ML: US Law and Legal Methods (Rossi)
Faculty
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| Joseph RossiJRossi@Atllp.com |
Additional Information
Skills Training
Oral Presentations
Other Professional Skills:
Grading
20% Participation,
80% Other (Mid-term 20%; Final 60%)
Exam
Multiple Choice,
Essay,
In Class,
Partial Open Book (The multiple choice portion is take-home and open-book. The essay portion is in-class and closed-book. No student may consult the Internet or use AI for any portion of the examination.)
No
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:
- Class sessions are regularly recorded. I will make these recordings routinely available on the course site to everyone in the class.
Meeting Times/Location
TR 12:00PM - 1:20PM
Gittis Hall 1
Category
Masters in Law
Credits
3.0
This one-semester survey course is designed to introduce the non-law student to the fundamentals of US law and legal methods. It serves as both a stand-alone course for Penn juniors, seniors and graduate students seeking a greater understanding of the US legal system, and a point of entry into the Law School’s upper level curriculum for those students pursuing joint degrees, certificates or additional coursework at the Law School.
The course will use case law to illustrate and teach all topics. It will feature the Socratic method, which utilizes questioning and debate between professor and student to stimulate critical thinking and to develop understanding of the matter under discussion. The course will begin with an inquiry into the structure of government and the foundations of the US legal system. It will consider the sources of US law, and the concepts of federalism and separation and balance of powers. As it examines the US Constitution, it will review the fundamental notions of due process, equal protection, freedom of speech and religion, and other constitutionally protected rights. The course explores the difference between the civil and criminal justice systems, between public and private enforcement, and between the state and federal judicial systems. It will survey civil procedure and the litigation process, personal injury and tort law, contracts and business law, property law, criminal law and criminal procedure, family law and estates, and administrative law and procedure. This rigorous course demands significant class preparation time and will require robust class participation by all students. The mid-term and final examinations will entail application of legal principals to complex fact patterns.
JD, LLM, and LLCM students are not permitted to take this class.
Business and Corporate Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of business and corporate law; Perform legal analysis in the context of business and corporate law; Communicate effectively on topics related to business and corporate law; Demonstrate an understanding of the interconnection between the world of business and finance and that of business and corporate law, and how they affect other areas of law and society.
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.
Courts and the Judicial System Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of both substantive and procedural issues in the operation of our legal system; Perform legal analysis in the context of procedural issues and the judicial process; Communicate effectively on topics related to procedure and the judicial process; Demonstrate an understanding of how procedural issues and the judicial process affect all other area of our legal system.
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.
Family Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of family law; Perform legal analysis in the context of family law; Communicate effectively on topics related to family law; Demonstrate an understanding of how family law affects other areas of law.
Property and Real Estate Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of property and real estate law; Perform legal analysis in the context of property and real estate law; Communicate effectively on topics related to property and real estate law; Demonstrate an understanding of how property and real estate law affect other areas of law.
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.
Textbooks
"Introduction to Law" by Beth Walston-Dunham and John D. DeLeo, Jr. |