Examines fundamental and practical issues of federal and New York administrative law. Deals with the scope of power of administrative agencies and the relationship of such agencies to other branches of government. ​​​

This course will focus on the twin religion clauses in the Constitution, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The course will cover the​​ sweep on Constitutional development, from the first religion clause case in the 1840s, to the most recent cases. In addition, we will spend a short amount of time examining the various theories for interpreting the establishment and free exercise clauses.​

Critical Race Theory participants will review the multiple ways in which the colorline and the legal system interact, from both a historical and a contemporary standpoint. To this end, we will examine numerous issues concerning racism and justice, including immigration, housing law, voting rights, criminal justice, employment discrimination, affirmative action, and remedies. Participants will complete weekly journals in addition to a term paper. Guest lecturers will appear from time to time. Completion of this course satifies the upper-level writing requirement. There will be no final examination.

Deals with matters outside the scope of the basic courses in criminal law and procedure. It comprises three segments. The first is devoted to some of the more frequently prosecuted federal crimes. These are examined through analysis of certain across-the-board troublesome common elements, such as: culpable mental state in tax evasion, money laundering, use of interstate facilities for distribution of drug paraphernalia, sexual exploitation of children; and the materiality element in the various false statement statutes. Also covered are the major enterprise criminality statutes, RICO and Continuing Criminal Enterprise together with the application of double jeopardy and collateral estoppel. The next segment is devoted to sentencing under both the federal guidelines and the New York sentencing structure, including substantive and procedural provisions of the death penalty statutes as well as federal and New York asset forfeiture provisions. The final segment explores collateral attack (setting aside convictions and sentences) under habeas corpus and New York CPL Article 440, including retroactive application of subsequent decisions in both federal and New York practice. No prerequisite other than basic first year criminal law.​​

In this class, students will explore more deliberatively some of the issues covered in the basic Criminal Procedure course, as well as brainstorm possible solutions to vexing or new issues that typically arise during the course of a criminal prosecution that are too unwieldy for practitioners' exploration and too unfamiliar for scholars. Examples of such issues include (but are not limited to) the following: protecting Fourth Amendment privacy while promoting electronic toll collection systems; non-governmental police and bodyguards' cooperation with or rebuffing of governmental police departments; the effects of "reality" shows on Fourth Amendment expectations of privacy; voluntariness and consent, post-9/11; conflict in Fourth Amendment policing and Fourteenth Amendment parenting.

Examines evid​entiary topics not covered in the basic Evidence Class, such as judicial power to control presentation of proof, objections and reversible error, the Constitution as a source of evidence rules, spoliation of evidence, missing witness rule, and explores in depth the character evidence rule and various hearsay exceptions, such as the business records and public records exceptions. Prerequisite: Evidence. ​

ALA I is designed as a bridge between first-year classes and third-year bar exam preparation. The course focuses on the following skills, with special emphasis on how to apply these skills on exams like the Uniform Bar Exam: organizing topics within subjects in ways that improve understanding of rules of law; issue-spotting fact patterns more efficiently and effectively; answering multiple choice questions without being distracted by incorrect answers; writing essays that demonstrate mastery of legal analysis; and recognizing arguments on both sides of an issue. These skills will be taught in the context of multiple subject areas that are tested on the bar exam but may not be covered in detail in first-year classes, including defamation and strict liability in Torts, third party rights and duties in Contracts, and rights in land (including mortgages) in Property. The course may not be taken pass/fail.

Note: ALA I is not a prerequisite for ALA II.

ALA II is Albany Law School's dedicated "bar prep prep" course, designed to be taken in a student’s final semester of classes to ease the transition from law school to full-time bar preparation. Students learn strategies for success on the Uniform Bar Exam and practice with real bar exam questions every week, reflecting on lessons learned and developing a comprehensive understanding of at least 5 bar exam subjects (typically: Torts, Crimes, Contracts, Property, and Evidence). All types of questions on the exam are covered (multiple choice, essay, and performance tests) in an interactive environment, and students receive detailed feedback on every assignment. In addition to introducing students to the content and scoring of the bar exam, the course will cover optimal study techniques; critical reading and issue spotting skills; tactics for writing well-organized essay answers; strategies for answering multiple choice questions; time management methods; and stress reduction techniques. The 4-credit version of ALA II is for students who want extra review and practice on a separate day of the material covered in the 2-credit version. Students in the 2-credit and 4-credit versions of the class will be graded separately. The class may not be taken pass/fail.

Note: ALA I is not a prerequisite for ALA II.

The course is designed to prepare law students to become skilled legal researchers. Objectives for the course include: 1) showing students how to evaluate print and electronic legal research sources and using them effectively 2) expanding skills in primary and secondary Federal and NYS legal sources and 3) introducing students to the array of other legal resources that could be useful in legal practice. Topics covered in this course include: statutory codes, administrative codes, case law materials (reporters, digests, records and briefs), court rules, jury instructions, jury verdicts and settlements, restatements, uniform laws, form books, bankruptcy, legal ethics and taxation. ​

Builds on the writing and analytical skills introduced in Lawyering. In addition, the course addresses audience and purpose, organization and classification, self-critique and revision, and style and clarity. Students work on several projects, including objective writings, persuasive writings, and drafting exercises.

Builds on the writing and analytical skills introduced in Lawyering. Addresses audience and purpose, organization and classification, self-critique, and revision.

Continues from the first year Torts class with additional consideration of duty and proximate cause, strict liability, products liability, nuisance, defamation, misrepresentation and fraud, and additional areas of tort law. The course examines doctrinal trends and integrates policy, theory and law to ensure a fuller understanding of civil liability in the United States. Students will complete writing assignments and take a mid-term and final examination.

​Examines methods other than trial for resolving disputes. Covers negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and group facilitation. Emphasizes practical skills, policy analysis, and theoretical considerations.

​This course will focus on four separate topics in American Legal History:  The Salem Witch Trials; the Trial of John Peter Zenger and the Development of Freedom of the Press; The Dred Scott Decision and the Problem of Slavery in the United States; and the Internment of the Japanese Americans in World War II. For each section we will read court documents, transcripts of arguments and testimony, cases, and documents generated by policy-makers, as well as short secondary readings on these subjects.  Students will be evaluated by writing a paper that may be used to fulfill the upper level writing requirement.

Examines application of the antitrust law to healthcare activities, including restrictions on healthcare advertising, enforcement of trade association ethical rules, peer review by hospitals, provider-payer relationships, physician joint ventures, and hospital mergers. ​

Examines legal and economic concepts of monopoly and monopolization, and integration of previously independent firms through horizontal, vertical, and conglomerate mergers under federal antitrust laws. ​

​Covers principles and operation of the Sherman Act, Clayton Act and Federal Trade Commission Act and their effect upon conduct, as opposed to structure, of American industry. Examines issues of price fixing, boycotts, exclusive dealing, territorial allocation, tie-ins, franchise terminations, and governmental immunity for anti-competitive regulations.

This course will introduce students to the legal principles, mechanics, and strategy of appellate advocacy, focusing largely on criminal cases. Students will learn about jurisdiction, finality, preservation of error, harmless error, standards of appellate review, the ethical responsibilities of appellate counsel, issue identification, drafting a statement of facts, constructing a legal argument, and oral argument. Using the record of an actual criminal trial, each student will brief and orally argue the appeal, for either the defendant or the prosecution.​

This problem-solving course in health policy will integrate doctrinal instruction with experiential learning.  Students will learn substantive law and skills by participating in a variety of simulated exercises.  Students will also attend meetings held, for example, at Albany Medical Center, the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, and the New York State Department of Health. These meetings will give students exposure to the real-life workings of the health care system and an opportunity to determine how to approach a legal issue and give appropriate, practical advice.

An approved field placement related to government affairs and advocacy

​Considers opportunities for practice in the field, copyright and trademark issues, contractual questions, examples of modern recording and publishing contracts and ownership issues. Actual case studies will be discussed.

Prerequisite: Copyright or Introduction to Intellectual Property

Students enrolled in this will work under the supervision of attorneys at the local office of the Albany office of the New York Attorney General, in different areas of civil defense litigation in State Supreme Court or Federal Court, including Article 78 litigation in State Supreme Court. Attorneys will assign students substantive legal work and provide students with ongoing oversight and guidance.

Students will have the opportunity to attend court proceedings and to be involved in other parts of the litigation process, including researching issues, drafting documents, responding to discovery demands, meeting with witnesses and attending pre-trial depositions. The weekly classroom component will consist of a seminar that will revolve around one of several subject areas of the Attorney General's practice.

The course will also feature guest speakers from the Attorney General's Office with expertise in various areas of law and from the legal community. Interwoven into the lecture will be a discussion of student experiences and professional and ethical issues.

Students enrolled in this will work under the supervision of attorneys at the local office of the Albany office of the New York Attorney General, in different areas of civil defense litigation in State Supreme Court or Federal Court, including Article 78 litigation in State Supreme Court. Attorneys will assign students substantive legal work and provide students with ongoing oversight and guidance.

Students will have the opportunity to attend court proceedings and to be involved in other parts of the litigation process, including researching issues, drafting documents, responding to discovery demands, meeting with witnesses and attending pre-trial depositions. The weekly classroom component will consist of a seminar that will revolve around one of several subject areas of the Attorney General's practice.

The course will also feature guest speakers from the Attorney General's Office with expertise in various areas of law and from the legal community. Interwoven into the lecture will be a discussion of student experiences and professional and ethical issues.

Introduction to rights and obligations of financially distressed debtors and their creditors. Analyzes the Federal Bankruptcy Code and the Code's impact on general non-bankruptcy law.

​Explores bioethics issues such as clinical decision making, informed consent, organ donation and transplantation, physician assisted suicide, ethics in managed care, death and dying, and medical research.

Introduces the field and discipline of financial accounting. This course seeks to acquaint the non-financial student with the general purposes of accounting and the role of independent accountants in business and society. Intended for lawyers who have a non-financial background, the student will be introduced to the mechanics and terminology of financial accounting and will learn the basic principles and procedures of accountancy in the preparation of financial statements. With this foundation, the student will learn the purpose behind each of the individual financial statements and how to analyze and interpret the financial statements.​​

​Discusses formation and organization of basic business organizations. Examines structure, finance, management, and control of business enterprises; rights and liabilities of owners, fiduciaries, and third parties; shareholder informational rights, shareholder suits and issuance of shares; and introduces problems of close corporations and state statutory and administrative regulations.

Presents exercises in solving typical problems in the formation and operation of closely-owned small businesses, including business and financial considerations, and application of state and federal tax, partnership and corporation laws to such organizations. Business organizations and Introduction to Taxation are recommended, but not required prerequisites.​

​Refers to a collection of statutory and common law recognized causes of action that arise out of business competition. Surveys these causes of action and analyzes them in the context of providing a source of protection to a business which is subject to potential economic harm from competitors, employees, suppliers, and others. Coverage will include false advertising, business defamation and disparagement, interference with contractual and prospective business relationships, misappropriation of trade values such as ideas, trade secrets, publicity rights, and misrepresentation. Prohibitions against unfair and deceptive practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act will also be covered. Trademark issues fall outside the coverage of this course. Not open to students who have taken Unfair Trade Practices.

