Applied Legal Concepts is a 2-credit course designed to help students improve their work in law school and their process for preparing for the bar examination. The course focuses on honing and improving students’ analytical and writing skills, with a special emphasis on the skills necessary to engage in effective self-directed study and self-assessment of learning. Students will analyze and apply core concepts using practice-oriented problems as well as bar exam essay and multiple choice questions.

This is a survey course of federal and state laws pertaining to the use and governance of natural resources, such as water, wetlands, forests, rangeland, wildlife, and energy resources. As opposed to Environmental Law (which is a complement to this course), Natural Resources Law deals with the exploitation of resources, rather than the pollution of them, and as such, contemplates a vastly different system of laws and regulations. This course briefly explores some simple ecological and economic concepts, and how some federal and state laws reflect these concepts.

This course provides an introduction to federal natural resources law, with an emphasis on living resources. In a mixed seminar format, we’ll survey the legal treatment of wildlife and biodiversity, fisheries and marine resources, water resources, forests and rangelands, protected public lands, multiple use public lands, and energy (as time allows). We’ll draw lessons from these fields to understand the themes and conflicts of environmental management generally, and the unique qualities of natural resources that render management efforts so difficult.

This course examines concerns, protections and regulations particular to consumer transactions in formation, substance, and remedies. Regulatory, statutory, and common law doctrines will be addressed, with an emphasis on federal and Florida consumer protection statutes. Major topics will include fraud, deceptive practices, fair and accurate credit reporting, Truth-in-Lending law, fair debt collection, and enforcement of consumer rights.

This course will focus on specific topics in medical malpractice, and provider and institutional liability generally.  Unlike a survey class, this class will explore in depth the legal issues surrounding initiating, or defending, a malpractice claim. Students will not only learn the settled law surrounding malpractice cases (or institutional liability), but they will also encounter ongoing areas of legal ambiguity.

This course provides students with in-depth perspectives and understanding of the role of a judge. The course teaches students the constitutional authority of the judicial branch, the interpretative methods of judges, types of persuasive arguments and of judicial opinions, and the confirmation and appointment processes for Supreme Court justices. Current events involving the judiciary and the rule of law will be discussed.

This course provides an introduction to family law in foreign jurisdictions and compares that approach to the law in the United States. The course is likely to be useful to those with an interest in family law and, like other courses in comparative law, to those who seek to learn more in general about how foreign legal jurisdictions approach basic legal questions.

This course explores the nature and scope of the power vested in the legislature by the Florida Constitution and how that power differs from powers vested in the other two branches of state government and from the power vested in Congress. It covers the philosophical underpinnings of legislative power; how the exercise of that power is limited both by vertical and horizontal separation of powers and by other textual and structural components of the Florida Constitution; and how competition between the legislature and the other two branches manifests itself in various ways.

This course provides an introduction to the investment management industry. It covers the roles of the various members of the ecosystem, such as manufacturers, distributors, and asset managers and owners, and has a special focus on the building blocks behind successful financial products and services. The course will also examine the disruption promised by innovations like cryptocurrencies and robo-advisors. Regular participation from senior industry executives is expected.

This course will help students recognize and develop their leadership potential, for both future employment and within their communities at large. Students will engage in guided self-examination to identify interests, strengths, and potential areas for growth. Leaders from various fields of practice will share their leadership experiences, informing students of the opportunities available to them and providing advice for building the skills necessary to obtain and succeed in those opportunities.