2009-2010 Course Listings

International LL.M. Course Listings

Academic Year 2009-2010

Fall 2009:
Bologna Campus

The semester begins September 11 and ends December 13, 2009. The last day of class is December 5. Take home exams start on December 6. (No classes November 6-7.)

Take home exams must be submitted before leaving Bologna.

Required courses for international students:

American Contract Law (4 units): Willhite
Introduction to American Law (2 units): Willhite
Legal Research and Writing (4 units): Fonda
American Trial Process (2 units): Fonda

Fall 2009:
Los Angeles Campus
Classes begin August 17 and end November 24, 2009. Exam period is December 3-18

Required courses for graduates of American law schools.

European Union Law (3 units): TBD
International Law (3 units): Atik

Students must complete a minimum of 9 units in the fall but are strongly encouraged to complete 12 units to maximize their ability to obtain the LLM degree in one year. Students who have previously taken equivalent coursework at Loyola Law School or other ABA accredited law schools may petition in writing to be waived from completing a required LLM course. However, any waiver of required courses will not reduce the 24-unit requirement for the LLM degree. Students who receive a waiver of a required course need to substitute advanced coursework to complete the 24-unit requirement.

Note: This information is subject to change and/or expansion. Please refresh this page and double-check the information to be sure you have the latest updates.

Students choose the third and fourth courses to complete 12 units from any course offered that does not conflict with the mandatory courses listed above with the exception of International Commercial Arbitration and International Litigation which are offered in Bologna in the spring. Please see Fall 2009 Course Offerings Los Angeles.

Spring 2010:
Bologna Campus

The semester begins January 15 and ends April 18, 2010. The last day of class is April 10. Take home exams start on April 11. (No classes April 2-3.)

Take home exams must be submitted before leaving Bologna.

Both international students and graduates of ABA accredited law schools will enroll in four courses.

Courses:

International Intellectual Property Law (3 units): Karl Manheim
International Commercial Contracts and Cross-Border Deals (3 units) : Prof. Marco Torsello, University of Bologna; Prof. Leonardo Graffi, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
International Civil Litigation & International Conflict of Laws (3 units): Prof. Nicolo Trocker, University of Florence
International Commercial Arbitration (3 units): Professor Chiara Giovannucci Orlandi, University of Bologna

Please note: course offerings are subject to change.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Fall 2009 - Offered in Bologna

American Contract Law (4 units)
Professor Martin Willhite

This course studies contract formation and interpretation, defenses to enforceability, conditions, performance and breach, discharge and third party rights and obligations. Students will learn both American common law and the Uniform Commercial Code.

Introduction to American Law (2 units)
Professor Martin Willhite

This course provides an introduction to the common law and the essential characteristics of the United States legal system: basic constitutional structures and the judicial function, the structure of the American judicial system, the role of federal courts, the basics of legal methodology, the role of the legal profession in an adversary system and some core legal principles.

American Trial Process (2 units)
Professor Judy Fonda

This course covers the theory, procedure and style of pre-trial litigation and trials in U.S. courts. It addresses: (1) pretrial rules and procedures, including pleadings, discovery and dispositive motions (2) the roles of the judge, jury, and lawyers, (3) the structure of the trial, (4) the rules governing the admissibility of evidence, (5) the basics of trial advocacy (6) post-trial rules and procedures, (7) the role of appellate courts in regulating trial courts and (8) settlement.

Legal Research and Writing (4 units)
Professor Judy Fonda

This course teaches students the basics of legal research and writing. Research topics covered include: ethical obligations to research, court structure, stare decisis, case reporting and precedent, digests, state and federal statutes and administrative law, periodicals, encyclopedias and treatises, citations form, research strategies and computerized legal research. Students learn the fundamentals of drafting objective and persuasive legal documents. Students will prepare an office memorandum, a brief or memorandum of points and authorities and other written work. The professor will extensively critique student written work and meet individually with students to review their papers.

Fall 2009 - Offered in Los Angeles

Required Courses

European Union Law (3 units)

This course will provide an introduction to the law of the European Union. The course will examine fundamental principles of EU law and its relationship to national law, including direct effect and supremacy. The course will also review the provisions on free movement of goods which limit Member State power and confer regulatory authority on EU institutions.

International Law (3 units)

This course surveys the basic concepts of international law. International law deals with the rules and procedures governing the relations of nation-states - and increasingly disciplines the relations between states and their nationals. The course will cover both customary and conventional (treaty-based) international law as well as other less formal ways by which international norms can be formed and enforced. The course also examines the role of states, international organizations and non-state actors in the international legal order and the relationship between international and domestic law. The course will introduce specific fields within international law, such as international human rights law, trade and investment law, environmental law and the law of war.

Elective Courses:

Please see Fall Electives in Los Angeles for course descriptions.

Spring 2010 - Offered in Bologna

International Commercial Contracts and Cross-Border Deals (3 units)
Prof. Marco Torsello, University of Bologna
Prof. Leonardo Graffi, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

The first part of the course will address the general legal regime governing international business transactions. It will focus on the various sources of law applicable to international contracts in severalselected issues and on common clauses of particular relevance in

international contract practice (e.g. battle of forms, transfer of risk,force majeure and hardship, exemption clauses, liquidated damages, etc.) as well as specific international legal instruments widely applied ( Vienna Sales Convention and Unidroit Principles).

The second part will examine, from a practical standpoint, the most common transaction documents used in cross-border deals. Specific reference will be made to the drafting and negotiation of asset purchase agreements, share purchase agreements, joint venture agreements and shareholders agreements. The goal of the second part of the course is to

explain how cross-border transactions are structured, negotiated and executed.

International Civil Litigation/American & International Conflict of Law (3 units)
Prof. Nicolo Trocker, University of Florence

As international transportation and communication expands, more disputes involve parties from two or more countries. Using a hypothetical problem case approach, this course explores how the United States courts deal with cases involving US and foreign parties, as both plaintiffs and defendants. The cases used range from commercial disputes to personal injury to human rights cases. Problems of forum selection, including personal jurisdiction and service on foreign countries, and forum non conveniens; discovery in foreign countries; sovereign immunity; and enforcements of US judgments abroad will be covered. Although the course focuses primarily on litigation in US courts, the course also covers examples of litigation in foreign courts.

International Commercial Arbitration (3 units)
Professor Chiara Giovannucci Orlandi, University of Bologna

Arbitration is the principal alternative form of dispute resolution to civil litigation. The course will cover the major differences between arbitration and other methods of alternative dispute resolution, and will focus on issues relating to International Arbitration. Special attention will be given to the Federal Arbitration Act, the European laws on International Arbitration and to the rules of the most influential International Arbitration institutions (eg, The American Arbitration Association, The International Arbitration Chamber of Milan, The International Chamber of Commerce of Paris and The London Court of International Arbitration). Special regard will be given to the 1958 New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards and its application in the United States and Europe.

International Intellectual Property (3 units)
Professor Karl Manheim, Loyola Law School

This course will survey the international system for intellectual property. This system includes international treaties that enable the recognition of intellectual property interests across borders, such as the Berne Convention (copyright) and Paris Convention (patent and trademark), as well as TRIPS, the IP-specific agreement binding on all WTO members. The course will also examine contemporary topics, such as the treatment of traditional knowledge, compulsory licenses for essential medicines, disclosure of test data, and the use of IP rights to limit parallel trade.