories of counseling; examines interviewing as an integral part of the counseling process; relies on extensive simulations with detailed feedback for the participants; considers the ethical responsibilities involved in the counseling process. Students are evaluated on the basis of their performances in simulated client counseling sessions; and there may also be a short writing assignment.
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| Introduction to International Law |
1 |
Covers What International Law is; the sources and evidence of International Law; and the application of International Law in national and international tribunals.
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| Journal of Appellate Practice and Process I |
1 |
The Journal of Appellate Practice and Process is a faculty edited journal published by the School of Law. Under the supervision of faculty members, students are engaged in research and writing projects, including identification of potential issues or cases for articles, identification of potential authors, and writing short developmental notes on cases or changes in procedure by rule or statute that affect appellate practice. NOTE: Students must be invited by the instructor to enroll in JAPP.
Prerequisite(s): Legal Editing, Scholarship and Publishing, or consent of instructor |
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| Journal of Appellate Practice and Process II |
1 |
The Journal of Appellate Practice and Process is a faculty edited journal published by the School of Law. Under the supervision of faculty members, students are engaged in research and writing projects, including identification of potential issues or cases for articles, identification of potential authors, and writing short developmental notes on cases or changes in procedure by rule or statute that affect appellate practice. NOTE: Students must be invited by the instructor to enroll in JAPP.
Prerequisite(s): Legal Editing, Scholarship and Publishing, or consent of instructor |
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| Judicial Biography Seminar |
2 |
Explores biographies of the nation's leading jurists, together with studies of the judges' own writings and judicial opinions. The course attempts to answer whether and how a judge's background influences his or her decision-making, and what biographical factors tend to be more indicative of outcomes. Students also discuss the political nature of judicial appointments and critique the styles of various biographers.
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| Judicial Clerkship Practicum |
2 |
Deals with the process of state and federal judicial clerkships. The course covers the history and development of the institution of clerking, clerk selection, judicial philosophy, and the responsibilities associated with clerking. Students gain exposure to the variety of clerkship opportunities available and to the essential skills required of law clerks, with particular focus on memorandum and opinion writing. The class has several guest lecturers and field trips. Every attempt is made to schedule field trips during the designated class time (outings scheduled outside of regular meeting time are not mandatory). The final grade is based on class participation, a written memorandum and judicial opinion, and an editing exercise.
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| Jurisprudence |
3 |
Surveys law and legal systems; deals with various aspects of law and legal theory; what the "law" is and what it should be; the nature of legal rules and legal concepts; and the relation of law to society.
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| Jury Selection |
2 |
Prerequisite(s): Evidence, Lawyering Skills I |
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| Juvenile Law |
2 |
Studies the legal system that handles the problems of young persons. Topics covered include the historical development of the juvenile courts; their structure and jurisdiction (dependency, neglect, delinquency, persons in need of supervision); and due process rights in adjudication and disposition.
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Law |
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| Land Use |
2/3 |
Traces development of controls on the use of land from early periods to the present, judicial controls through waste and related doctrines; judicial zoning through nuisance doctrines; private controls in land development; the regulation of land; subdivisions; the planning function; the official map and the master plan; the law of zoning; urban renewal and redevelopment; and other public means of determining land use.
Prerequisite(s): Property I & II |
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| Law and Economics Seminar |
2 |
Examines the application of economic reasoning to a variety of legal topics. The overarching questions include whether law is implicitly designed to be efficient and whether it should it be. The course covers both positive and normative aspects of the topic. Previous classes have analyzed topics including contracts to sell organs and criminalizing corporate misdeeds. As a seminar, the course relies heavily on class participation. No economics background is necessary.
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| Law and Entrepreneurship |
3 |
Utilizes short concept lectures and class discussion of key concepts, along with activities both inside and outside of class, to teach students to understand entrepreneurial concepts and processes, analyze and develop new venture opportunities, integrate legal and entrepreneurial concepts and processes, demonstrate skills in written legal and business communications and oral presentations, and interact with legal and business experts from the local business community.
