Course Schedule
Classes Found
- TUE, THU 4:15 – 5:30 pm TNH 3.124
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 331K
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
The 27500 section of this course will be taught in person but with the option of occasional remote participation via Zoom. If students require all remote participation, they must register for the 27501 section of this course, which is identical but web-based.
Introduction to Real Estate Law and Practice is for students with little or no knowledge or experience in the industry. This course will begin with an introduction to the commercial real estate industry, including the basic vocabulary and law. This course will review legal theory in the areas of contracts, property (including condominium law), agency, tax (federal income tax and property tax), land use, and business entities; and will apply those areas of law to purchase and sale agreements, brokerage arrangements, leases of improved real estate, choice of ownership entity, acquisition and construction financing, eminent domain and insurance. This course will include a discussion of various types of legal practices in the area of real estate law. This course will only tangentially deal with residential real estate. Materials to be used will include a traditional textbook supplemented by materials supplied by the professor in PDF format. There are no formal prerequisites.
Jails, Women and Oversight
- THU 2:00 – 5:00 pm SRH 3.220
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 371V
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Prof. keeps own waitlist
- Will not use floating mean GPA
Description
This is a year-long Policy Research Project (PRP) course offered at the LBJ School, with the option for Law students to participate in the course for either one or two semesters. PRPs are courses in which the instructor and students engage in team-based research on behalf of a real world client. The project design evolves over the course of the year with the input of the students and the client, and students should be prepared to help shape the project and the structure of the course. Students should also be flexible as the client’s situation and project demands can change (as is the nature of real world work).
This PRP offers students the opportunity to work on one of two substantial research and writing projects. Students enrolled for only one semester will likely be assigned to the second of these projects.
The first project offers students the opportunity to evaluate and make recommendations for improvement on various aspects of jail operations in Harris County on issues related to women inmates. The Harris County Jail, the nation’s third largest local detention facility with over 9000 inmates, has had numerous highly publicized problems. For example, it is the largest mental health facility in the state; it has had a spate of recent suicides; and on several recent occasions it has failed state inspections for compliance with state jail standards. The jail also houses many individuals who are there simply because they are poor and unable to raise money for bond, not because they are dangerous.
The Sheriff has specifically requested our help in developing recommendations to meet the needs of the female population in the jail. Women in jail have especially significant histories of trauma and high levels of medical and mental health needs compared to their male counterparts. Extensive prior research demonstrates that incarcerated women need a different approach in order to avoid harm while in custody and to have better outcomes.
We will work with Harris County to review and assess core policies and practices around the management, classification, and programs for female inmates in the Harris County Jail. For example, we will examine the policies and procedures that determine the classification and custody levels for women; the availability of gender-responsive medical and mental health services; gender-responsive programs to address women’s needs; work release options; family visitation; staff-inmate interactions; and the potential for specialized training of staff that work with this population. This project will draw upon research previously conducted by the Instructor to determine best practices.
Students working on this first project will need to be prepared to make four trips to Houston over the course of the year.
The second project is related to jail oversight across the United States. While the research is national in scope, it is intended to benefit advocates, policymakers, and corrections practitioners in Louisiana who are wrestling with implementation of a new statute requiring jails to comply with certain best practices in order to receive state funding for state prisoners held in the jails. Our project will be conducted on behalf of the advocacy organization VOTE, which championed passage of the new law. VOTE is a grassroots organization run by people who are formerly incarcerated, along with their families and allies. It has been highly effective at promoting criminal justice reform in Louisiana.
Building upon research previously conducted by the Instructor and her students, our class will identify, analyze, and assess the various models that states have developed to regulate and provide oversight of jails. We will also gather and analyze the standards used by each of these oversight bodies, compare them to Louisiana’s minimum jail standards, and consider Louisiana’s standards in light of what we know about best practices on a variety of key issues related to the treatment of prisoners. We will also propose standards that should be considered when it comes to the care and management of women in jail custody—since no such standards exist, this part of our project will be especially groundbreaking. We will also examine enforcement mechanisms that exist for jail oversight bodies. Finally, we will examine the few local models of jail oversight (as opposed to statewide oversight) that exist across the country, with an eye towards developing recommendations for more effective oversight of the Orleans Parish Jail, which is notoriously problematic and currently under federal court oversight, as well as for other jails across Louisiana.
