SUBJECTS & CLASSES

SUBJECTS
Subjects covered during the “U.S. Legal Methods: Introduction to U.S. Law” program include most major aspects of U.S. law and the U.S. legal system, such as:*

• Rule of Law in the United States; the U.S. Legal Profession;
• Common Law vs. Code Law Methodologies; Case Law Analysis; Case Law Development; Historical Background; Common Law and the Federal Code
• U.S. Constitutional Law: Federalism, Separation of Powers, Civil Liberties and Rights; Interpretation; Legislative Process
• The Judicial System: Organization and Jurisdiction of Federal and State Courts, Subject Matter Jurisdiction, Personal Jurisdiction, Appeal of Final Decisions
• Introduction to Legal Research and Writing
• Conflicts of Law; Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
• Life Cycle of a Lawsuit (Initiating an Action, Responses, Motion to Dismiss, Discovery, Sanctions,  Summary Judgment, the Trial Process, Federal Rules of Evidence, Appellate Process); Foreign Litigation in U.S. Courts
• Tort Law; Products Liability Law
• Contract Law; Commercial Law
• Business Law; Business Organizations – Corporate and Partnership Law; Mergers and Acquisitions; Tax Law
• Securities Law; Corporate Governance
• Administrative Law
• Property Law; Intellectual Property
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Antitrust and Competition Law
• Environmental & Energy Law
• Labor and Employment Law
• Criminal Law
• The American Judiciary
• The Trump Presidency and Legal Forecast

 * Additional subjects may be added based on the interests of the participants.

CLASSES
Required classes for the “U.S. Legal Methods: Introduction to U.S. Law” program will be held five days per week Monday through Friday in the mornings and afternoons. Some days will also include off-site visits to significant legal venues (such as the courts, the Capitol building, and prestigious D.C. law firms). A few hours of optional/elective classes will also be conducted on weekends.

We combine three complementary elements into our teaching approach:

• First, participants are immersed in the relevant theories supporting each area of law;
• Second, leading academics instruct on the practical aspects of each area of law—what the laws are, how they are found (via cases, codes or constitutions), and how they are applied;
• Finally, leading practitioners from top law firms, the government, as well as judges carry the instruction outside the academic world and into the “real” world of actual legal practice. It is often this last element that allows participants to complete the program with a sense that they have a real “hands on” understanding of U.S. Law and the U.S. Legal System.

LOCATION
This program is formally affiliated with the George Washington University Law School. Classes each day are at the GW Law School (2000 H Street, N.W.), located in heart of Washington, D.C. and within walking distance to the Foggy Bottom and Farragut West Metro stations, numerous shops, restaurants, the Potomac River, and the Georgetown area of Washington.