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2024-25 Academic Year
Fall - First Year
- Civil Procedure (Section A) — Professor Gundlach
- Civil Procedure — Professor Kim
- Civil Procedure — Professor Sample
- Civil Procedure — Professor Zarin-Rosenfeld
- Criminal Law (Section B) — Professor Barron
- Criminal Law — Professor Burke
- Criminal Law — Professor Klein
- Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I — Professor Colesanti
- Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I — Professor Franzella
- Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I — Professor Greene
- Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I — Professor McElroy
- Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I — Professor Stein
- Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I — Professor Weintraub
- Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I — Professor White
- Torts — Professor Campbell
- Torts — Professor Greenwood
- Torts — Professor Laris Cohen
- Torts — Professor Stark
Civil Procedure (Section A)
Professor Gundlach
First Day Assignment
You should gain access to the Canvas course page through the Hofstra portal, review the opening announcement, the syllabus, and the first module under Course Materials entitled Introduction and Overview Materials. Be sure to post a comment in the Discussion Thread entitled Introductions. And for our first class, read pp. 3-24 in the Freer Casebook.
Civil Procedure – C2
Professor Yunsieg P. Kim
Welcome to Civil Procedure! The casebook for this course is Civil Procedure by Yeazell, Schwartz & Carroll (11th Edition), ISBN: 9798886141993 (digital version); 9781543856286 (physical copy). Either is acceptable.
You have no assignments for the first day. But I would like you to read the following before the third class meeting on Thursday, August 29:
- Casebook pages 49-59
- Sections 1 and 5 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Civil Procedure
Professor Sample
First Assignment: Sign up for the course page on TWEN (via your Westlaw). Most of your courses will be using Canvas as the digital platform. We will be using TWEN, and – after the first week of the course - I will also communicate with the class via TWEN so registering for the course via TWEN will prove to be important.
Review the full syllabus (found on TWEN) and read per below.
Class 1 (Read prior to 1st class session)
- Read pp. 1-top of p. 29 in the Casebook
- Look at Judicial Map, “Geographic Boundaries of United States Courts of Appeals and United States District Courts (contained within the PDF of supplemental materials available on TWEN
- Read Avista Management, Inc. v. Wausau Underwriters Insurance Company (contained within the PDF of supplemental materials available on TWEN
Jack Zarin-Rosenfeld
Professor Zarin-Rosenfeld
Week 1 Assignments
Our Casebook will be Erichson & Glover, CIVIL PROCEDURE (Second Edition). Supplemental cases will be posted on Canvas.
Please read the following for our FIRST CLASS (Tuesday, AUG. 27):
- Casebook Pages: pp. 1-13
- Supplemental Cases:
- Fuentes v. Shevin
- Mitchell v. W.T. Grant Co.
- Ga. Finishing v. Di-Chem
Please read the following in the order listed for our SECOND CLASS (Wednesday, AUG. 28):
- Casebook Pages: pp. 14-15
- Supplemental Case: Mathews v. Eldridge
- Casebook Pages: pp. 378-83
- Supplemental Case: Connecticut v. Doehr (Part IV)
Please read the following for our Third CLASS (Thursday, AUG. 29):
- Supplemental Case: Van Harken v. City of Chicago
Criminal Law (Section B)
Professor Barron
Course Materials
We will be using Kadish, Schulhofer, & Barkow, Criminal Law and Its Processes (11TH edition) as our casebook.
Please read the following pages in the order set forth below. You will find a complete syllabus under Announcements on Canvas for the course.
- Weeks 1 -2: Chapter 3: Legality 189-232
- Chapter 1: Justification for Punishment 1-40; 48-53
- Chapter 3: Proportionality 234-248
Criminal Law
Professor Burke
The required text for this class is Criminal Law: Cases and Materials (9th ed.) by Kaplan, Weisberg & Binder.
The assigned, required reading for the first day of class is pages 1-13 and 19-29 of the casebook PLUS an excerpt from Understanding Criminal Law by Joshua Dressler, which is posted on our Canvas course under “Assignments.” To be clear, the pages from Understanding Criminal Law are required, not supplemental or optional.
I'm looking forward to meeting all of you and am excited for the coming semester.
-Prof. Burke
Criminal Law
Professor Klein
Assignments
The text book we are using for this course is Dressler and Garvey, Criminal Law; Cases and Comments (9th ed West Academic). You can purchase it in the university bookstore or anywhere else you can find the same edition at more favorable rates.
The assignments are listed in the order we will go over the material in class. At the end of each class, I will give you an idea about how far we will get in the next class. Please do not read too far ahead as the information will not be fresh in your mind for class.
I have attempted to “edit” the textbook to assign only those pages that are essential for the material we will cover. I may also cover the non-assigned material in class but I may not. Some of it may be helpful to you while you may find other parts confusing. That is not to say, however, that you cannot or should not read the material I have cut out. You are just not required to and will not be tested on it unless I discuss it in class.
In the Appendix to the textbook, the authors have included the Model Penal Code (MPC). Please refer to this every place in the assignments that a particular rule from the MPC is mentioned. In other words, look up and becomefamiliar with the relevant Rule.
Assignment 1- Introduction: Setting the Stage
Please read the course Syllabus before the 1st class
Please read the following pages in the text before the 1st class:
Pages 1-8 (before section C)
Page 9 -10 (before Notes and Questions, hereinafter “< N and Q”)
Pages 11 (note 2) – 13 (before note 5)
Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I
Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I
Professor Franzella
Welcome to Hofstra Law School. Our first class is on Tuesday, August 27 from 10:10pm-12:00pm in Koppelman Hall Room 206.
Prior to our first class, please:
- Purchase the following books, which are available in the Hofstra Bookstore:
- Neumann, Legal Reasoning and Legal Writing (9th ed.);
- The Bluebook, A Uniform System of Citation (21st ed.).
- You need to register for both Westlaw and Lexis+, the two computer-assisted legal research providers that we will be using. To register, please click the links below, and they will take you to the registration pages.
- Register for Lexis+
- Register for Westlaw
- If you have any problems registering your accounts, please contact a reference librarian or the database reps:
- If you have any questions on Lexis, please contact our Lexis representative Kacey Murphy. Her e-mail is: murphy@lexisnexis.com
- If you have any questions on Westlaw, please contact our Westlaw account manager Estee Waxman at waxman@thomsonreuters.com
- Please also register for the Canvas page for this class. I post course materials, assignments, and other documents there. I also use it to communicate with the class.
- Read the following documents, which will be posted on CANVAS by mid-August, and bring copies to class:
- Syllabus with Tentative Class Schedule;
- Introduction to Legal Research.
- Read Neumann, Chs. 1 – 3 and 6.
I look forward to meeting each of you. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your summer.
Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I
Professor Greene
Before class on 8/27, read Chapters 1-3 in the Neumann textbook. Additionally, please register for Westlaw & Lexis: https://register.lexisnexis.com; and https://lawschool.westlaw.com/register. Once the syllabus is posted, you will see three required research training sessions. One of them must be completed the first week of school, so please be sure to register and complete that: Intro to Legal Research, Westlaw. Register for one 45-min session at lawschool.tr.com – event training calendar: M, 8/26, 12:15; T, 8/27, 4:15; W, 8/28, 1:15; Th, 8/29, 5:15. Sessions will take place here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7776514981?omn=81000581350.
Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I
Professor McElroy
Welcome to Hofstra Law School and to Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I. I am looking forward to working with you for the next academic year. This semester our classes are on Wednesdays 10:10 am – noon and Fridays from 8:10 am -10:00 am in room 010 in Roosevelt Hall which is to your right as you are facing the law school.
The required books for the course are:
Neumann, Legal Reasoning and Legal Writing (9th ed.) and
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (21st ed.);
I will post two documents on the course’s Canvas page which you should read prior to our first class. They are: (1) the syllabus; and (2) the Generative AI Policy for Legal Writing & Academic Honesty & School Code of Conduct. You are required to read the Generative AI Policy for Legal Writing & Academic Honesty & School Code of Conduct, sign it and submit the signed copy to me prior to September 5th.
Below are the assignments for the first three classes.
CLASS & ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
Class No. 1
- Date: 8/28
- Reading Assignment:
- Read Chapters 1-3 and 5 in the Neumann book. As you read the Costanza case beginning on page 35, ask yourself which category of a case brief each sentence of the opinion is conveying. The brief template is posted on TWEN.
- Comments:
- Be prepared to discuss Exercises II & III in Chapter 3 (p. 33-34);
- Be prepared to contribute to the discussion creating a brief of the Costanza case (pages 35-36), using the briefing template on TWEN
Class No. 2
- Date: 8/30
- Reading Assignment:
- Read In re $82,000 More or Less posted on CANVAS and prepare a brief of the case using the briefing template also posted on CANVAS.
- Read chapters 6 and 11-14 in the Neumann book; skim (and I do mean skim) pages 1 – 24 in the Bluebook.
- Comments:
- We will discuss the In re $82,000 case, the Bluebook and topics covered in Neumann reading
- Read case series posted on CANVAS for Wednesday.
Class No. 3
- Date: 9/4
- Reading Assignment:
- Read Chapters 7 and 9
- Read the Nansen v. Byrd exercise which is posted on TWEN and appears on pages 46-47
- Comments:
- Be prepared to discuss Nansen v. Byrd
- Brief the case from the case series assigned to you and be prepared to discuss all cases.
- Librarian introduction.
Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I
Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I
Professor Weintraub
In advance of class on Tuesday, August 27 (Class #1):
- In Legal Reasoning and Legal Writing, please read Chapters 1, 2 (do the Exercise on page 21), and 3 (do Exercises I, II, and III). Parts of this assignment will overlap with what you will cover (or have covered) in Fundamentals of Law during your first week of school.
- Please write an essay no longer than two double-spaced pages addressing the following three questions: (1) What kinds of writing do lawyers do? (2) What is good legal writing? (3) Is it important for lawyers to be good writers, and if your answer is yes, why? Submit your essay on Canvas (click on Assignments in the menu on Canvas) by noon on Monday, August 26. Your essay should refer to at least one video from the following website: View the website. The website has video interviews of Supreme Court Justices talking about legal writing. Your essay may also be based on your knowledge and experience, Google research, conversations with legal professionals, or any other sources. This assignment will be graded as complete or incomplete (no number or letter grade). Please write your name at the top of your essay.
Within the first two weeks of classes, please complete the following LEXIS and Westlaw legal research training sessions:
- 1L Westlaw Training. This training session will be on Zoom; view the Zoom link. Register at lawschool.tr.com (click on the “Events & Webinars” under “Student Resources”). Register for only one session. The dates and times are:
- August 26, 12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- August 27, 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- August 28, 1:15 – 2:00 p.m.
- August 29, 5:15 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- LEXIS 1L Fall Training. This 50-minute training session will be on Zoom. Register for only one of the below sessions:
- September 3, 4:30 p.m. REGISTER HERE
- September 4, 12:30 p.m. REGISTER HERE
- September 5, 4:30 p.m. REGISTER HERE
- September 6, 12:30 p.m. REGISTER HERE
Legal Analysis, Writing & Research I
Professor White
Welcome to Hofstra Law School. Our first class is on Wednesday, August 28 from 4:10 – 6 p.m. in Koppleman Room 230.
Prior to our first class, please:
1. Purchase the following books, which are available in the Hofstra Bookstore: (i) Neumann, Legal Reasoning and Legal Writing (9th ed.);
(ii) The Bluebook, A Uniform System of Citation (21st ed.); and
(iii)Norton, Interactive Citation Workbook for The Bluebook (2022 ed.).
Be certain that you have the correct edition for each book.
2. You MUST register ASAP for both Westlaw and Lexis, the two computer-assisted legal research providers that you will be using to conduct legal research. To register, please click the links below, and they will take you to the registration pages.
Registration Link: https://register.lexisnexis.com
Registration Link: https://lawschool.westlaw.com/register
3. You MUST register for the TWEN page for this class (via Westlaw). I post many class assignments and other documents there and use it to communicate with the class.
4. In addition to registering for Lexis and Westlaw, you will need to participate in on-line research training for these providers as well as on-line research training from the law library. All of this training must be completed by Monday, September 9 at 5 p.m. The Lexis training will be conducted the week of September 2, and the Westlaw training will be conducted the week of August 26. You must review the schedule for Lexis and Westlaw and sign up ASAP. The law library training is pre-recorded and can be done on your own schedule. Please consult the “Legal Research Training” document I posted on TWEN in the “Legal Research” tab for information on how to sign up/view each of these three trainings.
5. Read the (i) Syllabus, and (ii) Class Schedule & Assignments Part I that I will be posting the week of August 19 on TWEN in the “Course Materials” tab. We will review these together in our first class.
6. Read Chapters 1-3 and 6 in the Neumann book. Brief the following case posted in the “First Class Assignment” tab and be prepared to discuss in our first class: J’Aire Corp. v. Gregory, 598 P.2d 60 (Ca. 1979).
7. Please complete the “Student Survey Fall Semester” posted on TWEN in the “First Class Assignment” tab and email it to me at lisa.m.white@hofstra.edu by noon on Wednesday, August 28. Your answers are confidential and will be read only by me.
Again, welcome to Hofstra Law School. I look forward to meeting each of you!
Torts
Professor Campbell
The following are the assignments for the first week of class from the coursebook if anyone wants to read ahead. Also, please review the syllabus, which will be posted on Canvas and emailed to you, before the first day of class.
The course textbook is: Best, Barnes & Kahn-Fogel, Basic Tort Law: Cases, Statutes, and Problems (5th ed.)