We will issue a report of our findings and recommendations that will not only benefit our client but will also be an excellent resource for other jurisdictions around the United States.
These two projects will dovetail perfectly with a related project for the course on behalf of NACOLE (the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement). We will help organize the NACOLE national academic symposium on correctional and law enforcement oversight that will take place at UT Law School in early March 2020. Representatives from oversight bodies all over the country will be participating in the conference, along with advocates who wish to develop oversight entities for their prisons, jails, and police agencies. Our class will develop poster presentations for that conference based on our jail oversight research as well as on our research about best practices for women in custody, and will have the opportunity to speak with participants to share our findings and recommendations more widely. We will also develop conference proceedings from the event to be shared more broadly so that we can increase the impact of the symposium. Students will have the opportunity to collaborate with conference speakers and other experts in the preparation of these materials.
Over the course of the PRP, all students will have an opportunity to tour at least one jail and to meet with a variety of corrections officials, staff, and inmates, as well as experts, advocates, and oversight practitioners. Both projects will result in a report of our findings and recommendations, and we will also have the opportunity to brief officials.
The course will have a co-instructor, Alycia Welch, M.P.Aff, MSSW, who worked closely with Prof. Deitch on a major project involving women in jail custody.
NOTE: Law students who enroll in the class for only one semester will participate in all aspects of the research process regarding the jail oversight project but would not see the full project through to completion. However, there will be at least some written work product required at the end of the first semester, including a stand-alone research report.
Law students interested in this class should speak with the instructor as soon as possible to ensure that the course is a good fit for them.
Jurisdiction & Judgments
- MON, TUE, WED 10:30 – 11:20 am TNH 3.124
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 381D
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Jurisdiction & Judgments is a course in Conflict of Laws. Conflict of Laws addresses issues that may arise when a dispute or transaction has connections with more than one state or country. The subject is generally divided into three interrelated topics: (1) territorial jurisdiction (and related doctrines), (2) choice of law, and (3) recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. This course focuses on the first and third topics: specifically, territorial jurisdiction, forum non conveniens, forum selection clauses, and the recognition and enforcement of judgments rendered by the courts of other states and countries. Choice of law is the focus of a separate course titled “Conflict of Laws,” and is covered in Jurisdiction & Judgments only to the extent necessary to fully understand the topics that are the focus of this course. At the end of the semester, students should have developed a sound understanding of the law governing jurisdiction and judgments, including policy considerations that may shape further development of the law.
Jurisdiction & Judgments
- MON 9:05 – 9:55 am TNH 3.124
- TUE, WED 9:05 – 9:55 am CCJ 3.306
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 396W
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Jurisdiction and Judgments is a course in Conflict of Laws. Conflict of Laws addresses issues that may arise when a dispute or transaction has connections with more than one state or country. The subject is generally divided into three interrelated topics: (1) territorial jurisdiction (and related doctrines), (2) choice of law, and (3) recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. This course focuses on the first and third topics: territorial jurisdiction, forum non conveniens, forum selection clauses, and the recognition and enforcement of judgments rendered by other states and countries. Choice of law is the focus of a separate course titled “Conflict of Laws,” and is covered in this course only to the extent necessary to fully understand other topics. At the end of the semester, students should have developed a sound understanding of the topics covered in this course, including policy considerations that may shape further development of the law.
Jurisdiction & Judgments
- MON, TUE, WED 9:10 – 10:00 am TNH 2.124
- THU 9:10 – 10:00 am TNH 2.137
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 281D
- Short course:
- 8/22/22 — 10/10/22
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This is a course in Conflict of Laws. Conflict of Laws addresses issues that may arise when a dispute or transaction has connections with more than one state or country. The subject is generally divided into three interrelated parts: (1) territorial jurisdiction (and related doctrines), (2) choice of law, and (3) recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. This short course, Jurisdiction and Judgments, focuses on territorial jurisdiction, forum non conveniens, forum selection clauses, and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments.
Jurisdiction & Judgments
- MON, TUE, WED, THU 9:10 – 10:00 am TNH 3.142
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 281D
- Short course:
- 8/25/21 — 10/13/21
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 279M, Topic: Juridiction & Judgments.
