Spring 2012Welcome to Introduction to the U.S. Legal System. As you know, this course is required for all students who do not hold a degree from a U.S. law school. Please see the left-hand navigation panel to locate the tentative class syllabus and materials.The course will begin on an intensive basis during orientation, which begins Wednesday, January 4. Following orientation, the class will continue to meet for the first several weeks of the semester on Wednesdays from 6:30 – 8:20 p.m. (CRN 13149). The final examination is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, February 1 from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Before orientation week, I recommend that you read: You may also wish to begin reading the materials for the initial sessions of the course. If you wish to read other things in preparation for your LL.M. studies, you might consider one or more of the following: Some students like to read judicial opinions before beginning their law studies in the United States. This is a good idea for those students who do not have much experience reading or analyzing case law. Depending on your interests, you might want to read recent decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States (available on a number of sites, including the Supreme Court's official website), or cases on specific substantive topics that interest you. Numerous open-access websites offer judicial opinions organized by legal topic or subject, including Cornell's Legal Information Institute and the University of Pittsburgh's Jurist. The best advice I could give is to enjoy your time before joining the LL.M. program. We look forward to seeing you in January, rested and ready to begin what I am sure will be a fantastic experience for all of you and for us. Best wishes to all of you for a joyous holiday season and a happy New Year! Sincerely, |
