Course Schedule

The TVL Practicum is an elective course that is open to all grad students at UT. Students in the TVL Practicum are put into cross-disciplinary teams where they get the opportunity to work and learn alongside students from different colleges throughout the University. Over the course of the semester, each team works on consulting projects with two early-stage startup companies. Students learn valuable skills such as conducting market validation, competitive analysis, and go to market strategies.

Previous business experience or experience working with startups is not necessary. Students come to TVL to gain that experience. The Practicum provides an opportunity for students to get an inside look at how startups work. This experience can provide a lot of insight to students considering a future working in tech or at a startup.

Many of the law students in the TVL Practicum take the class because they are planning to work in transactional law or mergers/acquisitions and this can give them an inside look at the day-to-day operations of early stage startups and the challenges they face.

Students are encouraged to attend an information session before applying to be accepted into the TVL Practicum. We have a couple more opportunities for students to learn more about the course. 

Also, we will be hosting an all-day Open House on March 23rd where students, staff and faculty can learn more about the TVL Practicum and the other programs offered at Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs.

Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs is a university-wide initiative to accelerate startups in taking their innovations to market while transforming graduate students into entrepreneurs and business leaders.

The TVL Practicum is a cross-disciplinary networking and learning program that connects graduate students interested in entrepreneurship with Texas-based startup companies. Students participate in semester-long consulting projects solving important problems alongside the company’s founders in a hands-on approach using the academic foundations of entrepreneurship and business modeling. Students learn valuable skills such as project management, client relations, team collaboration, market validation, competitive research, price modeling and business analysis.

This course is for students who have completed the interview process and have been selected to participate in the TVL Practicum. The interview process is mandatory and instructor permission is required to take this course. Full course requirements and qualifications will be reviewed with students during information sessions prior to the interview process each semester.

This is a full semester course that can only be taken for a grade. The course requires meeting during the scheduled class time and work to be conducted in between classes. For more information and details on the interview process for this course, visit the website (https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/Centers/Texas-Venture-Labs/Students).

Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs is a university-wide initiative to accelerate startups in taking their innovations to market while transforming graduate students into entrepreneurs and business leaders.

The TVL Practicum is a cross-disciplinary networking and learning program that connects graduate students interested in entrepreneurship with Texas-based startup companies. Students participate in semester-long consulting projects solving important problems alongside the company’s founders in a hands-on approach using the academic foundations of entrepreneurship and business modeling. Students learn valuable skills such as project management, client relations, team collaboration, market validation, competitive research, price modeling and business analysis.

This course is for students who have completed the interview process and have been selected to participate in the TVL Practicum. The interview process is mandatory and instructor permission is required to take this course. Full course requirements and qualifications will be reviewed with students during information sessions prior to the interview process each semester.

This is a full semester course that can only be taken for a grade. The course requires meeting during the scheduled class time and work to be conducted in between classes. For more information and details on the interview process for this course, visit the website (https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/Centers/Texas-Venture-Labs/Students).

Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs is a university-wide initiative to accelerate startups in taking their innovations to market while transforming graduate students into entrepreneurs and business leaders.

The TVL Practicum is a cross-disciplinary networking and learning program that connects graduate students interested in entrepreneurship with Texas-based startup companies. Students participate in semester-long consulting projects solving important problems alongside the company’s founders in a hands-on approach using the academic foundations of entrepreneurship and business modeling. Students learn valuable skills such as project management, client relations, team collaboration, market validation, competitive research, price modeling and business analysis.

This course is for students who have completed the interview process and have been selected to participate in the TVL Practicum. The interview process is mandatory and instructor permission is required to take this course. Full course requirements and qualifications will be reviewed with students during information sessions prior to the interview process each semester.

This is a full semester course that can only be taken for a grade. The course requires meeting during the scheduled class time and work to be conducted in between classes. For more information and details on the interview process for this course, visit the website (https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/Centers/Texas-Venture-Labs/Students).

Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs (JBTVL) is a university-wide initiative to accelerate startups in taking their innovations to market while transforming graduate students into entrepreneurs and business leaders.

