Relevant bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit.

Overview of property law, including acquisition of rights in personal property, fixtures, estates in land and future interests, and landlord and tenant law.

Relevant bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit.

Prerequisites: Property I.

Modes of transferring real estate, including contracts to transfer, problems affecting transfer, methods of title assurance, adverse possession, third-party interests in land, including easements, covenants and natural rights, and a brief introduction to deeds of trust and mortgages.

Relevant bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit.

A study of the basic principles of contract formation and enforceability, including offer and acceptance, mutual assent, consideration, promissory estoppel, and the statute of frauds. The course also considers invalidating causes, such as incapacity, misrepresentation and fraud, duress, mistake, unconscionability, and illegality, and provides an introduction to remedies for breach of contract. The common law of contracts and the relevant provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code, including warranties and their disclaimer, are considered.

Relevant bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit.

Prerequisites: Contracts I.

A continuation of the study of contracts, including remedies for breach of contract, interpretation of contract language, the parol evidence rule, performance and breach of contract, express and constructive conditions, excuse and discharge, impracticability and frustration of purpose, third party beneficiary contracts, and assignment and delegation. The common law of contracts and the relevant provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code are considered.

Relevant bar examination topic.

Four semester hours credit.

Introductory course on the history and objectives of civil litigation, including sources of law, case law and the doctrine of stare decisis, and the history and development of equitable remedies; the anatomy of a legal proceeding before, during, and after trial of a civil case, including basic jurisdictional concepts in federal and state court, the law applied in federal court, adjudication of multiple claims and cases involving multiple parties, discovery, pretrial procedures and disposition without trial; basic concepts and strategies regarding litigation; and the law of former adjudication.

Two semester hours credit. Normally offered twice each academic year. Enrollment limited to 24 students.

This course is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to: (1) identify issues that should be negotiated in complex business contracts; (2) draft several key provisions to be included in the final contract as negotiated; and (3) negotiate a “real” business contract. A variety of assignments help to assure each student completes a variety of tasks that need to be integrated based on an appropriate level of legal issue analysis resulting in an effective and usable work product. Skill development also includes an appreciation of business and legal risks that need to be dealt with when negotiating and drafting.

Two semester hours credit. Normally offered three times each academic year. Enrollment limited to 24 students.

This course provides students an opportunity to develop, practice drafting, comment on, and redline the substantive portions of an agreement. The primary goal of the class is to teach students how to translate the terms of a business deal into contract concepts, and draft the contract to close the transaction. Specifically, students will learn how and when to use the basic contract building blocks: covenants, conditions, representations, warranties, rights, discretionary authority, and declarations. The basic parts of a contract will be analyzed in detail and students will learn how to (1) avoid legalese, (2) obtain clarity through document formatting and sentence structure, (3) prevent ambiguity, (4) understand the appropriate use of vague terms, and (5) use various other drafting considerations. Learning how the transactional attorney adds value to the deal by helping the client attain the client’s business goals while avoiding unacceptable risks will be covered as well as several typical ethics issues that arise in transactional work.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered three times each academic year.

Organization and procedure of federal and state administrative agencies; boards and bureaus; distinction between legislative, executive and judicial powers; delegation of powers; requirements of due process; constitutional limitations; and judicial control over administrative agencies are among the topics covered.

Three semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

Survey of the basic relationship between federal, state, and local government; state constitutional authority for local government; land use, zoning and planning; municipal budgeting and finance; rights and duties of public officials and office holders and government tort immunity and liability.

Relevant bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered three times each academic year.

A study of the legal doctrines governing the formation, operation, and termination of corporations, including the rights, duties, and obligations of shareholders, directors, and officers.

Relevant bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered twice each academic year.

A study of the legal doctrines governing the formation, operation, and termination of agency relationships, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies, including the rights, duties, and obligations of owners and managers.

Relevant bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered three times each academic year.

The course focuses on the advantages and risks associated with various methods of payment in commercial and consumer transactions. It surveys many of the state and federal statutes that impact common forms of payment (including checks, promissory notes, letters of credit, credit cards, debit cards, and other electronic fund transfers), with emphasis on Articles 3, 4, 4A, and 5 of the Uniform Commercial Code; the Federal Trade Commission Holder-In-Due-Course Regulations; the Truth in Lending Act and related Regulation Z; the Electronic Fund Transfers Act and related Regulation E; the Expedited Funds Availability Act and related Regulations J and CC; and the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits.

