In addition to the required courses listed here, the School of Law recommends additional
"foundational" courses designed to make you a well-rounded lawyer. Starting your second
year, the School of Law offers a wide variety of elective courses.
Required Courses
LAW 600, 3 credits This course focuses on the process and procedures of a civil lawsuit, from the filing
of the complaint through the final appeal. The course will provide an introduction
to the structure and operation of the state and federal court systems in the United
States, and will concentrate on cases brought in the federal courts, conducted pursuant
to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Topics include pleadings, pre-trial motions,
the discovery process, trial by jury, judgments and relief, motions after judgment,
and appeals.
LAW 601, 3 credits This course covers those advanced topics necessary to a complete understanding of
the civil litigation process including: personal jurisdiction and venue, federal subject-matter
jurisdiction, the substantive law to be applied by the courts (the Erie Doctrine),
complex litigation (including joinder of additional claims and parties and class actions)
and former adjudication.
LAW 650, 4 credits An introduction to the structure of the U.S. Constitution and the powers, rights,
and liberties it defines. Topics include judicial review; limitations on judicial
power; nature of and separation of powers; federalism, including the Commerce Clause
and the 10th Amendment; state action; procedural and substantive due process; and
equal protection.
LAW 655, 2 credits An examination of First Amendment doctrine and theory, including freedom of speech,
freedom of the press, the rights of assembly and to petition the government, the free
exercise of religion, and the limitation on establishment of religion.
LAW 602, 3 credits This course will present an introduction to the formation of contractual arrangements.
Among the topics covered will be mutual assent, including offer and acceptance; consideration;
promissory estoppel; and the statutes of fraud.
LAW 603, 3 credits This course will present an overview of contracts remedies, including expectancy damages,
restitution, and specific performance; the techniques of contract interpretation,
including the parole evidence rule and the relationship between duties and conditions;
as well as excuses and defenses, including, duress, undue influence, misrepresentation,
fraud, mistake, unconscionability, impossibility, impracticability and frustration
of purpose.
LAW 604, 3 credits Sources and interpretations of and constitutional limitations on substantive criminal
law; criminal jurisdiction; criminal act and mental state requirements; burdens of
proof; criminal capacity; justification and excuse (defense); accomplice liability;
inchoate crimes; crimes against property; crimes against persons; crimes against habitation;
punishment.
LAW 651, 3 credits Rules of evidence governing the proof of facts in civil and criminal cases in state
and federal courts; functions of the judge and jury; qualification and examination
of witnesses; proof of writing; judicial notice; competence and credibility of witnesses;
opinion evidence; hearsay; burdens of proof; presumptions and inferences; real evidence;
demonstrative, experimental and scientific evidence. Emphasis is on the Federal Rules
of Evidence and Maryland law.
LAW 613, 2 credits Persuasive legal writing and oral advocacy developed through moot court and other
exercises. Students will be introduced to pleadings and other aspects of the pretrial
process, preliminary and dispositive motions, and, ultimately, the appellate brief
and oral argument.
Civil Procedure I / LAW 612, 6 credits Integrates rigorous instruction in legal analysis, research, and writing with the
substantive law of civil procedure to give beginning law students an opportunity to
combine skills and doctrine the way lawyers must in the practice of law. The course
is taught by full-time, tenured and tenure-track professors in sections of approximately
45 students with one-on-one conferences. This course focuses on the process and procedures
of a civil lawsuit, from the filing of the complaint through the final appeal. The
course will provide an introduction to the structure and operation of the state and
federal court systems in the United States, and will concentrate on cases brought
in the federal courts, conducted pursuant to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Topics include pleadings, pre-trial motions, the discovery process, trial by jury,
judgments and relief, motions after judgment, and appeals. Students will learn the
law of civil procedure through statutory interpretation, case analysis and rule synthesis,
print and online legal research, and legal writing projects. Legal analysis, research,
and writing skills will be developed through course-work that includes critical case
reading, analysis and briefing; common law principles and processes; factual analogy
and distinction; rule synthesis and application; objective/predictive writing (office
memo); case law and statutory research, print and electronic; citation form; and professional
norms and ethics.
