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This page contains content from the 2008–09 academic year. For current information, visit the Harvard Extension School website at www.extension.harvard.edu.

Legal Studies

LSTU E-100 Introduction to the Law (12792) (Website) (Printable version)
Robert M. Bonin, LLM, Attorney and Partner, Bonin & Marashian.
Course tuition: noncredit $450, undergraduate credit $800, graduate credit $1,725.
Fall term: Thursdays beginning Sept. 18, 5:30-7:30 pm, Maxwell Dworkin, Room G115.

The topics of this course include sources of law; finding law, lawyers, and courts; the litigation process (trial and appellate); privileges such as lawyer-client, doctor-patient, and interspousal rights of privacy; owning real estate, zoning, mortgages, and eminent domain; tort law (negligence and malpractice); contracts; commercial code and loans; criminal law; employment law; family law; landlord and tenant; and business forms and fiduciary obligations. (4 credits)

LSTU E-101 Evidence, Law, and Reason (23116) (Website) (Printable version)
Bruce Hay, JD, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School.
Course tuition: noncredit $450, undergraduate credit $800, graduate credit $1,725.
Spring term: Wednesdays beginning Jan. 28, 7:35-9:35 pm, Langdell Hall, Room SOUTH 272.

"Proof beyond a reasonable doubt" is one of the cornerstones of the legal system, embodying the ideals of rational decision and the pursuit of truth. But what constitutes proof? What is reasonable doubt? In what ways, and how well, does the legal system operationalize these ideas, given the limited knowledge and rationality of human decision-makers? These questions guide us in this course, which examines the American legal system's use of evidence in both criminal and civil cases. Our investigation takes us into the rules of evidence employed by courts, which determine what sorts of information a jury is permitted to hear in a case; the constitutional law of trial procedure; the theory of the adversarial system of justice, as compared to the inquisitorial system employed in most other countries; the social science literature on the fallibility of witnesses and jurors; and the recent spate of DNA exonerations of mistakenly imprisoned individuals. There will be several film screenings outside of class. (4 credits)

LSTU E-103 Legal and Constitutional Aspects of the Criminal Process (13256) (Website) (Printable version)
Bruce Hay, JD, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School.
Course tuition: noncredit $450, undergraduate credit $800, graduate credit $1,725.
Fall term: Wednesdays beginning Sept. 17, 7:35-9:35 pm, Hauser Hall, Room 104.

This course examines the legal structure of the American criminal process, with particular attention given to constitutional restraints on police, prosecutors, and courts in the investigation, trial, and punishment of crimes. The bulk of the reading consists of decisions of the United States Supreme Court and other American courts, supplemented by some secondary readings in law and the social sciences. Topics explored include warrantless searches, interrogation and confessions, the rules of evidence at trial, eyewitness testimony and forensic evidence, the composition and behavior of the jury, plea bargaining, appellate review and habeas corpus, and imprisonment and capital punishment. The emphasis is on developments in recent decades and on current problems and controversies. (4 credits)

LSTU E-104 Guarding our Civil Liberties (22924) (Website) (Printable version)
Robert M. Bonin, LLM, Attorney and Partner, Bonin & Marashian.
Course tuition: noncredit $450, undergraduate credit $800, graduate credit $1,725.
Spring term: Thursdays beginning Jan. 29, 5:30-7:30 pm, Maxwell Dworkin, Room G115.

This course presents a historical analysis of the suppression of civil rights. Topics include the Alien and Sedition Acts, A.G. Palmer's "Red Raids" in 1920, Japanese World War II internments, the House on Un-American Activities Committee, and Senator Joseph McCarthy's investigations. Current issues such as warrantless wiretaps, torture, Guantanamo, suspension of habeas corpus, presidential signing statements, firing of US attorneys, denials of Freedom of Information Act requests, and muzzled dissent are also covered. Prerequisites: LSTU E-100 is helpful but not required. (4 credits)

LSTU E-106 Crimes Against Humanity (22566) (Syllabus) (Printable version)
Jens Meierhenrich, PhD, Assistant Professor of Government and of Social Studies, Harvard University.
Graduate seminar. Course tuition: graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Spring term: Thursdays beginning Jan. 29, 7:35-9:35 pm, Center for Government and International Studies, Knafel Building, Room K108. Required sections to be arranged.

This seminar provides an introduction to international criminal law. Combining positive and normative perspectives, the course introduces students to the evolution of crimes against humanity, ranging from apartheid to enslavement, and from extermination to rape. The judicial application of these odious crimes, including their adjudication in both municipal and international courts—from the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg to the Special Court for Sierra Leone—is also discussed. (4 credits)

LSTU E-110 Law and Ethics: Making the Moral Decision (11519) (Syllabus) (Printable version)
Ellsworth Lapham Fersch, PhD, JD, Lecturer on Psychology, Harvard Medical School.
Course tuition: noncredit $450, undergraduate credit $800, graduate credit $1,725.
Fall term: Mondays beginning Sept. 15, 5:30-7:30 pm, William James Hall, Room 1.

This course explores how America's legal system copes with moral ambiguity and controversial ethical questions. It analyzes major cases concerning administrative practices (affirmative action, corporate policy, privacy, professional conduct, sexual harassment) and basic issues (abortion, capital punishment, care of children, right to die). The course evaluates decisions and assesses various approaches to fundamental ethical dilemmas and the impact of law in contemporary society. (4 credits)

LSTU E-120 Internet and Society: Technologies and Politics of Control (22054) (Website) (Printable version)
Colin M. Maclay, MPA, Managing Director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University. Robert Faris, PhD, Research Director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University.
Course tuition: undergraduate credit $800, graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Spring term: Tuesdays beginning Jan. 27, 5:30-7:30 pm, Berkman Center, 23 Everett Street, Room 202.
Online and on-campus options. See Distance Education. Lecture 1 video.

This course examines current legal, political, social, and technical struggles for control of the global Internet—and the content and relationships it conveys. The course focuses on the interaction of new technologies and services with emerging models of production, innovation, communication, learning, and civic engagement—looking at both the US and international contexts. Prerequisite: willingness to experiment with new technologies. (4 credits)

LSTU E-127 Biotechnology Law and Policy (12926) (Website) (Printable version)
Robert Silverman, PhD, JD, Vice President and General Counsel, Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Course tuition: noncredit $450, undergraduate credit $800, graduate credit $1,725.
Fall term: Tuesdays beginning Sept. 16, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 102.

This course describes the major laws and policies that affect research, development, and commercialization in the biotechnology industry. The course is taught from the company perspective examining various legal issues and strategies that company management must consider. The course covers intellectual property protection, freedom-to-operate, research collaborations and product licensing, FDA law and the regulatory approval process, generic competition, SEC requirements, product liability, and healthcare fraud and abuse. Topics are presented in the context of actual cases or situations involving biotechnology companies. We also discuss major legislation that has shaped biotechnology with a focus on current policy topics and new or pending legislation that may affect the future growth of the industry. (4 credits)

LSTU E-140 The Law of Business Enterprises (22334) (Website) (Printable version)
David M. Phillips, JD, Professor of Law, Northeastern University.
Course tuition: graduate credit $1,725. Limited enrollment.
Spring term: Mondays beginning Jan. 26, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 310.

This course examines the legal structure of corporations and other business forms such as partnerships and limited liability companies. Topics include the distinction between corporations and other business forms; legal separateness of business enterprises from their owners; formation of corporations; financing of corporations under federal securities law; management duties and powers; shareholder rights; fundamental changes such as mergers, sales of assets, and tender offers; and insider trading. (4 credits)