X
Home School of Law Registrar Law School Course Catalog

COURSE CATALOG

front building

This catalog is made available electronically by the University of Memphis. UofM students and potential students may publish the catalog if they so desire.

Below students can find information about required, elective and specialized courses offered at Memphis Law.

Alphabetical Course List

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

•Skip to Electives and Specialized Areas of Study

Course offerings each year depend on a variety of factors. By design, some courses are only offered in alternating years. Please refer to each course for more information on course availability. 

Academic Success I
Course 0553
1-hour 1L required course
This class is designed to help first-year students develop analytical skills needed for success in law school, on the bar exam, and ultimately in practice. The class will focus on strategies to prepare for class such as case reading and briefing. The class will also focus on how to prepare for exams with outline strategies and exam writing techniques. Further, students will learn stress and time management techniques.
 
Academic Success II
Course 554
1-hour 1L required course
This class will build on ASP I by reinforcing class preparation and exam-taking skills, with a heavy emphasis on improving analytical and written communication skills. Students will connect their learning in law school to the bar exam through instruction and problem-solving exercises.
 
Administrative Law
Course 311
3-hour elective course
 

Administrative agencies execute law affecting almost every aspect of daily life, including labor and employment, environmental, intellectual property, insurance, transportation, and health laws. This course does not focus on the substantive law of any particular agency; it instead examines principles and procedures common to all agencies, derived in large part from the U.S. Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act. The course will examine the sources of agency authority, the limitations on agency actions, the procedures that agencies must use in rulemaking and adjudication, and the availability and scope of judicial review of agency actions.

Admiralty Law
Course Number 312
2-hour elective course
This course is only offered in the fall of odd years (e.g., Fall 2021, Fall 2023, etc.).
 

This 2-hour course will focus on traditional admiralty and maritime law concepts, including an examination of the Jones Act, unseaworthiness, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, and the general maritime law.  The course will also cover issues relating to maritime contracts and liens, limitation of liability, issues relating to collisions, allisions, and breakaways, fleeter’s liability, and issues relating to admiralty jurisdiction.  The course will also review the available defenses and damages.  While the concepts taught are applicable to all areas of maritime practice, the primary focus will be on maritime law as it applies to the inland waterways of the United States. There are no prerequisites.

Advanced Brief Writing Seminar
Course 453
2-hour research/writing course
 

This class is designed to offer students who have some experience with writing briefs the opportunity to sharpen their brief-writing skills and learn what makes a brief successful. The class will discuss how to present a case persuasively, considering issues such as developing a theory of the case, arguing thematically, using the components of the brief effectively, using precedent effectively, and structuring the argument persuasively. Students will brief an issue with which they are familiar. Students will write a brief to a court of last resort. There will be two oral presentations at which students will explain and defend their brief-writing choices. This course satisfies the Advanced Research/Writing requirement.

Prerequisite (Required): Moot Court Travel Team OR Appellate Advocacy OR permission of instructor.

<BACK TO TOP>

Advanced Constitutional Law - Individual Rights
Course 396
3-hour elective
 
This course will examine how the Court interprets individual rights guaranteed under the Constitution in a changing judicial and political landscape. Students taking this bar-adjacent course will study how different Courts have treated individual constitutional protections under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, including the level of scrutiny applied in recent Equal Protection challenges. The class will examine Supreme Court jurisprudence addressing privacy, liberty, equal protection, substantive due process, speech, and association. Many topics in this course involve ongoing legal disputes in education, religion, healthcare of people in government custody, and a parent’s ability to make healthcare decisions for their minor children. The class will include the impact of past Supreme Court decisions and examine the constitutional arguments and possible outcomes of current litigation. This course is designed to allow the course to focus on individual rights under the Constitution in the framework of the professor’s expertise.
 
Advanced Criminal Prosecution
Course 545
1-hour simulation course
Offered during Spring Break Intersession only.
 

Advanced Criminal Prosecution is a one-credit intersession course offered annually over the Law School's Spring Break week in conjunction with the Tennessee District Attorney General's Conference's (TNDAG) Trial Advocacy Course. Advanced Criminal Prosecution is intended to offer a select number of students (maximum of eight) interested in criminal trial advocacy intensive training in and exposure to prosecutorial litigation skills and strategy. In a "master class" approach to learning, experienced prosecutors from across the state of Tennessee will present instruction on all aspects of criminal trial practice, including jury selection, pretrial motions, opening statements, direct and cross examinations, evidentiary objections, and closing argument. Devoted sessions will focus on interviewing and preparing witnesses, selecting juries, case analysis, charging decisions, discovery, prosecutorial ethics, and professionalism. In those sections requiring student performance (of examinations, opening statement, and closing argument), students will receive critique, including individual reviews of their performances. This course will satisfy the Experiential Course requirement.

Advanced Legal Analysis
Course 732
1-credit elective
 

This class is designed to help second-year students develop and sharpen the analytical and communication skills needed for success in law school, on the bar exam, and ultimately in practice. The class will discuss effective methods for problem-solving, written communications, and solving multiple-choice questions. Students will exercise their problem-solving skills by completing several short writing assignments (e.g., memos, essays, and multi-state performance tests (MPTs)) and multiple-choice questions. Students will also have the opportunity to complete both timed and untimed assessments throughout the semester.

This course is designed for second-year students.  Third-year students interested in this course for its focus on sharpening the analytical and communication skills needed for success on the bar exam should consider Fundamentals of Bar Writing.

ADR-Mediation
Course 316
2-hour simulation course
 

This course offers negotiation and mediation skills to prepare the student to properly represent clients in mediation. While students will likely gain insight into how the mediator conducts a mediation session, the goal of the course is lawyering skills in mediation, not skills as a mediator. This course will satisfy the Experiential Course requirement.

Prerequisites (Required): Professional Responsibility and Evidence, may be taken concurrently

<BACK TO TOP>

Appellate Advocacy
Course 309
3-hour simulation course
 

Appellate Advocacy is a writing skills course that builds on Legal Methods II. The course covers the basics of appellate advocacy: analyzing an issue on appeal, writing an appellate brief, and preparing and delivering an oral argument.   The course offers instruction in brief writing through regular writing assignments, culminating in an appellate brief.  It also offers instruction in how to prepare and deliver an oral argument.  Students write a brief and give and judge oral arguments.  Grades are based on the written work, oral arguments, and other aspects of class participation.

This course is integrated with the Advanced Moot Court Competition, although class members are not required to compete. The Advanced Moot Court problem will be the basis of class discussion. The Advanced Moot Court brief will be the draft brief for the course. Students will rewrite that brief for the final grade. The Advanced Moot Court Competition will give students the opportunity to practice their arguments for the final in-class argument. The course will be scheduled around the Advanced Moot Court Competition. Classes will focus on brief-writing until the Advanced brief is due. Classes from the time the brief is due until the competition starts will discuss an oral argument. The class will not meet during the Advanced Competition so students can devote their attention to competing. Students who complete the Advanced Moot Court Competition and one other competition are eligible for one credit in addition to the two credits for this course.

All students are highly encouraged to take this course to learn the basics of appellate advocacy and develop writing skills. This course is extremely important for students who wish to participate in moot court competition teams or become a member of the moot court board.  This course satisfies the Experiential Course requirement.

Bar Preparation Course
Course 721
3-hour required course
Offered in spring only.
 
This is a 3L-required course offered in the spring only.  It should be taken in your last spring semester.  Do not enroll unless you will graduate in May or August of the current academic year or December of the next academic year.
 

This is a course to help graduating students prepare for the Bar Exam both by reviewing some substantive law and instructing on how successfully to navigate multiple choice, essay, and Multistate Performance Test questions. The class reviews up to three substantive areas of law.  The subjects may vary from year to year but currently include Contracts, Torts, and/or Criminal Law. Students answer simulated multiple-choice and essay questions and receive regular feedback on their performance. There will be a graded mid-term exam, a graded Multistate Performance Test, and a final exam. This course is in addition to, not a substitute for, a summer bar preparation course.

