Course Schedule
Classes Found
Energy Finance Transactions
- MON 9:50 – 11:40 am TNH 3.114
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 296W
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Title: Energy Finance and Transactions
Catalogue Description: Highly relevant for any lawyer in energy or finance practice, this course will immerse students in practical business and legal concepts inherent in oil and gas financing by teaching a working knowledge based on actual loan documents relevant to financial and M&A transactions. Through discussion of actual loan provisions, the class will demonstrate how the client’s business concepts are manifested in the financing documents drafted by lawyers. In addition, the course will provide a historical context of the dependent relationship between producers and bankers illustrating the evolution of loan documentation from the early beginnings of the US oil industry through current times.
This course will provide students a head-start on their transactional legal training by providing students with useful knowledge on energy transactions and financing documentation. Students will learn the basic architecture of financing documents, and, importantly, learn the legal and business issues and historical foundation behind the provisions. The professors, who collectively have over 60 years of energy lending experience, will also provide their insight on energy lending negotiation strategy. In addition to class participation and the final exam, students will complete a short client memorandum on a topic of their choice related to the energy finance transactions.
Grading: Students will be graded on class participation (20%), client memorandum (30%) and final exam (50%).
The final exam will be a timed, short answer open-book format exam.
Prerequisites: 1L contracts and property. The professors are accustomed to training associates with no exposure to oil and gas or finance.
Credit Hours: Two hours.
Proposed Schedule: 12 weeks, consisting of 12 two-hour classes.
Learning Outcomes: Students will gain an understanding of basic principles of energy lending and energy transactions, and how those principals are embodied in loan documentation. In addition to the practical substantive knowledge, students will gain insight into a career path. This course is tailored for students interested in pursuing a career in sophisticated energy transactions of all types. Students who have already chosen this career path will be better prepared, having completed part of the training of a first-year associate.
Energy Law: Regulating Energy Markets
- TUE 1:05 – 2:20 pm TNH 2.124
- THU 1:05 – 2:20 pm TNH 2.140
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 390J-2
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- 1L and upperclass elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This course examines in detail the regulatory regimes governing the sale and delivery of energy in American energy markets. Students will develop a working understanding of electricity and gas markets, how federal and state regulatory commissions regulate price and competition in those markets under the Federal Power Act, the Natural Gas Act, and analogous state laws. We will also address topical issues associated with the rapid technological and economic changes underway in the electricity and gas markets, including the effects of the rapid growth in renewable generation, disputes over the pricing and regulation of distributed energy resources (such as rooftop solar or demand response), the move toward increasing competition and market pricing, legal rules governing the siting of natural gas and electric transmission lines, and more. This class will be based in the Law School, but also open to students from the McCombs School, the Jackson School, and the LBJ School, and will mix traditional lecture and discussion with small group work in multidisciplinary teams. This is a companion course to (but not a prerequisite for) Energy Law: Regulating Energy Production.
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 396W
- Cross-listed with:
- Management
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will not use floating mean GPA
Description
This is a Business School course, cross-listed with the Law School.
The TVL Energy Ventures Practicum is an opportunity for teams of law students, business students, policy students, and technologists to build up skills, capabilities and contacts to create a new venture in the energy sector. Objectives of the class are to provide a framework for commercializing innovations in the energy sector, and the tools that entrepreneurs need to frame and build businesses for this purpose.
Environmental Law: Climate, Air and Water
- MON, TUE, WED 1:05 – 1:55 pm JON 5.206
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 391E-2
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This course will begin with an introduction to pollution control, the common law antecedents, and early statutory developments. The remainder of the course will be devoted to an intensive study of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. The student will become familiar with the substantive provisions of those statutes and will gain a knowledge of how the statutes are implemented by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the relevant state agencies. In addition, the course will expose the student to scientific and engineering concepts relevant to regulating the "conventional" air and water pollutants. Finally, the course will examine ongoing regulatory attempts to address climate change under the Clean Air Act and the prospect for climate change legislation.
Environmental Law: Toxics
- WED, THU 9:05 – 10:20 am TNH 3.124
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 391E-1
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This 3 credit course examines the regulation of toxic substances in both the common law and federal regulations. The course focuses on the federal regulatory programs governing different types of toxics problems. These programs include: a) statutes regulating toxic products (the Occupational Safety and Health Act; the Safe Drinking Water Act; the Toxic Substances Control Act; the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act; and the Consumer Protection Act); b) statutes regulating the continuous release of pollutants through normal operations (the Occupational Safety and Health Act; and the Clean Air and Water Acts); and c) statutes regulating waste disposal (the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (Superfund)). The course then explores the enforcement of these regulatory programs, including the use of citizen suits and environmental justice claims. The course concludes with an examination of the vital role that state law and tort litigation play in the shadow of these extensive federal regulatory programs. The basis of evaluation will be a 24 hour, open book examination. Prerequisite: None
Evidence
- MON, TUE, THU 1:05 – 2:12 pm TNH 2.137
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 483
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
A course on the Federal Rules of Evidence, with an emphasis on the application of the rules in court.