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| Law and History of Race Relations in Arkansas |
3 |
Provides a detailed analysis of the historical and legal context of race relations in Arkansas, beginning with the study of slavery and continuing into the present era. Underlying the rationale for this course is the conviction that Arkansans of both races have not yet come to terms with their racial history, and until that effort is undertaken, there can be at best only a superficial understanding of the issues that divide them.
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| Law and History: 13th, 14th, and 15th |
2 |
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| Law and Human Sexuality Seminar |
2 |
Explores the different ways in which the law regulates and constructs sexuality, including both sexual practices and sexual identities. Seminar coverage includes theoretical and historical issues in the legal regulation of sexuality, as well as various constitutional and statutory issues affecting sexual minorities in general and lesbians and gay men in particular. The seminar is framed as an extended discussion about the role of law and litigation strategy in a civil rights campaign, with special attention paid to the ongoing lesbian and gay rights movement to other emerging civil rights movements centered on gender and sexuality.
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| Law and Literature Seminar |
2 |
This multi-cultural interdisciplinary course explores ethical, legal, critical and aesthetic issues in texts by men and women representing different periods, cultures and genres.
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| Law and Politics Seminar |
2 |
Explores the intersection of law and politics, examining both the legal side of politics and the political side of the law. Students analyze whether and to what extent a legal education might enhance one's ability effectively to serve the public as a politician. Students also look at the judiciary as a political institution. The course focuses mostly on the federal government (namely the presidents and the Supreme Court), as well as the interplay between Congress and the federal judiciary.
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| Law and Psychiatry |
2 |
Focuses on concepts of mental illness; raising and administration of impairment defenses and disposition of mentally ill offenders; problems of civil commitments, including standards, alternatives to and procedures for civil commitment; civil rights of those confined to mental hospitals, including the right to treatment and the right to refuse treatment; problems of legal competence; and the psychiatrist-patient relationship.
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| Law Review I-IV |
1 |
Students who expect to receive one hour of Law Review credit should register for the appropriate course listed on the course schedule.
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| Lawyering Skills I |
2 |
Through a combination of lectures and small group workshops, helps students learn a variety of lawyering skills in both litigation and non-litigation contexts, including interviewing and counseling; problem solving and development of legal theory; drafting various legal documents; negotiation; pre-trial litigation skills; trial skills; and alternative dispute resolution skills.
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure I & II |
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| Lawyering Skills II |
3 |
Through a combination of lectures and small group workshops, helps students learn a variety of lawyering skills in both litigation and non-litigation contexts,, including interviewing and counseling; problem solving and development of legal theory; drafting various legal documents; negotiation; pre-trial litigation skills; trial skills; and alternative dispute resolution skills.
Prerequisite(s): Evidence |
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| Legal Editing, Scholarship & Publishing |
2 |
Students hear lectures on the entire editing process, with emphasis on the characteristics of legal scholarship, evaluating articles, editing for substantive and technical accuracy, dealing with authors and formatting for a scholarly legal journal. Students edit an article and spend lab time in small groups working through their edits. Students are graded on the errors they catch, their editing skill, and the work they put into the course. Open to students interested in or accepted on the UALR Law Review or the Journal of Appellate Practice and Process.
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| Legal History Seminar |
2 |
Examines the institutions and legal principles of the common law from their beginning in medieval Britain through early twentieth century America. The course focuses particularly on the development of methods of trial, the courts of law and equity and their fusion, the development of private civil justice and public criminal justice, and the translation of institutions and principles from Britain to America.
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| Legal Profession |
2 |
Analyzes the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and their application to practical ethical problems faced by attorneys. The course also seeks to develop the student's sense of the lawyer's role in society as advocate, citizen, and counselor.
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| Legal Research I |
1 |
Introduces students to the nature and sources of various types of legal authority and how to find them in book and electronic form.