Bioethics & the Law
Course 304
2-hour elective course

This course examines the legal pillars of contemporary medical ethics and, more broadly, "bioethics."  It will focus particularly on [a] informed consent, [b] end of life, [c] medical research, and [d] the financial challenges of modern health care.  The materials and discussion will emphasize the ways in which, historically, bioethics is rooted heavily in case law and the difficult human stories those cases addressed.  They will also emphasize the day-to-day clinical realities that must be understood if difficult bioethical/legal questions are to be addressed insightfully and appropriately.

Business Organizations I
Course 211
3-hour required course
 

This course is a survey of state laws (including selected statutory provisions and common law doctrines) applicable to partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies. In general, the course deals with the formation, operation, and dissolution of these various types of business enterprises. The readings focus on the legal rights, privileges, and obligations associated with the entities themselves, as well as with their owners, directors, managers, and employees. Both doctrinal principles and policy underpinnings will be explored and emphasized throughout the class. Although the broad framework of business serves as a backdrop for the legal doctrine, the course is designed to be accessible to students without a business background.

<BACK TO TOP>

Civil Procedure I
Course 114
3-hour required course
 
Civil Procedure provides an overview of the procedural issues involved in the filing and adjudication of civil suits, primarily in federal court. Over two semesters (Civil Procedure I in the fall, Civil Procedure II in the spring), we will study jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter; venue; the applicable law; pleadings; joinder of parties and claims; discovery; adjudication without trial; principles of trial by jury; the preclusive effects of former adjudication; and, if time permits, additional advanced topics.

A subset of the above-listed topics is covered in Civil Procedure I (fall semester). Please check with the instructor for a list of the specific topics covered.

Civil Procedure II
Course 124
2-hour required course
 
Civil Procedure provides an overview of the procedural issues involved in the filing and adjudication of civil suits, primarily in federal court. Over two semesters (Civil Procedure I in the fall, Civil Procedure II in the spring), we will study jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter; venue; the applicable law; pleadings; joinder of parties and claims; discovery; adjudication without trial; principles of trial by jury; the preclusive effects of former adjudication; and, if time permits, additional advanced topics.

A subset of the above-listed topics is covered in Civil Procedure II (spring semester). Please check with the instructor for a list of the specific topics covered.

<BACK TO TOP>

Civil Rights
Course 322
3-hour elective course
 
This course covers § 1983 litigation and aims to make students familiar with issues that arise in prosecuting or defending a § 1983 action.  TOPICS:  Action under color of state law, statutory claims, Fourth Amendment, Eighth Amendment, Due Process, Immunities, Municipal Liability, Eleventh Amendment, and if time allows, Recovery (including attorney’s fees), and Jurisdictional issues.
 
Prerequisite (Required): Constitutional Law 

Prerequisite (Recommended): Criminal Procedure

Commercial Law
Course 700
4-hour required course  for students  who matriculated before August 1, 2023 
**Students may take both Sales and Secured Transactions in lieu of Commercial Law.
 

This course examines core concepts of the Uniform Commercial Code, focusing on Sales (Article 2) and Secured Transactions (Article 9). Related areas of law (i.e., bankruptcy, consumer law, etc.) and aspects of commercial and business practices will be discussed as required. This course is intended to provide an overview of commercial law for students who will not be enrolling in both Sales and Secured Transactions, but who wish to obtain significant exposure to the structure and operation of the Uniform Commercial Code, as well as to fundamental commercial law and business practices. 

Note: Students are only permitted to take two of the following three courses:  Commercial Law, Sales, and Secured Transactions.  Students may take both Sales and Secured Transactions to satisfy the Commercial Law Requirement.  Students who have taken one of the three courses will only be permitted to take one of the remaining courses.  For example, students who take both Secured Transactions and Sales to gain in-depth knowledge in both areas will not be permitted to take in Commercial Law.  Similarly, students may take Commercial Law and either Sales or Secured Transactions, to gain in-depth knowledge about the chosen area, but will not be permitted to take both courses in addition to Commercial Law.   


<BACK TO TOP>
 
Conflict of Laws
Course 324
3-hour elective 
 
BAR NOTE:  Conflict of Laws will be tested on the bar exam through the February 2026 administration.  Effective July 2026, the bar exam will not test recalled doctrinal knowledge for this area of law.
 

When an Arkansas driver is involved in an accident in Tennessee, which state's law applies? Are states ever required to recognize out-of-state divorces or apply foreign laws? When and how can contracting parties choose a particular set of laws to govern their relationship? This course will prepare you to address the issues that arise when a matter may be governed by more than one legal system. Particular areas of focus include horizontal (state-versus-state) choice-of-law approaches, constitutional limits on horizontal choices of law, recognition, and enforcement of out-of-state judgments, and vertical (federal-versus-state) conflicts.

Constitutional Law
Course 212
4-hour required course
 
This course introduces students to the U.S. Constitution, the structure of the federal constitutional government, and individual constitutional rights. Topics include the judicial power and congressional power, federalism, separation of powers, due process, equal protection, and (time allowing) First Amendment freedom of speech and religion. The objective is familiarity with these topics, the ability to read Supreme Court constitutional case law, and facility at constructing constitutional arguments.
 
Contracts/Contracts II 
Course 111/Course 121
3-hour required course/2-hour required course
 
This course addresses contract formation and breach of contract.  Coverage includes the meaning of the word “contract”; the doctrine of consideration and when promises may be unenforceable due to the absence of bargained-for exchange; the elements of and the subtle twists associated with offer and acceptance; the requirement of writing for certain types of contracts; the extent to which courts “police” the substance of a bargain to prevent unfairness and limit contract enforcement; the process of defining the scope of a contract; and the interpretation of contract language.
 

<BACK TO TOP>

Copyright
Course 325
2- or 3-hour elective course 
This course is only offered in the spring of odd years (e.g., Spring 2019, Spring 2021).  Check the published schedule to determine how many credit hours the course will be in a given semester.
 

This course covers the subject matter of copyright, limitations on the subject matter of copyright, infringement of copyright, and defenses to infringement.  This course will teach concepts fundamental to Copyright Law so that students will understand and be able to apply them to the analysis of issues arising in factual settings.

Corporate Law Seminar
Course 440
2-hour research/writing course
 
This course provides an in-depth discussion of the law, theory, and policy of corporate governance. The course will be taught in a seminar format and will require the completion of a paper. This course satisfies the Advanced Research/Writing requirement.
 

Prerequisite (Required): Business Organizations I

Corporate Tax
Course 334
3-hour elective
 
The course focuses on the federal income tax aspects of corporate formation, capital structure, distributions to shareholders, redemptions of shareholders, liquidations, taxable acquisitions and reorganizations, and nontaxable reorganizations.
 
Prerequisite (Required): Basic Income Tax
 
Criminal Law
Course 126
3-hour required course
 

This course introduces students to the basic principles of substantive criminal law, the principles of criminal culpability, and the analysis of criminal statutes. Sources include the common law and the Model Penal Code. Topics include the criminal act, mens rea, homicide, attempt, complicity, conspiracy, and defenses. Its objective is familiarity with these sources and topics, and an ability to parse statutory language.

Criminal Procedure I
Course 223
3-hour required course
 
An examination of principles of federal constitutional criminal procedure, with a focus on search and seizure, the right to counsel, and the law governing interrogation and confessions. Its objective is familiarity with these topics, and the ability to formulate a constitutional argument for prosecution and defense in these areas.
 
Criminal Procedure II
Course 326
2-hour elective course
 
Covers all aspects of criminal procedure from pre-arrest through post-conviction and habeas corpus. Upon completion of the course, students should have a thorough and practical understanding of criminal procedure, particularly the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure.
 

Prerequisite (Recommended): Criminal Procedure I is recommended, but not required. Primarily statutory, but with some practice emphasis. 

