The curriculum of The University of Alabama School of Law offers students the ability to study in both traditional and emerging areas of the law. Supplemented with rich clinical, advocacy, and experiential offerings, students are able to study both the theory and the practice of law. With more than 100 elective courses, students have the benefit of breadth and depth of study as they build their understanding of the law and become equipped with a firm base of knowledge and important analytical skills.
Academic Standards
Students at the Law School shall refrain from academic misconduct. Enrollment as a student at the Law School acknowledges the Honor Code’s existence and confirms the student’s knowledge of the contents and duties of the Honor Code. A full copy of the Honor Code can be found on the Law School website.
To be in good standing, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.33 and not be on probation for any other reason. Students who do not have a cumulative GPA of 2.33 or higher at the end of any semester (including summer term) normally are permitted to remain in the Law School on probation during the next single semester (including summer term) for which they enroll (the “probationary semester”). Note: For transfer students, cumulative GPA for probationary purposes refers to the cumulative GPA for all J.D. courses completed at the Law School.
During the probationary semester, law students must meet all conditions imposed on probationary students. The primary condition is achieving a cumulative GPA of at least 2.33 by the end of the probationary semester. In addition, first-year probationary students must drop one doctrinal course in the spring semester, as determined by the Assistant Dean for Students. First-year students on probation are required to participate in academic support activities, including but not limited to a workshop series, individualized counseling, and instruction, as determined by the Assistant Dean for Students. Second- and third-year students on probation may also be required to participate in academic support activities.
At the end of the probationary semester, the Law School will exclude from further enrollment students who have not met the conditions of their probation, including achieving a cumulative GPA of 2.33 or higher. The Law School will readmit an excluded student only in exceptional cases. The Dean decides whether a student will be readmitted, following a recommendation from the Admissions Advisory Committee. An excluded student can petition the Admissions Advisory Committee for readmission as follows:
First, any excluded student may petition the Admissions Advisory Committee to be allowed to continue for one additional semester on probation. The Admissions Advisory Committee may impose conditions and usually will require that the readmitted student achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.33 at the end of each subsequent semester. The Admissions Advisory Committee also may require the student to repeat some of the courses previously taken, and in such case the student usually will forfeit all credit previously earned in the courses retaken but the grade earned previously will be counted in the student’s academic average upon readmission. If the Committee’s conditions are not met, the student will be excluded again.
Second, students excluded because they did not maintain a 2.33 or higher at the end of their first year may petition to repeat the first year. In most cases, the readmitted student will forfeit all credit previously earned at the Law School and the grades earned previously will not be counted in the student’s academic average upon readmission. The Admissions Advisory Committee may impose conditions and may require that the readmitted student achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.33 at the end of each subsequent semester. If the Committee’s conditions are not met, the student will be excluded again.
In addition, law students may be put on probation or excluded for other reasons. Students may be excluded regardless of grades because of excessive absences from class. A student may also be put on probation or excluded as a sanction for a violation of the Law School’s Honor Code, or for nonacademic reasons when the Dean deems it in the Law School’s best interest. In addition, Law students are subject to the policies governing all students attending the University as stated in the UA Student Handbook (http://www.studenthandbook.ua.edu/). Failure to follow those policies could result in disciplinary action by the University, including probation and exclusion, against a law student.
Class Attendance
A student may miss class only for good cause, such as (1) sickness which disables the student from attending class or poses a significant threat to the health of others; (2) sickness of, or accident involving, a spouse or dependent, which requires the student to be with the spouse or dependent; (3) an accident which necessarily prevents the student’s attendance in class; (4) the death of a family member or friend; (5) an interview for a summer clerkship or for a permanent position after graduation, if the interview cannot reasonably be scheduled to avoid conflict; (6) a meeting or event at which the student must appear as a representative of the law school; or (7) other good cause as is warranted under the circumstances. Deadlines for activities such as Law Review, moot court, or other course assignments do not constitute good cause for missing class.
A student who is absent for any reason from more than the equivalent of three (50-minute) class hours per semester credit hour in a course may be dropped from the roll or not allowed to sit for the exam and receive an “F” for the course. In the case of a four-credit course that normally meets three times a week, this generally means that a student can miss no more than eight class sessions in a given semester. In most other instances, a student can miss no more than the equivalent of three weeks of class in a given semester. If a student’s absences exceed three class hours per semester credit, the Dean, after consulting with the professor, will determine whether the student will be withdrawn without a penalty or not be allowed to sit for the exam and receive an “F” for the course.
A professor may enact a more strict attendance policy than the above; an announcement of such a policy must be made at the beginning of the semester. In seminars and workshops it is likely that no absences will be permitted without a review of the reasons therefore.
When a student has missed more than three class hours per semester credit hour or has exceeded the number of absences allowed by the professor (when the professor adopts a stricter policy) all absences from class in that course are subject to review. The Dean reviews the student’s absences to determine the reasonableness of each absence and of all absences considered as a whole. If the Dean determines that the absences are for good cause and that it is in the best interest of the student to allow the student to complete the course during that semester, no sanction will be imposed.
The normal sanction for failure to comply with the attendance policy is to not allow the student to sit for the exam and receive and “F” in the course. However, with the Dean’s permission, the student’s grade as otherwise determined in that course may be lowered as the sanction in extraordinary circumstances.
