Most laws that Congress passes require implementation. Very often implementation is via a federal agency. As a result, in the United States a multitude of governmental agencies exercise authority over the economy, and over the lives of every American. These agencies have the power to make legally binding rules (aka "regulations" or "red tape"), to issue valuable permits and licenses, to levy fines, and to adjudicate. Indeed, one agency, the Social Security Administration, adjudicates more cases every year than all the state and federal courts combined. This is a course about laws and rules that bind federal agencies, and thus about the extent to which federal agencies can make rules and decisions that bind us. It surveys the means by which people (and their lawyers) can challenge or influence administrative exercises of authority in the face of often broad or ambiguous delegations of authority from Congress, and in particular how and when agency decisions are subject to judicial review. Always lurking is the question of how we reconcile our dependence on an unelected, expert bureaucracy with our commitments to a government that is democratically accountable and legitimate. Administrative Law is vitally important for anyone contemplating a practice that might involve federal regulations in any way. It is particularly valuable for students who are considering a practice involving highly regulated areas such as: Communications, Disability, Energy, Environment, Family and Child Services, Financial Markets or Securities, Immigration, Labor, Housing, or Land Use, but it is also relevant to almost every other area of practice. Administrative Law is both important and timely: It empowered and also very frequently blocked the ability of the Trump administration to enact its policy choices; more recently, a significant part of the early Biden agenda has been to modify or rescind various Trump administration regulations - a process that takes place within a set of constraints imposed by Administrative Law.
 
Course Concentrations:
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Area of Focus) More information
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Concentration) More information
The Business of Innovation, Law and Technology: BILT (Concentration) More information
Environmental Law (Area of Focus) More information
Environmental Law (Concentration) More information
Health Law (Area of Focus) More information
Immigration, Asylum, and Citizenship Law Area of Focus (Area of Focus) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Area of Focus) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Concentration) More information
Transactional Law (Area of Focus) More information
Transactional Law (Concentration) More information

A study of legal issues arising in the maritime and recreational boating industry, including admiralty jurisdiction, maritime liens, salvage, cargo, carriage of goods by sea, charter parties, general average, the rights of seamen and maritime workers, collision and limitation of liability.
 
Course Concentrations:
Environmental Law (Area of Focus) More information
Environmental Law (Concentration) More information

Whether you are arguing to an appellate judge, a trial judge, or the senior partner in a law firm, you need to know how to make a strong legal argument. Rarely does this come naturally to people. This class helps students develop the skills to write effectively and argue under fire. The ability to anticipate questions, prepare and deliver answers to difficult questions, and weave back into your argument is so important. Through a series of mini-problems, lectures, and guest speakers, students will receive individualized, personal training that will be helpful in preparing them for the Gaubatz Competition (precursor to an invitation to the Charles C. Papy Moot Court Board). Note: Only students participating in the Gaubatz Competition are eligible to take this course.
 
Course Concentrations:
Litigation & Dispute Resolution (Concentration) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Area of Focus) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Concentration) More information

This course covers the theories and strategies for persuasively advocating one’s case and examining witnesses before the tribunal. Class time will be spent discussing, preparing for, and having students perform in the roles of counsel and witnesses for cross examination, as well as opening and closing statements with review provided on an ongoing basis. It is important to master the facts of the sample case and to put together initial ideas for how one would present and prove the case before a tribunal in advance of the first class. If you are an International Arbitration Joint J.D./LL.M. or International Arbitration LL.M. student, you may enroll in this course through Canelink.

Short Course Attendance Policy Due to the small number of meetings, attendance to all meetings/classes for short courses is mandatory. Students who miss more than one class session (80 minute) of a 1-credit short course are subject to administrative withdrawal and will have a W for the course on their transcripts.
 
Course Concentrations:
Litigation & Dispute Resolution (Concentration) More information

Survey of beverage alcohol and governance of all 3 tiers of the beverage alcohol industry in conjunction with various state and federal alcoholic beverage statutory schemes, promulgated rules and decisional case law.
 

This course will examine the field of designing disputes resolution systems and give students the opportunity to analyze, deconstruct and reconstruct systems to function in accordance with their explicit and implicit goals. Students will be provided with a practical framework in dispute resolution concepts and have the opportunity to incorporate strategies/structures in systems of their choice. Through this process, past students have explored a variety of systems including: direct filing in juvenile justice, access to healthcare benefits, the ways in which tickets to the Olympics are distributed, FIFA salaries, the school of choice lottery system, grievance procedures within corporations, several pro se advocacy projects, rural legal assistance projects, the bid process for municipal contracts, and more. Students are supported in design work through readings, guest speakers, peer critique of drafts and individualized feedback. Knowledge of, or interest in, mediation/negotiation is recommended.
 