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| Legal Research II |
1 |
Builds on research skills learned in Legal Research I, as well as providing research training on online databases and the Internet.
Prerequisite(s): Legal Research I |
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| Legislation |
2/3 |
Surveys statutory law and its interpretation; significant aspects of the legislative process; principles of legislative drafting; and methods of statutory interpretation. A simple drafting project may be assigned.
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| Litigation Clinic |
6/4 |
Litigation Clinic is a law office within the law school. The course integrates the theory and practice of law. It begins with an intensive three-day orientation before the semester begins. In the classroom, students develop theoretical models of the lawyering process, while also representing real clients under the supervision of clinic faculty. The cases involved divorce, delinquency, dependency, education and mental health issues. Outside of the classroom, students meet with clients, and represent them in hearings of various types ranging from administrative hearings to judicial proceedings.
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure I & II, Evidence, Legal Profession & Criminal Procedure (any one of the following satisfies this Criminal Procedure prerequisite: Pretrial Process, Trial Process, or Arkansas Criminal Trial Practice). Must have completed 48 hours. |
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| Local Government |
3 |
Examines the legal framework for governing urban and rural areas. Topics include the relationship of local governments to one another and to the state and national governments; the organization, financing, and operation of local governments; legislative control of local governments; and sources and limits of local governing power.
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| Mediation Clinic |
4 |
Students study negotiation and mediation techniques and theories that are transferable to all types of legal matters. Students also learn how to represent clients in mediation. In addition to the scheduled classes each week, students must observe/mediate at least six cases over the term. Students begin by observing and then co-mediating with an instructor, later co-mediating with another student. Small claims mediations are scheduled for most Mondays (9-11 a.m. and 1:15-3:15 p.m.) at the Pulaski county courthouse. Some mediations are court ordered and the Court sets the time of the mediation. Other mediations are arranged by Terry Harrison, Mediation Office Administrator, who tries to accommodate student’s schedules consistent with client needs. Students who participate in the Clinic receive a Certificate of Mediation Training. This course meets the requirements for certification as a mediator by the Arkansas ADR Commission.
Prerequisite(s): 3½ day training prior to the beginning of the semester. |
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| Mediation Seminar |
3 |
Examines current research and theories regarding conflict and their application to the practice of mediation in a variety of conflict situations. Teaches skills necessary to serve as an impartial third-party, such as listening, questioning, creative problem-solving, moving beyond impasse, and caucusing. Addresses various mediation styles and types of mediation.
Prerequisite(s): Mediation Clinic or Family Mediation Seminar |
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| Moot Court Competition Class |
2 |
Student teams research and prepare appellate briefs and practice oral arguments. Students are placed on teams and compete in a class-wide competition.
Prerequisite(s): Necessary for selection to traveling team |
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| Moot Court Travel |
2 |
Student teams research and prepare appellate briefs and practice oral arguments, under the direction of a faculty advisor. Students are placed on teams which represent the school in various regional and national competitions. The student must have been selected for a team which will attend a competition in the semester in which they register for the course in order to enroll in Moot Court Travel Team.
Prerequisite(s): Moot Court Competition Class, Selection for a Competition Team |
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| National Trial Competition |
1 |
Student teams represent the school in various regional and national trial competitions. Students must have been selected for a team which will attend a competition in the semester in which they register for the course in order to enroll in National Trial Competition.
Prerequisite(s): Selection for a Competition Team Advanced Lit. Skills |
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| Natural Resources Law |
2/3 |
Explores the protection and multiple uses of natural resource systems, which may include the National Environmental Policy Act; multi-use and preservation of federal public lands for agriculture, grazing, and other uses; hard rock mining and mineral leasing of coal, oil, and natural gas; the National Forest System and forestry law; the National Park System; the Wilderness Preservation System; the National Wildlife Refuge System; fish and wildlife management; the Endangered Species Act; and wetlands protection. The course focuses primarily on federal legislation and regulations, but will also address some Arkansas law.