Students are charged with knowledge of this information.
Although it is not the general practice to do so, class participation or lack thereof may be considered in determining the student’s final course grade, provided the professor has given the class due notice. In courses other than seminars and workshops the professor may raise or lower a student’s grade as otherwise determined in that course, not more than one-third of a letter grade for class participation or lack thereof. In seminars class participation or lack thereof may not count for more than 50% of the final course grade. In workshops class participation or lack thereof may be the sole determinant of the grade.
For serious failure on the part of the student to participate in class as required by the professor, the student may be dropped from the course.
Students are expected to arrive for class in a timely manner. If a student is late in getting to class, the professor has the discretion to determine whether to count the student as present.
Graduation Requirements
Upon favorable recommendation of the faculty, the juris doctor (J.D.) degree is conferred upon students who have
- maintained overall grade point averages of at least 2.33 for all work attempted in the School of Law
- earned at least 90 semester hours of credit for work in the Law School, including all required courses
- successfully completed a seminar
- successfully completed at least six credit hours in designated experiential courses
- maintained, in the judgment of the faculty, a satisfactory record of honorable conduct befitting a prospective member of the legal profession
- completed requirements for the J.D. not less than 24 months after matriculating as a law student and not more than 6 calendar years after matriculating as a law student
Limitation on Certain Credits
Students may not use more than 25 hours of credit toward graduation from the following activities:
- Independent Study
- Externships
- Journal Credit
- Moot Court/Trial Advocacy Competition Credit
- Classes taken in another department
In addition, students entering after Fall 2018 may receive no more than 15 hours of credit towards graduation from externships and no more than 3 hours of credit from Independent Study.
Alabama Students Visiting Other Law Schools
In exceptional cases, law students are allowed to visit for the third year at another law school. The student should have a compelling reason, such as to keep a family together, or sometimes to take advantage of a special concentration of law that we do not offer. The Law School must be ABA accredited and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will make the final decision as to whether to approve the visit.
The student must make all arrangements with the other school. All courses must be approved prior to the student registering for them and the grades transfer as “Pass”. Grades at another school do not affect the GPA here. Students spending a semester away are not ranked with their classmates here.
Students who plan to do work at another law school must obtain the written approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, prior to undertaking the work. When approved work is completed away from The University of Alabama School of Law, the credit earned will be applied toward hours needed for graduation and will be recorded in the student’s record; however, grade points earned in courses and seminars away from the School of Law will not be used in the School of Law’s computation of the student’s overall grade point average. When Alabama law students taking classes in other divisions or at other law schools ask to transfer credit, credit for grades below “B” will not be transferred. Approval of planned work at another law school does not necessarily alter the residency requirements of the School of Law. Normally, permission to do work at another law school is given only under unusual circumstances.
The student is responsible for providing us with an official transcript from the school they were attending at the end of each semester and a final transcript before we accept the credits and certify them to take the Bar. We generally do not accept letters from the Registrar certifying the courses and grades. The burden is on the student to have this information forwarded (for instance, schools will not release transcripts if the student has an outstanding tuition account) to ensure that we have the courses on record and do not certify a student to the Bar without the official transcript to evaluate.
Students will not pay tuition at our Law School, but will pay at the school they are visiting. The student must make all financial arrangements, including any consortium financial agreement. The student should stay in close communication with the University of Alabama Law Registrar. If a student visits another law school and is a scholarship recipient at Alabama’s Law School, the scholarship will not be applied toward his/her tuition during visiting status. Scholarship recipients must notify the Admissions Office if they intend to visit at another law school.
Work Transferred from Other Graduate Divisions on Campus
A student may take up to 6 hours of graduate work from other divisions of The University of Alabama so long as (1) there is prior approval by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, (2) the student articulates in writing how the class enhances his or her law school curriculum, and (3) the student makes a “B” or better in the course. Students may also request that undergraduate courses may be included within these 6 hours, although credit for such courses is only given in those limited circumstances in which the student can demonstrate that the rigor of the course is equivalent to a graduate level course.
A student may not transfer credits from other schools and divisions that were earned prior to the time the student matriculated as a law student.
Other divisions on campus may charge a fee to students outside their division who enroll in classes.
Transferred Students from Another Law School
A selected number of students each year are allowed to transfer from other law schools with advance standing. These students must complete a transfer student application. The admissions process is very similar to the regular admissions process.
The Law School will accept no more than 30 hours of credit from another school. An evaluation of credit is done on a case-by-case basis. The Law School may require particular courses of transferred students. Students wishing to transfer will not be able to transfer C’s (including C+, C, and C-) or their equivalents.
Usually transferred students will not have class ranks.
A transfer student may be considered for the following graduation honors if the student’s Alabama Law cumulative GPA falls within the prescribed range: cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude, and Order of the Coif. For transfer students, an additional calculation is made, and eligibility for those honors is based on the lower of the following two numbers: 1) cumulative GPA for all J.D. courses completed at the Law School or 2) cumulative GPA for all J.D. courses completed at both the Law School and the transferring student’s original law school (including courses not transferred).
