Course Offerings

First-year curriculum is standard throughout American law schools. Upper-class students can choose from courses listed in this Course Offerings section.

Not all courses are available each semester. Please plan accordingly. For assistance planning your courses, please contact the Office of Student Affairs.  

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Courses by Title

A – C

AAJ Trial Competition Law 418

  • Credits: 1 hour first time competing; 0 hours second time competing. Maximum of 1 hour.

American Association for Justice trial competition.

Access to Justice Law 230

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This jurisprudence course explores Access to Justice, taken to mean the individual right to be able to access a system of justice on impartial terms. It also addresses the concept of justice itself, as promised and as delivered. A prominent thinker in this field frames Access to Justice as encompassing two broad aims. The "justice" aim is ideal and philosophic: this conversation seeks to define the nature of the good that all would enjoy in a legal system everyone could access in meaningfully and equitably. By contrast, the "access" theme is practical and resource-sensitive: this conversation seeks to identify and implement institutional arrangements that minimize exclusion and marginalization from the legal system. The course is equal parts jurisprudence/legal theory and empirical investigation of access to justice in the U.S.

Accounting for Lawyers Law 220

  • Credits: 3

Introduce students to various aspects of accounting concepts and issues including the accounting equation, accounting cycle, basic financial statements, basic financial statement analysis, basic accounting standards, common professional accounting practices, and other accounting issues. Identify typical accounting-law interactions attorneys face when advising business clients. Provides insights on how accountants and attorneys work together and how their relationships with business clients differ.

Administrative Law Law 255

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Legal principles governing state and federal agencies. Particular emphasis is placed on the federal Administrative Procedure Act and judicial control of the administrative agencies.

Advanced Business Law Clinic Law 634-B

The Clinical Law Program provides students with hands-on, professional experience in actual law practice. The program is generally the capstone of a student's legal education at Willamette. The program asks second- and third-year law students to apply the doctrinal knowledge mastered in their fundamental coursework to the actual practice of law. Students enrolled in the program represent real clients in actual cases and transactions under the close supervision of law faculty. The Clinical Law Program comprises several advanced legal education courses including specialized clinics in Business Law, Trusts and Estates,, Child and Family Advocacy, Immigration, and Community & Environmental Justice. Clients are primarily nonprofit corporations and people of modest economic means. Clinical Law Program students are taught and expected to demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in all areas of legal practice from mastery of substantive legal issues and procedures to unwavering professionalism and notable service to the greater community. The Clinical Law Program faculty also strives to instill an appreciation for the importance of reflection and balance in the practice of law.

Advanced Child and Family Advocacy Clinic Law 634-C

The Clinical Law Program provides students with hands-on, professional experience in actual law practice. The program is generally the capstone of a student's legal education at Willamette. The program asks second- and third-year law students to apply the doctrinal knowledge mastered in their fundamental coursework to the actual practice of law. Students enrolled in the program represent real clients in actual cases and transactions under the close supervision of law faculty. The Clinical Law Program comprises several advanced legal education courses including specialized clinics in Business Law, Trusts and Estates,, Child and Family Advocacy, Immigration, and Community & Environmental Justice. Clients are primarily nonprofit corporations and people of modest economic means. Clinical Law Program students are taught and expected to demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in all areas of legal practice from mastery of substantive legal issues and procedures to unwavering professionalism and notable service to the greater community. The Clinical Law Program faculty also strives to instill an appreciation for the importance of reflection and balance in the practice of law.

Advanced Community and Environmental Justice Clinic Law 634-J

The Clinical Law Program provides students with hands-on, professional experience in actual law practice. The program is generally the capstone of a student's legal education at Willamette. The program asks second- and third-year law students to apply the doctrinal knowledge mastered in their fundamental coursework to the actual practice of law. Students enrolled in the program represent real clients in actual cases and transactions under the close supervision of law faculty. The Clinical Law Program comprises several advanced legal education courses including specialized clinics in Business Law, Trusts and Estates,, Child and Family Advocacy, Immigration, and Community & Environmental Justice. Clients are primarily nonprofit corporations and people of modest economic means. Clinical Law Program students are taught and expected to demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in all areas of legal practice from mastery of substantive legal issues and procedures to unwavering professionalism and notable service to the greater community. The Clinical Law Program faculty also strives to instill an appreciation for the importance of reflection and balance in the practice of law.

Advanced Environmental & Natural Resources Law 323

  • Credits: 3

This is an experiential class designed to teach you environmental law and policy in context. You will be involved in a series of simulations to expose you to the institutions, law, and policies that create our environmental regulatory systems. The simulations will provide both professional writing experiences and opportunities to engage in oral advocacy in litigation, transactional, and policy contexts. Assessment: simulation problems. No exam.

Advanced Legal Research Law 242

  • Prerequisites: Legal Research & Writing I and II
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

Advanced Legal Research is a two-credit course designed to allow students to expand their legal research knowledge and skills. Students will have opportunities to compare the strengths and weaknesses of legal research sources and methods. Through in-class workshops, students will explore research sources and develop effective search techniques. Written assignments will require students to research legal issues, compiling relevant sources and synthesizing them into client and office communications. The emphasis will be on real-world, practice-oriented skills, to help prepare students for their careers in law. The course will cover the following topics: Secondary sources; state and federal statutes, state and federal legislative history; federal and state case law research; case citators; query formulation techniques; Oregon BarBooks (CLEs); trial practice materials; free legal research; specialty online resources: RIA, BNA and CCH; federal and state administrative law; and foreign and international law. To the extent practicable, assignment topics will reflect students individual interests. In working with state materials, emphasis will be on Oregon and other states in the region. Updated 10/2014.

Advanced Legal Writing Law 243

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Advanced Legal Writing is an upper division seminar course designed to prepare students to produce the professional writing demanded of a lawyer in any occupational niche. The course will reinforce five core legal writing principles emphasized in the Legal Research and Writing courses: analysis, organization, objectivity, clarity, and legal judgment. The focus will be on two types of legal writing: (1) advisory or predictive legal writing (advice based on legal judgment as to how the jurisdiction's courts would likely rule), and (2) advocacy or persuasive legal writing, typically used in briefing and negotiation. The course will also cover the distinctive aspects of statutory and rule drafting. Grading is based on overall performance, including two major graded writing assignments, each consisting of a draft and a revision based on professor comments on the draft, with weight given to seminar participation and completion of a number of ungraded written exercises prepared during seminar sessions. This course will satisfy the Professional Skills Writing Requirement. Seminar capacity is capped at 15 students.

Advanced Torts Law 251

  • Prerequisites: Torts
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

The course conducts in-depth examinations of products liability, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, privacy, and economic torts both individually and within the context of the broader tort legal system. (Posted 10/2013.)

Advanced Trusts and Estates Clinic Law 634-T

The Clinical Law Program provides students with hands-on, professional experience in actual law practice. The program is generally the capstone of a student's legal education at Willamette. The program asks second- and third-year law students to apply the doctrinal knowledge mastered in their fundamental coursework to the actual practice of law. Students enrolled in the program represent real clients in actual cases and transactions under the close supervision of law faculty. The Clinical Law Program comprises several advanced legal education courses including specialized clinics in Business Law, Trusts and Estates,, Child and Family Advocacy, Immigration, and Community & Environmental Justice. Clients are primarily nonprofit corporations and people of modest economic means. Clinical Law Program students are taught and expected to demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in all areas of legal practice from mastery of substantive legal issues and procedures to unwavering professionalism and notable service to the greater community. The Clinical Law Program faculty also strives to instill an appreciation for the importance of reflection and balance in the practice of law.

Agricultural Law Law 368

  • Credits: 3

Few human endeavors have more significant social, economic, and environmental consequences than agriculture. In addition to providing food and sustenance to the global population and employing a sizable (though declining) segment of the population, American farming creates dramatic environmental impacts, including air and water pollution, soil erosion, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. Through changes in laws, regulations, and the commodity markets themselves, agriculture itself has transformed from small, family-owned, diversified operations that focused on responsible stewardship, to operations owned by multinational corporate conglomerates with vertically-integrated operations that mass-produce food commodities for sale to both domestic and foreign markets. The class will explore those changes and how they are currently reflected in public policy affecting commodity production and distribution. Students will examine the legal and regulatory framework governing agriculture, including state policies like “right to farm” laws, anti-nuisance lawsuit measures, and “ag-gag” laws, as well as both the features that have incentivized or allowed poor environmental practices, and the limited mechanisms to reign in those practices. Topics to be covered include agricultural exemptions in major environmental laws (including the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act), regulation of discharges from concentrated animal feeding operations, information regulation (pesticide labeling, organics, GMOs, plant-based and cell-based meat alternatives, other private labeling), and food safety regulations.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Law 3018

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course is a survey of the major mechanisms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). The class will focus on arbitration, mediation and negotiation through relevant legal framework and practical skills. Litigators, transactional lawyers, and public practice lawyers will find this course useful in understanding the effective use of alternatives to resolve disputes outside of trial. Less than 5% of all filed civil cases are resolved through courtroom adjudication. Clients expect lawyers to have a broad range of knowledge regarding ADR. Effective client representation demands that lawyers use creative methods to resolve disputes that do not rely solely on expensive and time consuming litigation. This course will give students numerous opportunities to draft relevant documents to satisfy professional writing requirements and to participate in role playing scenarios to simulate practice situations.

Animal Law Law 263

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

An exploration and discussion of the treatment of animals under state, federal, and constitutional law. The course will address the historical status of animals in the law; legislative efforts and citizen initiatives to strengthen animal protection laws; the application of federal laws concerning captive, wild and farm animals; and comparative animal protection laws; the limitations on state laws addressing anti-cruelty, hunting, trapping, and animal fighting; the emerging areas of veterinary malpractice and other animal-related torts; the use of consumer protection statutes to address animal welfare concerns; the effect of free speech, religious expression, and other Constitutional principles on animal protection statutes; legal constraints on animal advocacy such as libel and defamation; and the movement to obtain legal recognition of the rights of animals.

Antitrust Law Law 314

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Antitrust policy under Sherman, Clayton and Federal Trade Commission Acts. Collaboration in pricing and market-sharing agreements; trade association activities; resale price maintenance; dealer franchises; exclusive dealing; monopolization; mergers and other integrations.

Applied Legal Analysis Fall Law 279

  • Prerequisites: None
  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Most class sessions will be devoted to discussing exercises from the workbook Legal Analysis, many of which consist of two parts: a fact pattern presented in the text, and a list of citations to legal sources (court opinions, statutory sections, regulations) that serve as the “closed universe” for analysis of the fact pattern. Students must read each fact pattern several times and consult the legal sources listed at the end of each exercise; students also are encouraged to brief the cases they collect to enhance classroom participation and facilitate writing responses to assigned exercises. During several weeks, students will take part in a small group study session with the instructor in lieu of one of the weekly class meetings. The instructor will offer feedback on students’ comprehension of the material, contributions to the group, and progress towards building an effective outline of course materials to use when studying for the final exam.

Applied Legal Analysis Spring Law 119

  • Prerequisites: None
  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Most class sessions will be devoted to discussing exercises from the workbook Legal Analysis, many of which consist of two parts: a fact pattern presented in the text, and a list of citations to legal sources (court opinions, statutory sections, regulations) that serve as the “closed universe” for analysis of the fact pattern. Students must read each fact pattern several times and consult the legal sources listed at the end of each exercise; students also are encouraged to brief the cases they collect to enhance classroom participation and facilitate writing responses to assigned exercises. During several weeks, students will take part in a small group study session with the instructor in lieu of one of the weekly class meetings. The instructor will offer feedback on students’ comprehension of the material, contributions to the group, and progress towards building an effective outline of course materials to use when studying for the final exam.

Arbitration: Theory & Practice Law 239

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course covers a variety of aspects of commercial and labor arbitration, includes agreements to arbitrate, judicial review of arbitration decisions and the enforceability of arbitration awards, analysis of both the federal and state arbitration acts, and review of federal and state court decisions relating to arbitration. The course will mostly emphasize doctrinal study and court decisions, but will also devote some time to practical skill-building.

Business Law Clinic Law 618-B

  • Prerequisites: Legal Research & Writing I and II
  • Credits: 2-4 letter-graded hours

The Clinical Law Program provides students with hands-on, professional experience in actual law practice. The program is generally the capstone of a student's legal education at Willamette. The program asks second- and third-year law students to apply the doctrinal knowledge mastered in their fundamental coursework to the actual practice of law. Students enrolled in the program represent real clients in actual cases and transactions under the close supervision of law faculty. The Clinical Law Program comprises several advanced legal education courses including specialized clinics in Business Law, Trusts and Estates,, Child and Family Advocacy, Immigration, and Community & Environmental Justice. Clients are primarily nonprofit corporations and people of modest economic means. Clinical Law Program students are taught and expected to demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in all areas of legal practice from mastery of substantive legal issues and procedures to unwavering professionalism and notable service to the greater community. The Clinical Law Program faculty also strives to instill an appreciation for the importance of reflection and balance in the practice of law.

Business Negotiations Law 3016

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

The goal of this seminar will be to apply substantive legal knowledge you already have to crafting an outstanding brief and argument. We will proceed through each step of reviewing, briefing, and arguing a complex business dispute. Students will work in pairs. We will discuss the substantive issues presented in each simulation in-depth, explore the dynamics of briefing a dispute in the context of a law office environment, and focus on crafting both a brief and an argument. Simulations will be drawn from current, pending business disputes and will be selected based on the courses taken and interests of the registered students. Possible subjects include regulation of securities transactions, commercial arbitral award enforcement, the commercial exception to sovereign immunity, bank liability for processing illegal transactions, and determination of secured status in bankruptcy proceedings.

Business Organizations Law 202

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Fundamentals of the various types of business organizations including general and limited partnerships, limited liability companies and partnerships, and corporations. Particular emphasis on closely held corporations and the rights, responsibilities and liabilities of business associates, including agency and fiduciary relationships.

Cannabis Law Law 219

  • Credits: 3

Legalization of marijuana presents a huge opportunity for Oregon entrepreneurs. Oregon's marijuana sector has annual sales valued at $1 billion. Passage of Measure 91 has created business opportunities for new growers, processors, retail, stores, and for the providers of related goods, including lighting, HVAC systems, drying equipment, security systems, and warehouse space. Emerging marijuana businesses have legal needs, typical of other start-ups. They also have some unique needs. Like other new businesses, they need access to capital, bank accounts, leases, purchase agreements, permits and licenses, and insurance. They also need assistance negotiating contracts, complying with land use requirements, and preparing employment agreements and policies. Marijuana entrepreneurs face some unique issues, too, including these: How to manage conflicts between federal, state, and local law as to the legality of marijuana businesses; the possible need to expunge prior marijuana offenses, which may create barriers to operating for some owners or employees; finding counsel who can assist with legitimate business transactions in a manner consistent with professional conduct rules.

Child and Family Advocacy Clinic Law 618-C

  • Prerequisites: Legal Research & Writing I and II
  • Credits: 2-4 letter-graded hours

The Clinical Law Program provides students with hands-on, professional experience in actual law practice. The program is generally the capstone of a student's legal education at Willamette. The program asks second- and third-year law students to apply the doctrinal knowledge mastered in their fundamental coursework to the actual practice of law. Students enrolled in the program represent real clients in actual cases and transactions under the close supervision of law faculty. The Clinical Law Program comprises several advanced legal education courses including specialized clinics in Business Law, Trusts and Estates,, Child and Family Advocacy, Immigration, and Community & Environmental Justice. Clients are primarily nonprofit corporations and people of modest economic means. Clinical Law Program students are taught and expected to demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in all areas of legal practice from mastery of substantive legal issues and procedures to unwavering professionalism and notable service to the greater community. The Clinical Law Program faculty also strives to instill an appreciation for the importance of reflection and balance in the practice of law.

Civil Procedure Law 101

  • Credits: 4 letter-graded hours

Introduction to the rules controlling the litigation of civil cases. Topics may include: survey of remedies, the distinction between legal and equitable remedies for purposes of right to jury; provisional remedies; Erie doctrine; jurisdiction, with emphasis on "long arm" jurisdiction; venue and process; claim and issue preclusion; parties to civil litigation, including necessary parties, third-party practice and class actions; pleading, discovery and motion practice under federal and state rules systems.

Civil Rights Litigation Law 231

  • Prerequisites: Constitutional Law I and II
  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Race, racism and American law. Included are construction and application of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution, the original civil rights statutes, and modern civil rights legislation. Emphasis on the law's successes and failures in addressing discrimination in housing, education, voting, public accommodations and interracial sex and marriage.

Civil Trial Practice Law 321

  • Prerequisites: Evidence
  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course will provide practical training and tips for conducting a Civil Trial. The approach will include interactive discussions of topics such as trial strategy and trial themes, how to prepare for an upcoming trial, how to introduce evidence/exhibits and how to make and respond to common trial motions and trial objections. Students will have the opportunity to prepare for and conduct Opening Statements, Closing Argument, and Direct and Cross-Exam of expert and lay witness.

Grades will be based on class attendance, class participation and the quality of written and oral presentations. There will be no final exam for this course.

Community and Environmental Justice Clinic Law 618-J

  • Prerequisites: Legal Research & Writing I and II
  • Credits: 2-4 letter-graded hours

The Clinical Law Program provides students with hands-on, professional experience in actual law practice. The program is generally the capstone of a student's legal education at Willamette. The program asks second- and third-year law students to apply the doctrinal knowledge mastered in their fundamental coursework to the actual practice of law. Students enrolled in the program represent real clients in actual cases and transactions under the close supervision of law faculty. The Clinical Law Program comprises several advanced legal education courses including specialized clinics in Business Law, Trusts and Estates,, Child and Family Advocacy, Immigration, and Community & Environmental Justice. Clients are primarily nonprofit corporations and people of modest economic means. Clinical Law Program students are taught and expected to demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in all areas of legal practice from mastery of substantive legal issues and procedures to unwavering professionalism and notable service to the greater community. The Clinical Law Program faculty also strives to instill an appreciation for the importance of reflection and balance in the practice of law.

