Course Schedule

This course will explore historical and emerging issues in gender identity, sexuality, and the law. We will study and discuss the constitutional, statutory, and common law that impacts the lived experience of LGBTQ+ people and people living at the intersections of LGBTQ+ identities, including people who are living with a disability, people who identify as BIPOC, and undocumented/under-documented immigrants.  We will also examine theoretical, philosophical, and practical elements of advocacy strategies employed by and/or on behalf of LGBTQ+ communities and discuss how civil rights organizations are using impact litigation, public policy, and education to secure rights and equality for LGBTQ+ people.  As part of the final evaluation, students will be required to participate in a mock litigation exercise that will also include a final paper.

This course explores emerging issues in sexuality, gender identity, and the law. We will study and discuss the constitutional, statutory and common law doctrines that impact the lived experience of LGBTQ+ people and people living at the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities. We will examine the expansion and retraction of rights under substantive due process and equal protection frameworks, as well as under Title VII, the American with Disabilities Act, and other federal statutes.  The course will conclude with a mock litigation exercise.

This course explores emerging issues in sexuality, gender identity, and the law. We will study and discuss the constitutional, statutory and common law that impacts the lived experience of LGBTQ+ people and people living at the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities. We will also discuss how advocates are using litigation, public policy and education to ensure equality and access to equal opportunities for LGBTQ+ people in society.  The course will conclude with a mock litigation exercise.

This course explores emerging issues in sexuality, gender identity, and the law. We will study and discuss the constitutional, statutory and common law that impacts the lived experience of LGBTQ+ people and people living at the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities, including people who are living with a disability, people who identify as BIPOC, and undocumented/under-documented immigrants.  We will also discuss how civil rights organizations are using impact litigation, public policy and education to ensure equality and access to equal opportunities for LGBTQ+ people in society.  The course will conclude with a mock litigation exercise.

This course explores emerging issues in sexuality, gender identity, and the law. We will study and discuss the constitutional, statutory and common law that impacts the lived experience of LGBTQ+ people and people living at the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities, including people who are living with a disability, people who identify as BIPOC, and undocumented/under-documented immigrants.  We will also discuss how civil rights organizations are using impact litigation, public policy and education to ensure equality and access to equal opportunities for LGBTQ+ people in society.  The course will conclude with a mock litigation exercise.

Two top litigators teach practical skills and tips on everything from social media to managing massive discovery.  If it's new in litigation they know it. We will be discussing the use of technology in all aspects of litigation, including virtual trials and hearings.

Three key components of the class are;

• Cover various persuasive techniques used in contested matters, with an emphasis on real-world examples of effective advocacy;
• Using factual scenarios from actual cases, we will discuss the use of demonstratives and other methods of visual persuasion in contested matters;
• Each student will learn how to craft effective arguments and will be required to present them to the class as a whole.

Two top litigators teach practical skills and tips on everything from social media to managing massive discovery.  If it's new in litigation they know it. We will be discussing the use of technology in all aspects of litigation, including virtual trials and hearings.

Three key components of the class are;

• Cover various persuasive techniques used in contested matters, with an emphasis on real-world examples of effective advocacy;
• Using factual scenarios from actual cases, we will discuss the use of demonstratives and other methods of visual persuasion in contested matters;
• Each student will learn how to craft effective arguments and will be required to present them to the class as a whole.

Two top litigators teach practical skills and tips on everything from social media to managing massive discovery.  If it's new in litigation they know it. We will be discussing the use of technology in all aspects of litigation, including virtual trials and hearings.

Two top litigators teach practical skills and tips on everything from social media to managing massive discovery.  If it's new in litigation they know it. We will be discussing the use of technology in all aspects of litigation, including virtual trials and hearings.

Two top litigators teach practical skills and tips on everything from social media to managing massive discovery.  If it's new in litigation they know it. We will be discussing the use of technology in all aspects of litigation, including virtual trials and hearings.

In this advanced property-law class, you will learn about eminent domain—the power of the government (and those with its delegated authority) to take private property and convert it into public use in exchange for paying just compensation to the property owner. Most lawyers get just one or two days of class about eminent domain in law school. This course aims to fix that shortcoming. The subject is fascinating as a matter of theory, as it deals with the power of a tribe (the community) to take property away from its members. And eminent domain is becoming more and more important in practice. Take Texas, for example. The Lone Star State is home to eight of the nation’s 15 fastest-growing cities and boasts five of the top 10 cities in the total number of new residents. The need for infrastructure has skyrocketed, both to accommodate the explosive population growth and to support Texas's ever-expanding oil-and-gas industry. In light of these developments, we as a community need to work out how to deal with growth while still honoring constitutional values and individual rights. Class discussions and reading assignments will explore whether the current eminent domain framework in the U.S. properly protects property owners and the public. The subject is generally divided into two interrelated parts: (1) the origins of eminent domain, public use, and public necessity and (2) “just compensation," including evidentiary and procedural issues that arise in disputes about compensation. Throughout, the class will explore the relationship between theory and practice.