 
 Debtor-Creditor 
Course 327
3-hour elective course
 
Debtor-Creditor Law is a foundational course that addresses the question of what to do when there's not enough money to go around. It provides a brief introduction to state and federal debt collection laws before diving into federal bankruptcy law. The emphasis is on the consumer side because that is most often the context in which these questions arise, but the course also explores concepts such as fraudulent conveyances and preferential transfers that are encountered in business contexts as well. The course serves as an excellent review of concepts learned in Secured Transactions that are likely to be encountered on the bar exam. It is a must for both transactional lawyers who want to draft documents that adequately address the possibility of financial default and litigators who want to know what to do once a judgment is entered.
 

Prerequisite (Required):  Secured Transactions 

Decedents' Estates
Course 213
3-hour course 
 
For students who matriculated after August 1, 2023:  Elective 
For students who matriculated before August 1, 2023 :  Required
 
BAR NOTE:  Trusts and Estates will be tested on the bar exam through the February 2026 administration.  Effective July 2026, the bar exam will not test recalled doctrinal knowledge for this area of law.
 
Coverage includes intestate succession, wills, non-probate assets, and a brief introduction to trusts. Objectives include mastery of fundamental principles under the Uniform Probate Code and their common law analogs. 
 
Disability Rights Law Clinic
Course 521
4-hour experiential course

Student-attorneys in the University of Memphis Disability Rights Law Clinic represent clients and their families in a variety of matters related to disability law and the rights of persons with disabilities. Student-attorneys typically litigate on behalf of clients who allege violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (a federal special education statute), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. They also advocate on behalf of disabled clients who seek personal care assistance to enable them to remain in their homes and avoid being placed in an institution or nursing home. Student-attorneys are expected to take full ownership of their cases and are decision-makers (under faculty supervision) for all aspects of client representation. Clinical students also participate in weekly classroom sessions, during which they practice legal skills and discuss the challenges they are facing in their legal work. This course satisfies the Experiential Course requirement.

Divorce Law Practicum
Course 305
3-hour skills course

The Divorce Law Practicum is a semester-long course designed to convey the essential principles, skills, and values that a lawyer must embrace and master in order to provide competent counsel in the practice of divorce law.  Working in the context of a simulated case file and related mock writing and advocacy opportunities, students will consider the potential effects of the substantive law, procedural rules, and ethical guidelines, as well as the accepted customs and practices of lawyers. Designed for students who have completed the fundamental Family Law survey course, this 3-hour Divorce Law Practicum will closely examine the primary areas of divorce practice.

Prerequisite (Required): Civil Procedure and Family Law 

Recommended: Trial Advocacy and Evidence

<BACK TO TOP>

Education & Civil Rights
Course 310
3-hour elective course
 
This course explores the intersection of education law and policy as it meets constitutional and equal protection law.  Students will be asked to consider policy decisions that impact civil rights in various areas, including student assignment, student admissions, and student instruction, and relate them to disparities across lines of race, ethnicity, gender, native language, and religion.
 
Education & Civil Rights - Writing (Seminar)
Course 495
1-hour research/advanced writing course
 
Students in Education & Civil Rights - Writing may enroll in an additional hour of coursework in conjunction with enrollment in the doctrinal Education & Civil Rights course.  The additional coursework will involve conceiving and completing a substantial writing project on a topic connected to the subject matter in the doctrinal course and students in the writing course will present their project toward the end of the semester.
 
Elder Law
Course 374
3-hour elective course
 
Students in this course will learn basic principles relating to the practice of Elder Law. Course topics may include guardianships and conservatorships; powers of attorney (for health care and financial matters); housing (including assisted living facilities and nursing homes); health-care decision-making (including questions related to death and dying, Medicare, and Medicaid); elder abuse and neglect; financing health-care and long-term care; income maintenance (including basic principles of Social Security); and simple estate planning matters. Throughout the course, students will also consider the many ethical issues that arise in representing elderly clients.
 

Prerequisites (Required): First-year courses.

<BACK TO TOP>

 

 

Entertainment Law
Course 369
3-hour elective course
 
This course combines aspects of contract, tort, intellectual property, antitrust, and secured transactions, and applies those disciplines to the unique entertainment business setting.  We will study the entertainment industry from both a macro level (i.e., the organization of the motion picture, television video game, and music business, including the function of studios, producers, networks, record companies, agencies, managers, lawyers, and labor unions) and a micro-level (i.e., examining actual agreements in order to understand the principal components of motion picture talent, production and distribution contracts, television series contracts, gaming, music and book publishing contracts). We will also examine key litigation issues that affect the industry, such as the interaction of the First Amendment and the right to publicity, the right of privacy and libel, the anti-SLAPP laws, and the "final cut" and profit participation cases. The impact of digital media (including the internet) will also be analyzed, along with the future of the entertainment industry, including convergence, holograms, syntho-thespians, and the like.
 
Environmental Law
Course 328
3-hour elective course
 
This survey course provides a broad, practical understanding of several important federal environmental statutes and related case law. The course is designed to introduce students to the variety of environmental challenges addressed by environmental laws, the difficult policy issues surrounding environmental problems, the legal complexities of environmental regulatory and administrative schemes, and issues associated with compliance and enforcement. The course focuses on the following federal acts: the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).
 

 <BACK TO TOP>

Estate Planning and Transfer Taxation
Course 329
3-hour elective course
 
Estate Planning and Transfer Taxation provides a comprehensive examination of the Estate Planning practice with an emphasis on both the planning/drafting side as well as the administration/probate side of the practice. Students will review various Wills and Trust Agreements, as well as the Tennessee law governing each. Other Estate Planning tools such as Conservatorships, Durable Powers of Attorney, forms of Charitable Giving, and Retirement Planning will be covered as time permits. Students will be introduced to the three federal transfer taxes (Federal Estate Tax, Federal Gift Tax, and Federal Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax) both in the context of planning to reduce taxes and in the proper filing of tax returns.
 

Prerequisites (Required): Decedents' Estates

Evidence
Course 221
4-hour required course
 
Considers the presentation of and admissibility of factual information in the trial of a case: including the determination of relevance; proof of writings and other real evidence; qualification, examination, and impeachment of witnesses; privileges; opinion testimony; and the application of the hearsay rule. Emphasis is on the Federal Rules of Evidence.
 
Expungement & Restoration of Rights Clinic
Course 540
2-hour experiential course
 

The Expungement and Restoration of Rights Clinic will introduce students to the theoretical and practical aspects of representing clients with legal needs arising from the collateral consequences of prior arrests and convictions. Under the supervision of licensed faculty, Clinic students will provide direct representation to individuals seeking: (1) expungement of criminal records: (2) court cost waivers in closed criminal matters; (3) restoration of citizenship/certificates of voter restoration; and (4) certificates of employability. Clinic students will concurrently complete a curriculum designed to provide training in the handling of expungement and restoration of rights cases, to expose students to the complex legal, policy, social, and economic issues faced by persons previously charged with or convicted of criminal offenses, and to enhance the vital lawyering skills students will use in their casework and in practice beyond.

The Clinic will emphasize team practice and collaboration, and, where possible, develop and seize on community partnerships to provide broadly focused, multi-systemic advocacy for Clinic clients. 

Prerequisite(s):  Professional Responsibility (may be taken concurrently)

Externships
Course 600
2, 3 or 4-hour experiential course.
 
The University of Memphis Externship Course offers students the opportunity to earn academic credit for carefully supervised legal work they perform in a variety of practice settings throughout the Memphis area. Stepping outside the traditional classroom, externship students learn by doing and observing, further developing essential research and writing skills, communication abilities, and problem-solving techniques under the direction of local judges and attorneys. To maximize this experiential learning opportunity, externship students simultaneously participate in a faculty-led, weekly seminar designed to introduce the essential habits of the reflective practitioner, assessment of the skills, relationships, and mindsets that prevail in practice, and the formation of professional identity. Students are eligible for the Externship Course upon the completion of their first year. Students may not enroll in more than 16 hours, including the Externship, without requesting a waiver from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. This course will satisfy the Experiential Course requirement.
 
Fair Employment Practices
Course 330
3-hour elective
 
Focuses on statutes banning discrimination in employment and other fair employment issues. Federal and state laws dealing with discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, disability, and national origin will be examined. Questions regarding affirmative action and "reverse discrimination" will be discussed. The course will also look at the recent erosion of the employment-at-will doctrine and a variety of special employment-related topics.
 
