This course introduces students to U.S. securities regulation, with a focus on the issues faced by startup companies. The course provides a detailed look at startups and their securities regulatory including both private and public securities transactions. The course covers: the Securities Act of 1933; the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; the basic principles of securities law; private securities offerings; initial public offerings and other public securities offerings; basic corporate finance; securities regulation liabilities (e.g., antifraud provisions and insider trading); state securities regulation; secondary trading of securities; and significant regulatory reforms. While primarily a law course, this course also includes significant business, economic and finance elements (although a background in those areas is not necessary).

This course will cover basic administrative federal tax practice, with an experiential component. Working under the guidance of 603 Legal Aid?s Low-Income Taxpayer Project, students will learn how to represent a client before the Internal Revenue Service in basic cases involving return preparation, return processing, refund traces, identity verification, identity theft, audits, collections, innocent spouse relief, and appeals. The central focus of the experiential component will be case handling, and students will primarily be assigned cases involving incarcerated people seeking help with missing stimulus payments. In addition to the casework necessary for handling their cases, the students will learn how to interview clients, gather and investigate relevant facts, work with the Internal Revenue Service, and track all case activity and documents in client case management systems. Students will also learn how to conduct outreach and education for low-income populations, network with local professionals to involve them in Pro Bono work, and advocate for systemic change within the Internal Revenue Service.

Continue working on real-life client cases after taking the IP & Transaction Clinic. Students taking the Advanced IP & Transaction Clinic will take on more challenging projects, will assist with supervision of basic IP & Transaction Clinic students, and will gain the proficiency to more quickly and independently bring strategic plans for client objectives to conclusion. Proficient trademark and copyright prosecution, business transactions, sound legal judgment, and good ethics will be expected.

This course is the class component of the Criminal Practice Clinic. Each three hour class session focuses on a particular aspect of criminal practice, such as client interviewing, bail arguments, cross examination, or negotiations. This is a practice-oriented class that emphasizes the practical realities of criminal law practice. Students learn about issues commonly facing the Clinic?s indigent clients, including substance misuse, mental health, and modern policing practices. Grading is based on classroom participation and preparation for simulations. This course cannot be taken for an S/U grade.