Comparative Constitutional Law Law 358

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

Examination of recurring constitutional issues by review of legal scholarship and by comparing the constitutions and judicial interpretations of other countries. Considers topics among the following: comparative protections of civil, political and other human rights including freedom of speech and religion and the protection of religious and ethnic minorities; structural issues such as federalism, separation of powers, and the role of the judiciary; and the distinguishing features of socialist constitutions. Coverage includes examination of selected developments in Canada, Latin America, and Southern Africa. Students will make class presentations and write a paper.

Comparative Law Law 320

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

A general introduction to the nature of law and legal institutions outside the United States and to the comparative method of studying law. The principal focus is on the civil law tradition in Europe, Latin America, and East Asia and on selected countries characteristic legal structures and processes. The importance of indigenous law traditions in Latin American and Asia may also be reviewed, as well as the American lawyers practical problems in pleading and proving foreign law.

Conflict of Laws Law 313

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course will teach you how to detect and handle legal disputes that implicate the laws of more than one state or country, thus potentially presenting conflicts of laws. The course allocates more time on intra-U.S. or interstate conflicts, which are the most frequent, but also covers international conflicts between U.S. state or federal laws and foreign laws. It covers the criteria for choosing the state or country whose law will govern the merits of the dispute (choice of law) and the requirements for recognizing and enforcing a judgment in another state or country. Updated 10/2016.

Constitutional Law I Law 111

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Construction and application of the United States Constitution; allocation of powers between the federal government and the states; allocation of powers among federal executive, Congress, and courts; due process.

Constitutional Law II Law 252

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Study of the following issues arising under the United States Constitution: freedom of expression and association; religion clauses (free exercise of religion; bar on establishment of religion); equal protection clause (suspect and semi-suspect classifications; fundamental rights); state action doctrine; and congressional enforcement of civil rights.

Consumer Law Law 264

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This seminar will survey the laws applicable to the advertising and marketing. Expected topics include the advertising/editorial content distinction, false advertising law, deception, business torts, brand protection, and privacy. Students will write a research paper and make an in-class presentation to satisfy the requirements of the course. Updated 07/2014.

Contracts I Law 103

  • Credits: 4 letter-graded hours

Formation of informal and formal contracts; nature and duration of offer; acceptance; mutual assent; general principles of consideration; parol evidence; interpretation; constructive conditions and conditions precedent and subsequent; breach of contract; remedies for breach of contract; impossibility of performance; third party beneficiary; assignment; Statute of Frauds; discharge; accord and satisfaction; novation; illegal contracts. The development of contract law as a cultural institution reflective of general social and political trends. Consideration of the link between the humanities and extant contract law.

Contracts II Law 104

  • Prerequisites: Contracts I
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

Formation of informal and formal contracts; nature and duration of offer; acceptance; mutual assent; general principles of consideration; parol evidence; interpretation; constructive conditions and conditions precedent and subsequent; breach of contract; remedies for breach of contract; impossibility of performance; third party beneficiary; assignment; Statute of Frauds; discharge; accord and satisfaction; novation; illegal contracts. The development of contract law as a cultural institution reflective of general social and political trends. Consideration of the link between the humanities and extant contract law.

Copyright Law 260

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This a comprehensive introduction to U.S. copyright law, and begins with an analysis of copyright?s underlying policies and theoretical framework. It then examines the substantive and formal requirements for copyright protection, the exclusive rights (reproduction, adaptation, etc.) accorded to authors and copyright proprietors, the fair use defense, issues involving copyright ownership, renewal, duration, transfer and termination of transfers, moral rights, possible Constitutional limitations to copyright holder rights, contributory and vicarious liability (focusing on music file trading and peer-to-peer services like Napster, Kazaa and Grokster), and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Corporate Finance Law 203

  • Prerequisites: Business Organizations & Introduction to Business Law or instructor's consent
  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Capital structure and financing. Issuance of stock and payment of dividends. Provisions of the federal Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 on insider trading, fraud, and "tender offers" (take-over bids) of public-issue corporations.

Corporate Tax Law 236

  • Credits: 3

This course deals with the federal tax, consequences to corporations and their shareholders as a result of the most significant events for tax purposes - formation of the corporation, routine business operations, including the use of subsidiaries, issuing stock, payment of dividends on (and redemptions of) stock, mergers and other acquisitions, and termination. The course will contrast the tax consequences of choosing corporate form with those of operating a venture as an LLC or partnership.

Criminal Law Law 114

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

An overview of approaches among the states to the substantive criminal law, crimes and defenses. Includes historic common law distinctions, modern statutory modifications and the Model Penal Code.

Criminal Procedure I Law 334

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Criminal process from crime to trial. Emphasis upon recent constitutional law cases and current problems: arrest; search and seizure; police questioning; identification; initial appearance; preliminary hearing and release decision; complaint; indictment and information; discovery and disclosure; free press and fair trial; exclusionary rule applications; and plea negotiation.

Criminal Procedure II: Prosecution, Defense & Adjudication Law 391

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course starts where Criminal Procedure: Police Practices ends by looking at the prosecution and adjudication of criminal cases. Topics include the right to counsel, pretrial release and detention, charging, double jeopardy, pleas and plea bargains, confrontation of witnesses, sentencing, appeals and post conviction remedies.

Critical Race Theory Law 371

  • Credits: 2

This course surveys methods and aims of critical race theory. It engages in an analysis of social systems and cultural norms and considers their impact on human experience and the law. Students will be encouraged to consider how they are ‘placed’ in the social system and how they will participate in it as civic leaders, lawyers, and scholars. An aim will be to construct a framework of race that fosters survival, liberation, and emotional healing for all persons in society.

D – F

Deals Law 3020

  • Prerequisites: Business Organizations
  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This 3-hour course is designed to help prepare students for transactional law practice by providing further exposure to the role of professionals in creating value for the client. The first half of this course will focus on students acquiring the necessary background to understand barriers to transacting, as well as learning to recognize and work through common issues across a variety of transactions. In the second half of the course, students will participate in simulated deals and workshops that allow them to engage with parts of deals in, for example, the technology, financial, and real estate industries. The professor aims to bring in attorneys and other business people during the second half of the class to help facilitate and guide students in these simulations and workshops.

Debtor and Creditor Law 303

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Emphasis on bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978, including liquidation and debtor rehabilitation. Other matters affecting debtor-creditor relations, including judgment liens, executions, attachments, garnishments, fraudulent conveyances and exemptions. Suggested pre-requisite: Secured Transactions.

Deposition Skills Training Law 398

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course provides students with hands-on training on how to conduct and defend depositions in a simulated setting. Students learn to build a strong framework for basic deposition techniques as well as how to handle expert witness depositions. They will draft documents related to depositions, including notices, subpoenas, motions, affidavits, and proposed orders. The course will use a simulated case file and will include direct instruction, videotaped performance, team practice, and structured feedback.

Disability Law Law 233

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This course examines the ways in which modern disability laws are changing the cultural and physical landscape of our society. We will explore issues such as: disability discrimination and reasonable accommodation in the workplace, the obligation of government and private businesses to become accessible, and the requirements of housing providers to accommodate renters with disabilities. This class is team-taught by two attorneys: one who investigates civil rights complaints and another who represents plaintiffs in disability cases. In order to maximize our efforts to bring the real world into the classroom, we will also have several attorney guest speakers.

Don Turner Criminal Trial Competition Law 426

  • Credits: 1 hour first time competing; 0 hours second time competing. Maximum of 1 hour.

Elder Law Law 352

  • Prerequisites: Trusts & Estates
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

Estate planning for the elderly client. Topics covered include an introduction to the aging population and the aging process, delivery of services to the elderly, ethical issues, income maintenance programs (Social Security, Disability and Supplemental Security Income), health care entitlement programs (Medicare and Medicaid), nursing homes and other residential alternatives, guardianships and conservatorships, planning techniques for long-term health care, and health care decision-making. Writing component includes reports on field activities, interview with a "client" and drafting an advice letter, and drafting of guardianship and conservatorship pleadings. Class meets once a week on "flex time" schedule, not exceeding 3 hours for any one session.

Election Law Law 266

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course is devoted to surveying the constitutional and statutory provisions regulating the conduct of democratic elections in the United States. Issues to be discussed include the right to vote, ballot access restrictions, the regulation of political parties, reapportionment and redistricting; partisan gerrymandering, campaign financing, the Voting Rights Act, and special issues arising in the context of direct democracy (i.e., ballot initiatives and referenda).