Evidence
- MON, TUE, WED 10:30 – 11:37 am TNH 3.142
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 483
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
4 hour course covering both the Federal and Texas rules of Evidence with emphasis on application of the rules in litigation. Topics include include relevance, hearsay, the Confrontation Clause, character evidence, impeachment and rehabilitation of witnesses, the best evidence rule, lay and expert opinion, and privileges.
Exploring In-House Practice
- FRI, SAT 9:30 am – 5:00 pm TNH 2.140
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 196V
- Short course:
- 2/2/24 — 2/3/24
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
The course will contribute to successful and effective practice as an in-house counsel and explore similarities and differences between in-house and outside legal practice. Topics covered may include: evaluating in-house opportunities; transitioning to an in-house role; the relationship between in-house counsel and their internal clients; staffing and interacting with the board of directors, in-house counsel's role in adding value to his/her organization; advising and counseling clients; selecting and managing outside counsel; and an ethical challenge pertinent to in-house counsel.
This course will be highly interactive with frequent breakout groups. There will be very little duplicative material with Special Topics in In-House Practice, also offered this semester.
Federal Courts
- S. Vladeck
- TUE, WED, THU 1:05 – 2:12 pm TNH 2.138
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 Estate and Gift Taxation/Estate Planning
- TUE, THU 1:05 – 1:55 pm JON 6.257
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 296W
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This course examines the federal wealth transfer tax system, including the estate and gift taxes; in particular, their application to a wide variety of gratuitous transfers, both lifetime and testamentary. In the case of the gift tax, it considers the concept of a "transfer of property by gift," complete and incomplete transfers, the annual exclusion, and gift-splitting. In the case of the estate tax, it considers the concept of "gross estate," including interests still owned at death, property transferred during life subject to retained interests or powers or in contemplation of death, property subject to powers of appointment, jointly owned property, life insurance, and annuities and employee death benefits. As to both the gift tax and the estate tax, it focuses heavily on the marital and charitable deductions, the unified credit, and problems of valuation. Throughout, it relates the material under consideration to basic, and sometimes not-so-basic, estate planning, including the creation of trusts, both revocable and irrevocable. Prerequisite/Co-requisite: Wills & Estates. FIT is NOT a prerequisite. Related Course Areas Property, Tax
Federal Income Taxation
- TUE, WED 2:30 – 3:45 pm TNH 2.124
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 393Q
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Reverse-priority registration
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Federal Income Tax covers basic principles of the federal income tax, including but not limited to the basic structure of the federal individual income tax. The primary objectives of the course are to familiarize you with those substantive principles; to introduce you to the format and content of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as related Treasury regulations, IRS guidance documents, and case law concerning basic federal income tax matters; and to give you experience working with a complicated statutory and regulatory scheme to resolve legal questions.
Textbooks:
J. Martin Burke & Michael K. Friel, Taxation of Individual Income (13th ed. 2023, Carolina Academic Press), ISBN: 978-1-530-2507-6
Optional Statutory Supplement: Daniel J. Lathrope, Selected Federal Taxation Statutes and Regulations (2024 ed., West Academic Publishing), ISBN: 979-8-88786-000-8
Financial Methods for Lawyers
- TUE, THU 10:30 – 11:37 am TNH 3.140
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 292G
- Short course:
- 1/16/24 — 4/4/24
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
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.
Food and Agriculture Lab and Workshop: Law. Policy. Principle. Practice.
- FRI 1:05 – 4:05 pm TNH 3.127
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 196V
- Short course:
- 2/2/24 — 2/23/24
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
Evaluation involves a brief paper plus mandatory attendance for the four classes, with optional attendance for the field trips.
This new one-credit offering will explore topics related to the accelerating food and water challenges facing our country, our community, and people all over the globe. These topics are likely to include: climate effects on arable land and irrigation water; rising soil salinity; nutrified water flows; food waste; food labeling; extensive and intensive industrial agriculture, including for animal production; locovorism; food cultures; “novel” proteins; and future foods. Our topics are sure to include the quickening moral demands for justice for animals; a human “right to food”; and a more equitable, healthy, and secure food system for all. With these emergent drivers spinning the wheel of fortune, American food law and policy are being called on to respond. These responses in the teeth (so to speak) of consumer preferences, scientific developments, political pressures, and market movements will provide key reference points for the course.
We will draw on work being done in food law clinics and food research institutes housed in law schools around the country. Expert guests, some from these settings, will help to shape the workshop experience.
