First Year Program
Second and Third Year Program
Upper Level Writing Requirement
Lawyering Skills Requirement
Perspectives on Law and Justice Requirement
Graduation Requirements

Principles of Course Selection
Course Descriptions & Registration

FIRST YEAR PROGRAM
First year students are required to take Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Property, Torts, Criminal Law and Legal Reasoning, Research and Writing. These include both traditional courses as well as those emphasizing the sources of law, professional responsibility issues, and lawyering skills.

In the spring semester, first year students choose a three credit elective from a menu of classes that are also available to upper level students. For the 2012-13 academic year these include Evidence, Corporations, Jurisprudence, Legal Interviewing and Counseling, and Advanced Contracts, Sales in Practice.

Civil Procedure
Using the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, this course introduces rules governing the conduct of litigation. After an overview of the entire sequence of events from commencement to final disposition of a lawsuit, specific topics are considered in detail.

Constitutional Law
Constitutional Law introduces the concept of judicial review of legislation and executive action. The course also focuses on the express and implied powers of the federal government and the effect of the interstate commerce clause on federal and state power.

Contracts
The concept of what constitutes a contract is followed by detailed study of the various principles that govern the enforcement of contracts. Common law rules are emphasized, but attention is also given to the statutory changes imposed by the Uniform Commercial Code.

Criminal Law
This course examines the elements of crimes, defenses that the accused may assert, and the methods and rationales for punishing criminal conduct. Attention is given to the common law of crime as well as to the Model Penal Code.

Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing
Written expression of legal analysis as well as traditional and computer-assisted legal research techniques are addressed in this course. Assignments include drafts and rewrites of inter-office and advocacy memoranda, which receive intensive faculty feedback. The course is taught in small sections to facilitate teacher-student interaction.

Property
This first-year course covers the substantive law of real property. Topics include initial acquisition, property theory, the right to exclude, land use regulation, servitudes, conveyancing, landlord-tenant law, zoning, and takings.

Torts
This course examines non-consensual relations among individuals and emphasizes negligence law, the measure of damages, and newer developments such as products liability.

SECOND AND THIRD YEAR PROGRAM
With the following exceptions, all upper-level courses are electives.  All students are required to take Constitutional Law II, Professional Responsibility, a course satisfying the “Perspectives on Justice and the Law” requirement, a course satisfying the upper level writing requirement, and a course satisfying the “Lawyering Skills” requirement. 

Students are required to take the Professional Responsibility survey course (LL955); this course is the only course that will satisfy the one-course professional responsibility requirement.

More than 70 courses, are offered each semester. Multiple courses in one or more areas broadens students' knowledge, judgment, and technical skills, ultimately strengthening their abilities as lawyers.

2012-2013 Courses that satisfy the ABA UPPER LEVEL WRITING REQUIREMENT

All Boston College Law School students are required to take an upper level course with a significant writing experience in order to graduate. It can be taken at any time during the second or third year. The courses, competitions and publications that fulfill this upper level writing requirement are listed below.

Courses denoted with an asterisk are listed with a 2/3 or 3/4 credit option. Students who opt for the higher number of credits will fulfill the upper level writing requirement. Students who register for any of the asterisked courses at the higher number of credit must complete additional paperwork. Please see Theresa Kachmar, Student Records, Stuart M301.