Reviewing and Appealing a Grade
- Students should review their exams before requesting an appeal. Review of an exam can be arranged through the Law School Registrar’s Office. While students are encouraged to discuss their exams with their faculty members in order to see how they can improve upon their performance, students who wish to request a review or appeal of their grade should wait until these processes have conclude before meeting with a faculty member to discuss an exam in order to preserve anonymity. Students should be aware that, by meeting with a professor to discuss an exam, they are waiving their right to later request a grade review or appeal of that exam.
- A student may request that his or her grade be recalculated by the faculty member who assigned it. The faculty member should change the grade only if it is determined to be the product of a mathematical or clerical error. Faculty members may not change grades, after they have been reported to students, based on other considerations, such as a re-evaluation of the strength of an analysis. Such considerations should be addressed in the initial grading process. In circumstances of anonymous grading, recalculation generally should be arranged through the Law School Registrar’s Office so that the student’s anonymity can be maintained.
- A student may appeal a grade solely on the ground that it was arbitrary or capricious. A student is not required to request a review by the original professor before submitting an appeal, although they are strongly encouraged to do so. In order to submit an appeal, the student must provide the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs a written statement explaining why the student believes the grade to be arbitrary or capricious. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs shall ask another faculty member (whenever possible, a faculty member with some expertise in the subject matter) to review the graded material, together with the student’s written statement and (whenever possible) a sampling of other graded material from the same class sufficient to establish a context for the challenged grade. If the reviewing faculty member determines that the grade is not arbitrary or capricious, the process is concluded.
- If the reviewing faculty member determines that the grade is arbitrary or capricious, the reviewing faculty member must suggest a grade, or a range of grades, that would be appropriate for the graded material. The Dean shall give the faculty member who awarded the original grade an opportunity to change it to conform to the findings of the reviewing faculty member. If the opportunity is declined, the Dean shall appoint a committee of faculty members to review the relevant materials. If the committee determines that the grade originally awarded was arbitrary or capricious, the committee shall award an appropriate grade. Grades should be changed by this procedure only on very rare occasions. In circumstances of anonymous grading, the identity of the student should not be revealed during the process of appeal to the faculty member who awarded the grade or to those who are reviewing it.
Requests that a faculty member review a grade must be submitted to the Law School Registrar’s Office by the last day of classes of the semester following that for which the grade was awarded (the “semester following” not including Summer or Interim terms). Statements explaining why a student believes a grade to be arbitrary or capricious must be submitted to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs by the same deadline.
If, following review or appeal, a changed grade results in a deviation from an otherwise mandatory grading standard, other grades need not be changed to compensate.
Class Load
Law students must be enrolled for at least 10 credit hours – except during the summer. No student may enroll, except in extraordinary circumstances and with permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, in more than 16 credit hours during the regular semester, one class during interim term, or 2 classes during the summer term.
For courses offered in a traditional classroom setting, each credit hour requires an expectation that students will spend not less than 750 minutes (equivalent to 50 minutes per week for 15 weeks) in classroom or direct faculty instruction, and not less than 1,800 minutes (equivalent to 120 minutes per week for 15 weeks) in work outside of the classroom. Time spent taking an examination may count toward the “classroom” requirement. Work outside of the classroom may include such things as reading assigned materials, studying, outlining, researching, writing papers, and preparing for examinations.
For courses or activities that are not offered in a traditional classroom setting, including field placements, simulations, and clinics, each credit hour must reflect an equivalent amount of work (totaling 2,550 minutes).
Bar Admission
Each student should understand at the time of initial Law School enrollment the requirements for admission to the bar of the state in which the student intends to practice following graduation. Several states, including Alabama, require that students, shortly after beginning the study of law, register with the board of bar examiners in that state. The board of bar examiners of the state in question will provide the most complete information regarding state requirements. Addresses are available in the Bounds Law Library and in the Law School Student Records Office.
Disability Services
Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) prior to entering the University. ODS is the central contact point for students with disabilities at UA. Services for students focus upon providing accommodations and services to help meet University demands, while promoting student responsibility and self-advocacy. Students who seek accommodations must first register with ODS during each semester for which they wish to receive accommodations.
ODS is located at 1000 Houser Hall. ODS can be reached at (205) 348-4285 (Voice), (205) 348-3081 (TTY), (205) 348-0804 (Fax), www.ods.ua.edu (website), and ods@bama.ua.edu (email).
The Law School’s administration and the University’s Office of Disability Services work together to help individuals with disabilities achieve and maintain individual autonomy. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs so that the individual’s needs for support services can be evaluated and accommodated in a timely manner. Students should not contact a professor directly as this may compromise the student’s ability to be graded anonymously.
Military Leave
Under federal regulations, see 34 C.F.R. § 668.18, a student who has been admitted to or who has been enrolled at the University of Alabama School of Law may ask for a military leave to fulfill a U.S. military obligation. If the student’s absence was necessitated by this obligation and there is no dishonorable or bad conduct discharge from the uniformed services, then the student will be promptly readmitted if the cumulative length of his/her absence and of all previous absences from the School of Law due to military service does not exceed five years. The student continues law school from the point where he or she left, and the academic requirements at the point when he or she left apply. Students leaving law school should notify the Records Office of their departure. Students leaving school because of military service do not lose Law School scholarships, though all conditions of scholarships remain in place. All Law School scholarships additionally are limited to six semesters. Students leaving because of military service may initiate readmission by contacting the Records Office. Students readmitted to the Law School under this policy are not subject to the six-year time limit for completing the J.D. degree.