Employment Discrimination Law 339

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course focuses on workplace claims involving employment discrimination and harassment. State and federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, and disability are explored. Topics include disparate treatment, disparate impact, harassment, bona fide occupational qualifications, and the business necessity defense. Updated 04/2014.

Employment Law Law 225

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course provides an in-depth examination of legal claims that arise in the workplace (except those related to employment discrimination). Topics include employment at will, judicial exceptions to the at will doctrine, hiring, privacy rights, and non-competition agreements. Federal overtime and minimum wage protections are explored as well. Finally the course considers mandatory arbitration as a means for resolving employment disputes. Updated 04/2014.

Endangered Species Act Law 277

  • Prerequisites: None
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This course will explore the Endangered Species Act, the nation’s most groundbreaking and controversial wildlife protection law. Beginning with an overview of the political and biological landscape that gave rise to the ESA, students will read and discuss the key provisions of the ESA and the most important cases that have interpreted and applied those provisions. Students will learn what events will trigger the listing of a species under the ESA; what constitutes “critical habitat” and how it is designated; how the ESA is enforced; and what steps an agency must take to ensure recovery of a designated species and its habitat.

Energy & Climate Law Law 387

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Traditional energy law includes private law, price regulation, and other regulatory laws that govern extraction, storage, transportation, and refining of energy minerals (coal, oil, gas, uranium), electrical power generation and distribution, natural gas production and distribution, hydroelectric and nuclear licensing and energy use in industrial and transportation sectors. The class will cover those subjects; however this is not your grandmothers energy law class. The present and future of energy law is changing rapidly, perhaps faster than any other area of law. Energy lawyers cannot simply rely on well-defined bodies of law regarding oil and gas leases, unitization agreements, state public utility regulation, surface coal reclamation, rights-of-way over federal land, and FERC hydroelectric licenses to answer client questions, make convincing legal arguments, and assist their clients in deals. They must understand complex institutional relationships, be able to deal in a fluid legal and policy environment,and have the ability to fluently articulate client interests in terms of public policy goals and regulatory rationales such as economic efficiency, sustainability, supply security, universal affordable access, recapturing unearned monopoly profits, and maintaining ecosystem services. Finally, to avoid themselves becoming fossilized organic matter, energy lawyers must understand the forces driving energy law in the 21st century; rapid scientific and technological advances; geopolitical power shifts and terrorism; the global carbon cycle, global warming, effects of regional climate change, and adaptation; the peak oil debate and other aspects of resource supply dynamics; liberalization and deregulation of energy markets; globalization and multinational corporate behavior; corporate social responsibility, shifting investor expectations and global financier demands; international commitments to alleviate extreme poverty and increasingly dynamic economic growth in India, China, and other major energy markets. The class is designed to prepare those who are consider a practice related to energy law, environmental law or natural resources law as well as providing essential background on critical energy issues for all lawyers.

Entrepreneurship and the Law Law 271

  • Prerequisites: Business Organizations
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

The course will provide students with an introduction and overview of serving as legal counsel for entrepreneurs, start-ups and investors in today's fast paced economy. We will explore a number of basic issues including entity structuring, building the management team, raising outside capital, valuation, execution of the business plan and preparing/completing an exit. Students will have the opportunity to learn from seasoned attorneys, entrepreneurs and investors. Updated 10/2014.

Environmental Justice Law 226

  • Credits: 1

Our society places systematic and disproportionate environmental burdens on marginalized communities and vulnerable individuals (including children, poor people, immigrants, and Native American, Latinx and African American communities). These injustices have given rise to the environmental justice movement. Although environmental justice was once a niche topic in environmental law, it has become the driving force in environmental and natural resources policy. This course will examine several aspects of environmental justice from both historical and current events, perspectives including issues such as the failure to protect children and Native Americans in setting standards siting polluting facilities in poor and African American communities, the climate justice issues of market-based air pollution, regulation, and the failure to take appropriate, enforcement action to protect these communities. There is no final, but students will develop and present a project on a particular environmental justice issue on their final day in class.

Environmental Law & Policy Law 223

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This is an experimental class designed to teach you environmental law and policy in context. You will be involved in a series of simulations to expose you to the institutions, law, and policies that create our environmental regulatory systems. The simulations will provide both professional writing experiences and opportunities to engage in oral advocacy in litigation, transactional, and policy contexts. Assessment: simulation problems. No exam.

Evidence Law 213

  • Credits: 4 letter-graded hours

Judicial notice; real and demonstrative evidence; direct and circumstantial evidence; witnesses; authentication; hearsay; burden of proof; presumption; relevance; privileges.

Externship Law 480

  • Prerequisites: Dependent upon placement
  • Credits: Summer, 3-9 hours; Regular Fall/Spring term, 3-12 hours

The externship course provides in-depth, field learning opportunities in judicial, government, nonprofit, and in some cases, private settings with firms or in-house counsel, under the tutelage of lawyers and judges. You work for academic credit. There is a class component associated with the course. The goals of the program are to learn the day-to-day skills that are necessary for the practice of law, to turn theory of law into practical lawyering skills, to instill the rules of professionalism by observing the practices of lawyers and judges, and to increase substantive knowledge in various legal areas. An externship improves lawyering skills, knowledge and self-confidence.

Family Law Law 208

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Survey of laws governing marriage and divorce. Includes jurisdiction; consequences; economic relations; alimony, support and separation agreements; status of the child; juvenile court proceedings as they affect child custody and the parent-child relationship.

Federal Courts Law 207

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

An examination into the role of federal courts in our constitutional system by looking at their relationship with other branches and with the state courts. We will learn about the fundamental powers and structure of the federal courts, the extent of and limits to congressional control over those powers, and the procedures that help to define and protect those powers. Includes discussion of subject matter jurisdiction, state law in federal courts (and vice-versa), and the role of state sovereign immunity in federal litigation.

Federal Income Tax Law 215

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course addresses the federal income taxation of individuals, including the determination of gross income, allowable deductions and the character of gain or loss. Nonrecognition and other common transactions are covered.

Federal Lands & Natural Resources Law & Policy Law 212

  • Credits: 2

The United States owns and manages some 650 million acres within its borders, the vast majority of it in the West, and more than 50 percent of the land in Oregon. These lands are mostly undeveloped, and thus, abundant in a wide array of natural resources. In addition, the United States has varied legal and regulatory interests in specific subcategories of natural resources on non-Federal lands, including certain species of fish and wildlife, air, and, water. This course will provide an overview of the historical background and survey of the most pressing current issues in law and policy related to the management of federal lands and natural resources with particular emphasis on specially designated federal areas within Oregon, including the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, and Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands (O&C, Lands). It will address these issues in the context of each and among the three branches of the U.S. government and will further explore the interrelationship among Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments in their resolution.

First Amendment Law 381

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

First Amendment is a topical seminar in First Amendment law (speech and religion). Students are expected to have a basic understand of First Amendment doctrine and analysis. Using that knowledge as a foundation, the seminar will focus on theory and application of First Amendment principles on particular issues (e.g.: hate speech). Class evaluation will be based on a book/article review (3-5 pages), a final paper (25 +/- pages), a class presentation of the draft paper during the final week of the semester, an oral and written critique of a classmate's paper (2-3 pages), and class participation. Updated 3/2016.

Foreign Relations Law 247

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

The book assigned to the course, in the words of its Preface, covers constitutional rules, principal statutes, and landmark judicial decisions applicable to cataclysms and events in the field of U.S. “foreign relations law.”  The seven Chapters cover the core areas of substantive law and procedure, addressing the manner in which international law (the law of nations and treaties) becomes a part of U.S. law, and the manner in which power is allocated within the federal government and between the federal government and the several states.  The issues addressed are of enormous importance – perhaps the most monumental that any lawyer ever confronts.  In times of national emergency, such as a large-scale terrorist attack, how should one think about the relative allocation of the powers of Congress and the president?  What are the effects on U.S. law and policy when the United States adheres to a treaty that, for example, prohibits torture?  Should rules developed through the practice of nations worldwide be used as a part of internal U.S. law, including for interpretation of the U.S. constitution?  When can the president introduce U.S. armed forces into hostilities without congressional authorization?  What role can the courts play in adjudicating such disputes?

G – I

Global Sustainability Law 386

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This course examines the philosophy and practice of sustainability and follows the subsequent development of this approach in resolving post industrial problems. After a brief introduction to ecological ethics and thinking, we begin with its origins in the public international law of environmental protection. Through the analytical lenses of risk analysis, economics, land use law and social sciences, we examine how sustainability can engage and resolve complex, post industrial problems through law and the work of lawyers. Throughout the course, we consider how law can engage solutions, and the role of lawyers in implementing sustainable approaches through law and other social forums.

Health Care Law & Policy Law 248

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

The course considers selected topics related to health care in the United States, with particular focus on issues relating to the financing of health care services and access to such services.