The course design—a “lab” of experiences, ideas, and ideals--is intended to provide an inter-disciplinary offering to law students and those from a variety of other fields.
There is likely to be an optional field trip (or two) and an optional final dinner, off-site, to be prepared by the instructor, possible guests, and members of the class. These extra meetings won’t count (at all) toward a student’s grade in the course.
Course requirements:
1--The class will meet in four Friday sessions of three hours each. Full attendance is mandatory.
2—For Law students, the course is offered pass/fail.
3—Students from non-Law departments and programs may take the course pass/fail or for one graded credit (available only in cross-listed sections that do not allow pass/fail). The latter option will require the satisfactory completion (no bots allowed) of a research and writing assignment that may be administered on a one-time in-class basis, attendance required, at a time separate from the four class sessions.
From the Campaign Trail to the Courtroom: Political Law Controversies in the 2024 Presidential Election
- TUE 3:55 – 5:45 pm TNH 2.124
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 296W
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This two-credit writing class centers upon the most critical political law controversies that will arise during the course of the 2024 presidential election, from the campaign trail through Election Day! Topics include: the roles and responsibilities of major and minor political parties; campaign lies and election-related misinformation; the influence of — and public transparency around — big money in politics; problems with the electoral college; and the spike in election law litigation generally, including post-election contests. For each issue, students will first learn the relevant foundational law — typically, rooted in the U.S. Constitution and, in particular, guided by the First Amendment. Then, the class will explore modern controversies, drawing heavily from the events of the 2024 election cycle as they unfold and hearing, at times, directly from practitioners.
Students will be evaluated on: (a) their robust participation in class, including debates and hypothetical exercises rooted in real-world dilemmas facing election lawyers and campaign counsel; and (b) a series of 4-5 page essays assigned throughout class.
There are no prerequisites, although as an upper-level offering the class assumes students have successfully completed at least one course in constitutional law. The class is structured to complement, and not duplicate, Professor Marziani’s fall “Election Law and Policy” seminar.
Global Energy Transactions: Legal, Financial, and Scientific Perspectives
- WED 3:55 – 6:45 pm TNH 2.123
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 390G
- Cross-listed with:
- Other school
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
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 will be a country other than the United States of America. The class is open 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). To assure an appropriate balance of team members, enrollment is subject to application and approval. 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 and Global Security
- MON 9:00 am – 12:00 pm SRH 3.212
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 389V
- Cross-listed with:
- Public Affairs
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will not use floating mean GPA
Description
This is an LBJ School course, cross-listed with the Law School.
In this course we will examine the nature of disease and its impact on developing and developed societies. We examine the potential security threats posed by diseases like COVID 19 and investigate how nations respond to those threats. We will review the demographic, economic, political, and social costs of illness for individuals across the life course, institutions, governments, nations, and the world as a whole. We will learn how disease spreads and how organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and other national and multilateral organizations respond to diseases that do not respect national borders. The class will follow a fairly standard seminar format and consist of readings with group discussion and presentations related to specific areas of health and global security.
History and Design of Movement Lawyering
- MON, TUE 9:50 – 11:40 am CCJ 3.306
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 496W
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Prof. keeps own waitlist
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
Students will dissect the strategy of Brown v Board and other successful and unsuccessful movement cases. These will serve as guides as students work in groups to prepare their own movement litigation. This class will combine research, experiential learning and problem solving. Ideal student groups will have representative knowledge of advocacy, procedure, administrative and legislative practice. Students will argue and defend their pleadings and other strategies throughout the semester.
International Arbitration: Practical Skills
- WED 1:05 – 3:35 pm JON 5.257
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 281Q
- Experiential learning credit:
- 2 hours
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
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
- P. Hansen
- TUE, WED 10:30 – 11:45 am JON 5.206
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 393D
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
This survey course is designed to provide you with a broad overview of the skills and understanding you will need to advise clients on business transactions involving more than one country. There are no prerequisites: no prior knowledge of business or international law is required.
The course will examine different ways in which a business can structure its international business transactions (e.g. entering direct import/export agreements; appointing foreign agents or distributors; transferring technology to foreign licensees; and establishing or acquiring foreign direct investments), along with the relative advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
We will analyze the unique contractual and regulatory issues presented by each type of transaction, focusing on relevant provisions of US law; multilateral treaties such as the World Trade Agreements (WTO) Agreements and the Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG); and regional agreements such as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA, formerly known as NAFTA).
Along the way, we will explore current policy debates on topics such as US-China trade relations; and the economic, social and security implications of the current legal framework for international trade and investment.