Resident/Nonresident Classification
For purposes of tuition payment, residence for a student under 20 years of age is based on the domicile of his or her parent(s), unless the student is married or has had the disability of non-age removed by court action. A student who is 20 years of age or older may apply for residence classification by submitting written intent to establish permanent residence and by providing objective manifestations of a year’s participation as a citizen of Alabama. The functioning role as a citizen may begin at age 19 or older; it must be ongoing for 12 consecutive months and must show clearly a role different from that of a student only. The application and all supporting documents should be submitted to the Law School Admissions Office prior to the first day of class for which the change of residency status is sought.
Missing or Rescheduling an Exam
Final examinations must be taken at the regularly scheduled time, unless the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs permits a student to take the exam at another time other than the regularly scheduled time upon a showing of any of the following bona fide emergencies or situations arising either before or during the examination:
(a) sickness which clearly disables the student from commencing or continuing with the examination or poses a significant threat to the health of others;
(b) sickness of, or accident involving, a spouse or dependent which requires the student to be with the spouse or dependent;
(c) an accident which necessarily prevents the student’s attendance or continued attendance for the examination;
(d) death of a close family member;
(e) scheduling conflicts beyond the student’s control when
(i) the time regularly scheduled for the student’s examination conflicts with the time regularly scheduled for another examination that the student must take, or
(ii) the time regularly scheduled for the student’s examination conflicts with an important meeting or event at which the student must appear as a representative of the Law School; or
(f) other extraordinary circumstances or hardship as determined by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
On request, the Law School will reschedule an individual student’s exam to a later date when a student has
· 3 exams in 3 days,
· 2 exams beginning less than 24 hours apart, or
· 4 exams which must be completed within 5 exam days.
A student who experiences one or more of the above circumstances should contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as soon as possible. If a student misses a final examination without prior permission from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (or, when prior permission is not possible, fails to notify the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the earliest opportunity), he or she will normally receive a grade of “F” for that course.
If a student is permitted to take an examination at a time other than the regularly scheduled time, he or she normally will receive a grade of “P” (pass), “D” (unsatisfactory), or “F” (fail). At the discretion of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, a regular grade for the course may be assigned. The Registrar’s Office sets the time for all makeup examinations, which may occur after the scheduled date.
Courses of Instruction
Analysis of the agreement process, formalism, interpretation, default and its consequences, discharge, multiple party transactions, quasi-contracts, apportionment of losses, protection of the reliance interest and of the security of transactions, and the place of contractual obligations in the economic and social order.
No description available.
An introduction to basic principles of liability for harm to persons and property. The course analyzes various categories of tortious conduct, defenses and immunities, damages, and underlying principles and policies justifying liability.
An examination of the substantive criminal law, its origin, and its sources; the elements of crime; and modifying circumstances and defenses. Also discussed are offenses against the person and property, those offenses involving specific intent, and public welfare offenses.
This course provides students the opportunity to learn about and engage in the trial process in the context of a criminal case. Topics include theory of the case, opening statements, direct and cross examination, exhibits and demonstrative evidence, expert witnesses, and closing arguments. This course requires regular participation by students in primarily oral advocacy exercises centered on facets of the trial process.
This course targets all three components of the bar exam: the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), and the Multistate Performance Test (MPT).
Privacy and data security incidents have changed the way consumers view companies like Google, Facebook, Equifax, and Target. As these types of incidents continue to make headlines and the volume of data collected, stored, and used by businesses continues to grow exponentially, companies are increasingly relying on attorneys to help them navigate the legal minefield of privacy and data protection. This course examines global privacy and data security legal doctrines and provides students with an opportunity to perform practical exercises that mirror the work performed by privacy and data security attorneys for their clients.
A survey and evaluation of the stages of a civil lawsuit: (1) the preliminary stage, including considerations relevant to choosing litigation over self-help, private settlement, or arbitration, to identifying and choosing among available forums, and to acquiring jurisdiction over parties; (2) the pleading stage, including familiarization with the procedures and devices relating to commencement of an action, service of process, and motion practice before trial; (3) the discovery stage, encompassing familiarization with the procedures and devices available to the parties to inform themselves fully of the evidence and sources of evidence relevant to the lawsuit; (4) the trial stage, including familiarization with the pre-trial conference, the steps of the trial process from voir dire through the entry of judgment, and the motions available at and after trial; and (5) the appeal stage, including an examination of the concept of appealability, a survey of alternative means of review, and an introduction to the rules on appeal.
The problem of interpretation and enforcement of the written Constitution of the United States and the nature of judicial supremacy are analyzed in their historical and modern contexts. The three branches of government and their interrelationships are considered, together with the nature of the federal system. The nature, sources, interpretations, and scope of the federal powers are considered, with special attention given to the commerce power. The Bill of Rights and the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution are especially considered.