In this advanced property-law class, you will learn about eminent domain—the power of the government (and those with its delegated authority) to take private property and convert it into public use in exchange for paying just compensation to the property owner. Most lawyers get just one or two days of class about eminent domain in law school. This course aims to fix that shortcoming.

The subject is fascinating as a matter of theory, as it deals with the power of a tribe (the community) to take property away from its members. And eminent domain is becoming more and more important in practice. Take Texas, for example. The Lone Star State is home to eight of the nation’s 15 fastest-growing cities and boasts five of the top 10 cities in the total number of new residents. The need for infrastructure has skyrocketed, both to accommodate the explosive population growth and to support Texas's ever-expanding oil-and-gas industry. In light of these developments, we as a community need to work out how to deal with growth while still honoring constitutional values and individual rights.

Class discussions and reading assignments will explore whether the current eminent domain framework in the U.S. properly protects property owners and the public. The subject is generally divided into two interrelated parts: (1) the origins of eminent domain, public use, and public necessity and (2) “just compensation," including evidentiary and procedural issues that arise in disputes about compensation. Throughout, the class will explore the relationship between theory and practice.

In this advanced property-law class, you will learn about eminent domain—the power of the government (and those with its delegated authority) to take private property and convert it into public use in exchange for paying just compensation to the property owner. Most lawyers get just one or two days of class about eminent domain in law school. This course aims to fix that shortcoming.

The subject is fascinating as a matter of theory, as it deals with the power of a tribe (the community) to take property away from its members. And eminent domain is becoming more and more important in practice. Take Texas, for example. The Lone Star State is home to eight of the nation’s 15 fastest-growing cities and boasts five of the top 10 cities in the total number of new residents. The need for infrastructure has skyrocketed, both to accommodate the explosive population growth and to support Texas's ever-expanding oil-and-gas industry. In light of these developments, we as a community need to work out how to deal with growth while still honoring constitutional values and individual rights.

Class discussions and reading assignments will explore whether the current eminent domain framework in the U.S. properly protects property owners and the public. The subject is generally divided into two interrelated parts: (1) the origins of eminent domain, public use, and public necessity and (2) “just compensation," including evidentiary and procedural issues that arise in disputes about compensation. Throughout, the class will explore the relationship between theory and practice.

In this advanced property-law class, you will learn about eminent domain—the power of the government (and those with its delegated authority) to take private property and convert it into public use in exchange for paying just compensation to the property owner. Most lawyers get just one or two days of class about eminent domain in law school. This course aims to fix that shortcoming.

The subject is fascinating as a matter of theory, as it deals with the power of a tribe (the community) to take property away from its members. And eminent domain is becoming more and more important in practice. Take Texas, for example. The Lone Star State is home to eight of the nation’s 15 fastest-growing cities and boasts five of the top 10 cities in the total number of new residents. The need for infrastructure has skyrocketed, both to accommodate the explosive population growth and to support Texas's ever-expanding oil-and-gas industry. In light of these developments, we as a community need to work out how to deal with growth while still honoring constitutional values and individual rights.

Class discussions and reading assignments will explore whether the current eminent domain framework in the U.S. properly protects property owners and the public. The subject is generally divided into two interrelated parts: (1) the origins of eminent domain, public use, and public necessity and (2) “just compensation," including evidentiary and procedural issues that arise in disputes about compensation. Throughout, the class will explore the relationship between theory and practice.

In this advanced property-law class, you will learn about eminent domain—the power of the government (and those with its delegated authority) to take private property and convert it into public use in exchange for paying just compensation to the property owner. Most lawyers get just one or two days of class about eminent domain in law school. This course aims to fix that shortcoming.

The subject is fascinating as a matter of theory, as it deals with the power of a tribe (the community) to take property away from its members. And eminent domain is becoming more and more important in practice. Take Texas, for example. The Lone Star State is home to eight of the nation’s 15 fastest-growing cities and boasts five of the top 10 cities in the total number of new residents. The need for infrastructure has skyrocketed, both to accommodate the explosive population growth and to support Texas's ever-expanding oil-and-gas industry. In light of these developments, we as a community need to work out how to deal with growth while still honoring constitutional values and individual rights.

