Course Schedule
Classes Found
Federal Courts
- TUE, WED, THU 9:10 – 10:17 am TNH 3.142
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 486
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
From the unique and complex legal issues arising out of SB8 to the late Anna Nicole Smith’s quest for her husband’s fortune; from unprecedented congressional alteration of federal jurisdiction with regard to class actions, bankruptcy, large-scale accidents, and immigration law to the courts’ own mounting internal struggles with an ever-expanding caseload; and from the political idiosyncrasies of the Terri Schiavo case to the availability of domestic courts to litigate international human rights abuses, the study of federal courts has an importance and significance today unmatched in generations. As a field, Federal Courts is principally about judicial power, including the full constitutional extent of that power, the constitutional and sub-constitutional limits on that power, and how that power is exercised by the federal courts to protect the separation of powers and other fundamental constitutional ideals. Thus, rather than studying a particular body of law, our focus in on a particular actor — the federal judiciary in general, and the “Article III” courts, in particular. To that end, our topics will include, among others, the constitutional scope of the jurisdiction of the federal courts (and Congress’s power to constrain that jurisdiction); the legal authority for, and substantive limits on, non-Article III courts; military tribunals and the war on terrorism; the jurisdictional interplay between state and federal courts; the complicated and somewhat convoluted field of “federal common law”; the availability of (and scope of sovereign and official immunity from) suits challenging state and federal official action; judge-made doctrines based on federalism and principles of comity that otherwise limit the exercise of federal jurisdiction; and the procedural minefield that is federal habeas corpus for state prisoners. Whereas our study of each issue is, in many ways, primarily interested in the history and structure of the federal judicial system, these topics necessarily include within their sweep fundamental questions about the proper horizontal separation of powers between the political branches and the judiciary, the proper vertical separation of powers between federal and state courts, and the structural and individualized constitutional issues raised by any of the relevant actors’ attempts to alter the historical balance.
Federal Criminal Law
- MON, WED 1:15 – 2:30 pm TNH 2.123
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 383R
Registration Information
- 1L and upperclass elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 323F, Federal Criminal Law.
This is a one-semester three-unit course about substantive federal criminal law. This course will detail the prosecution and defense of criminal trials in federal court, focusing on the more frequently employed and complex areas, and on current hot topics. Class time will be devoted to mail, wire, and health care fraud, public corruption, money laundering, administration of justice offenses, the Controlled Substances Act, immigration offenses, and terrorism and weapons offenses. In addition, students will be alerted to the manner in which federal sanctions can be employed against lawyers, banks, and corporations. If time permits, we will review defenses and the plea bargaining and sentencing systems. Your grade will be based primarily upon a floating open-book essay exam, and in part upon class participation. If we have no more than 20 students, the grade in this class will not be on a curve, and you will be asked to complete one or two in-class oral projects. Second-year students interested in the United States Attorney’s Office or Federal Public Defender's Office internships for their third year should consider taking this class first. This class does not significantly overlap with the Advanced Federal Criminal Prosecution & Defense seminar, and students are welcome to take both.
Federal Income Tax of Trusts/Estates
- MON, TUE 2:15 – 3:05 pm JON 6.207
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 292U
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
- Prerequisite: Federal Income Taxation (93Q)
Description
Same as LAW 254U, Federal Income Tax of Trusts/Estates.
This two-hour course examines Federal income taxation of estates, trusts, grantors, and beneficiaries, as prescribed by Subchapter J of the Internal Revenue Code. In particular, this course focuses on how the income taxation of estates and trusts differs from that of individuals. Central topics include distributable net income (DNI), the distribution deduction, the grantor trust rules, and income in respect of a decedent (IRD). This is an advanced course that assumes familiarity with basic principles of Federal income taxation and the law of wills and estates.
Prerequisite: LAW 293Q, 393Q, 493Q, 593Q or 254J, 354J, 454J, 554J. Federal Income Taxation.