The students' goal in this course is to learn how to convey a legal analysis of a problem in a written form that adheres to the conventions of the legal profession. They learn how to write legal analysis while preparing two drafts of a legal memorandum for which no research is required. Simultaneously students learn how to research legal problems by touring the library and completing research exercises. Finally, students apply what they have learned by interviewing a client, performing research on the client's legal problem, and drafting a legal memorandum concerning the matter.
This course teaches students how to research sophisticated tax law issues using the three main tax law databases. The first is Bloomberg Law which previously had a separate platform, BNA with its portfolios. Second, "Cheetah" is a product made available by Wolter Kluwer (formerly " CCH Intelliconnect"). The third digital platform for researching tax issues, is Thomson Reuter's "RIA Checkpoint." Students will not only learn the methodology for researching using the respective databases but also learn the various resources available within databases.
In this course, students will study legal tools to strengthen and defend democratic government in the United States, and particularly, the role that lawyers can play in their communities in this regard. We will explore institutions, like the rule of law and free press that are intended to promote freedom, through readings that engage core themes. Active participation in each week's class discussion is a central requirement of the seminar. Students must fully engage with the reading and prepare in advanced to discuss the nuances of scholarly and legal materials we will review, along with current opinion pieces and even fiction. Each student will be assigned to lead one in-class discussion.
The Montgomery Externship is a full-time, semester-in-practice field placement course. Students will work at a government agency or nonprofit organization in Montgomery, Alabama for one academic semester. By working full-time in a legal setting, students will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful work, learn first-hand about professionalism and ethics, and gain new legal skills. An attorney supervisor will provide direction and feedback to the student extern. The student will also submit reflective essays to the law school’s Director of Externships, who will provide additional feedback.
This course covers both general and Alabama law applicable to ownership and conservation of oil and gas. The course emphasizes private property and contract law concepts that are unique to oil and gas law and that govern the relationships among landowners and oil companies involved in exploration, production, and marketing of oil and gas. Administrative law aspects of federal and state oversight of oil and gas development are also addressed. Students are introduced to fundamental oil and gas legal terms, the concepts involved in private mineral ownership, the different types of interests that may be created in the oil and gas estate, conveyancing and title issues, state oil and gas administrative regulations, and the basic principle of the oil and gas lease under which wells are drilled and produced.
This is an advanced course devoted to the study of substantive and/or procedural issues in criminal justice.
Special Problems in International Law.
Courses designated as Special Topics explore in depth an area of law that is not sufficiently covered by other courses in the curriculum.
This course provides students with an opportunity to learn legal resources and research methodology more comprehensively than is done during the first-year Legal Research course.
A survey of state and federal consumer protection law. Topics treated include fraud, unfair or deceptive sales practices, consumer credit, insurance, leases, and consumer protection in payment systems. Federal laws examined include Truth in Lending, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, RICO, and the regulation of consumer credit practices by the Federal Trade Commission. Class action litigation and arbitration are also studied.
Enrollment is limited to members of the teams involved in the national trial advocacy competitions. Prerequisite: Trial Advocacy Competition Class (LAW 728).
This is an advanced course covering topics not covered in LAW 609(Constitutional Law) and of particular importance in the modern age. Illustrative topics include governmental regulation of the mass media and other questions regarding free expression; the emerging right of privacy; limitations on the arbitrary exercise of governmental and quasi-governmental power; and the role of state constitutional law in the resolution of modern societal problems.
This course provides an introduction to federal, state and common law rules that govern employment other than anti-discrimination rules. Topics covered may include employment contracts, the at-will doctrine, employee privacy, worker safety rules, wage and hour regulations, workers compensation, arbitration of disputes and collective bargaining.
No description available.
Placements are available for selected students in district attorneys’ and other public sector offices. There are also a limited number of judicial placements available in the summer program. Students work full-time for six weeks. They observe and participate in pre-trial preparation, conferences, hearings, and trials. The course includes classroom sessions plus a written journal. Pass/D/Fail.
This course explores the legal basis of the emerging children’s rights movement. The appropriateness of state intervention to protect children from abuse or neglect and to ensure adequate parenting and services such as medical care are among the areas covered. In addition, the juvenile justice system and its appropriate goals are discussed.
This course focuses on specific topic not reached, or not studied in depth, in the first-year civil procedure course. The topics to be studied will vary with the professor teaching the course and will be announced.
This course, dealing largely with evidence at trial, is more practical than theoretical. Students are expected to apply general concepts of evidence to the resolution of actual trial problems. A premium is placed on the development of the student’s ability to articulate multiple grounds for both making and meeting objections to evidence.
This course examines the growing role of private sector lawyers and non-lawyers in the creation and implementation of federal policy. The immense size and scope of the federal government and the increasing pace of regulation within the American economy has made the role of contract lobbyists more omnipresent and structured than ever before. In short, with a trillion and a half tax dollars collected and redistributed every year, there are a lot of winners and losers associated with this collection and redistribution. The regulatory tinkering with the rules associated with participating in the11 trillion US economy also produces winners and losers, sometime on a vast scale. This class will explore the myths and the realities of promoting federal policy positions for private industry.