The JBTVL Practicum is a cross-disciplinary networking and learning program that connects graduate students interested in entrepreneurship with Texas-based startup companies. Students participate in semester-long consulting projects solving important problems alongside the company’s founders in a hands-on approach using the academic foundations of entrepreneurship and business modeling. Students learn valuable skills such as project management, client relations, team collaboration, market validation, competitive research, price modeling and business analysis.

This course is for students who have completed the interview process and have been selected to participate in the JBTVL Practicum. The interview process is mandatory and instructor permission is required to take this course. Full course requirements and qualifications will be reviewed with students during information sessions prior to the interview process each semester.

This is a full semester course that can only be taken for a grade. The course requires meeting during the scheduled class time and work to be conducted in between classes. For more information and details on the interview process for this course, visit the website (https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/Centers/Texas-Venture-Labs/Students).

The course is a 14-week survey covering league structure, antitrust, collective bargaining, franchise relocation, player contracts, salary cap and luxury tax, media rights, relocation and arena financing, two weeks on the WNBA, NBA Europe, international player movement, draft pathways, and sports betting.

This course will focus quite intensively on some of the central issues surrounding Civil War and then Reconstruction.  They include (but will not be limited to) secession; presidential emergency powers (including the power to emancipate slaves); whether Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee (among many others) committed "treason" and, if so, whether they should have been tried (ane executed?); the allocation of decisionmaking power as to "reconstruction" (i.e., president v. Congress); grounds for impeaching Andrew Johnson; the provenance of, especially, the 14th Amendment; and early decisions interpreting the "Reconstruction Amendments."   Although some cases will be assigned, we will also be reading articles and books relevant to these topics.  Each student will be required to write two response essays (of 12-1500 words) to  given weeks' reading of your choice, which shall count for half of the final grade.  The other half will be based on a two-hour final examination.  I will feel free to take class participation into account for anyone at the cusp between two grades.

Born in Civil War scandal—contractors selling the Union Army mules instead of horses and sawdust instead of gunpowder—the federal False Claims Act (FCA) has become the government’s most powerful civil weapon against fraud. Over the past decade alone, it has recovered an average of $3 billion annually for taxpayers. This course examines the FCA’s origins, structure, and modern enforcement, including its distinctive qui tam provisions. These provisions allow whistleblowers to step into the government’s shoes as “private attorneys general,” pursuing fraud claims and sharing in the recovery, sometimes earning substantial rewards. The result is a unique public-private enforcement system that drives both accountability and controversy.

The FCA reaches deep into the economy, shaping compliance across health care, defense, cybersecurity, education, international trade, and any other sector touching federal funds. Its whistleblower and anti-retaliation protections also make it essential law for employment practitioners. Despite being a single statute, the FCA has generated a large and evolving body of case law, with frequent Supreme Court and appellate decisions. Its success has inspired “mini-FCAs” across states, local governments, and abroad, and helped spark whistleblower reward programs in securities, tax, anti-corruption, and other enforcement areas. The course will examine the policy choices embedded in the FCA, and the often different choices made in other whistleblower programs.

Class Description This class should be considered essential for any student intending to practice criminal law, whether as a prosecutor or defense attorney. In the 21st century, the vast majority of requests for criminal investigative warrants or subpoenas seek to obtain digital data. The law governing these requests all stems from the Fourth Amendment, written before any of this data was even imaginable. This one-hour class will provide students with an overview of the constitutional, legal, and technological issues that judges and practitioners face when submitting, reviewing and challenging these search and surveillance requests. The seminar will include lectures by the professors, guest lectures by legal and technical experts (such as FBI forensic specialists, in-house counsel at the large tech firms that hold the sought-after data, and attorney representatives from main Justice and the Electronic Frontier Foundation). Assessment Method The class will be offered Pass/Fail. Student assessment will have two components: (1) class participation throughout the course and (2) three short writing assignments. The writing assignments will require the students to prepare memoranda (approx. 3-4 pages) addressing legal and practical questions raised by the presentations and materials discussed in class. Each assignment will ask students to consider an issue from a different perspective, corresponding to the perspectives of the guest speakers (the Department of Justice, the criminal defense bar, privacy advocates, and the tech firms). Each assignment will coincide with a guest speaker representing each of these interest groups.