Class 1
Introduction to Torts and overview of the class——pp. 1-14
Negligence: The Duty of Reasonable Care. The Reasonable Person Standard —pp. 107-118 (Stop at Part III)
Class 2
The Range of Application of the Reasonable Person Standard— pp. 118-129; pp. 129-141
Torts
Welcome to torts!
The course introduction, syllabus and first reading assignment are all posted on Canvas.
Before the first class, please complete the first reading assignment and post an introduction.
The purpose of the introduction is for us to begin to get to know each other (not to impress future employers) so include something memorable about you or important to you.
You should also include anything that might be relevant to the course. Have you ever committed or been the victim of a tort? Worked in a field where employers worry (or don’t worry enough) about safety? Driven a car and thought you could hurt someone quite easily?
See you soon,
Dan Greenwood
Torts
Professor Laris Cohen
First-day assignment
Textbook: Best, Barnes & Kahn-Fogel, Basic Tort Law: Cases, Statutes, and Problems (5th ed. 2018).
Note: We are using the Fifth Edition, not the most recent Sixth Edition.
Assignment: pp. 1-14; pp. 107-118 (stop at Part III).
Torts
Assignment for First Class
Professor Barbara Stark, Room 116 (Library), e-mail: lawbjs@hofstra.edu
Welcome to Torts! Our text is:
Dan B, Dobbs et al., Torts and Compensation: Personal Accountability and Social Responsibility for Injury (2022 Concise 9th Edition)
Please read the assignment set out below and be prepared to answer the indicated questions.
You do not need to print out the syllabus and PowerPoints, which will be distributed at the beginning of class. They are posted on TWEN for your convenience.
Also, please sign in on the Class TWEN page using your Hofstra email.
No Laptops or Phones During Class
This course does not lend itself to laptop note-taking. Surveys indicate that students are more satisfied with the learning environment in no-laptop courses. Although some students prefer to use laptops, a larger number of students in the surveys say that classrooms are quieter, they can hear the teacher and other students better, and they feel more engaged in the classroom experience with fewer distractions. Accordingly, in Torts you may not use a laptop or any other electronic device, including phones, during class. If these devices are out during class, I will assume you are using them, and you will be considered unprepared for that class.
CLASS 1
pp. 3-27
- What is a tort?
- What was wrong with Van Camp’s complaint against Mark?
- Please be prepared to answer the questions raised in Notes 3-6 at p. 10-11.
Fall - Upper Division
- Alternatives to Litigation — Professor Fernbach
- Asylum Clinic — Professor Wren
- Bankruptcy Law — Professor Scarcella
- Broker/Dealer Regulation — Professor Sabino
- Business Organizations (Sections A and B) — Professor Lyman
- Child Abuse and Neglect — Professor Braunstein
- Commercial Leasing — Professor Lefton
- Constitutional Law II — Professor Charlow
- Constitutional Law II (Section C) — Professor Freedman
- Constitutional Law II — Professor Ku
- Constitutional Theory — Professor Lane
- Criminal Procedure II — Professor Burke
- Deportation Defense Clinic — Professor Holtzman
- Drafting & Negotiating Contracts & Statutes (DNCS) — Professor Neumann
- Energy Law and Policy — Professor Hickey
- Entertainment Law — Professor Giordano
- Ethics in Criminal Advocacy — Professor Yaroshefsky
- Evidence — Professor Barron
- Evidence (Section A) — Professor Freedman
- Family Law with Skills — Professor Schepard
- Federal Courts — Professor Sample
- Federal Criminal Law — Professor Schroeder
- Federal Income Taxation of Individuals — Professor Galler
- Foundational Lawyering Skills — Professors Krieger and Felton
- Health Law — Professor Mazzagatti
- Immigration Law — Professor Wren
- International Transactions Skills — Professor Lites
- Jurisprudence — Professor Sinha
- Labor Law — Professor Fernbach
- Land Use Regulation Seminar — Professor Schwartz
- Lawyers’ Ethics — Professor Louis
- Lawyers’ Ethics — Professor Liebmann
- Legal Research and Writing For International Students — Professor Damiano
- Mediation Principles & Practice — Professor Diamond
- Patent Law — Professor Richetti
- Perspectives in Legal Analysis & Writing — Professors Lefton and Louis
- Real Estate Development Seminar — Professor Ostrow
- Religion and the Constitution — Professor Charlow
- Secured Transactions — Professor Hamroff
- Sex-Based Discrimination — Professor Damiano
- State and Local Government Seminar — Professor Herzfeld
- Trademarks — Professor Platt
Alternatives to Litigation
Professor Fernbach
First Class Assignment
The textbook for this class is Goldberg, Sander, Rogers, and Cole, Dispute Resolution: Mediation, Arbitration, and Other Processes (7th Ed. 2020) (Aspen Casebook Series)
The class will also read the Getting to Yes Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In paperback by Roger Fisher and William Ury & Bruce Patton, (2011 edition)
Classes 1-2 – Read Chapter 1 of Text – Disputing Procedures
Asylum Clinic
Professor Wren
Professor Lauris Wren
Joan Axinn Hall
(t) 516-463-6315; (f) 516-463-5937
Lauris.P.Wren@Hofstra.edu
Secretary: Kristin Radecker
Joan Axinn Hall
(t) 516-463-5934; (f) 516-463-5937
Kristin.K.Radecker@hofstra.edu
Text:
AILA’s Asylum Primer, 9th Edition, Dree K. Collopy.
ISBN: 978-1-57370-511-0
August 23: Orientation/Training
Prior to the orientation on 8/23, please read:
Asylum Primer, Chap. 1: Sources of Asylum Law; Chap. 2 (Asylum and Withholding of Removal).
Bankruptcy Law
Professor Scarcella’s contact information:
- Email: louis_scarcella@nyeb.uscourts.gov
- Telephone: 631-712-6278
- Faculty Assistant: Ms. Jennifer Calautti – Office 223
Class time and location:
- Wednesday, 3:10 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Room TBD
Course Materials
- Markell, Ponoroff & Pardo, Bankruptcy: Dealing with Financial Failure for Individuals and Businesses (6th ed.) (West 2024)
- Bankruptcy Code, Rules, and Official Forms, 2024 Law School Edition, Anne Lawton (West Academic)
Reading Assignments
The reading assignments are from the course textbook, Bankruptcy: Dealing with Financial Failure for Individuals and Businesses. Also, please read the Bankruptcy Code sections discussed in the reading materials and as set forth below in the reading assignments. The Bankruptcy Code sections are in Bankruptcy Code, Rules, and Official Forms. The reading assignments are intended as background for the concepts that we will be discussing in class.