This is a course in Conflict of Laws. Conflict of Laws addresses issues that may arise when a dispute or transaction has connections with more than one state or country. The subject is generally divided into three interrelated parts: (1) territorial jurisdiction (and related doctrines), (2) choice of law, and (3) recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. This short course, Jurisdiction and Judgments, focuses on territorial jurisdiction, forum non conveniens, forum selection clauses, and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments.
Jurisdiction & Judgments
- MON, TUE, WED, THU 9:00 – 9:50 am ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 279M
- Short course:
- 8/26/20 — 10/14/20
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This course will be taught entirely online via Zoom.
This is a course in Conflict of Laws. Conflict of Laws addresses issues that may arise when a dispute or transaction has connections with more than one state or country. The subject is generally divided into three interrelated parts: (1) territorial jurisdiction (and related doctrines), (2) choice of law, and (3) recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. This short course, Jurisdiction and Judgments, focuses on territorial jurisdiction, forum non conveniens, forum selection clauses, and the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments.
Jurisprudence
- MON, WED 3:55 – 5:10 pm TNH 3.126
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 385C
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
The course will be a study of central question in the philosophy of law: What is the nature of law? What distinguishes a legal system from other systems of norms? What place if any does morality have in a legal system? Do the norms of a legal system determine the decisions judges make in the cases before them? Are judges, that is, constrained by legal norms in reaching decisions in those cases? Are there norms or methods of legal reasoning that judges should follow in reaching decisions? Readings for the course will be a mix of historical and contemporary writings, including those of Aquinas, Hobbes, John Austin, H. L A. Hart, and Ronald Dworkin. No previous study of philosophy will be assumed.
Jurisprudence
- WED, FRI 11:50 am – 1:05 pm JON 6.257
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 385C
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
An introductory lecture/survey course about general jurisprudence, which purports to answer questions like, "What is law? What distinguishes legal institutions from other ones? And what makes a true legal claim true?" Readings will cover John Austin, HLA Hart, Ronald Dworkin, and other participants in these debates. Where time permits, we will also address how these abstract questions come to bear on concrete controversies about legal interpretation.
Jurisprudence
- TUE, THU 3:45 – 5:00 pm JON 5.206
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 385C
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
The course will be a study of central question in the philosophy of law: What is the nature of law? What distinguishes a legal system from other systems of norms? What place if any does morality have in a legal system? Do the norms of a legal system determine the decisions judges make in the cases before them? Are judges, that is, constrained by legal norms in reaching decisions in those cases? Are there norms or methods of legal reasoning that judges should follow in reaching decisions? Readings for the course will be a mix of historical and contemporary writings, including those of Aquinas, Hobbes, John Austin, H. L A. Hart, and Ronald Dworkin. No previous study of philosophy will be assumed.
Jurisprudence
- S. Fish
- MON, WED 2:00 – 3:30 pm JON 5.206/7
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 385C
- Short course:
- 1/19/22 — 4/13/22
Registration Information
- 1L and upperclass elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 339, Jurisprudence.
Most of the time when judicial opinions are handed down the focus is narrowly on the facts of the case and references to large philosophical questions are either absent or perfunctory. Big questions like “What is law?” “What is the source of law’s legitimacy?”, “How is law distinguished from force?”, “What is the relationship between law and morality?”, “Is the law an autonomous system?”, and “Is the law gendered?” are not taken up explicitly or at length in the course of a ruling. Yet these questions and the various answers given to them underlie and give shape to the specific arguments judges engage in. Jurisprudence is the study of those big questions and of the traditions of inquiry that have been set in motion by the attempts to answer them. In this course we shall survey the major traditions of inquiry with a view to understanding how even the most minute and apparently local issues in law reflect long-standing and unresolved controversies.
Topics of investigation will include Natural Law, Positive Law, Legal Realism, Law and Economics, Legal Interpretation, Feminist Jurisprudence, Critical Race Theory, Gay Legal Theory, Postmodernism and the Law, Legal Pragmatism.
Jurisprudence
- TUE, THU 2:40 – 3:55 pm ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 339
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This course will be taught entirely online via Zoom.
The course will be a study of central question in the philosophy of law: What is the nature of law? What distinguishes a legal system from other systems of norms? What place if any does morality have in a legal system? Do the norms of a legal system determine the decisions judges make in the cases before them? Are judges, that is, constrained by legal norms in reaching decisions in those cases? Are there norms or methods of legal reasoning that judges should follow in reaching decisions? Readings for the course will be a mix of historical and contemporary writings, including those of Aquinas, Hobbes, John Austin, H. L A. Hart, and Ronald Dworkin. No previous study of philosophy will be assumed.