Children and the Law examines the distribution of power and interactions among the child, the family, and various state agencies. The course will explore the constitutional, statutory and common law rights of parents and children in various settings, including the child welfare system, the juvenile delinquency system, persons in need of supervision and the foster care system. Students will learn the different approaches for the role of the child’s attorney and analyze best practices for representing children in a wide range of legal matters, including tort law, contract law, criminal law, family law. The classroom is primarily lecture-based with opportunities to participate in classroom simulations, petition-drafting, and small group activities. ​

This paper course examines the triad of rights among the child, the family, and the state. It will delve into constitutional law, statutory and administrative law and policy and case law precedent as the child moves through the court system as a subject infant child all the way to a child as a juvenile facing adult criminal charges. The bulk of the course will center around the juvenile court system, child abuse and neglect proceedings, juvenile delinquency and the emerging rights of children as litigants. Students cannot receive credit for this class and Children and the Law.

​The Civil Rights and Disabilities Law Clinic provides law students with a rewarding opportunity to serve clients and develop professional skills.  Under faculty supervision, students represent clients in various administrative forums and state and federal courts.  Many clients are individuals with disabilities who are struggling against systemic barriers that interfere with their civil rights and independence.  Clinic students assist their clients in removing those barriers.  Through simulated exercises and the representation of clients, student interns will develop the skills necessary to be effective attorneys: persuasion, drafting, alternative dispute resolution, negotiation, interviewing, counseling, fact investigation, and trial practice.  Students will also have the opportunity to successfully navigate complicated bureaucracies and negotiate with local, state, and federal officials.  ​​​​

Focuses on prosecuting and defending a civil rights claim brought pursuant to 42 U.C.C. 167 1983. Deals with constitutional theory and interpretation, emphasizing practical aspects and procedural tactics inherent in suing or defending a civil rights claim in federal court.

Uses a client-centered approach to develop skills in using active listening, dealing with difficult clients, building questioning techniques, developing theories, identifying alternatives and consequences, and engendering client decision-making.

Every day billions of transactions, domestic and transnational, involve the sale of goods. Similarly, individuals and business entities throughout the United States are engaged in daily transactions in which large and small amounts of money are lent and borrowed. These loans are not made without the presence of what the law calls "security interests." Certainty and stability in the domestic and transnational economy are dependent upon the rules that govern these transactions. The central legal rules that do so are found in Articles 2 and 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Any lawyer engaged in general civil legal practice or in specialized commercial practice will likely be required to understand both sales law and secured transactions law and this is the chief reason that the Bar Examination requires a knowledge of these key aspects of Commercial Law. In examining Article 9, the course will also cover significant issues of Bankruptcy Law.

The focus of Commercial Law Survey is establishing a working knowledge of both Article 2 and Article 9. Instruction will follow a problem-oriented model, with students analyzing precisely the kinds of issues raised in practice. Because of the coverage overlap, Commercial Law Survey is not open to students who have taken Secured Transactions or Sale of Goods.

Students are advised to enroll in Business Organizations and Introduction to Taxation in conjunction with or prior to enrolling in this clinic. Clinic students represent small businesses, worker-owned cooperatives, nonprofit community-based organizations, and other groups supporting low-income, immigrant entrepreneurs on a variety of transactional matters, including business entity formation, governance, leasing, and loan/related financial closings. Students will have the opportunity to work won land use matters including issues related to displacement of commercial tenants, and community benefits agreements. The clinic operates on a partnership model where we join with community-based organizations in the Capital District to advance the interests of low-income, immigrant entrepreneurs through law.

​Surveys the main differences between U.S. and European patent law, with special attention to pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and computer-related inventions.

Prerequisite: Patent and Trade Secrets or Introduction to Intellectual Property

This survey course overviews compliance in the retail customer relationship. The main issues in the myriad of compliance concerns relating to data privacy, information management, anti-money laundering, and items of ongoing concern will be covered.

Studies problems in cases having contact with two or more states or nations. Course has three basic components: jurisdiction, choice of law, and recognition and enforcement of sister-state and foreign judgments.

​This course will explore the development of the U.S. Constitution from before the Founding to the end of the 19th century. The course will put Constitutional law into a historical framework that shows the interaction between various cases and between the Constitutional Law and political and economic developments. Students need not have any background in history. Constitutional History: The Formative Years will create a coherent narrative of the Constitution in the context of American history so students can understand Constitutional development as the interaction between law, politics, economics and ideology.

This is a survey course that deals with issues arising under the United States Constitution. Topics that may be covered include judicial review, separation of powers, scope of federal and state regulatory power, and the protection of individual rights.​

​This is a survey course that deals with issues arising under the United States Constitution. Topics that may be covered include judicial review, separation of powers, scope of federal and state regulatory power, and the protection of individual rights.​

This is a survey course that deals with issues arising under the United States Constitution. Topics that may be covered include judicial review, separation of powers, scope of federal and state regulatory power, and the protection of individual rights.​

​Laws regulating credit in the United States remained fairly static until the 20th Century. This course will examine the dramatic evolution of laws affecting consumer credit and the dergulations of these laws at the federal and state level, focusing upon the last thirty years. The course will address how these changes paved the way for positive innovation, and abuse.We will explore the various types of credit products, lenders, and the mechanisms that fund the lending system as well as the legislative and regulatory action prompted by the recent financial crisis.

This course explores the various sources of law that impact upon consumer credit and other consumer transactions, including common law, state consumer legislation, federal consumer legislation, and federal consumer regulations. consumer problems discussed include deceptive trade practices, usury, credit terms, credit disclosures, credit discrimination, adhesive contractual provisions, and the liability of sellers, lenders, third parties, and assignees. Students will review fact problems and actual loan documents to assess consumer claims and defenses.

​Covers principles governing the formation of the contract relation; reality of consent; capacity of the parties; consideration; legality of subject matter; form required under the Statutes of Frauds; construction and operation of contract; methods of discharge; illegal arrangements; remedies for breach; and statutory modifications of common law principles.

The course will explore the issues concerning protection of intellectual creativity under the United States copyright laws; we will consider such matters as the nature of copyright, the statutory scheme, the kinds of works subject to copyright, and the extent of protection afforded those works. The grade will be based on performance on an end of semester examination.

​This course deals with issues arising from the separation of ownership and management that is inherent in the corporate form of business organization (as distinguished from the partnership form and the sole proprietorship), and the relative roles, powers, rights and obligations of, and the conflicts between, shareholders (owners) on the one hand and directors and officers (managers) on the other, with most of the attention, and jurisprudence, being focused on the publicly-held corporation. Students will survey the classic cases addressing the responsibilities of corporate directors and then move on to examine the more contemporary jurisprudence, particularly the headline-making Walt Disney litigation, and the growing body of "federal corporate law" in the wake of the Enron and WorldCom scandals. The course will explore such topics as the impact on management conduct of the threat of civil litigation and criminal prosecution, the decline of the "imperial CEO," differing notions of director independence, the shift from director passivity to director activism, the "balkanization" of corporate boards through committees, the trend toward enhanced shareholder empowerment in the nomination and election of directors, the differences between so-called "best practices" and legal mandates, and the application of political governance norms to management of the modern business corporation.

This course is a seminar that will meet once each week for two hours, with class time spent mostly in discussion and problem solving.

Prerequisite: Business Organizations.

​The goal of this course is to educate students in business and legal issues which arise in sophisticated corporate transactions. Business and legal considerations will be illustrated by examining the elements which constitute a leveraged buy-out of a publicly held business by the current management team. Considerations examined will include: basic financial projections, loan underwriting and documentation, venture capital terms and documentation, choice of entity considerations, issuance of stock to founders, vesting and Section 83(b) elections, asset acquisition documentation, and federal & state securities compliance.

Prerequisite: Business Organizations.

Suggested prerequisites: Intro to Tax, Securities, Accounting for Lawyers

​The proposed course will entail an intensive study of New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. Specifically, the course will examine the Court’s role in law and governance, the Judges, their selection, and the Court’s decision-making process. Students will read briefs of pending cases, prepare bench briefs, attend oral arguments, and draft decisions. Students will also study the Court itself through the literature on the history of the Court, its Judges, its notable decisions, and current developments. In the classroom: instruction, discussion, and written and oral advocacy based on cases before the Court. At the Court: attend oral arguments each monthly session during the semester; arrange meetings with Judges and professional staff.

​This synchronous online course examines emerging issues surrounding the coronavirus pandemic focusing in particular on public health laws underlying quarantines and stay-at-home orders; state and federal governmental powers; drug oversight; contract issues arising out of canceled events and travel; government relief programs and oversight; equity issues including racial and class disparities; implications for criminal justice; and the effect of pandemic on the practice of law.

This course addresses the legal and equitable remedies of creditors and the protections afforded debtors who have entered into secured and unsecured transactions. Topics include: consensual liens in the real estate and personal property contexts; non-consensual liens; judicial and non-judicial collection rights; priority among competing creditors; debtor protections, including statutory and common law remedies; and Art. 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. 

This course does not cover bankruptcy law. Not open to students who have taken Secured Transactions or Commercial Law Survey. This course will be offered in place of Mortgages and Liens and Secured Transactions. Some of the coverage of this course overlaps with Commercial Law Survey and students will not be allowed to enroll in both courses.

​Examines the fundamental principles and doctrines of the law of crimes, including the elements of conduct and mind, defenses, justification, parties, and basic institutions and processes.

This is an advanced criminal law course organized around considering whether vice behaviors—gambling, narcotics, commercial and deviant sexual practices, pornography, and drinking—are the proper subjects of criminal prohibition, and, if so, with what means of enforcement and punishment. Vice behaviors have been the subject of radical changes over the past generation, making them an ideal laboratory for the study of the law reform process. The materials that will be used include statistical data, philosophical, historical and legal scholarship as well as policy analysis. The goal is to explore the phenomenon of the "Victimless Crime" and the interrelationship of law and morals.

Examines major steps in a criminal case from commencement of the criminal action through verdict. Focus is upon federal and New York procedure concerning: the decision to prosecute, including diversion; securing orders and pretrial detention; preliminary hearings; grand jury proceedings; subpoenas, immunity and contempt; accusatory instruments; discovery; speedy trial requirements; venue and venue change; pleas and plea bargaining; jury selection, voir dire and challenges; trial procedures; jury charges; and related practice.

This course and Criminal Procedure Under the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments are designed to complement each other in a six-credit study of criminal procedure. Student may elect either course without taking the other.​

Examines basic constitutional constraints imposed on law enforcement in the investigation of crime. Primary topics include search and seizure, interrogation and confessions, right to counsel, fair trial, and self incrimination. 

Professor Breger's class: This course examines - via extensive analysis of landmark federal constitutional cases - the federal regulation of law enforcement investigatory practices including searching and seizing under the Fourth Amendment, compelling confessions under the Fifth Amendment, and deliberately eliciting incriminating statements under the Sixth Amendment. Course themes include controlling police discretion, criminal procedure as Evidence law, class, ethnicity, race, the roles of the lawyers, and the use of social science research.

Professor Farley's class: This course examines - via close readings of landmark federal constitutional cases - the regulation of law enforcement investigatory practices including searching and seizing under the Fourth Amendment, compelling confessions under the Fifth Amendment, and deliberately eliciting incriminating statements under the Sixth Amendment. Course themes will include discretion and ambiguity in the various roles that judges, defense lawyers, prosecutors, police, legal scholars, social science researchers and others play in the production of criminal procedure. Class power and racism will also be topics of discussion. There will be no final examination. In lieu of a final examination, each participant will keep a weekly journal and write a term paper.