LL34101  Advanced Immigration Law Seminar (Murray-Tjan Spring)
LL48502  Advanced Legal Writing (Siravo Fall or Spring)
LL48501  Advanced Legal Writing: Employment Law (Connors, J. Fall)
LL48501  Advanced Legal Writing: Judicial Opinions (Connors, J. Spring)
LL31001  Advising the Business Planner (Yen/Gennari Fall)
LL62601  Agencies, Legislatures & Courts (Melnick Spring)
LL73501  American Jury (Brassard Spring)
LL34401  American Legal Education (Coquillette Spring)
LL47102  Appellate Advocacy (Daly Spring)
LL47101  Appellate Advocacy (Carey Fall/Spring)
LL39001  Art Law Seminar (Anzalone Spring)
LL85801  Attorney General Clinical Program Seminar (Barnico Fall/Spring)
LL42801  Behavioral Law and Economics Seminar (Galle Spring)
LL70801  Business Law and Health Care Enterprises (Hashimoto Spring)
LL94401  Business Transactions without Law (Quinn Spring)
LL77101  Comparative Health Law Seminar (Chirba Spring)
LL76301  Comparative Law Seminar: Islamic Law (Rabb Spring) * (Canc'd)
LL69701  Complex Litigation (Spiegel Fall)
LL41301  Constitutional History: Philadelphia Convention (Bilder Spring)
LL39901  Defamation Law and Litigation (Steinfield Fall)
LL96901  Environmental Law (Plater Fall) **
LL32201  Environmental Law Seminar: Current Topics (Plater Spring)
LL94201  Family Court Practice (Ginsburg Spring) *
LL98001  Family Law Seminar (Katz Spring)
LL63001  Federal Criminal Law (Brown Spring)
LL94901  Financial Regulation & Reform Seminar (Jones Spring)
LL93101  First Amend. & Corp. & Commercial Speech (Greenfield/Brudney Fall)
LL79102  Food and Drug Law (Green Fall)
LL74901  Immigration Law (Kanstroom Fall) *
LL45101  International Arbitration (O’Neill Fall) *
LL43601  International Human Rights (Kanstroom Spring)
LL49601  Judge and Community Courts Seminar (Cratsley Fall/Spring)      
LL67301  Law of War, War Crimes and Genocide (Ryan Spring)
LL48001  Legislation (Rabb Fall) * (Canc'd)
LL51001  London Program British Law and Institutions (McMorrow Spring)
LL48701  Marriage Law (Hong Fall)
LL92501  Mediation (Gray Fall)
LL92502  Mediation (Gray Spring)
LL63501  National Security Law (Brown Fall)
LL44501  Patent Litigation (Mueller Spring)
LL76101  Philosophy of Law: Freedom and Authority (Barrozo Spring)
LL95501  Professional Responsibility (Anderson Fall) *
LL95504  Professional Responsibility (Tremblay Spring) *
LL45901  Semester in Practice Seminar (Wylie Spring)
LL45901  Semester in Practice Seminar (McMorrow Fall) *
LL96001  Semester in Practice, D.C. (McMorrow Fall)
LL60701  Semester in Practice: Intn'l. Human Rights Sem. (Kanstroom Spring)
LL95701  Sports Law (Yen Spring)
LL78001  Tax Policy Workshop (Repetti Spring)

Independent Studies – if writing a paper of 30 pages or more.

Competitions  (Selection process required)
LL33501  European Union Moot Court (Perju)
LL99401  First Amendment (Daly)
LL69101  Frederick Douglass Moot Court (Daly)
LL50001  J. Braxton Craven Moot Court (Barnico)
LL98101  Jessup International Moot Court (Carey and Wirth)
LL99501  Immigration Moot Court (Kanstroom/Daly)
LL51501  National Criminal Procedure Moot Court (Bloom)
LL61801  National Environmental Law Moot Court (Plater)
LL98201  National Moot Court (Carey)
LL38601  Religious Freedom (Kalscheur)
LL44701  Saul Lefkowitz IP Moot Court (Liu)

Publications  (Selection process required)
LL98601  Journal of Law and Social Justice (Greenfield)
LL98901  Environmental Affairs Law Review (Plater)
LL98701  International and Comparative Law Review (Wirth)
LL99901  Law Review
LL98301  U.C.C. Reporter Digest (Hillinger)

All 2 credit Independent Studies will satisfy the ABA writing requirement if writing a paper of 30 pages or more.

* Students who opt for the higher number of credits will fulfill the upper level writing requirement.

**This course will satisfy the ABA writing requirement if the student selects the research paper option.

LAWYERING SKILLS REQUIREMENT
2012-2013 Courses that satisfy the Lawyering Skills Requirement

Courses will satisfy the “Lawyering Skills” requirement at Boston College if they engage students in real client or simulated lawyering exercises, such as interviewing and counseling, negotiation and mediation, oral advocacy, and drafting or problem solving in either transactional or litigation contexts.  Participation in a third year intermural Moot Court or Mock Trial team will also satisfy the lawyering skills requirement.