Jurisprudence and Constitutional Law
- MON, TUE, WED 1:05 – 1:55 pm TNH 3.129
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 396V
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
The course begins by developing my position on legitimate and valid legal argument in the United States. That position is based on (1) the postulate that to be morally legitimate the use of a legal argument must be consistent with the moral commitments of the society in which the legal argument is being made and (2) an "empirical" conclusion that the United States is a liberal, rights-based society (i.e., a society whose members and governments draw a strong distinction between moral-rights discourse and moral-ought discourse, are committed to moral-rights conclusions) trumping moral-ought conclusions when the two conclusions favor different outcomes, and derive their moral-rights conclusions from a basic commitment to treating all moral-rights- bearing entities for which they are responsible with appropriate, equal respect and concern. The combination of the above postulate and empirical finding lead me to conclude that (1) arguments derived from the liberal principle just articulated are not only inside the law but are the dominant mode of legitimate and valid legal argument in the United States (dominant in that they operate not only directly but also by determining the legitimacy, legitimate variant of, and legitimate weight to be given to the other modes of legal argument that are actually made in our society) and relatedly (2) there are internally-right answers to all legal-rights questions in our society. The second part of the course then explores a variety of moral-philosophical and jurisprudential alternatives to my own. The third part analyzes from my and various alternative moral and jurisprudential perspectives a variety of various judicial opinions that deal with these issues. The fourth part executes parallel analyses of a variety of "appropriate, equal concern"- real Constitutional Law issues and judicial opinions. I expect to focus particularly on affirmative action, the right to die, right to a liberal education, and the possible right to a minimum real income or minimum share of the societal-average minimum real income.
Labor Law, Unions and the NLRA in a Post-Pandemic World
- S. Spielberg
- A. Avendano
- WED 5:00 – 7:45 pm TNH 3.142
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 394H
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 361K, Labor Law.
Labor Law: The NLRA, Unions and Workers’ Rights in a Post-Pandemic World
In this time of unparalleled job market insecurity in the wake of an international pandemic, employee workplace protests and strikes have proliferated in a manner not seen since the 1930s. While surveys show that 68% of Americans approve of labor unions--the highest since 1965--unionization rates are at an historic low of 6-10%. President Biden describes himself as “the most pro-union President leading the most pro-union administration in American history.” In this critical moment in history, does the 85-year old National Labor Relations Act adequately protect employees who wish to organize and protest, particularly when many of these employees are daily risking their lives to provide essential services?
This seminar style course (limited to 20 students) will be an untraditional introduction to labor law with an emphasis on participation and debate. In addition to studying the NLRA, the structure of the NLRB and the foundational case law interpreting the Act, we will discuss the reasons for the decline in unionization, current obstacles to union representation, as well as the PRO Act, the legislative proposal backed by the Biden Administration and organized labor. We will also debate current labor topics, such as: the proliferation of workplace demonstrations and organizing campaigns (particularly in the tech, fast food, education, healthcare and childcare industries), unionizing in the gig economy; whether graduate students and/or college athletes should be entitled to unionize; protected speech in the workplace; whether the collective bargaining regime adequately offers workers the ability to address racial and gender injustice in the workplace; and collective bargaining among law enforcement officers and other public sector employees. Throughout the course, we will examine the history and values underlying the law, including the economic and political interests that have influenced its development.
Students will prepare a final project and paper of their own choosing (in lieu of a final exam) and be tasked with weekly debate topics.
- Guest speakers will include NLRB officials, as well as union and management side labor counsel.
- Professors Spielberg and Avendano collectively have more than 50 years experience in the field of labor law, having worked for the NLRB, for union and union-side firms, and in the private sector.
Students will gain exposure to and familiarity with how labor law manifests in the contemporary legal and organizing landscape through interactions with individual practitioners/partner organizations focused on workers’ rights.
Labor Law, Unions and the NLRA in a Post-Pandemic World
- S. Spielberg
- A. Avendano
- WED 5:00 – 7:45 pm ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 361K
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This course will be taught entirely online via Zoom.