Contracts I / LAW 611, 6 credits Integrates rigorous instruction in legal analysis, research, and writing with the
substantive law of contracts to give beginning law students an opportunity to combine
skills and doctrine the way lawyers must in the practice of law. The course is taught
by full-time, tenured and tenure-track professors in sections of approximately 45
students with one-on-one conferences. This course will present an introduction to
the formation of contractual arrangements. Among the topics covered will be mutual
assent, including offer and acceptance; consideration; promissory estoppel; and the
Statute of Frauds. Students will learn the law of contracts through statutory interpretation,
case analysis and rule synthesis, print and online legal research, and legal writing
projects. Legal analysis, research, and writing skills will be developed through course-work
that includes critical case reading, analysis and briefing; common law principles
and processes; factual analogy and distinction; rule synthesis and application; objective/predictive
writing (office memo); case law and statutory research, print and electronic; citation
form; and professional norms and ethics.
Criminal Law / LAW 614, 6 credits Integrates rigorous instruction in legal analysis, research, and writing with substantive
criminal law to give beginning law students an opportunity to combine skills and doctrine
the way lawyers must in the practice of law. The course is taught by full-time, tenured
and tenure-track professors in sections of no more than 45 students with one-on-one
conferences. Students will learn criminal law through statutory interpretation, case
analysis and rule synthesis, print and online legal research, and legal writing projects.
Doctrinal topics may include larceny, burglary, robbery, arson, and rape; murder,
manslaughter, and self-defense; attempts and inchoate crimes; principles in the first
and second degree; sanity and competency; and conspiracy. Legal analysis, research,
and writing skills will be developed through course-work that includes critical case
reading, analysis and briefing; common law principles and processes; factual analogy
and distinction; rule synthesis and application; objective/predictive writing (office
memo); case law and statutory research, print and electronic; citation form; and professional
norms and ethics.
Torts / LAW 610, 7 credits Integrates rigorous instruction in legal analysis, research, and writing with the
substantive law of torts to give beginning law students an opportunity to combine
skills and doctrine the way lawyers must in the practice of law. The course is taught
by full-time, tenured and tenure-track legal writing professionals in sections of
approximately 30 students with one-on-one conferences. Students will learn the law
of imposed liability for personal, property, and economic harm, through case analysis
and rule synthesis, print and online legal research, and legal writing projects. Doctrinal
topics will include negligence (including professional malpractice); strict liability
(including products liability) and intentional torts; causation and elements of damages;
and affirmative defenses and limitations of duties including: assumption of the risk,
contributory negligence, comparative negligence, immunity, and limited liability of
property owners. Legal analysis, research, and writing skills will be developed through
course-work that includes critical case reading, analysis and briefing; common law
principles and processes; factual analogy and distinction; rule synthesis and application;
objective/predictive writing (office memo); case law and statutory research, print
and electronic; citation form; and professional norms and ethics.
A complete legal education requires more than knowledge of legal rules and proficiency
in legal skills. These courses are intended to provide law students with the third
element of a complete education: the ability to understand law in a variety of theoretical,
social, historical, and philosophical contexts. To complete the Law in Context requirement,
students will take one of the following courses as a 3-credit elective. Day students
must complete this requirement in their first year. Evening students must complete
this requirement in their second year.
American Legal History / LAW 621, 3 credits This course provides an introduction to American legal history focusing on such topics
as the roots of the U.S. Constitution, the effect of changes in politics, economics,
and technology on the evolution of law, the historical development of freedom of speech,
the paradox of the law of slavery in a nation dedicated to liberty, the conflicting
views of the relationship between religion and government, the role of the Constitution
in times of war, and the changing views of the purpose of legal education.
Comparative Law / LAW 622, 3 credits The course provides an introduction to differences and similarities among the world's
legal systems. Students will discuss the variety of possible solutions to fundamental
legal problems in differing cultures and legal institutions. The class will consider
the constitution, litigation, legislation, interpretation and enforcement of justice,
and how the United States legal system compares to those of other federations, states
and nations.
Critical Legal Theory / LAW 623, 3 credits This course introduces students to a range of critical approaches to theories of law.