Family Law
Course 331
3-hour elective
 
BAR NOTE:  Family Law will be tested on the bar exam through the February 2026 administration.  From the July 2026 administration through the February 2028 administration, the bar exam will not test recalled doctrinal knowledge for this area of law.  Effective July 2028, the bar exam will resume testing recalled doctrinal knowledge for this area of the law.  
 
This is a survey course in Family Law that focuses primarily on marriage, divorce, child custody, child support, and issues related to the dissolution of a marriage. There is an emphasis on the practice of Family Law with a selective focus on Tennessee law.
 
Federal Courts
Course 333
3-hour elective course
 
This course addresses the constitutional and statutory provisions, as well as the judicially-created doctrines, that shape and limit the role that federal courts play in our system of government. It pays particular attention to issues implicating the separation of powers and federalism and to contending visions of the functions federal courts should perform in American society. Selected topics include the nature of the federal judicial function, standing and justiciability doctrines, congressional control of federal court jurisdiction, Supreme Court review of state court decisions and the relationship between state and federal law, the federal question jurisdiction of the federal district courts, judicial abstention doctrines and the power of federal courts to enjoin state court proceedings, and state sovereign immunity from suit in federal and state court.
 
Prerequisite (Required): Civil Procedure I & II and Constitutional Law.
 

Fundamentals of Bar Exam Writing
Course Number: 714
2-hour elective course
Offered in the Fall semester; taken in 3L year.

The Multistate Essay Exam (MEE) requires examinees to know the rules of law, understand how the rules are applied to various hypotheticals, and effectively communicate their knowledge of the law and ability to apply it in writing. This course offers students a question-based approach to essay exams in the context of three substantive subjects. The subjects may vary from year to year but currently include Evidence, Agency/Partnership, and Real Property. This course will also review techniques and strategies for responding to different types of the Multistate Performance Test (MPT).

Gender & the Law Seminar
Course 496
2-hour research/writing course

This seminar is intended to provide students with an understanding of the evolution of LGBTQ+ rights in the United States by providing an overview of the laws, policies, and politics surrounding sexuality and gender. We will examine Supreme Court jurisprudence addressing LGBTQ+ constitutional issues including intimacy, liberty, and marriage. We will also explore federal court treatment of statutory discrimination protections based on sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation in the workplace, education, healthcare, and housing, among others. The class will focus on how social progress has impacted LGBTQ+ legal rights by considering the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community during the Twentieth Century, how the law has transformed, and why. This is a dynamic and rapidly-evolving area of law, and this course provides an overview of its evolution, ongoing changes, and likely future progression and challenges.

Along with the subject matter, as a seminar course, this class will also focus on further developing students’ legal research and writing skills and will satisfy Memphis Law’s Advanced Writing Requirement.  Students will complete a detailed and comprehensive research memorandum addressing a related topic of their choice that will require students to practice and improve their research skills using a broad range of sources. Students will conduct research and analysis in order to write a detailed, comprehensive, clear, and concise research memorandum addressing their chosen legal issue. Finally, this class will require students to further develop their ability to orally articulate their research topic confidently & coherently.

This course satisfies the Advanced Research/Writing requirement.

<BACK TO TOP>

Health Law Survey
Course 722
3-hour elective course
 
This course provides broad coverage of health law issues, suitable for all students with an interest in health law while also serving as a foundation for those students seeking to concentrate their studies in health law. The course will seek to expose students to leading components of what health law practitioners consider to be health law. The course will introduce students to common themes in healthcare law, including health disparities; access to health care; individual rights vs. governmental powers; health care relationships; and the unique nature of healthcare markets. We will cover public and private provision of health insurance and regulation of private insurance, and we will cover the business of health care, including health care entity structure and governance; fraud and abuse; and competition. In the second half of the semester, we will cover patient protections, including the "duty to treat" and quality of care; abortion; end of life decision-making; and health privacy. Finally, we will address regulation of biomedical research on humans.
 
Immigration Law
Course 337
3-hour elective course
 
This course covers the subject matter of Modern Immigration Law and Policy.  Principles fundamental to Immigration Law are taught so that students will understand and be able to apply them to the analysis of issues arising in factual settings.
 
Income Tax
Course 214
3-hour elective
 
This course covers concepts of gross income, exclusions from gross income, deductions, capital gains, timing, and tax systems. An important objective of the course is to develop the skill of reading statutes and applicable regulations.

<BACK TO TOP>
Information Privacy Law
Course 728
3-hour elective course
This course is only offered in the Spring of even years (e.g., Spring 2020, Spring 2022).
 
This course is an introduction to information privacy law. The course will explore underlying concepts and definitions of information and privacy. Information privacy addresses how personal information is collected, disclosed, shared and used. The course will explore the protection of privacy interests in different types of personal information including health and genetic information, financial and consumer information, and information presented in government records. The course will explore the constant gathering of personal information and the creation of "digital dossiers," the problems with Big Data, and ways to protect personal information. The course will also introduce the European Union's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and its application.
 
Insurance Law
Course 339
3-hour elective course
 
This course will focus on obtaining a practical understanding of insurance law and being able to interpret and apply the terms and conditions of contracts of insurance to determine coverage, exclusions, and loss as experienced by insurers and insureds. The coursework will include an examination of the purpose of insurance and fundamental concepts, insurance contract law, government regulation, limitations of risk, and exclusions. The course will include a review of property, liability, life, health, disability, automobile, and other forms of insurance coverage, including a familiarization of the actual policies of insurance so that the student is prepared to interpret the policies and advise clients as to the related issues. We will spend a considerable time with insurance coverage that attorneys will be called upon to consider and understand in most types of practices.
 
Intellectual Property Survey
Course 395
3-hour elective course
 
Intellectual property (IP) laws play an increasingly central role in the economy, business, technology and cultural life. This course is designed to introduce students to the major areas of intellectual property law -- trade secrets, copyrights, patents, and trademarks – and explore commonalities and differences among these different systems of IP protection. It is also intended to provide a basic understanding of IP law that may be carried into other practice areas, including both corporate/transactional work and litigation. Students will gain an appreciation for how intellectual property assets are a crucial component of many businesses and serve as the foundation for advancements in science, technology, and the arts. Prerequisites: none
 
International Business Transactions
Course 399
3-hour elective course

This course consists of two parts.  The first part introduces the student to the environments within which transnational business operations take place.  Within this framework, a basic introduction to Public International Law will be followed by a concise examination of the leading institutions of the World Economic Environment such as the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund.  On the transactional level, the corporate actors in the transnational business environment will be introduced focusing on the special role of the multinational enterprise.  A comparative law overview of transnational legal practice opportunities will lead to a more comprehensive discussion on international litigation strategies covering forum selection, choice of law, international commercial arbitration, and other practical private international law problems.  The second part of this course presents problem exercises in transnational business, such as drafting and consulting on transnational sales, distributorship agreements, and licensing agreements.
 
International Economic Law
Course 397
3-hour elective course
 
This course examines the legal and economic frameworks of international trade.  The course focuses on the arguments for and against free trade and on the law of the World Trade Organization.
 
International Economic Law - Writing
Course 499
1-hour research/writing course

Students in the doctrinal International Economic Law course may concurrently enroll in International Economic Law – Writing.  In this writing course, students will explore International Economic Law topics in greater depth through developing and completing a substantial scholarly research paper on a related topic and presenting their project to the students in the doctrinal course towards the end of the semester.  This course will satisfy the Advanced Writing Requirement.

Corequisite:  International Economic Law

<BACK TO TOP>

Judicial Writing Seminar
Course 498
2-hour research/writing course

In this writing-intensive course, students will examine and practice the process of crafting the various documents a judicial clerk would likely be asked to produce for a judge.  Although the course may be of particular interest to students who plan to serve as judicial clerks or who hope to one day become a judge, the ability to think and write “like a judge” is an asset to any lawyer.  All students interested in judicial decision-making or legal writing more broadly will benefit from this course’s approach and its attention to the view “from the bench.” Writing assignments will include bench memos, trial court orders, and appellate opinions. Judges, law clerks, and other specialists may appear as guest speakers.  This course will satisfy the Advanced Writing Requirement.