Course Concentrations:
Litigation & Dispute Resolution (Concentration) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Area of Focus) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Concentration) More information

The course provides the analytical foundations for legal practice in the modern world – a world in which sound legal advice requires the mastery of the techniques and language of disciplines such as economics, decision theory and game theory. After a brief review of the methodology of law and economics, this course exposes students to a broad survey of micro-economics, decision-theory, and game-theory concepts. These analytical methods play a crucial role in the design and understanding of legal rules. The second part of the course builds on these premises to study the economic structure of several areas of law. Through this course students will develop a framework for the analysis of legal rules that will aid them in the remainder of their legal studies and professional life.
 

Provides a broad, historical overview of the legal systems of both ancient Greece and Rome. The focus of the course falls upon articulating the chief attributes of two very different legal frameworks from the ancient Mediterranean world: Greek law was primarily ‘procedural’ in nature, that is, concentrated above all on questions of process, jurisdiction, and the like, whereas Roman law was ‘substantive,’ considering inter alia rights, obligations, and offenses. In considering these differences, the course treats some of the most famous figures in the ancient canon—including Lysias, Demosthenes, and Cicero—as well as a range of legal topics from criminal law to family law, contracts, and delicts.
 

Antitrust law refers to a handful of statutes that collectively regulate business competition. As a general matter, these laws prohibit restraints of trade, acts of monopolization, and mergers or acquisitions that threaten to reduce competition. These concepts are unfamiliar to most law students, but every business lawyer must be at least generally conversant with them. Antitrust awareness has become increasingly important in the last ten to fifteen years. One reason is that criminal penalties, including incarceration, have escalated dramatically. Another is that multi-national companies must now reckon with a more aggressive view of competition law enforcement in Europe. A third reason is that a hi-tech world must increasingly rely on Intellectual Property protections that seem, at least facially, in conflict with antitrust law. Finally, it is now recognized that antitrust poses a significant threat to professional sports leagues. This course will explore the core concepts of antitrust in depth, and will at least introduce some of the more advanced concepts.
 
Course Concentrations:
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Area of Focus) More information
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Concentration) More information
The Business of Innovation, Law and Technology: BILT (Concentration) More information
Transactional Law (Area of Focus) More information
Transactional Law (Concentration) More information

We will chronicle the fight for effective Assembly and Protest in the US. From the cases we will emphasize the narrative and social context of these disputes, demonstrating the presence of war, race, and class,, often intertwined with Protest. This ability to protest is necessary if democracy is to be affirmed. Perhaps we as American society do not want a true democracy or are not sure we want it. Or perhaps powerful individuals or groups do not want any democracy they don’t win. There are current indications: the “rigged” political primaries via super-delegates and calendar of primary elections in both major parties, the gerrymandered state legislatures by party, new limits on voter registration and eligibility, or the privileging of money in elections in Citizens United.. But if we want anything like democracy, then ordinary people, enfranchised or not, must be able to physically meet and organize independently of wealth or status. Throughout our history, legal protection of the right to assemble has been episodic and peripheral. More often Assembly has been suppressed by legal institutions, whether by courts, police, or military actions. Most often the issues have involved the most wrenching of social issues. The only viable place to do protect protest is in public assembly and organization. Mass Protest depends on meeting places. Traditionally this has depended on the streets and public places. The Right to Assemble, whether constitutional or moral, must be vigorously exercised and protected.
 

An intensive study of the problems of the debtor and creditor under federal bankruptcy law. The course will focus particularly on issues concerning the insolvency system, bankruptcy estate, the automatic stay, discharge in Chapter 7, the avoiding powers of the trustee, and reorganization in Chapter 11 and various strategies to achieve objectives. The text will be supplemented with lectures on rules, procedures and recent cases as well as practical methods of dealing with the subject matter.
 