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| Natural Resources Law Seminar |
2 |
This course will explore a wide variety of topics concerning the law of natural resources. Topics may include law regarding water, minerals, rangelands, forests, wildlife, biodiversity, conservation, public lands, environmental decisionmaking, and other subjects.
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| Partnership Taxation |
2/3 |
Deals with the federal income tax treatment of partnerships and partners. Coverage includes classification as a partnership; the allocation of partnership income and deductions; the taxation of a sale of a partnership interest; operating distributions by a partnership; and liquidating distributions by a partnership.
Prerequisite(s): Federal Income Taxation |
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| Patent and Trade Secret Law |
2/3 |
Examines the statutory requirements of patentability, including patentable subject matter, utility, novelty, and nonobviousness; the process of obtaining and enforcing patent rights; the interpretation of patent claims; remedies for patent infringement; and the requirements of trade secret protection, including comparison with patent protection.
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| Preparing for the Bar Exam |
1 |
Provides a broad overview of the bar exam and its components, followed with intensive studying of the skills necessary to excel on the essay, multiple choice, and performance portions of the bar examination. Discusses study strategies and ways to begin preparing for the bar exam prior to graduation. Open only to students taking the next succeeding bar examination. The course is a pass/fail course.
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| Products Liability |
3 |
The course will focus upon the rules for determining different types of defects based on product design, manufacturing flaws and hazard warnings; the requirement of causation; the determination of damages; defenses based upon consumer conduct and the rules governing the parties who can sue and be sued. During the course, students may be asked to prepare certain litigation documents including discovery requests and complaints.
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| Property I |
3 |
Property I and II cover basic property law concepts, including estates in land and future interests; joint and common tenancies; donative transfers; leases; landlord and tenant problems; oral and written real estate contracts; the law of vendor and purchaser; conveyancing and land use problems, with particular reference to the deed; the recording system; methods of title assurance; easements; restrictive covenants; water rights; and zoning and subdivision controls.
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| Property II |
3 |
Property I and II cover basic property law concepts, including estates in land and future interests; joint and common tenancies; donative transfers; leases; landlord and tenant problems; oral and written real estate contracts; the law of vendor and purchaser; conveyancing and land use problems, with particular reference to the deed; the recording system; methods of title assurance; easements; restrictive covenants; water rights; and zoning and subdivision controls.
Prerequisite(s): Property I |
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| Public Health Law |
3 |
Public Health Law deals with the legal underpinnings of and current problems facing those who seek to promote population-based, preventive health care. It begins with examination of a series of court decisions which concern the nexus between the demands of the Constitution and the requirement of meeting the needs of public health and welfare. The last third of the class consists of applying the lessons from evolving case law to the modern world's public health challenges.
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| Public International Law |
2/3 |
Emphasizes legal relations of states inter se. Topics include the resolution of disputes between states; the legality of the threat and use of force; individual responsibility; the conflict between domestic and international law; obligations of nationals; and international organizations.
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| Public Service Law |
3 |
This course will 1) prepare law students to engage in public service as lawyers and to represent non-lawyer public servants and 2) prepare public service students to work with lawyers and the legal system. Subjects may include the definition of public service, the role of lawyers and the legal system, using the legal system to achieve social change, litigation and transactional approaches to social change, and the limitations of the legal system in achieving social change.
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| Race and the Criminal Justice System Seminar |
2 |
Focuses on the effects of racial issues on the criminal justice system. Examines each stage of the process to determine if individual or systemic racism affects it. The readings include case law; law review articles; criminal justice studies and biographical accounts.
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| Real Estate Finance |
3 |
Studies commercial real estate transactions. Topics include the acquisition, development, and operation of commercial real estate ventures; mortgages and other financing techniques and related matters.
Prerequisite(s): Property I & II |
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| Real Estate Transactions |
2/3 |
Studies the structure of real estate transactions, including substantive rules of law (other than choice of entity and tax considerations). The emphasis is on legal drafting skills, including original drafting and the proper use of forms.