These approaches are frequently understood to include theories examining the relationship
between law and issues of race, gender, sexual orientation and class. The course will
also study more generally the relationship between power and the law, and consider
the extent to which law can be considered objective and rational. The course explores
the origins of “critical” theories, their basic principles and how they diverge from
one another, critiques of these critiques, and their current influence and new applications
in recent years.
Jurisprudence / LAW 620, 3 credits This course introduces students to the philosophical foundations of law and justice,
including some of the main currents of legal thought through the ages. Students will
discuss the primary purposes of law, when and whether there is an obligation to obey
the law, who has the authority to make or interpret the law, and what law has got
to do with morality. This class will consider how laws and legal systems might be
made to be more just and how (or whether) it is possible to lead a worthwhile life
as a lawyer.
Law and Economics / LAW 624, 3 credits Development and critical examination of the economic approach to the analysis of law.
Study of how laws affect and are caused by individuals’ incentives and behavior, with
inquiry into which social goals the laws are attempting to further and the extent
the laws succeed at achieving intended and unintended effects. Tort, Contract, Property,
and (perhaps) Regulatory and Criminal law will be analyzed. No formal economics background
is required or presumed, and students without formal economics training should not
hesitate to take this course.
LAW 652, 3 credits Study of the ethics and law of lawyering, approaching attorney problems from multiple
perspectives. Topics will include: professionalism, the organization of the bar, attorney
discipline and disability, the delivery of legal services, the attorney client relationship,
the duties of loyalty and confidentiality, fees, and various issues, including conflict
of interest and substance abuse.
LAW 607, 4 credits Possession and adverse possession; estates in land and future interests; landlord
and tenant; concurrent tenancies; easements, covenants, and servitudes; rights incident
to ownership of land; conveyancing; title guarantees and recording acts.
LAW 615, 3 credits This upper-level course is to assist students in developing the skills necessary for
success in law school, on the bar exam, and in practice. Students will work on (1)
learning how to read and analyze legal concepts; (2) synthesizing complicated materials;
(3) communicating effectively both orally and in writing; (4) developing the essential
skills for the mastery of their law school courses; and (5) improving their writing
skills. Professors teaching this course will use a doctrinal subject of their choosing
(e.g., agency, remedies, employment law) and teach students the mastery of skills
involved in identifying legal issues, understanding and using rules of law, and using
and analyzing facts. Students will have multiple opportunities for practice and feedback
and will engage in exercises designed to help students master the skill of legal analysis
using a doctrinal subject as a framework for doing so. Students whose cumulative GPAs
are below 2.80 after the completion of their second semester will be required to take
in their third or fourth semester a designated Rules & Reasoning course. [Admission
by permission only.]
LAW 608, 4 credits Law of imposed liability for personal, property and economic harm; negligence (including
professional malpractice), strict liability (including products liability) and intentional
torts; causation and elements of damages; affirmative defenses and limitation of duties
including: assumption of the risk, contributory negligence, comparative negligence,
immunity, limited liability of property owners.
Foundational Courses
LAW 700, 3 credits Analysis of federal administrative agencies, including their legislative and judicial
nature, congressional delegation of powers, promulgation of regulations, adjudication
and judicial review. Emphasis will be on the Federal Administrative Procedure Act.
LAW 700, 3 credits The study of the federal laws affecting competition between businesses. This course
will examine the concepts of competition, market power, monopoly, and practices that
might restrain trade. Mergers, boycotts, conspiracies, predation, joint ventures,
price discrimination and marketing and other distribution restraints will be analyzed
in light of the statutory desire to foster a more competitive economy.
LAW 717, 4 credits A study of the various forms of business organizations and the laws governing them
with an analysis of choice of business entity decisions. Coverage includes the law
of agency, partnerships, limited partnerships, professional corporations, limited
liability companies (LLC's), limited liability partnerships (LLP's), limited liability
limited partnerships (LLLP's), and corporations (with an emphasis on the closely-held
and smaller corporations). Topics include formation, governance and dissolution of
the various entities as well as a comparison of the roles, obligations, fiduciary
duties, rights and remedies of the owners, management and creditors under each business
form. In addition, the course may include introductions to the following: the forms
of financing the entity--equity (partnership interests, membership interests, corporate
stock or shares) and debt (bonds and debentures); and introductions to Federal Tax
and Security Regulations, including corporate taxation, Subchapter S and insider trading.