Class discussions and reading assignments will explore whether the current eminent domain framework in the U.S. properly protects property owners and the public. The subject is generally divided into two interrelated parts: (1) the origins of eminent domain, public use, and public necessity and (2) “just compensation," including evidentiary and procedural issues that arise in disputes about compensation. Throughout, the class will explore the relationship between theory and practice.

This course explores the foundational pieces of employment law, including (1) Distinctions between “employees” and other types of workers, and why they matter; (2) The "default rule" of employment-at-will and the ways it can be modified; (3) The additional rights and responsibilities of government employees (e.g., free speech & due process rights, limitations on political rights); (4) Laws protecting employees from discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics (e.g., race, national origin, sex, sexual harassment, age, disability), and their enforcement schemes; (5) The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and its minimum wage & overtime premium protections; (6) A look at employees’ duties to their employers, including the duty of loyalty, duties involving trade secrets, and obligations not to compete.  It will also explore a host of contemporary employment law issues.   

This course explores the foundational pieces of employment law, including (1) Distinctions between “employees” and other types of workers, and why they matter; (2) The "default rule" of employment-at-will and the ways it can be modified; (3) The additional rights and responsibilities of government employees (e.g., free speech & due process rights, limitations on political rights); (4) Laws protecting employees from discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics (e.g., race, national origin, sex, sexual harassment, age, disability), and their enforcement schemes; (5) The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and its minimum wage & overtime premium protections; (6) A look at employees’ duties to their employers, including the duty of loyalty, duties involving trade secrets, and obligations not to compete.  It will also explore a host of contemporary employment law issues.   

This course explores the law surrounding the relationship between employers and individual employees, focusing primarily on the following areas: (1) Distinctions between “employees” and other types of workers, and why they matter; (2) The "default rule" of employment-at-will and the ways it can be modified; (3) Statutory and common law exceptions to at-will employment, including whistle-blowing, public policy and tort exceptions; (4) Employee privacy & drug testing issues; (5) The additional rights and responsibilities of government employees (e.g., free speech & due process rights, limitations on political rights); (6) Laws protecting employees from discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics (e.g., race, national origin, sex, sexual harassment, age, disability), and their enforcement schemes; (7) The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and its minimum wage & overtime premium protections; (8) The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and its protections for employees with serious health conditions; and (9) A look at employees’ duties to their employers, including the duty of loyalty, duties involving trade secrets, and obligations not to compete. Please note that Employment Law is distinct from Labor Law, which generally governs the relationship between employers and labor unions representing their employees, dealing with topics such as collective bargaining, strikes, labor contract enforcement, and similar matters.

TEXTBOOKS:

Employment Law, Cases & Materials, Willborn, Schwab, Burton & Lester (7th Ed.)

Selected Federal and State Statutes, Willborn, Schwab, Burton & Lester

This course explores the law surrounding the relationship between employers and individual employees, focusing primarily on the following areas: (1) Distinctions between “employees” and other types of workers, and why they matter; (2) The "default rule" of employment-at-will and the ways it can be modified; (3) Statutory and common law exceptions to at-will employment, including whistle-blowing, public policy and tort exceptions; (4) Employee privacy & drug testing issues; (5) The additional rights and responsibilities of government employees (e.g., free speech & due process rights, limitations on political rights); (6) Laws protecting employees from discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics (e.g., race, national origin, sex, sexual harassment, age, disability), and their enforcement schemes; (7) The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and its minimum wage & overtime premium protections; (8) The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and its protections for employees with serious health conditions; and (9) A look at employees’ duties to their employers, including the duty of loyalty, duties involving trade secrets, and obligations not to compete. Please note that Employment Law is distinct from Labor Law, which generally governs the relationship between employers and labor unions representing their employees, dealing with topics such as collective bargaining, strikes, labor contract enforcement, and similar matters.

This course explores the law surrounding the relationship between employers and individual employees, focusing primarily on the following areas: (1) Distinctions between “employees” and other types of workers, and why they matter; (2) The "general rule" of employment-at-will and the ways it can be modified; (3) Some statutory and common law exceptions to at-will employment, such as whistle-blowing, public policy and tort theories; (4) Employee privacy & drug testing issues; (5) The additional rights and responsibilities of government employees (e.g., free speech & due process rights, limitations on political rights); (6) A general overview of the laws protecting employees from discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics (e.g., race, national origin, sex, sexual harassment, age, disability), and their enforcement schemes; (7) A general overview of the Fair Labor Standards Act and its minimum wage & overtime premium protections; (8) A general overview of the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the duties of employers/employees thereunder; and (9) A look at the duties an employee can owe the employer, such as those involving trade secrets and obligations not to compete. Please note that Employment Law is different from Labor Law; the latter generally governs the relationship between employers and labor unions representing their employees, dealing with topics such as collective bargaining, strikes, labor contract enforcement, and similar topics.