In this time of unparalleled job market insecurity in the wake of an international pandemic, employee workplace protests and strikes have proliferated in a manner not seen since the 1930s. While surveys show that 50% of non-managerial employees polled would vote for a union (given the opportunity), unionization rates are at an historic low of 6-10%. Does the 85-year old National Labor Relations Act adequately protect employees who wish to organize and protest, particularly when many of these employees are daily risking their lives to provide essential services?
This seminar style course (limited to 20 students) will be an untraditional introduction to labor law with an emphasis on participation and debate. In addition to studying the NLRA, the structure of the NLRB and the foundational case law interpreting the Act, we will discuss the reasons for the decline in unionization and current obstacles to union representation. We will also debate current labor topics, such as: the proliferation of workplace demonstrations and organizing campaigns (particularly in the tech, fast food, education, healthcare and childcare industries), unionizing in the gig economy; whether graduate students and/or college athletes should be entitled to unionize; protected speech in the workplace; whether the collective bargaining regime adequately offers workers the ability to address racial and gender injustice in the workplace; and collective bargaining among law enforcement officers and other public sector employees.
• Students will prepare a final project and paper of their own choosing (in lieu of a final exam) and be tasked with weekly debate topics. • Guest speakers will include NLRB officials, as well as union and management side labor counsel. • Professors Spielberg and Avendano collectively have more than 50 years experience in the field of labor law, having worked for the NLRB, for union and union-side firms, and in the private sector.
Labor Law, the NLRA and Unions
- WED 3:45 – 5:35 pm JON 6.207/8
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 261K
Registration Information
- 1L and upperclass elective
Description
Is labor law the last bastion of hope for disenfranchised employees or justifiably headed for extinction? Is the National Labor Relations Act still accomplishing it’s intended purpose of balancing employer and employee interests in labor/management disputes? This 2 credit course will be an untraditional introduction to labor law with an emphasis on participation and debate. In addition to studying the National Labor Relations Act, the structure of the NLRB and the foundational case law interpreting the Act, we will discuss the reasons for the decrease in private sector unionization rates from its peak in the 1950s of 33% to now just 6% in the private sector. We will also explore signs of hope for the labor movement, potential reformation of the Act and debate hot current labor topics, including: unionizing in the gig economy; whether graduate students and independent contractors should be able to unionize; free speech in the workplace; the fight for $15; nonunionized employee demonstrations and public sector unionization. Guest speakers will include NLRB officials and labor law practitioners from both union and management side.
Land-Use Regulation
- TUE, THU 2:15 – 3:30 pm JON 5.206/7
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 391C
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Prof. keeps own waitlist
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 365M, Land-Use Regulation.
This course will cover the traditional areas of platting and zoning, and will also consider the roles of utility supply, transportation, federal and local environmental law and the offer of public financial assistance as incentives or disincentives to developments or the location of developments. The course will be a three credit hour course and will meet on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Traditional textbooks available in this area are of minimal help or are obsolete. We will discuss the use of a textbook and if students desire, we may include materials from a textbook, but in any case the majority of course materials will be a collection of materials written or edited by the teacher to be sent out in PDF from the professor to the students (free!). Class sessions will include visits by lawyers, public officials and others involved in development issues, with informal meetings with the speakers over beer to follow if that can be scheduled.
- TUE, THU 2:40 – 3:55 pm TNH 3.124
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 365M
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
The 27875 section of this course will be taught in person but with the option of occasional remote participation via Zoom. If students require all remote participation, they must register for the 27876 section of this course, which is identical but web-based.
This course will cover the traditional areas of platting and zoning, and will also consider the roles of utility supply, transportation, federal and local environmental law and the offer of public financial assistance as incentives or disincentives to developments or the location of developments. The course will be a three credit hour course and will meet on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Traditional textbooks available in this area are of minimal help or are obsolete. We will discuss the use of a textbook and if students desire, we may include materials from a textbook, but in any case the majority of course materials will be a collection of materials written or edited by the teacher to be sent out in PDF from the professor to the students (free!). Class sessions will include visits by lawyers, public officials and others involved in development issues, with informal meetings with the speakers over beer to follow if that can be scheduled.
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 392H-1
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Law and Economics
- TUE, WED 9:05 – 10:20 am TNH 3.114
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 392H-1
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This course introduces you how to use economic reasoning to analyze legal issues. The course will focus on the common law areas of property, contracts, and tort as well as the legal process and criminal law. Economic analysis of law analyzes legal rules with one main question in mind: how will people and firms respond to a given legal rule? That is, rather than look at the inherent "fairness" or "justness" of a legal rule, law and economics focuses on the incentives that a legal rule creates. The normative aspect of law and economics then asks how legal rules should be structured to create the most desirable incentives.