Course Concentrations:
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Area of Focus) More information
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Concentration) More information
The Business of Innovation, Law and Technology: BILT (Concentration) More information

The Eleanor R. Cristol and Judge A. Jay Cristol Bankruptcy Pro Bono Assistance Clinic at Miami Law offers pro bono legal services to low-income individuals and entities that are dealing with financial problems. The Bankruptcy Bar Association of the Southern District of Florida together with Put Something Bank (the pro bono arm of the Miami Dade County Bar) established the clinic. Miami Law offers it as a one semester or a two-semester, six-credit elective that pairs students with various mentor attorneys to represent clients. How Students Benefit from Participating in this Clinic: • Students practice in Federal Court as advocates for their clients and network with members of the South Florida Bench and Bar. • These cases can be chapter 7s, chapter 13s, contested matters, adversary proceedings which can include cases such as fighting to help the debtor discharge student loans. Also, students counsel clients with respect to financial distress and solutions to problems. • Expert Mentorship – Students are placed with mentor bankruptcy attorneys in the community who really are at the top of their game. • Unparalleled Networking Opportunities – During the clinic students meet prospective future employers and attend numerous of bankruptcy events in the community such as View From the Bench, and numerous other Bankruptcy Bar Association events. • Fantastic Support – Clinic Director Patricia Redmond , Clinic Coordinator and mentor attorneys provide ongoing support, help and advice. Clients are referred to the clinic by the Dade County Bar Association, and sitting judges of the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida.
http://www.law.miami.edu/clinics/index.php 
Course Concentrations:
Litigation & Dispute Resolution (Concentration) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Concentration) More information

This is an intensive course intended for two types of students: those who are generally interested in international business transactions and want an overview of the most frequent method for resolving contractual disputes, and those who are intending to go on to take more intensive courses in the field of international dispute resolution. The course covers the framework and foundational principles of international arbitral procedure, as well as the role of courts in enforcing arbitration agreements and awards. This course is recommended for the following courses: Fall Semester: Advanced Oral Advocacy in International Arbitration; Arbitrating Cultural Heritage Disputes; Arbitration & ESG; Damages in International Arbitration; Drafting Complex Arbitration Clauses; Federal Arbitration Act; Forensics of Advocacy in International Arbitration I; International Arbitration in Latin America & the Caribbean; International Arbitration LL.M. Practicum I & II; International Commercial Arbitration Seminar: A United States Perspective; Maritime Arbitration. Spring Semester: Arbitral Institutions in a Changing and Challenging World; Complex International Negotiations; Forensics of Advocacy in International Arbitration II; ICSID Practice & Procedure; International Arbitration and the New York Convention; International Arbitration LL.M. Practicum I & II; International Law of State Responsibility; International Sports Arbitration; Investment Arbitration; Transnational Litigation and International Arbitration with a European Nexus. Short Course Attendance Policy: Due to the small number of meetings, attendance to all meetings/classes for short courses is mandatory. Students who miss more than one class session (i.e., 80 minutes) of a 1-credit short course are subject to administrative withdrawal and will receive a W for the course on their transcripts.
 
Course Concentrations:
Litigation & Dispute Resolution (Concentration) More information

This course examines the legal foundations, structuring, and governance of condominiums, homeowners associations, residential communities and mixed use projects. Examination of the Florida Condominium Act and the Homeowners Association Act will be undertaken with the goal of gaining familiarity operating within the framework created by such statutes, examining Developer rights and liabilities, sales and disclosure requirements, management issues, warranties, and related management and operational matters with a focus on hands-on problem-solving related to such projects. Participants will also analyze and draft project-specific community structuring documents. Although the course will focus on Florida law, the concepts covered in the course have broader application to similar condominium and planned land development laws in many state statutes.
 

This course covers the federal income tax consequences of various real property related transactions. Topics include the tax ramifications of the purchase, and retention and disposition of commercial and residential development projects. The course provides coverage of the differing tax treatment to individuals and the various investment entities of corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. Business and financial planning are integrated into course lectures, including review of financial projections and real estate contract documents. Certain state tax and foreign (non-U.S.) tax issues are also discussed, where appropriate.
 

This course covers the federal income tax consequences of various real property related transactions. Topics include the tax ramifications of the purchase, and retention and disposition of commercial and residential development projects. The course provides coverage of the differing tax treatment to individuals and the various investment entities of corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. Business and financial planning are integrated into course lectures, including review of financial projections and real estate contract documents. Certain state tax and foreign (non-U.S.) tax issues are also discussed, where appropriate.
 

“Narrowly Taylored”: IP through the lens of Taylor Swift’s career, covering topics such as music copyright, trademark use, fair use, and IP licensing.
 