Federal Income Taxation
- MON, TUE, WED, THU 9:10 – 10:17 am TNH 2.114
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 493Q
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Reverse-priority registration
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 454J, Federal Income Taxation.
This Federal Income Tax course uses a problem-based method to study core federal income tax doctrine, including the concepts of taxable income, adjustments to income, and when and to whom income is taxed. In addition, the course explores the policy choices presented by an income tax system, including equity, efficiency, administrability and political considerations. Federal Income Tax develops the universal lawyering skill of working with a statute-based body of law, in conjunction with administrative guidance and cases. It asks how the income tax affects decisionmaking and interacts with the project of giving advice as a lawyer. The course is a gateway to more advanced tax offerings.
Financial Methods for Lawyers
- TUE 10:30 – 11:37 am TNH 2.123
- THU 10:30 – 11:37 am TNH 2.137
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 292G
- Experiential learning credit:
- 2 hours
- Short course:
- 1/18/22 — 4/7/22
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
Same as LAW 272P, Financial Methods for Lawyers.
The class is designed for law students of all interests, including those who are undecided and those who are focused on a particular area such as litigation, public interest law, family law, regulatory work, criminal law, or business law. Financial Methods for Lawyers covers time value of money, expected value decision making, and investment in enterprises. It also covers the basic financial statement components: balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. The class is only available on a pass/fail basis. It is designated as a skills course. Students earn points toward a passing grade through online quizzes, Excel spreadsheet and other exercises, and regular attendance.
Global Energy Transactions: Legal, Financial, and Scientific Perspectives
- O. Anderson
- J. Butler
- R. Chuchla
- C. Moore
- WED 3:45 – 6:35 pm TNH 3.124
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 390G
- 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 379M, Topic: Law, Finance, and Science of Global Energy Transactions.
In this class, students will do a full cycle analysis of a net zero-carbon natural gas development. This will include technical, financial, and legal analyses of the project including geologic assessment of the resource, development of the production facilities, transportation of the gas to a combined cycle power plant, and capture and sequestration of the emissions. The country will be specified in the early weeks of the class, but it be a country other than the United States of America. The class is open by application to students enrolled in the McComb’s School of Business MBA program, graduate students in the Jackson School of Geosciences, the Cockrell School of Engineering, JD and international LLM students in the School of Law, and to other students who indicate a special interest in the topic. Students will work in teams of four or more students from different academic disciplines (geology, engineering, business, and law). The students will learn how to evaluate geologic information made available in a bid round package, analyze the fiscal terms offered by the host government as well as the general economics of the project, analyze the legal regime, determine and quantify the risks associated with an investment, and propose a full cycle CCUS pilot project to the selected government. Each team will present an oral report and prepare a written report to the Board of Directors of the Longhorn Petroleum Corp., consisting of faculty members and guest board members. Both the shorter oral and longer written reports will evaluate risks and designs of the projects, propose a competitive bid, including an exploration plan and a preliminary plan explaining the pilot CCUS project, projecting costs, and proposing government incentives to commercialize CCUS.
Health Law and Policy
- W. Sage
- MON, WED 11:50 am – 1:05 pm TNH 2.123
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 395E
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 364E, Health Law.
Health care represents approximately one-sixth of the American economy, as skilled personnel provide life-saving services using advanced technology. But the fairness and efficiency of the health care system remain controversial. Enacted a century after universal health coverage was first proposed in the United States, the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”) intensified public policy debate rather than resolving it. After years of sustained opposition, the Republican party now seeks to “repeal” and “replace” Obamacare after its victory in the 2016 national elections. But why? And how?
This course considers some of the toughest problems in current health law and policy. Which countries have the best health care systems, and why? What roles should government play in health care, and what roles should it avoid? Does the U.S. make too many social problems into medical ones, or too few? What is the best way to support the cost of care for those who are too sick or too poor to afford it themselves? How can we spend less on health care and get more for our money? To what degree should the future health care system be controlled by physicians? How can individuals and communities become healthier? How can racial disparities in health care and health be reduced? How can the health care system best serve an aging population? What policies would most effectively further innovation? Finally, how has law defined these problems and how can legal change facilitate their solution?