Class 1: August 28
- Introduction, Alternatives to Bankruptcy and Overview of Bankruptcy Law
- 1-10
- 17-27 (Sections D-F)
- 34-39 (Section H)
- problems 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 (pp. 40-42)
- Commencement of the Bankruptcy Case: Voluntary and Involuntary Filing
- 103-105 (up to problem 4-1)
- 113-116 Voluntary Cases: Overview of Eligibility (up to Fountain case) problem 4-5 (p.116)
- Bankruptcy Code § 101(13), 301, 302, 303
- Bankruptcy Code § 109(b), (d), (e)
- Official Forms 101 and 201
Broker/Dealer Regulation
Dear Students:
Welcome to Broker/Dealer Regulation for the Fall of 2024.
This is an Upper Division class.
This is also a fully “in person” class. No remotes, unless I have an emergency.
Please consult the Syllabus (when available) for your first class readings (as well as the subsequent ones).
The first class is Monday, 26 August 2024, commencing at 4:10 P.M. sharp, Room 206 (reliable, but check the morning before class to confirm the room please).
Specifically, the first class readings are:
Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, 603 U.S. ___ (No. 22-451) (June 28, 2024) (available on the Supreme Court website, among other places); Chevron, U.S.A. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, 467 U.S. 837 (1984); Blue Chip Stamps v. Manor Drug Stores, 421 U.S. 723 (1975).
Please enjoy the remains of your summer, and I shall see you in class.
Prof. Sabino
Business Organizations (Sections A and B)
Professor Lyman
Texts: Assignments are from Bainbridge, Business Associations (11th edition 2021) [“SB” below]. The Restatement 3d of Agency can be found in the assigned supplement, or you can find it online.
Class web page: You are required to register on the TWEN site for this class with an email address that you check regularly; the website facilitates the exchange of ideas and provides interested students with an opportunity to participate in online discussions. Registration and participation are an essential part of this course. Students should check the website regularly throughout the semester.
Please note: I use power point slides in class, and I will post them on the TWEN site under “slides” at least 24 hours before each class.
Assignment: Please read the following for our first class.
AGENCY:
- Overview and the agency relationship
- SB 1-16;
- Restatement 3d of Agency, Chapter 1
Thanks!
Child Abuse and Neglect
Professor Braunstein
First Class Reading Assignment
APSAC Handbook Chapters 1-3, 9, 10
Supplementary Materials- see TWEN
Commercial Leasing
Welcome to Commercial Leasing. We will use the following casebook:
Bogart, Hammond & Marsh, Commercial Leasing: A Transactional Primer (2020)
Please read Chapter 1 (Letter of Intent) before the first class. I look forward to seeing you on Monday, August 26th at 10:10AM.
If you have any questions before class, please feel free to reach out to me.
Regards,
Nicole R. Lefton (she/her/hers)
Professor, Director of Academic Support & Bar Exam Preparation
Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University
121 Hofstra University, Ste. 223A,
Hempstead, NY 11549
(516) 463-4008
Nicole.R.Lefton@Hofstra.edu
Constitutional Law II
Professor Charlow
First Assignment
Text: Choper, Dorf, Fallon, and Schauer, Constitutional Law, 14th edition, plus 2024-2025 Supplement (not yet available)
Assignment for Tuesday, August 27:
Introduction
For historical background on the Amendments we will study, please read:
- http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/Projects/FTrials/conlaw/billofrightsintro.html
- https://faculty.uml.edu/sgallagher/Reconstruction_Amendments.pdf
Incorporation
For class discussion on Tuesday, please read: Text pages 419-435
Constitutional Law II (Section C)
Professor Eric M. Freedman
Siggi B. Wilzig Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Rights
E-mail Eric.M.Freedman@Hofstra.edu
https://law.hofstra.edu/EFreedman
Assignments for First Week of Class
- Go to Canvas and make sure you have access to this course.
- Download the Part 1 of the syllabus and read it with care through Unit I. Allow ample time for this.
- Prepare Assignments 1 -3 for the first week of class as indicated in the syllabus.
- In the event of any logistical difficulties, including problems in obtaining course materials, contact my always-helpful assistant, Joyce Amore Cox, Joyce.A.Cox@hofstra.edu. You should get any such issues resolved in advance.
E.M.F.
Constitutional Law II
Professor Ku
First Day Assignment for class on August 27, 2024
The main texts for this course are:
Choper, Jesse, H. et al., Choper, Dorf, Fallon, and Schauer's Constitutional Law: Cases, Comments, and Questions CASEBOOKPLUS (14th Edition) West Academic Publishing, 2023. (CB)
- Because I will be using quizzes and self-assessments from the CasebookPlus version, I am requiring students to purchase the CasebookPlus version of this textbook.
Choper, Jesse, H. et al., Choper, Dorf, Fallon, and Schauer's Constitutional Law: Cases, Comments, and Questions, 2024 Supplement (SUPP) (Available on or after August 8, 2024).
Please note that we will NOT meet for class on Thursday, August 29 due to a scheduling conflict.
Please also note that I am REQUIRING attendance at two out-of-class events below related to our course materials. Please plan your schedules accordingly. Absences for these events will be excused only for unavoidable conflicts such as work or family commitments.
- Constitution Day, Korematsu Re-enactment, Monday, September 16, from 12-2 p.m. in Room 308
AND
- Hofstra University Presidential Symposium Panel, Academic Freedom and Free Speech, Tuesday, September 24, 4:20-5:45 p.m. in Room 308.
Please note that I have assigned each of you to a panel. You can find your assigned panel under the "People" tab on the Canvas site. Panel 1 is assigned for the first day of class on August 27.
For that first day of class on Tuesday, August 27, please read the following:
- Introduction
The Nature and Scope of Rights Under the U.S. Constitution; The Concept of State Action- Declaration of Independence (para. 1 and 2);
- US Const. Amdts I-X, XIII-XV;
- The Story of the Bill of Rights (film- a little hokey, but provides a very helpful historical background in 16 minutes)
- The Reconstruction Amendments (by Eric Foner)
- The Concept of State Action CB 1603-1632.
Constitutional Theory
Professor Eric Lane
Welcome to Constitutional Theory.
August 29
Introduction and Housekeeping. Read for course background:
- Strauss, The Living Constitution
- Scalia (interviews): Fainthearted Originalism, and Non-originalist Precedent
- Lepore How to Stave off Constitutional Extinction
Criminal Procedure II
Professor Burke
First Assignment
The required text is Criminal Procedure: Adjudication (4th ed) by Erwin Chemerinsky & Laurie Levenson, ISBN 978154384609. No supplement is necessary. Cases decided since this edition will be posted to Canvas.
For the first day of class, please read and be prepared to discuss pages 1-11 and 31-50 (end before section C). In addition to covering the assigned material, we will complete a skills exercise in class.
See you soon. -ASB
Deportation Defense Clinic
To: DDC Students
From: Prof. Alex Holtzman
Re: First DDC Assignment and Readings
Below are your assigned readings due before the DDC Orientation. All required readings can be found online or will be provided at no cost.
