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Course Details

EXP: Public Corruption in the Law (Master/Cohen)

Fall 2025   LAW 991-001  

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Faculty
Howard Master

Adjunct Professor of Law

howard.s.master@gmail.com
Carrie Cohen

Lecturer in Law

ccohen@mofo.com
Additional Information
Experiential Course

Yes

Skills Training
Oral Presentations
Drafting Legal Documents
Expository Writing
Other Professional Skills:

Grading
50% Participation,
50% Paper

Satisfies Senior Writing Requirement

With Permission of Instructor

Location

Class meets in person.

Course Continuity
Students are encouraged to stay home if you are ill or experience flu-like symptoms. If you miss a class for any reason, it is still your responsibility to make up the work missed.

I offer the following to students who miss class due to illness:

- If you are absent due to illness or some other unavoidable circumstance, email me and I can make PowerPoint slides or other class materials available to you.

Meeting Times/Location
M 6:40PM - 8:40PM
Tanenbaum Hall 320

Category
Seminar

Credits
3.0

During this seminar, we will examine the structural and legal framework governing regulation of public corruption in the United States. We will address core questions about the function and effectiveness of institutions established by our Constitution and laws to identify, investigate, and punish corruption. We will also address the expanding body of case law interpreting anti-corruption statutes including honest services fraud, extortion under color of official right, and campaign finance regulations.

Throughout the class, we will explore the interplay among federal, state, and local governments in combating corruption, including challenges particular to addressing potentially corrupt conduct by powerful political actors such as the President, governors, federal and state legislators, and candidates for these offices. Through the use of case studies, the seminar will explore the role of money and power in politics, the significance of disclosure rules and regulations, and constitutional and practical challenges to regulating potentially corrupt behavior, including behavior in foreign jurisdictions via the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and behavior connected to political contributions. Finally, the seminar will address the punishments and sanctions applicable in the federal and state systems, and the merits of criminal versus civil regulation of unethical and corrupt conduct.

Course sessions will include guest speakers who have been involved as practitioners in reporting on or combating corruption, as well as those representing individuals investigated or prosecuted for corruption offenses.

Course Concentrations

Skills Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of the individual course skill; Demonstrate the ability to receive and implement feedback; Demonstrate an understanding of how and when the individual course skill is employed in practice.

Constitutional Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of constitutional law; Perform legal analysis in the context of constitutional law; Communicate effectively on topics related to constitutional law; Demonstrate an understanding of constitutional law affects other areas of law.

Criminal Law and Procedure Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of criminal law and procedure; Perform legal analysis in the context of criminal law and procedure; Communicate effectively on topics related to criminal law and procedure; Demonstrate an understanding of the role criminal law and procedure play in society and their impact on other areas of law and society.

Administrative and Regulatory Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of administrative and regulatory law and the administrative process, including the role of statutory authorization and work of administrative agencies; Perform legal analysis in the context of administrative and regulatory law; Communicate effectively on topics related to administrative and regulatory law; Demonstrate an understanding of the role administrative and regulatory law play in our legal system and in society as a whole.

Public Interest Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of the varied legal aspects of public interest law; Perform legal analysis in the context of public interest law; Communicate effectively on topics related to public interest law; Demonstrate an understanding of how public interest law is connected to and affected by a wide variety of legal and regulatory structures and doctrines.