Higher Education and the Law
- MON, TUE, WED 10:30 – 11:20 am TNH 3.129
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 394E-1
Registration Information
- 1L and upperclass elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 355L, Higher Education and the Law.
This course will treat selected topics in higher education and law. A recurring issue throughout the course will be the extent to which legal doctrines should be modified, if at all, in light of the arguably unique characteristics of colleges and universities. The course should therefore be valuable not just for students with particular interests in higher education and the law; it should also provide an opportunity for detailed study of various aspects of free speech, due process, affirmative action, and employment discrimination. The course will address the First Amendment rights of faculty and students, the relationship between free speech and academic freedom, campus regulations prohibiting “offensive” speech, affirmative action in higher education, tenure, contractual analysis of academic rights, employment discrimination in higher education, and “institutional” academic freedom.
Immigration
- MON, TUE, WED 10:30 – 11:20 am TNH 3.125
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 382H
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 373C, Immigration.
This is a course in the substantive law regulating immigration to the United States and the regulation of non-citizens in the United States. Topics covered include the constitutional law aspects of the immigration and removal (deportation) process, entry, conduct of hearings, relief from removal, general regulation of non-citizens, and new developments. In addition, the refugee and asylum will be discussed. The final exam will be open book. LLM students will be required to take the exam; there will be no paper option.
International Arbitration: Practical Skills
- MON 8:00 – 10:20 am JON 6.207
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 281Q
- Experiential learning credit:
- 2 hours
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 279M, Topic: International Arbitration, Practical Skills.
In the global economy of the 21st century, arbitration is the dispute resolution procedure of choice for many international business transactions. This course teaches the principles of effective client representation in international arbitration. The course will employ a real world dispute in which the students will become counsel from initial consultation with the client to litigating the case. The semester will focus on developing the practical skills needed to represent your client in an international arbitration. The practical exercises–including writing a claimant’s and respondent’s brief, and presentations of oral arguments will all be centered around the same hypothetical, but quite detailed and real, international contractual dispute. Grading will be based on class participation, writing assignments and presentations of oral arguments. There is no mid-term or final exam. The final 6 weeks of classes will be participating in a mock arbitration. This class will meet once a week for two and a half hours (there will be no class on 3 weeks of the semester). Enrollment has been limited to a maximum of 12 students. There are no course prerequisites.
International Business Transactions
- MON, TUE, WED 2:15 – 3:22 pm TNH 3.124
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 493D
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 444, International Business Transactions.
International business transactions (IBTs) have become increasingly important in today's global economy, raising a host of complex legal and policy issues: What law(s) should govern international business contracts? Should the US impose tariffs on imports from China? Should it continue to participate in international organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), and trade agreements such as the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)? What effects, if any, are likely to ensue as a result of the United Kingdom’s decision to “exit” the European Union (EU)?
This course is designed to provide you with a broad overview of the skills and understanding you will need to advise clients on these issues and more. We will focus on three primary types of IBTs:
- international trade transactions (import-export agreements)
- international technology transfer agreements (intellectual property license agreements); and
- foreign direct investment (establishment or acquisition of a foreign business operation).
There are no prerequisites.
At the end of the semester you should be able to understand the following concepts and apply them to specific fact situations:
- the main types of IBTS and their basic characteristics;
- sources of IBT law (e.g. domestic law; foreign law; customary international law; treaties such as the WTO, USMCA, CISG and the New York Arbitration Convention);
- regulatory issues raised by IBTs (e.g. customs law; trade remedies; export controls; foreign investment restrictions; corporate social responsibility rules)
- contractual issues raised by IBTs (e.g. choice of law; dispute settlement; payment & transportation)
International Investor/State Arbitration
- MON 3:45 – 6:55 pm JON 6.257
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 381W
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 379M, Topic: International Investor/State Arbitration.