Readings:
- DDC Manual (if you receive it prior to Orientation)
- Immigration Statutes:[1]
- INA § 239 (initiation of removal proceedings)
- INA § 240 (removal proceedings)
- INA § 245(a) (adjustment of status of nonimmigrant to that of person admitted for permanent residence)
- INA § 101(a)(15)(T) (T visa)
- INA § 101(a)(15)(U) (U visa)
- INA § 101(a)(42) (definition of refugee for asylum)
- Regulations: 8 C.F.R. §§ 1003.13, 1003.14
- Read the following information online (see links in e-mail or footnote):[2]
- USCIS Form Filing Tips
- Read form and instructions for:
- USCIS G-28
- EOIR E-28
- Skim: EOIR Immigration Court Practice Manual (read closely L-1 – M-2)
- Each student should independently research and be prepared to discuss in class the following immigration documents and concepts:
- Notice to Appear (NTA)
- EOIR Hearing Notice
- Immigration relief: asylum, T visa, and U visa.
- Optional/recommended readings:[3]
- CLINIC Motion to Reopen (MTR) Practice Advisory: A Guide to Assisting Asylum-Seekers with In Absentia Removal Orders (7/2019)
[1] Note: The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is codified under 8 U.S. Code (USC), and so for example if you look online for INA 239 it may also be listed as 8 USC 1229. We cite the INA in Immigration Court, and 8 U.S.C. in Federal Court.
[2] You can find these resources online at the following links:
-EOIR Practice Manual: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/reference-materials/ic
-USCIS Form Filing Tips: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-guidance/form-filing-tips
-USCIS Form G-28 (read form and instructions): https://www.uscis.gov/g-28
-EOIR Form E-28 (read form): https://www.justice.gov/eoir/list-downloadable-eoir-forms
[3] These readings will be assigned later in the semester, so I recommend you read them now. See also the optional resources sent via e-mail prior to the first class.
Drafting & Negotiating Contracts & Statutes (DNCS)
Professor Neumann
The First Two Weeks of Class
You have received the following by email:
- the Syllabus (which is also in the Drafting Supplement, pages 1–9)
- A Word file titled “DNCS – classes 1 & 2”
- Another Word file: “DNCS – classes 3 & 4"
Fall 2024
Please read the Syllabus right now. The Word files are for exercises that require you to rewrite badly drafted provisions. See the syllabus, pages 5 and 6.
Readings for class are heavier at the beginning of the semester to prepare you to draft documents on your own. There will be less reading later while you’re drafting.
Chapters, pages, and exercises listed below are in the drafting textbook — unless the Drafting Supplement is specified.
For Tuesday, August 27 —
(This is a lot of reading. Set aside plenty of time for it.)
- Read Chs. 1, 2 & 3 (pp. 3–42)
- Read Apps. A & B (pp. 515–521)
- In the Drafting Supplement, read pp. 11–33
- Read Chs. 5 & 6 (pp. 57–79)
- (Be prepared to discuss all of the above.)
- Do Excs. 5-A and 5-B (pp. 67–70) — use the Word file titled “DNCS – classes 1 & 2”
- Do Exc. 6-A (pp. 79–80) (but not the 2d item on p. 80) — use the Word file “DNCS – classes 1 & 2”
For Thursday, August 29 —
- In the Drafting Supplement, read pp. 34–39 and do the Find the Gaps exercise on p. 39 Read Ch. 7 (pp. 81–100)
- Do Excs. 7-A, 7-B, 7-C, and 7-D (pp. 100–101) — use the Word file “DNCS – classes 1 & 2”
Tuesday, September 3 —
- Read Chs. 8 & 9 (pp. 103–125)
- In the Drafting Supplement, read pp. 44–55
- Do Exc. 8-A (p. 115) — use the Word file “DNCS – classes 3 & 4”
- Do Excs. 9-A and 9-B (pp. 125–126) — use the Word file “DNCS – classes 3 & 4”
For Thursday, September 5 —
- Do Exc. 9-C (pp. 126–127) — use the Word file “DNCS – classes 3 & 4” Read Ch. 10 (pp. 129–142)
Energy Law and Policy
Professor Hickey
1st Assignment for Tuesday 8/27 and Thursday 8/29
Dear Class:
Welcome Back for the Fall Semester and welcome to Energy Law and Policy! The Syllabus is now posted on Canvas.
Our first assignment is pages 1-34, Chapter One of our casebook. The casebook is the 6th Edition of Eisen, Hammond et al, Energy, Economics and the Environment, Cases and Materials published by Foundation Press (2024).
We will also take up pages 1-11 of our “Chapter One Handouts” which will be posted in Canvas this week. All handouts will be posted for you in your “files” box in Canvas. I will also bring hard copies for you of Chapter One handouts to our first class.
During our first classes, we learn fundamental notions to which we will refer back to repeatedly throughout the course:
- Who “does” Energy Law and how does one go about becoming an Energy Lawyer? What do energy lawyers “do”?
- What is energy and how does energy do work for us human beings? What are the fundamental predicates upon which the body of energy laws is constructed?
- We will spend some time examining the USA energy flow charts on pages 4-8 of the Chapter One handouts. Try to become familiar with these energy flow charts as they present a useful “picture” of the USA’s energy sources and energy uses and the relations amongst them. These energy flows are greatly affected by energy laws and regulations.
- We will learn about energy fuel cycles and government regulatory cycles and the relation between them. That relationship is fundamental to crafting energy laws and regulations and understanding energy laws and regulations already crafted. That relationship, we will learn, is determined most fundamentally by politics and economics.
There is a very helpful introduction to energy and its use on the Federal Energy Information Agency’s (EIA)“Kids page”. https://www.eia.gov/kids/
Best Regards JEH
Entertainment Law
Professor Justin Giordano
Welcome to Entertainment Law – First Assignment
The first three weeks we will cover the topics and cases covered in chapter 1 of the assigned textbook. There are 12 cases in chapter 1 and the expectation is that we will discuss a third of the cases each week. However, this is an estimate and not exact given that class discussions may lead to more time spent on one case than another.
Further specifics on assignments to follow as and if needed.
Ethics in Criminal Advocacy
Professor Yaroshefsky
First Assignment
Aug 29 History and Overview of the Regulation of the Legal Profession
- Freedman and Smith, Chapter 1
- Model Rules of Professional Conduct– Preface, Preamble and Scope
- ABA Stds for the Defense Function – 4-1.1
- ABA Stds for the Prosecution Function – 3-1.1
- Alex Karakatsanis, Usual Cruelty, pp. 13-37 (posted)
- Video # 18
Evidence
Professor Barron
You will find your first week's assignments posted in Announcement on Canvas for the course along with the required texts.
Evidence (Section A)
Professor Eric M. Freedman
Siggi B. Wilzig Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Rights
E-mail Eric.M.Freedman@Hofstra.edu
https://law.hofstra.edu/EFreedman
Assignments for First Week of Class
- Go to Canvas and make sure you have access to this course. If you are planning to drop the course, please do so promptly. And if you know people planning to add it, please encourage them to do so promptly.
