491 - 500 of 577 results for: LAW

This is a mandatory course for SPILS Fellows as part of the program's core curriculum. Its main goal is to offer students an interdisciplinary perspective about socio-legal research, and research tools for implementing their individual research projects. This Winter term workshop will complement the Research Design for Empirical Legal Studies Seminar taken in the Autumn by 1) expanding and elaborating on some of the methods analyzed during the seminar; and 2) assisting students in using such methods towards their individual research project. The workshop will consist of specialized sessions, most of them tailored towards the work of empirical research that occurs after the data collection phase. During the quarter the fellows are expected to submit drafts of different chapters of their thesis. If appropriate, the workshop may also include group and/or individual sessions designed to address the very specific needs of the research undertaken by the SPILS Fellows. Elements used in grading: Class participation, attendance and written assignments. Enrollment is restricted to SPILS fellows. The seminar is required for JSM graduation.

This course orients advanced degree students and upper class JD students to a range of legal writing genres used by lawyers in practice in American law offices and before American courts. At the core of these genres are the techniques of legal research, objective and persuasive legal writing, and related legal analysis. The course presents students with realistic legal writing scenarios that they address in and out of class. Students perform legal research and analysis as they complete assignments designed to incorporate methods that American lawyers use to analyze typical legal problems while advocating on behalf of a hypothetical client in a litigation matter. Class Participation, Attendance, Written Assignments.

This course is designed to introduce international students in the Exchange and Advanced Degree Programs (LL.M. and SPILS) to the key principles of American law. The course provides an overview of distinctive features of the U.S. legal system, including its history, procedures and institutions. Topics include: Precedent role in the Common Law; the Branches of the U.S. Government and the Separation of Powers; Federalism; Due Process; and Equal Protection. The course is offered before the start of the regular Law School quarter. Special Instructions: Required for LL.M. but optional for the SPILS and Exchange Program students. Open to LL.M., SPILS and SLS Exchange Program students only. The class starts on August 31 and runs through September 18. Final exam will be scheduled on Friday, September 18. Elements used in grading: Class attendance, participation, short written assignment and final exam. LLM/SPILS students only.

Empirical legal studies have become popular in the U.S. and are now spreading to non-U.S. law faculties as well. Usually the term applies to analyses of quantitative data and the researcher relies on data collected by others. But the term "empirical" properly encompasses both qualitative and quantitative data, including interviews, legal documents, survey research and experimental results. Analysts interested in using such data need to understand how they were collected, in order to decide what data can appropriately be used to answer different kinds of questions. Often to answer the questions of interest, a researcher needs to collect new data, which poses challenging questions about how to design an empirical research study. Answering these questions appropriately is important to ensure publication in a peer-reviewed journal, which is becoming increasingly important to legal academia. This seminar will introduce students to the wide range of research methods that can be used to answer empirical questions, provide a framework for choosing among methods, and explain how to use the methods. The project for the quarter is to design an empirical research study on a topic of your choice. Special Instructions: JD students can take the class for 3-4 units. SPILS students must take this class for 4 units. Students taking the course for 4 units must attend the additional session on Thursday, which is optional for others. After the term begins, JD students accepted into the course can transfer from section (01) into section (02), which can potentially satisfy the R requirement, with consent of the instructor. Consent Application for JD students: To apply for this course, JD students must e-mail Robert MacCoun at maccoun@ law.stanford.edu and Diego Gil McCawley at dgil@stanford.edu. This course is REQUIRED for all SPILS fellows and BY CONSENT for all other students. Elements used in grading: Class participation, attendance, written assignments and final paper.

Asking questions is at the core of the role of an attorney. Whether it is interviewing a potential new client, interrogating a witness in a deposition, or conducting a direct or cross examination at trial, knowing how to ask a question is an essential lawyering skill. We'll explore textual materials and real life case examples in transcripts, videotape, and cinema to determine the principals and best practices for questioning. We'll learn how to prepare for questioning, how to focus, narrow, and broaden an examination, how to obtain key admissions, how to deal with a difficult opponent, when to stop asking, and how to use what's been obtained in court or otherwise to win for your clients. This course will give you the skills and tools needed for the critical roles of understanding your clients and your cases and successfully representing their causes. There is no exam or paper. Class attendance is required. Grading will be based on attendance, preparation for class by reading and considering the assigned course material and participation in class. Shanin Specter is a founding partner of Klein & Specter, P.C., in Philadelphia, concentrating in catastrophic injury litigation. He has obtained more than 200 settlements or verdicts in excess of $1 million and is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, whose membership is limited to the top 100 plaintiffs' attorneys in the United States. Special Instructions: This class will meet on Friday the first three weeks of Autumn Quarter (September 25, October 2 and October 9). Students must attend all three classes. Early drop deadline: Students may not drop this course after the first class. Elements used in grading: Class Participation, Attendance.

