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Law (LAW)

6110. Contract I. 3. A study of the elements of simple contracts, including offer and acceptance, consideration, conditions, defenses, and damages. The impact of the Uniform Commercial Code on contracts is considered.

6120. Property I. 3. Covers two general areas. The first area is the rights that define property ownership, in relation to neighbors, the world, and others with interests in the property. Subjects include rights to use the land and its products, estates, concurrent ownership, and landlord-tenant law. The second area is private limitations on those rights, in the form of covenants and easements.

6130. Torts I. 3. A study of the methods and policies for allocating risks of harm; intentionally inflicted harms; negligence in its general aspects and its application to products liability, landowners, and automobile traffic; emotional harms; defamation; and fraud.

6140. Criminal Law. 3. The sources of criminal law and the purposes of criminal punishment, the constituent parts of criminal conduct, including act (or omission), culpable mental state, result, and causation. These general principles are brought to bear on homicide and sexual assault. Also considers common defenses to criminal charges, including self-defense, necessity, duress, insanity, and intoxication. Students are required to consider the constitutional limits of the criminal law and the relationship of substantive principles to practice.

6150. Judicial Remedies. 3.

6160. Legal Writing I. 2.  In this course students are introduced to the fundamentals of legal reasoning and analysis and the basics of legal writing.

6165. Legal Research. 1. Introduction to paper and electronic resources that cover primary & secondary legal materials, including case law, statutes, agency regulations for federal and state jurisdictions, & treatises, journals, restatements, and other secondary sources.  Discusses research plans and develops brief research strategies for hypothetical situations. Prerequisites: none.

6170. Introduction to Law. 1. Provides first-semester students with an introduction to the procedures and structure of the legal system to facilitate law study during the first year of law school.  Additionally, the course provides students with an introduction to preferred learning methods for efficient law school study. Prerequisites: none.


6220. Property II. 2. First covers some private and public limitations on owners' property rights, primarily easements and zoning. The rest of the semester deals with acquiring ownership rights, possession and transfers, including the law relating to deeds and titles.

6230. Torts II. 2. Picks up where Torts I ends. Principal areas of coverage typically include wrongful death, defenses, vicarious liability, strict liability, nuisance, products liability and defamation. If time permits we will also cover privacy, misrepresentation and other topics.

6240. Civil Procedure I. 3. A study of modern practice in civil cases under Rules of Civil Procedure and other sources of procedural law. Civil Procedure I and its continuation, Civil Procedure II, cover all aspects of jurisdiction and other issues bearing on what court(s) may hear a case; choice of state or federal law; pleading; joinder of claims and parties; class actions; discovery and other pre-trial procedures; summary judgment; non-jury and jury trials; appeals; and claim and issue preclusion.

6250. Constitutional Law I. 3. Constitutional Law I is divided into two parts. Part I focuses on governmental structures. Part II begins our coverage of individual rights and liberties. Part I's coverage includes the power of judicial review, separation of powers, federalism, and congressional powers. Part II focuses on equal protection.

6260. Legal Writing II. 2. This course builds on the first semester Legal Writing course by introducing students to: (1) more sophisticated aspects of legal reasoning, analysis and legal research; (2) the basics of persuasive legal writing; (3) the basics of appellate procedure and an appellate brief; and (4) the basics of oral advocacy.

6310. Business Organizations. 3. Studies the law of agency relationships and business associations including partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations. Also considers the protection afforded investors by federal securities law. Listing of the above items is not intended to be all inclusive. Students are invited to consult with the instructor regarding specific information.

6320. Income Taxation. 3. Focuses on the federal taxation of individuals. It includes taxation of compensation, installment sales as well as taxation of gains on property transfers.

6330. Trusts and Estates. 3. A survey course that also serves as an introduction to Estate Planning. Covers the law of wills, trusts, and intestate succession. It also includes execution and revocation of wills; creation, modification, and termination of trusts; problems of construction; restrictions on testate transfers, transfers in trust and future interests. Covers some aspects of fiduciary administration, but not taxation. A prerequisite for Estate Planning.


