A study of the history and development of the First Amendment and the body of Constitutional law including the doctrines of freedom of religion, speech, press, peaceable assembly, the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and the balance between church and state.

Offered: Resident

A study of the federal judicial system. Topics include separation of powers; federalism; Congressional power to curtail federal jurisdiction; the case and controversy requirement as it relates to doctrines of standing, ripeness, and mootness; sovereign immunity; Congressional power to abrogate Eleventh Amendment immunity; Ex Parte Young doctrine; Section 1983 litigation; absolute and qualified immunity in suits against state and federal officers; and abstention doctrine. An analysis of the Constitutional and legislative foundations of the judicial power of the U.S.

Offered: Resident

A study of the conflicts arising in many cases that have connections with more than one state, or with a state and a foreign country, or that involve both state and federal interests. It explores the principles that courts use in selecting the proper law to apply in such cases under the American system of divided sovereignty - divided both horizontally among states and vertically between state and federal governments.

Offered: Resident

A study of state constitutional law, with special attention given to the texts, history, nature, and interpretation of state constitutions; state constitutions in the federal system; state bills of rights as separate guarantees of individual rights; the distribution of powers among the separate branches of government; local government; taxing, borrowing, and spending; public education and state institutions; and the processes for amending state constitutions.

Offered: Resident

An overview of the nature, structure, powers, and liabilities of state governments and their political subdivisions, including the interrelationships among administrative agencies and municipal, county, and state governments.

Offered: Resident

A survey of the law relating to public, private, and home education. Emphasis is placed on the legal framework for public education, the First Amendment and other Constitutional issues related to the public schools, and the nature of parental rights in the context of public education.

Offered: Resident

Offered: Resident

A survey of public international law, its nature, sources, and application. Addressed are: international agreements, international organizations, states and recognition, nationality and alien rights, territorial and maritime jurisdiction, state responsibility, and international claims including expropriation and the act of state doctrine, the laws of war, and the developing law of human rights.

Offered: Resident

An introduction to complex legal issues in international human rights, including a discussion of the Christian and secular views of the source of individual rights, survey of selected human rights concerns, examination and analysis of international human rights treaties, the role of international and regional human rights systems, non-governmental organizations, international decisions of tribunals and human rights courts, and prevention of human rights violations. Learning method will be through research and seminar-type presentations.

Offered: Resident

A study of selected international legal issues affecting or regulating multinational enterprise, foreign investment, the banking system, trade in goods and services, labor matters, intellectual property, sales transactions, transportation, and trade financing.

Offered: Resident

This course is an overview of immigration law and policy in the United States. Migration policy has long provoked controversy and has become even more contentious in the new era of homeland security since September 11, 2001. Immigration bills in Congress have been the subject of heated debates, particularly in recent years. However, to have a truly informed opinion on the subject, one must understand the history of immigration law in the United States, the statutory framework into which any new legislation must fit, and the legal process used to enforce U.S. immigration law. This course will examine federal immigration law and policy in a variety of its aspects--contemporary and historical, substantive and procedural, statutory and regulatory and constitutional--including the criteria for admission to the United States on a temporary or permanent basis, the grounds and process of deportation, the peculiar constitutional status of foreign nationals, the role of the courts in ensuring the legality of official action, and an introduction to refugee law.

Offered: Resident

This course involves the study of law, policy and litigation issues relating to stem cell and cloning research, abortion, reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization, and euthanasia. Course material includes case study, legislative and regulatory reviews, the reports of specialized task forces and professional panels and historic analysis. The course will also review litigations and policy developments in these respective areas.

Offered: Resident

A study of selected law skills involved in the public policy arena, drawn from the following areas: drafting legislation; drafting memoranda in support of legislation; planning and creating legal structures necessary to operate election campaigns, to comply with on-going campaign finance and disclosure laws, and to dissolve campaigns; planning and operating political campaigns and lobbying organizations; and complying with disclosure requirements by organizations that involve themselves in public policy matters.

