Last update: August 21, 2024
Course Schedules
Fall 2024 courses run from September 2 to December 9. For further information as to courses or scheduling, please contact us.
| Course Title | Credits | Instructor | Day/Time | Course Style/Room |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constitutional Law I | 3 | Joe Sasanuma | Monday, 18:45-21:30 | In-person Room 611 |
| International Law | 3 | John Price | Tuesday, 18:45-21:30 | Online |
| Legal Research and Writing | 3 | Peter Morris | Tuesday, 18:45-21:30 | In-person Room 611 |
| Secured Transactions | 2 | Brandon Whittaker |
Wednesday, 18:45-20:45 |
Online |
| Current Issues in Japanese Law | 2 | Junichiro Shibata | Thursday, 18:45-20:45 In-person: Sep. 26, Oct. 24, and Nov. 21 |
Hybrid Online/ Room 407 |
| Guided Research | 2 or 3 | Tina Saunders | ||
| US Bar Exam Study I: Fundamental Knowledge and Writing | Non-credit | Tina Saunders | Saturday, 10:00-12:00 Sept. 7, 21, Oct. 5, 19, Nov. 2, 23 and Dec. 7 |
Online |
Note: The schedule is subject to change. Hybrid courses are held in-person and synchronously online.
Course Descriptions
This tentative course schedule is subject to change.
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW I (3 credits)
Judicial review of legislative and executive actions in a constitutional setting, the relationship of the states to the federal government (Federalism), the relationship of the people to government (Bill of Rights) and the powers of the Congress are considered. This subject is tested on many U.S. Bar Examinations.
This course surveys the fundamental concepts of public international law and practice. Areas of principal focus include the nature and sources of international law; international personality and recognition; treaties and customary international law; international dispute resolution; international organizations, NGOs and regimes, such as the Law of the Sea; state responsibility for injuries and remedies; the use of force; and transnational reach of domestic law and conflict of law. TLLM candidates who have not taken International Law during their prior studies must take this course in addition to the 24 credits required to earn the degree.
LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING (3 credits)
This course explores legal research, writing, and advocacy. After being introduced to the U.S. legal system and basic research techniques (including on-line databases such as LexisNexis), students work on assigned problems to develop their writing and analytical skills. The program aims to develop basic legal research and writing skills in a hands-on seminar style atmosphere. This course is required of all FLLM (US Law) students.
SECURED TRANSACTIONS (2 credits)
Creation, perfection and enforcement of security interests in personal property under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). A major component of this offering concerns the interaction of Article 9 with the Federal Bankruptcy Law and the effect of the bankruptcy law upon a lender's decisions and expectations. This subject is tested in UBE jurisdictions on U.S. Bar Examinations.
CURRENT ISSUES IN JAPANESE LAW (2 credits)
This interactive and participatory course is intended to provide a survey of the current issues pertaining to Japanese law, society and business. Topics include trends for legal services in corporate law, compliance, entertainment law, AI law, and privacy law among other topics spanning domestic and cross-border business transactions. The course will be interspersed with practical tips, jurisdictional practice highlights and ethical considerations for legal practitioners working or doing business in Japan. This class will be held Hybrid Style: meeting weekly online, except for in-person meetings held once a month scheduled on Sep. 26 (Thu), Oct. 24 (Thu) and Nov. 21 (Thu), during the regular meeting time, 18:45 – 20:45.
This independent research offers students an opportunity to (1) satisfy the graduation advanced writing and research requirements for JD and LLM 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)
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 legal writing for Essays and Performance Tests. The written portions of most bar exams comprise 50% of the 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. Online class meetings held every other week on: Sept. 7, 21, Oct. 5, 19, Nov. 2, 23 and Dec. 7, during the regular meeting time, 10:00 – 12:00.