Prior to orientation, students in the program receive cases in U. S. law to brief. They also read Burnham, Chapter 1:  History and Governmental Structure.

Themes to be developed throughout the course include the role of law and lawyer in U.S. history and society.

Day 1 (August 13)

Session 1

Discuss Case number 1. Discuss briefing cases. Introduction to legal methodology.

Session 2

Introduction to the culture of American law schools. Library tour.

Assignment

Brief case number one again. Read case number 2. Read Burnham, Chapter 2, Sources of law and their hierarchy

Day 2

Session 1

Discuss case number 2. Discuss similarities and differences with case number 1. Hand in re-briefed case number 1.

Begin discussing role of judges in American legal system.

Session 2

Introduction to West reporter and digest systems, print and online.

Assignment

Brief case number 2. Read case number 3.

Read Burnham, Chapter 5: The Judicial System, pp. 163-185 and Tocqueville, Judicial Power in the United States

Day 3 Session 1

Discuss case number 3 in light of cases 1 and 2. Reconcile the three cases. Hand in briefing of case number 2. Receive back case number 1.

Continue discussion of judicial system.

Session 2

Library session: locate one of the three cases. Examine the headnotes, topic and key numbers assigned. Use to find additional cases in the same area of law.

Assignment

Brief case number 3 and try to reconcile it with cases 1 and 2. Read Burnham, Chapter 5: The Judicial System, pp. 186-192 and Chapter 9: Constitutional Law: Part I: Judicial Review, Structure and Powers, pp. 304-327

Day 4 Session 1

Receive back brief of case number 2. Hand in essay on three cases.

Begin discussion of the role of lawyers in the adversary system.

Session 2

Shepardizing and other methods of updating case law (library session).

Assignment: Read Burnham, Chapter 4: The Legal Profession, pp. 124-136, 140-154, and 157-162.

Day 5 Session 1

Receive back brief of case number 3 and essay.

Continue discussion of the role of the lawyer and issues related to the advocacy system.

Session 2

Introduction to constitutional law.

Assignment:

Read Burnham, Chapter 9, Part II: Individual Rights Protected by the Constitution, pp. 328-365 and Chapter 2: Legal Methodology (for review)

Regular semester (Beginning week of August 18)

Week One (August 18):

Discussion of legislative and executive branches. Introduction to federal codes and statutes. The role of law.

Read: Tocqueville, Causes Which Mitigate the Tyranny of the Majority in the United States

"Publius", Federalist 41-42-43: General View of the Powers Conferred by the Constitution;

(August 18)

Week Two: Civil procedure. Read Burnham: Chapter 7. Guest lecturer.

(August 25) State codes and statutes.

Week Three: Torts. Read Burnham: Chapter 11.

(September 1) Law related secondary sources (Indexes and abstracts)

Week Four: Torts continued.

(September 8)

Week Five: Contracts and commercial law. Read Burnham: Chapter 10. Guest Lecturer. In class problem (real estate)

(September 15)

Week Six: Contracts and Commercial law continued.

(September 22)

Week Seven: Property. Read Burnham: Chapter 12.

(September 29) In class problem (personal and real property)

Week Eight: Property continued.

(October 6) Guest lecturer.

Week Nine

(October 13) Criminal law and procedure. Read Burnham: Chapter 14 and Chapter 8. Guest lecturer. In class problem (criminal law)

Week Ten Criminal law continued.

(October 20)

Week Eleven

(October 27) Administrative law. Read Burnham: Chapter 6. Guest lecturer. Administrative legal research.

Week Twelve TBA

(November 3)

Week Thirteen How to take a law school exam. Practice exam.

(November 10)

Week Fourteen How to take a law school exam. Return of "graded" practice exam. Discussion.

(November 17)

All weeks in which guest lecturers are listed are subject to availability.

Week One

In class: General discussion of student topics. How to write a paper. Plagiarism. Research review session: law related indexes and abstracts. Locating cases and statutes cited in digests, codes and reporters.

Outside class: Discussion with individual students of topics selected. Students prepare research plans.

Week Two Continue topics introduced in week one.

Week Three:

In class: Students hand in research plans. Discussion of outlining and organization of a research paper. Finding material in non-law related sources.

Outside class: Consultations. Students begin preparation of bibliographies and outlines.

Week Four:

In class: Students hand in preliminary bibliographies and discuss research strategies. Outside class: Consultations

Week Five: In class: Students hand in outlines.

Outside class: Consultations.

Week Six: In class: American legal history. Lecture and readings.

Outside class: Consultations.

Week Seven: No class. Students work on first drafts of papers. Individualized research sessions.

Week Eight No class. Students work on first drafts of papers.

Individualized research sessions.

Week Nine No class. Students work on first drafts of papers.

 Individualized research sessions.

Week Ten In class: Students hand in first drafts, distribute copies to one another.

Assignment: Read one another’s drafts (number per student to be determined based on class size) and prepare written critique.

Week Eleven In class: Discussion of drafts. Exchange of written and oral critiques.

Week Twelve In class: Preparation of an oral argument. Etiquette and lore of courtrooms. Field trip to attend trial or some other event? Instructor returns first drafts.

Week Thirteen Discussion of writing. Research and writing sessions based on omissions and errors in first drafts. Assignment for next week: 15-20 minute presentation on legal system in home country.

Week Fourteen In class: Presentations on legal systems of home country.

Week Fifteen In class: Oral arguments. Guest judge.

Week Sixteen In class: (this week needed only if class meets on Monday or Tuesday).

Final Papers due: May 6? (date unavailable as of preparation of this syllabus)