Health Law & Policy II Law 268

  • Prerequisites: Health Care Law & Policy recommended
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This class will focus on the development of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and the Reconciliation Act of 2010, and the impact this legislation has upon delivery and reimbursement models in heal care. Updated 10/2013

Human Rights Law 373

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This course is a survey of international human rights norms and their implementation. The course will include consideration of the historical and ideological origins of the human rights movement, issues of universality versus cultural relativism, and alternative ideological conceptions. The course will survey the basic international and regional human rights agreements and instruments and their enforcement mechanisms. It will consider the status of second and third generation rights, group rights, and collective rights. The course will also examine remedies for human rights violations and the substantive elaboration of selected specific human rights. Updated 11/2014.

Immigration Clinic Law 618-I

  • Prerequisites: Legal Research & Writing I and II
  • Credits: 2-4 letter-graded hours

The Clinical Law Program provides students with hands-on, professional experience in actual law practice. The program is generally the capstone of a student's legal education at Willamette. The program asks second- and third-year law students to apply the doctrinal knowledge mastered in their fundamental coursework to the actual practice of law. Students enrolled in the program represent real clients in actual cases and transactions under the close supervision of law faculty. The Clinical Law Program comprises several advanced legal education courses including specialized clinics in Business Law, Trusts and Estates,, Child and Family Advocacy, Immigration, and Community & Environmental Justice. Clients are primarily nonprofit corporations and people of modest economic means. Clinical Law Program students are taught and expected to demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in all areas of legal practice from mastery of substantive legal issues and procedures to unwavering professionalism and notable service to the greater community. The Clinical Law Program faculty also strives to instill an appreciation for the importance of reflection and balance in the practice of law.

Immigration Law Law 350

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

The administrative structure and substantive legal doctrine of immigration law, including the bases for permanent resident alien and non-immigration status; exclusion and deportation, and the international law of immigration; constitutional constraints on the Immigration and Naturalization Service and other governmental agencies; the rights of undocumented aliens, refugees and asylees; and employment rights of aliens.

Independent Research Law 470

  • Credits: 1-2 hours

This course involves the preparation of a paper or thesis on a topic selected by the student which is not fully covered by the regular curriculum, under the supervision of a full-time faculty member. One credit hour requires 52 hours of work, including any meetings with the supervising full-time faculty member. Two credit hours requires 104 hours of work, including any meetings with the supervising full-time faculty member.

International Business Transactions Law 318

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Public and private aspects of international trade, licensing, and investment. Topics include international documentary transactions; letters of credit; exchange controls; NAFTA and the WTO; tariffs; trade barriers and preferences; duties; import and export controls, trade with non-market economies, ethical issues and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; international enforcement of intellectual property rights; foreign investment; double taxation; the European Union; repatriation of overseas profits; and expropriation.

International Criminal Law Law 265

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This course will examine the subject of international criminal law, which sits at the intersection of international human rights law, international humanitarian law (the law of war) and public international law. We will study the development of international norms of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes; the jurisdiction and procedure of international tribunals, including the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), and the hybrid tribunals, such as those in Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Bosnia, East Timor and Kosovo; and domestic applications of international criminal law and related jurisdictional issues. We will evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of different responses to violations of the laws of war and mass atrocity. We also will explore the distinction between rules governing when to go to war and those governing how it should be fought; the protections afforded by the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the 1977 Protocols to combatants and noncombatants, including civilians and POWs. Finally, we will discuss the implications of international criminal and humanitarian law for current events, including the crisis in Syria and the “war on terror.” The class will culminate in a research paper of at least 20 pages in length. Updated 10/2016.

International Law and Dispute Resolution Law 316

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course offers a survey of public international law and dispute resolution. Topics covered include the origins, nature, development, sources, and subjects of international law; recognition of states and governments; treaty interpretations; state and government succession; extradition; human rights; laws of armed conflict; the control of terrorism; the law of the sea; and international cultural heritage law.

International Law Moot Court Competition Law 416

  • Credits: 1 hour first time competing; 0 hours second time competing. Maximum of 1 hour.

International Litigation and Arbitration Law 372

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

The course is designed to provide students with a practical understanding of the institutions, processes, rules, and policies that shape litigation and arbitration arising out of transnational disputes.

Internet and Social Media Law 276

  • Prerequisites: None
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

As individuals, companies, and state actors exchange vast amounts of information via social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Twitter, the law has struggled to mediate competing social, economic, and regulatory interests. This course will examine a series of legal issues raised by (1) the flow of personal information through social media, (2) the emergence of business models premised on such information flows, and (3) expanded opportunities for law enforcement and government surveillance. It will also examine strategic and ethical issues surrounding lawyers' use of evidence derived from social media. Topics covered may include consumer privacy, online harassment, advertising and securities law regulations, copyright and user-generated content, electronic discovery, and the free speech interests of businesses, employees, and students. Each class session will focus on a particular facet of an emerging body of social media law, and students will read and discuss related case law, scholarship, and policy proposals. Grading will be based upon class participation, two short response essays, and a final paper.

Introduction to American Law Law 150

  • Prerequisites: LLM, MLS, & MBA Students Only
  • Credits: 3 hours

Introduction to American Law is a course designed for LL.M, MBA and Master of Legal Studies Program students. The course provides an overview of various areas of American law, of the U.S. legal profession, and of the U.S. judicial process. It serves as an introduction to legal and ethical principles driving the U.S. legal system in the context of jurisprudence of American law and legal culture. Through close reading and critical discussion of cases and materials, the course will introduce students to effective use of legal resources and legal reasoning in the U.S. legal system. The course will also focus on introducing the students to reading and understand cases and statutes, doing legal research, and applying existing law to the issue at hand. Lastly, the course will include a section on professional ethics and culture of the law, including, settlement expectations of different dispute resolution mechanisms in the United States. Updated 04/2014.

Introduction to Business Taxation Law 360

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Survey of the basic tax rules and principles applicable to the primary forms of business organizations and sole proprietorships: Federal, state, local and payroll taxation of corporations, LLCs, partnerships, independent contractors, mutual funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs). The course will emphasize general legal principles and issues rather than technical details.

J – L

Jurisprudence Law 326

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Juvenile Law Law 325

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

Legal rights and status of children. Rights regarding economic activity, family, school, health care and sexuality. Analysis of key bases for juvenile court jurisdiction: abuse/neglect; status offenses; and crimes. Due process rights in police, court and agency procedures. Issues raised by placement in foster care, juvenile detention facilities, adult jails, and state training schools. Additional rights of special population children: poor, handicapped, migrant, Native American.

Labor Law Law 205

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Role of federal law in labor relations; historical development of labor law; union organization and recognition; duty to bargain collectively; strikes, picketing, and boycotts; administration and enforcement of the collective bargaining agreement.

Land Use Planning Law 222

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Overview of the traditional techniques of land use control including zoning, subdivision controls, planned unit developments and growth management controls. Consideration of the comprehensive plan as a limitation on administrative and political discretion in the decision-making process. Examination of the Due Process and Takings Clause jurisprudence of the Supreme Court with respect to land use regulation.

Law, Money, and Technology Law 319

  • Credits: 3

Our lives are shaped by money and technology, which in turn are constituted and mediated by law. In particular, innovations in monetary and financial technology, or 'fintech,' tend to drive technological change more broadly. This has been true since the invention of the written word as an accounting device over 5000 years ago, at least. Today, Wall St and Silicon Valley dominate our social and political imagination. No one, from private individuals to businesses to political leaders, can escape the disruptive effects of information capitalism and the internet. Against this backdrop, legal debates over the design and regulation of digital currencies serve as a microcosm for larger political debates regarding the appropriate balance of public and private power, freedom and control, and privacy and surveillance in the twenty-first century. In a very real sense, the future of digital money is the future of the global economy. Lawyers have a critical role to play in shaping this future - as architects, counselors, problem-solvers, entrepreneurs, activists, and social visionaries. More immediately, how you as law students perceive and relate to money and digital technology can and will have a profound impact on the kind of lawyer you will ultimately become. To that end, this course will consist of three components. First, you will read and discuss texts and hear from experts to better understand the relationship between law, money, and technology using various forms of digital money as case studies. Second, you will complete a set of practical exercises to learn how to better incorporate digital technology into your legal practice. These include, but are not limited to, setting up a personal website, email, and self-hosted cloud, and experimenting with free and opensource office and communications platforms. Third, you will complete an individual, research or applied learning project on a related topic of your choosing and present your results to the class.

Lawyers and Leadership Law 285

  • Credits: 2

In this limited enrollment special topics seminar, we will facilitate conversations designed to prepare students to become leaders of organizations and to embark on paths of personal leadership development. This course requires personal curiosity and reflection from students as well as personal openness and sharing in class discussions. We will focus on the basic principles of personal and interpersonal leadership that can be used in any arena of law practice. We will explore variables that affect productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency, and a variety of interpersonal skill sets. Emphasis will be placed on vision, goals & objectives, motivation, decision-making, time management, power, team building, conflict, ethics, dealing with, change, communication skills, and diversity issues. In addition, we will explore a variety of other topics including developing your personal leadership style. By the end of the course, you will have increased your personal and interpersonal awareness, sharpened your analytical skills, and gained a greater understanding of the complex issues facing today's leaders.