Prerequisite(s): Property I and II |
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| Reasoning, Writing & Advocacy I |
2 |
Introduces students to the process of legal reasoning, using case and statutory analysis, public policy, and equity. Students develop the practical skills needed for planning, researching, drafting, and revising forms of objective legal writing, such as office memoranda commonly prepared by lawyers.
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| Reasoning, Writing & Advocacy II |
2 |
Builds on the analytical and writing skills introduced in Reasoning, Writing & Advocacy I. The course includes an introduction to appellate advocacy, involving preparation of an appellate brief, and may involve oral argument of a hypothetical case.
Prerequisite(s): Reasoning, Writing & Advocacy I |
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| Remedies |
3 |
Explores general principles of remedial relief that can be applied to any field of substantive law, including the principles of having the remedy address the proven injury; making the plaintiff whole; and deterring future violations. The course looks at both private and public law, emphasizing problems of contemporary importance.
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| Sales Transactions |
3 |
Studies Uniform Commercial Code Articles One, Two, Six, and Seven: sales transactions involving personal property; obligations of the parties; good faith purchase; warranties; shipment and storage of goods; risk of loss; remedies and the effect of relevant federal and state statutes (other than the UCC).
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| Secured Transactions |
3 |
Studies the issues arising from secured transactions in personal property under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, with additional coverage of secured transactions in real estate and creditors' remedies, such as execution, garnishment, attachment, replevin, receivership, and avoidance of fraudulent transfers.
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure I & II, Property I & II |
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| Securities Regulation |
3 |
Covers the federal regulation of the distribution and trading of securities, including the registration process; major exemptions from the registration requirements; restrictions on resale; the role of the Securities and Exchange Commission in the regulatory scheme; and civil liabilities for violation of the federal securities laws.
Prerequisite(s): Business Associations recommended |
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| Sexual Harassment Law Seminar |
2 |
Examines not only the law of sexual harassment, but also the psychological, sociological and behavioral theory underpinnings to this controversial area of the law. The course begins with an examination of the legal standard for actionable sexual harassment. From there, elements of the standard are examined and critiqued, with assessments made as to the legal standard’s consistency with the manner in which sexual harassment actually operates in the workplace. Studies from various disciplines outside of law, including psychology, sociology, women’s studies, and behavioral theory, are discussed to determine whether legal standards for sexual harassment are designed in a manner that will actually help eliminate this disturbing workplace phenomenon. Included in these studies are research on racial harassment as well as same-sex sexual harassment. In addition, various jurisprudential theories, including feminist legal theory, critical legal studies and critical race theory, are discussed as a means of conceptualizing sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination.
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| Sports Law Seminar |
2 |
Covers various aspects of professional and non-professional sports, including amateur, interscholastic, and Olympic sports. Topics covered may include tort law, contract law, criminal law, antitrust law, agency law, gender discrimination, labor relations, sports contract negotiations, health and disability issues, drug testing, sports marketing and sponsorship, intellectual property involving sports stadia financing, and comparative international sports issues. In addition to classroom discussion, students conduct research on a specific sports law topic, chosen in consultation with the professor, and write a paper on the topic.
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| State & Local Taxation |
2 |
Examines federal and state constitutional constraints on state and local taxation; income taxation; sales and use taxes, and the property tax.
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| Statistics and the Law Seminar |
2 |
Covers the use (and misuse) of statistics in representing clients both in and out of court, as well as in policy disputes. The first half of the course focuses on how to interpret and analyze statistics (but not how to make the calculations themselves). The second half of the course analyzes particular areas where statistics were key to litigation and/or legal debates, such as Sander's affirmative action study, disparate impact employment discrimination litigation, antitrust litigation, and gun control. No prior math knowledge is necessary.