Assets of foreign investors in host countries are vulnerable to actions by the host government. The wave of nationalizations in Venezuela and Ecuador are examples of how regime or governmental changes affect these investments. These acts have triggered the recent rise in investor-state arbitration with tens of billions of dollars in claims against host governments at stake. In the 20th Century, claims against states began with the Soviet nationalizations following the Russian Revolution, through the Mexican nationalizations in the early part of the 20th Century, and to the current day. Until relatively recently, claims were brought under direct contracts or arrangements with States. Today, the majority of these claims arise within a network of treaties that protect investors against the political risk of improper actions by host governments. This network includes multilateral treaties trade and investment treaties like the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”), the Energy Charter Treaty, over 2,700 bilateral investment treaties (“BITs”), and the Washington (or ICSID) Convention. The treaties protect against expropriation, unfair treatment, and discrimination. Procedural protections include arbitration against the State itself, outside the host country. Most recently, the Argentine economic crisis of 2001-2001 led to claims based on the government’s actions in response. Beyond economic crises, host governments will sometimes seek to change the terms of the foreign investor’s deal when commodity prices change. This has occurred in recent years with special frequency in the energy sectors. Bolivia announced nationalizations of foreigners’ oil and gas interests there. Venezuela has taken over foreign companies’ oil and gas projects as well as foreign-owned banks. Ecuador took similar actions against foreign investors. Indeed, Argentina made world headlines this year in expropriating the interest of a Spanish company, after significant unconventional oil and gas was discovered in that country. In short, the front page of any international newspaper daily recounts such acts and political changes that may presage such moves. Investor-state arbitration has had an obvious impact on foreign governments. As governments contemplate policies, they are concerned because they can now be sued, directly, by foreign investors. Awards are paid from the national treasury. Many states have begun to question the wisdom of the entire investment protection scheme as it is currently configured, and they have begun to curtail their commitments in investment-protection treaties. The course will therefore address the inevitable political, economic, and policy questions raised by this significant cession of sovereignty to private actors. The course will introduce students to investor-state arbitration. With a brief introduction of cases that arise from contracts, the course will then turn to the network of treaty protection and its practical implementation. Students will be taken through the identical arbitration process as that experienced by investors in some of the most important cases in recent years. Core materials for this course include the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and arbitral awards involving claims against foreign governments. To provide the business background of energy deals, guest speakers from major international companies will clarify the real stakes of this emerging area of international arbitration. Assessment will be based on class participation and a final exam.
International Petroleum Transactions
- WED, THU 9:05 – 10:20 am JON 6.207
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 382F
Registration Information
- 1L and upperclass elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 379M, Topic: International Petroleum Transactions.
Course content and description: International Petroleum Transactions considers the legal issues and transactions relating to the exploration, production, and marketing of petroleum—the most important commodity traded worldwide and hence the most politically charged. Coverage includes how countries establish and allocate sovereignty over petroleum, how countries settle competing claims to oil and gas reserves, how host governments or state-owned oil companies contract with private companies to explore and develop oil and gas resources, how companies contract with each other to share risk, how companies contract with drilling contractors and service providers; how petroleum is marketed; and how disputes are resolved.
Professor's goals: Help students develop better analytical skills--especially the ability to critically evaluate contracts and host government law. Help students gain a basic understanding of how crude oil and gas are exploited and marketed worldwide. Help students learn about the unique aspects of acquiring exploration and development rights in a foreign country, about pursuing those rights, and the legal ramifications of how exploiting parties realizes a return on this type of foreign investment.
Prerequisites, co-requisites, and sequencing: None—although students who have taken other oil and gas classes may be slightly advantaged over those who have not.
Course requirements: Regular class attendance, class preparation, and participation (including thoughtful responses to questions posed).
Materials: All materials will be furnished to the students electronically at no cost to students!
Internet and Telecommunication Regulation
- TUE, THU 9:05 – 10:20 am JON 5.206
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 396W
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Same as LAW 379M, Internet and Telecommunication Regulation.
