USC Schedule of Classes

By examining key constitutional moments involving race, rights, and revolutions, students will explore how legal meaning changes over time.

Provides a comprehensive analysis of the criminal justice system and an overview of the fundamentals of substantive criminal law.

Introduces the U.S. legal system and its relationship to basic principles of the rule of law. Examines the criminal and the civil law systems, focusing on Supreme Court decisions involving the separation of powers, federalism and contemporary legal issues.

Examines topics such as children's suggestibility, decision-making, and risk and resiliency all as they apply to legal settings.

Traces the development of U.S. constitutional and statutory mechanisms designed to fulfill the promise of equality under the law.

The main concepts and topics in American law, in the historical, economic and cultural contexts in which they have developed.

Learn about international law and courts trying these cases, while also reflecting on whether criminal trials are the best response to bringing healing and reconciliation to affected societies.

Examines areas of the law that impact entrepreneurs, starting, operating and financing businesses. Topics include: selection of business entities; securities laws and issues that arise in fundraising; employment law; contracts; torts; intellectual property; global expansion; mergers and acquisitions; and IPOs.

Issues at the intersection of law and psychology, both civil--e.g. civil commitment--and criminal-e.g. the insanity defense. Emphasis on ethical issues.

Individual research and readings.

The interpretation and enforcement of promises and agreements.

The crime problem and the legislative response to it through substantive criminal law; administration of criminal justice through police, prosecutorial, sentencing, and penological discretion.

Functions of the lawyer in modern society; history and organization of the legal profession; the adversary system; equal access to justice; other problems of ethics and professional responsibility.

The idea of property as understood through economic and philosophical concepts. Rights in land, water and other natural resources. Forms of shared ownership (e.g., landlord and tenant), and a survey of mechanisms for controlling land use.

Considers the delineation of spheres of responsibility between the judiciary and legislature, the nation and the state, and the government and the individual.

Individual's obligation not to harm others; bases for compensating persons who are harmed, either by holding responsible whoever is at fault or by invoking other principles of liability, including the efficiency of resource allocation and the spreading of losses.

Examination of the basic sources of law for federal and California jurisdictions, utilizing a vast array of sources from books to computer-assisted research and analyzing research methodology and techniques. Graded CR/D/F.

Two-semester course focusing on developing analytic and communication skills. Lawyers will analyze legal principles and incisively apply them to facts. Graded CR/D/F.

Continuation of LAW 515. Development of legal research, writing, and advocacy skills. Emphasis on persuasive legal writing, including appellate briefs, and researching statutory and administrative law. Participation in a moot court program. Registration restricted to Law students.

The basic structure of government in the U.S., including the constitutionally mandated division of power in the federal government and the federal system of power sharing between state and federal systems. A comparative perspective on selected substantive and procedural matters, such as common law reasoning, jury trials, adversary process, and various aspects of civil procedure. Open to incoming LL.M. students only.

This course will provide LL.M. and M.C.L. students with a survey of various topics in American law including criminal law, evidence, family law, constitutional law, torts, wills and trusts, administrative law and property law. Open to LL.M. and M.C.L. students only.

Focuses exclusively on issues related to copyright and fair use, trademark, trade secrets and related laws that seek to protect intellectual property.

Covers the delineation of spheres of responsibility between three branches of the federal government, the federal government and the states and the government and individuals.

Covers legal ethics issues with an emphasis on access to justice, nonprofit practice settings, and duties of prosecutors and defense attorneys. Fulfills Legal Profession requirement.

Examines constitutional rights particularly ones protected under the Equal Protection/Due Process Clauses and related questions of judicial role and theories of interpretation.

An analysis of legal writing and problem solving of a variety of 1L subjects designed to enhance legal skills through frequent simulations and individualized feedback.

A student-run periodical that publishes student-written and peer-edited articles relevant to the intersection between law and business.

Provides an overview of human resource related law, and various legal issues involved in the employment relationship.

Explores and develops the legal communication and analytical skills necessary to the practice of law.

Explores purpose and form of legal documents and emphasizes effective communication.

Explores purpose and form of legal documents and emphasizes effective communication.

Explores the art of public speaking and effective communication in legal settings.

Explores the communication and presentation skills necessary for persuasive legal advocacy.