Professor Bonventre's class: The course examines the constitutional principles governing law enforcement in the United States through the decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court and of American State Supreme Courts. The course will emphasize the competing arguments, interests, and concerns involved in the various issues and in the different ways in which those issues are resolved by federal and state high courts. Students will be encouraged to understand the evolution, fluidity, and necessarily ideological character of constitutional criminal procedure law, and the importance of studying courts, judges, policy and politics, both to understand the case law and to be competent criminal law advocates. ​

Professor Sundquist's class will include: The intersection of criminal procedure law with evidentiary rules, the impact of bias on the administration of justice, and the role of technological advancements (including DNA data-banking, facial recognition software, digital surveillance, and the use of artificial intelligence software for predictive policing and sentencing purposes) on legal conceptions of privacy and individual rights.

​This course is about how the criminal process addresses misconduct committed not just for the benefit of individuals, but also for the benefit of some collective entity.  In most such investigations or prosecutions, the entity is a business, such as a corporation or partnership, but it could also be a not-for-profit group or even a unit of government.  The course  will not spend much time on the substantive law of various crimes that are often charged against business conduct, but will focus on use of the criminal process with respect to entities themselves, with a view either toward the actual prosecution of such entities, or toward enlisting their cooperation in the prosecution of individuals.

​Designed to introduce students to the legal aspects of current public policy challenges facing New York State. Through reading and analyzing various federal and state constitutional, statutory and regulatory provisions, students will be challenged to critique legal reasoning that is offered in support of various state government policy initiatives. Class discussions will be enhanced through the participation of invited lecturers from the public, private and non-profit sectors representing the stakeholders in whatever reform or action is being sought.

Not eligible for upperclass writing requirement.

​A two-hour seminar that will examine the current relationship between and among federal, state, and local governments in the context of federalism, and laws relating to and important for disaster response. Working within the framework of our government, and specifically "federalism," the question of government response will be considered, along with existing laws that either empower or restrain a level of government in assuming certain responsibility for the protection of life and limb of the population.

The Supreme Court, in a concurrence in U.S. v. Lopez , has commented that federalism is "...the unique contribution of the Framers to political science and political theory..." and "...[of] the various structural elements in the Constitution, separation of powers, checks and balances, judicial review, ...federalism...is the only one with much uncertainty respecting its existence, content, and standards that would allow the Judiciary to play a significant role in maintaining the design contemplated by the Framers." In recent disasters this lack of clarity has contributed to confusion that will be addressed in the months and years ahead.

The course will consider the topic in the context of disasters involving The World Trade Center and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Grade will be based on class participation and research paper.

This graduate-level course focuses on U.S. and international law governing offensive and defensive cyber effect operations, including those that constitute espionage, sabotage and subversion, as well as those that could lead to physical destruction of property and the loss of human life. In addition, this course addresses the role of various military and intelligence apparatuses in different countries in conducting cyber operations in opposing nations. In addition, this class will examine the interplay between the laws and the practices and policies of the United States Intelligence Community and national security system, both foreign and domestic. While discussion of the history of intelligence activities and laws dating from the origins of our colonial days will necessarily shape the framework of the class, the focus shall particularly be on current debates and challenges faced by the United States in the 21st Century.

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the legal, social, and technical impact of global "cybercrime." Cybercrime is loosely defined as a set of illegal activities that are facilitated through the use of computers or other technology devices. Examples of cybercrime include not only "traditional" crimes (e.g. identity theft or stalking) being carried out in a new medium, but a new set of activities in which the computer or computer network itself is a target of the attack. Topics will include the various state, federal and international laws, investigative measures and techniques used to identify, investigate, arrest and prosecute cybercriminals and cyberattacks, and the preventive measures that can be utilized to provide a secure environment for computer hardware and software. Active elements of the cyber underworld, including organized crime, terrorists and state sponsored activity, will be discussed. Students will become familiar with legal processes they may find themselves a part of, litigation, depositions and expert reporting. In addition, this course will address issues impacting the Fourth Amendment, forensics, electronic surveillance, computer hacking and cracking, intellectual property crimes, espionage, cyberterrorism, privacy, "forced disclosure," and the challenge of cross-jurisdiction enforcement.

This course primarily focuses on the intersection of U.S. public policy and cybersecurity at the local, state, and federal levels, broadly covering e-government and policy implications as viewed through a constitutional lens.

This course exposes students to management practices for assessing the risk of cybersecurity in the supply chain across many industries and processes. Supply chain processes account for a significant portion of a company's costs ultimately resulting in delivery of goods or services to customers. Critical supply chain metrics and processes are required to make supply chain decisions. The Course will also investigate topics, such as vendor supply chain design logistics and security planning. Threats to the global supply chain are significant and costs billions of dollars per year. The Course will examine the cybersecurity threats to the supply chain and develop risk strategies in working with vendors as part of the supply chain. Key issues include organizational cyber intrusion incident response planning in the supply chain, developing a risk planning methodology, and cost associated with corporate breaches.

This is the capstone course for the cybersecurity and privacy program. Students successfully completing this course will generate real-world cybersecurity documents including: a risk assessment, risk management strategy, needs analysis, GAP analysis, and risk treatment plan. This graduate-level course outlines the challenges surrounding critical infrastructure sector security and explains how implementing a security program based on the different cybersecurity frameworks can help organizations mitigate these issues. Students will critique the strengths and weaknesses of frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, COBIT 5, NIST 800-53, ISO 270001, and CIS critical security controls for cybersecurity.

This course is designed to expose students to the issues involved in cybersecurity law, both from a national policy standpoint and from a corporate counsel view. Cybersecurity is the protection of electronic data and systems from attack, loss, or other compromise. Electronic data and systems include governmental records, and investor and private firm information, and the hardware and software systems used to generate and maintain that data.

This course is designed to expose students to the issues involved in cybersecurity law, both from a national policy standpoint and from a corporate counsel view. Cybersecurity is the protection of electronic data and systems from attack, loss, or other compromise. Electronic data and systems include governmental records, and investor and private firm information, and the hardware and software systems used to generate and maintain that data.

​Focuses on the legal requirements of electronic commerce including issues of electronic contracting, tort, defamation, constitutional law, intellectual property, procedural, domestic and international conflicts and regulation.

Students who have taken Internet Law will not receive credit for this class.

Data privacy is a fast developing field, relevant to all companies and many government agencies. This course covers the legal framework of the field, including: SEC Interpretive Guidance, the EU General Data Protection Regulation, the New York Cyber regulation of financial Institutions, California’s data privacy framework, and recent cases and developments.

In this graded one semester experience, students will be given the challenging opportunity to prosecute domestic violence crimes while acquiring basic lawyering and courtroom skills. Students will learn to interview victims and witnesses, analyze appropriate charging of crimes, engage in fact investigation and fact-gathering and, when appropriate, to conduct oral argument, hearings, and/or trials. Under the joint supervision of Professor Lynch and a specialized prosecutor, students will be assigned to work in specialized domestic violence courts in the Capital Region and begin practicing the skills learned in class. There are some opportunities for students to continue into a second semester for 3 credits and to concentrate on jury selection and advanced witness examination skills.

Pre/Co-Requisite: Domestic Violence Seminar (must register separately)​​​

Explores in depth the legal issues and discrete phenomena of domestic violence. Topics generally include intimate partner violence, criminal prosecution of batterers, child abuse and neglect, gay and lesbian battering, elder abuse, and the basis for intervention of the state. ​

The course is a practice-oriented, simulated course that satisfies the substantial skill instruction requirement for graduation. The course initially considers the relevant tax systems, including transfer taxes (gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes) and income taxes (individual income taxes and the income taxation of trusts, decedents’ estates and beneficiaries). Thereafter, students will learn how to draft wills, revocable trusts and advance directives taking into account the relevant non-tax and tax rules. Students will also learn how to effectively communicate with clients. Ethical considerations are emphasized throughout the course. In lieu of a final examination, students will submit a comprehensive project for a hypothetical client. Typically students work as a team of two students (unless a student prefers to work alone).

​Provides an overview of legal and policy questions relating to aging individuals and an older and aging society.

This course examines federal and state law governing the conduct of elections and the financing of campaigns. It considers ways in which the law governing the political process affects and reflects political power relationships. Topics that may be covered include the right to vote, redistricting, administration, the Voting Rights Act, political parties, party governance, political action committees, the role of the courts, and campaign financing.

​Combines an examination of the U.S. Constitution and federal statutes in an electoral context with some comparable New York State material. The political context of the material is considered.

​This course is an introduction to the legal and practical issues related to electronic discovery and the use of electronic evidence in legal proceedings. Attorneys engaged in litigation must ensure compliance with the amended Federal Rules of Civil Procedure through the preservation and production of electronically stored information. Firms nationwide are struggling with the practical challenges of electronic discovery and the law is continuously evolving. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the legal rules governing modern discovery and develop practical knowledge and key analytical skills that can be carried into practice. Each student is expected to read the assigned materials and contribute to the class discussion. In addition to the assigned readings, we will examine current legal issues involving electronic discovery, as they unfold in the courts and in the media.

​Surveys legal approaches to employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, and age. Examines Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other federal civil rights statutes.

This course is designed to familiarize students with the matrix of legal protections available to employees and employers from the hiring process to the termination of the employment relationship. It encourages students to examine common law and statutory rights of the parties while considering policy implications of the employment law system. The substantive areas to be covered include hiring/firing, wages, hours, and benefits, conditions of employment, employment security, and occupational health and safety. Unlike labor law which can be roughly organized around one federal statute (National Labor Relations Act), employment law is found in hundreds of separate cases and statutes.

This course offers students the opportunity to work with faculty and students from the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University at Albany and will expose them to the science, art and law of entrepreneurship and emerging technologies. Students will not only receive grounding in the law of business development and intellectual property, but will also be steeped in the science behind nanoscale technologies so that they can practice effectively in this rapidly emerging field.

​Focuses on developing general analytical framework for understanding environmental law, including development of common law, with emphasis on statutory and regulatory techniques for pollution control.

Focuses on timely environmental issues. Students develop strategies to address the issues selected.

​This course will examine the underpinnings of environmental and natural resources law by exploring the foundational ideas governing the use, protection and allocation of the environment and natural resources.  Among the subjects covered will be competing theories of entitlement, including those represented in the concept of property in the common law tradition, humans as conquerors or citizens of nature, the public trust, and nature as an economic resource. Drawing from both legal and non-legal sources, students will examine the historical circumstances of laws governing nature, will consider the modern application of those laws, and will investigate in depth the social, political and economic policy implications of regulating nature.

Uses the Clean Water Act as basis for detailed consideration of a "command and control" regulatory program. Considers various types of regulatory enforcement, including civil actions, administrative and criminal enforcement, and citizen suits.

​Focuses on general lifetime estate planning and estate planning at death based on the study of the relevant federal wealth transfer and income tax rules.

Prerequisite: Trusts and Estates

Drafting and planning techniques of general application (for both married and unmarried persons and for persons of moderate and little wealth) are emphasized throughout. The course also covers important lifetime directives, including durable powers of attorney for property, health care proxies and living wills. In lieu of an examination, Estate Planning II involves a project. Students form teams of 2 and 3 (although you can work alone should you so choose) and prepare a will and trust for a hypothetical married person, taking into account all relevant tax and non-tax factors. The team or individual can select New York or any other state law in doing the project. The project is designed to give you an experience transferable to actual practice.

