Penn State Dickinson Law Required (LWREQ)

Civil Procedure concerns the rules, statutes, Constitutional provisions, and principles that govern the litigation of a civil case in federal court. The course begins with procedural due process, then familiarizes the student with the stages of a civil lawsuit including: pleading; structuring the lawsuit; discovery; termination of a lawsuit without trial (including settlement and use of dispute resolution processes); trial; and actions that may be taken after a jury verdict or bench trial. The course then addresses systemic issues related to how and where a lawsuit is filed including: personal and subject matter jurisdiction; venue; notice; removal; and which substantive law-- state or federal - should apply in federal court. Although reference is made to state rules and laws, the course concentrates on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Course examines the roles assigned by the Constitution to the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government and how federalism limits state and local authority.

Contracts is concerned with the formation of contracts. The traditional offer and acceptance are analyzed in light of problems presented by modern bargaining techniques. Voidability of contracts formed by fraud, mistake, illegality, and unconscionable advantage is also stressed. The performance of contracts and the parol evidence rule are discussed.

The primary goal of the Legal Research Tools and Strategies course is to familiarize first year students with the process of discovering, evaluating, critically analyzing, and applying sources of American legal authority used by lawyers to understand facts and resolve issues.

This course explores substantive criminal law. It covers key concepts including actus reus, mens rea, attempts, complicity, justifications, and excuses. In examining these topics, the course also provides an introduction to the interpretation and application of criminal statutes.

In this course, students learn, practice and hone essential lawyering skills: analyzing a client's case by researching the relevant law, including cases, statutes, constitutional provisions, and administrative regulations; and explaining and applying the law to the client's situation using two of the most common written forms (objective or predictive writing in an office memorandum and a client letter). Because research, analysis, writing and oral communication skills improve only with practice, students will work through a variety of exercises and client problems, receiving individualized feedback from their professor during the course. Throughout the semester, we will remain mindful of the relationship between the concepts of law, order and justice - and will continually examine the role of the lawyer in that relationship.

Lawyers must be able to advocate effectively both orally and in writing. In this course, students learn the essential skills of advocacy by using research and writing tools to craft arguments that are powerful, fair, well-reasoned, clearly-stated, and respectful of their adversaries and the court. Students communicate their arguments in both written briefs and in oral arguments to the court, at the trial level. Students practice the skills of effective advocacy by exploring a variety of client problems, and they receive individualized instruction throughout the process. As the course progresses, students explore the principles of fairness, order and justice in the context of the lawyer's duties and responsibilities as an advocate.

This course is designed to introduce students to the core principles of the American legal system while fostering the critical skills needed for law school and professional success. Students will learn how to read and analyze legal authority, brief cases effectively, and develop practical skills for navigating law school coursework. Alongside these academic foundations, the course integrates career services planning and professional identity development, empowering students to explore career opportunities and define their unique roles within the legal profession. By combining practical skill-building with career-oriented strategies, this course prepares students for both immediate success in law school and long-term achievement in the legal field. This one-credit course is a team-taught course with a faculty coordinator and contributions from various faculty and offices within the law school.

The course examines the nature of property. While intellectual property and personal property are explored, the focus of the course is on real property - i.e., land. The course explores what real property ownership entails, estates and future interests, concurrent ownership, marital property, leasing property, selling property, private land use planning, public land use regulation, eminent domain, and regulatory takings.

Tort law seeks to remedy civil wrongs that result in harm to people or their property. The course will focus on the elements and proof of intentional, negligence, and strict liability causes of action, along with affirmative defenses.

Primary objectives: 1. To better understand the relationship of our legal system to the lived experience of those who are subject to it. 2. To facilitate important conversations about our opportunities and responsibilities as lawyers to promote true equality for all Americans. 3. To help you begin the process of discerning what your individual response will be at this juncture of our country's history. How will you, given your talents, lived experience and legal training contribute to our country's future and greater equality for all Americans? 4. Help create a space where we can all have constructive, respectful conversations about difficult issues that are vital to the future of our country and our roles as lawyers. 5. Listen to and truly understand other students who have different experiences and perspectives.

This course focuses on the regulation of lawyers. Although we will study other law, the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct will be the primary focus of the course. The class will be taught primarily through the hypotheticals found in the casebook. The class discussions will focus on what the ABA Model Rules require, state variations that are common, and other sources of law that regulate lawyers' behavior. The class discussions will explore whether students agree with the policy choices reflected in ABA Model Rules, how the rules might apply in particular fact settings, the pressures that might cause a lawyer to ignore regulatory rules, and the steps that a lawyer might take to better serve his or her clients and to minimize the chance of a regulatory violation.