The focus of this course will be the interpretation and application of those rules in the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure that civil litigators regularly encounter in their practice. Special attention will be paid during the course to the most recent decisions by the Alabama Supreme Court and the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals addressing civil procedure issues. As time permits during the semester, we may discuss some specific procedural aspects of particular kinds of civil lawsuits, such as wrongful death actions and workers’ compensation case.
This class will examine the procedural laws governing the administration and enforcement of federal, state, and local taxation. This will include such topics as returns, assessments, tax litigation, penalties, and administrative procedures.
This course introduces students to the traditions, principles, policies, concepts, sources of law, and professional (and unprofessional) attitudes that form the heart of an attorney's life in the courtroom. Students will become familiar with Alabama and federal rules of evidence, both as present law and as examples of the rules forming the contemporary American law of evidence. Among the topics examined are: relevance; hearsay; procedures for admitting and excluding evidence; the calling, competence, and impeachment of witnesses; opinions and expert testimony; authentication of writings and identification of things; the original writing rule; and evidentiary privileges.
This course covers the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, emphasizing the fundamental rules dealing with the federal income tax action of individuals.
An introductory study of the process, law, drafting techniques, and concepts employed in intergenerational wealth transfer. The subject matter embraces material traditionally taught in courses on wills, intestate succession, trusts, and fiduciary administration as well as introductions to the law of future interests, powers of appointment, and estate and gift taxation.
A study of the basic legal problems concerning the organization, management, operation, and liquidation of the major business entities in the United States, emphasizing general partnerships and corporations. Topics include the fiduciary duties owed by the participants, the relationship between ownership and control of the enterprise, and problems associated with limited liability protection for the owners of the enterprise.
This course will cover international humanitarian law, or the jus in bello. This is the body of international law governing armed conflict, including the chocie of means and methods of warfare, proportionality in the use of force, and the protection of non-combatants.
An introduction to the tax aspects of basic estate planning. Topics include federal taxation of inter vivos transfers, revocable and incomplete transfers, exclusions, the unified estate tax credit, and the correlation between income and estate taxation. Also covered are the federal taxation of property owned at death, jointly held property, property transferred within three years of death, retained life estates, life insurance, and powers of appointment; marital and charitable deductions; federal estate tax credits, deductions, and exemptions; and valuation problems.
This course focuses on teaching students to think and write persuasively as they learn to write an appellate brief. Students write multiple drafts of the brief and receive extensive feedback. Students also develop the skill of oral argument.
A specialized in-depth examination of current issues involving legislation. This course focuses on one or more specific topics.
This is a general follow-up course to the first-year civil procedure course. It studies multiple procedural topics, such as preclusion, party-choice, joinder and appeals that are not studied in depth in the basic course. Generally offered every year or every other year.
Survey course on United States law on Immigration and Nationality, as well as underlying Policy, with a focus on actual immigration law practice as well as current political and legal development in immigration law and policies. The course covers recent trends in immigration law along with fundamental concepts. The primary focus is business and family immigration, but removal, asylum and refugee issues are covered.
Limited to students who submit a publishable article to the Law and Psychology Review Journal.
Limited to the editor-in-chief, managing editor, executive editors and managing board of the Law and Psychology Review.
This course is designed to investigate and describe the professional environment of the American lawyer. What lawyers do; competition, admission, and educational standards; and bar associations and other bar-related groups are examples of the subject matter discussed. The student studies the efficacy of professional rules and customs from a historical, economic, and sociological viewpoint.
This course focuses on Articles 3 and 4 of the Uniform Commercial Code, as well as debit cards, credit cards, and electronic fund transfers.
This course focuses on commercial and consumer financing against personal property collateral under UCC Article 9 and on general credit law principles.
This course provides students the opportunity to learn about and engage in the pretrial process in the context of a civil lawsuit, including investigating facts, drafting pleadings, conducting and opposing discovery, and arguing dispositive motions. This course requires regular participation by students in written and oral advocacy exercises.
This course provides students the opportunity to learn about and engage in the trial process in the context of a civil lawsuit. Topics include theory of the case, opening statements, direct and cross examination, exhibits and demonstrative evidence, expert witnesses, and closing arguments. This course requires regular participation by students in primarily oral advocacy exercises centered on facets of the trial process.
Law clinics help second and third-year students develop the tools they need to serve clients, the profession, and society. All of the law school’s law clinics have dual goals: to provide hands-on training in the professional skills and values needed for the successful, ethical practice of law and to provide free legal assistance to needy residents and nonprofit or governmental organizations in Alabama. Training in professional skills and values is accomplished by placing the law clinic student, as much as possible, into the role of attorney on the case under the close supervision of experienced law school faculty. Thus, with the client’s consent and as allowed under the state’s student practice rule, students are the primary or “first chair” attorneys on most cases. As student attorneys, they are given responsibility for client interviewing and counseling, case planning and management, factual investigation, legal research, drafting pleadings, briefs and other legal documents, negotiations, alternative dispute resolution, settlement, and trial and appellate advocacy. In the process of taking responsibility for actual cases, students move from observers to participants in the legal system and learn to integrate substantive law, procedures, and ethics with the professional skills needed for all aspects of their professional lives. Clinics help students develop the self-confidence needed to practice effectively in a competitive, fast-paced field. Clinics also assist students in understanding and fulfilling their ethical obligations as attorneys.