Blockchain Technology and Business Strategies This course is an introduction to the application of Blockchain technology in different business environments and industries. Blockchain technology is a growing emerging technology that has attracted much attention and capital invested in cryptocurrencies and other applications. Today, almost all industries are building blockchain applications to adopt new ways of addressing business and technology problems and streamline business processes and enhance security and integrity of transactions. These new business models span both financial and non-financial business blockchain applications. The course will explore multiple use cases in different industries: Banking, Healthcare, Government, Real Estate, Retail, etc. The goal of this course is to introduce the student to blockchain and its ecosystem. The student will learn how to analyze the underlying business foundation of blockchain in multiple business cases and will acquire the basic technical foundation of blockchain. By the end of the course the student will have developed a clear understanding of Blockchain business models, technologies, use cases across multiple domains. Learning Outcomes • Understanding of Blockchain technology and high level understanding of the underlying technical framework underlying many of the blockchain applications such as cryptocurrencies. • Learn key use cases across various industries (Financial Services/Healthcare/Legal/Government). • Understanding the broader strategic and regulatory framework for applying blockchain in business settings. • Develop broad understanding of blockchain and blockchain ecosystem and applications. Course overview and schedule Day 1 • Overview of current technology trends and their disruptive force on today's business environments (Cloud/IoT/AI/Blockchain) Day 2 • Overview of Blockchain and how it works. The technical framework. Day 3 • How Blockchain capabilities are being applied in different business domains (healthcare, finance, legal, banking, government). ). You will develop key understanding of how blockchain applies in those business domains and in particular in the financial services and healthcare industries today. Day 4 • Discussion of key technical, legal and regulatory aspects of applying blockchain in business settings. Day 5 • Discuss strategic and technical frameworks for developing blockchain business/technology applications and strategies. Day 6 • Final Paper/Presentation - The student will develop and submit a blockchain business/technology strategy. The paper/presentation should identify a potential solution in a particular industry based on your understanding of blockchain and its potential application. The paper should explore potential opportunities and challenges within an industry of your choice. You can also propose an idea within your own organization and how this could be implemented and the potential outcome of such idea. Short Course Attendance Policy Due to the small number of meetings, attendance to all meetings/classes for short courses is mandatory. Students who miss more than one class session (80 minute) of a 1-credit short course are subject to administrative withdrawal and will have a W for the course on their transcripts.
 
Course Concentrations:
Transactional Law (Area of Focus) More information
Transactional Law (Concentration) More information

This course will examine the regulatory and compliance obligations of financial professionals that deal in securities and provide investment advice. After an overview of the securities markets, trading platforms and exchanges, we will focus on the regulation of brokerage firms and brokers, and cover how firms are created and subsequently regulated by the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The course will examine topics such as the different standards of conduct governing brokers and investment advisers, managing conflicts of interest, compliance and supervision (including financial crimes compliance and cybersecurity), and rules governing communications. We will also examine federal, state and FINRA regulation and enforcement over financial firms, and private actions. The course will include guest lectures from regulators, prominent in-house counsel and practitioners. Although the primary focus of the course will be on broker-dealer regulation under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, will also cover the role and regulation of registered investment advisers under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
 
Course Concentrations:
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Area of Focus) More information
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Concentration) More information
Transactional Law (Area of Focus) More information
Transactional Law (Concentration) More information

The course will explore the impact of incarceration and movements to develop alternatives to current carceral policies. The course will examine the role that the carceral system plays in locking workers into cycles of dangerous and underpaid work and reincarceration, placing a downward pressure on wages across the labor market and the impact of incarceration on families and communities. The course will be taught in collaboration with Beyond the Bars (BTB). BTB is a membership-based organization in Miami-Dade County with membership of workers who have experienced incarceration. BTB’s mission is to build the social and economic power of its members through leadership development, transformative education, policy innovation, and service provision. Maya Ragsdale, BTB executive director, and Chad Sinckler, BTB staff attorney, will co-teach the course. Through work with BTB, students will be exposed to and assist with efforts to change the carceral system in Miami-Dade County.

The course is interdisciplinary, including attention to social science research that examines criminal behavior, desistance, the social and psychological aspects of trauma related to criminal victimization, the causes and consequences of racial disparities in the carceral system, and the interaction of carceral policies and low-wage work. The course is practically focused on familiarizing students with the work of lawyers who are involved in developing alternative responses to mental health crises, homelessness, and drug addiction; addressing the economic and legal consequences of having a criminal record; and addressing wage and work conditions for low-wage workers.

The course will be of particular interest to students who are interested in criminal justice reform, social justice lawyering, labor and employment, and restorative justice.
 
Course Concentrations:
Social Justice & Public Interest (Area of Focus) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Concentration) More information

An introductory business associations class that provides a basis for advanced business classes. The class will analyze the legal aspects of business organizations (agency, partnership, limited liability companies and corporations).
 