Labor Law
Course 343
3-hour elective
 

This course will focus on the development, interpretation, and application of American labor law.  While labor law is often assumed to apply only to issues surrounding employees represented by unions, in fact it impacts virtually every employer and employee in surprising and unanticipated ways. 

The primary emphasis of this course is on federal labor law in the private sector, specifically the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and related statutes, which govern, inter alia, protected employee activities; employer actions deemed to infringe on employee rights; union organizing; collective bargaining; and the exercise of various kinds of economic pressure.  We will examine the rights and responsibilities of employees, employers, and unions as they relate to each other.  The course will also explore the enforcement mechanisms and jurisprudence surrounding the NLRA, including the structure and operation of the National Labor Relations Board.  We will explore the shifting interpretations of the NLRA, including significant recent developments and proposed statutory changes.  As further significant changes are anticipated to be forthcoming, we will examine them as they occur. 


 
Land Use Law
Course 344
2-hour elective course

Land use law governs the way our cities are developed and redeveloped.  This two-hour course will focus on land use as practiced in Tennessee by examining pertinent case law, statutes, and legal concepts related to the fields of planning, zoning, and subdivision regulations.  The course will also cover federal statutes that affect local zoning, including Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act of 1871,  the Civil Rights Act of 1968, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as well as pertinent sections of the United States Constitution and the seminal opinions they have promulgated.
 
Law & Technology Seminar: AI and the Law
Course 427
2-hour research/writing course
 

This seminar explores the cutting-edge legal issues arising from the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. As AI systems become increasingly sophisticated and pervasive, they present novel challenges to existing legal frameworks and raise profound questions about the future of law and society.

The course will have a particular focus on the legal and ethical implications of potentially conscious and sentient AI, examining how the emergence of such entities might revolutionize our understanding of legal personhood, rights, and responsibilities. Topics in this area may include:  legal rights and protections for sentient AI entities; criminal responsibility and constitutional rights for conscious AI; labor laws and intellectual property ownership for AI "beings";  amd ethical and legal considerations in AI sentience testing and development.  While emphasizing these forward-looking issues, the seminar will also cover a broad range of current and near-future legal challenges posed by AI, such as: AI and intellectual property rights; liability issues in AI-driven systems (e.g., autonomous vehicles, healthcare AI); algorithmic bias and discrimination; AI in criminal justice and due process concerns; data protection and privacy in the age of AI; and AI's impact on employment law and antitrust considerations.

Students will research, write, and present a paper on an AI and law topic of their choice, allowing for in-depth exploration of both current legal issues and speculative future scenarios. The seminar aims to equip students with the analytical tools to navigate the complex intersection of AI technology and the law, preparing them for a future where these issues will be at the forefront of legal practice and policymaking.

This course is suitable for students with varying levels of technical background. While some familiarity with AI concepts is helpful, the focus will be on legal and ethical implications rather than technical details.

Law Review
Courses 913, 914, 915
3- or 4-hour research/writing course
 
The University of Memphis Law Review is the law school's scholarly journal, publishing four issues each year comprised of articles written by law professors, judges, and practitioners, as well as "Notes" written by student members of the Law Review. The Law Review also hosts an annual Symposium on a timely legal topic. Through their participation, members of the Law Review advance their writing, editing, legal analysis, and citation skills.

Students are selected to become members of the Law Review through a "write-on" competition held in the summer after their first year. The anonymously graded competition requires students to write an analysis of a judicial opinion using sources provided by the Law Review Editorial Board and complete a legal citation (i.e., Bluebook) test. The top three students in each first-year section, as determined by GPA, are eligible to "grade on" to the Law Review, provided they participate in and complete the write-on competition with a good faith effort.

Second-year students earn 2 credit hours for writing their Note and performing assignments such as "Bluebooking" works that have been accepted for publication. The credit hours are awarded in the Spring semester upon approval of their Note by their Faculty Note Advisor. Successful completion of a Note satisfies the law school's upper-level writing requirement. Also in the Spring semester, second-year members are invited to apply and interview for Editorial Board positions during their third year.

Third-year students serve either on the Editorial Board or as senior staff members. Editorial Board members receive 2 credit hours in the Spring semester of their third year, while senior staff members receive 1 credit hour. Editorial Board members fulfill the responsibilities of their particular position. Staff members assist in editing, cite-checking, and other tasks assigned by the Editorial Board.

A minimum GPA of 2.50 is required to participate in the write-on competition and remain on the Law Review.

Legal Argument and Appellate Practice
Course 347
2- or 3-hour research/writing OR simulation course
Check the published schedule to determine how many credit hours the course will be in a given semester.
 
This is a practical course that focuses on the skills involved in taking a first appeal. Students will work with a real trial transcript. The class will focus on identifying issues for appeal and will cover topics such as preservation of error, plain error, harmless error, and standards of review. Students will write a brief to a court of appeals and argue the appeal orally. This course will satisfy the Advanced Research/Writing requirement OR the Experiential Learning requirement.
 
Legal Drafting: Litigation Drafting 
Course 513
2-hour simulation course
 
This course is designed to provide second and third- year law students with the skills and knowledge necessary to draft client letters, pleadings, and motions involved in civil litigation.  Students will be challenged to refine their writing skills and strategic analysis of pre-trial issues in this practical-based course.  This course satisfies the Experiential Learning requirement.
 
Legal Drafting: Contracts
Course 597
2-hour simulation course
 
This course is a transactional drafting course for second and third-year law students.  The course is designed to provide students with the analytic skill of translating the business deal into contract concepts, and an understanding of the rules and techniques for good transactional drafting to enhance clarity and avoid ambiguity.   Students will be challenged to learn to think like lawyers and develop skills in translating that thinking into the contracts they draft, utilizing a variety of contracts and transactional practice areas.  This course satisfies the Experiential Learning requirement.
 
Legal Methods I
Course 113
3-hour required course
 
The objective of this course is to produce competent practitioners using a guided approach to legal research, legal drafting, and legal analysis. This course focuses on the process of legal research, the objective analysis of legal issues, and the substance and form of objective legal memoranda.
 
Legal Methods II
Course 123
2-hour required course
 
The objective of this course is to produce competent advocates.  Legal Methods II covers persuasive advocacy.  Building on Legal Methods I's an emphasis on research, analysis, and objective writing, students further refine these skills by drafting a persuasive brief and arguing before a mock court.
 
Legal Representation and Advocacy for Children
Course 729
2-hour simulation course

This elective course is designed to give students an overview of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 40 and Rule 40A and their governance of the role and duties of Guardians ad litem in both public and private cases. This course will also provide best practices to students who are interested in representing children in legal matters such that they can apply said techniques to their future careers as legal practitioners and better protect and promote the best interests of Tennessee’s children.   This course satisfies the Experiential Learning requirement.

Pre- or Corequisite (Required):  Family Law

Legislation
Course 348
3-hour elective
This course is typically offered only in the Fall of odd years (e.g., Fall 2024, Fall 2026, etc.).

Many law school courses focus on judge-made law and appellate opinions. The vast majority of American law, however, is enacted law—statutory and regulatory law. This course is designed to teach students how legislatures enact law.  Studying Article I of the U.S. Constitution as well as House and Senate standing rules, students explore how Congress is structured and how it operates to make law and policy. The course also discusses courts' relationship with statutory law and the canons of statutory construction.  Finally, the course teaches students how to draft legislation—at the end of the term the class will sit as a mock legislature debating bills drafted by students. 
 

