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Law Courses
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| MSL Required Courses |
MSL 6100 Criminal Law | 3 Credits
This course examines the structure and function of criminal law and criminal procedure. Focus is placed on crimes against the person and property including homicide, battery, assault, theft crimes, inchoate crimes and their ensuing defenses. The procedural portion of the course surveys the criminal justice system with emphasis on the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments to the United States Constitution including topics such as searches, seizures, interrogation, line-ups, and double jeopardy.
Learning Outcomes: - Examine the nature and purpose of criminal law and criminal procedure
- Evaluate, compare and contrast various crimes against a person including Homicide, Assault and Battery, Mayhem, Sex Crimes, Kidnapping and False Imprisonment
- Study and understand the elements of crimes against property and habitation including burglary, arson, computer crime, and others.
- Examine, compare and contrast theft crimes including larceny, robbery, embezzlement, receiving (or concealing) stolen property, forgery, extortion and others.
- Identify, explain, and analyze offenses against the public including administration of governmental functions, terrorism and others.
- Evaluate and understand culpability for the inchoate offenses of attempt, conspiracy and solicitation.
- Evaluate the elements for proving crimes including mens rea, actus reus and strict liability.
- Distinguish and know the various factual and statutory defenses to criminal offenses
- Identify and study constitutional defenses to criminal cases.
- Evaluate and know constitutional provisions and amendments pertaining to criminal cases.
- Integrate course concepts through interaction and discussion with other learners and faculty mentor.
- Discuss the learner’s personal interests and relate them to this course.
- Synthesize course concepts in the form of a mid-term exam
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Final Paper
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Movie Critique
- Examine and learn the structure and operation of the three branches of government with emphasis on the structure of the U.S. court system and its duties in the critical justice system.
- Compare and contrast objectives of civil law and criminal law
- Identify and evaluate the source of government power to regulate criminal behavior
- Evaluate and learn the culpability of being parties to a crime
- Examine the purposes of criminal sanctions
- Critically evaluate searches, seizures and arrests as identified under the fourth amendment
- Examine the warrant requirement and the exceptions to the warrant requirement
- Define and examine the various types of arrests
- Evaluate Interrogation and Identification procedures as provided by the constitution
- Identify and evaluate police surveillance practices
- Evaluate and study the Criminal Pretrial Process
- Examine and learn the Criminal Trial Process
- Evaluate the laws of punishment and sentencing
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a brief and learn legal analysis skills
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MSL 6150 Contracts | 3 Credits
Surveys the basic principles of contracts. Includes elements of a contract and enforceability issues, such as consideration, reliance, restitution, and reformation. Issues related to bargaining, including capacity, unfairness, and unconscionability are considered, as is the need for a writing. Remedies are studied, including specific performance, limitations on damages, and liquidated damages.
Learning Outcomes: - Examine the bases for enforcing promises, including consideration, reliance, and restitution
- Analyze the bargaining process, comparing offer and acceptance
- Explain the requirement of a written record for enforceability of contracts
- Compare various means of ensuring the bargain accords with public policy, including examination of capacity, unfairness, overreaching, and unconscionability
- Compare remedies for breach of contract, including specific performance, expectations damages, liquidated damages, and means of limiting damages
- Examine the interpretation of contract language
- Examine performance and breach of contracts, including conditions, mitigation doctrines, and prospective nonperformance
- Examine how the basic assumptions of parties to a contract affect enforceability of the contract, with emphasis on mistake, impracticability, and frustration of purpose
- Analyze the rights of third party beneficiaries
- Examine assignment and delegation of contractual rights and duties
- Integrate course concepts through interaction and discussion with other learners and faculty mentor
- Discuss the learner’s personal interests and relate them to this course
- Conduct research, select relevent journal articles, and evaluate the articles in the form of a journal article critique
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Final Paper
- Synthesize course concepts in the form of a movie critique
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MSL 6200 Torts | 3 Credits
This course examines laws relating to civil liability for intentional harm, negligent and no fault wrongs. Emphasis will be placed on the development of liability, intentional interference with person or property, privileges, negligence, causation in fact, proximate or legal cause, joint tortfeasors, strict and vicarious liability, animal and products liability, nuisance, defamation, privacy and civil rights, misrepresentation, interference with relationships and compensation systems.
Learning Outcomes: - Examine intentional harm to another including intentional infliction of emotional distress.