- Download Part 1 of the syllabus and read it with care. Allow ample time for this. You need to be aware of the scheduling information it contains.
- Prepare the assignments for the first week of class as indicated in the syllabus.
- In the event of any logistical difficulties, including problems in obtaining course materials, contact my always-helpful assistant, Joyce Amore Cox, Joyce.A.Cox@hofstra.edu. You should get any such issues resolved in advance.
E.M.F.
Family Law with Skills
Professor Andrew Schepard
Welcome to FLWS for Fall 2024. I look forward to working with you.
Find the Course site on Canvas. This will be our principal communications vehicle. Be sure you can access all the parts of Canvas site.
Here is the assignment for our first class:
Monday, 8/26/24
- Getting to Know You and Each Other
- Course Overview and Policies, etc.
- Family Law: Past and Present
- Getting to Know You
You will be assigned a partner in advance of class. Contact your partner via Zoom in advance of class and interview him or her on the following questions:- Name and year (2L, 3L)
- Where are you from?
- What is your experience with Family Law (you don’t need to have any)?
- What do you want to get out of the Course?
- Fun fact about you that you are willing to share (e.g. I was the Tuba player in my high school marching band)
You can also find these questions in the Canvas folder under Assignments labelled “Opening Day Materials.”
Be prepared to introduce your partner to the class based on how he or she answers the interview questions in about 30 seconds.
- Course Philosophy and Requirements
- Read Course Overview and Course Schedule and Assignments. It can be found Syllabus Section of the Course Canvas site)
- An article on the philosophy and development of Family Law with Skills Can be found in the Canvas folder “Opening Day Materials under “Assignments”
- Course Overview
- Read OV (Oliphant & Ver Steegh) 3-24 (this is our course textbook)
- Read Brooke S.B. v. Elizabeth A. C.C., 28 N.Y.3d 1, 61 N.E.3d 628 (2016) (Can be found in Opening Day Materials folder)
- Opening Day Questions – You will find the questions in the Opening Day materials folder. Answer the questions individually. Please be prepared to discuss your answers in class.
- Review the power point slides in the Opening Day Materials folder on:
- Ten Questions About Family Law
- Historical Background
- Brooke SB Questions
Federal Courts
Professor Sample
First Assignment:
Register for the course on TWEN.
Review the full syllabus (found on TWEN) and read per below.
Note that I am intentionally not requiring you to use any particular casebook, much less any particular edition. This is intended as a cost-savings for you. The case books in this subject area are expensive even relative to the [absurd] benchmark prices of case books in general. Therefore, I am perfectly fine with you being creative and proactive. Prior editions are fine with me. Sharing is fine with me. I will place one copy of an old Hart & Wechsler (H&W) case book on reserve in the library. You might photocopy appropriate pages from a book for your personal use. Finding the cases online is fine (but they won’t necessarily be edited). As between H&W (any edition up through 7th) and Siegel (2nd or 3rd), I personally prefer H&W, and will probably hew closer to that. But most of the key readings are in both. To borrow from Shakespeare, the content is the thing.
In sum, if you’re willing to be proactive/adaptable, and as long as you do the key reading and give it deep thought and preparation – I don’t particularly care as to the source and packaging that of that reading.
Obviously, this approach is a bit different, and frankly, even a bit inconvenient (it would be easier for me to have everyone on the exact same page #) but the cost savings to you is also real and I don’t want cost to be more of a barrier to entry than it already is. It will require you to be somewhat proactive, but you wouldn’t be in this class if you weren’t capable of that.
Class if you are using H&W
1. 6th edition Casebook pp. 49-80 (please read for the first class)
7th edition Casebook 49-81
Marbury v. Madison,
Note – Historical Background,
Note – Jurisdictional Holdings,
Note – Arguments for Judicial Review,
Note – Function of Adjudication,
Supreme Court and the Models,
Discretion, Prudence, and the Judicial Function
If you are using Siegel (2nd) (pagination for 3rd edition should be relatively similar)
Siegel 2nd pp. 3-middle of page 26
Marbury v. Madison & Notes and Questions
Cooper v. Aaron
[Skim] Jackson’s veto message & Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address
[Skim] Notes on judicial supremacy
Federal Criminal Law
Professor Schroeder
Assignment for the first day of class is:
Read Chapter 1, pages 1 through 57, in the following casebook:
Federal White Collar Crime: Cases and Materials, 8th edition
by Julie R. O'Sullivan
West Academic Publishing
ISBN-13: 9781636593852
Federal Income Taxation of Individuals
Professor Galler
The casebook for the course is Freeland, Lathrope, Lind & Stephens, Fundamentals of Federal Income Taxation (20th edition 2022).
In addition, we will be using Lathrope, Selected Federal Taxation Statutes. The 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions are acceptable.
For our first session (Tuesday, August 27, 2024), please read item #1 on the course syllabus that is posted on the course TWEN page. A pdf of the assigned pages is available on the course TWEN page for students who do not yet have their books.
WE WILL BE USING TWEN, NOT CANVAS, IN THIS COURSE.
Foundational Lawyering Skills
Professors Stefan H. Krieger and Latoya Felton
Assignment for Large—Group Class – August 28, 2024: Introduction to the Course
Readings: ELS chs. 1, 2 (pp. 3-24) and 10 (pp. 175-84)
The first class in the course will be the large-group class on Wednesday, August 28. No Skills Lab is scheduled for Monday, August 26.
All the materials for all of the sections of the course are available on Canvas for the course FOUNDATIONAL LAWYERING SKILLS (no section). We have posted in the Modules tab on Canvas the course syllabus and materials for each unit of the course. (The course syllabus is available as a Module and in the Syllabus tab on Canvas.)
In our August 28 class, we will start by reviewing the goals of this course and providing a general overview of the topics we will cover. We will also answer any questions about the course, the syllabus, or evaluation process.
Then, we will show the class a clip from a film and ask you to identify all the significant facts that are shown. For this exercise, we will focus on the discussion in chapter 10 of the text.
Health Law
Professor Frank A. Mazzagatti
First Class Assignment
The assignment for first class meeting on Monday August 26, 2024:
Casebook pp. 1-12; 12-15 (incl. notes 1-3); 16-18; 21-30 (incl. notes 1, 2 and 4)
Brief: Katskee v. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Nebraska
Immigration Law
Prof. Lauris Wren
Lauris.P.Wren@Hofstra.edu
Course Materials
- T. Alexander Aleinikoff, David A. Martin, Hiroshi Motomura, Maryellen Fullerton, & Juliet P. Stumpf, Immigration and Citizenship (9th edition)
- Alexander Aleinikoff, David A. Martin, & Hiroshi Motomura, Immigration and Nationality Laws of the United States: Selected Statutes, Regulations & Forms (2024) (If you prefer to read the statutes and regulations online, you can do that).
First assignment, to be done prior to class on 8/28:
- Aleinikoff, et al., pages 1-73.