Relevant bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered three times each academic year.

The course deals with the law governing credit transactions secured by personal property collateral. It focuses on Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, with particular emphasis on creating a security interest, protecting it against competing claims, and resolving priority disputes. The course devotes some attention to the creditor’s rights and remedies upon the debtor’s default, and it examines the effect of various provisions of the Bankruptcy Code on those rights and remedies when the debtor files for bankruptcy protection. The course also may examine the effect on secured transactions of Articles 2, 2A, and 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code; the Consumer Credit Protection Act; the Food Security Act; the law of fraudulent transfers; and the Federal Tax Lien Act.

Two semester hours credit. Normally offered once each academic year.

This course concentrates on the law and procedure of arbitration. Issues include arbitrability, separability, arbitral jurisdiction, non-signatory arbitral jurisdiction, compelling arbitration, FAA preemption, drafting, and analysis of arbitration agreements. Additional considerations of court review, confirmation, and vacatur of arbitral awards are also addressed. Students will be introduced to arbitration advocacy, practice skills, and procedure. The course will also provide a survey of specialized arbitration topics, including commercial, international, labor, employment, securities, and consumer arbitrations.

Two semester hours credit. Normally offered twice each academic year.

Prerequisites: Must have completed 45 semester hours and have taken or be concurrently enrolled in Texas Pretrial Procedure. These prerequisites will be strictly enforced.

The structure of the course involves students in preparing a realistic civil case against an opponent. Students engage in all aspects of pretrial discovery and motion practice, including client interview, attempts to settle, drafting pleadings, paper discovery, taking depositions, procedural and dispositive motions, and pretrial orders.

Two semester hours credit. Graded honors pass, pass, low pass, or fail. Normally offered as an intersession course.

This course is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to take and defend depositions. Students will explore why and when to take depositions; how to draft deposition notices for individual deponents, non-party witnesses, and corporate designees; how to draft successful deposition outlines; proper deposition questions and objections; and approaches to dealing with unruly and unprofessional opposing counsel during positions. Students will take and defend several mock depositions.

Three or four semester hours credit.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of all courses required for graduation (with the exception of the substantial writing requirement) and not less than 45 credit hours and a 2.8 grade point average. Completion of or concurrent enrollment in Texas Pretrial Procedure is recommended.

Students arrange their own placements with local governmental agencies. Potential placements include the Texas Attorney General’s Office, the legal department of the City of South Texas College of Law, the Harris County Attorney’s Office, the EEOC, the IRS, the Office of Homeland Security, and many others. These placements provide access to the South Texas College of Law legal community and give law students the opportunity to expand their professional skills and identify challenging and fulfilling work possibilities.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered twice each academic year.

An introduction to the statutory and common law impacting pollution control and environmental protection. Emphasis is on federal legislation, such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered once each academic year.

This course examines the ways in which federal natural resources are managed and preserved. Topics covered include the acquisition and disposition of public lands, management of mining interests, timber production, grazing and recreational use of federal lands, preservation of wilderness, wild rivers, and archaeological and historical artifacts, and management and conservation of wildlife and game, wild horses, and endangered species. Up to thirty percent of the grade in this course may be based on projects done during the semester.

Two semester hours credit. Normally offered once each academic year.

A general survey of private and public rights in water, their character, extent, regulation and enjoyment. Course coverage includes surface water, groundwater, interstate and international usage disputes, navigability and recreational use.

