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As digital networks have become increasingly pervasive to banking, employment, energy, health care, personal, and telecommunications environments, they have become an increasingly enticing target to criminals, terrorists, and spies.

Each year for over the past two decades, we have seen increases in the rates of cybercrime in the United States and there is no reason to believe that these trends will abate any time soon.  To be prepared to litigate in this environment, an attorney must be familiar with core concepts in this field: child pornography, criminal theft, cyberstalking, hacking, wiretapping and intellectual property threats.

The class will debate what technological and legal mechanisms best balance business, free speech, law enforcement, national security and privacy interests; and whether cybercrime requires novel legislative and/or investigative responses or whether traditional applications of criminal and constitutional law are adequate to the task.

With the proper preparation and participation, students will gain the following: 1) A basic understanding of cyberattacks, networks and the Internet, 2) Knowledge of conduct that is prohibited under generally applicable laws, and 3) An ability to critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of relevant caselaw.  Ultimately, this in turn will provide students with a competitive advantage for practicing law in this cutting-edge field.

Class Offered Fall 2010
Frequently referred to as cyberlaw or Internet law, this course explores specific problems in applying law to cyberspace in areas in which technology has challenged traditional legal doctrines and the way we practice law, especially with regard to the Internet.

Some of the topics that will be covered are:

1) privacy issues;
2) liability of online information providers;
3) conducting business in cyberspace;
4) Internet and computer use policies;
5) intellectual property;
6) content control;
7) jurisdiction; and
8) cybercrimes and cyber law enforcement.
Students with familiarity with the Internet and its resources or with backgrounds in some of the substantive fields explored in this course are especially welcome, but there are no formal prerequisites. 

This course provides current perspective of the array of legal issues raised by electronic commerce, as well as a framework for responding to problems that arise from these issues and ones that may arise in the future. We proceed from the premise that successful lawyers in this environment are those who understand the law, the technology, and the business of the Internet.

We will compare different approaches taken in the regulation of e-commerce and the information society in the United States and the European Union in a variety of areas which will vary each time the course is taught in order to focus on current controversies and developments.

Specific topics are subject to ongoing developments in the field, but will likely include most of the following: personal jurisdiction; consumer e-commerce law; information privacy and data security; electronic payments and e-money; regulation of spam; data retention laws; cybercrime; standards and technical barriers to trade; e-signatures; e-invoicing; and Internet service provider safe harbors.

Wherever possible, we will consider hypotheticals or business school-style case studies to drive the discussion, and use class exercises and simulations to highlight the legal, business, and policy challenges. No prerequisites.

This course informs the student of relevant matters in the creation or acquisition of a business. Specific legal theory covering personal and business planning, selection of the right entity at the right time, contractual matters needing to be clarified early on, deciding when and how to rely on others to assist in the start-up or takeover, creating and understanding employment arrangements, and what to do when things go wrong are addressed.

This course examines the legal doctrines of privacy and confidentiality used to protect personal information. The aim of the course is to understand how courts and legislatures seek to protect information as new technologies and new institutional practices emerge.

The course examines the philosophical roots of the concepts of privacy and confidentiality, and traces the development in American law of the protection of an individual's right to control his or her personal information held by others. The course will review developments in Constitutional law, tort law, and statutory law, with a strong emphasis on the post 9-11 and Patriot Act era.

The class will examine case studies of landmark privacy legislation to understand how expectations of privacy and confidentiality are translated into legal frameworks. The course spends a considerable amount of time studying the scope and implications of federal statutes that attempt to establish fair information practices with respect to electronic personal information. (3 credits)

Analyzes the legal rules governing marriage, divorce, distribution of marital property, child custody, adoption and children’s rights. (3 credits)

Please read the following before the first class:

Class Syllabus
Additional Cases
Memo to Family Law Students Fall 10
Reading Assignment for the First Week of Class
Grading Criteria