- Examine intentional harm to another, including assault, battery and false imprisonment.
- Examine trespass to land and other property.
- Compare the various privileges excusing otherwise tortious conduct, including consent, self-defense, recovery of property, necessity, and authority of law.
- Examine the law of negligence and how to organize the elements of a cause of action.
- Evaluate the various standards of care.
- Examine applicability of a statute and proof of negligence.
- Examine causation in fact, including proof of causation, concurrent causes, and the problems in determining which party caused a particular harm.
- Evaluate proximate legal cause, including unforeseeable consequences and intervening causes.
- Introduce yourself and share your objectives for the course.
- Apply Westlaw skill.
- Analyze a given judicial opinion and summarize it in the form of a case brief.
- Evaluate the differences between satisfaction and release, contribution and indemnity, and apportionment of damages.
- Assess the various negligence defenses and the concepts that arise under vicarious liability.
- Examine the applicability and limitations of the law of strict liability.
- Assess the theories of recovery for products liability and the methods for determining product defects.
- Examine the proof and defenses required for a products liability case.
- Evaluate the various forms of privacy rights.
- Evaluate the basis for liability in misrepresentation.
- Examine the basis for an action based on defamation.
- Evaluate liability associated with nuisance.
- Synthesize course concepts through interaction and discussion with other learners and faculty mentor.
- Identify the basis for an action in civil rights, interference with advantageous relationships, and other compensation systems not based in tort law.
- Get a general understanding of Torts.
- Integrate course concepts through writing of a paper
- Evaluate duty of care of persons as well as of owners and occupiers of land
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MSL 6250 Property | 3 Credits
Surveys the law of property, including first and subsequent possession, the system of estates, leaseholds, transfers of land, control of land use through private and public means, private land use arrangements, a comparative study of servitudes, judicial zoning, legislative zoning, and the problem of regulatory takings.
Learning Outcomes: - Examine acquisitions of property by discovery, capture, and creation
- Examine acquisitions of property by find, adverse possession and gift
- Distinguish between the various types of possessory estates
- Compare future interests in the transferor and the transferee
- Analyze common law concurrent interests in land
- Examine the law of landlord and tenant
- Synthesize course concepts through interaction and discussion with other learners and faculty mentor
- Introduce yourself and explain your expectations from the course
- Analyze land transactions, including contracts of sale, deeds, and mortgages
- Examine title assurance, including recording systems, inquiry notice, registration of title, and title insurance
- Evaluate judicial land use controls: the law of private and public nuisance and associated remedies
- Distinguish between various private land use controls, including easements, and covenants
- Examine the law of zoning, including nonconforming use, variances, amendments, aesthetic regulation, and exclusionary zoning
- Examine the power of eminent domain, including public use, physical occupations and regulatory takings
- Conduct research and select relevent journal articles relevant to your chosen topic
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Final Paper.
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MSL 6300 Constitutional Law | 3 Credits
This course examines the United States Constitution with an emphasis on the role of the Supreme Court, the powers of Congress, the distribution of national powers, equal protection, implied fundamental rights, freedom of expression, religion, economic liberties, the contracts and taking clauses, and the problem of private power.
Learning Outcomes: - Integrate the history of the Constitution with major national historic events.
- Examine and understand the concept of Federalism.
- Identify and evaluate the powers of the Judicial Branch.
- Identify and examine the powers of the Legislative Branch.
- Examine and comprehend the Commerce Clause.
- Identify and examine powers of the Executive Branch.
- Evaluate and understand Civil Rights and Liberties.
- Examine and comprehend Equal Protection Rights.
- Evaluate and understand Substantive Due Process.
- Examine and understand Procedural Due Process.
- Identify and evaluate Constitutional Economic Rights.
- Examine and understand Freedom of Expression in the Constitution.
- Examine and comprehend Freedom of Religion in the Constitution.
- Identify, examine and understand Privacy Rights.
- Examine and understand Criminal Procedures in the Constitution.
- Conduct research and select relevant materials for a chosen topic.
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a case brief.
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Final Paper.
- Integrate course concepts through interaction and discussion with Learners and Mentor.
- Synthesize course concepts through a movie review.
- Synthesize course concepts through a midterm review.
- Introduce self and explain course expectations.
- Evaluate and understand Dual Federalism.
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MSL 6350 Business Associations | 3 Credits
Introduces the learner to the principles of business associations, including partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations, legal issues surrounding formation, financing, and control of corporations. Consideration is given to corporate powers, the powers and duties of directors, officers, and shareholder rights; problems relating to consolidation, merger, and dissolution.