Class Description

This class should be considered essential for any student intending to practice criminal law, whether as a prosecutor or defense attorney. In the 21st century, the vast majority of requests for criminal investigative warrants or subpoenas seek to obtain digital data. The law governing these requests all stems from the Fourth Amendment, written before any of this data was even imaginable. This one-hour class will provide students with an overview of the constitutional, legal, and technological issues that judges and practitioners face when submitting, reviewing and challenging these search and surveillance requests. The seminar will include lectures by the professors, guest lectures by legal and technical experts (such as FBI forensic specialists, in-house counsel at the large tech firms that hold the sought-after data, and attorney representatives from main Justice and the Electronic Frontier Foundation).

Assessment Method

The class will be offered Pass/Fail. Student assessment will have two components: (1) class participation throughout the course and (2) three short writing assignments. The writing assignments will require the students to prepare memoranda (approx. 3-4 pages) addressing legal and practical questions raised by the presentations and materials discussed in class. Each assignment will ask students to consider an issue from a different perspective, corresponding to the perspectives of the guest speakers (the Department of Justice, the criminal defense bar, privacy advocates, and the tech firms). Each assignment will coincide with a guest speaker representing each of these interest groups.

This course explores the enduring debates in antidiscrimination law that have occurred historically and which continue to the present day, with a particular focus on racial discrimination. The topics covered will include the list of classes that are protected by law, the circumstances under which discrimination may be lawful, and the evidentiary burden for proving discrimination. Through class discussion, we will attempt to determine the principles that underlie all of antidiscrimination law. One of the themes of the course will be the necessity of civil discourse for achieving the long-term goals of civil rights law, and students will be expected to model such discourse in class discussions. Grading will be based on class participation and an essay. No textbook required.

This course explores the enduring debates in antidiscrimination law that have occurred historically and which continue to the present day, with a particular focus on racial discrimination. The topics covered will include the list of classes that are protected by law, the circumstances under which discrimination may be lawful, and the evidentiary burden for proving discrimination. Through class discussion, we will attempt to determine the principles that underlie all of antidiscrimination law. One of the themes of the course will be the necessity of civil discourse for achieving the long-term goals of civil rights law, and students will be expected to model such discourse in class discussions. Grading will be based on writing assignments and participation in a mock oral argument.

No textbook required.

This reading group will examine the Supreme Court’s evolving approach to administrative law. From delegation to deference to structural separation of powers, the Roberts Court has begun changing administrative law in fundamental ways—a process that remains ongoing and that promises to have profound consequences for the nation for generations to come. Relying on both original sources and scholarly commentary, we will read and discuss the Court’s cases to better understand what is happening and where it will likely lead.

This course focuses on the intersection between criminal and immigration law, providing both theoretical and practical understanding of the impact of criminal conduct on immigration status. We will explore specific grounds of deportation and inadmissibility related to criminal conduct and the impact of criminal history on relief available under immigraiton law. We will analyze the laws, policies and constitutionality of immigration enforcement including mandatory detention resulting from interaction with the criminal justice system. In addition, we will consider recent federal and local policies regarding policing non-citizens and their effectiveness and impact on the immigrant and broader community. Outside speakers will be invited. Students must have previously taken the Immigration Clinic or Immigration Law survey course or have had other significant immigration law experience. Application and faculty approval are required to enroll in the class. The application is available through Student Affairs. Grading is pass/fail based on attendance, participation and completion of required reflection memos and other assignments.

This course is an introduction to how international law applies to hostile cyber activities by States and non-State actors during armed conflict.  Topics addressed range from cyber attack to characterization of persons taking part in armed conflict.  The course draws on the Tallinn Manual 2.0 project, which resulted in a restatement of the law drafted over seven years by an international group of experts. The instructor was one of the Experts that wrote the Manual.

This course is an introduction to how international law applies to hostile cyber activities by States and non-State actors during armed conflict.  Topics addressed range from cyber attack to characterization of persons taking part in armed conflict.  The course draws on the Tallinn Manual 2.0 project, which resulted in a restatement of the law drafted over seven years by an international group of experts. The instructor was one of the Experts that wrote the Manual.

