Last update: September 29, 2023
Course Schedules
Fall 2023 courses run from September 1 to December 11. For further information as to courses or scheduling, please contact us.
| Course Title | Credits | Instructor | Day/Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torts | 3 | Tina Saunders | Tuesday, 18:45-21:30 | 611 |
| Introduction to American Legal Systems (IUSL) | 3 | Mason Hester | Wednesday, 18:45-21:30 | 611 |
| Corporations | 3 | Finbarr McCarthy | Thursday, 18:45-21:30 | 611 |
| International Civil Litigation (7 Weeks Intensive) |
2 | Tina Saunders | Fri, 17:00-20:00 (9/1, 9/8, 9/15, 9/29, 10/13) Sat. 10:00-13:00 (9/23 & 10/7) |
Online |
| Guided Research | 2 or 3 | Tina Saunders | By appointment | |
| US Bar Exam Study I: Fundamental Knowledge and Writing | Non-credit | Mason Hester | Saturday, 10:00-12:00 | Online |
Note: The schedule is subject to change. Courses are held in-person.
Tina Saunders, Director and Associate Professor of Instruction in Law, Temple Law School, Japan Campus
Torts is the study of civil wrongs, which refers to harm caused by wrongful acts that are non-contractual. This course examines the basic principles governing private remedies for civil wrongs. It covers various theories of liability, including negligence for personal injuries and property damages, strict liability based on fault, and products liability. The course will explore the doctrines and policies that underlie those theories as well as defenses, recoverable damages, and related issues.
Note: This subject is heavily tested on many U.S. Bar Examinations.
INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEMS (3 credits)
Mason Hester, Adjunct Professor of Law
This Course is intended to provide the student from a non-common law background with an introduction to the basic concepts, structures and institutions of the American Legal System. Topics to be covered include historical origins of the common law system; common law method; the structure of the United States government, Federal and State; the Constitution; judicial review, structure, organization and operations of courts in the United States, civil litigation, case analysis and precedent: the legislative branch: statutes and legislative history; and the executive branch: administrative law.
Finbarr McCarthy, Associate Professor of Law
This course will focus on the legal, practical, and policy aspects of doing business as a corporation. After first examining the nature of the corporation and its role in society, it will then distinguish that form from other forms of business entities. We will discuss the choice of organizational form, the incorporation process, the financial structure of the corporation, the allocation of responsibility for management and control of the organization (the roles, powers, rights, and responsibilities of directors, officers, and shareholders), fiduciary duties, and organic changes.
Note: This subject is tested on many U.S. Bar Examinations.
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL LITIGATION (2 credits)
Tina Saunders, Director and Associate Professor of Instruction in Law, Temple Law School, Japan Campus
With the globalization of business transactions, cross-border civil litigation has become common. This course will examine the international law that governs “foreign” relations between individuals or business entities, and discuss the theory and practice of international civil dispute resolution. In this course, we will cover threshold cross-border jurisdiction questions with an emphasis on commercial litigation, forum selection and choice of law in contracts, service of process, taking cross-border evidence, and foreign judgment enforcement among other strategic issues in handling transnational civil disputes.
7-week intensive course schedule beginning on September 1. Held Online.
Tina Saunders, Director and Associate Professor of Instruction in Law, Temple Law School, Japan Campus
This independent research offers students an opportunity to (1) satisfy the graduation advanced writing and research requirements for J.D. and LL.M. students; (2) develop research, writing and analytical abilities through producing a single substantive research paper; and (3) work with a faculty member in an area of the teacher's interest or expertise. Students have a faculty member agree to supervise them and must submit a signed Approval form to the Registrar to request participation.
This course has limited enrollment.
US Bar Exam Study I: Fundamental Knowledge and Writing (Non-credit)
Mason Hester, Adjunct Professor of Law
This is a comprehensive course on learning or refreshing knowledge of the law most commonly tested on US bar exams. Knowing and understanding the rule of law being tested on the bar exam is the fundamental first step to success on the exam. This course will teach effective tactics to memorize the law for the bar exam, including identifying key legal terms and making rule statements in your own words. In addition to increasing competency of legal topics on the bar exam, this course will focus on effective American-style legal writing for the MEE essays and MPT performance test. The writing portions of the UBE comprise 50% of the bar exam. It is crucial to learn the mechanics of legal writing; thus, this course will have weekly multi-essay writing exercises with personalized feedback. This course is excellent as a starting point for LLM students for bar exam study or if you are retaking the exam and need to return to the basics of good study habits. 13 weeks held online.
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