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| Supreme Court Litigation Seminar |
2 |
Deals primarily with the process of constitutional litigation as seen from the perspective of the U.S. Supreme Court. The course includes a historical analysis of Article III and, more specifically, a consideration of the Court's evolution over its almost 200 years of existence, with detailed attention to the way in which the courts (lower federal and state courts) operate in exercising the unique power of "judicial review." Some time is spent on constitutional theory, principally involving the legitimacy and scope of judicial authority in constitutional cases. Focus then shifts to the practical issues related to constitutional litigation--how cases are initiated, how the Supreme Court functions in screening and deciding cases, the essentials of effective appellate advocacy in constitutional cases, and the role and impact of leading justices.
Prerequisite(s): Constitutional Law |
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| Tax Clinic |
4 |
Students handle a small number of real cases under the supervision of clinic faculty. Most of the education occurs through the experience of representing clients in disputes with the IRS through client interviews and fact gathering, tax law research, formulating action plans, preparation of written protests, negotiation, and possibly litigation. Students learn the skills of the practice of law while experiencing and analyzing the law, conducting fact investigation and engaging in direct client interaction. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, no student may work for the Internal Revenue Service or for a federal court with jurisdiction over tax matters at the same time the student is enrolled in Tax Clinic.
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure I and II, Contracts I and II, Legal Research I and II, Property I and II, Research, Writing and Advocacy I and II, Torts I and II, Evidence, Federal Income Tax |
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| Tax Policy |
2/3 |
Concerns the policy aspects of taxation, especially federal income taxation. Topics include the broad structure of the federal system of taxation and of the political forces shaping it; the effect of untaxed "imputed" income; whether the tax system should provide for progressive or "flat" rates; tax issues arising from marriage and other family relationships; whether some form of consumption taxation should replace the federal income tax; estate taxes; the proper income tax treatment of property passing at death; the concept of "tax expenditures;" the proper tax treatment of personal injury awards; the proper federal tax treatment of a taxpayer's state and local taxes; whether income earned by a corporation and subsequently distributed as dividends should be taxed to both the corporation and the shareholders; whether capital gains should be taxed differently from ordinary income; and how to deal with the distorting effects of inflation in the measurement of taxable income.
Prerequisite(s): Federal Income Taxation |
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| The Law of Advertising |
2 |
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| Torts |
4 |
Covers the bases of civil liability for physical and nonphysical personal injury (and, to a lesser extent, for damage to property); theory, historical development, and application of liability based on intent, negligence, or without fault; defenses, privileges, and immunities to tort liability; parties to the action; the elements of damage to persons and property; special problems concerning owners and occupiers of land, products liability, ownership of animals, and abnormally dangerous activities; and statutory modifications, including wrongful death and survival actions and Federal Tort Claims Act actions.
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| Trademark Practicum |
2 |
Students create a portfolio of documents related to federal trademark registration, including an application, a response to objections, and a trial brief.
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| Water Law |
3 |
The course will begin with an overview survey of the general legal norms governing water allocation, that is, the right to use surface water & underground water in eastern riparian & western prior appropriation systems; the evolution of control of water allocation from the courts to administrative agencies; public rights in water, including the right to use surface water for recreation and rights under the public trust doctrine; and the impact of environmental statutes on water allocation. The balance of the course will focus on Arkansas’ approach at common law and under statutes & administrative regulations to the water allocation issues raised by the general legal norms. Emphasis will be given to current issues in Arkansas water law.
Prerequisite(s): Property I & II |
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| White Collar Crime |
3 |
Acquaints students with the issues of substantive criminal law that can arise in a business law practice; problems of criminal procedure that arise with business crimes; statutes such as RICO, the Federal Mail & Wire Fraud Statutes, and the Sherman Act; and policy questions inherent in government efforts to assess criminal penalties for violations of statutes designed primarily to regulate the economy.
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Law |
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| Workers' Compensation |
2 |
Surveys the basic principles of statutory and case law governing the system which requires employers to provide compensation, medical treatment, and survivors' benefits for employment-related injuries, disease, and death.
Prerequisite(s): Torts |
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