Offered: Resident

An introduction to public policy that examines the effect of worldview on both the objects and means of creating public policy. The course will use substantive public policy, policy initiatives, bills, legislative history, case law, white papers, and public relation campaigns to provide an understanding of the various methods, tactics, and strategies used in transforming ideas into governing policy and will prepare students to analyze both the substance of public policy and the policy creation process.

Offered: Resident

A survey of the relationship between various types of human sexual behavior and law, including employment law, education law, criminal law, family law, civil rights legislation, and the constitutional guarantees of equal protection and freedom of religion, speech, and association. The course will explore sexual behavior and notions of sexual morality through a biblical, historical, and anthropological prism and consider how the law, public policy, and culture approaches the sexual choice people make.

Offered: Resident

A study of the processes by which legislative and administrative policy is translated into law and applied by the responsible administrative agencies. Topics include analysis of informal and formal procedures, separation of powers, delegation, statutory construction, rule making, and adjudication.

Offered: Resident

A survey of statutory regulations applicable to the protection of the environment. Attention is directed to the role of the EPA and other administrative agencies in the development and implementation of environmental policy.

Offered: Resident

A survey of common law and federal and state statutes regulating the relationship between an employer and an employee. Subjects include the hiring process, termination, terms and conditions of employment, disability unemployment, and retirement.

Offered: Resident

A selective examination of governmental regulation of the use of real estate and of the land development industry. It is fundamentally a course in applied Constitutional and administrative law. While it includes the law of nuisance, zoning, density, growth, and subdivision controls, it is a vehicle for exploring the public regulation of business behavior in general, including various strategies for deregulation.

Offered: Resident

A study of the law of judicial remedies, both legal and equitable, focusing on the nature and scope of relief as distinguished from substantive and procedural law. The four major categories of remedies are addressed: damages, including measurement issues for both compensatory and punitive damages, and limitations on the damages remedy; restitution, including measurement issues and issues related to rescission, constructive trust, and equitable lien; injunctions, including issues relating to requirements for obtaining preliminary and permanent injunctive; and declaratory relief, including ancillary remedies to effectuate the relief obtained, and legal and equitable defenses.

Offered: Resident

This course will emphasize practical and substantive issues of Virginia law that are common to everyday practice. Students will be expected to apply Virginia law to articulate answers to common legal issues that arise in Virginia practice. The course includes a writing component.

Registration Restrictions: Third year status.

Offered: Resident

This course covers Virginia civil procedural law for both law and equitable claims, including applicable statutes, rules of court and cases interpreting the statutes and rules. Appellate procedure for both the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the Supreme Court of Virginia are covered.

Offered: Resident

A review of the Virginia statutes and Rules of Court governing criminal procedure in Virginia. Covers Virginia Code Title 19.2 and Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia, Parts 1, 3A, 5 & 5A [the latter two dealing with appellate procedure for criminal cases] together with some of the cases dealing with the statutes and rules. Topics include jurisdiction, venue, pre-trial motions and procedures, competency and insanity issues, trial, sentencing and appeals.

Note: Course offered as a Winter intensive.

Offered: Resident

A study of the regulation of the insurance business, insurable interest, the insurance contract, the interests protected by contracts of insurance, construction of policies, rights under the policies, subrogation; and processing of claims and suits for insureds, claimants, and insurers.

Offered: Resident

Offered: Resident

An introduction to the establishment and management of a law office. It is designed to prepare the student for entry into the private practice of law, including ethical and personal pressures related to private law practice.

Offered: Resident

A course on dispute resolution, building on the foundation of Lawyering Skills V, using a mixture of lecture, discussion, role-playing, and analysis of videotape. A lawyer's primary task is to resolve disputes. Most controversies never reach trial; rather, they are settled by agreement. The ability to negotiate and mediate effectively is crucial for all attorneys.