This course will cover the law and theory of the World Trade Organization and its associated treaties, particularly including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. It will also cover sources of international law regulating cross-border investment, including bilateral investment treaties. It will further cover international arbitration as a dispute resolution mechanism commonly used in the context of international investment disputes.
This course deals with the difficult task of choosing the substantive and procedural law that should govern and dispute or transaction when the law of more than one jurisdiction might apply. The standards governing this choice of law derive from the federal constitution, federal and state statutes and common law. The topic of personal jurisdiction also is considered.
Students learn how the federal rules, particularly in the complex litigation area, can become instruments of policy. Topics include class actions and multi-district litigation.
An introduction to remedies in civil litigation focusing on damages, restitution and equitable remedies in a variety of contexts. The course surveys the principles of compensatory and exemplary damages including measurement of injury and limitations on monetary relief, the availability of equitable and restitutionary relief, and the interplay among types of remedies.
This course is an in-depth study of federal jurisdiction, including the interplay between federal and state courts. Topics covered include federal question, diversity, supplemental, and removal jurisdiction as well as justiciability issues such as standing, ripeness, and mootness. Both the ability and obligation of state courts to provide a forum for Federal actions will also be explored along with a review of when and how state court decisions are reviewed by federal courts. This course will be useful to any law student, but it will be particularly rewarding to students interested in litigation and judicial process and to those aspiring to be law clerks for federal judges.
This course concentrates on developing transaction skills in an international context but applicable to all business settings, foreign and domestic; emphasis is on commercial analysis, deal structuring and documentation, with the laws and instruments of international commerce discussed as they are encountered. LAW 645 Business Organizations is recommended but not required to be taken. Open to MBA students.
This seminar offers an overview of conceptions of citizenship in American law from the 19th century to the present day. It considers citizenship acquired at birth, either based on birth within a territory or based on descent; citizenship acquired after birth through a process of naturalization; as well as the circumstances under which the government can strip an individual of citizenship after acquisition, processes known as denaturalization and expatriation.
This course provides students the opportunity to learn about and engage in the pretrial process in the context of a criminal case, including investigating facts, examining the grand jury and indictment process, handling preliminary hearings and bond issues, and arguing pretrial motions. This course requires regular participation by students in written and oral advocacy exercises.
This course covers subjects related to various aspects of family law, including illegitimacy, marriage, family relations such as support and property rights, guardianship, adoption, termination of marriage, and custody.
This course is a study of fundamental legal principles relating to various types of first-party and liability insurance contracts, focusing on property, life, health, automobile, and commercial and professional liability policies. Topics include rules of insurance contract construction; doctrines governing applications for insurance and representations made by the applicant; statutory and administrative regulation of insurance; and various issues arising in particular types of insurance.
This course is about labor union activities and other forms of concerted activity. It focuses upon an employee's right to form or join a union and the right to refrain from such activities. The course covers the representational and unfair labor practice provisions of the National Labor Relations Act, including the formation of a labor organization and negotiations and administration of collective bargaining agreements.
Students in this course study real property security transactions, including mortgages and similar land financing transactions, as well as the various types of liens on real property. The course also provides a broader look at the lending industry and financing policies.
This course explores the role of lawyers and legal institutions as depicted in popular culture, with a particular emphasis on film.
Gain knowledge of the state governmental affairs system by working in the appropriate placement site full-time (40 hours/week)for one of the two six-week summer externship sessions.
This course is the Civil Procedure of the administrative state. Focusing primarily upon federal law and federal agencies, the course introduces students to the processes of law making and law application by the administrative agencies of the executive branch and their control by the federal courts, Congress, and the President. The course covers the basic tools used by agencies rules making and adjudication, as well as the procedural and substantive rules that limit and guide the use of these tools. Special attention is given to the scope of judicial review, access to judicial review, the separation of powers, due process, and freedom of information.
A study of federal laws intended to preserve a competitive marketplace. Topics for discussion include price fixing, restraints of trade, refusals to deal, monopolizing, and tying.
Application of laws relating to unincorporated and incorporated business organizations and the federal income taxation of such organizations in the context of business planning and counseling situations. The course is based on a series of problems involving common business transactions that present business organization and tax issues for analysis and resolution.
To introduce International Law Students to the basic structure, characteristics and operation of the legal systems of the United States. To provide an introduction to legal methodology and an overview of several major fields of substantive law in the United States.
Much of a lawyer's work, particularly that of a general civil practitioner, is outside of the court room. This course provides the opportunity to draft documents for adoptions, estates, real estate, business entities, divorces, and conservatorships. It further exposes the student to the business of law practice as fee setting and malpractice prevention.
The laws governing ownership of water contained in rivers, creeks, lakes, aquifers, and the like have been hugely important in the American West since the pioneer days. Only in the last twenty years, however, have such laws gained attention in the Eastern states. Water law comprises the laws governing ownership of flowing water, groundwater, and the land underlying water. This class will cover water law in both the Western and Eastern American legal regimes and in international law and will touch on many areas of the law that intersect with water law, including Indian law, constitutional law, and federal jurisdiction. Students will also study emerging political issues in the control of what is perhaps the world’s most important resource.