International Criminal Law
- TUE, WED 10:30 – 11:45 am TNH 3.124
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 383S
Registration Information
- 1L and upperclass elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
The course will examine the development and current state of International Criminal Law. Among other topics, it will explore the history of international criminal justice from the aftermath of World War II to the recent establishment of the International Criminal Court, the “core crimes” of international criminal law, theories of criminal liability, and available defenses. It will also investigate a number of other topical issues in international criminal law, including the crime of international terrorism, U.S. policy towards the International Criminal Court, and dilemmas of transitional justice.
International Human Rights Law
- MON, WED 3:55 – 5:25 pm TNH 2.124
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 382Q
- Short course:
- 1/16/24 — 4/15/24
Registration Information
- 1L and upperclass elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
The course considers some of the most pressing global issues of our time through an overview of the history, theory, and practice of international human rights law, as well as the related fields of international humanitarian and criminal law. It identifies decades-long tensions about the legitimacy and meaning of human rights, with a focus on how those tensions are manifested in the case law of adjudicatory and quasi-adjudicatory legal institutions created by international and regional treaties, as well as by domestic courts. Much of the course is organized around in-depth and comparative study of the adjudication of human rights claims about matters including racial, gender, and sexual equality; rights to property, housing, and health; rights of indigenous peoples; religion and culture; and humanitarian law. As a part of the course, students will work in teams to select, edit, analyze, and present a legal opinion on human rights to the rest of the class.
Non-law graduate students who are planning to graduate in May will not be able to get a final grade submitted in time for graduation. Thus, enrollment in this course would require a delay of graduation to August or December. Alternatively, students in the LBJ School of Public Affairs may take this course on a pass/fail basis if they still wish to graduate in May.
The early exam will be in the floating format between April 19 - April 22.
Internet and Telecommunications Regulation
- TUE, THU 9:05 – 10:20 am JON 6.207
Course Information
- Course ID:
- 396W
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
- Will use floating mean GPA if applicable
Description
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 regulatory policy such as Universal Service that shaped the early industry. The course will cover antitrust and First Amendment basics as they relate to past and current debates in this area. The course will discuss how these past regulatory approaches to address monopolies and competition 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 common carriage, divestiture, mergers/acquistions, scope of regulatory treatment, the “public interest” standard, “ancillary jurisdiction,” "Chevron deference" 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 (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. Discussions will include the "Metaverse/virtual reality" and artificial intelligence and what should be associated regulations, if any.
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:
- 297P
- Experiential learning credit:
- 2 hours
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Description
Students will arrange their work schedules with their supervisor. They are expected to work about 10 hours per week per semester.
Exams: None
Registration Information:
This course is restricted to upper class students only. Federal Public Defender Internship – APPLICATION REQUIRED: https://law.utexas.edu/internships/federal-public-defender-internship/course-information/
To apply, please email a copy of your cover letter, resume and transcript (unofficial is fine) to Prof. Susan Klein at sklein@law.utexas.edu and to Assistant Federal Public Defender Horatio Aldredge at horatio_aldredge@fd.org. Students interested in this internship can obtain additional information by stopping by Prof. Klein’s office at TNH 3.207 (her office hours are Wed. 3:30 – 5:00 pm), or calling or texting her at (512) 203-2257. They may also call Mr. Aldredge at (512) 916-5025.
** This course meets the Professional Skills requirement for graduation.
** Course Description:
This internship program offers students the opportunity to apply for “for-credit” internship positions with the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Western District of Texas, Austin Branch. Students will assist in the defense of federal criminal cases under the supervision of Mr. Aldredge and other assistants. Information on the Federal Public Defender Office is available at: http://txwd.fd.org/austin. The office is located downtown at 504 Lavaca St., Suite 960, Austin, TX 78701. The internship requires a 10 hour per week commitment, but not all those hours need to be completed at the Fed. Public Defender Office. Students should expect to spend at least one day per week at the office or in federal court.
Students earn 2 credits (pass/fail) for the fall semester and, if they enroll in the spring, they earn another 2 credits (pass/fail) for spring semester. Students are encouraged to commit to a full academic year of internship study, but one semester applications will also be reviewed. This internship program is not available during either summer session.
Students may wish to enroll in the Fall 2023 Adv. Fed. Crim. Prosecution and Defense seminar, co-taught by Prof. Klein and Aleza Remis. They might also consider enrolling in Fed. Crim. Law, taught in the spring by Prof. Klein and in the fall by Judge Robert Pitman. Applicants may also benefit from having completed one or both Criminal Procedure courses, Evidence, any upper-level criminal justice course, and any internship or clinical program in the criminal justice field. None of those courses are required.
The application deadline for the next academic year is March 27th, 2023. Interviews are conducted at the Career Services Office or via Zoom. Though students will know whether or not they are admitted before fall registration, the unique registration number for the fall 2023 internship will not be available until April 15, 2023.
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 1 credit 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 fall semester during the prior spring semester, some as early as March. 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:
- 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 1 credit 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 fall semester during the prior spring semester, some as early as March. 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.