Recent events in our country have dramatically highlighted the fact that we are not a post-racial society, and that structural racism and implicit bias are as harmful to people and institutions as intentional discrimination. Currently, plaintiffs can only show a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment - and several other antidiscrimination laws - by proving intentional discrimination. This seminar will examine this "intent standard" and its significant barriers to racial justice litigation. The course will review social science research, including studies on implicit bias, racial anxiety, stereotyping, and other concepts, to explore how contemporary discrimination manifests. We will address how legal advocates and the law can utilize such research to challenge and remedy discrimination through strategic litigation. We will examine real-world examples of this, including in the context of school discipline and the school-to-prison pipeline. Special Instructions: This class will meet on Friday the second three weeks of Autumn Quarter (October 16, October 23 & October 30). Students must attend all three classes. Early drop deadline: Students may not drop this course after the first class. Elements used in grading: Written assignments (reflection papers) and class participation.

This course will cover the essential elements of representing private equity funds, entrepreneurs, and senior management in venture capital, growth equity and leveraged buyout transactions. Emphasis will be placed on structuring equity arrangements that are characteristic of venture capital and other private equity transactions, understanding business and legal issues that commonly arise in negotiating investment and acquisition agreements, and tax planning. Basic financial and accounting principles will be discussed. Special Instructions: This class will meet on Friday the first three weeks of Spring Quarter (April 1, April 8 and April 15). Students must attend all three classes. Early drop deadline: Students may not drop this course after the first class. Elements used in grading: Grading will be based on class participation and written assignments. Prerequisites: Corporations and Taxation 1.

The way that we transact is ripe for disruption given the advent of digital currencies. How does and will the law treat this disruptive technology? This course will study digital currency and other alternative payment mechanisms. Interest in this topic has exploded in recent years, as Bitcoin and numerous brands of competitors have risen in value and are gaining increasing acceptance as payment devices. Proponents of Bitcoin herald it as a better payment mechanism: lower transaction costs, international, more secure, the opportunity to bank the "unbanked," and with a set protocol for increase in supply. However, there are also legitimate and serious concerns about their use, including the worry that the anonymous nature of digital currency facilitates illegal transactions and money laundering. These concerns have triggered a growing number of government actions. The course will cover topics such as the origin and function of Bitcoin; examine the legal and regulatory treatment of digital currencies; and review recent enforcement trends in the criminal arena. It is also anticipated that the course will take account of new developments in this rapidly evolving topic. If time allows, there would also be the possibility of prominent guest speakers or outside events in the community given SLS's proximity to Silicon Valley housing digital currency companies. This class will meet on Friday the first three weeks of Winter Quarter (January 8, January 15, and January 22). Students must attend all three classes. Early drop deadline: Students may not drop this course after the first class. Elements used in grading: Class Participation, Attendance, Final Paper.

This course deals with the European human rights system. The European Court of Human Rights (based in Strasbourg, France) is a success story in many respects. Founded after the Second World War the Court is the only guarantor and last instance for 47 countries from Russia to Switzerland. Since its' creation in 1950, it has delivered nearly 20,000 judgements. The 'living instrument' character of the European Convention has allowed the Court to generate expansive legal interpretations in a diverse array of cases, often on politically sensitive topics. This constant evolution has prompted the European human right system to mature over the years. Today, the Court faces important challenges, such as an increasing workload and government resistance, which this course will examine. The course will be divided into 3 parts: 1) Introduction to the European System and its institutions. The course begins with a general presentation of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights and the European Convention of Human Rights. It gives an overview of the values, structure and achievements of the Council of Europe; it presents the organization, structure and procedure of the European Court of Human Rights; it outlines the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Convention and key concepts essential to the understanding of European Convention system. 2) A short overview of the most important cases. The course will introduce the students into the case law of European Court of Human Rights. Cases concerning the rights guaranteed by the Convention will be presented through the perspective of the "living Instrument" character of the Convention. The issue of extraterritoriality will be also examined. 3) In the last part, the course will examine the challenges that the European Court of Human Rights is being faced with. The course will look at the evolution of the Court's position when dealing with controversial topics, its' increasing case load and respective measures, the potential adhesion of the European Union, as well as challenges related to the execution of judgements by reluctant governments. This class will meet Friday, April 29, Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1. Elements used in grading: Class Participation, Attendance, Final Paper.