Course Descriptions
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Water Law (2)
566U
This course will explore the various legal frameworks that govern the protection, allocation, and distribution of water within the United States. Beginning with the early-American common law water right of “first come, first served,” which still exist in many states today, students will learn about the most significant laws aimed at regulating water, as well as the environmental conditions that necessitated the passage of such landmark legislation as the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. This course will also cover the public health and social justice implications of inequitable access to clean affordable water which are driving recent water law reforms at the state and federal levels prompted by a series of water crises throughout the country –including the Flint Water Crisis.
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Wildlife Law (2)
565B
(Formerly DCL 376)
A study of how the legal system deals with wildlife issues. While federal law affecting wildlife is studied, this course's primary focus will be on the authority of the state fish and wildlife agencies to manage wildlife and the relationship of the federal and state governments as managers of the public’s wildlife. It will review wildlife related laws from a variety of perspectives, including those that recognize sustainable use as a valid conservation tool, and regulated hunting as a component of conservation and sound wildlife management.
The class is responsible for publishing The Wildlife Law Call, a newsletter on current case law and articles pertinent to wildlife issues. Students are graded on their individual contribution to this publication.
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Wine, Beer, & Spirits Laws and Regulations (3)
810Y
The course emphasizes federal laws, specifically regulation by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Among other concepts, this course will cover: industry’s primary regulators, the classification of beverages, the regulation of labeling and advertising, three-tier distribution system, excise taxes, and liability.
Prerequisite(s): This course is intended for students in the Global Food Law Program.
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Workers' Compensation (3)
610
This course approaches workers’ compensation from a national perspective, exposing students to the varied laws across the country while focusing on the common principles of this area of law in all states. With its “no fault” status, workers’ disability compensation is a unique type of law which impacts businesses and most workers in the United States. The Michigan Workers’ Disability Compensation Act is used as the model law for the class and several important Michigan cases are included as additional course materials.
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Wrongful Convictions Seminar (2)
617E
Thousands of innocent defendants who were convicted of crimes have been exonerated and released from prison in the United States in the past few decades, and the pace of exonerations is increasing. This seminar will focus on what we have learned about the conviction and exoneration of innocent defendants and where we may be heading. We will particularly focus on prosecutorial discretion as a feature of the system that both contributes to the problem and offers paths to prevent and remedy false convictions.
Prerequisite(s): Criminal Procedure Adjudication and Criminal Procedure Investigation are recommended.
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