Offered: Resident

A course building on the foundation of Lawyering Skills V. Develops courtroom skills through simulated trials. Focus is on opening statement, direct and cross-examination, and closing argument.

Offered: Resident

The course will undertake a selective examination of real estate disputes for litigation or transactional oriented future attorney-practitioners. The planning of real estate transactions is enhanced with a view toward the pitfalls of litigation in mind. An emphasis will be on the common disputes a practitioner typically handles during their career: disputes related to landlord-tenant, common interest communities, the real estate purchase-sale contract, and foreclosures.

Offered: Resident

An introduction to the mechanics of appellate brief-writing and oral argument by engaging in simulated oral arguments. It is designed to develop clear and persuasive communication skills through written and oral advocacy.

Note: This course is offered in the fall semester and is designed for those who are interested in participating in Moot Court.

Offered: Resident

This course requires research of unique legal issues, preparation of an appellate brief, preparation of at least two oral arguments, and participation in an intercollegiate moot court tournament. Successful completion of the course will be determined by the Moot Court Faculty Advisor based on the student's preparation for the tournament and demonstrated competence in both the written and oral skills. Only two credits for LAW 832 may count toward the credits required for graduation.

Registration Restrictions: Competed in the 2L/3L Liberty Cup Moot Court Tournament

Note: Course credit is pass/fail.

Offered: Resident

Team members will engage in an intense study of trial strategy and preparation, direct and cross examination, opening statements and closing arguments, pretrial motions, arguing and opposing objections, and all aspects of trial advocacy. Team members will be chosen to compete in state, regional, and national trial competitions. Only two credits for LAW 833 may count toward the credits required for graduation.

Registration Restrictions: Co-requisite, This course is for those students who try out for and are chosen to be on the Trial Team

Note: Course credit is pass/fail.

Offered: Resident

Students will be provided a hands-on experience in Constitutional litigation representing actual clients and preparing and prosecuting a lawsuit at the trial and/or appellate level. Students share responsibility for the management of a case under supervision of a member of the faculty and licensed attorneys and staff with Liberty Counsel. Students will be expected to research, write legal arguments, and engage in critical thinking in order to prosecute a case. Coursework encompasses civil procedure, evidence, substantive law, law office management, ethics, and professional responsibility.

Registration Restrictions: Permission of instructor is required and availability is limited.

Offered: Resident

Students will work under the direct supervision of a faculty supervisor and the Bedford (Virginia) Commonwealth Attorney's Office and will be involved in all aspects of criminal prosecution. Students will be exposed to the role and responsibilities of a prosecutor while engaging in the hands-on experiences of a working prosecutor. Students will be encouraged to think critically about the prosecutor's role in the criminal justice system. The Clinic will also contain a classroom component where students will cover subject matter that includes: the role of the prosecutor, ethics, plea bargaining, motions and hearings, discovery and examination of witnesses. Students may conduct legal research and writing, write motions and briefs and give oral arguments.

Registration Restrictions: Permission from the Bedford Commonwealth Attorney and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; and Virginia Third-Year Practice Certificate required.

Offered: Resident

Externs earn academic credit while working part time in government or nonprofit institutions. Externs work under the supervision of qualified and experienced attorneys who provide guidance and training in practical lawyering skills. Classroom component covers topics relating to the legal system, judicial process, and professionalism.

Registration Restrictions: Second year standing; approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Note: The normal externship is for two credit hours. Three credit hours are approved only in special circumstances.

Offered: Resident

Students earn academic credit while working part time with other students in a Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in Virginia under the supervision of an attorney in that office and a Liberty law professor. Students receive guidance and training in lawyering skills, interview and prepare witnesses for trial, and appear in court.

Registration Restrictions: Qualify for third year practice in Virginia; approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Note: The normal externship is for two credit hours. Three credit hours are approved only in special circumstances.