The final exam will be a 24-hour floating exam administered via Canvas, available between March 2 - March 8.

This course is an introduction to how international law applies to hostile cyber activities by States and non-State actors during both peacetime and armed conflict.  Topics addressed range from sovereignty in cyberspace to cyber operations during armed conflict.  It also addresses the responses available to States -- such as retorsion, countermeasures, necessity, and self-defense -- when responding to hostile cyber operations.  The course draws on the Tallinn Manual 2.0 project, which resulted in a restatement of the law drafted over seven years by an international group of experts. The instructor directed that effort, to update to which will be completed in late 2026.

The final exam will be a 24-hour floating exam administered via Canvas, available between March 2 - March 8.

This course is an introduction to how international law applies to hostile cyber activities by States and non-State actors during both peacetime and armed conflict. Topics addressed include, inter alia, sovereignty, State responsibility, intervention, due diligence, use of force, human rights, and international humanitarian law in the cyber context. It also addresses the responses available to States -- such as retorsion, countermeasures, intervention, necessity, use of force and self-defense -- when responding to hostile cyber operations. The course draws on the Tallinn Manual 2.0 project, which resulted in a restatement of the law drafted over seven years by an international group of experts. The instructor was a member of both the Tallinnn 1.0 and Tallinn 2.0 groups of experts and continues to lecture around the world on international law and cyber operations.

This course is an introduction to how international law applies to hostile cyber activities by States and non-State actors during both peacetime and armed conflict.  Topics addressed range from sovereignty in cyberspace to cyber operations during armed conflict.  It also addresses the responses available to States -- such as retorsion, countermeasures, necessity, and self-defense -- when responding to hostile cyber operations.  The course draws on the Tallinn Manual 2.0 project, which resulted in a restatement of the law drafted over seven years by an international group of experts. The instructor directed that effort and is currently leading the Tallinn Manual 3.0 project, due for completion in late 2025.

This course examines the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and the legal frameworks governing consumer protection, competition, and content moderation. It equips students with a multidisciplinary understanding of AI’s role in shaping modern commerce and society, while critically analyzing regulatory approaches and their implications for the future.

The first module provides students with a foundational understanding of AI technology, the intricacies of the AI supply chain, and emerging trends that could redefine industries and societal norms.

The second explores the application of federal and state laws, including Unfair, Deceptive, and Abusive Acts or Practices (UDAAP) statutes and privacy regulations, to address AI-driven consumer harms, such as biased algorithms and deceptive practices.  

The third investigates AI in antitrust contexts, analyzing allegations of price fixing via AI tools as well as assessing the behavior of AI companies in light of restrictions on mergers, acquisitions, and monopoly behavior, and evaluating regulatory tools to address market concentration.  

The fourth focuses on how social media companies use AI for content moderation, including detecting misinformation, hate speech, and harmful content. It examines the regulatory levers available to shape AI’s use in these contexts, such as transparency mandates, algorithmic accountability, and the interplay between domestic and international regulations.  

Through case studies, scholarly readings, and robust discussions, students will develop the analytical tools needed to navigate the legal and policy challenges posed by AI. This course is ideal for students interested in technology law, consumer advocacy, antitrust policy, or governance in the digital age. Students will be assessed on their class participation, an investigations memo as a midterm, and an issue spotter for the final exam.

This course examines the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and the legal frameworks governing consumer protection, competition, and content moderation. It equips students with a multidisciplinary understanding of AI’s role in shaping modern commerce and society, while critically analyzing regulatory approaches and their implications for the future.

The first module provides students with a foundational understanding of AI technology, the intricacies of the AI supply chain, and emerging trends that could redefine industries and societal norms.

The second explores the application of federal and state laws, including Unfair, Deceptive, and Abusive Acts or Practices (UDAAP) statutes and privacy regulations, to address AI-driven consumer harms, such as biased algorithms and deceptive practices.  

The third investigates AI in antitrust contexts, analyzing allegations of price fixing via AI tools as well as assessing the behavior of AI companies in light of restrictions on mergers, acquisitions, and monopoly behavior, and evaluating regulatory tools to address market concentration.  