This introductory course examines the policies, laws and regulations applicable to important and controversial industry segments of the United States – the Internet and telecommunications. The survey course will cover wireline, wireless (e.g., 5G), cable, video, satellite, Internet and broadband technologies/services. The course will review how these exciting, dynamic platforms are converging. This study will begin with a review historical telecommunication (and broadcast) regulatory policy such as Universal Service that shaped the early industry. The course will discuss how these past regulatory approaches are intertwined with current policy debates such as Net Neutrality, Privacy and rural broadband. Topics will include the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996. This course will also address important subjects such as divestiture, mergers, scope of regulatory treatment, the “public interest” standard, “ancillary jurisdiction,” and use of valuable spectrum policies. Key terms and characteristics of the different modes of communication will be discussed. Interesting and current topics such as technological convergence, the impact of Covid on this area, “permissionless innovation” and how to address the growth and power of social media (and providers) will be discussed. The course will conclude with a look towards the future of regulation in these areas and what changes, if any, to related laws may be warranted in the future (e.g., if and how should Section 230 of the Telecom Act be amended). A review of what has been deemed to be “acceptable and harmful” content on various platforms will be explored.
One goal of the course is to introduce students to important policy and legal concepts and issues in industries and highlight the technology that impacts their daily lives (e.g., use of smartphones and the Internet of Things). In addition, perhaps the course will reveal an area of possible career interest whether it be in the government, industry, consumer or private practice arenas.
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 197P
- Experiential learning credit:
- 1 hour
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
The Judicial Internship Program lasts for one semester and includes a weekly class and a concurrent internship in an approved court placement. Students research complex legal questions and draft memoranda, opinions and orders under the supervision of judges and their staff attorneys and law clerks. Students apply and extend their substantive legal knowledge and further develop their analytical, research, writing, and oral communication skills. Students also observe court proceedings and learn about court procedure and legal advocacy.
A fall or spring internship must extend over a period of at least 10 weeks between the first and last class day of the semester. Students work at the internship placement for at least 150 hours. Students who also enroll in the Judicial Internship Program Supplement complete an additional 50 hours of work at the internship placement, for a total of at least 200 hours. Within these parameters, each intern arranges a mutually agreeable work schedule with the court. The internship must involve the student and the supervising attorney working in person; regular remote work is not permitted. Students and supervisors are expected to work together at their placement offices.
The weekly class covers a variety of topics relevant to the judicial process and working at a court, such as goal setting and reflection, judicial ethics, writing and communicating in chambers, judicial decision-making, statutory construction, and the organization and operation of the courts. Course requirements include reading assignments, class presentations, court observations, short reflective writing assignments, self-assessments, and timesheets. There will be a course packet available for purchase at the start of the semester. In addition to class meetings, students meet individually with the instructor several times during the internship to discuss their goals and review their progress.
Application Requirements: An application for approval to register is required. A student may not register until the instructor has approved the application. Before submitting an application to the instructor, a student must first apply for and obtain a judicial internship with an approved court in Austin. The student must be assigned to a specific judge on the court who agrees to participate in the Texas Law program. Approved courts include the Texas Supreme Court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the Texas Third Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court (including the active and senior district court judges and the magistrate judges), the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings, and the Travis County Probate Court. Many of these courts post internship openings on the Career Services Office's Job Bank on Symplicity. Others post information about internships on the court's website. Apply as soon as possible. Most courts accept applications and select interns for the spring semester during the prior fall semester, some as early as September. A few make their selections closer to the start of the semester. A student who wishes to intern for academic credit must obtain the internship and apply to the instructor in time to attend the first class meeting. For the application for approval to register and more information about the Judicial Internship Program, go to https://law.utexas.edu/internships/judicial-internship.
This program is open to students who have completed the first two semesters of law school. Interns who receive academic credit may not be compensated. Students may enroll only once in a judicial internship for academic credit.
