Courses

  • ENVIR REG OF TOXIC & HAZ SUBST (ENVIRONMENTAL LAW - 1010)

    2 credits

    This course surveys the federal and state statutory systems concerning toxic substances. Topics will include hazardous waste transportation and management; the Superfund statute and its implementation, including real estate issues, lender and successor liability, bankruptcy and insurance implications; corporate transactions and planning, environmental auditing and confidentiality in the regulatory process; reporting, inventory and notice statutes; international trade agreements and waste export regulation; agreements and waste export regulation; nuisance law, waste quantitative risk assessment; and regulation of oil, pesticides and toxic chemicals. Grades are based upon a final examination.

  • ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (ENVIRONMENTAL LAW - 1000)

    3 credits

    This course covers the effective legal responses to current environmental problems, including air and water quality, noise, toxic substances, solid and hazardous waste and nuclear hazards. It also focuses on environmental considerations in the use of land, protection of parks, wetlands and historic buildings, and energy conservation in electricity, heating and transportation. Common law, administrative and statutory remedies, federal and state, are discussed. Grades are based upon a final examination.

  • ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SEMINAR (ENVIRONMENTAL LAW - 1040)

    3 credits

    The Seminar will address contemporary developments in Environmental Law. The course considers some new developments in environmental studies, such as complexity and ecology, new developmental toxicology, the economics of commons and ecosystem valuation, cost-benefit analysis and precautionary regulation, and technology assessment. The readings then address themost recent science on climate change and institutional responses to it. The rest of the seminar considers issues in energy law, corporate law, chemicals regulation, and urban development. Students will work with the professor to choose topics for research and writing projects. Research papers may consider aspects of the topics covered in the syllabus and may also draw from a list of other suggested topics, including food and agriculture, public health, and new technologies, such as genetically modified organisms and nanotechnology. Course enrollment is limited to 20. Grades are based upon class participation, a research paper and in-class presentation of the paper.

  • INTERNAT'L ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (ENVIRONMENTAL LAW - 1030)

    2 credits

    This course surveys the leading legal instruments and approaches to dealing with regional and global environmental problems. It will address transboundary air and water pollution, mass catastrophes, protection and allocation of freshwater supplies, stewardship of ocean resources such as fisheries, protection of the atmosphere (including the ozone layer and climate change), transport and trade in hazardous chemicals and waste, and biodiversity. The course will explore the environmental side of new approaches to economic regulation, including the world trade regime, and emerging ideas about sustainable development. Grades are based upon a final examination.

  • INTRODUCTION TO LAW (LEGAL METHOD - 1000)

    2 credits

    This course introduces methods and ideas that are fundamental components of the American legal system, with an emphasis on case law analysis and statutory interpretation. A passing grade requires regular attendance and satisfactory completion of several writing assignments.

  • TORTS (TORTS - 1040)

    4 credits

    The basic Torts course is an introduction to civil liability arising from breach of duties imposed by law, as distinguished from duties imposed by contract. The course will cover representative doctrines and theories of liability, including intentional torts, negligence and strict liability. Topics may include assault, battery, negligence, strict liability, products liability, misrepresentation, defamation and privacy. Grades are based upon a final examination.

  • TORTS SEMINAR (TORTS - 1000)

    2 credits

    This seminar presents competing theories of tort law and explores current reform proposals. It also allows students to investigate specialized areas of tort liability in more depth than is possible in the first year torts course. Each student is required to prepare a paper of law review quality on a topic approved by the faculty member conducting the seminar. Subjects may include any aspect of tort theory or may present the state of law in one area, such as, aviation, advertising, public utilities, the operation of municipal corporations or the tort liability of professionals. Grades are based upon a research paper.

  • TOXIC TORTS SEMINAR (ENVIRONMENTAL LAW - 1020)

    2 credits

    This seminar examines the expanding products liability and nuisance law related to chemical pollution, pharmaceuticals and other products with latent toxic effects. The courts dramatic procedural adaptations to mass torts, new legal theories of cause, litigation issues raised by the use of evidence drawn from the frontiers of science, and other evolving issues are explored in the context of asbestos, Agent Orange, DES and similar litigation. Each student is required to produce a paper of law review quality on a topic approved by the professor. Grades are based upon a research paper.