School of Law

• LAW 877: Animal Rights Seminar (1) - This seminar addresses a fundamental legal question, i.e. what rights are to be accorded to animals both in nature and in human society? The participants will read and discuss a number of theories of animal rights based upon philosophical, religious, pragmatic, and biological bases and will explore the legal and jurisprudential ramifications of these theories. Students will be required to write a substantial research paper of publishable quality. Students must enroll for both semesters of the academic year for one credit hour per semester. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. LEC
• LAW 883: Biodiversity Law (2-2.5) - This class considers the role of law in regulating, managing, utilizing, and conserving the earth's rich biological diversity. Biodiversity law is explored from the perspectives of common law, statutes, agency regulations, and international law. Special consideration is made of the role science plays in informing biodiversity law and policy. Prerequisite: Environmental Law Survey. LEC
• LAW 904: Environmental Law Seminar (2-3) - An intensive study of one or more aspects of environmental law, such as wildlife law, energy policy, marine pollution controls, and so forth. May be repeated for credit, provided there is not duplication of subject matter. LEC
• LAW 905: Environmental Law Survey (2.5-3) - A general survey of the legal mechanisms for protecting the environment. It considers the justifications for and economic implications of regulating activities with potential adverse effects on the environment and the various sources of legal constraints (common law, constitutional, and statutory) on those activities. The course provides an introduction to environmental litigation, to environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act, to endangered species protection, and to the various forms of legislative and administrative controls on and inducements to avoid polluting activities reflected in statutes such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the statutes designed to control contamination of land by hazardous substances. LEC
• LAW 917: Government Control of Land Development (2-3) - A broad review of land use controls on urban development, including zoning, master planning, subdivision regulation, impact fees, regional controls, and other techniques. Also examines constitutional aspects of controls, as well as the public issues and policies that sustain them. LEC
• LAW 936: International Economic Law and Development (3) - Examines, in the context of recent developments, the law and institutions of international economic regulation and development. An organizing theme of the course is how the rise of public international economic organizations - World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, and others - has contributed to the development of legal rules governing relations between states but has also triggered criticisms that these organizations give inadequate attention to environmental concerns, distributional equity, cultural diversity, and national sovereignty. LEC
• LAW 932: International Human Rights Law (3) - A study of the objectives, provisions, and institutions of international human rights law. Among the areas covered will be international, regional, and domestic sources of human rights law, the various domestic and international fora for raising human rights questions, and theoretical questions on the scope and value of international human rights protection. The class satisfies the writing requirement. Prerequisite or Corequisite: Constitutional Law and Public International Law or consent of instructor. LEC
• LAW 944: International Trade Law (3) - Examines the regulatory aspects of the sale of goods across national borders. Key topics include the history and institutions of the GATT-WTO system, accession to the WTO, dispute settlement under WTO rules, regulation of import duties, rules on customs classification and valuation, non-tariff barriers, statutory forms of relief from import competition, government regulation of export trade, regional trade regimes, and ideological and policy issues relating to trade liberalization and globalization. This course complements (but is independent of) International Commerce and Investment and is the basis for more advanced study on international trade law. LEC
• LAW National Environmental and Energy Policy (2.5-3) - No single contemporary dilemma is as crucial to the future of the nation as that of achieving a balanced energy policy. Examines the legal problems and ramifications in the development and use of major fuels. After a thorough description of the regulatory process and the nature of federal resource development, the law surrounding the extraction, transportation, and transmission of coal, oil, gas, and uranium are explored in detail, followed by a section on the law of electricity generation. LEC
• LAW 967: Native American Natural Resources (2.5-3) - This course provides a detailed examination of natural resource law as it applies to Indian Country. Among the topics to be discussed are water law, environmental protection, and subsurface property rights. While not a prerequisite, it is recommended that students take Federal Indian Law before enrolling in this course. (Same as INS 882.) LEC
• LAW 966: Oil and Gas (2.5-3) - The oil and gas lease; expressed and implied duties under a lease; the effect of various conditions of ownership on oil and gas transactions; oil and gas conveyances; unitization and pooling; conservation of oil and gas. LEC
• LAW 974: Public International Law (2.5-3) - A general survey of the legal system governing the behavior of states and public international organizations. Includes the nature and sources of international law and the role of international law and procedures in the maintenance of world peace and security, the protection of human rights, the management of the environment, and the regulation of international economic relations. LEC
• LAW 975: Public Lands and Natural Resources (2.5-3) Devoted to the law and legal systems that govern the classification and use of one-third of America's land mass. Includes a survey of the acquisition and disposition of the public domain; general federal statutes and doctrines that affect public land law; and different forms of federal lands classifications, including national parks, scenic rivers, and grazing lands. (Same as INS 877.) LEC
• LAW 980: Regulation of Air and Water Pollution (2.5-3) - An introduction to national environmental policy and environmental litigation problems, focusing on current issues involving government regulation of activities that generate water and air pollution. Coverage of water pollution typically will include control of point sources and oil spills, while coverage of air pollution will include control of stationary and mobile sources, acid deposition, and introduction to transboundary problems such as the greenhouse effect and global warming. (Same as INS 878.) LEC
• LAW 981: Regulation of Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste (2-3) - A study of government regulation of activities involving the manufacture, processing, distribution, and use of toxic materials, and of the generation, handling, transportation, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. Emphasizes federal legislation, including the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. LEC
• LAW 982: Regulatory Law and Policy (2.5-3) - Examines the legal, political, and policy bases for government regulation. Includes the regulation of utilities, health and safety regulation, and regulation associated with welfare programs and public education. Emphasizes how lawyers engage in policy analysis when they appear before regulatory agencies. There are no prerequisites although students may find it helpful to take Administrative Law before enrolling. LEC
• LAW 995: Water Law (2.5-3) - A study of water rights including the riparian and prior appropriation doctrines for surface water, and the various doctrines for groundwater. Private and public water distribution organizations, and special water districts. Water pollution control. Interstate conflicts over water resources. Federal government involvement in water distribution including federal powers and programs. Indian and reserved rights. Kansas water law. (Same as INS 879.) LEC