<BACK TO TOP>

 Mediation Clinic
Course 502
4-hour experiential course

Students in the University of Memphis Mediation Clinic will study mediation from the inside out, analyzing in detail the communicative, strategic, and ethical dimensions of specific interventions that mediators make in the context of particular cases. The Clinic will primarily focus on the students as the mediators, but the students will also be asked to consider the issues from other points of view: as the disputant, as an attorney representing a client in mediation, and in the capacity of advising an organizational client about dispute resolution options. The Mediation Clinic has four primary components: (1) The training that is required by Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 before one may become listed as a Rule 31 General Civil Mediator; (2) Ongoing student observation of mediations conducted by Rule 31 Mediators in General Sessions Court cases, Federal Court cases, and other administrative proceedings; (3) Student participation as co-mediator (when available with clients' permission) with Rule 31 Mediators in Shelby County General Sessions Court cases (or other agencies); and (4) Weekly classroom seminar and participation in simulations designed to give students further training and feedback throughout the course of the semester.   
 
Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic
Course 595
4-hour experiential course

Housed in both devoted hospital space and the law school Clinic offices, law students participating in the MLP Clinic provide legal assistance to the low-income patients of Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and their families under the supervision of experienced MLP faculty, lawyers, and healthcare providers. Among other case-related assignments, MLP Clinic students conduct intake interviews, develop case strategies, conduct legal research, prepare legal documents, counsel clients, and provide representation in court and administrative proceedings pursuant to applicable student practice rules. Among other areas of focus, the MLP Clinic assists clients in cases involving housing and landlord-tenant issues, public benefits, public and private health insurance, wills and health power of attorneys, guardianships, conservatorships, and educational law services.
 
To complement their casework, Clinic students will participate in a weekly interdisciplinary classroom session designed to explore the legal work they are performing, the legal, policy, and ethical issues that affect patients' health, and the ways that health outcomes and health care access for low-income children can be enhanced by bringing health and legal professionals together. Throughout their Clinic semester, students have the opportunity to work collaboratively with the faculty and staff of Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and to participate in joint class sessions with medical students and students from other health disciplines.
 
Prerequisites (Recommended/Preferred): Professional Responsibility and Evidence.
 
Medical Malpractice Law
Course 520
3-hour elective
 
This course will address both substantive and procedural issues in medical malpractice litigation. Specific coverage may include professional standards of care; statutes of limitation; informed consent; medically-related ethical and fiduciary duties; policies addressing caps on damages; evidentiary considerations such as the use of expert testimony; litigation strategies such as class actions claims; vicarious liability; and defenses to liability. 
 
Mergers & Acquisitions 
Course 301
2- or 3-hour elective
Check the published schedule to determine how many credit hours the course will be in a given semester.
 
This course introduces students to the legal principles that underlie mergers and acquisitions. The advantages and disadvantages of various acquisition forms, such as mergers, asset acquisitions, stock purchases, and tender offers are discussed. Significant focus is also given to the fiduciary duties and other obligations of company boards of directors, target defensive tactics, state anti-takeover statutes, and disclosure and other requirements arising under federal securities laws.

Prerequisite (Required): Business Organizations I. 
 
Mock Trial/ADR Travel Team
Course 524
1-hour elective course

Advanced Trial Advocacy is a skills course for students participating on mock trial travel teams. It focuses on developing and enhancing the skills necessary to put on a basic trial. It is a non-classroom course and students should enroll during the semester in which they compete in an inter-school competition. Students are able to take the course more than once if they compete in more than one inter-school competition. The Director of Advocacy may award grades of Excellent, Pass, or Fail, based on the recommendation of the team's coach. 
 
Moot Court
Course 811
1- or 2-hour elective
 
Students can receive one or two credits for Moot Court by successfully completing intra-school moot court or mock trial competitions. A student who successfully completes two competitions is eligible for one credit. A student who successfully completes four competitions is eligible for two credits. Students may register for credit in the semester they complete the last competition necessary for credit or in any subsequent semester. 
 
Moot Court Travel Team
Course 523
1- or 2-hour elective 

Advanced Appellate Advocacy is a skills course for students participating on Moot Court Travel Teams. It focuses on developing and practicing skills in brief writing and oral advocacy. Students who both write a competition brief and argue orally are eligible for two credits. It is a non-classroom course and students should enroll during the semester in which they compete in an inter-school competition. Students are able to take the course more than once if they compete in more than one inter-school competition. The Director of Advocacy may award grades of Excellent, Pass, or Fail, based on the recommendation of the team's coach.

<BACK TO TOP>
National Security Law
Course 308
2-hour elective 

This course is designed for upper-level students, particularly those interested in employment opportunities in a significant number of positions with the U.S. Government, U.S. Military, or private practice.  Major areas to be covered will include the constitutional and legislative framework for Presidential power and the powers of Congress, using armed force abroad, detaining "enemy combatants" (terrorist suspects), intelligence gathering, Homeland Security, and future threats to national security.  Significant current events also will influence the scope of the course schedule.
 
Negotiation and Mediation
Course 317
2-hour simulation course

This course offers an introduction to negotiation theory and provides the opportunity to apply that theory in various negotiating contexts. Students will be exposed to basic concepts of principled and strategic negotiation and engage in in-class negotiating exercises. Students will also learn about the mediation process and how to negotiate effectively as advocates in mediation through role-playing in mock mediation exercises at the end of the semester. The course satisfies the Experiential Course requirement.
 
 Neighborhood Preservation Clinic
Course 539
4-hour experiential course

In the Neighborhood Preservation Clinic, students represent the City of Memphis in lawsuits filed against badly neglected, vacant and abandoned properties. Clinic students investigate property ownership and conditions, communicate with field code enforcement professionals, prepare civil lawsuits alleging claims arising under the Tennessee Neighborhood Preservation Act (NPA), and handle all aspects of those lawsuits as they proceed in the Shelby County Environmental Court. Each Clinic student assumes the role of lead attorney for the NPA cases he or she is assigned during the academic semester. Clinic responsibilities include weekly appearances in the Environmental Court, during which students present at hearings and status updates, negotiate with opposing counsel and parties, and do all else that is necessary to move the lawsuits forward. To complement their casework, Clinic students participate in a weekly classroom session focused on the pervasive challenge of property vacancy and abandonment in Memphis. The seminar segment of the weekly class exposes the law students to substantive code enforcement and housing law, national models of legal strategies to address problem properties, practice, and procedure in the Shelby County Environmental Court, and the issues of ethics and professionalism that arise in the context of their cases. The seminar also includes a case rounds component, during which students engage in an ongoing dialogue about the challenges they are experiencing while managing Clinic's cases. This course will satisfy the Experiential Course requirement.

Nonprofit Organizations
Course 370
3-hour elective course

This course covers the state law requirements regarding the organization and operation of nonprofit organizations. In addition, a heavy emphasis is placed on the federal income tax treatment of nonprofit organizations, including the requirements for obtaining and maintaining tax-exempt status, the distinction between a public charity and a private foundation, the private foundation excise taxes, and the unrelated business income tax.
 
Prerequisites (Recommended): Income Tax and/or Business Organizations.

<BACK TO TOP>

Partnership Tax
Course 352
3-hour elective course

The course focuses on the federal income tax aspects of partnership formation, operations, sales and exchanges of partnership interests, operating distributions, liquidations and S Corporations.

Prerequisite (Required): Basic Income Tax
Prerequisite (Recommended): Corporate Tax 
 
Patent Law
Course 390
3-hour elective course

This course covers the substantive requirements for obtaining a patent on an invention and enforcing patent rights in federal court. Topics include patentable subject matter; utility; disclosure; novelty; nonobviousness; claim construction; infringement; defenses; and remedies. A technical background is not required for this course.
 
Police Law, Policy & Practices Seminar
Course 412
2-hour research/writing course
Distance Education Course
 

This course may be offered as a seminar, which would satisfy the Advanced Writing Requirement, or as a simulation course, which would satisfy the Experiential Learning Requirement.  Refer to the course schedule to determine how the course is being offered in a given semester.