Legal Analysis for the Bar Law 640

  • Prerequisites: Be a 3L in one's last semester.
  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Legal Analysis for the Bar Exam focuses on improving the analytical skills students need to perform well on the bar examination. Students will learn and practice strategies and techniques used in answering questions posed in all three bar exam components (MBE, MEE, and MPT). Students will work through MEE and MPT questions from previous bar examinations and receive feedback on those exercises. Students will also practice sample MBE questions and learn how to autopsy answer choices.  Additionally, students will participate in self-diagnostic, peer review, reflection, and other formative exercises to improve their skills and identify areas of strengths and weaknesses. The course will use law from three subjects that are routinely tested on multiple portions of the bar exam (Federal Civil Procedure, Evidence, and Torts) and help students develop strategies to review their knowledge in those and other tested topics. The course will also address strategies for preparing for the bar exam, including planning, memorization, self-care, and other practical skills.  Please note that this course is intended to serve as a suitable first step to prepare for any state's bar examination. However, the course is intended to supplement, not replace, a full commercial bar review and preparation course. Updated 4/2019.

Legal Research & Analysis Law 153

  • Credits: 4

Legal Research & Analysis is a course designed for, LL.M, MBA and Master of Legal Studies students. The course offers an introduction to legal analysis research and writing. While legal research sources and techniques are a central component of the course, it is recognized that legal research must be studied in the context of the legal analysis and writing process. Therefore, students study and perform exercises in problem analysis, weight of authority, issue formulation, case law analysis, statutory interpretation, forms of legal reasoning and citation form. Students will conduct legal research based on a factual scenario, analyze the law and report the results of that research and analysis in writing.

Legal Research & Writing I Law 105

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Fundamentals of legal analysis, research and writing, including analyzing and reasoning using statutes, court rules and judicial opinions, and communicating the legal analysis clearly and effectively to others in writing and in oral argument.

Legal Research & Writing II Law 106

  • Prerequisites: Legal Research & Writing I
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

Fundamentals of legal analysis, research and writing, including analyzing and reasoning using statutes, court rules and judicial opinions, and communicating the legal analysis clearly and effectively to others in writing and in oral argument.

Legislation and Regulation Law 3019

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Students begin their legal education by learning common law doctrines and methods of judicial reasoning. But in the modern era, most lawyers will deal with statutes and administrative rules more than the common law. In addition, many upper-level law school courses will address substantive areas of law that are governed by statutes and regulations. This course will introduce students to the legislative process, the role of agencies, the justifications for regulation, and the theories and tools that judges use in interpreting text.

M – O

Mediation & Mediation Advocacy Law 619

  • Credits: 2 hours

This course covers the mediation process from the perspective of the mediator and from the perspective of the attorney or disputant using this form of dispute resolution. Critical issues of neutrality, confidentiality, and qualifications are included as well as specific skills and techniques used by the mediator. In addition, the course covers how to use mediation effectively. The course work is covered using text, class discussion and activities, short papers and role playing.

Medical Malpractice Law 270

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

Some 75,000 hospital patients die each year because of negligence. Just in the past month, a hospital in Texas mistakenly discharged a patient who subsequently developed Ebola. Many hundreds of people were placed on movement restricts and two health care workers who cared for the patient subsequently contracted the disease. Why do mistakes like this occur and what are we doing to prevent medical errors? The healthcare industry has become perhaps the most regulated in the United States. As clinicians, hospitals, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and other players respond to this regulatory environment, the health law field has become a dynamic and complex area. And it is one evidencing a marked growth in legal employment. Indeed, health law has become such a specialized area that some state bars have developed board certification programs in healthcare. This class is unified around two main themes: (1) legal mechanisms to assure medical quality and (2) legal mechanisms to protect and promote patient autonomy. Among the many areas we will examine some of the most interesting include: - why medical malpractice occurs; - what the health care industry is doing to improve patient safety; - how licensure and credentialing process failures can lead to significant patient injuries; - the elements of a malpractice claim and corresponding defenses; - why apology and early offers to pay are bringing about huge changes in our compensation system; - the discovery, trial and settlement processes; - how liability insurance works; - the impact of litigation on clinicians. Updated 10/2014.

Mergers and Acquisitions Law 349

  • Prerequisites: Business Organizations, Corporate Finance
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

The course introduces students to the structure, negotiation, and documentation of corporate mergers and acquisitions. Topics covered include basic acquisition structures, fiduciary duties of directors and officers, deal flow and the role of counsel in a transaction, successor liability, due diligence, shareholder appraisal rights, takeover defense mechanisms, risk allocation, and negotiation and documentation of the transaction. The final paper is a client memorandum addressed to a director of the target company from an actual deal that the student selects from the SEC's database of public company deals. This 2-credit course does not emphasize tax or securities aspects of corporate mergers and acquisitions. Updated 10/2014.

National Appellate Competition Law 404

  • Credits: 1 hour first time competing; 0 hours second time competing. Maximum of 1 hour.

Native American Law Law 237

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Statutory, judicial, and administrative material concerning American Indian tribes and individuals. Included are the historical development of Federal Indian policy; treaties; the trust relationship; tribal sovereignty; civil and criminal jurisdiction; natural resources of tribes; hunting and fishing rights; tribal self-government.

Negotiation Law 278

  • Prerequisites: None
  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

The goal of this course will be to explore the theory and practice of transactional advocacy in the context of business negotiation. You will simulate a complex multi-part transaction, beginning with reviewing the legal and non-legal background, anticipating issues, and considering possible solutions. You will then meet with your client, meet with attorneys representing the other party, and attempt to reach an agreement that will meet with your client’s approval. You will then memorialize your agreement (and perhaps engage in further negotiation that the drafting process frequently entails). 

Negotiation Competition Law 422

  • Credits: 0 hours competing.

Open Appellate Competition Law 425

  • Credits: 1 hour first time competing; 0 hours second time competing. Maximum of 1 hour.

Oregon Criminal Procedure & Practice Law 396

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

Advanced study of Oregon criminal procedure and practice. Emphasis on recognizing and litigating, from trial through appeal, criminal/constitutional procedure issues including self-incrimination, right to counsel, search and seizure, and speedy trial. In this course students will study selected cases and articles, prepare written motions and responses and present oral argument on the motions and responses. Grade is based on class participation and quality of written and oral motion practice.

Oregon Family Law Practice Law 395

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This course will offer students an opportunity to put into practice what they learned in the basic family law course. The course will operate much like a practical skills course, but will focus on Oregon family law, and will include substantial preparation of written work. Students will participate in motions regarding their cases, custody evaluations, mediation and a trial of contested issues. In addition, students will learn how property is divided; child support is determined; what factors are significant in a custody evaluation and how a qualified domestic relations order is created.

P – S

Partnership Tax Law 341

  • Credits: 2

Federal tax law applicable to pass-through, entities-including partnerships, limited liability, companies, mutual funds and real estate investment trusts (REITS)-and their investors. Final exam or research paper.

Patent Law and Policy Law 354

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

The students will learn the fundamentals of U.S. patent law, patent practice, and the governing policy concerns. The course will concentrate on the practical rather than the theoretical, without being of interest solely to technically trained future patent practitioners. The professor will teach by lecture and demonstration with significant student classroom participation. A science or engineering background is preferable but not required.

Payment Systems Law 338

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Payment Systems involves study of the variety of ways that we pay for goods and services other than cash - and the law, policy, and institutions that govern them. It deals with both older payment systems - credit and debit cards, direct deposits into automatic debits from checking accounts, checks, wire transfers - as well as evolving new payment systems such as E-money, real time payments, and Bitcoins. It also touches upon credit enhancement devices such as letters of credit and liquidity systems such as negotiable instruments. Although there remains a remnant of UCC Articles 3-5, the field is increasingly dominated by federal law and private standards. Payment Systems is generally not tested on bar exams; students should take this course only because they ae interested in representing consumers, banks, or business, or because they are curious about how law adapts to rapidly emerging new technologies. Assessment: CALI exercises, written problems and short objective final exam.

Police Discretion Law 329

  • Credits: 2

This limited enrollment special topics seminar will analyze the role of police discretion in the criminal justice system. In no other profession does discretion increase as you go lower down on the hierarchical chain of command. For example, beat cops make an inordinate number of split-second decisions without judicial oversight. Is the Supreme Court correct that discretion is a necessity in light of the day-to-day realities of criminal investigations? Is it therefore correct to relax the warrant rules because beat cops in particular must necessarily take swift action predicated upon their on-the-spot observations? Or, is it true that police discretion - left unchecked by the judiciary - allows for racial prejudice on the street and perjury on the witness stand? This course explores these and numerous other related questions in the context of, among other topics, traffic stops, use of force, interrogations, and suppression hearings. Criminal Procedure I would offer helpful background but is not a prerequisite course.