LL32301  Advanced Contracts: Sales in Practice (Holleman Spring)
LL34101  Advanced Immigration Law Seminar (Murray-Tjan Spring)
LL45201  Advanced Evidence: Trial Objections (Cassidy Spring)
LL79701  All Advanced Legal Research Courses
LL31001  Advising the Business Planner (Yen/Gennari Fall)
LL47101  Appellate Advocacy (Carey Fall/Spring)
LL47102  Appellate Advocacy (Daly Fall)
LL85601  Attorney General Program (Barnico (Fall)
LL60401  BC Law Defenders Clinic (Beckman/Herrmann)
LL46801  BC Law Prosecution Clinic (Sarda/Fall)
LL90901  Civil Discovery Practice (Bazarian Fall)
LL97901  Civil Litigation Clinic Class (Anderson Fall)
LL33401  Civil Motions Practice (Brassard Fall)
LL32601  Community Enterprise Clinic (Tremblay Fall)
LL32601  Community Enterprise Clinic (Tremblay Spring)
LL77001  Corporations Lab (Quinn Fall)
LL39901  Defamation Law and Litigation (Steinfield Fall)
LL93001  Dispute Negotiation (Aronson/Maffei Fall)
LL93001  Dispute Negotiation (Aronson Spring)
LL47801  Environmental Legal Research (Shear Fall)
LL60901  Environ. Lawyering: Compliance Counseling Counseling(Doliner Spring)
LL94201  Family Court Practice (Ginsburg Spring)
LL41801  Housing Law Clinic Class (Minuskin Spring)
LL47001  Immigration Law Research (Breda Fall)
LL79301  Immigration & Asylum Clinic (Murray-Tjan Fall)
LL95301  Immigration & Asylum Externship (Wax Fall)
LL49301  Insurance Civil Litigation Law Research (Breda Spring)
LL95001  Intellectual Property Research (Shear Spring)
LL48801  International Business Transactions (Garcia Fall)
LL67501  International Legal Research (Sullivan Fall)
LL64201  Introduction to Civil Litigation Practice (Minuskin Spring)
LL49801  Judge & Community Courts (Cratsley Fall)
LL83801  Judicial Process (Bloom Spring)
LL38901  Juvenile Rights Advocacy (Sherman (Fall)
LL38901  Juvenile Rights Advocacy (Sherman (Spring)
LL38902  Juvenile Rights Advocacy II (Sherman Spring)
LL72601  Labor Arbitration (Henderson-Ellis Spring)
LL78701  Legal Interviewing & Counseling (West Spring)
LL44301  Local Government Law (Levine Spring)
LL52001  London Program (McMorrow Spring)
LL92502  Mediation (Gray Fall)
LL92501  Mediation (Gray Spring)
LL61601  Mergers and Acquisitions Lab (Quinn Spring)
LL72301  Partnership: Trans., Planning & Tax (Repetti Spring)
LL84001  Patent Law (Olson Spring)
LL44501  Patent Litigation (Mueller Spring)
LL64101  Real Estate Finance (Levine Fall)
LL45701  Research for Criminal Law (Davis Spring)
LL48902  Semester in Practice (Sarda Spring)
LL48901  Semester in Practice (McMorrow Fall)
Ll48901   Semester in Practice (Wylie Spring)
LL60701  Semester in Practice: International Human Rights (Kanstroom Spr.)
LL47201  Spanish for Lawyers (Nava Spring)
LL77801  Tax III (Ring Spring)
LL96001  Tax Law Research (Neary Fall)
LL78301  Trial Practice (Chernoff/Jaffe Fall)
LL78302  Trial Practice (Curtin, J./Curtin, K. Fall)
LL78303  Trial Practice (McEvoy Fall)
LL78306  Trial Practice (McEvoy Spring)
LL78308  Trial Practice (Chernoff/Ginsburg Spring)
LL78309  Trial Practice (Muse Spring)