Explores effective legal communication and professionalism skills.

Students learn basic and advanced mediation skills, practice their skills in simulated mediations, and upon certification by the instructor, mediate in the Los Angeles County courts.

Introduction to regimes that regulate business practices on a global level and compliance of such regimes, such as Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, and other regulations.

An externship allows a student to gain hands-on legal experience in legal settings. Students will be assigned to a legal services program, government agency or state or federal judge under faculty supervision. All externships include an initial orientation and subsequent academic assignments. A maximum of 8 units may be earned over two externships.

Part-time or full-time, practical work experience in the student's field of study. The internship must be located at an off-campus facility. Students are individually supervised by faculty. May not be taken until the student has completed at least one semester of enrollment in the graduate program with a cumulative 3.0 GPA.

Federal tax statutes, technical issues and social problems involved in tax planning, tax litigation, and reform of the tax laws.

Criminal procedure in the courts, and the regulation of lawenforcement by the courts through rules of evidence andinterpretation of the Bill of Rights.

Organization of economic activity especially the modern corporation as institutions of social power. The roles of managers, owners, and regulatory agencies in shaping processes ofdecision making.

Gratuitous transfer of wealth, especially the transmission of wealth from one generation to the next as a settlement of family affairs. Comparative analysis of the legal mechanisms of gifts, wills, and trusts. Introduction to problems of fiduciary administration.

The purpose and character of trial. Problems of adversary presentation and the nature of proof. The basis for admission and exclusion of evidence in judicial proceedings.

Examines the California rules of civil procedure. Emphasizes California law, with some discussion of the differences between state and federal procedure.

Creating, regulating and dissolving family relationships. Explore moral and power relations among men, women, children, and the State. Develop skills to help clients in families.

Provides students with understanding of protection offered to foreign investment and investors through bilateral investment treaties and multilateral and regional investment and free trade agreements.

Explores real estate joint ventures, formed by institutional capital sources and local developers or operators, through review and discussion of hypothetical fact patterns and contract provisions. Various issues attached to real estate transactions are also explored, including topics such as: finance, development, zoning and purchase agreements for commercial property.

An end-to-end look at the various facets of the complex real estate development process, from land acquisition, to the sale and marketing of completed projects. Topics include: the relationship between developers and architects; zoning and land use controls; the subdivision and entitlements process; environmental issues related to development; the interplay between public entities and private developers; constitutional limits on governmental fees; construction contracts and lending; and real estate investment deal structures

Continuation of LAW-630

Legal analysis of the rules of Evidence using problems designed to improve analytic skills and problem-solving. Taken in conjunction with Evidence.

Examines the regulation of employment discrimination under federal law. Pays primary attention to issues of race, sex, age and disability discrimination.

The interrelation of labor, business, and government in collective bargaining, federal regulation of union and management practices and pressures, especially through the Taft-Hartley Act.

Examination of the institutions and laws that regulate international economic relations. Students will be introduced to the major international agreements and national laws that regulate international trade goods, services and capital.

This is a course on Chattel paper and secured transactions involving personal property under Article 9 of the Uniform Commerical Code and some related bodies of law.

Contemporary topics in the field of entertainment law.

An examination of how the courts are handling selected, "cutting edge" topics in entertainment law. The topics will include the scope of and limitations on the right of publicity; fair use and parody defenses to copyright infringement; future technology clauses in rights contracts; and copyright and defamation issues arising in the online world. Previous entertainment law courses recommended, but not required.

Examines the legal and policy issues involved with the emergence of cyber crimes and cyber security issues, including government access and privacy issues.

Focus on contract drafting and negotiation issues relevant to an artist's pursuit of a career in the music business.

Focus on environmental law policy and practice. This course is a combination of regulatory and private law, with a special emphasis on disputes and regulations involving contamination in soil, water and air.

Problems of integrating the corporate, securities, tax, business, antitrust, accounting and contractual aspects of corporate mergers and aquisitions.

Examination of the nature of the United States' national security law, focusing on how it is created, violated and enforced.

An intensive, two-semester course preparing students interested in U.S. trademark and unfair competition law for participation in the annual Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition.

Invitation-only course for students in the Hale Moot Court Honors Program. Students present an oral argument and judge first-year student rounds. Graded CR/NC.