Internship: Judicial
- M. Crouter
- TUE 3:45 – 5:15 pm TNH 2.138
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 497P
- Experiential learning credit:
- 4 hours
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
The Judicial Internship Program lasts for one semester and includes a weekly class and a concurrent internship in an approved court placement. Students research complex legal questions and draft memoranda, opinions and orders under the supervision of judges and their staff attorneys and law clerks. Students apply and extend their substantive legal knowledge and further develop their analytical, research, writing, and oral communication skills. Students also observe court proceedings and learn about court procedure and legal advocacy.
A fall or spring internship must extend over a period of at least 10 weeks between the first and last class day of the semester. Students work at the internship placement for at least 150 hours. Students who also enroll in the Judicial Internship Program Supplement complete an additional 50 hours of work at the internship placement, for a total of at least 200 hours. Within these parameters, each intern arranges a mutually agreeable work schedule with the court. The internship must involve the student and the supervising attorney working in person; regular remote work is not permitted. Students and supervisors are expected to work together at their placement offices.
The weekly class covers a variety of topics relevant to the judicial process and working at a court, such as goal setting and reflection, judicial ethics, writing and communicating in chambers, judicial decision-making, statutory construction, and the organization and operation of the courts. Course requirements include reading assignments, class presentations, court observations, short reflective writing assignments, self-assessments, and timesheets. There will be a course packet available for purchase at the start of the semester. In addition to class meetings, students meet individually with the instructor several times during the internship to discuss their goals and review their progress.
Application Requirements: An application for approval to register is required. A student may not register until the instructor has approved the application. Before submitting an application to the instructor, a student must first apply for and obtain a judicial internship with an approved court in Austin. The student must be assigned to a specific judge on the court who agrees to participate in the Texas Law program. Approved courts include the Texas Supreme Court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the Texas Third Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court (including the active and senior district court judges and the magistrate judges), the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings, and the Travis County Probate Court. Many of these courts post internship openings on the Career Services Office's Job Bank on Symplicity. Others post information about internships on the court's website. Apply as soon as possible. Most courts accept applications and select interns for the spring semester during the prior fall semester, some as early as September. A few make their selections closer to the start of the semester. A student who wishes to intern for academic credit must obtain the internship and apply to the instructor in time to attend the first class meeting. For the application for approval to register and more information about the Judicial Internship Program, go to https://law.utexas.edu/internships/judicial-internship.
This program is open to students who have completed the first two semesters of law school. Interns who receive academic credit may not be compensated. Students may enroll only once in a judicial internship for academic credit.
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 597P
- Experiential learning credit:
- 5 hours
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This course will be taught in person but with the option of remote participation via Zoom. Please note that this course might become online-only in the event that actual in-person attendance during the semester consistently falls below a threshold to be determined in the exercise of reasonable discretion by the instructor and the Student Affairs Office.
APPLICATION REQUIRED. Instructors: Robert Kepple and Jeremy Sylestine. The objective of this course is to educate students on the law and legal issues commonly encountered in criminal prosecution, and to familiarize the students with the unique duties and responsibilities of a criminal prosecutor not simply as an advocate, but as a minister of justice.
The course consists of a 2-credit classroom component and a 3-credit internship program in the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. All credits are pass/fail. The course is open to students who have completed the first two semesters of law school, but enrollment is limited and preference is given to students who have completed 43 credit hours or who are in their second semester of their second year of law school, and who would be eligible to appear in court for the State under the supervision of a licensed prosecutor. It is recommended that students have completed Evidence prior to this internship.
The classroom component of the course will require students to study substantive and procedural law and issues commonly-encountered by criminal prosecutors, covering topics such as charging instruments, discovery, search and seizure, jury selection, public integrity prosecution, trial tactics, evidence, post-conviction DNA, and oral advocacy. Students will also spend significant time discussing the unique ethical responsibilities and duties of a public prosecutor, with focus on the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and the National Prosecution Standards.
