First-Year Curriculum

Fall Semester

LAW 801 CONTRACTS/SALES I (3 hours)
Formation of contracts; offer, acceptance, consideration. Statute of Frauds, parol evidence rule. Sale of goods under Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code.

LAW 804 Legal Research and Writing Skills (3 hours)
Use of research materials, legal writing, the fundamentals of legal analysis, and the solution of selected legal problems.

LAW 805 TORTS (4 hours)
Intentional torts and defenses, and the basic elements of negligence law, including duty and standard of care, causation in fact and proximate cause. Strict liability and products liability, as well as other select issues of tort law.

LAW 810 CRIMINAL LAW (3 hours)
The criminal act, complete and incomplete; criminal intent, actual and constructive; duress and mistake of fact, of law; justification; parties in crime; crimes against the person and crimes against property.

LAW 815 CIVIL PROCEDURE I (3 hours)
Introduction to the civil action; personal and in rem jurisdiction; service of process and notice; subject matter jurisdiction; venue; choice of law; pleading.

Spring Semester

LAW 802 CONTRACTS/SALES II (3 hours)
Sale of goods under Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Performance, express and implied conditions, repudiation, impossibility.

LAW 807 PROPERTY (4 hours)
Rights in personal and real property, gifts, estates, landlord-tenant law, land transfers, land contracts, covenants, recording acts, easements and real covenants.

LAW 817 CIVIL PROCEDURE II (3 hours)
Joinder of claims and parties; discovery, summary judgment; right to jury trial; trials and posttrial motions; res judicata and collateral estoppel.

LAW 820 CONSTITUTIONAL LAW I (3 hours)
Judicial interpretation of the constitution; the federal system; powers of the national government; limitations on the exercise of state powers; separation of powers.