LAW 711, 3 credits An examination and analysis of constitutional principles governing the admissibility
of evidence in criminal proceedings and regulating the conduct of criminal prosecutions,
primarily focusing on the pre-trial stages. Subjects include the exclusionary rule;
probable cause; arrest; search and seizure; electronic surveillance; compelled self-incrimination,
immunity, and confessions, identification, right to counsel, preliminary hearing and
pre-trial motions.
LAW 740, 3 credits A continuation of the study, begun in Constitutional Criminal Procedure I, of constitutional
principles governing the conduct of criminal prosecutions, with special emphasis on
the trial and post-trial stages. Subjects include the charging process; bail and pretrial
release; discovery; double jeopardy and collateral estoppel; speedy trial; public
trial; jury trial; guilty pleas and plea bargaining; right to confrontation; sentencing;
appeals; and collateral post-conviction remedies. Constitutional Criminal Procedure
I is not a prerequisite.
LAW 716, 3 credits This course will explore legal issues relating to the formation, maintenance, and
dissolution of family relationships. These issues include state and federal regulation
of marriage and nonmarital cohabitation; legal, social, and economic consequences
of marriage and divorce; parentage, custody, and support of children; domestic violence;
and the processes for resolving family disputes. The course includes related constitutional
issues.
LAW 723, 3 credits Structure of the income provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended,
including their applicability to individuals; capital gains and losses; identification
of the taxpayer; timing of tax liability; certain deferral and non-recognition problems;
and the basics of federal tax procedure.
LAW 724, 3 credits The relationship of the federal courts to Congress and to the states. Topics may include
judicial review; standing and justiciability; congressional power to regulate jurisdiction;
legislative courts; federal question, diversity, removal, civil rights, and habeus
corpus jurisdiction; state sovereign immunity; Supreme Court appellate jurisdiction;
abstention; federalism doctrines; and federal common law. Required: Civil Procedure II Recommended: Constitutional Law.
LAW 729, 3 credits Examination of the nature and sources of international law; procedures for handling
disputes and claims; sanctions (e.g., economic, political, war); the roles of the
individual, state, region and world organizations (United Nations); law of the sea
and space; and an analysis of current problems and trends. Emphasis on substantive
law.
LAW 751, 3 credits Students enrolled in this course will be introduced to the procedure required when
litigating civil cases in Maryland District and Circuit Courts. In addition to Maryland
Rules, this course will cover personal and subject matter jurisdiction and venue,
as well as appellate jurisdiction, which are codified in the Courts and Judicial Proceedings
Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Students will learn and interpret the Rules
and applicable sections of the Courts Article by reading and analyzing them and appellate
court decisions regarding procedure. They will be discussed in class and applied to
written hypotheticals. Students may select this course or the limited enrollment Maryland
Civil Procedure Workshop, but may not receive credit for both. Prerequisites: Civil
Procedure I and II
LAW 743, 3 credits Study of Articles 2 and 2A of the Uniform Commercial Code, including formation of
sales and lease agreements, performance, warranty, risk of loss, remedies, and international
issues under the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sales
of Goods (CISG).
LAW 770, 2 credits This course will study Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, including the creation,
priority and enforcement of security interests in personal property. Certain provisions
of the United States Bankruptcy Code will be included. Prerequisite: First-year required
courses.
LAW 758, 3 credits Intestate succession; wills, including formalities of execution, revocation and revival;
incorporation by reference and related doctrines; problems of construction and interpretation,
including class gifts, rule against perpetuities; non-probate transfers, including
intervivos and causa mortis gifts; probate and administration of estates; trusts,
their nature, creation, modification and termination; rights of beneficiaries; express,
resulting and constructive trusts; honorary trusts. Prerequisite: Property
We invite you to view our Course Descriptions page to view a full listing of all the courses offered at the School of Law.
