JD Courses

Examines the legal and regulatory framework of domestic and international upstream and downstream oil and gas activities. Explores key domestic statutory and common law sources, regulations, and industry standards. Surveys selected international and comparative materials such as oil spill prevention agreements, arbitral decisions, and technical regulations.

Download the 2013 Summer Syllabus

In the 21st century, we are all witnesses to, actors in, and subjects/objects of something often called the "Information Age". For about a century, law has sought to define the "privacy rights" of individuals to control personal information held by others. Modern lawyers advocate on privacy issues in new and complex contexts. This course provides students with an understanding of the fundamentals of privacy law and the training to reason analogically to accommodate emergent technologies within existing legal frameworks.

An introduction to the concept of ownership and its legal implications: rights to control, enjoy, and transfer real and personal property, including public and private restrictions on use; estates in land; concurrent ownership; adverse possession; easements and licenses; and landlords and tenants.

A comparative approach to competing legal mandates and diverse philosophies that make federal land management a lively topic not only in the West, but throughout the country. Resource extraction, preservation, and sustainable/multiple-use concepts are addressed. 

Download the 2013 Course Syllabus

Provides an introduction to race as it relates to and is reflected in the law.  The seminar focuses on the role and experience of African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latin-Americans, and Native-Americans in American society, with attention to questions concerning critical race theory, class, family, and feminism.  

Examines the regulation of solid and hazardous waste under the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Solid Waste Act, RCRA's overlap with other statutes, and the policy implications of the statute.  The course addresses the regulatory and policy problems associated with recycling, resource recovery, waste minimization, land disposal, incineration, underground storage tanks, and state and federal regulation of the generation, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes.  

Examines the interaction of state, federal, and international regimes in the regulation of the marine environments through the examination of issues such as the marine environment as a source of energy; the nonrenewable resources of the seabed; and the winds, waves, currents, and temperatures of the sea itself.

Studies the legal and equitable methods available to redress an infringement of legal rights, such as those rights provided by the laws of contracts, torts, equity, constitutional law, and civil procedure. 

Explores the emerging field of renewable and alternative energy supplies. The course reviews local, state, and federal laws and policies that regulate such sources; considers emerging distributed generation models; surveys the range of emerging technologies; and considers proposed strategies for reducing greenhouse gases.

Download the 2013 Summer Course Syllabus

Prepares students for the practice of transactional corporate law by providing them with a foundation on the law and processes related to corporate transactions, acquisitions, and divestitures of businesses.  Students draft documents, negotiate business issues, and organize the legal affairs for growing businesses.

A science and law course taught from the perspective of a scientist.   This course examines the science, methods, principles and limitations of risk assessment and, more broadly, teaches methods of evaluating and critiquing scientific information.

Covers primarily Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code governing the sale of goods, including formation and modification of contracts for sale, Article 2's statute of frauds, warranties, parole evidence, risk allocations when goods are stored or transported, breach, remedies for sellers and buyers, and contractual limitations on remedies.  The course includes references to consumer rights as well as comparisons between the common law of contract and the Code's rules and concepts.

Through case studies, this course explores the manipulation of scientific information underpinning some public policy controversies such us global climate change, abortion, homosexuality, DNA forensics, evolution, genetically modified organisms, and debates over the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs. The course also has the broader goals of teaching the student to critically read and identify political or social bias on scientific literature.

An examination of the structure of the law of security interests in personal property from both practical and economic perspectives.  The course covers the interests of all parties in secured transactions, particularly as a way of financing business.

A study of federal law and the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission concerning the registration, distribution and trading of securities, and legal and regulatory aspects of the securities industry.  The course considers the responsibilities and liabilities of issuers of securities, its officers and directors, brokers, attorneys, and other participants in the distribution and trading processes, as well as issues regarding "insider" trading.

A full-time external clinic, appropriate for students interested in self-directed learning under the supervision of an experienced mentor. Field-mentors are experienced lawyers who work with and within government, NGOs, nonprofit organizations, corporations, and law firms.

A look at the way law and the legal systems affect the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people.  The class will explore domestic and international laws that sanction discrimination against the LGBT community and the struggle for equality by this community.

Explores which legal rules can best further enterprises that are designed to engage in profit-making activities for the purpose of promoting social goals.  Will examine ways to define social enterprises; and ask whether traditional for-profit or non profit business forms can accommodate these dual mission companies or whether a new hybrid business form is needed.

An on-campus clinic dedicated to serving Vermont residents who cannot afford private counsel.  Students work under supervising attorneys representing real clients in civil cases in state and federal courts in Vermont and before administrative agencies.

An introduction to the study of comparative law that provides students with an opportunity to compare the Spanish and the American approaches to constitutional law.   The seminar focuses on similarities and differences in constitutional structure, methodology, and values.  Students attend lectures by leading Spanish legal scholars at VLS and at the University of Seville in Spain.