- Read: https://www.cliniclegal.org/resources/litigation/supreme-courts-overturning-chevron-doctrine-and-its-effect-immigration-matters
International Transactions Skills
Jurisprudence
Professor Sinha
The assignment for the first day of Jurisprudence is the attached reading from Plato (The Crito).
The assignment for the first day of National Security and the Law is the attached set of pages from the assigned course textbook.
Labor Law
Professor Fernbach
First Class Assignment
The class will be using the text; - Labor Law Cases and Materials, Cox, Bok, Gorman and Finkin, 18th edition, University Casebook, Foundation Press.
2023 Statutory Appendix and Case Suppleme
Sessions 1 & 2 – Overview of Course Objectives
- The historical development of the regulation of the Labor-Management relationship in the United States.
- Read Cox- p 5-54
During these sessions we will cover the following cases:
- Vegelahn v. Guntner, Cox, p. 7-13 (Use of injunction in private labor Disputes.
- Application of Anti-trust Law to Labor Disputes -Sherman, Clayton, and Norris-Laguardia Anti-Trust Statutes
- Loewe v. Lawlor, (Danbury Hatter’s Case)
- Cox, p. 20-23
- Thornhill v. Alabama, Cox, p. 36-40
- Wagner Act (NLRA– Creation of the NLRB and its Constitutionality)
- Pages 40-54 of Text
Land Use Regulation Seminar
Professor Schwartz
Reading Material for the First Class
- Land Use Regulation Syllabus Fall 2024 (PDF)
- 2023 Coliseum Site Article and Hofstra University Letter (PDF)
- Hofstra University v Nassau County Planning Commission (2.23.24) (PDF)
- Hofstra v. Nassau County Planning Commission (Stay Denied 3.29.24) (PDF)
- Newsday Article about Casino Lease (8.6.24) (PDF)
- Osiecki v Town of Huntington (PDF)
- Town of Cortlandt Master Plan link (PDF)
- Udell v Haas (PDF)
- Village of Euclid Ohio v Ambler Realty Co (PDF)
- Zoning and the Comprehensive Plan, James A. Coon Local Government Technical Series (PDF)
Lawyers’ Ethics
Professor Liebmann
Topic 1 Assignment Memo
Sources of Law, Consequences of Unethical Behavior, Scope of Model Rules
Please do the following prior to our first class:
- Purchase the 2024 American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct (available on the American Bar Association website.) You can also access the Rules on line for free here.
- Read the “Assigned Model Rules” listed below. Be sure to read both the Rule and the Comment that comes after each Rule.
- Visit and read the webpage for the Second Judicial Department “Attorney Matters”.
- Read Mata v. Avianca, 678 F.Supp.3d 443 (SDNY 2023). A pdf of the case is available on the course Canvas page under the Topic 1 Module.
Assigned Model Rules
Table of Contents, Preamble, Scope, 1.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.7, 8.1, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5
Questions to Consider
- Which states have adopted a version of the ABA Model Rules?
- What is the process for investigating and pursuing an ethics complaint in the Second Department? What discipline can be imposed? By whom?
- What sanctions were imposed against the lawyers in the Mata v. Avianca case? By whom?
- Who is responsible for unethical conduct that is committed by a subordinate lawyer under another lawyer’s supervision? Under what circumstances?
- Who is responsible for unethical conduct that is committed by a non-lawyer under a lawyer’s supervision? Under what circumstances?
- What are “law-related” services under Rule 5.7? Under what circumstances is a lawyer subject to the Rules for conduct related to the provision of law-related services?
- To what extent do the Rules cover the following:
- Conduct that occurs before a person becomes a lawyer. (Rule 8.1)
- Conduct that a lawyer observes but does not engage in. (Rule 8.3)
- Conduct that does not occur in the course of legal work. (Rule 8.4)
- Conduct that occurs in a different legal jurisdiction. (Rule 8.5)
Lawyers’ Ethics
Dear Students,
Welcome back. I hope you had a fabulous summer. Please purchase the textbook Legal Ethics in the Practice of Law by Zitrin, Cole, and Casey, 5th edition. The readings for the first class on Wed., August 28, are:
Introduction- pgs 3-18; 21-41
Problem 1- Hanging Up a Shingle- pgs 45-64
I will be using TWEN for this class. I will send the class an email with the syllabus and TWEN password before our first class. I look forward to meeting you.
Prof. Louis
Mediation Principles & Practice
Patent Law
Professor Richetti
First Assignment
The textbook for the class is: Patent Law and Policy: Cases and Materials, 8th Ed. (Merges & Duffy) (2021) – ISBN 978-1-5310-1175-8
The first reading assignment is: What is a Patent? —Text pp. 20-33; 58-67
Perspectives in Legal Analysis & Writing
Welcome to Perspectives in Legal Analysis & Writing. The class will meet in person. However, we will also use an online classroom component for this course called Matrix. You will submit and receive all assignments through Matrix. In mid-August, you will receive an email from BARBRI with login information to access the Matrix course page prior to the first day of class. If you do not receive an email prior to August 26, please contact nicole.r.lefton@hoftra.edu.
Aside from accessing Matrix, there is no prework before Class 1. We will use a course book that will be distributed in class.
If you have any questions before class, please feel free to reach out to one of us.
Regards,
The ASP Team
Real Estate Development Seminar
Professor Ostrow
For our first class, please read “What is Real Estate Development Law and the Ten Stages of Deal,” which is posted on our Canvas site.
Religion and the Constitution
Professor Charlow
First Assignment
Text:
- Religion and the Constitution by McConnell, Berg & Lund (5th ed. Wolters Kluwer 2022) and 2024-2025 Supplement (online—see Syllabus on Canvas for access instructions)
For Wednesday, August 28, 2024, read:
- Defining Religion - pp. . 669-688, 701-705, Supplement (Yeshiva University)
- History - pp. 13-19, 50-61
Full Syllabus is available on Canvas.
Secured Transactions
Fall 2024 - Wednesday 8:10 - 10:00 am
Hofstra Law School • Kushner Hall 243
Adjunct Professor Marc L. Hamroff
Contact info:
Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP
400 Garden City Plaza
Garden City, NY 11530
Website: www.moritthock.com
mhamroff@moritthock.com
Tel: (516) 873-2000
Fax: (516) 873-2010
- Coursebook: Problems and Materials on Secured Transactions, 6th Ed. Sepinuck
(West Press) - Selected Commercial Statutes For Secured Transactions 2024 (or most current)
- Agreement Binder (To be supplied at first class)
Syllabus as of August 13, 2024
Goal of the Problem-Solving Method
The course will address a wide variety of commercial transactions essential to a student contemplating a career in commercial law including creditors rights, bankruptcy, securities, commercial and real estate lending, finance and business litigation. A primary focus of the course will be UCC Article 9 but will also include the interplay between Article 9 and the bankruptcy laws, other state and federal created liens (both statutory and judicial) and other types of financing structures. The nature of these topics will expose students to real life commercial transactions including problem solving and strategy decision practitioners must make in litigating and structuring these business arrangements.