Learning Outcomes: - Evaluate and understand agency in business organizations
- Evaluate and comprehend principles of sole proprietorship
- Evaluate and understand principles of general partnerships
- Evaluate and understand principles of limited partnerships
- Evaluate and identify characteristics of limited liability companies
- Evaluate and comprehend the nature of corporations
- Evaluate and comprehend formation of corporations
- Examine and understand management of corporations
- Evaluate and understand financing of corporations
- Evaluate and comprehend corporate distributions
- Examine and understand corporate agreements
- Examine and identify shareholder rights
- Evaluate and understand problems relating to changes in corporate structure
- Examine and comprehend corporate dissolution.
- Conduct research and identify relevant materials for your chosen topic
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Final Paper
- Integrate course concepts through interaction and discussion with learners and Mentor
- Synthesize course concepts through a movie review.
- Integrate course concepts through a mid-term review
- Synthesize course concepts through a case brief
- Evaluate, identify and understand various forms of corporations
- Introduce self and explain course expectations.
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MSL 6400 Legal Ethics | 3 Credits
This course presents fundamental ethical issues encountered in business and legal working environments. It examines legal ethics and business ethics in theory and practice with a focus on topics such as the unauthorized practice of law, the attorney-client relationship, fiduciary duties, disclosure of information, conflicts of interests, fees, workforce discrimination and corporate responsibility.
Learning Outcomes: - Evaluate some regulations of the legal professional.
- Evaluate the unauthorized practice of law.
- Examine the duty of confidentiality.
- Examine issues concerning conflicts of interest.
- Examine the duty of loyalty.
- Evaluate fee agreements.
- Evaluate client trust accounts.
- Examine the duty of competence
- Evaluate zealous representation
- Evaluate fundamental ethical concepts
- Evaluate ethics and corporate purpose
- Evaluate ethical treatment of employees
- Examine ethics in the workplace
- Examine ethical issues in marketing and disclosure of information
- Examine ethical issues in finance and accounting
- Evaluate ethical issues regarding emerging technology
- Evaluate ethical issues regarding compensation and fees
- Integrate course concepts through interaction and discussion with other learners and faculty mentor
- Discuss the learner’s personal interests and relate them to this course
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Final Paper
- Integrate course concepts in the form of Movie Review
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MSL 6450 Wills, Trusts, and Estates | 3 Credits
Surveys the law relating to the creation of wills and trusts, creation of the trust relationship, charitable trusts, resulting trusts, constructive trusts, the power and duties of the trustee, alteration and termination of the trust, probate of wills, and administration of estates.
Learning Outcomes: - Introduce self and explain course expectations.
- Evaluate and understand concepts of Estate Planning.
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a mid-term review.
- Identify, evaluate and comprehend Property Rights.
- Examine and understand theories of Intestate Succession.
- Examine and understand the Formation and Termination of Wills.
- Evaluate and comprehend the Structure of Wills.
- Examine and understand concepts of Family Protection.
- Evaluate and comprehend the formation and termination of Trusts
- Identify, evaluate and comprehend various forms of Trusts.
- Evaluate and understand the process for Estate Administration.
- Identify, examine and understand taxes in administering Estates.
- Evaluate and understand advance directives, gifts and other miscellaneous choices
- Integrate course concepts through interaction and discussion with other learners and faculty mentor.
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Final Paper.
- Synthesize course concepts through a movie review.
- Determine and evaluate appointment, removal and scope of duties of a personal representative
- Examine and recognize the steps and procedure for probating a will and administering an estate
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MSL 6500 Domestic Relations | 3 Credits
This course examines the laws relating to marriage and the creation of a family, separation, and the dissolution of marriage. Community property and other miscellaneous family law issues will be addressed.