Estate Planning I is a prerequisite for Estate Planning II. ​

​Presents detailed study of the rules governing the admissibility and use of evidence in trials and other legal proceedings.

​Examines the presentation of expert and scientific proof in civil and criminal cases under the common law and the Federal Rules of Evidence. Among the topics covered are the basic foundation requirements, such as appropriateness of expert testimony, requisite qualifications to provide expert testimony, proper bases of expert testimony, Frye and Daubert requirements, trial issues, such as use of learned treatises and demonstrative evidence, and issues relating to pre-trial discovery.

​Students will examine fact investigation in a variety of contexts through simulated exercises, class discussion, and lecture to identify sources of fact, obtain facts through formal and informal means, apply law to facts, develop case plans, and advise clients based on fact investigation in hypothetical cases.

​Family Law examines state regulation and intrusion into the family and the constitutional limitations and rights therein. The course will introduce students to the primary triad of interests: the parents, the child and the state. Additionally, the course will introduce students to the evolution of families and how family law has responded to social change. Topics will include the varying definitions of a "family", the legal relationships between parent and child, the nature of marriage and civil unions, family after separation or divorce, child custody, paternity/maternity, child support, child abuse and neglect, termination of parental rights, the foster care system, adoption, domestic violence, reproductive rights, privacy, gender and caretaking, and the role of the family court system. Further, the course will examine issues of intersectionality based upon race and socioeconomic class. The classroom is primarily lecture-based with opportunities to participate in classroom simulations, petition-drafting, and small group activities.

​Family Law Practicum integrates skills training into the traditional basic family law course, which focuses on state intervention in family relationships.  Select topics may include: informal and nontraditional familial relationships, divorce, separation agreements, property distribution, child custody, spousal and child support, paternity proceedings, adoption, abuse and neglect proceedings, and the role of the lawyer as counselor.  In addition, the course will include regular skills training sessions, designed to afford the students the opportunity to learn skills related to modern family and matrimonial court practice.  Final grade will be based on a final exam (75%) and five simulated exercises including interviewing, drafting, client counseling, negotiation, and conducting a direct and cross-examination (25%).

​The Family Violence Litigation Clinic offers students challenging and rewarding opportunities to argue cases in court on behalf of persons who have been victimized by violence by intimate partners or family members.  Students will learn about domestic violence dynamics and the substantive law and procedure of Family Court.  Students will be admitted to the limited practice of law under the Student Practice Order of the Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department.  Under direct faculty supervision, students will interview and counsel clients; conduct fact investigation and discovery; draft pleadings, correspondence, motions, stipulations and orders; perform legal research and analysis; regularly appear with clients in court; negotiate cases with opposing counsel as well as the lawyer for the children involved; and conduct full evidentiary trials.  Students may also have the opportunity to write or argue an appellate case, conduct administrative hearings, and engage in community outreach. 

Pre/Co-Requisite: Domestic Violence Seminar (Must register separately)​

This course provides a survey of the common law, statutory and Constitutional foundations of federal civil procedure and the policy choices that underlie access to the Courts. It covers the procedures followed by the federal courts in civil (noncriminal) disputes and examines the ways in which common understandings of fairness shape the design of the civil procedural system. It is designed to familiarize students with the fundamental constructs of the federal civil judicial system. These constructs require an understanding of jurisdiction and venue, the law applied by the federal courts, pretrial procedures, jury trials, motions, and verdicts and judgments.

Explores the foundational principles and doctrines governing the legal and political relationship between the United States, the states, and Indian tribes.  Examines the history of federal Indian law and policy, tribal property rights, congressional plenary power, the trust doctrine, tribal sovereignty, and jurisdiction in Indian Country.  Focuses on current issues in Indian Law, including gaming, reservation economic development, fishing and hunting rights, cultural resource protection, and tribal rights in natural resources.

​This course examines the proper role of the federal courts in the American political system. The ability of a litigant to invoke the jurisdiction of the federal courts is regulated by a variety of constitutional, statutory and judge-made doctrines. As such, topics explored will include: the case or controversy limitations contained in Article III, advanced topics in subject matter, diversity and supplemental jurisdiction, the availability of habeas corpus review, state sovereignty and the Eleventh Amendment, the abstention doctrines, the power of federal courts to create common law, removal actions, and 42 U.S.C.§1983 and Bivens civil rights actions.  Exploring the themes of federalism and separation of powers addressed in the basic Constitutional Law course, this course at its core examines the power of Congress to allocate judicial power among the federal courts, federal agencies and States. This course should prove to be particularly valuable to students who anticipate clerking for a federal or state judge, who plan to litigate before federal and state courts, or who are planning for a public interest or public sector career.

​This course will examine the procedural aspects of tax controversies at the administrative and judicial levels. This course will focus on the law and procedure relating to disputes between taxpayers and the IRS beginning with audit of the return a taxpayer filed through tax litigation. This course will involve strategy and ethical considerations involved in representing a client before the IRS and the courts, as well as the theory underlying the procedural rules. This course will cover the following topics: tax research, tax compliance, obtaining information from the IRS, collection devices available to the IRS, joint and several liability, innocent spouse relief, taxpayer rights, administrative remedies, choice of judicial forum, and tax litigation.

​Studies the rules governing federal taxation of corporations and their shareholders. Covers tax consequences to corporations and shareholders of corporate formations, distributions, redemptions, and liquidations.

Prerequisite: Introduction to Taxation

​Studies the rules governing the federal taxation of pass-through business entities, including partnerships, LLCs, LLPs, etc. Topics include tax consequences of the formation of pass-through entities, allocation of tax items to partners and members, distributions by pass-through entities, and sales of interests in these entities.

Prerequisite: Introduction to Taxation

Dozens of field placement opportunities exist for second- third-year students. They spend a minimum of 10 hours per we​ek​​ at their field placement site and participate in a one-hour weekly seminar.

Dozens of field placement opportunities exist for second- third-year students. They spend a minimum of 10 hours per we​ek​​ at their field placement site and participate in a one-hour weekly seminar.

Dozens of field placement opportunities exist for second- third-year students. They spend a minimum of 10 hours per we​ek​​ at their field placement site and participate in a one-hour weekly seminar.

​

Dozens of field placement opportunities exist for second- third-year students. They spend a minimum of 10 hours per week​​ at their field placement site and participate in a one-hour weekly seminar.

Note that most field placement​s need to be topic related and approved by a concentration advisor to count toward a degree.​

​

Dozens of field placement opportunities exist for second- third-year students. They spend a minimum of 10 hours per week​​ at their field placement site and participate in a one-hour weekly seminar.

Note that most field placement​s need to be topic related and approved by a concentration advisor to count toward a degree.

This course focuses on the evolving world of financial crimes. The course will cover topics such as Anti-Money Laundering and the Bank Secrecy Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, insider trading, market manipulation, and the ever-developing world of securities fraud.

​This course provides an introduction to practical topics in estate and financial planning, including advance directives for financial management and health care decisions, long term care planning, revocable living trusts and retirement plans. In lieu of an examination, Financial Planning for the Elderly involves a project. Students form teams of two and three (though it is permissible to work alone) and prepare a plan for a hypothetical single person, taking into account all relevant gift and income tax and non-tax factors. The project includes draft documents and an explanatory cover letter to the hypothetical client. This course is designed to provide an experience transferable to practice.

Prerequisite: Trusts and Estates

Covers the federal healthcare fraud protection laws relating to false claims, kickbacks, physician self referrals, and hospital emergency treatment requirements. Examines the unique ways in which the healthcare industry is regulated to protect consumers and the federal healthcare programs (Medicare and Medicaid) from fraud.

The number of elderly Americans is projected to increase significantly over the next few decades. Life expectancy is still increasing; the economy and job growth are sluggish; millions of Americans lack adequate health insurance; health care costs are rising at a rate far higher than the general inflation rate; and the Administration and state governments are attempting to implement the Affordable Care Act in the face of budgetary constraints and implacable opposition from certain groups.

The course will cover:

1.      Federal pension law under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code;

2.      Social Security and Medicare coverage and benefits, including policy and financial issues; and

3.      The major new rules under the Affordable Care Act relating to access to health care, how health care is provided and financed, patient protections, employer-provided benefits and quality improvement.

​The goal of this course is to introduce law students to basic concepts in finance essential in understanding more complex financial models. Following the basic introduction, the course focuses mainly on analysis of "derivative" instruments, how to use them in different economic situations, and the benefits/ consequences of helping clients set up contracts employing them when investing or conducting business, both locally and globally. The instruments are analyzed from two separate points of view: speculative and hedging. Tools and basic models that help in understanding the appropriate usage of different derivatives in different situations will also be introduced and examined.

Through the course analysis, students will develop a thorough understanding of the models that influence and eventually determine the relationships among different derivative instruments. Cases are used to analyze actual situations and explore different possible solutions using derivatives, determining the best choice for the particular risk exposure in the case. The course will be taught on the assumption that the students have no prior knowledge of these financial instruments.

Explores feminist theory, constitutional equality, issues of gender and sexuality, intimate partner and family violence, childhood sexual abuse, reproduction, parenting and children, sexual harassment, sexual discrimination, trafficking and prostitution, and other topics relating to the intersection of gender and the law.

​The seminar will examine the theoretical and legal treatment of men's and women's labor in the public and private spheres, informal and formal sectors, unionized and non-unionized sectors and the international arena. The seminar is designed for students who are interested in examining the law's impact on the work that women and men do. It will draw on materials from labor history and theory, feminist legal theory, critical race theory, and domestic and international labor and human rights law.

​Describes the medico-legal paradigm within which genetic technologies are presently pursued or restricted. Discusses the scientific basis of the genetic technologies providing students with basic appreciation of potential issues and a guide to the scientific, rather than the legal, literature related to the growing area of genomics. The course will be organized along six areas of the law: criminal law, family and property law, tort law, insurance law, labor law, and intellectual property law. No science background is required.

This graduate-level course examines global data protection and privacy issues, with particular focus on the balance between an individual’s control of his/her personal information and the right of others to collect and use the individual’s personal information. The aim of the course is to understand the cultural, social, economic and political factors that influence data privacy and data protection laws around the world, including the European Union, Russia, China, Australia and Canada. The course will examine issues that include collection of data for commercial and governmental purposes, including but not limited to marketing. Attention will be paid to the new European General Data Protection Regulation, new data localization laws in China and Russia, and other current developments. US data privacy law will be addressed only in comparison to non-US approaches. Note: This course does NOT focus on US data privacy, which is instead the focus of Technology Privacy and the Law.

Examines the historical view of governmental interaction with gambling in a number of fields, including the lottery, horse racing, casinos, charitable wagering, Indian gaming, and sports wagering.​

This course covers the legal and jurisdictional framework of government investigations pertaining to the financial markets. Various government agencies will be covered, such as the SEC and the interplay between the federal government and state and local agencies.

Understand and identify ethical issues faced by members of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches at the federal, state and local levels. Examine real current events and hypothetical issues to consider both prosecution and defense processes raised by ethical transgressions. Understand the components of individual action, organizational structure, organizational culture, rule of law and societal expectations to gain best practice knowledge. Learn ethical responsibilities of attorneys in government service and the ethical obligations of government employees who are not attorneys.