Law and Economics
- MON, TUE 9:05 – 10:20 am TNH 3.114
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 392H-1
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This course introduces you how to use economic reasoning to analyze legal issues. The course will focus on the common law areas of property, contracts, and tort as well as the legal process and criminal law. Economic analysis of law analyzes legal rules with one main question in mind: how will people and firms respond to a given legal rule? That is, rather than look at the inherent "fairness" or "justness" of a legal rule, law and economics focuses on the incentives that a legal rule creates. The normative aspect of law and economics then asks how legal rules should be structured to create the most desirable incentives.
Law and Economics
- TUE, WED 9:05 – 10:20 am TNH 3.127
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 392H-1
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 379M, Topic: Law and Economics.
This course introduces you how to use economic reasoning to analyze legal issues. The course will focus on the common law areas of property, contracts, and tort as well as the legal process and criminal law. Economic analysis of law analyzes legal rules with one main question in mind: how will people and firms respond to a given legal rule? That is, rather than look at the inherent "fairness" or "justness" of a legal rule, law and economics focuses on the incentives that a legal rule creates. The normative aspect of law and economics then asks how legal rules should be structured to create the most desirable incentives.
Law and Economics
- MON, TUE 9:00 – 10:21 am ONLINE
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 379M
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This course will be taught entirely online via Zoom.
This course introduces you how to use economic reasoning to analyze legal issues. The course will focus on the common law areas of property, contracts, and tort as well as the legal process and criminal law. Economic analysis of law analyzes legal rules with one main question in mind: how will people and firms respond to a given legal rule? That is, rather than look at the inherent "fairness" or "justness" of a legal rule, law and economics focuses on the incentives that a legal rule creates. The normative aspect of law and economics then asks how legal rules should be structured to create the most desirable incentives.
Law and Economics
- MON, TUE 9:05 – 10:20 am JON 6.257
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 379M
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This course introduces you how to use economic reasoning to analyze legal issues. The course will focus on the common law areas of property, contracts, and tort as well as the legal process and criminal law. Economic analysis of law analyzes legal rules with one main question in mind: how will people and firms respond to a given legal rule? That is, rather than look at the inherent "fairness" or "justness" of a legal rule, law and economics focuses on the incentives that a legal rule creates. The normative aspect of law and economics then asks how legal rules should be structured to create the most desirable incentives.
Law and Economics of Capital Markets and Financial Intermediation
- TUE, THU 2:00 – 3:30 pm RRH 5.408
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 392H-2
- Cross-listed with:
- Business, Government, And Society
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will not use floating mean GPA
Description
This course focuses on intermediaries in the capital markets -- those who trade, facilitate structure, or manage securities investments. Modern capital markets are dynamic and innovative, as creative and highly paid bankers, investment managers, and their lawyers attempt to navigate an ever-changing economic and regulatory environment. Students will gain an understanding of the institutional workings of the securities business and its legal regulation, with an eye toward recent developments and interesting economic problems. Topics include:
· Pre-IPO trading, IPO underwriting, SPACs, and other IPO alternatives;
· Investment companies, investment advisers, and broker dealers.
· Efficient markets theory and implications for investment advising;
· Structure and marketing of asset-backed securities, such as CDOs;
· Banking, shadow banking, and the demand for safe assets;
· Banking competitors, such as crypto/stablecoins and money market mutual funds;
· Market making, payment for order flow, and “gamification” of retail trading.
The course utilizes a case study approach, with examples drawn from (relatively) recent events, which include Facebook’s pre-IPO trading, Tether, the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, Goldman’s ABACUS trade, the Lehman collapse, Robin Hood, and GameStop.
Evaluation is based on class discussion/participation and student group presentations.
This course is aimed at students who are planning to work as investment bankers, investment managers, broker/dealers, or legal advisors thereto, and the goal of this course is to equip students with an overview of the economic concerns that drive much capital markets activity and the consequent legal regulation that attempts to improve capital markets operation. This course is intended to be an accessible survey for all business and law students; no prior knowledge of economics, securities markets, or law is assumed.