This course studies the history, evolution, and challenges associated with modern policing in the United States through a shared legal and criminological lens. It deals with fundamental issues concerning the relationship between the state and the individual and raises critical concerns about surveillance, force, racial justice, and basic civil liberties. Topics include police stops, frisks, searches, uses of force, examining various models of policing, and police culture. This course is an essential starting ground for anyone interested in practicing in the criminal justice space, be it direct services or law reform, but will be of interest to anyone concerned about some of the paramount issues of the day: community policing, police strategy, tactics, and oversight, excessive force cases, and qualified immunity. Active and retired law enforcement from across the country will participate in each class to share their professional experiences with the class and ensure that a practitioner’s perspective is incorporated into the course.  When offered as a seminar, students will complete a substantial research paper, and the course will satisfy the Advanced Writing Requirement. 

Distance Education Course:  This course is offered in connection with the American Bar Association (ABA) Legal Education Police Practices Consortium.  Participants will include law enforcement officers from around the country as well as students and faculty from other law schools.  Most class sessions will meet via Zoom. Memphis Law students will also have some in-person meetings with the Memphis Law faculty member and other Memphis Law students.

Prerequisite:  Criminal Procedure I

 
Pretrial Litigation Practice
Course 353
3-hour simulation course

An intensive simulation course designed for students who plan to be civil litigators. Through a case file assigned at the beginning of the semester, students are encouraged to explore how lawyers strategically use each step in the pretrial litigation process to advance their clients' interests. Students will engage in a wide range of typical pretrial tasks as time and opportunity permit, such as analyzing the law and investigating the facts in the context of the assigned case file; drafting relevant pleadings; preparing and responding to discovery, including interrogatories and document requests; taking and defending depositions; briefing and arguing a pretrial motion; and engaging in settlement negotiations with an opposing party, all while maintaining client relations and expectations.
 
Prerequisites (Required): Civil Procedure (Required)
Prerequisites (Strongly recommended):  Evidence 
 
Professional Responsibility
Course 224
2-hour required course
 

This course examines the institutions, rules, laws, and doctrines that regulate the practice of law.  The course has a particular focus on the rules of professional conduct (aka ethics rules) but also explores broader topics, including admission to the bar, professionalism, and malpractice.  The course will cover what the ethical rules permit, prohibit, and require as well as the practical, strategic, and moral concerns that influence the choices lawyers make.  Almost all U.S. jurisdictions require that applicants for admission to the bar pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE).  Although this course is not designed as a mere MPRE prep course, it will undoubtedly help you prepare for the MPRE.

 
Property I
Course 115
3-hour required course

This is the first semester of the first-year property courses. Coverage in Property I and Property II includes personal property, private interests in land, and the sale of land. Objectives include mastery of principal concepts of acquisition, retention, and transfer of property rights.
 
Property II
Course 125
3-hour required course

This is the second semester of the first-year property courses. Coverage in Property I and Property II includes personal property, private interests in land, and the sale of land. Objectives include mastery of principal concepts of acquisition, retention, and transfer of property rights.
 
Public International Law
Course 340
3-hour elective course

Public international law is concerned with the law governing relations between States (i.e., U.S., China, Germany) as legal entities.  This 3-hour course is not bar tested and is not a menu course, but it is an indispensable course for anyone who wants to understand global power structures.  Week by week, we will cover a range of foundational doctrines in international law, including the doctrines of sources, jurisdiction, sovereign immunity, treaty law, and various remedial mechanisms and processes.  While there are no prerequisites for the course, success in the course will require immersion in current events and heightened awareness of major global developments.  
 
 <BACK TO TOP>

Race & the Law Seminar
Course 449
2-hour research/advanced writing course

This course will examine the role of race in American law and society. More specifically, it will analyze how the law conceptualizes racial issues and formulates answers to racial problems. The course will explore: 1) Slavery's legal treatment of enslaved Africans through the use of slave narratives as well as traditional case law; 2) the role of the legal conception of a "color-blind" society in pivotal Supreme Court decisions; 3) the consequences of the "Separate but Equal" doctrine in the Post-Emancipation era; 4) how the vestiges of Slavery's and Jim Crow's concepts of racial inferiority still prevail in current legal doctrines and 5) the legal issues present in the contemporary movement for Reparations. The primary aims of this seminar will be a) to encourage students to develop a critical perspective of American Jurisprudence and b) to inspire them to visualize ways in which the American legal system can be an efficient medium for social change.  Students will write and present a substantial, publishable quality paper.  This course satisfies the Advanced Research/Writing Requirement.

Realty Transactions
Course 358
2-hour elective course

This course covers transactional aspects of the buying, selling, and financing of real property including real estate contracts; title insurance, surveys, environmental issues, and other pre-closing due diligence; conveyance documents and settlement statements; mortgages and other real estate finance documents; foreclosures; bankruptcy and tax implications; and ethical considerations.
 
Remedies
Course 368
3-hour elective - Bar-Tested
 
This course studies the nature and measurement of the judicial remedies to which a party is entitled after establishing that a substantive right has been violated. It focuses on Coercive Remedies (injunctions, specific performance), Damages (compensatory, punitive), and Restitution.
 
Research I
Course 711
1-hour elective
This course does not satisfy the Advanced Research/Writing requirement, in whole or in part. 

Independent Research is intended to permit students with an avid interest in a particular topic to explore that topic at length through a research paper written under the supervision of a faculty member. Accordingly, it is contemplated that students will generate the topic based on the student's interests and then complete the research paper and associated work product (e.g., outlines, and drafts) in accordance with the schedule provided by the supervising faculty member. It is not the purpose of Independent Study to enable a student to fill a gap in the student's schedule or to satisfy graduation requirements. To enroll in this course, a student must obtain the permission of a supervising faculty member, who shall be a full-time, tenured, or tenure-track faculty member, and the permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The necessary permission form is available from the Registrar. The student must submit the fully executed permission form to the Registrar and enroll in the course on or before the course add deadline. 
 
Sales
Course 359
3-hour course
For students who matriculated after August 1, 2023:  Required
For students who matriculated before August 1, 2023 :  Elective; students may take BOTH Sales AND Secured Transactions in lieu of the required Commercial Law course.

This course covers Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, along with many of the general provisions of Article 1. 
 
Prerequisites (Recommended): Contracts I and II
 
Secured Transactions
Course 222
3-hour elective
For students who matriculated after August 1, 2023:  Elective
For students who matriculated before August 1, 2023 :  Elective; students may take BOTH Sales AND Secured Transactions in lieu of the required Commercial Law course.
 
BAR NOTE:  Secured Transactions will be tested on the bar exam through the February 2026 administration.  Effective July 2026, the bar exam will not test recalled doctrinal knowledge for this area of law.
 
A general survey of topics relating to the creation, perfection, and priority of security interests, as well as topics relating to the identification of types of collateral and rights upon default. This course is recommended as an introductory commercial law class that introduces the student to the Uniform Commercial Code.
 
Securities Regulation
Course 361
3-hour elective course

This course considers the federal regulation of public and private offerings of securities to investors under the Securities Act of 1933 and the federal regulation of fraudulent misrepresentation in connection with the purchase or sale of securities under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The course also covers the law of insider trading.
 
Prerequisite (Recommended): Business Organizations I
 
Sports Law Seminar
Course 450
2-hour research/writing course
 

This seminar examines current topics in sports law with a focus on (1) legal issues facing college athletics and (2) representing the professional athlete or coach.  Students will write and present a substantial, publishable quality paper. This seminar satisfies the Advanced Research/Writing requirement.

<BACK TO TOP>

Tax Lawyering
Course 723
2-hour elective/simulation course

This course examines tools of researching and advising in written form about tax law; the course will involve 2-person teams preparing to enter the ABA Tax Section Tax Challenge (attorney memo and client letter). Students will be expected to prepare at least one practice attorney memo and a client letter. This course satisfies the Experiential Course requirement.
 
Prerequisite (Required): Basic Income Tax
Prerequisite (Recommended): Corporate Tax and concurrent enrollment in Partnership Tax.
  
<BACK TO TOP>
Torts I
Course 112
3-hour required course

This is the first of two first-year Torts courses. Torts addresses civil wrongs, other than breaches of contract, for which the law provides a monetary remedy. Coverage includes basic intentional torts (battery, assault, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, trespass to land, trespass to chattels, and conversion) and the privileges or defenses to the intentional torts. However, much of Torts is devoted to the broad tort of negligence. Simplistically, negligence law is the study of liability for accidental injuries. Other topics that may be covered include strict liability (of which products liability is the largest component), wrongful death, tort damages, business torts, defamation, and privacy.
 
