Past Undergraduate Courses in Law

Offerings for Spring 2024

Society has moved online – so have our legal disputes. Most of us have tapped “I agree” without reading the fine print; streamed copyrighted works without paying a license fee; and crept someone via google and social media. Most of us have also been digitally hacked, phished, and spied upon; our personal data has been collected by private and governmental entities, and we have repeatedly heard these buzzwords of network neutrality and bitcoin. This is a survey course in the law of the internet — civics of the internet. We cover regulation of the internet and big media companies such as Facebook and Google; privacy law from various angles; liability for various nefarious activities (including actions taken by AI rather than humans); and yes, what happens when you click “I agree.” Although we discuss computer technology, this is not a high-tech class. You will not need any technical expertise beyond knowing about email, the worldwide web, and texting. This course has no prerequisites.

This course provides students with the basic concepts necessary to improve their scores on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), thereby improving their proficiency in key skills such as reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning.

Offerings for Fall 2023

Discover the American legal system through the case method used at law schools across the United States. Students will learn legal principles and will then apply their knowledge to new sets of facts, practicing the skills lawyers use when serving clients. Topics include constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, property, and torts.

Offerings for Spring 2023

Society has moved online – so have our legal disputes. Most of us have tapped “I agree” without reading the fine print; streamed copyrighted works without paying a license fee; and crept someone via google and social media. Most of us have also been digitally hacked, phished, and spied upon; our personal data has been collected by private and governmental entities, and we have repeatedly heard these buzzwords of network neutrality and bitcoin. This is a survey course in the law of the internet — civics of the internet. We cover regulation of the internet and big media companies such as Facebook and Google; privacy law from various angles; liability for various nefarious activities (including actions taken by AI rather than humans); and yes, what happens when you click “I agree.” Although we discuss computer technology, this is not a high-tech class. You will not need any technical expertise beyond knowing about email, the worldwide web, and texting. This course has no prerequisites.

This course provides students with the basic concepts necessary to improve their scores on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), thereby improving their proficiency in key skills such as reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning.

Offerings for Fall 2022

Discover the American legal system through the case method used at law schools across the United States. Students will learn legal principles and will then apply their knowledge to new sets of facts, practicing the skills lawyers use when serving clients. Topics include constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, property, and torts.

Offerings for Summer 2022

This course provides students with the basic concepts necessary to improve their scores on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), thereby improving their proficiency in key skills such as reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning.

This course is designed to help students learn how the law affects working environments of all kinds, from businesses to government agencies to non-profit organizations. Students will arrange an internship with an organization of their choice and will obtain work experience in a professional setting. Students will then complete assignments related to how various sources of law (such as state and federal statutes, state and federal regulations, and state and federal court opinions) affect that organization. Graded on S/U basis only. Prerequisites: Students must have completed at least 55 credit hours before taking this course. Students must have an overall GPA of at least 2.00. Offered online. Internships may be in Columbia or elsewhere.

Other Undergraduate Courses Offered by the School of Law

(Cross-listed with Environmental Science (ENV SC) 2001)
This course examines domestic U.S. and international law related to climate change. In addition to lecture and class discussion, it includes guest speakers, student presentations, and case studies.

Questions?
Contact Professor Ben Trachtenberg, Associate Dean and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of Law.