Offered: Resident

Students earn academic credit while working part time with other students under the supervision of a judge and his or her staff attorneys and a Liberty law professor. Students receive guidance and training in legal research and writing, write research memoranda, and draft opinions for judges.

Registration Restrictions: Second year standing; approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Note: The normal externship is for two credit hours. Three credit hours are approved only in special circumstances.

Offered: Resident

Includes components of an externship, with real-life, legal work generated by the client of a supervising externship attorney, and an independent study, with research and writing covering subject matter comparable to that in other academic activities.

Registration Restrictions: Second year standing; approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Offered: Resident

A supervised research and writing course that covers subject matter comparable to that in other academic activities with minimum faculty guidance. Guidelines are published in the Academic Standards Policies and Procedures.

Registration Restrictions: Second year standing; approval of a professor-advisor and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; satisfy the requirements in 07.14 of the Academic Policies and Procedures.

Offered: Resident

Participation in law review activities in the fall semester includes writing a note or comment judged to meet the acceptable or publishable standard, editing student written notes and comments, editing articles and other scholarly legal writings, and performing other editorial and staff duties pursuant to the Liberty University Law Review Constitution.

Registration Restrictions: Second year standing; membership is by invitation only based upon the student's demonstration of advanced academic and writing ability and criteria set forth in the Liberty University Law Review Constitution.

Note: Course credit is pass/fail.

Offered: Resident

Participation in law review activities in the spring semester includes editing student written notes and comments, editing articles and other scholarly legal writings, and performing other editorial and staff duties pursuant to the Liberty University Law Review Constitution.

Registration Restrictions: Second year standing; satisfactory completion of Law Review Candidacy.

Note: Course credit is pass/fail.

Offered: Resident

Participation in law review activities includes writing a comment judged to meet the acceptable or publishable standard, editing student written notes and comments, editing articles and other scholarly legal writings, and performing other staff duties pursuant to the Liberty University Law Review Constitution.

Registration Restrictions: Third year standing; satisfactory completion of Law Review Junior Staff.

Note: Course credit is pass/fail.

Offered: Resident

Participation in law review activities includes editing student written notes and comments, editing articles and other scholarly legal writings, and performing other staff duties pursuant to the Liberty University Law Review Constitution.

Registration Restrictions: Third year standing; satisfactory completion of Law Review Senior Staff I.

Note: Course credit is pass/fail.

Offered: Resident

Participation in law review activities includes managing the law review, participating in the activities of the editorial board, writing a comment judged to meet the acceptable or publishable standard, editing and publishing student written notes and comments, reviewing, selecting, editing, and publishing articles and other scholarly legal writings, and performing other editorial and staff duties pursuant to the Liberty University Law Review Constitution.

Registration Restrictions: Third year standing; satisfactory completion of Law Review Junior Staff; elected as a member of the Liberty University Law Review Editorial Board.

Note: Course credit is pass/fail.

Offered: Resident

Participation in law review activities includes managing the law review, participating in the activities of the editorial board, editing and publishing student written notes and comments, reviewing, selecting, editing, and publishing articles and other scholarly legal writings, and performing other editorial and staff duties pursuant to the Liberty University Law Review Constitution.

Registration Restrictions: Third year standing; satisfactory completion of Law Review Editorial Board I; membership on the Liberty University Law Review Editorial Board.

Note: Course credit is pass/fail.

Offered: Resident

Advanced Bar Studies is a skills development course that provides students with an intensive substantive review of selected legal material routinely tested on the bar examination. The course uses problems and exercises in a bar examination format to familiarize students with techniques for answering bar examination multiple choice questions.

Registration Restrictions: Third year standing.

Offered: Resident

Offered: Resident

Advanced Research and Writing provides advanced instruction in legal research techniques and hones the writing skills learned in LS I and II. Students will draft a variety of common, legal documents used in litigation and transactional work.

Offered: Resident