Torts II
Course 122
3-hour required course

This is the second of two first-year Torts courses. Torts addresses civil wrongs, other than breaches of contract, for which the law provides a monetary remedy. Coverage includes basic intentional torts (battery, assault, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, trespass to land, trespass to chattels, and conversion) and the privileges or defenses to the intentional torts. However, much of Torts is devoted to the broad tort of negligence. Simplistically, negligence law is the study of liability for accidental injuries. Other topics that may be covered include strict liability (of which products liability is the largest component), wrongful death, tort damages, business torts, defamation, and privacy.
  
Trial Advocacy
Course 516
3-hour skills/simulation course

Trial Advocacy is a simulation course wherein students will learn about the various phases of jury trial in civil and/or criminal contexts, as well as the differences between jury and non-jury trials. Students will simulate jury selection, opening statements, direct and cross-examinations, and closing arguments, and will learn how to introduce exhibits, present expert testimony, raise and respond to objections, and deal with problem witnesses. Students will have weekly simulation assignments and, in most sections, will conduct a full trial at the end of the semester. This course satisfies the Experiential Course requirement.
 
Prerequisite (Required): Evidence, may be taken concurrently
 
Trust Law
Course 392
2-hour elective course

A comprehensive, theoretical study of the law of trusts, including the history, the necessary elements of a trust, beneficiary rights, Trust administration, trustee roles, and liability.
 
Prerequisites (Required): Decedents' Estates
Prerequisites (Recommended): Estate Planning
  
U.S. Taxation of International Income
Course 385
3-hour elective course

The course will examine U.S. tax rules applicable to business and investment activities of foreign individuals and corporations in the United States (“inbound transactions”) and U.S. tax rules applicable to U.S. taxpayers who invest and conduct business abroad (“outbound transactions”.  Specific topics will include sourcing and characterization of items of income and deductions, the branch profits tax, foreign investment in U.S. real estate, the foreign tax credit, property transfers, controlled foreign corporations, and U.S. tax treaties.  Federal Taxation of Business Entities is a prerequisite but it may be taken concurrently.
 

Prerequisite (Required): Basic Income Tax
Prerequisite (Recommended): Partnership Tax
 

Voting Rights & Election Law
Course 704
2-credit elective
 
Voting Rights & Election Law covers the law involving voting rights, election administration, and campaign finance.  Topics covered will include one-person, one-vote; political and racial gerrymandering; alternative electoral systems; election challenges and recounts; voter enfranchisement and disenfranchisement; and the regulation of campaign finance.   Both constitutional and statutory issues will be covered. 


<BACK TO TOP>

Electives & Specialized Areas of Study

Memphis Law's curriculum provides many elective courses which cover a wide range of substantive legal knowledge and lawyering skills.  The upper-level curriculum permits students to take courses in specialty areas of law, develop fundamental lawyering skills, and concentrate their legal education in particular areas of interest.  These elective courses are listed by basic specialty areas.

Bar-Tested Courses

Effective July 2026, the subjects tested on the Bar Exam will change.  An additional change will occur in July 2028.  To the extent these changes impact the courses listed below, the impact is identified in brackets after the subject name.

The following courses directly correspond to subjects tested on the Bar Exam:

  Business Organizations
  Civil Procedure I/II
  Commercial Law (covers Sales & Secured Transactions)  [Secured Transactions will NOT be tested effective July 2026.]
  Contracts I/II
  Conflicts
  Criminal Law 
  Criminal Procedure I
  Decedents' Estates [Decedents' Estates will NOT be tested effective July 2026.]
  Evidence
  Family Law [Family Law will NOT be tested from July 2026 to February 2028.  Family Law will return as a testable subject in July 2028.]
  Remedies
  Property I/II (Real Property is tested on the Bar.)
  Sales
  Secured Transactions  [Secured Transactions will NOT be tested effective July 2026.]
  Torts I/II

The following courses directly correspond to skills tested on the Bar Exam:

  Bar Exam Preparation
  Fundamentals of Bar Exam Writing
  Legal Methods I/II

Other electives will also provide exposure to Bar-tested subject matter.  For example, constitutional law is Bar-tested, so electives that address constitutional law in specific contexts will provide additional exposure (e.g., Administrative Law).  Similarly, some courses will take a deep dive into Bar-tested subject matter that is covered more narrowly in one of the courses listed above.  For example, trust law is Bar-tested (through Feb. 2026).  Decedent's Estates provides some coverage of trust law, but the Trust Law course takes a deep dive and covers more material. Review the course descriptions for additional information.  

Commercial Law
Bankruptcy Externship
Commercial Law
Debtor-Creditor
Sales
Secured Transactions

Constitutional Law
Administrative Law
Advanced Constititional Law: Individual Rights
Civil Rights
Education & Civil Rights
Federal Courts 
Legislation 

Corporate/Business Law
Business Organizations
Mergers & Acquisitions
Securities Regulation
Secured Transactions
[See Business Law Certificate for additional related courses.]
 
Domestic Relations Law
Divorce Law Practicum
Family Law
Legal Representation and Advocacy for Children

Estate Planning and Probate Law
Elder Law
Estate Planning
Trust Law


Health Law
Administrative Law
Bioethics
Health Law Survey
Intellectual Property Survey
Patent Law
[See Health Law Certificate for additional related courses.]

Intellectual Property Law
Copyright
Intellectual Property Survey
Patent Law


International and Comparative Law
Public International Law
Immigration Law
International Business Transactions
International Economic Law
International Economic Law - Writing

Jurisprudence, Interdisciplinary Study and Public Policy
Education/Civil Rights
Health Law Survey
Police Policy, Practices & Law 
Race & the Law Seminar

Labor and Employment Law
Fair Employment Practices
Labor Law
NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) Externship

Lawyering Skills Practice
ADR-Mediation
Negotiation and Mediation
Advanced Appellate Advocacy
Appellate Advocacy
Criminal Justice Externship
Divorce Law Practicum
Judicial Externship
Legal Argument and Appellate Practice
Legal Representation and Advocacy for Children
Legislation
Memphis Area Legal Services Externship
Pretrial Litigation
Professional Responsibility
Trial Advocacy
U.S. Attorney Externship
 
 Procedure/Civil and Criminal

Administrative Law
Conflicts
Criminal Procedure II
Federal Courts
Remedies

Real Estate/Environmental Law
Environmental Law
Land Use Planning
Realty Transactions

Taxation
Corporate Tax
Income Tax
Non-Profit Organization Tax
Partnership Tax

Torts/Product Liability Law
Insurance Law
Information Privacy Law
Medical Malpractice Law

<BACK TO TOP>

Experiential Learning Requirement

Students matriculating after August 1, 2016, are required to satisfactorily complete one or more experiential course(s) totaling at least six (6) credit hours, including a minimum of one clinic course or externship. In addition to clinics and externships, the courses that qualify as experiential courses are below. See Academic Regulation 16.c.

ADR: Mediation (2 Credits)
Advanced Criminal Prosecution (1 Credit; Spring Break Intersession only)
Appellate Advocacy (3 Credits)
Clinics - Varied (2-3 Credits)
Divorce Law Practicum (3 Credits)
Externships - Varied (2-3 Credits)
Legal Argument and Appellate Practice (3 Credits)
Legal Drafting: Contracts (2 Credits)
Legal Drafting: Litigation (2 Credits)
Legal Representation & Advocacy for Children (3 Credits)
Negotiation & Mediation (2 Credits)
Pretrial Litigation (3 Credits)
Tax Lawyering (2 Credits)
Trial Advocacy (3 Credits)

Upper-level Research/Writing Requirement: A student must satisfactorily complete a course that satisfies the Upper-level Research/Writing Requirement.

  • Legal Argument and Appellate Practice
  • Successful completion of the Law Review Note
  • Seminars