6350. Constitutional Law II. 2. Focus on constitutionally protected individual rights and liberties. Specifically, the following topics will be covered: substantive due process, including the right of privacy; procedural due process; freedom of expression; and religious freedom.

6410. Evidence. 3. A study of the means by which any alleged fact is established or disproved, including competency of witnesses; direct examination; cross-examination and impeachment; privileges; basic and special issues of relevancy; the hearsay rule and its exceptions; real, demonstrative, and documentary evidence; opinion and scientific evidence; judicial notice; and the responsibility of proof.

6420. Professional Responsibility. 3. A study of the duties of attorneys to their clients and the public under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and case law.

6490. Taxation of Partnerships and other Pass-Through Entities. 3. A study of the income taxation of the formation, operation, and termination of partnerships, with particular emphasis on the regulation of the allocation of income, losses, and liabilities among partners. Also, the taxation of the shareholders of S Corporations.

6500. Agricultural Law. 2. Presents the opportunity to look at a number of different types of law applied in the specific context of agriculture. Includes a section discussing various property/contract issues such as agricultural land leases and farm tenancies. Also includes discussions on employment and soil and water management and involves an examination of interesting labor, conservation and pollution questions raised by agricultural operations.

6510. Administrative Law. 3. A review of administrative law practice and procedure, primarily at the federal level. The course begins with materials on the nature and function of administrative agencies. Agency rulemaking power, emphasizing federal and state Administrative Procedure Act (APA) requirements. Considers the adjudicative powers of administrative agencies, including an agency's obligation to afford persons due process of law. Finally, the course examines judicial review of administrative agency decisions.

6520. Advanced Appellate Advocacy. 1. Builds on the first semester Legal Writing course by introducing students to: (1) more sophisticated aspects of legal reasoning and analysis; (2) more sophisticated aspects of legal research; (3) the basics of persuasive legal writing; (4) the basics of appellate procedure; (5) the basic parts of an appellate brief; and (6) the basics of oral advocacy.

6530. American Legal History. 2. A study of the life of John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 until 1835.

6540. Antitrust. 3. The study of the federal laws regulating monopolies and restraints of trade. The substantive provisions of the antitrust laws are relatively brief - there are only three main statutes - the Sherman Act (1890), the Clayton Act (1914) and the FTC Act (1914). These statutes entail broad prohibitions, and there are no detailed regulations like the tax code.

6550. Bankruptcy. 2. A survey of the Federal Bankruptcy Act. Includes consideration of liquidation, reorganization, family farmers, debts of individuals, and the relationship of bankruptcy law and proceedings to Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code and the law of mortgages.

6560. Business Planning. 3. Focus is primarily on a problem involving several persons who are organizing a business entity. Consideration will be given to the characteristics of several kinds of business organizations and to making a judgment as to which organization should be used to house the business being set up. Considers tax and non-tax aspects with respect to business organizations.

6565. Civil Pretrial Practice. 3. Includes the civil litigation process from the filing of a complaint and decisions related to the complaint, to discovery including written discovery and depositions, to pre-trial motions such as motions to change venue, to exclude evidence, and for summary judgment, to preparation for pre-trial conferences and trial. Sample cases provide the basis for the drafting of various discovery documents and motions. There will be no exam.

6570. Payment Systems. 3. Focus on the use of negotiable instruments (such as checks, drafts, promissory notes, and certificates of deposit) to document debts and to make payments. Provides an overview of the banking system, the check collection process, and the use of various commercial instruments. Topics include liability for stolen checks, forged signatures, alterations, payment to impostors, insufficient funds, stop payment orders, post-dated checks, and restrictive endorsements. In addition, the rights of good faith purchasers are examined and the use of third parties (such as guarantors, sureties, and accommodation parties) to secure obligations are discussed.

6580. Communications Law. 3. Covers the law applying to the electronic media, including broadcast licensing, the fairness doctrine in broadcasting, cable television regulation, regulation of new communications technologies such as the Internet, and the regulation of telecommunications. The latter topic will include the breakup of AT&T, as well as the 1996 Telecom act.