The fourth focuses on how social media companies use AI for content moderation, including detecting misinformation, hate speech, and harmful content. It examines the regulatory levers available to shape AI’s use in these contexts, such as transparency mandates, algorithmic accountability, and the interplay between domestic and international regulations.  

Through case studies, scholarly readings, and robust discussions, students will develop the analytical tools needed to navigate the legal and policy challenges posed by AI. This course is ideal for students interested in technology law, consumer advocacy, antitrust policy, or governance in the digital age. Students will be assessed on their class participation, an investigations memo as a midterm, and an issue spotter for the final exam.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) permeates our daily lives, from smart apps to widespread applications in industry, the government, and the legal system.  It is a singular technological advancement on par with the microchip, automobiles, and nuclear power, and—like those technologies—will alter society in myriad ways, both good and bad.

This course will examine the emerging and growing bodies of law surrounding AI.  The beginning of the course will establish a working knowledge of the different types and functionalities of AI, with an emphasis on how AI mirrors human conduct regulated by the law.  The course will then examine the legal issues created by generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT), including the copyright issues and ongoing litigation regarding generative AI’s inputs, as well as the issues presented when AI becomes a creator or inventor.

The course will next examine the challenges that AI presents for privacy and data, including personal information, data breaches, and the right to control one’s own image and likeness.  The last topic will be especially acute in a presidential election year; AI-generated deepfakes have already entered the political fray.  The course will also cover the intersection of AI and the criminal law, including how AI is being used by the police, prosecutors, and judges, as well as the challenges that may be presented when AI itself commits bad acts, including torts and crimes.

Finally, the course will culminate with an examination of the emerging legal frameworks targeting AI.  Those frameworks include comprehensive approaches (e.g., the EU AI Act), targeted approaches addressing a single issue, and piecemeal approaches that fold AI into existing legal frameworks.  Students will complete this course with an understanding of AI and its regulation as well as the ability to track and comprehend future developments in both areas.

This get-your-hands-dirty experience provides practical training in the art and craft of identifying compound legal issues, assessing risk, formulating legal advice, solving thorny problems, and giving sage and reasoned counsel . . . all of which helps set conditions for your success in the real world. 

We will work through case studies of various flavors that involve difficult legal, organizational, and personal stakes. A few of the case studies will be drawn from military settings, offering a glimpse into some of the unique challenges that arise in such environments globally. However, the deep lessons of the course are entirely applicable to the practice of law in all other settings and beyond.

In addition to participating in highly-interactive class sessions, you will complete written analyses (actually craft legal advice) on a number of multilayered, real-world-based fact scenarios. 

The course contemplates nuanced issues involving investigations, business, ethics, criminal law, leadership, media, administrative law, the digital-age, litigation, international law, management, and more. Ultimately, during our quality time together, we will share various perspectives with each other and collectively figure out how to proceed in complex circumstances—what to say, advise, and actually do. 

We tend to bond and have a great deal of fun in this class, but expect to be challenged and stretched in ways you may not have been before as we excitingly dive headlong into all sorts of things that are not usually taught in law school.

This get-your-hands-dirty experience provides practical training in the art and craft of identifying compound legal issues, assessing risk, formulating legal advice, solving thorny problems, and giving sage and reasoned counsel . . . all of which helps set conditions for your success in the real world. 

We will work through case studies of various flavors that involve difficult legal, organizational, and personal stakes. A few of the case studies will be drawn from military settings, offering a glimpse into some of the unique challenges that arise in such environments globally. However, the deep lessons of the course are entirely applicable to the practice of law in all other settings and beyond.

In addition to participating in highly-interactive class sessions, you will complete written analyses (actually craft legal advice) on a number of multilayered, real-world-based fact scenarios. 

The course contemplates nuanced issues involving investigations, business, ethics, criminal law, leadership, media, administrative law, the digital-age, litigation, international law, management, and more. Ultimately, during our quality time together, we will share various perspectives with each other and collectively figure out how to proceed in complex circumstances—what to say, advise, and actually do. 

We tend to bond and have a great deal of fun in this class, but expect to be challenged and stretched in ways you may not have been before as we excitingly dive headlong into all sorts of things that are not usually taught in law school.