Each student will also be assigned to a trial court prosecution team or to the Special Victims Unit in the District Attorney's office and will be supervised by prosecutors assigned to the court and the Unit. Students can expect to gain active experience in all aspects of the day-to-day functions of the public prosecutor, including the charging decision, pleading, discovery, motions to suppress evidence, motions to revoke probation, and the trial of the case. Commensurate with experience and opportunity, students may have the opportunity to actively participate in the courtroom proceedings.
Students are required to fill out applications for admission to the course, and will consult with the instructors in advance regarding their court placement. Students must complete 150 hours of placement work for their internship. Each student will arrange a mutually convenient work schedule with their supervising attorney. Students may not receive compensation for their internship.
Internship: Public Service
- MON 3:45 – 5:00 pm JON 6.207
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 497P
- Experiential learning credit:
- 4 hours
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This public service internship course has two components: (1) a weekly class, and (2) an internship with a government or nonprofit organization that involves delivering legal services and performing other law-related tasks under the supervision of an experienced lawyer employed by the organization. Students engage in legal work in public service offices, gaining hands-on experience that they reflect upon and analyze in a weekly class. Assignments address topics relevant to the legal profession and professional identity, including ethics, advocacy and communication skills, and professional self-development.
In their internships, students will develop lawyering skills important to their current stage of professional development. Placement supervisors are experienced attorneys who broadly expose students to the activities of their offices, oversee varied and demanding assignments, and provide regular feedback on student performance. Students are required to work at least 150 hours at their internships during the semester, and students may not receive financial compensation for their internship work. The internship must involve the student and the supervising attorney working in person; regular remote work is not permitted. Students and supervisors are expected to work together at their placement offices.
The classroom component of the course is designed to enhance the educational experience of students by giving them the opportunity to reflect on their internship and to understand the broader landscape in which their internship is situated. Through the seminar, students will deepen their understanding of public service lawyering, ethical issues that confront public sector lawyers, and the role of lawyers in increasing access to justice.
Application Requirements: Students must submit an application for permission to register for the course. The course is open to students who have completed the first two semesters of law school. Before submitting an application to the instructor, a student must first arrange a government or nonprofit internship based in the Austin area. The instructor is available to consult with students about possible placements, and some organizations post opportunities on Symplicity. Each placement and supervising attorney must be approved by the instructor prior to registration. A student who wishes to intern for academic credit must obtain the internship and apply to the instructor before the first class meeting.
Students who have previously received credit through any of the other internship courses (nonprofit, legislative, judicial, etc.) are eligible to enroll in this course. Credits: 4 (graded pass/fail)
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 297P
- Experiential learning credit:
- 2 hours
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Prof. keeps own waitlist
Description
This course will be conducted in person, with no remote participation.
No scheduled meeting time.
Internship – APPLICATION REQUIRED. Contact the instructor for information about applying. Students must register for both Semester in Practice internship courses (one for 8 credits and one for 2 credits – for a total of 10 credits). Students must intern in-person at their field placements for this course, no remote internships will be approved.
Students in this clinical internship immerse themselves in practice, developing their professional skills and studying the role of lawyers and legal institutions. The course addresses topics relevant to public service lawyering in varied settings, including professionalism, ethics, advocacy, access to justice, the legal profession, and legal institutions.
For placements in the U.S., students intern have the opportunity to intern full-time in government, nonprofit and legislative offices located outside of the Austin area.
For placements outside the U.S., students have the opportunity to intern full-time with specialized courts, international institutions, and nongovernmental organizations.
Placement supervisors are experienced attorneys who expose students to the legal activities of their offices, oversee varied and demanding assignments, and provide regular feedback on student performance. Each student consults with the instructor to arrange his or her field placement, and each placement and supervisor must be approved by the instructor prior to registration. An international placement may be arranged in consultation with the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice or arranged independently
Students are required to intern for 500 hours and may not receive a salary for their internship work, although they may receive a modest stipend to offset unusual living or travel expenses. Students are expected to complete a number of written assignments and maintain close contact with the instructor during the internship.
