Fiirst 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 2011-12 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 course examines concepts of property rights as well as principles of personal and real property. The rapidly changing area of landlord/tenant law is reviewed extensively, and conveyancing practices also are studied. During the second semester, the course focuses on the sources of law and the legal process, including legislative and administrative bodies and their relationships to the courts in creating, interpreting, and enforcing the law.

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.

2011-2012 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 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 Fall) 
LL61001   American Indian Law (Witten Spring) *
LL73501   American Jury (Brassard Spring)
LL34401   American Legal Education (Coquillette Spring)
LL47101   Appellate Advocacy (Daly Spring)
LL47102   Appellate Advocacy (Carey Fall/Spring)
LL39001   Art Law Seminar (Anzalone Spring)
LL85801   Attorney General Clinical Program Seminar (Barnico Fall/Spring)
LL70801   Business Law and Health Care Enterprises (Hashimoto Spring)
LL73201   Church and State (Kalscheur Fall)
LL76301   Comparative Law Seminar: Islamic Law (Rabb Spring) *
LL41301   Constitutional History: Philadelphia Convention (Bilder Spring)
LL71601   Deals: The Economic Structure of Transactions (Quinn Spring)
LL39301   Death Penalty Seminar (Dowden Fall)
LL96901   Environmental Law (Plater Fall) **
LL32201   Environmental Law Seminar: Current Topics (Plater Spring)
LL94201   Family Court Practice (Ginsburg Spring) *
LL68401   Family Law Seminar: Child, Parent and State (Dowd Fall)
LL94901   Financial Regulation & Reform Seminar (Jones Spring)
LL93301   First Amendment Corp. & Comm. Speech (Kanstroom Brudney Spr.)
LL74901   Immigration Law (Kanstroom Fall) *
LL75201   International Aspects of U.S. Income Tax (Ault Fall) *
LL43601   International Human Rights (Kanstroom Spring)
LL42301   International Organizations (Wirth Fall)
LL49601   Judge and Community Courts Seminar (Cratsley/Connors Fall/Spring
LL83801   Judicial Process (Bloom Spring)
LL38801   Juvenile Justice Seminar (Sherman Fall) *
LL67301   Law of War, War Crimes and Genocide (Ryan Spring)
LL51001   London Program British Law and Institutions (Garcia Spring)
LL92501   Mediation (Gray Fall)
LL92502   Mediation (Gray Spring)
LL63501   National Security Law (Brown Fall)
LL61201   Philosophy of Law: Past and Future (Perju Fall)
LL95501   Professional Responsibility (Anderson Fall) *
LL95504   Professional Responsibility (Tremblay Spring) *
LL45901   Semester in Practice Seminar (Wylie Fall with paper app’d by instr.)
LL45903   Semester in Practice Seminar (McMorrow Spring)
LL60801   Semester in Practice: Itn'l. Human Rights (Kanstroom Spring)
LL94901   Seminar on Financial Regulation and Reform (Jones Spring)
LL80501   Sexuality and the Law (Stowe Fall)
LL95701   Sports Law (Yen Spring)
LL77801   Tax III  (Ring Spring)
LL78001   Tax Policy Workshop (Ring Spring)
LL71001   Theories of Constitution & Statutory Interpretation (Rabb Fall)
Independent Studies – if writing a paper of 30 pages or more.