Three semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

A survey of the issues encountered by firms and individuals engaged in international trade, the exploitation of intellectual property rights and various forms of foreign direct investment. Topics covered include an introduction to international trade law (including the formation of U.S. trade policy), international sale of goods (including transportation and financing issues), distribution of goods, the protection and licensing of intellectual property rights, franchising agreements, investment rights (under customary international law, treaties and free trade agreements), investment regulation, investment arbitration, joint venture agreements, industrial works contracts, international corruption and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Three semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

The course provides an introduction to the major aspects of international commercial arbitration and covers the following topics:  why arbitration is the most chosen form of dispute resolution in international commercial transactions; an introduction to institutional and ad hoc forms of international arbitration; the requirements for and the drafting of a valid arbitration agreement; the applicable laws and rules governing international arbitration; the roles played by courts in assisting international arbitration; the role of the arbitral panel; the arbitral process; the arbitration award and its enforcement; an introduction to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards and to the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration and the roles each plays in the arbitral system; and the specialized use of international arbitration (in international investment treaties).

Three semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

Prerequisite: Corporations.

Legal aspects of financing business enterprises including the legal problems of the public issue of securities, private debt, revolving lines of credit and venture capital. Asset and stock acquisitions will be considered, along with corporate merger and reorganizations.

Crossover bar examination topic.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered once each academic year.

Prerequisites: None but prior or concurrent enrollment in Secured Transactions and Corporations is helpful.

This course is designed not only for those interested in bankruptcy practice, but also for those who anticipate that their practice will involve structuring commercial transactions or litigating business disputes. It examines both legal and financial aspects of business bankruptcy, focusing especially on the process of Chapter 11 business reorganizations. It will consider issues like the causes and prediction of business failures; the decision to seek protection under the bankruptcy laws or to use alternative methods for resolving financial problems; the permissible purposes for which Chapter 11 reorganizations may be used; the operation of the business during the reorganization proceeding; the negotiation and confirmation of a plan of reorganization; the rights of creditors and shareholders in the reorganization; the powers of the debtor-in-possession; valuation of the business; and related tax and financial issues. Students may take both this course and the Consumer Bankruptcy and Debt Collection course; there is very little overlap.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered once each academic year.

Prerequisites: Federal Income Taxation.

Examination of the federal income taxation of business organizations that are classified as corporations for federal tax purposes and subject to subchapter C of the Internal Revenue Code. Topics include the federal tax classification of business organizations and the federal income tax treatment of corporate formations, operations, distributions, redemptions of stock, liquidations and reorganizations.

Three semester hours credit. Normally offered once each academic year. 

Prerequisites: Federal Income Taxation.

Examination of the federal income taxation of business organizations that are classified for federal tax purposes as partnerships and Subchapter S corporations. Topics include the federal tax classification of business organizations; the formation, operation and termination of partnerships; sales and exchanges of partnership interests; operating and liquidating distributions by a partnership; and the federal tax rules governing eligibility for and operation as a Subchapter S corporation.

Three semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

Prerequisites: Federal Income Taxation.

This course examines the U.S. taxation of foreign transactions and investments. Specifically, the course explores how the United States taxes foreign persons conducting business or investing in the U.S. (inbound transactions), and how it taxes U.S. persons conducting business or investing in foreign countries (outbound transactions). Topics covered include the source of income and deductions; the U.S. taxation of business and investment income of foreign persons; the U.S. foreign tax credit system; anti-deferral regimes such as the provisions that apply to controlled foreign corporations; and the effect of tax treaties into which the U.S. has entered.

Two semester hours credit. Offered periodically.

Requirement: Students who have completed or would be concurrently enrolled in Copyright Law, Patent Law, or Trademarks & Unfair Competition may
enroll in this course only with prior approval from the professor.

This course presents an overview of the basic principles of intellectual property law and includes brief coverage of trade secret, trademark, patent, and copyright fundamentals. Some time will be devoted to possible justification for intellectual property generally as well as the differences that mark the various legal protections available for products of the mind. The course is intended primarily for those students who would not otherwise make the intensive study of intellectual property part of their academic or career plan.

Two semester hours credit. Graded honors pass, pass, low pass, or fail. Normally offered as an intersession course.

This course examines problems encountered in establishing and operating the business side of a successful law practice, and offers practical solutions. During the course, students will design a business plan for their own potential practice with the professor’s guidance. Among the subjects covered are office location and layout, technology, including the web-based law library, filing and control systems and accounting methods, insurance needs, IOLTA, SBOT and other administrative obligations, document retention requirements, alternative systems of fee determination and billing with an introduction to case evaluation, and attracting, retaining, interviewing and counseling clients.