Interested students should review the course website (https://law.utexas.edu/internships/application-information/) and then email the instructor (Eden Harrington, eharrington@law.utexas.edu) to arrange a time to discuss the course.
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 897P
- Experiential learning credit:
- 8 hours
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Prof. keeps own waitlist
Description
No scheduled meeting time.
Internship – APPLICATION REQUIRED. Contact the instructor for information about applying. Students must register for both Semester in Practice internship courses (one for 8 credits and one for 2 credits – for a total of 10 credits). Students must intern in-person at their field placements for this course, no remote internships will be approved.
Students in this clinical internship immerse themselves in practice, developing their professional skills and studying the role of lawyers and legal institutions. The course addresses topics relevant to public service lawyering in varied settings, including professionalism, ethics, advocacy, access to justice, the legal profession, and legal institutions.
For placements in the U.S., students intern have the opportunity to intern full-time in government, nonprofit and legislative offices located outside of the Austin area.
For placements outside the U.S., students have the opportunity to intern full-time with specialized courts, international institutions, and nongovernmental organizations.
Placement supervisors are experienced attorneys who expose students to the legal activities of their offices, oversee varied and demanding assignments, and provide regular feedback on student performance. Each student consults with the instructor to arrange his or her field placement, and each placement and supervisor must be approved by the instructor prior to registration. An international placement may be arranged in consultation with the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice or arranged independently
Students are required to intern for 500 hours and may not receive a salary for their internship work, although they may receive a modest stipend to offset unusual living or travel expenses. Students are expected to complete a number of written assignments and maintain close contact with the instructor during the internship.
Interested students should review the course website (https://law.utexas.edu/internships/application-information/) and then email the instructor (Eden Harrington, eharrington@law.utexas.edu) to arrange a time to discuss the course.
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 297P
- Experiential learning credit:
- 2 hours
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
This internship program offers students the opportunity to apply for “for-credit” internship positions with the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division. This course offers students a required four-credit internship to be completed over both long semesters.
Students are encouraged to enroll in the Fall three-unit Advanced Federal Criminal Prosecution seminar. This seminar, taught by Professors Susan R. Klein and Aleza Remis, will meet one afternoon per week. The seminar will address the duties of federal criminal prosecutors and defenders, including grand jury procedure, drafting indictments, calculating sentences under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, designing undercover operations, offering immunity, responding to evidentiary and discovery motions, requesting bail, and entering plea and cooperation agreement negotiations. Students may also be interested in 3-unit Federal Criminal Law, a course taught by Prof. Susan Klein in Spring of 2021. Neither course is required.
The internship component requires a commitment to work 10 hours per week for two consecutive semesters at the U.S. Attorney's Office 903 San Jacinto Blvd., Suite 334 Austin, Texas 78701. You will assist in the prosecution of federal criminal cases under the supervision of Matt Harding, Dan Guess, and other Assistant U.S. Attorneys. Students will receive two credits "pass-fail" for the internship for each semester, for a total of four units.
The application deadline for the next academic year is Feb. 12, 2021.
Information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office is available at: www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/.
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.
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.
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.
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 185R
- Short course:
- 1/18/22 — 3/1/22
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
The materials for this one-hour pass-fail course are still being worked out. What is most likely is that each week will focus, for the two-hour class period, on one or, at most, two, stories or a short novel that raise issues relevant to the law. For example, under what circumstances do we properlyaccept private revenge, because, for example, a working legal system that provides adequate "justice" is lacking? Does Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" offer any useful lessons about "the rule of law" and/or "fidelity to law"? We might also assign some legal opinions or essays that are thought to be of particular literary merit and analyze what that may (or may not) be true. Each student will be required to provide three short essays (of roughly 500-600) words responding to the pieces assigned during particular weeks of your choice. They will be ungraded, but we hope that they will provide the agenda for much of the class discussion for those weeks.