6590. Conflict of Laws. 3. The study of the law applicable to transactions or occurrences involving contacts with more than one state, including questions of choice of law, jurisdiction, and recognition of foreign judgments. The casebook is: David P. Currie, Herma Hill Kay & Larry Kramer, Conflict of Laws: Cases -- Comments -- Questions, Sixth Edition (West 2001).

6600. Consumer Protection. 3. Covers three main topics: (1) the law of advertising and marketing; (2) consumer credit regulation; and (3) consumer warranty law.

6615. Taxation of Business Entities. 3. Surveys the federal income tax consequences of major events in the existence of business entities and their owners including formations, contributions, operations, distributions, redemptions, and liquidations. Compares taxation of Subchapter C corporations, Subchapter S corporations, and partnerships. Students spend significant time on statutory interpretation and along the way consider policy issues that affect how the taxation of businesses is structured and enforced under the Internal Revenue Code.

6620. Bankruptcy Law. 3. After briefly surveying state collection laws, considers the impact of federal bankruptcy law on secured and unsecured creditors.  The primary focus of the course is on consumer bankruptcy under  Chapter 7 (liquidations) and Chapter 13 (reorganizations).  Concludes with an introduction to Chapter 11 (business reorganizations). Prerequisites: none.

6630. Criminal Procedure. 3. Examines the constitutional rights of criminal suspects and defendants under the 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments of the United States Constitution. Much of the focus is on law enforcement practices and the constitutional principles that constrain the police.

6635. Domestic Violence Law. 3. Helps prepare students to take part in the Legal Services Program, which has been expanded to include a Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Project.

6640. Domestic Relations. 3. From marriage to divorce, property distribution, child custody and the termination of parental rights, explores the many areas and facets of family law with an eye toward providing students with a firm doctrinal grounding, while preparing them for what they will face as they enter into practice. In the context of this exploration we look closely at many of the cultural issues noted above, and the effects those issues are having not just on the family and the law related to the family, but on society as a whole.

6645. Children and the Law. 3. Covers a range of children's issues, including:  dependency; termination of parental rights; adoption, child custody and support; parental rights; and the juvenile justice system.  It is suitable for students considering a career in child advocacy, or who have any interest in the subject of juvenile law. Prerequisite: completion of first year of law school.

6650. English and Scottish Legal History. 2. The goal is to give students a better understanding of how our law came to be as it is, through study of a revolutionary age. Scots law is included with English law to provide perspective on how a kindred legal system developed. Students will assist in planning the particulars of the course, and will make presentations on the assigned subjects for study. One or more papers will be required. Students may satisfy the College of Law advanced writing requirement in the submission of the papers.

6660. Environmental Law. 3. Provides an overview of the broad field of environmental law, with an emphasis on the major federal environmental statutes such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, and statutes regulating both hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals in commerce. In considering these various statutes, we consider both their substantive requirements and their conceptual approaches to environmental protection. Touches briefly on issues such as the role of states in implementing these national laws, various approaches to enforcement of these laws, common-law doctrines relevant to environmental protection, and economic aspects of environmental law.

6670. Estate Planning. 2. Applies estate and gift tax principles in a survey of estate planning principles and techniques. Traditional estate planning tools including wills, trusts, and durable powers of attorney are discussed as well as post-mortem planning, administration issues, and planning for special situations, such as owners of closely held businesses, entrepreneurs, and the disabled.

6675. Gift and Estate Taxation. 2. Focuses on the federal estate and gift tax consequences of wealth transfers. Students learn to analyze the federal estate and gift tax section of the Internal Revenue Code. Prerequisites: income taxations, trusts and estates.

6680. Federal Courts. 3. Examines the themes of separation of powers and federalism by scrutinizing the jurisdiction of the federal courts. Covers justiciability doctrines (standing, ripeness, and mootness), congressional power to control federal court jurisdiction, constitutional and statutory parameters of federal question jurisdiction, federal common law, basic contours of litigation under 42 U.S.C. 1983, state sovereign immunity and the Eleventh Amendment, and the various abstention doctrines.