Course Concentrations:
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Area of Focus) More information
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Concentration) More information
The Business of Innovation, Law and Technology: BILT (Concentration) More information
Transactional Law (Area of Focus) More information
Transactional Law (Concentration) More information

This course is an introduction to agency, partnerships, LLCs and corporations, with a principal focus on the powers, rights, duties and liabilities of corporate directors, officers and shareholders. Topics will include the formation and financing of corporations, internal structure, corporate governance, the allocation of power among the various participants in the enterprise, basic fiduciary law and shareholder voting. Partnership and LLC law will be addressed principally in comparison to corporate law. In addition to the state corporation laws of several jurisdictions - principally Delaware and Florida (as a Model Act state) - the course will address selected federal securities law issues (such as proxy regulation) and the relationship between state and federal law regarding corporations.
 
Course Concentrations:
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Area of Focus) More information
Business Compliance and Sustainability (Concentration) More information
The Business of Innovation, Law and Technology: BILT (Concentration) More information
Transactional Law (Area of Focus) More information
Transactional Law (Concentration) More information

This course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of business immigration laws and procedure in the United States. The course will cover statutory and regulatory requirements, along with agency policies and procedures relating to professionals, artists, athletes, investors, entrepreneurs, and workers seeking to do business, and/or work in the United States. Students will learn to analyze statutes, regulations, legal decisions, policy memoranda, government manuals, and liaison minutes. This course will also present guest speakers in several visa categories, and may include mock consultations, government agency, and/or consulate interviews. Particular attention will be paid to the practical aspects of business immigration law with the goal of preparing students to effectively navigate through the government’s procedural labyrinth.
 
Course Concentrations:
Immigration, Asylum, and Citizenship Law Area of Focus (Area of Focus) More information

An initial exploration. During this weeklong seminar, students will be exposed to a variety of legal issues related to artificial intelligence, including: intellectual property ownership and enforcement, data reliability, and best practices.
 

Please see link below.
http://www.law.miami.edu/academics/clinics/children-and-youth-law-clinic 
Course Concentrations:
Health Law (Area of Focus) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Concentration) More information

Please see link below.
http://www.law.miami.edu/academics/clinics/children-and-youth-law-clinic 
Course Concentrations:
Health Law (Area of Focus) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Concentration) More information

Please visit:
https://www.law.miami.edu/academics/clinics 
Course Concentrations:
Health Law (Area of Focus) More information
Litigation & Dispute Resolution (Concentration) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Concentration) More information

An analysis of the state and federal class action rule and recent case law and trends. .
 
Course Concentrations:
Litigation & Dispute Resolution (Concentration) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Area of Focus) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Concentration) More information

This two-credit course examines regulation of climate change from an international, national, and local perspective. The course will begin with an overview of climate change and the various legal and policy tools that have been adopted or proposed to address climate change through mitigation and adaptation. The class takes a top-down approach, beginning with the international climate change treaty regime (with a particular focus on the Paris Agreement). We follow with an investigation of federal laws addressing climate issues include the Inflation Reduction Act, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, and NEPA. From there we look to state and local efforts to combat climate change like California’s AB32 and Miami-Dade’s Climate Action Strategy. Law students wishing to fulfill a writing requirement will be required to prepare and present a research paper and must be prepared to submit a research question and proposal before the third meeting of the class. Students not seeking to fulfill the writing requirement will do a take-home exam. Final class meeting will be November 7, 2023. This class is a pre-requisite for students attending the annual climate change treaty negotiations (COP 28 in Dubai).
 
Course Concentrations:
Environmental Law (Area of Focus) More information
Environmental Law (Concentration) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Area of Focus) More information
Social Justice & Public Interest (Concentration) More information

Three-quarters of the United States population is concentrated on the coastal margin where people meet the sea. Along the shorelines of thirty coastal and Great Lakes states is a preponderance of this Nation´s industrial investment: manufacturing, refining, hydropower generation, ship-building, offshore oil and gas development, offshore wind, and fisheries. These same shorelines which house the population and its industry, also provide sources of beauty, recreation, and food and safety for their inhabitants. Estuaries serve as the nursery grounds for coastal fisheries. Shellfish flourish throughout their full life cycle in tidal waters. Shorebirds stop to feed on tidal flats. Development competes with the preservation of the natural beauty of the shoreline. The human and industrial pressures, as well as climate change, threaten and/or destroy ecological balances. This course examines the competing interests in the coastal zone, the problems of public and private ownership rights, State and Federal issues, and the conflicts of legal jurisdiction. Shifts in federal policy, as well as varying policy considerations, are explored in depth. Specific state and federal statutes along with environmental concerns are integrated with the policy questions.
 
Course Concentrations: