Introduction to U.S. Law and U.S. Legal Research, Writing and Analysis I
All LL.M. students who received their first degree in law outside the United States must take Introduction to U.S. Law and U.S. Legal Research, Writing and Analysis I, unless they receive a waiver. Please note that credits earned in Introduction to U.S. Law and U.S. Legal Research, Writing and Analysis I do not count towards the 24 credits needed in fall and spring to earn the LL.M. degree. Both classes will be held from Monday, August 12, 2013 through Friday, August 23, 2013. Enrolling students attend a pre-orientation event on Sunday August 11, 2013. You should plan to be able to attend classes from 9:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. from August 12th to the 23th.
Introduction to U.S. Law is an intensive course that reviews the fundamentals of the U.S. legal system, including an overview of the U.S. Constitution, federalism, the structure and function of courts, sources of legal authority and common law methodology.
U.S. Legal Research, Writing and Analysis I teaches students the practice skills lawyers need in a U.S. legal environment. Students learn how to locate cases, statutes, scholarly articles and other legal source materials. They learn how to read and analyze legal opinions; check the validity of case citations and how to cite to legal authority correctly. In addition, this course develops students’ skills in case briefing, course outlining and performance on law school examinations. Students take a final examination on the last day of the course that they will have the opportunity to review in depth in U.S. Legal Research, Writing and Analysis II during the fall semester.
Registration
In mid-June, you will receive registration information via email, including a description of the three sections of Introduction to U.S. Law. In each section of the class, several days are devoted to exploring an evolving line of cases; the topic of these cases differs between sections and you will have the opportunity to express a preference as to which section of Intro you prefer.
If you would like to apply for a waiver (recommended for students with a common-law background), please click here.