This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to the legal, business, and technical facets of energy development and entrepreneurship. The course is structured around five potential development sites—two wind development projects (a coastal and a north Texas site), a west Texas solar project, and two natural gas combined-cycle plants (a new combined heat and power plant in Houston and a conventional plant in San Antonio). The key stages of project development will be covered, including site selection, life cycle analysis, due diligence, permitting, contracting, and financing. The case studies are designed (1) to provide real-world conditions for understanding project development, (2) to allow students to engage in practical problem solving, and (3) to enable government policies to be evaluated in context. Course work will be complemented by regular discussions with leading experts in the utility and renewable-energy sectors. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams of graduate students from law and business to develop a project proposal based on a mix of renewables and natural gas generation. In addition to short exercises during the semester (e.g., permitting negotiations, financial modeling), each student team will prepare a project prospectus and presentation on the business and legal aspects of their project proposal. The course will culminate with each team presenting their proposal to a corporate investment panel, which will be made up of local energy experts. Course evaluation will be based on class participation, a mid-semester project memo, and the final team presentation and project prospectus.

This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to the legal, business, and technical facets of energy development and entrepreneurship. The course is structured around five potential development sites—two wind development projects (a coastal and a north Texas site), a west Texas solar project, and two natural gas combined-cycle plants (a new combined heat and power plant in Houston and a conventional plant in San Antonio). The key stages of project development will be covered, including site selection, life cycle analysis, due diligence, permitting, contracting, and financing. The case studies are designed (1) to provide real-world conditions for understanding project development, (2) to allow students to engage in practical problem solving, and (3) to enable government policies to be evaluated in context. Course work will be complemented by regular discussions with leading experts in the utility and renewable-energy sectors. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams of graduate students from law and business to develop a project proposal based on a mix of renewables and natural gas generation. In addition to short exercises during the semester (e.g., permitting negotiations, financial modeling), each student team will prepare a project prospectus and presentation on the business and legal aspects of their project proposal. The course will culminate with each team presenting their proposal to a corporate investment panel, which will be made up of local energy experts. Course evaluation will be based on class participation, a mid-semester project memo, and the final team presentation and project prospectus.

This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to the legal, business, and technical facets of energy development and entrepreneurship. The course is structured around five potential development sites—two wind development projects (a coastal and a north Texas site), a west Texas solar project, and two natural gas combined-cycle plants (a new combined heat and power plant in Houston and a conventional plant in San Antonio). The key stages of project development will be covered, including site selection, life cycle analysis, due diligence, permitting, contracting, and financing. The case studies are designed (1) to provide real-world conditions for understanding project development, (2) to allow students to engage in practical problem solving, and (3) to enable government policies to be evaluated in context. Course work will be complemented by regular discussions with leading experts in the utility and renewable-energy sectors. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams of graduate students from law and business to develop a project proposal based on a mix of renewables and natural gas generation. In addition to short exercises during the semester (e.g., permitting negotiations, financial modeling), each student team will prepare a project prospectus and presentation on the business and legal aspects of their project proposal. The course will culminate with each team presenting their proposal to a corporate investment panel, which will be made up of local energy experts. Course evaluation will be based on class participation, a mid-semester project memo, and the final team presentation and project prospectus.

 This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to the legal, business, and technical facets of energy development and entrepreneurship. The course is structured around five potential development sites—two wind development projects (a coastal and a north Texas site), a west Texas solar project, and two natural gas combined-cycle plants (a new combined heat and power plant in Houston and a conventional plant in San Antonio). The key stages of project development will be covered, including site selection, life cycle analysis, due diligence, permitting, contracting, and financing. The case studies are designed (1) to provide real-world conditions for understanding project development, (2) to allow students to engage in practical problem solving, and (3) to enable government policies to be evaluated in context. Course work will be complemented by regular discussions with leading experts in the utility and renewable-energy sectors. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams of graduate students from law, business, and engineering to develop a project proposal based on a mix of renewables and natural gas generation. In addition to short exercises during the semester (e.g., negotiations, financial modeling, technical analysis), each student team will prepare a project prospectus and presentation on the technical, business, and legal aspects of their project proposal. The course will culminate with each team presenting their proposal to a corporate investment panel, which will be made up of local energy experts. Course evaluation will be based on class participation, a preliminary project memo, and the final team presentation and project prospectus.