Competitions  (Selection process required)
LL33401   European Union (Perju)
LL99401   First Amendment (Papandrea)
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)
LL51501   National Criminal Procedure (Daly)
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)
LL79001   3rd World Law Journal (Wylie)
LL98901   Environmental Affairs Law Review (Plater)
LL98701   International and Comparative Law Review (Wylie)
LL99901   Law Review (Wylie)
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
2011-2012 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)
LL94601  Advanced Criminal Justice (Defense) (Beckman/Herrmann Spring)
LL45201  Advanced Evidence: Trial Objections (Cassidy Spring)
LL79703  Advanced Legal Research (Davis Fall)
LL79701  Advanced Legal Research (Neary/Matamoros Fall)
LL79702  Advanced Legal Research (Sullivan Spring)
LL79703  Advanced Legal Research (Breda Spring)
LL31001  Advising the Business Planner (Yen/Gennari Fall)
LL47101  Appellate Advocacy (Daly Spring)
LL47102  Appellate Advocacy (Carey Fall)
LL47102  Appellate Advocacy (Carey Spring)
LL44901  Art of Lawyering & Commercial Lease (Reck/Kass Fall)
LL85801  Attorney General Program (Barnico (Fall)
LL95601  Bankruptcy Law Research (Neary Spring)
LL63601  Business Negotiation (Ramrath Fall) 
LL90901  Civil Discovery Practice (Bazarian Fall)
LL97901  Civil Litigation Clinic Class (Anderson Fall)
LL33401  Civil Motions Practice (Brassard Fall)
LL33601  Community Enterprise Clinic (Tremblay Fall)
LL33601  Community Enterprise Clinic (Tremblay Spring)
LL77001  Corporations Lab (Quinn Fall)
LL90401  Criminal Justice Clinic (Beckman Fall)
LL93501  Criminal Justice Clinic (Prosecution) (Sarda Fall)
LL71601  Deals: Economic Structure of Trans (Quinn Spring)
LL93001  Dispute Negotiation (Aronson Spring)
LL93001  Dispute Negotiation (White Fall)
LL47801  Environmental Legal Research (Shear Fall)
LL94201  Family Court Practice (Ginsburg Spring)
LL41801  Housing Law Clinic Class (Minuskin Spring)
LL47001  Immigration Law Guided 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)
LL49601  Judge & Community Courts (Cratsley/Connors 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 (Greenbaum Spring)
LL78701  Legal Interviewing & Counseling (West Spring)
LL44301  Local Government Law (Levine Spring)
LL52001  London Program (Garcia Spring)
LL92502  Mediation (Gray Fall)
LL92501  Mediation (Gray Spring)
LL72301  Partnership: Trans., Planning & Tax (Repetti Spring)
LL84001  Patent Law (Olson Fall)
LL64101  Real Estate Finance (Levine Fall)
LL45701  Research for Criminal Law (Davis Spring)
LL48901  Semester in Practice (Wylie Fall)
LL48903  Semester in Practice (McMorrow Spring)
LL60701  Semester in Practice: International Human Rights (Kanstroom Spr.)
LL48902  Semester in Practice: Public Interest (Sarda Spring)
LL77801  Tax III (Ring Spring)
LL95101  Technology Trans. & Licensing (Marr Spring)
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)

PERSPECTIVES ON JUSTICE AND THE LAW REQUIREMENT
2011-2012 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.

LL94601 Advanced Criminal Justice (Defense)  (Beckman/Herrmann)
LL34401 American Legal Education (Coquillette)
LL92201 Amerian Legal History (Bilder)
LL41101 American Legal Theory (Wells)
LL68601 Anglo-American Legal History (Coquillette)
LL46401 Authority and Leadership in Professional Life (Sarda)
LL93201 Comparative Constitutional Law (Perju)
LL76301 Comparative Law Seminar: Islamic Law (Rabb)
LL41301 Constitutional History: Philadelphia Convention (Bilder)
LL90401 Criminal Justice Clinic (Beckman)
LL39301 Death Penalty Seminar (Dowden)
LL40001 Feminist Jurisprudence Seminar (Wells)
LL93301 First Amendment Corporate & Commercial Speech (Greenfield)
LL66001 Foundations of Western Legal Thought (Kohler)
LL41801 Housing Law Clinic (Minuskin)
LL74901 Immigration Law (Kanstroom)
LL43601 International Human Rights (Kanstroom)
LL69601 International Trade Law (Garcia)
LL83801 Judicial Process (Bloom)
LL63201 Jurisprudence: Fundamentals of Private Law (FitzGibbon)
LL67301 Law of War, War Crimes and Genocide (Ryan)
LL80401 Law, Leadership and Social Justice (Sarda)
LL66901 Philosophy of Law (Rasmussen)
LL91701 Philosophy of Law: Future of Interntional Law (Barrozo) (Cancelled)
LL76101 Philosophy of Law: Freedom and Authority in Criminal Law (Barrozo)
LL61201 Philosophy of Law: Past and Future of the State (Perju/Barazzo)
LL60801 Semester in Practice: International Human Rights (Kanstroom)
LL48902 Semester in Practice: Public Interest (Sarda)
LL82201 Seminar on Law and Justice (Rasmussen)
LL78001 Tax Policy (Ring)

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.