Competitions  (Selection process required)
LL33501  European Union Moot Court (Perju)
LL99401  First Amendment (Daly)
LL69101  Frederick Douglass Moot Court (Daly)
LL50001  J. Braxton Craven Moot Court (Barnico)
LL98101  Jessup International Moot Court (Carey and Wirth)
LL99501  Immigration Moot Court (Kanstroom/Daly)
LL51501  National Criminal Procedure Moot Court (Bloom)
LL61801  National Environmental Law Moot Court (Plater)
LL98201  National Moot Court (Carey)
LL38601  Religious Freedom (Kalscheur)
LL44701  Saul Lefkowitz IP Moot Court (Liu)

PERSPECTIVES ON JUSTICE AND THE LAW REQUIREMENT
2012-2013 courses that satisfy the Perspectives on Law and Justice Requirement

The “Perspectives on Law and Justice” requirement at Boston College Law School is designed to insure that students take at least one offering that examines the normative ideal of justice from a theoretical, historical, or comparative perspective.  Students may meet this requirement by completing a designated two or three credit class that explores the moral, philosophical, and cultural premises underlying legal doctrines, and how such doctrines can best be shaped and applied to promote a more just society.  Designated classes will engage students in systematic reflection examining the normative ideal of justice and the role played by law and lawyers in promoting justice.

LL34801  Advanced Topics in Civil Rights: Micro-aggressions (Wells)
LL34401  American Legal Education (Coquillette)
LL92201  American Legal History (Bilder)
LL75801  American Pragmatism (Wells)
LL68601  Anglo-American Legal History (Coquillette)
LL60501  BC Law Defenders Clinic Seminar (Beckman/Herrmann)
LL46901  BC Law Prosecution Seminar (Sarda)
LL42801  Behavioral Law and Economics (Galle)
LL97901  Civil Litigation Clinic Class (Anderson)
LL33601  Community Enterprise Clinic Class (Tremblay)
LL76301  Comparative Law Seminar: Islamic Law (Rabb) (Canc'd)
LL41301  Constitutional History: Philadelphia Convention (Bilder)
LL42401  Criminal Justice Clinic Class (Beckman/Herrmann/Sarda)
LL81101  European Legal Intergration: History & Theory (Perju)
LL66001  Foundations of Western Legal Thought (Kohler)
LL61101  Global Justice and Human Rights (Rasmussen)
LL41801  Housing Law Clinic Class (Minuskin)
LL74901  Immigration Law (Kanstroom)
LL43601  International Human Rights Law (Kanstroom)
LL46501  Introduction to Jewish Law (Perkins)
LL83801  Judicial Process (Bloom)
LL67301  Law of War, War Crimes and Genocide (Ryan)
LL80401  Law, Leadership and Social Justice (Sarda)
LL48001  Legislation (Rabb) (Canc'd)
LL62701  Modern Legal Theory (Perju)
LL66901  Philosophy of Law (Rasmussen)
LL76101  Philosophy of Law: Freedom and Authority in Criminal Law (Barrozo)
LL46001  Prosecutorial Ethics (Cassidy)
LL60801  Semester in Practice: International Human Rights Sem. (Kanstroom)
LL82201  Seminar on Law and Justice (Rasmussen)
LL78001  Tax Policy (Repetti)

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Students may enroll in any of the courses listed and described in the course description material, subject to prerequisite requirements for certain upper level courses and some limited enrollment courses.

In the first year, all candidates for the J.D. degree must follow the prescribed course schedule. Students must take 52 credit hours during their second and third years. Each student must take no fewer than 12 and not more than 17 hours each semester.

To graduate, students must be in residence, full-time, for 6 semesters and must successfully complete a minimum of 85 credit hours. To be considered a full-time student in residence, a student must register for a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester. After the first year, students are strongly advised to take 26 credit hours per year. This will allow completion of the remaining 52 credits while maintaining a manageable course load in the last two years.