Evaluation and supervision of the preparation of briefs and oral arguments in the Hale Moot Court honors competition. Graded CR/69/65.

Preparation of oral arguments in approved moot court competitions, such as national and state prize rounds, (other than Hale Moot Court Program). Graded CR/69/65. Open only to law students.

Preparation of briefs in approved moot court competitions, such as national and state prize rounds (other than Hale Moot Court Program).

Provides hands-on experience in the various tasks typically required in structuring, documenting and closing a personal property secured transaction. Corequisite: LAW 642. Graded CR/NC.

Writing, source-checking, and preliminary editing of articles and comments for publication in the Review of Law and Social Justice. For second year students serving as staff members on the Review. Open to law students only. Graded CR/D/F.

Writing, source-checking and preliminary editing of articles and comments for publication in the Review of Law and Social Justice.

Supervision of research and writing, and final editing of articles and comments for publication in the Review of Law and Social Justice. For officers of the Review. Open to law students only. Graded IP to CR/D/F.

Important business and economic concepts that will assist with problems lawyers in every practice area routinely encounter.

Introduction to a practice-oriented approach to interviewing and counseling clients. Enables students to develop a useful framework for effectively interviewing and representing clients.

A one-semester clinical course where students represent non-citizens in appellate matters before the Board of Immigration Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals, and in petitions for writs of habeas corpus before the U.S. District Court.

Covers three broad categories related to the California constitution: general state constitutional law issues, the relationship between the state and federal constitutions and selected topics on the California constitution.

Develops legal, analytical, and client management skills required to represent entertainment industry clients in all areas of the entertainment industry.

An overview of common legal issues impacting both providers and users of Internet services.

Learn how to effectively interview child witnesses. Students will practice mock interviews, and may be eligible to conduct actual interviews of child witnesses.

Students will work on cases in the following areas: (1) Dependent and neglected children: All children who are wards of the court must have legal counsel. (2) Children with AIDS: Legal implications of such issues as health care and custody. (3) Guardianships or other temporary arrangements for children whose parents are terminally ill or are otherwise unable to care for them.

The law of community property, including disposition of property on dissolution of the marriage and questions of conflict of laws.

Highlights the complex interactions between health, law and human rights, emphasizing the use of human rights in public health thinking and practice. Duplicates credit in PM-577.

Covers the fundamentals of reviewing and analyzing business contracts and strategies for negotiating business issues with an emphasis on developing practical skills. Open only to Law students.

Contract drafting and negotiating will teach students the mechanics of drafting and negotiating sophisticated contracts from a variety of legal disciplines including entertainment law, real estate law and general corporate law.

Students present to the class their assessment of assigned contracts, then draft their own contracts, interpret a complex contract, followed by team-based rewrites.

Real world advocacy projects involving issues such as civil rights, disability rights, foster care, welfare, and health care, among others.

Develops enhanced negotiation skills and a working understanding of ADR processes and procedures in an interactive classroom experience.

Exploration of the origin, development, and practice of mediation, arbitration and other forms of ADR, emphasizing the policies underlying these increasingly significant and evolving areas.

Legal and economic aspects of corporate finance including capital structure, policy, mergers, takeovers, and freeze-outs; analysis of policy relating to present law and possible reforms.

Holistically studies how real estate laws and regulations are used to address today's most significant social and environmental policy issues.

This course deals with the formation, features and functions of general partnerships, limited partnerships and limited liability companies. It will also focus on business planning, recognizing business and legal objectives and selecting the appropriate entity to accomplish these objectives.

Explores the role of the university in the world, using USC as an example. Emphasizes original research into the twentieth-century history of the university as an active participant in political, economic, ideological and environmental trends in the city, the nation and the world.

Reorganization of failing corporations under Chapter XI of the Bankruptcy Act. Claims, protective committees, plans, tax considerations.

Study and evaluation of the municipal and regional legal institutions. Emphasis on the crises in financing and governing the urban society.

Explores some of the most important questions facing the legal profession today: What role does money play in the practice of law? Why have women and minorities lagged in advancing in the profession? Why has Big Law exploded?

Students provide legal assistance to small businesses, entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations that cannot pay market rates for legal services. Graded CR/NC. Open to Law students only.