This course is designed for you to learn a statutory scheme that regulates security interests in personal property (Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)). The legal rules are not a mystery, they are printed right in the statute book. The critical learning is to understand how the statutory provisions apply to particular factual scenarios, the alternative arguments that can be made about how they apply, and the consequences of the various arguments. We do this through evaluation of the problems in the course book and related hypothetical scenarios that will be developed as a result of class discussion.
In addition, because the UCC is part of a comprehensive scheme of rules regarding particular transactions, it is important to understand how the provisions of the UCC work together. In that respect, the course is a building block course. What we learn each day will be relevant to what we learn in every other day.
This problem-solving method replicates in significant part the work of practicing lawyers. Lawyers are confronted with factual scenarios and must identify and investigate the legal rules relevant to those scenarios. Lawyers then consider how the relevant legal rules may be applied to that factual scenario. In doing so, lawyers must be able to deal with a great deal of uncertainty and creativity, that is, a lawyer must have the ability to imagine new arguments regarding how to apply legal principles to typical scenarios and innovative applications of settled law to new types of scenarios.
The following requirements for class preparation and attendance are designed to help achieve the goals related to this style of learning.
Class Preparation
I expect students to be prepared for class. Adequate preparation requires reading and analyzing all relevant statutory sections and comments as well as the material in the textbook. We will focus on the problems during class discussion.
To use the textbook most effectively: (i) read the textual material; (ii) read the cited statutory sections and the official comments, and (iii) analyze the problems. You will find that as you analyze the problems, you will have to go back through the textual material, cases, statutes, and official comments repeatedly in order to identify the relevant issues and construct your analysis.
Final Examination
The final examination for this course will be given during the exam period at the end of the semester and will be open book. You will be allowed to bring into the examination the casebook, the statute book, and your own notes/outlines. You will be allowed to use the approved software for typing your examination answers if available at Hofstra. Other than as allowed by the approved software for typing your examination answers, you will not be allowed access to any other electronic device.
Grading
Subject to rules imposed for blind grading and/or curves, the final examination will be worth 80% of the final grade for the course. Class participation will be worth 20%.
Assignments
The following is the tentative schedule of assignments for the class; page numbers refer to the textbook. We may move faster or slower than these specific assignments.
Credit Hour Policy
“The Law School has adopted a “Credit Hour Policy.” A “credit hour” is an amount of work that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction (calculated as 50 minutes of classroom time) and two hours (120 minutes) of out-of-class student work per week for fifteen weeks (including one week for final exams), or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. These requirements apply equally to all courses taught in the Law School, including distance education courses.”
Read any referenced statutes and commentary from the Selected Commercial Statutes book as necessary to provide a thorough analysis of the assigned problems.
- Date: WED. 08/28
- Class No. 1
- Topics/Issues:
- Overview: (1) the context in which debtor-creditor relationships arise, (2) the difference between secured and unsecured creditors, (3) the reality that some creditors are not timely paid what they are owed, (4) the basic creditor collection remedy which is known as "execution" and the rights of "statutory liens", (5) the difficulties facing creditors when debtors do not voluntarily pay their debts, (6) fraudulent transfers, and (7) pre-judgment remedies.
- Required Reading Material Pages/Problems:
- Pgs. 1-44; pb. 1-3
- Statutes:
- NY Lien Law §§80, 151, 160, 180, 184; CPLR §§5201, 5202, 5203, Articles 62-65, 270 et. seq. and Bky Code 542.
Sex-Based Discrimination
Professor Charis Damiano
Required Course Materials: The required text is Katharine T Bartlett, Deborah L Rhode, Joanna L Grossman and Deborah Brake, Gender and the Law: Theory, Doctrine, Commentary (9th Edition, 2023). (“Gender and the Law”)
Administrative Details:
- Class meetings: Monday and Wednesdays 8:40 -10:00am.
- Email: Charis.J.Damiano@hofstra.edu
- Office hours: Monday and Wednesdays 12pm-1:30pm by appointment
- Office: 100C
- Assistant: Jennifer Calautti, Room 223
- Course webpage: CANVAS
First Assignment: The first class will be on Monday August 26th 2024. Please read the following: Page 1-top of page 7 and 29-41 of Gender and the Law.
Points for discussion:
- Consider the various theoretical frameworks presented on pages 1-7 and how they interplay in the field of sex discrimination law.
- When reading the cases, try to identify the source of the discriminatory practice, the legal rationale that was given to try to justify the discriminatory practice and the harm it caused to women at the time.
- Compare and contrast the different legal reasonings provided by the Supreme Court in the cases of Muller v. Oregon 208 U.S 412 (1908) and Goesart v. Cleary 335 U.S 464 (1948). Think about how they are alike and how they differ.
- Please read the Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls Convention on pages 38-40 and make a list of the issues addressed in this Declaration. Consider the various ways that the authors argue that a women’s right to work and be employed are affected by the list of discriminatory acts and practices set out in the document.
State and Local Government Seminar
Professor Herzfeld
WEEK 1 ASSIGNMENTS
Class 1
August 26, 2024
Decentralization of Local Government on Long Island
The casebook (“CB”) for this class is Cases and Materials on State and Local Government Law (Ninth Edition), by Briffault, Reynolds, Davidson, Scharff and Su.
Please read pp. 8-36 in the casebook, and the below hyperlinked material.
Please also read Who Provides Services on Long Island (Long Island Index, 2012), and review the accompanying undated spreadsheet Nassau County Service Provider Spreadsheet (Long Island Index, 2016).
Keeping in mind the points made in the casebook about the relative advantages and disadvantages of centralized government, should local government on Long Island be more centralized or is the current structure of local government appropriate?
- What would be the negative impacts if the Towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay each became a city and all the villages and special districts in each town were consolidated into the respective city government? Are there particular municipal services or functions that might be most harmed?
- Which municipal services do you think could be most improved by greater centralization? How do you think more centralization could be achieved?
- Do you think there are some governmental functions that cannot suitably be handled by local government at all, but rather need to be handled by the state or federal government, or by a regional governmental entity? What are these?
Legal Research and Writing For International Students
Professor Charis Damiano
Administrative Details:
- Class meetings: Tuesday and Thursday: 8.40-10am in KOPPL 0206.
- Email: Charis.J.Damiano@hofstra.edu
- Office hours: Monday and Wednesday 12:00 to 1:30pm by appointment
- Assistant: Jennifer Calautti, Room 223
- Course webpage: CANVAS
First Assignment: The first class will be on August 27th 2024.
Points for discussion:
- We will be reviewing the structure of the class and the semester and how to brief cases effectively.
- Please ensure that you have read the syllabus (posted on CANVAS) ahead of the first class.
- Please make sure that you have set up your passwords and access to LexisNexis, Westlaw and the Hofstra Portal.