lawyer

The study of law will give students an understanding of the function and theory of the legal system. Many courses help students develop legal thinking by the case method, a system that requires students to various court cases and their rulings. Different professors typically focus on a specific area of the law that governs particular rights, behaviors, or procedures.

Participants in these programs should expect to be exposed to the following areas of knowledge:

Civil procedure is the study of how lawsuits work and the rules under which they are litigated. Topics covered include the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the jurisdiction of federal courts, how a party can plead their case and argue for dismissal or summary judgment, and the rules governing class action lawsuits.

Students also explore the Federal government's powers in relation to basic rights granted to individuals and states. This includes the basis for the division of the branches of government, the powers of the Supreme Court, the Bill of Rights, and the balance of power between the Federal and state governments.

Contracts courses examine the law governing voluntary agreements between individuals and private groups. Professors in this area of law will discuss what it takes to make an enforceable contract, what kind of parties can enter into a contract, when a court will change a contract, and what kind of promises can be contained in a contract.

Criminal law covers the statutes and case law under which a government can prosecute and punish individuals with loss of property or other rights. Students learn how criminal laws are recorded and interpreted, what kind of punishments they can provide, how a prosecutor must argue their case and the defenses that a defendant may use.

The study of tort law focuses on the duties that parties owe to one another and how a court can compensate a party when these duties are violated. Participants will learn the actions that a party can take and the different facts that a plaintiff must prove in order to recover from the defendant.

Students will also develop a variety of skills, including: