Prerequisites: Constitutional Law II recommended, but not required
A study of the federal court system and its constitutional limitations. The original and removal jurisdiction of the United States district courts, relationships between state and federal courts, venue in civil cases, and the appellate jurisdiction of the courts of appeal and the Supreme Court are reviewed.
Legal relations and problems incident to the creation, preservation and dissolution of the family unit. The course includes marital affairs and actions, adoption, child custody, and criminal and tortious conduct pertaining to domestic relations. Emphasis is placed on possible conflicts between the interests of the state in this area and the private interests of the individuals concerned.
This course will afford law students with opportunity to observe the governor and Florida Cabinet members--the Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services -- at the Capitol in their capacity as Florida’s Board of Executive Clemency. Law students also will have opportunity to gain perspective from senior level guest speakers.
A study of the rules of evidence developed by courts and by legislatures. Topics include competency, examination of witnesses, privilege, relevancy, expert testimony, hearsay rule and its exceptions, judicial notice and presumptions.
Prerequisites: Gratuitous Transfers and Taxation
This course is a drafting seminar in which students evaluate a series of case studies and draft estate planning documents as indicated by the facts of the particular case study. Documents drafted may include an engagement letter, durable power of attorney, designation of health care surrogate, living will, revocable living trust with pour over will for married couple with minor children, standalone will with A-B trust form marital deduction planning, irrevocable insurance trust and complex will with aggressive GST tax planning.
This course will help students develop the sophisticated research skills necessary for the effective practice of environmental law. Topics include: Statutes and legislative history documents, regulations, judicial opinions, agency documents, international environmental conventions and interpretations, and scientific and economic literature related to environmental law. Grading will be based upon short weekly assignments, class participation and the creation of a research guide in one specific area of environmental law.
This course introduces students to the core federal statutes, regulations, and common law principles that control humans’ impacts on environmental resources, including air, water, and soil. The course explores different types of approaches to controlling these impacts, such as market mechanisms, liability regimes, or regulations requiring specific pollution control technologies.
In addition to covering the criminal provisions of the major federal environmental statutes, we will also examine the broader legal and policy issues raised by criminal liability for environmental harms and consider the role of criminal prosecution in environmental enforcement generally.
This course examines key issues involved in the practice of Entertainment Law. Taught primarily by focusing on the music industry—but relevant and with sections involving book publishing, film, theater, and television—the course includes details for both future litigators and future transactional attorneys alike.
This course introduces students to the statutes, regulations, and common law principles that apply to all aspects of the energy system, including extracting and transporting fuels by pipeline and rail and generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity.
