The Master of Laws is designed to meet the growing demand for lawyers trained in global legal issues. The Program enables students to shape a course of study that fits their personal goals and interests.

 

The Master of Laws degree is conferred upon students who satisfactorily complete 30 credit hours with a grade point average of 2.0 (C) or better and who are recommended for the degree by the faculty. Students complete the degree over 15 months of full-time study organized on a quarterly basis. The Program commences with a semester Legal English program in Beijing each August and involves five subsequent semesters of study (including a semester in Philadelphia the following summer). Graduation is held on November 1 in the year subsequent to commencement.

 

Other courses in the Program are offered in two categories: Basic Courses and Advanced Courses. Students are required to complete all Basic Courses. The Advanced Courses listed are representative of the types of courses that may be offered as electives. A special concentration in criminal law is offered for criminal law professionals.

 

 

The Master of Laws Program offers the following courses on a periodic basis. This is only a selective list. Be sure to check the most recent course list to determine which courses are offered during any given semester. More information is available from the Program Director during the general registration periods.

 

Advanced Criminal Procedure: This course will explore the fundamental principles of U.S. criminal procedure including right to counsel search and seizure interrogation line-ups and due process in more depth than the introductory required course in Criminal Law and Trial Advocacy. The perspective will enable comparison of American and Chinese procedure. The focus will be on those constitutionally-mandated principles that form the basis of American criminal procedure. Students will explore the ways in substantive and procedural due process in an adversary system shape the manner in which in which criminal laws are enforced as well as its impact on the relationship between government and individuals. A comparison of criminal procedure under both the Chinese and American models will permit students to explore the implications of each choice and to explore the extent to which stated criminal law objectives are accomplished by the particular procedures.

 

Advanced Criminal Trial Advocacy: This course will enable students to explore and experience the significance of various advocacy choices. By enabling students to analyze the effects of lawyer involvement we plan to give them first-hand appreciation of and practice in the ways in which lawyer advocacy can affect the outcome of criminal cases. Students will be taught the basics of case analysis witness examination and opening and closing argument. We also intend to infuse issues of professional responsibility so that the students can learn both the ways in which professional responsibility issues affect lawyer choices but to enable them to learn the importance of establishing and maintaining a code of professional behavior.

 

Business Associations: This course examines the law of corporate entities including the reason for their existence their functioning in a market economy and the legal rules that govern their existence. It focuses primarily on the corporation exposing students to an artificial entity to corporate governance and management and to the problems that tend to arise in the ongoing life of a corporation. In that context the students will examine the various types of corporate entities that exist and different assumptions underlying their existence.

 

Contract Law: This course is designed to provide students with in-depth knowledge of the fundamental principles of contract law. The core elements include formation and creation of the contract contract terms contract performance and excuse for nonperformance breach of contract and remedies for breach and third party rights. Practical matters such as the principle of party autonomy legal effect of a contract and enforcement of contractual rights are emphasized. The teaching methods rely heavily on case analysis.

 

Criminal Procedure: This course will explore the fundamental principles of U.S. criminal procedure including right to counsel search and seizure interrogation line-ups and due process. The perspective will enable comparison of American and Chinese procedure. The focus will be on those constitutionally-mandated principles that form the basis of American criminal procedure. Students will explore the ways that substantive and procedural due process in an adversary system shape the manner in which in which criminal laws are enforced as well as its impact on the relationship between government and individuals. A comparison of criminal procedure under both the Chinese and American models will permit students to explore the implications of each choice and to explore the extent to which stated criminal law objectives are accomplished by the particular procedures.

 

Criminal Trial Advocacy: This course will enable students to explore and experience the significance of various advocacy choices. By enabling students to analyze the effects of lawyer involvement we plan to give them first-hand appreciation of and practice in the ways in which lawyer advocacy can affect the outcome of criminal cases. Students will be taught the basics of case analysis witness examination and opening and closing argument. We also intend to infuse issues of professional responsibility so that the students can learn both the ways in which professional responsibility issues affect lawyer choices but to enable them to learn the importance of establishing and maintaining a code of professional behavior.

 

Intellectual Property: This course will cover the broad outlines of the four major branches of intellectual property law: patent copyright trademark and trade secret law. The course will look generally at why (and how) intellectual property law differs from the law governing real property or tangible personal property as well as at the special features of each of these sub-fields of intellectual property law. The course should provide a helpful overview of this area of the law for students who do not plan to specialize in intellectual property as well as providing those who plan to go on to more detailed study of and practice in this area with an introductory exposure to the kinds of problems that are common to all intellectual property disciplines.

 

Introduction to the U.S. Legal System: This course is an examination of the theory and operation of the main institutions of the American legal system. Techniques of case and statutory analysis are featured along with the impact of social economic historical and jurisprudential factors on the development of the law. The operation of the courts legislatures and administrative agencies are reviewed. The history of an actual lawsuit is followed from the initial visit by the client to the lawyer＇s office to the final decision by the state supreme court. The rule of law enforced by the courts through the review of administrative action is covered in detail.

 

Legal English:    The Legal English course is offered at the commencement of the Program in August. This course is designed to enhance students＇ English language proficiency in a U.S. legal context and has been instrumental in enabling students with limited English-language experience to maximize their educational experience.

 

Legal Research and Writing: This course teaches the basics of writing like a lawyer. Students learn basic legal research skills and the fundamentals of legal writing. Students will be taught how to do computerized legal research using the Lexis and Westlaw databases.

 

Property Law: This course will introduce students to the basic concepts of private property rights and legal remedies that have evolved in common law system to protect those rights. Present interests future interests concurrent interests and security interests will be discussed. Landlord and tenant laws transfer of property interests as well as the law of public domain and use of private property are included.

 

Torts: This course focuses on the basic concepts of civil liability between private parties including intentional torts negligence and strict liability. It also acquaints students with the potential role of courts in providing individuals who are injured with a means of redress against other individuals business entities and government officials. Given the business focus of the class some specific issues such as tortious interference with contracts and product liability are addressed. In addition the course considers the theoretical basis of civil liability including providing justice spreading risk and cost and deterring socially harmful behavior.

 

U.S. Constitutional Law: Judicial review of legislative and utive actions in a constitutional setting the relationship of the states to the federal government (federalism) the relationship of the people to the government (fundamental rights and due process of law) and the powers of the legislative branch are considered in the context of the U.S. Constitution.