Real Property and Environmental Law (RPEL)

This course explores the various aspects of litigation, client counseling, and regulatory work that arise in the day to day practice of environmental law. Emphasis is on the practical aspects of the practice of law, with active class participation using problems designed to duplicate situations faced by environmental attorneys in their practices. Among other things, students will cross-examine scientific experts, prepare a plant manager for a deposition, and negotiate a civil penalty for environmental violations. Although environmental law is used a basis for the mock exercises, prior environmental classes are not a prerequisite, and the skills taught in this course will translate well to other types of litigation.

This course will address current legal and policy aspects of shale oil and gas development.

This course examines the peculiar legal problems encountered on construction projects. It covers contract, tort and statutory law as adapted specifically to the construction industry. It analyzes the perspectives of an owner, developer, architect/engineer, contractor, subcontractor and bonding company, both in the context of private and public construction projects, commerical and residential. the principal areas of inquiry are contract structure, public bidding, theories of liability, payment and security mechanisms, claims related to time, disruption and extra work, and claims arising from construction defects. This course is designed to enable you to become familiar with construction law and the construction industry so that, whether you work in the public sector of private practice, you will be able to offer practical legal advice to construction professionals.