This course will introduce students to fundamental topics in the law of government that are essential for lawyers in public service and lawyers who work closely with government. Topics covered include strategies for making law and policy; structure of government, including state and local government; oversight and governmental investigations; legislative processes; public finance; the Freedom of Information Law and other government-transparency statutes; criminal statutes applicable to government officials; and how to sue government officers.

​Examines legal issues involved in guardianship for minors and adults unable to make decisions for themselves.

​Examines the structure and financing of our healthcare system, focusing on Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance.  Examines issues related to managed care, regulation of employer health benefit plans, and how health reform deals with the issue of the growing uninsured population.

​This survey course covers several topics essential to an understanding of the health-care system and the issues confronting health-care lawyers today. The topics are: health-care delivery systems; quality of and access to health care (including medical malpractice, institutional liability, and allocation of health-care resources); health-care professionals' rights and responsibilities (including professional licensure/discipline and institutional peer review); and patients' rights (including informed consent, advance directives, surrogate decision-making, research involving human subjects, determination of death, and anatomical gifts).​

The Health Law Clinic is designed to teach student interns to identify and address the legal issues which poor individuals living with chronic health conditions often face.  Through faculty supervised representation of clients living with, or affected by, HIV or cancer, participating students acquire a broad range of practical lawyering skills in the areas of client interviewing, factual investigation, case planning, client counseling, and litigation advocacy.  Student interns are admitted to practice under the Student Practice Rule which allows them to help clients access necessary health care, obtain public benefits, secure or maintain stable housing, establish court-approved emergency plans for the future care of children, and develop proxies which authorize health care agents to make health decisions.  Participating interns typically take from this experience both a heightened confidence in their lawyering abilities and a broader perspective of their role in ensuring access to justice for the needy.  Clinic clients typically report that the legal services provided relieve stress and allow them to focus their limited energy on their underlying health problems.

Pre/Co-Requisite: None​​​​

This course explores the legal aspects of health care compliance. At both the federal and state levels, the course addresses the statutory, regulatory, and case law that comprises the complex legal backdrop in which the healthcare industry operates. The course introduces the history, purpose, and substance of healthcare regulatory compliance programs and addresses legal doctrines concerning protected information, patient's rights, HIPAA security and breach, compliance issues in healthcare business transactions, and special topics related to substance use, mental health, HIV, genetic information, and minors.

This course allows students to explore multiple layers of HIPAA compliance as it covers the entities and information to which HIPAA applies, consent, types of health information requiring heightened protection, individual rights required under the Privacy Rule and administrative, physical and technical safeguards under the Security Rule. Classroom exercises give students the opportunity to apply newly obtained knowledge to facts and analyze whether the situation meets the standards for compliance with HIPAA. Upon completion of this course, students will have an in-depth understanding of the federal law designed to protect the privacy and security of health information.

In the ILC, under the direct supervision of an Albany Law School faculty member, law students are trained to provide direct representation to both detained and non-detained immigrants, including immigrant victims of domestic violence, intimate partner violence and sexual assault. The cases may include special immigrant juveniles, applications under the Violence Against Women Act, representation of victims of violent crime in U-Visa applications, adjustment applications, bond applications, and any other claim for immigration relief that may be available. Students will learn and practice essential lawyering skills and draft correspondence, pleadings, motions and forms central to the application for an immigration benefit.

A qualifying Independent Research Paper (or Papers) allows a student to earn two, three or four academic credits for research and writing that produces a substantive paper, note, article or series of white papers on a legal topic. At least 12 or more pages of writing are required per credit. For LL.M. students, the written product must rely on the student’s original research, be of publishable quality, and include proper legal citation. For M.S. students, the written product must rely on the student’s original research, be of publishable quality, and include proper APA, MLA, Chicago-style or blue-book citation. To register for an Independent Legal Research Paper (or Papers), the student must draft a description of the proposed writing project; confer with, and secure the consent of, a supervising faculty member; and complete the Independent Legal Research Paper form (PDF). The completed Independent Research Paper form must be signed by the faculty member and submitted along with the project description to the Registrar for enrollment. Students completing an Independent Legal Research Paper must submit timesheets to the supervising faculty member every two weeks and must demonstrate a total of at least 42.5 hours per credit were devoted to the research and writing of the paper (or papers).

This experiential program affords Albany Law students an immersive opportunity to work on-site in SUNY Polytechnic’s laboratories and partner with interdisciplinary teams to understand and work within the technology commercialization process in a university setting. With a heavy focus on intellectual property law and the regulation of new technologies, students will be on the cutting edge of both the law and such rapidly evolving areas as nanotechnologies, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence. Students will enroll in a 2-credit classroom component as well as participate in one of two experiential options: a 5-credit, 15-hour-per-week option and an option to participate in the Intensive through the 11-credit, 33-hour-per-week, Semester-in-Practice (SIP) program (with additional 1-credit classroom component for SIP-enrolled students).

​Focuses on statutes and decisions governing transfer and risk distribution of potentially harmful events. Examines contract law and considers the business of insurance from the standpoint of regulators, courts, insurers and consumers.

​This course will explore the role of intellectual property in business, addressing legal strategies, problems and opportunities related to founding, expanding, and terminating business organizations. The course will also focus on IP issues that commonly arise in the development, marketing and licensing of products. Much of the learning will be centered around business case studies. There will be group exercises and class presentations during the semester that will count toward a portion of the final grade. One exercise related to negotiations and licensing will allow for collaboration with business school students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  The final exam will be in take-home format.

​Examines topics related to conduct of international business: international private trade, U.S. and international regulation of trade, international private investment, international financial markets, international regulation of monetary affairs, and dispute resolution.

I​nternational child rights will focus on interpretation and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC, adopted by the General Assembly in 1989, is the most-ratified treaty in the world. The CRC addresses a wide variety of themes including discrimination, armed conflicts, prison, family life and education, to list just a few examples. This course will approach the CRC as it is understood by lawyers, by activists, and by academics from all around the world. participants will learn how to research and write in the area of international human rights, with a focus on child rights.

Prior knowledge of International Law and Human Rights is not required. International Child Rights is open to all. Grading will be evaluated on the basis of papers and class participation. There will be no final examination.​

​This seminar begins with an introduction to the workings of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and an assessment of certain fundamental issues considered in the negotiating stage of its creation, in particular those relating to personal jurisdiction and the necessary prerequisites for a case to be deemed admissible. Related ICC jurisprudence will then be scrutinized. Key matters for deliberation include whether the prosecution's investigatory and disclosure practices comport with its mandate to "investigate incriminating and exonerating circumstances equally" and whether the case-law of the Court is consistent with the principle that the ICC is a "court of last resort." In addition, we will consider whether it would be beneficial for the United States to join the Court by evaluating the primary legal and policy arguments that have been advanced in favor and opposition of ratification, along with U.S. legislation and bilateral agreements adopted in response to the Court's formation. Performance will be assessed through a research paper, in-class presentations and participation.

This seminar examines the challenges inherent in developing a workable procedural and evidentiary framework for international criminal proceedings and highlights the importance of process in assuring a fair trial. In so doing, it primarily evaluates the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), while including exposure to the practice of other international criminal justice institutions and newly formed courts with international elements. From the latter, participants will gain an appreciation for how the experience of the ICTY has affected these subsequently created international/internationalized tribunals. Some of the topics likely to be covered include: fair trial rights (as dictated by international standards), comparative criminal procedure (common law and continental practice), testimonial privilege, self representation, pre-trial release, challenges to case management, and various procedural and evidentiary measures undertaken to expedite these costly and time consuming proceedings.  Performance will be assessed through a research paper, in-class presentations and participation.​

​Provides an introduction and overview designed to familiarize students with basic principles. It also will take up several specific, substantive subject areas of current interest, such as acid rain, international handling of hazardous waste and conservation of bio diversity and protection of natural resources. In addition, the course will cover several of the institutions established to address global or regional environmental problems, as well as the role of non-governmental organizations in resolving them.

​Deals with legal issues arising from international financial transactions and requirements and the international payment system with its clearance and settlement. Introduces basic financial and economic concepts important to the infrastructure of international finance.

​This seminar examines the origin, scope, and protection of international human rights both internationally and in domestic litigation. Students write a research paper on a topic of their choice. The paper is eligible to satisfy the upper year writing requirement, and the course satisfies the international law requirement.

​An understanding of the fundamental principles and doctrines of international law that govern the use of force and the responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Among the topics covered are the limitations on the use of force and the resort to force, both nation-state and collective action, the treatment of combatants and civilians, and the recognition and prosecution of international criminal law including war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as international cooperation, institutions and criminal liability.​

​This course will address modern forms of international law-making and regulations, as well as enforcement and dispute settlement, emphasizing especially the impact of institutions. It will examine how intergovernmental or international organizations, from those of the UN system to the World Trade Organization (WTO), have changed the traditional sources of international obligation, namely treaties, customary international law, and general principles.

A nation's participation in world trade is often viewed as key to its economic growth and development. This seminar provides an introduction to international trade law with a primary focus on the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its regulation of trade in goods, services, intellectual property, and foreign direct investment.  Students analyze problems of law and policy of their choice in a research paper.  Students are invited but not required to focus the research paper on a problem relevant to developing countries, which comprise two-thirds of the membership of the WTO. 

No background in international law or economics is required. The paper may be used to satisfy the upper year writing requirement, and the class satisfies the international law requirement.

This course examines privacy as an individual’s right under the law to have the freedom to make both meaningful decisions, and control the use of personal information held by others. The course will explore how the law is used by the government, at both the state and federal levels, to protect privacy in commercial organizations as new technologies and institutional practices emerge. The course traces the origins of the right to privacy in American law, and case studies of landmark privacy legislation help illustrate how expectations of privacy are translated into legal frameworks that affect daily life and commerce. The course also discusses the factors that help privacy professionals develop organizational frameworks and controls in order to provide private sector organizations with an approach to meeting regulatory requirements. Lastly, the course considers the impact of the growth of the Internet, the availability of cryptography, and other privacy-enhancing technologies on the future of private-sector privacy law in the United States.

An introductory seminar to introduce students to contemporary Chinese law and legal institutions. The course involves a Shanghai, China, trip with lectures at the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade and visits to government, judicial and law firm offices in Shanghai during spring break.

*This course requires additional tuition to cover the China trip.

​Introduces fundamental components of intellectual property law, focusing on patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets.

This course introduces students in the M.S in Legal Studies program to the basics of the U.S. Legal System, including the structure of the federal courts, use of precedent, and methods of reading, analyzing and synthesizing case law. Basic terminology and principles of common law subjects - including torts, contracts and property - are introduced and explored through case law readings. In addition, the course will provide experience in the research and writing skills necessary for effective legal analysis and clear oral and written communication, including hands-on experience using Schaffer Law Library and electronic resources.

​This offering is designed as a course in the basic lawyering skills, with the litigation process as its focus.  

The course has three components: a practice component, a simulation component, and a classroom component.  

In the practice component, students represent clients in hearings and appeals involving unemployment benefits.  All cases are referred by the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York.  Students assigned to represent each client complete the following legal tasks under the supervision of the Clinical Professor: client interviewing; fact investigation; legal research; case planning; preparation of pleadings and all other court papers; and witness preparation and client representation in administrative proceedings and state court.  

In the simulation component, each student participates in a semester-long simulation representing a client and performing the basic legal tasks required in the practice component.  

In the classroom component, the legal tasks performed in the simulation and practice components are the subject of lecture and discussion.  

This progressively challenging approach involves classroom lecture and discussion, simulation, and actual casework, offering law students an ideal introduction to the performance of lawyering tasks. 

Students are admitted to the limited practice of law under the Student Practice Rule.

Pre/Co-Requisite: None

This course is an introduction to the Federal Income Tax particularly as it relates to individuals. We will study the Income Tax Code and Regulations, learning the basic principles of taxation. Included in the studies in this course are the connections of tax to business, family, criminal, and other areas of law. We also consider the interaction of tax law, social policy, and current legislation. No background in accounting is necessary, and the only math is basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division).

​The course introduces students in the international LL.M and M.S. in Legal Studies programs to the basics of the U.S. Legal System, including the structure of the federal courts, use of precedent, and methods of reading, analyzing and synthesizing case law. Basic terminology and principles of common law subjects—including torts, contracts and property—are introduced and explored through readings. In addition, Introduction to U.S. Law will provide experience in the writing skills necessary for effective legal analysis and clear oral and written communication.

Examines principal issues in patent, copyright,trademark, trade secret, and software licensing.Topics include standard terms and conditions of a technology license, negotiating royalty rates, and the impact of licensing on development and/or commercialization of technology.

Issues in Law and Society: Bread and Roses will focus on the Lochner Era, the Red Scare, the 8-Hour Day Movement, and the theories and practices of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W. or "Wobblies"). The theories and practices of the I.W.W. will be used as reference points for an examination of present-day legal debates including but not limited to globalization, civil liberties after 9/11, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and problems with prisons.

​Introduces the Japanese legal system. Studies Japanese law as a social institution, an instrument of state intervention, and an issue in U.S.-Japanese trade relations. Focuses on market access, unfair trade practices, structural impediments, and industrial policy.

This class is for students placed in judicial chambers and focuses on judicial decision making, the role of judicial law clerks, the litigation process, and professionalism.

​Examines the judicial role. Focuses on creation and development of case law, theoretical and practical restraints on judges, and competing ideas regarding the nature of the judicial role in a constitutional democracy.

​This seminar considers the relationship between law, justice, and morality.  Questions considered include: what is law? What are legal rules? What are rights?  What is the relation of law to justice in the modern regulatory state? Readings include historical material (e.g., ancient Greek and Roman writers) through to contemporary legal theory (e.g., law and economics, feminist legal theory, critical race theory, and postmodernism).  Students apply these perspectives to particular problems of law and policy in a research paper.  The paper may be used to satisfy the upper year writing requirement.

​Covers the developing body of law governing relationships among employers, employees, and unions. Considers the impact of collective bargaining on rights of individual employees, management's prerogatives, and public welfare.

This course will provide an understanding of the legal and administrative tools that local governments employ in regulating land use. Land use law involves the interests of developers, environmentalists, homeowners, interest groups and other political actors, all of whom participate in creating the character of a particular community. This course will focus on actual and simulated case studies to identify the often-contentious politics of urban growth. We will cover basic legal structure of the decisionmaking process relating to the constitutional limitations on development, environmental controls on land use, zoning and planning, the impacts of development on public infrastructure and smart growth responses, and environmental justice. Because politics, economics and social norms play critical roles in the development of land, we will also examine the different, often diverging influences of land use patterns.

This course will focus on the landlord-tenant law. While it will be national in scope and will use the URLTA, it will use largely cases arising under New York Law And will include discussion of the RPAPL. The class will focus on residential landlord-tenant law, with some discussion of commercial leases.

​Explores in depth the relationship between law and literature, to equip students with a sound knowledge of legal literature and skills to produce persuasive and elegant legal prose.

​Modern efforts by the courts to rationalize the death penalty have created a controversial, complex, and fascinating body of constitutional law. We will explore the roots, premises, and contradictions of the Supreme Courts capital-punishment jurisprudence. We will also study the ways in which these decisions have reflected and shaped the actual, real-world practice of putting people to death in this country.

​Psychoanalysis deals with banished memories. The past, according to the psychoanalysts, remains with us complete and entire. Traumatic events can be buried or covered over but never obliterated. Law, like psychoanalysis, is concerned with the temporal roots of the troubled present. Troubles that seem new to the parties in conflict have in fact been with us always. Sexism, racism, economic hierarchy, to give just a few examples, repeat themselves again and again and again in our individual and collective lives, and this can be seen in our legal history. This course will apply the principles of psychoanalysis as a way to understand and explore the repetitions and symptoms of our jurisprudence.  Evaluation will be based on a 20 - 25 page paper and class participation.

​This course explores the role of the lawyer as creative problem solver.  In it, students assess the strategies and tools lawyers use to promote social innovation and solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.  Students put the skills they have developed throughout law school to use in contexts where those skills are most desperately needed.  They also hone additional skills that every lawyer needs: e.g., the ability to work effectively in groups, run a productive meeting, collaborate on document drafting and production, think creatively to construct elegant solutions to complex problems, “pitch” ideas, and conduct group presentations.

Sample Syllabus

​This course is a general introduction to the body of domestic and international law developing daily to grapple with catastrophic anthropogenic climate change. The course is practice-oriented, and includes simulated climate treaty negotiations and litigation of a climate change-related case. Several practitioners of climate change law and a practicing climate scientist will join us as guest speakers. The course begins with a general overview of current climate science, and the policy, economics, and legal framework of the law of climate change. The next module covers an introduction to international environmental law, including the climate treaties and current negotiations. We will explore the international human rights to a clean environment and stable climate, and the attempts to locate and enforce these rights in international and U.S. law. Turning to domestic law we will examine the sources of law that govern the principal sources of greenhouse gases, both federal judicial and administrative law. Our exploration begins with the Clean Air Act, public nuisance theory, and current litigation concerning transportation and energy generation, two of the greatest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. The course will then turn to regional, state and local initiatives to mitigation of and adaptation to the effects of climate change.

This course will introduce students to fundamental topics in the law of government that are essential for lawyers in public service and lawyers who work closely with government. Topics covered include strategies for making law and policy; structure of government, including state and local government; oversight and governmental investigations; legislative processes; public finance; the Freedom of Information Law and other government-transparency statutes; criminal statutes applicable to government officials; and how to sue government officers.

​This course will introduce students to technology transfer law, more particularly the Bayh-Dole Act and its several amendments. March-In Rights and the underlying petition process will be examined along with pertinent case law. In addition, this course will examine the effects of legislation governing technology transfer from federal laboratories for commercialization purposes.

Students learn the practical aspects of a standard house closing including real estate acquisition, disposition, and financing, focusing on negotiating and drafting the documentation necessary to effectuate the transaction. Special focus on handling escrow funds.

Prerequisites: Property I and Property II.

​Surveys the legal problems in areas such as public assistance, housing, health, and education and special problems of defined groups.

You will be working for an organization after you graduate from law school. It may be a law firm, corporation, nonprofit, government or educational organization. At some point you will take a leadership role and it will be essential to provide positive guidance to the people with whom you work for the benefit of the organization. This course examines effective leadership, as well as challenges to effective leadership, such as effective and persuasive communication, credibility, articulating and inspiring a vision for the future, building and leading a team through collaboration, making timely and sound decisions to strengthen your organization and enhance your value to the organization.

Focuses on in-class presentations by students on legal and ethical issues present in the medical records of hypothetical obstetrical or gynecological patients. Law students work in teams with resident physicians in obstetrics and gynecology.

​An examination of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Model Rules of Professional Conduct; a study of the organization of the bar and the function of the organized bar; and consideration of the individual attorney's professional responsibility for public service. ​

This course is designed to introduce the basic principles of American legal research, legal analysis, and legal writing. Assignments include research exercises which train students to locate cases, statutes, administrative rules and decisions, and secondary material. Assignments also include exercises that allow students to use their research to write legal memoranda. (Open only to International LLM students and AJD students beginning in the spring semester)

Introduces the creation, interpretation and implementation of statutory law. Topics will include legislative process (both federal and New York State), judicial interpretation of statutes, and agency implementation of statutes. Emphasizes the application of legislative and interpretive theory to legal practice.

Focuses on professional liability and cases concerning numerous health-care professionals, including physicians. In addition, students study statutory reforms enacted to modify the common law so as to decrease the costs of malpractice liability. Explores the relationship between malpractice and professional misconduct. Institutional liability is addressed as a complement to (and possibly a future replacement for) professional liability.

This course examines the criminal law issues and regulatory issues that arise from marijuana use and distribution. It covers federal enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act, including investigation, intelligence gathering, and eradication programs. It covers state and local laws seeking to regulate the use and distribution of Marijuana and examines generally the approach taken by states around the country. It also explores sentencing and other enforcement mechanisms, such as asset forfeiture. It explores a variety of defenses and other criminal law rules, including medical necessity and constructive possession. The course examines how the Supreme Court's Fourth Amendment jurisprudence has been shaped by aggressive enforcement tactics. The course also looks at criminal issues and professional responsibility issues related to representing marijuana-related businesses.

This course focuses on the private equity and hedge fund market. Various investment products will be discussed and explored, such as: options, packaged products, ETPs, REITS, IC (mutual fund) shares, municipal bonds, SWAPs, and US Treasuries. Various trading strategies and rules will be covered, such as: wholesalers, Voelker Rule, high frequency trading, and “bona fide market making.” The course will also look at the evolution of equities, fixed income, and now crypto currencies.

​Studies substantive and procedural law pertaining to marital dissolution, combining conceptual analysis with practical matters involved in representing a client with a matrimonial problem.

​Provides 25 hours of training equivalent to the New York State Unified Court System training program for community mediators. Prepares students to serve as court-affiliated mediators and to counsel clients more effectively regardless of their area of law.

​Covers numerous topics in real estate mortgages, such as mortgage creation and transfer, equitable mortgages, usury, subrogation, marshaling, receivership, future advances and foreclosure; mechanics' liens, judgment liens, and federal tax liens; priority dispute resolution for various mortgage and lien combinations.

Recommended: Secured Transactions

Studies the Constitutional, statutory, and international law framework within which the U.S. conducts foreign relations and international law enforcement. Considers allocation of authority over foreign affairs and national security among the agencies of government, and selected contemporary issues such as responses to terrorism, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, the Classified Information Procedures Act, and the legal relationship between law enforcement, the intelligence community and the military. JD students cannot receive credit for this class and Cyberwar, Intelligence and National Security

Introduces students to natural resources law and policy. The natural resources covered in the course include: Wildlife (endangered species and fisheries); Water (groundwater, surface water, and wetlands); Public Lands (forests, mining, rangeland, national parks, and wilderness areas); and Energy (oil & gas, coal, nuclear, hydropower, and alternative sources). The course focuses on issues from a national perspective, but includes specific discussion of a number of regional issues as well (e.g., the Adirondacks, New York City's water supply, and the Hudson Valley watershed). ​

​Introduces negotiation skills, offering hands-on experience preparing for and negotiating legal issues.

​Covers civil procedure in New York courts, concentrating on the supreme court, but with references, as necessary, to differentiated practices in lower courts of civil jurisdiction. Examines practice and procedure in the New York courts in detail, from commencement of the action through pleadings and parties.

​Continues New York Practice I, covering service of pleadings, pretrial motion practice, pretrial discovery, provisional remedies, calendar practice, judgments, appeals, enforcement of judgments, and special proceedings.

Prerequisite: New York Practice

​This course will provide students with practice experience in New York Practice.  New York Practice Module II will allow students to use the substantive law in New York Practice II to prepare various practice-based assignments and exercises in the context of a simulated personal injury case file.  Students will draft pleadings, memoranda analyzing the law, and discovery requests, and will participate in various simulated exercises, including a deposition and a settlement negotiation, while learning the substantive law and rules in New York Practice II.  Each assignment will be reviewed and the students will be provided with feedback on their written work.

This course is a survey of the law related to civil litigation in New York.  The course highlights the main topics covered in New York Practice I and New York Practice II.  The course will familiarize students with the ature, purpose, and content of the Civil Practice Law and Rules and, through statutory and case law analysis, develop a foundation for civil practice. The treatment is essentially in chronological order, beginning with subject matter jurisdiction, personal jurisdiction, venue, statutes of limitation, parties, pleadings, motion practice, pre-trial discovery, provisional remedies, judgments, and appeals. This course will overlap with New York Practice I and New York Practice II and offers a one-semester, four-credit survey option for coverage of the New York CPLR.  Students who take either New York Practice I or II may not take this course.  Students who take this course may not take New York Practice I or New York Practice II. 4 credits. Exam.

It will be helpful to any law student graduating in December and planning to take the February 2016 Bar Exam as it covers topics in both NYP1 and NYP2.

​Examines the non-profit regulatory environment and the role non-profits play in our economy and culture. Explores state and federal regulation and how it compares to for-profit corporations and governmental agencies. Provides in-depth coverage of the many compliance standards imposed on organizations seeking to obtain and maintain exempt status.

The patent bar exam is based on one’s knowledge of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP), which is the manual for patent attorneys, patent agents and patent examiners published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The MPEP comprises over 3000 pages, and this course will focus on it and provide other background related to the practice of Patent Law where necessary. In 2017, 0ver 2300 people took the patent bar exam and the national pass rate was less than 45%. Students are encouraged to study in preparation (ideally with help of a commercial bar assistance provided), before registering to take the patent bar exam. There are no prerequisites for taking this class, however, some background in IP is preferred. Apart from law students, students studying any technical field related to larger fields such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Medicine, Math etc. (e.g. Mechanical Engineering, Biochemistry, Computer Science) and working Professionals with a Tech. background who are interested to represent clients by practicing Patent Law as a USPTO-registered Patent Agent are also welcome to register and take part in this class.

The objectives of the course include learning the fundamentals of U.S. Patent Law; exploring the policies underlying those principles; and discussing the assigned cases to develop skills in critical reasoning and advocacy. We will study what types of discoveries are contemplated under the Patent Act, including recent hot topics such as Computer Software and Biotechnology. The objectives include covering the specific requirements for patentable subject matter, such as the utility, disclosure, enablement, novelty, and nonobviousness requirements, and the statutory bars of public use, sale, and abandonment. Also covered will be the recent statutory changes, such as the American Invents Act, as well as recent patent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court.

​Examines principal issues in patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, and software licensing. Topics include standard terms and conditions of a technology license, negotiating royalty rates, and the impact of licensing on development and/or commercialization of technology.

​Examines legal opinions and multidisciplinary scholarship to gain insight into the ways law has defined civil rights. Encourages students to read law critically with special sensitivity to the ways in which legal techniques, rhetorical strategies, and legal practice reproduce patterns of power and privilege that work to subordinate people based on categories of identity.

This survey course will cover historical and contemporary policy debates about poverty in the U.S. Topics will include the constitutional treatment of poverty, as well as the legal and policy treatment of questions of access to specific social goods, such as housing, healthcare, education, and legal services. We will also discuss "hot topics" in the field, such as criminalization of poverty, international perspectives on poverty, wage theft, immigration and access to justice. Materials will include practice-derived materials, contemporary commentary as well as scholarly treatment of the issues. Students with a range of backgrounds and perspectives on the issues are encouraged to enroll.

​Provides an in-depth examination of the healthcare information privacy and security requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Gives students practice in interpreting and applying the statute to assist clients with privacy questions and problems.

The course deals with the legal rights and remedies and constitutional inhibitions, developed and developing, related to defamation (libel and slander), the rights of privacy and publicity, artistic integrity and "moral right" The grade will be based on performance on an end of semester examination.

This course examines privacy as an individual's right under the law to have the freedom to make both meaningful decisions, and control the use of personal information held by others. The course will explore how the law protects privacy rights in online environments, with particular regard to web technologies and digital advertising. The course examines today's information security and data breach laws, including notification requirements at both the federal and state level. We will read and discuss materials designed to increase your understanding of medical privacy laws, such as 42 CFR Part 2, HIPAA, GINA, and the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, so that you can gain an appreciation for how personal protected health information must be maintained and secured.

We will examine the financial privacy laws that control how your credit report and banking information can be used, such as FCRA, FACTA, and GLBA, and how the government and commercial entities collaborate to ensure the safe use and accuracy of your virtual assets. Lastly, the course will address the protections afforded to educational records by laws such as FERPA and the PPRA, and how such laws are enforced in the local, regional, and collegiate educational systems. The last part of the course will explore emerging issues in the area of individual privacy law, such as Big Data, surveillance, and the Internet of Things, and how these emerging technologies are quickly becoming key aspects to being well-informed, and capable of providing meaningful consent to data use.

​Provides a comprehensive overview of the rules of legal ethics and an opportunity for in-depth study of a particular professional responsibility issue selected by the student.

An alternative to the required course, the Legal Profession.

Surveys theory and doctrine involving ownership, possession and transfer of real and personal property. Topics covered may include: discovery, creation, capture, adverse possession, transfers of land, and recording acts.

Continues the survey of property law.  Topics covered may include: present and future estates; co-ownership, leaseholds, nuisance, servitudes, zoning, and takings.

​Involves a review of the law in the United States and abroad, with a concentration on New York law, including judicial interpretation, that is designed to promote open access to government as the public's right to know while guarenteeing safety and security for citizens.

​Explores role of government in protecting and promoting public health and safety. Examines legitimacy of public health activities and explores sources of authority for public health action. Introduces the sciences of biostatistics and epidemiology.

​This course will explore the origins of the current healthcare crisis, systematically examine some of the current methods for containing healthcare spending, and probe whether those methods are successful and equitable. The course will also explore the government's role in dealing with bioethical issues regarding, inter alia, physician assisted suicide, reproductive technologies, cloning, stem cell research, and organ transplantation.

​Introduces students to major components of public international law. Topics include the nature, sources, and modes of application of international law; jurisdiction of nation-states over persons and territory; sovereign immunity; recognition and state succession; international claims and agreements; and authorized and unauthorized use of force. ​

Race, Rape Culture, and the Law is cross-listed between the Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Albany Law School. The seminar will examine the extent to which law and social attitudes contribute to normalizing and/or trivializing sexual harassment and assault against women. The changing social landscape in which rape law in the United States has been defined and enforced exposes both hostility towards women’s dignity and physical integrity, and fear and misunderstanding of black sexuality. This seminar is designed to familiarize students with the fundamentals of sexual harassment and sexual assault law and the ways in which race, gender, and identity are implicated in the legal treatment of these issues. Utilizing case studies and historical examples through the lens of intersectional analyses, this course will address the difficult questions of how to move toward an anti-racist and anti-rape society while also examining the social and cultural causes preventing this progression. This seminar is interdisciplinary and will approach the subject matter through slave narratives, novels, autobiographies, film, music, law review articles, legislation, and case law.

​Students learn the practical aspects of a standard house closing including real estate acquisition, disposition, and financing, focusing on negotiating and drafting the documentation necessary to effectuate the transaction. Special focus on handling escrow funds.

Prerequisites: Property I and Property II.

​Examines standard residential and commercial real estate transactions, including consideration of brokerage arrangements, contracts of sale, methods of financing, methods of title protection, mortgage markets, construction loans, permanent financing, and federal income tax issues. The course will include instruction in drafting and one or more other professional skills.

​Familiarizes students with agency practice, the tools of government regulation, and the limits of their use. Examines the influence of politics, policy, and legal constraints on regulation. Covers a variety of regulatory strategies-including rate setting, licensing, entry and exit controls, subsidization, market incentives, and public-private partnerships-that are employed in economic and social regulation. Addresses theoretical aspects of regulation and their practical application.

​Examines corrective measures that may be taken in the legal system to rectify the violation of a legal right. Considers and evaluates questions of what forms of relief, both equitable and legal, may be given and upon what conditions.

This course will explore and expand your understanding of the fundamental principles of contract formation, performance, and enforcement that you learned in your first year of law school, primarily as these principles relate to the sale of goods. The course will focus on Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code but will touch on the law of promissory notes and security instruments, as well, as these topics often arise in sales contexts and facilitate an understanding of how contracts differ from other types of obligations. We will also regularly contrast rules for the sale of goods with rules for land sale and service contracts, as this method of presentation will prepare you for success on the bar exam and in the practice of law.

Focuses on secured transactions under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Explores issues relating to the creation and perfection of security interests in personal property and analyzes a wide range of priority disputes involving secured parties and competing claimants.

Not open to students who have taken Commercial Law Survey. ​

Studies registration and prospectus requirements and exemptions for public and private offerings and sales of securities; regulation of securities transactions; regulation of corporate transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, takeovers, and tender offers; regulation of securities broker-dealers, exchanges and associations; and civil liabilities under the federal securities statutes.

Prerequisite: Business Organizations ​

Students who have completed their first year or two semesters of law school have a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in exceptional judicial, governmental and public interest offices for an intense summer semester-long placement experience. Under the direct supervision of highly experienced Supervising Attorney/Mentors, students participate in and conduct the legal work of their chosen office. Depending on the placement, students may be involved in witness interviewing, trial preparation, legal research and writing, drafting of opinions, fact investigation, depositions and conducting trials or hearings. Students participate in the related field placement class, and maintain a daily journal of their placement experiences, and meet periodically with the course instructor.

HOW MANY CREDITS ARE AWARDED? Students earn 5 credits by working a total of 212.5 hours at their placement over the course of the seven week summer term.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER COURSE REQUIREMENTS? Students must register for the Summer in Practice Class (one credit), attend a weekly class at Albany Law School, and complete all assignments. Students are required to maintain daily reflective journals of their placement experiences and submit the journals weekly to the course instructor; track their time at their placement and submit weekly time sheets; and complete other faculty directed assignments and meetings. Students with placements away from the Capital District may attend the class by distance technology.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE? All students who have completed their first year or two semesters of law school by the beginning of summer session are eligible to participate in this program. Applicants will need to interview with and be accepted by a participating employer.

​This course examines the law, theory, and practice of sentencing; habeas corpus; other post-conviction remedies (exclusive of appeals); and the adult criminal justice institutions of corrections, parole, and probation.

This module will prepare students to sit for the Securities Industry Essentials Exam (offered by FINRA). Students will use materials (including online lectures, review and assessment materials) made available through Securities Training Corp., a well-regarded provided. This module is an add-on to the Financial Crimes and Topics in Financial Market Regulation Seminar.

This course would offer students the opportunity to devise a business plan for a social enterprise. Students would assume the role of social entrepreneur and would have to go through the phases of business development, including coming up with an idea for a social enterprise, draft a business plan, engage in market research, come up with a finance/fundraising/revenue plan for the entity, and consider corporate form, intellectual property, and team building. The Law of Social Entrepreneurship and Exempt Organizations would be a pre-requisite for this course. In addition, the course would be sequenced so that students would take the Law of Social Entrepreneurship and Exempt Organizations in the spring of their second year, and then the Practicum in the first semester of their third year. The goal of the course would be for the students to enroll in the New York Business Plan Competition in spring of their third year, specifically in the Social Entrepreneurship “track” of that competition.

​Examines legal issues associated with the U.S. sports industry. Studies amateur and professional sports, with particular emphasis on horse racing laws and rules.

​This course will examine environmental regulation and enforcement by state and local governments relating to stormwater and erosion control, forest and groundwater resources, essential public facilities siting, habitat protection and open space provision, among others.  The course will consider sources, scope and limitations in the authority of local governments to pursue an environmentally protective regime, the potential constitutional liabilities of government in regulating the use of the natural environment, and the conservation potential of the traditional tools that local governments wield (including planning and zoning, exactions, eminent domain, building codes).  This course will also look to emerging trends in local environmental law, including green buildings, sustainable development ordinances, environmental planning and climate change strategies.

Introduces the structure, powers and functioning of local governments and their interaction with the state. Topics include police and municipal liability, home rule powers, emergency preparedness, Indian law, land use regulation, open government laws, gun control and pertinent hot topics. Course includes in class exercises, outside speakers and various experiential assignments.

This course examines the legal foundation for states and local governments to incur debt (municipal securities) and finance infrastructure. It reviews the federal law regulating the sale of municipal securities and disclosure requirements for investors, and federal law which permits interest on municipal securities to be tax-exempt. These fundamentals are examined through various financing structures employed by Wall Street investment bankers, together with case law and think-tank policy which guide the development of the modern municipal securities marketplace.​

Examines state and local tax issues with emphasis on New York tax issues.

Examines the role of American state courts in the development and protection of individual liberties, as well as in deciding issues of public law generally, as a matter of independent state law. Includes historical background of judicial review in the state courts, the re-emergence and methods of state-based adjudication, dynamics between the U.S. Supreme Court and state high courts, and recent developments and future of independent state law and decision-making.

Students will explore the foundations of public health law through the lens of public health compliance. Each student will select one cutting-edge Public Health Law Compliance (PHLC) issue from a list of several issues and develop that issue throughout the semester. This will entail discussing, developing, and evaluating the steps needed to transform the student’s PHLC issue into an adopted statute, regulation or policy, and discussing the steps necessary to ensure compliance. The issues covered include a hospital developing a policy to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, a local legislative body introducing a law to tax sugar-sweetened beverages, a State initiating administrative action and/or litigation to reduce toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants in the Midwest that are being windswept to the Northeast, and a municipality proposing stricter gun control laws.

Students who have completed their first year or two semesters of law school have a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in exceptional judicial, governmental and public interest offices for an intense summer semester-long placement experience.  Under the direct supervision of highly experienced Supervising Attorney/Mentors, students participate in and conduct the legal work of their chosen office. Depending on the placement, students may be involved in witness interviewing, trial preparation, legal research and writing, drafting of opinions, fact investigation, depositions and conducting trials or hearings. Students participate in the related field placement class, and maintain a daily journal of their placement experiences, and meet periodically with the course instructor.
HOW MANY CREDITS ARE AWARDED?  Students have the option of a full-time placement for six credits or a part-time placement for four credits. Students opting for a full-time placement must work 35 hours per week at their placement for a total of 245 hours over the seven week summer term. Students in a part-time placement must work 24 hours per week for a total of 168 hours over the seven week summer term.
WHAT ARE THE OTHER COURSE REQUIREMENTS? Students are required to attend a weekly class at Albany Law School, and complete all assignments. Students are required to maintain daily reflective journals of their placement experiences and submit the journals weekly to the course instructor; track their time at their placement and submit weekly time sheets; and complete other faculty directed assignments and meetings. Students are required to participate in a weekly class conducted at Albany Law School but using distance learning technology, and complete all assignments.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?  All students who have completed their first year or two semesters of law school by the beginning of summer session are eligible to participate in this program.  Applicants will need to interview with and be accepted by a participating employer.

​Provides exposure to technical skills needed to represent clients successfully in estate matters. Emphasizes procedural aspects of estate work and precise methodology to present the client's case, as petitioner or objectant.

This focused survey course examines U.S. privacy laws in several significant contexts, including (1) telecommunications and marketing, (2) workplace and employment, and (3) civil litigation and governmental law enforcement investigations. The course will explore how commercial marketing activities that involve telemarketing and email are regulated, and we'll examine laws such as the CAN-SPAM Act, the CCPA, and the VPPA to understand how they are intended to protect consumers. We will examine the privacy concerns that affect employees in the workplace, both private and public, and identify those areas that are important for prospective employers and employees alike to be aware of in today's work environment. Where civil litigation and government investigations affect specific privacy concerns for individuals, the course will examine to what degree disclosures and discovery are allowable in the civil litigation context, and will review the roles of privacy professionals in the realms of law enforcement and national security. Lastly, the course addresses emerging issues in the topics covered throughout the class, and will consider insight and reflections from industry practitioners to equip students with actionable, relevant, and timely concepts by which to evaluate current or future privacy policies.

This seminar will deal with various proposals for reform of federal and state tax laws. Particular attention will be devoted to issues currently pending in Congress and state legislatures. Problem areas will be reviewed from an economic, social and practical, as well as legal standpoint. The first half of the course will be devoted to a study of the basic underlying principles and objectives of a tax system. Coverage will include the ability to pay concept, redistribution of wealth, the influence of the tax system on socially desirable and undesirable conduct, the use of taxation to regulate the economy, the regressive nature of the Federal social security tax and state sales tax, and various state issues such as the financing of public education and local government services through the property tax. During the second part of the course each student will analyze in depth a specific area of the student's own choosing and will conduct a session of the seminar at which his/her conclusions and recommendations will be reviewed by the other members of the class.

Prerequisite: introduction to Taxation.​​

Financial markets are rapidly changing, and new products, strategies, and investment vehicles are popping up everywhere. This course will examine emerging products, strategies and technologies such crypto currency, blockchain and initial coin offerings; algorithmic trading; high frequency trading; new digital payment systems; and robo advisors, with a focus on what the future of the industry holds and how we can prepare today for future developments.

The class will be a technology survey class which emphases the pragmatic use of technology in the legal profession. The mission of the class would be both to educate students as to the technological advances that are changing the legal profession as well as how technology is changing the world we live in, and, significantly, the legal ramifications of such new technologies in both traditional and emerging areas of law. One goal of the class would be for young lawyers to be able to walk into their first job being sufficiently sophisticated to be able to spot technology issues that more senior lawyers may not appreciate.

​Examines principal issues in patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, and software licensing. Topics include standard terms and conditions of a technology license, negotiating royalty rates, and the impact of licensing on development and/or commercialization of technology.

This course examines the impact of technology on information privacy law, while examining the evolution of the right to information privacy and personal autonomy under Constitutional, tort, statutory and international law. This course will explore how the law should balance privacy rights with national security concerns, given the advent of new technologies and information structures. This course will examine modern privacy developments involving, inter alia, social media, video surveillance, “big data” practices, DNA databanking, the collection of health information, cybersecurity, airport body scanning, drone technology, and Internet privacy and cryptography. This course is required to complete the Concentration in Law and Cybersecurity.

​New technologies pervade society to a greater extent then ever before and permeate every aspect of our lives. These new technologies are often at the forefront of scientific knowledge-they are not only incomprehensible to the lay person, but even are not fully understood by the most advanced experts. This course will examine how the law resolves, or should resolve, new issues that arise at the cutting edge of technology and science. A variety of technologies will be discussed in this course, including genetically modified products, the internet, DNA fingerprinting, toxic chemicals, and medical technologies.

No specialized knowledge in science or technology is required to take this course.

​Introduces telecommunications law focusing on the legal and regulatory environment governing telecommunications. Emphacizes the convergence of traditionally discrete common carrier functions, provision of content, and basic telecommunication services. Addresses First Amendment concerns, antitrust law, regulatory and administrative law, and alternative dispute resolution.

This course focuses on the critical function of Compliance Officers at financial institutions. The legal framework and strategies relevant to the position will be explored. This includes supervision, risk management, Extraterritorial application, and a discussion on the Committee of Foreign Investments in the United States.

​This is an advanced constitutional law course examining the Fourteenth Amendment, its history and development, its role in shaping America and the opportunities and choices it offers. The course will examine the framing of the Amendment itself, the crushing of its potential at the end of Reconstruction and why it was so devastating, and the complexity of the recovery of its meaning in the 20th Century, culminating in study of contemporary quandaries. The course will explore the interrelationship and interdependence among rights and procedures in widely disparate fields yielding a realistic understanding of how law works in the area of protected rights.

This course will address the constitutional basis for and history of paid lobbying; the legal and ethical restrictions a lawyer-lobbyist needs to consider; the role of money and politics in lobbying; and practical elements of how to be an effective lawyer-lobbyist. Both the Federal and State level will be examined. The goal of the course will be to combine the study of legal and constitutional principles governing lobbying and the enactment of legislation with exposure to practical issues faced by the lawyer who participates in the legislative process.

This course would expand upon a course previously offered at the law school that covers both the federal and state law covering exempt organizations, but will expand to cover the law of corporate formation as it might otherwise affect social entrepreneurs, including covering Benefit Corporations, Limited Liability Corporations and other basic corporate forms. It will also cover the law of exempt organization and Benefit Corporation finance.

This course provides students with instruction in the legal, policy and practical aspects of Unmanned Aviation Systems (UAS, also known as drones). The course will provide students not only with an opportunity to learn the law and regulatory structure of UAS controls, but also to fly UAS and to earn their airman's license from the Federal Aviation Administration. Approval of professor is required for enrollment in this class. Please contact Professor Heverly for details.

The Thesis class is the capstone of the MSLS and LLM program. Students will learn about research, writing and proposal frameworks specific to Thesis projects. Then, each student will 1) Propose a topic; 2) Outline and research the paper; 3) write and submit the Thesis; 4) orally present on the submission. Students will have a choice to write a Thesis paper on a topic of their choosing within the concentration, or conduct an approved project through their work.

​Covers elements of intentional torts, including battery, assault, conversion, trespass, false imprisonment, privileges and defenses; elements of negligence, including duty, breach, causation, and damages; contributory negligence and comparative fault; and vicarious liability

The course deals with the creation, enforcement, and limitation of trademark rights, including the impact of technological change (such as the use of the internet) on traditional concepts, and related unfair competition issues. The grade will be based on performance on an end of semester examination. ​

​Examines litigational problems unique to suing foreign defendants in federal and state courts in the United States. Topics examined are amenability to suit, service of process, subject matter jurisdiction, forum non convenes, taking evidence abroad, and enforcement of judgments. Focuses primarily on individual and corporate defendants, and explores special problems associated with suing foreign sovereigns.

​Introductory advocacy course in which students learn the tactical and ethical aspects of trial preparation and presentation. The course covers techniques for direct and cross-examination of witnesses. Lectures and demonstrations are combined with student presentations of various aspects of jury trials.

Students who have already taken Trial Practice II may not take this course for credit.

​This course focuses on trial-court methodology, commencing with voir dire, opening statements of counsel, direct and cross-examination of parties and witnesses, closing arguments, and jury instructions.

*Not open to a student who has taken or is currently taking Trial Practice.