Learning Outcomes: - Introduce self and explain course expectations
- Examine Family Law Practice
- Examine Ethics in Family Law
- Evaluate Non-Marital Agreements
- Evaluate Concepts of Marriage
- Examine circumstances for Termination of Marriage
- Evaluate Divorce Procedure
- Examine Spousal Support
- Evaluate division and allocation of Property
- Evaluate Tax Implications of Divorce
- Examine the Status of Children
- Evaluate the process of Child Custody
- Evaluate Issues of Child Support
- Evaluate the Process of Adoption
- Evaluate Issues of Paternity
- Examine Rights of Women
- Examine Miscellaneous Family Law Issues
- Conduct research and select relevant materials
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Final Paper
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Case Brief
- Integrate course concepts through interaction and discussion with Learners and Mentor
- Synthesize course concepts through a movie review
- Synthesize course concepts through a midterm assignment
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MSL 6550 Immigration Law | 3 Credits
This course surveys major topics in U.S. immigration law to include the statutory, historical, and procedural foundations of U.S. immigration law and policy. It explores the process for enforcing U.S. immigration policies including the role of the judiciary and federal power, admissions, citizenship, removal, refugees, political asylum and issues of national security.
Learning Outcomes: - Synthesize course concepts through interaction and discussion with other Learners and Faculty Mentor.
- Introduce yourself and explain your expectations from the course.
- Conduct research and select relevant journal articles about your chosen topic.
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Final Paper.
- Evaluate the concept of citizenship.
- Examine the agencies and courts responsible for immigration practice.
- Evaluate the qualifying categories for admissions.
- Assess the grounds for inadmissibility.
- Examine procedures for admission.
- Assess requirements for deportability.
- Examine conditions for relief from removal.
- Evaluate removal proceedings.
- Evaluate detention and court review for removal proceedings.
- Examine reasons for refugee and asylum programs.
- Evaluate the historical and social process of unauthorized migration in the U.S.
- Evaluate methods for control of undocumented migration.
- Evaluate rights of unauthorized migrants.
- Examine the relationship between immigration and national security.
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Movie Critique
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MSL 6600 International Law | 3 Credits
Provides a comprehensive and up-to-date survey of public international law with emphasis on the fundamental history and structure of international law and the interface of international law and national law. Special attention is paid to human rights, law of the sea, and international environmental law.
Learning Outcomes: - Identify and evaluate the elements of international law.
- Identify and examine actors of international law.
- Evaluate and understand compliance in international law.
- Evaluate and understand responsibility imposed on states.
- Examine and comprehend the process for creating international law.
- Evaluate and understand US foreign relations law.
- Evaluate and comprehend issues of immunity.
- Examine and understand human rights issues.
- Evaluate and understand law of the sea in international law.
- Evaluate and understand international environmental law.
- Examine and comprehend international criminal law.
- Evaluate and know the use of armed forces for international conflicts.
- Synthesize relevant research materials for your chosen topic.
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Final Paper.
- Integrate course concepts through interaction and discussion with learners and Mentor.
- Synthesize course concepts through a movie review.
- Introduce self and explain course expectations.
- Examine and understand international interpretation of law and disputes.
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a mid course review.
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a case brief.
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MSL 6650 Intellectual Property | 3 Credits
Surveys intellectual property law, including the law of patents, copyright, and trademark. The course explains and examines the often complicated law which protects and preserves new ideas and outlines how intellectual property rights allow rights owners to prevent others from misappropriating their creations.
Learning Outcomes: - Introduce self and explain course expectations
- Integrate course concepts in the form of a Final Paper.
- Integrate course concepts through interaction and discussion with Learners and Mentor
- Synthesize course concepts through a movie review
- Synthesize course concepts through a midterm review
- Synthesize course concepts through a Case Brief
- Examine Concepts of Intellectual Property and Trademark Protecting
- Evaluate Physical Use, Cognitive Use and Federal Registration relative to Trademarks
- Evaluate Public Access as it relates to Trademarks
- Examine Trademark Remedies
- Evaluate Registration and Application Process for Copyrights
- Examine Requirements of Originality and Authorship
- Examine Useful Articles and Protection for Characters
- Evaluate Recipients of Copyright’s Incentives
- Evaluate Scope of Copyright Holder's Rights and Infringement Issues
- Examine Public Access Considerations and the Fair Use Doctrine
- Evaluate Copyright Remedies
- Examine State Laws relative to Copyrights
- Evaluate the Application Process for Patents and International Implications
- Examine Subject Matter of Patents
- Evaluate the Utility Component of Patents
- Examine the Novelty Component of Patents
- Evaluate Non-Obviousness and Originality aspects of Patents
- Examine the Statutory Bars relating to Patents
- Evaluate Priority Rights in Patents
- Examine the Scope of the Patent Holder's Rights
- Evaluate Public Access as it relates to Patents
- Examine Patent Remedies
- Examine State Laws relative to Patents
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