6700. Indian Law. 3. Surveys the law that applies to Native Americans and tribal governments. Deals primarily with federal law because of the unique relationship between the federal government and tribes, which are sovereign entities, and because federal law controls most Native American activities. The main issues are jurisdictional; that is, they concern the allocation of legislative (or regulatory) and judicial (both civil and criminal) jurisdiction among federal, tribal, and state governments.

6710. Insurance Law. 2. Discussion of all types of insurance from the point of view of an attorney advising clients and of a consumer. It is relevant and important for those going into any aspect of the law as insurance is involved in most law from business to litigation to domestic to estate planning. Covers standard insurance policy language, as well as case law and practical ideas for dealing with insurance.

6715. Immigration Law. 3. Practical approach to topics such as the standards for admission of immigrants; nonimmigrant visas for students, workers and tourists: regulation and exclusion of undocumented aliens; legal procedures for admission, exclusion and deportation; refugee law; and citizenship law.  Additionally, legislative history and policy behind applicable legislation and case law is discussed. Prerequisites: completion of the first year of law school.

6720. International Law. 3. Covers international law in its classic sense--public international law, or "the law of nations" as it's referred to in the Constitution. Looks at topics such as the sources and evidence of international law, sovereignty, the relationship of international law to national law, the bases of national jurisdiction, the international use of force, human rights, etc. However, modern public international law also includes areas of more immediate interest to practicing lawyers, such as conflicts between nations over which one has the right to assert jurisdiction over certain activities, international extradition, and immunities from jurisdiction.

6725. Intellectual Property. 3. Introductory overview of principles of intellectual property protection particularly trademark, copyright and patent law. USA law will be integrated into a comparative analysis of International intellectual property law.

6730. Jurisprudence. 3. Examines American legal thought from the nation's inception through today. Discusses issues related to the nature of law, the nature of judicial decision making, the relationship between law and society, and the like.

6735. Native American Natural Resources Law. 3. Examines federal and tribal law, (chiefly statutes, regulations, cases and treaties), governing environmental regulation and management of tribal land water minerals, fish and wildlife, and cultural resources. Explores the federal trust doctrine, aboriginal title, reserved rights, allotment, and the tribes-as-states-doctrine. Prerequisites: none.

6740. Labor Law. 3. Deals with labor law in the private sector. Surveys the establishment of a collective bargaining relationship between employers and unions, the subsequent negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement resulting from that relationship, the administration of that agreement through its grievance-arbitration provisions, and the economic weapons used by parties to various kinds of labor conflicts.

6745. Employment Law. 3. Examines a variety of laws, regulations and legal theories governing the workplace and the employment relationship. In particular we look at the at-will doctrine and its exceptions, rules affecting the establishment of the employment relationship and rules affecting the termination of the employment relationship.

6750. Law and Economics. 2. The use of microeconomic theory to assess the economic efficiency and equity consequences of alternate legal structures.

6755. Legislation. 3. Examines how statues are made and applied. Priorities are 1) legislative process in Congress and the state legislatures (especially Wyoming), and; 2) statutory interpretation tools and techniques. Prerequisites: none.

6760. Local Government Law. 3. Examines the organization, powers, responsibilities, liabilities and financing of units of local government, including counties, cities, school districts and other special districts. Interrelationships among local governments, the states and the federal government are studied. Leading judicial decisions as well as state and federal constitutional and statutory provisions will be assigned. Particular emphasis is placed on the law of Wyoming and other western states.

6765. International Business Transactions. 3. Overview of international business transactions involving private entities engaged in global commerce.  Examines legal framework associated with planning, implementation, and enforcement of international agreements concerning sale of goods, trade of services, and transfer of technology.  Impact of relevant international organizations and emerging substantive international commercial law with social obligations of multinational enterprises. Prerequisite: completion of first year of law school.

6775. International Human Rights. 3. An examination of norms, institutions and problems relating to international human rights law. Addresses civil and political rights questions (including the expanded use of international criminal law as a means of enforcing universal values), social and economic rights (including access to medicines) and select group rights issues. Prerequisites: completion of the first year law school curriculum.