Practical Writing for Lawyers Law 283

  • Prerequisites: None
  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

In this course you will learn writing skills essential to the practice of transactional, in-house, and litigation attorneys. In addition to letters, memoranda and pleadings, we will focus on clarity and organization in writing, along with grammar, punctuation, form and tone appropriate for the intended audience.

Pre-Trial Civil Litigation Law 374

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

A study of the planning, investigation, pleading and discovery lawyers engage in prior to trial and the skills, tactics and strategies necessary to effectively prepare to try a case. Course includes practice drafting pretrial motions, memoranda and declarations and creating a trial notebook.

Privacy Law Law 275

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

Does the government need a warrant to read your emails? What are the limits of employers surveilling you at work? Do you have a privacy interest in your face as facial recognition technology advances by the day? Do you have legal recourse against an angry ex posting intimate photos of you on the internet? This seminar explores the legal doctrines of privacy and confidentiality used to protect personal individual privacy as new technologies and new practices emerge. The course will examine the philosophical roots of the concepts of privacy law, and trace developments in U.S. law as to how expectations of privacy and confidentiality are translated into legal frameworks. This course spends a considerable amount of time studying the scope and implications of statutes that attempt to create privacy protections with respect to electronic personal information. Your grade will be determined by class participation and presentation of a final project.

Professional Responsibility Law 206

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

Consideration of the ethical problems in the practice of law, the legal constraints on the lawyer's professional conduct, the role of the lawyer in the legal profession and the place of the profession in society.

Property Law 108

  • Credits: 4 letter-graded hours

Law of possession; acquisition of title; estates and future interests in land; adverse possession; easements; servitude and covenants; landlord and tenant.

Public Health Law Law 397

  • Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course. It is useful, but not necessary, for students to take this course after or in conjunction with Administrative Law (Law 255), State & Local Government (Law 304), and/or First Amendment (Law 381).
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This seminar will focus primarily on the authority of government to regulate for the public health and constitutional restrictions thereon. The class surveys major public health issues like vaccines, fluoride, tobacco, drug use, cannabis, vaping, obesity, and firearms.  It examines the horizontal separation of powers that impacts regulation in these realms, including delegations to the Food and Drug Administration, as well as the vertical division of power among the federal, state, and local governments.  Updated 11/2019.

Public Health Law: Legal Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic Law 397-A

This course will focus on the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic on various aspects of the legal system. Key issues will include international, federal, state, and local public health infrastructure; governmental emergency powers, such as quarantine authority, as well as potential constitutional restrictions thereon; moratoria on foreclosures and evictions; social safety net regimes like paid sick leave and unemployment insurance; and the regulatory process for diagnostic test and drug approval.

Race and the Law Law 3002

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This seminar will explore the historical and contemporary treatment of race in the United States by both the courts and the legislature. The seminar will employ an interdisciplinary approach to examining the social and political forces that have and continue to contribute to the development of legal doctrine in the areas of education, employment, interracial sex and marriage, and public accommodations, among other things. Throughout, the seminar will explore the definition of race, the intersection of race and gender, the interplay of race and class, the juxtaposition of various ethnic groups, and the utility of a biracial dichotomy in a multiracial and multiethnic society. Most of the seminar will focus on particular racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. society (e.g. African-, Asian-, Caucasian-, Native-, and Mexican Americans).

Real Estate Transactions Law 214

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Contracts for sale of land, including remedies for breach. Security devices, including mortgages, trust deeds and land sale contracts. Real estate development, including subdivisions and condominiums.

Remedies Law 204

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course examines the choices available to litigants who seek judicial remedies. Focus is on private remedies, including specific remedies (injunctions, specific performance, writs), declaratory judgments, and money judgments (tort and contract damages and restitution). Subtext of course reveals the interplay between specific and substitutionary relief.

Sales Law 246

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

The law concerning sales of goods. Focus is on Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code and related commercial and consumer law. Topics include formation, interpretation, and enforcement of sales contracts; risk of loss; rejection and revocation of acceptance of goods; breach of warranty in commercial and consumer cases; buyers' and sellers' remedies; and issues concerning delivery of good title. Minor coverage is also given to Articles 2A (lease of goods), 5 (letters of credit), 7 (documents of title).

School Law Law 333

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course is designed with an emphasis on the role of the school law attorney and covers federal and state constitutional law, statutory law, and state and local rules and regulations as applied in the school and education setting. Though there is some discussion of higher education, private schools, and home schooling, the course focuses primarily on government regulation of public elementary and secondary education and the various individual and institutional rights and responsibilities. This includes students' rights regarding privacy, search and seizure, free speech, and access to education; teachers' rights and responsibilities, particularly with respect to employment and discipline, the duty to supervise, and academic freedom; the responsibilities and powers of the state and local school districts, including torts, zoning, and eminent domain; the intersection of state, federal, and local rights and control of education; race, gender, and disability discrimination; law and religion in the school setting; and the unique position of the school, a governmental entity often operating from a quasi-in loco parentis position to hundreds of students. Updated 03/2014.

Science, Technology & the Law Law 257

  • Credits: 2

The course considers a range of relationships between, scientific/technological developments and the law, and addresses policy and doctrinal ramifications at the domestic and international (cross-jurisdictional) levels. Specific topics will vary from year-to-year, using a mix of issues to identify core characteristics and assess the appropriateness of various approaches to the interactions. Possible topics include: Internet, intellectual property (music/video distribution, cybersquatting/metatags, business method patents); medical science (pharmaceutical, patenting; regulation of stem cell research, abortion, and right to die); privacy (consumer profiling, technological, fencing and the right to read, 4th Amendment); jurisdiction/choice of law (conflicts on the global web, harmonization); scientific evidence; evolution as 1st amendment religion (creationism); regulating through scientific method (cost-benefit analysis) and technology forcing; e-commerce issues and antitrust regulation of innovation markets, R & D pooling and standard setting. Students can elect to either write a substantial paper or take a final exam. Papers of sufficient quality can be used to satisfy the graduation year writing requirement. No scientific, or technical background is necessary.

Secured Transactions Law 337

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

The law concerning secured transactions in personal property and fixtures (Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code). Topics include the scope of UCC Article 9, creation and perfection of security interests, priorities of claimants to collateral, and default and enforcement procedures. Emphasis is placed on the study of the interrelationship of UCC Article 9 and bankruptcy law.

Securities Regulation Law 309

  • Credits: 3

This course examines the regulation of securities, offerings and trading under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. It explores offerings and the registration process under the Securities Act along with reporting requirements under the Exchange Act. The course will also cover fraud, insider trading, and civil liabilities under both Acts. Finally, the course will touch upon selected recent developments in securities regulation.

Selected Problems in International Law Law 359

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This course will examine a range of current issues at the intersections of the environmental and cultural heritage, human rights, international economics and sovereignty. The class will also consider international legal aspects of any late-breaking events that merit attention.

Selected Topics in Labor & Employment Law Law 399

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This seminar provides an opportunity for intensive study of the law of the workplace. While addressing the legal doctrine governing key components of the relationships between employers and employees, the seminar emphasizes the role current legal regimes play in structuring workplaces and workplace behavior. The topics addressed include the social and economic significance of work, the decline of unionism, the rise of the individual rights model versus the collective, and the incentives for hiring and workplace governance created by various antidiscrimination statutes, wage protections and employment entitlements.

Sentencing Law Law 389

  • Prerequisites: Criminal Law & Criminal Procedure I
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This seminar explores the modern sentencing reform movement. Topics include the origins and critiques of the traditional sentencing system, the philosophical and policy bases for limiting judicial discretion in sentencing laws, sentencing guidelines and commissions, alternatives to incarceration, organizational sentencing, capital punishment, and the impact of race and gender on sentencing. The seminar compares federal and state approaches to these questions and also examines sentencing in other countries. In discussing the issues, we assess competing models of sentencing and current debates about the proper goals of policing, justice, incarceration, rehabilitation, deterrence and retribution.

Setting Up A Law Practice Law 637

  • Credits: 2 hours

This course is an introduction to the building of a successful law practice. It will focus on the practical skills and considerations necessary in the establishment of a law practice, including staffing, marketing, advertising and client development, client relations, trust accounting, file management, client billing and the development of a detailed business plan.

Sexuality & Discrimination Law 388

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This course will explore the contemporary legal, social, medical, and psychological issues of sexuality, both from a domestic legal perspective as well as from international vantage points. The focus of the course will be on discrimination based on sexual orientation, considering contexts of employment, family law, education, housing, and immigration. There will also be an exploration of the civil rights of people with AIDS, and the discrimination that attends it in the same contexts as well as in the availability of insurance and medical and dental treatment. Finally, the course will look at the phenomenon of discrimination with respect to pregnancy and related issues. A substantial writing project will be required, and evaluation will be partially based on contribution to class discussion.

Spaulding Trial Competition Law 409

  • Credits: 1 hour first time competing; 0 hours second time competing. Maximum of 1 hour.

Sports Law Law 224

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course covers three general and distinctive themes of international and domestic sports law: 1) the fundamentals of sports institutions, dispute resolution including the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and organizational models; 2) protection of competition and athletes, including issues of doping, gambling, technology, eligibility for competition, anti-discrimination law and policy, and protection of young athletes; and 3) commercial issues, including anti-trust aspects, media rights, intellectual property rights, image rights, event scholarship and players' agents. Updated 03/2014.

State and Local Government Law Law 304

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Considers the sources of local government power, the legal relations between local governments and other governmental entities, and local governments' relations with individuals.

State and Local Tax Law 217

  • Prerequisites: Previous course primarily devoted to taxation - recommended
  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Principal legal issues arising out of state and municipal taxation in the Pacific Northwest, contiguous states and Alaska: taxes on personal and business income, property, sales, resources and estates.

State Constitutional Law Law 355

  • Prerequisites: Constitutional Law I
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

State constitutions differ from the United States Constitution and among themselves. The course examines these differences, and how courts and lawyers deal with provisions that do and others that do not parallel federal provisions.

Statutory Interpretation Law 216

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Discovery and use of statutes and legislative materials, including federal, state and municipal legislation in representation and litigation before legislative bodies and the courts; interpretation of legislation; insight into the legislative process and its effect.

Sustainable Natural Resources Law Law 348

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course introduces you at a sophisticated level to natural resources law and policy. We first develop an overall framework for understanding the vast array of natural resources subfields -- explicitly considering the substantive goals of the law, the means that may be chosen to implement the substantive goals, how we allocate the power to choose those goals and means, and the processes used to make such decisions. Our framework includes a consideration of the role of law, policy, economics and technical expertise. Next we explore how environmental and natural resources law and policy approaches the problem of nature conservation, sometimes referred to as protecting biodiversity. Then, we examine how environmental and natural resources law structures management of economic resources (e.g. water, fisheries, mineral resources) as well as significant legal doctrines that affect both biodiversity conservation and economic resource utilization (e.g. the public trust doctrine and constitutional takings doctrine).

T – V

The Law of Biomedical Research Law 394

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

Introduction into how the legal system and biomedicine work in the context of advertising and medical diagnosis. Students will be introduced to some medical and science issues. We will examine how federal law regulates clinical research, paying special attention to Institutional Review Boards, informed consent and confidentiality laws; criticisms of the current scheme, focusing on conflicts of interest. The second half of the course will discuss questions surrounding genetic research, including the meaning of genetic information, legal status of human tissue, how genetic information may lead to discrimination and how the law should regulate genetic information.

The Presidency and the Constitution Law 385

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

The Presidency and the Constitution. This seminar considers the President's Article II powers and how the power of the presidency has developed in relation to other aspects of the Constitution. While the majority of topics will be contemporary, some classes will consider the historical origins of presidential authority. This is a discussion oriented class. Class evaluation will be based on, a book/article review (3-5 pages), a final paper, (20 +/- pages), a class presentation of your paper, and a critique of a classmate's paper. It qualifies for the graduation writing requirement.

Torts Law 109

  • Credits: 4 letter-graded hours

This course examines the civil remedies available to compensate people who have been injured. The course focuses on actions for physical injury, and includes intentional torts, negligence, strict liability, products liability, damages, and wrongful death.

Trademarks Law 258

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

The course provides in-depth treatment of trademark and unfair competition law. Coverage includes adoption, registration and enforcement of marks, considering the common law and statutory basis for obtaining trademark rights (with emphasis on the federal Lanham Act, including the Trademark Law Revision Act of 1998 and the Federal Trademark Dilution Act of 1995); categories of marks (the scale of distinctiveness - descriptive, arbitrary, fanciful, geographical, etc.); important aspects of Patent and Trademark Office practice (advantages of federal registration, and how to proceed in opposition, cancellation and concurrent use proceedings); avoiding loss of rights (including abandonment and naked licensing); and infringement (the various tests for likelihood of confusion an applicable defenses and remedies). Also studied are jurisdictional problems and their resolution, key treaties for international protection (particularly the European Community Trademark System and the Madrid Protocol), recent Supreme Court cases, Internet domain name issues and unfair competition and related Federal Trade Commission actions.

Trusts & Estates Law 234

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

Basic estate planning and administration concepts. Emphasis on lifetime transfers, wills and will substitutes, trusts, drafting and construction of estate planning documents, and planning for minor and disabled family members, for old age, and for illness and death.

Trusts and Estates Clinic Law 618-T

  • Prerequisites: Legal Research & Writing I and II; Trusts & Estates
  • Credits: 2-4 letter-graded hours

The Clinical Law Program provides students with hands-on, professional experience in actual law practice. The program is generally the capstone of a student's legal education at Willamette. The program asks second- and third-year law students to apply the doctrinal knowledge mastered in their fundamental coursework to the actual practice of law. Students enrolled in the program represent real clients in actual cases and transactions under the close supervision of law faculty. The Clinical Law Program comprises several advanced legal education courses including specialized clinics in Business Law, Trusts and Estates,, Child and Family Advocacy, Immigration, and Community & Environmental Justice. Clients are primarily nonprofit corporations and people of modest economic means. Clinical Law Program students are taught and expected to demonstrate the highest standards of excellence in all areas of legal practice from mastery of substantive legal issues and procedures to unwavering professionalism and notable service to the greater community. The Clinical Law Program faculty also strives to instill an appreciation for the importance of reflection and balance in the practice of law.

U.S. Supreme Court Law 382

  • Prerequisites: Constitutional Law I
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This seminar focuses on the structure and processes of governmental decision-making, particularly in executive and administrative agencies. The course examines cases currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court touching upon administrative structure and process. In addition, the course examines the constitutional and statutory provisions requiring both transparency and accountability in agency decision-making. For example, to what extent must agency policy deliberations be made public? Is confidentiality desirable? Under what circumstances? To illuminate divergent approaches to these questions, the course also examines statutes and decisions regarding state administrative law. Updated 04/2012.

W – Z

Water Law Law 356

  • Credits: 3 letter-graded hours

This course emphasizes basic water law for the lawyer-practitioner, focused on quantitative water law, including state allocation and regulation of water, public interest in water use, and the public trust doctrine. Course content will mesh with other natural resource, property and administrative law courses, providing a practical background of how water rights relate to property ownership, land use planning, real estate transactions, and natural resource regulation.

Wildlife Law Law 375

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This seminar course in roundtable discussion format explores how different subject areas of law fit together to resolve some of the most intriguing problems that arise in natural resource law. Wildlife Law will cover: common law underpinnings of protection of wildlife; who 'owns' wildlife as property (private vs. public); how to manage our remaining natural resources held in common, such as fisheries; wolf management; conservation, including game and habitat protection; perceived conflicts with animal law principles; intersection with water law and other regulatory systems; constitutional and administrative law aspects; biodiversity in the law, with special emphasis on the federal Endangered Species Act and its Oregon counterpart; and inter-sovereign relations (state, federal, tribal, international). One written paper on an assigned topic will be required in lieu of a final exam. Updated 11/2013.

Willamette Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution Law 420

  • Prerequisites: International Law & Dispute Resolution or Negotiation I
  • Credits: 0 hours first semester; 1 hour second semester. Maximum 2 hours

Advanced research, writing and editing of scholarly legal articles concerning international law and international dispute resolution. Cooperative work with students, professors, lawyers and other authors.

Willamette Law Online Law 460

  • Credits: 1 hour (Editors only)

Willamette Law Online (WLO) functions as a student-run notification service, alerting users to legal decisions and trends, and is neither intended to be a comprehensive resource of case law nor a substitute for in-depth legal research. WLO is committed to providing timely, informative, and accurate case summaries from the courts that shape the law in the Pacific Northwest.

Willamette Law Review Law 401

  • Credits: 2 hours

Advanced research, writing, and editing of scholarly legal articles. Cooperative work with students, professors, lawyers, and other authors. (Membership primarily by written competition.)

Will and Trust Drafting Law 366

  • Prerequisites: Trusts & Estates
  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This course builds the skills needed to draft estate planning documents for clients who require primarily non-tax planning. The semester begins with required computer exercises covering grammar and document organization, which allow each student to tailor lessons to areas needing improvement. Students then apply these basic skills to draft both portions of and entire estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts for minors, durable powers of attorney, advance medical directives, revocable living trusts, and client letters. On some exercises, students will critique each other's drafts. Students also will receive ample feedback from the professor about their performance, together with specific suggestions for improvement. Class meets once a week for two hours and satisfies the practical skills writing requirement.

Workers' Compensation Law 209

  • Credits: 2 letter-graded hours

This course will examine how workers' compensation laws apply to workers in Oregon and other states. Subjects include the basic features of the workers' compensation system, exclusive remedy, employment status, defining compensability, benefits available, and litigation practice and tips. The course will include guest speakers consisting of attorneys who current practice in the system, state regulators, and judicial officers.

Willamette University

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Address
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Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
(503) 370-6380

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