6780. Mining Law. 2. An in-depth review of the law governing mineral development in the western United States. The first part of the course focuses on hardrock minerals governed by the General Mining Law of 1872 and related regulations. The second part will cover the regulation of energy minerals such as oil and gas under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 and related laws and regulations, as well as the development and regulation of coal mining under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). The third part will analyze the unique aspects of federal and state environmental laws as they relate to mineral development operations, including constitutional issues such as federal and state preemption and takings.

6790. Oil and Gas. 3. A study of the law regarding private property interests in oil and gas. Subjects include the acquisition, transfer, lease, and assignment of oil and gas interests; rules and contracts governing the relationships among surface owners, oil and gas lessors, oil and gas lessees, and neighboring owners; and government regulation.

6800. Public Lands. 3. Examines the law governing management of the federal public lands/national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges, BLM lands, etc. Among other laws, we study NEPA, General Mining Law of 1872, Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, National Forest Management Act of 1976, Taylor Grazing Act, Federal Land Policy and Management Act, Endangered Species Act, and Wilderness Act In addition to examining Congress' prescriptions for public land management and the constraints it has imposed on land managers, the course also explores how the public and politics influence public land policy and decision making.

6810. Real Estate Finance. 3. Begins with some study of the law and practice relating to real estate transactions, deeds, and titles. The rest of the semester covers the law and practice relating to mortgages, foreclosure, and other financing issues in residential and commercial real estate transactions.

6830. Secured Transactions. 3. Financial institutions and other businesses often take an interest in a debtor's personal property (such as goods, equipment, inventory and accounts) to secure payment of a debt or performance of an obligation. Deals with the law governing security interests in personal property which is embodied primarily in Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code.

6835. Law of Electronic Commerce. 3. Covers the novel legal issues arising in relation to the Internet, electronic commerce, and online services.  The issues include evolving rules and practices related to personal jurisdiction, electronic contracting, intellectual property, privacy, communications, governmental regulation, payments, taxation, and fraud prevention. Prerequisites: completion of first year of law school.

6840. Securities. 3. Considers the responsibilities and liabilities of a company and various persons involved in the public offering of securities, including the filing of a registration statement, and other disclosure matters. Deals with the definition of the term "security" and possible exemptions for securities offerings. Covers securities fraud under SEC Rule 10b-5 including, inter alia, insider trading. Corporate disclosure requirements in connection with matters such as proxy rules and in other contexts are also considered. Some attention is given to disclosure requirements in connection with mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, and tender offers.

6850. Trial Practice. 3. Trial Practice is a rigorous learn-by-doing course designed to build courtroom skills. Through a combination of exercises, lectures, demonstrations, drills and complete trials, students are prepared to advocate before judges and juries. The first half of the course focuses on basic examination and exhibit skills, including direct, cross, redirect, making and responding to objections, and the introduction and use of real and demonstrative evidence. In the sixth week, students conduct bench trials. The second half of the course builds on the basic skills and covers advanced ones, including examination of expert witnesses, opening statement, closing argument and voir dire. Jury trials are conducted in the final two weeks.

6860. Water Rights. 3. A study of the allocation and reallocation of water resources with particular emphasis on prior appropriation systems in the Western United States. Riparian systems and groundwater management are also addressed, along with interstate conflicts, federal water rights, federal-state relations, and the effect of environmental laws on water allocation and the exercise of water rights.

6865. Natural Resources Law. 3. Comprehensive view of the general law governing natural and environmental resources.  Students will learn to understand how our legal system has organized the various problems of allocation, use rights, duties and limitations, and governance, in the context of establishing rules governing human use of the earth's natural endowment. Prerequisite: completion of first year of law school.

6870. Water Pollution. 3. An overview of the practice and procedure of the subfield of environmental law dealing with water pollution control. Focuses on federal law, specifically the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, or Clean Water Act, regulations promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers, and case law construing the statute and rules. Considers statutory structure, legislative intent, administrative discretion, and mechanisms for state-federal coordination.

6875. Hazardous Waste and Water Pollution Law. 3. Examines the Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. These highly complex federal statutes, applicable nationwide either directly or via state-implemented programs, regulate pollution of water; govern industrial generation, handling, and cleanup of hazardous substances; and establish liability and enforcement standards.

6880. Criminal Adjudication. 3. A study of the post-investigative phase of the criminal process: from charging decisions through sentencing and appeals. Topics covered include: the decision to prosecute; bail and pretrial release; grand jury and preliminary hearing practice; jury-related issues, such as pretrial publicity, Batson, and deliberative secrecy; criminal discovery; the role and responsibilities of defense counsel and of the prosecutor; defendants' rights to presence, confrontation, and to present a defense case; verdicts; sentencing and appeals.

6885. Law Office Management. 1. This is a "how-to" course which introduces students to the law office as an operating business. This course covers various aspects of establishing and operating a law office, including: attorney timekeeping and client billing; establishing fees rates and fee agreements; revenue projections, record and file management and conflict management systems. Prerequisites: completion of the first year law school curriculum.

6890. Land Use Law. 3. Deals primarily with public methods of making decisions concerning the use and development of land. Land use decisions range from the issuance of building permits or variances to zoning to long-range planning. Examines tensions between private and public interests (private landowners, community residents, developers, business persons, and city/county officials) over the use of private property, the legal principles that inform the possible resolutions of these tensions and define governmental authority, and the implications of land use regulation for the exercise of other rights, such as free speech.

6910. Seminar. 1-2.

6915. Topics in Law. 1-3. Specific subject matter varies each year and between each section because the course is normally taught by a visiting faculty or by a law faculty member or interdisciplinary team who wish to present a special topic not able to be offered on a regular basis. Students should check class schedules for current offerings each semester. Prerequisite: completion of first year of law school; consent of instructor required for non-law students.

6920. Legal Skills and Problems. 1-2.

6925. Advanced Persuasive Writing. 3. Art and science of written legal persuasion. Specifically, course explores the nature of legal persuasion from the standpoints of numerous disciplines, including classical rhetoric, psychology, literary theory, and morality theory, and based on these principles, covers specific strategies lawyers can use to make their writing more persuasive. Prerequisites: LAW 6160 and LAW 6260, and completion of first year of law school.

6930. Legal Clinic. 2-3 (Max. 6). Supervised clinical training in law office and court procedures. Clinical programs available are the Defender Aid Program, Legal Services Program, and the Prosecution Assistance Program. Satisfactory/unsatisfactory only. Prerequisite: third year standing.

6935. Contract Drafting. 3. Covers fact investigation and the role of the lawyer in a transaction proposed by the client, including possible negotiations with other parties; drafting a contract in Plain English; and the ethical obligations of a transactional lawyer, through simulations and problem-solving exercies. Prerequisite: LAW 6110.

6940. Independent Study. 1-2. Research and writing in specialized or advanced areas of the law. Students are to contact a professor that has a background or interest in the students' topic area to determine if the professor will supervise the Independent Study. Students receive one credit hour for 50 hours of work or 2 credit hours for 100 hours of work.

6945. Workers Compensation Law. 3. Addresses essential aspects of workers' compensation laws including extent of coverage, the various levels and varieties of benefits provided, and how claims are established and enforced. The course will also consider the interaction of state workers' compensation laws with other laws.

6950. Law Review. 1-3. Intensive research, writing, and editing of case note or comment and cite-checking of articles for the Wyoming Law Review. Credit earned for a grade of S-U only. Law Review membership is required. Credit may be received in the third year only. Maximum six hours in academic career.

6960. Legal Externships. 1-3. The externship program provides second and third year students with an opportunity to learn through practice by working directly with attorneys or judges for academic credit. Externship placements are limited to judges, government agencies and nonprofit organizations, and must be pre-approved by the College of Law faculty.

6980. Advanced Business Organizations. 3. Considers the structure and governance of business organizations, owner informational rights, proxy voting and regulation, and shareholders derivative and direct suits. Attention will also be given to business combinations, sales of control, fiduciary duties of controlling persons, tender offers, the issuance of shares and debt obligations, distributions and redemptions. The above should be regarded as a general description of the course but is not intended to be all inclusive. Students are invited to consult with the instructor regarding specific information relative to this course.

6990. Advanced Topics. 3.

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