This course will help students to recognize the variety of legal issues and problems that can confront owners, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers during the construction process and to understand and analyze those issues and problems so that they are able to provide reasonably valuable advice and guidance to clients involved in the construction process.
A general survey of sources, development, and limits of American laws providing compensation for injuries caused by defective products. Focuses on theories of liability, including negligence, misrepresentation, warranty, and strict tort liability under Restatement 2d and 3d of Torts.
This course is concerned primarily with governmental regulation of the use of land. Consideration is given to the historical background of land use controls, contemporary zoning and subdivision regulation, constitutional limitations on land use regulation, specific problem areas such as referenda, consistency, and exclusionary zoning. Urban revitalization, eminent domain, and environmental regulation are involved in the study.
Survey of the work of the health care lawyer, providing an overview of health care policy; the structure of the institutions through which health care is provided; and health care finance and regulatory issues specific to the health care industry. Some of the legal topics covered include licensure, certificate of need, medical malpractice, antitrust, ERISA, restrictions applicable to tax exempt organizations, restrictions on patient referrals, access to care, medical malpractice, managed care liability, medical staff privileges, managed care credentialing, and insurance regulation.
This course is a detailed analysis of Alabama Workers’ Compensation law including practicals of how to handle a workers’ compensation case from both the plaintiff and defense perspective. Detailed coverage given to meaning of “injury by accident,” “arising out of and in the course of employment,” compensation benefits, medical benefits, vocational benefits, calculation of benefits, and other issues relating directly to workers’ compensation. General coverage given to other issues including third-party actions, retaliatory discharge claims, subrogation, and issues peripheral to the workers’ compensation case.
This three-credit course would begin with several weeks coverage of the legal histories of the three largest Latino groups -- Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cuban-Americans -- then proceed to topics such as legal status, naturalization and citizenship; culture and identity; language rights; education, including the rights of the undocumented; immigration; cultural stereotypes and the media; workplace issues and discrimination; Latina feminism; and rebellious lawyering and resistance.
This course is designed to examine all avenues of appellate advocacy, both state and federal, with a primary emphasis on the art of argument. While argument in trial courts and other venues will be addressed, the emphasis of those topics will be on the creation or presentation of a record for appellate purposes. The course features numerous exercises, both oral and written, and student participation in those exercises is required.
Equitable remedies, such as injunctive relief and other basic principles of equity, are surveyed. This course demonstrates how the law of equity may be applied to other areas of substantive law, such as torts, contracts, and property.
This course provides a thorough introduction to two basic forms of environmental legislation: the use of environmental planning (environmental impact assessment) as a technique for protecting the environment, and the use of traditional command-and-control regulation as a mechanism for pollution control. Attention is also given to the pros and cons of using effluent taxes and market incentives as additional or alternative regulatory mechanisms. The National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act are analyzed comprehensively. Special attention is given to questions of statutory interpretation, legislative history, judicial review, and enforcement of environmental standards. Also addressed are such topics as pollution prevention, the Endangered Species Act, and the protection of environmentally sensitive ecosystems like wetlands.
This course covers the basic corporate law aspects of corporate 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 given to the duties of the board of directors of the selling company, including the duties of the board in both negotiated and hostile acquisitions. Anti-takeover devices are considered, and securities law issues are surveyed.
This course surveys alternatives to trial, including negotiation, mediation, and arbitration.
Substantive law in the area of business crimes and torts will be covered. These inlude conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, RICO, money laundering, false claims and corporate criminal liability. Procedural issues arising from white collar crime will also be covered.
A basic course in the federal regulation of securities, emphasizing disclosure and other requirements for initial public offerings, exemptions from these requirements, and the antifraud rules, including insider trading. The course will also consider securities regulation on the state level.
This is an introductory survey course in the legal principles governing the conduct of nations with each other and with individuals. Contemporary problems are examined in the light of those principles. This course does not address regimes governing international trade, which are the subject of a separate course (LAW 666 International Trade Law).
An exploratory survey of the ways in which various facets of higher education, in both public and private institutions, are subject to the legal process. Topics may include students’ rights and responsibilities; and internal and external authority with respect to such issues as curriculum, admissions, discipline, free expression, and athletics.
Limited to members of the Alabama Law Review.
This course will focus on preparing students for their upcoming law school experience. It will provide information on what to expect in law school, review the fundamentals of the legal system, introduce legal analysis skills, and preview various techniques, concepts, and strategies to assist your law school studies. This course includes instruction on bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism.
This course is designed to introduce students to the duties and responsibilities of judicial clerkships. This course involves writing bench memoranda and draft opinions at both the trial and appellate levels.
Credit is limited to the Editor in Chief, Managing Editor and Executive Editors of the Alabama Law Review Journal.
This course addresses foundational questions about the sources, content, and structure of law; the relationships between law and morality; and the ultimate values of legal systems, including justice and equality. Readings vary from year to year, but typically include cases as well as selections from prominent political and moral philosophers.
The course offers a close analysis of church-state issues throughout America’s history and examines the theological and ecclesiological assumptions underlying the development of the law of religious liberty. Topics include the religious dimensions of American constitutionalism, American civil religion, the role of religion in American politics, the establishment and free exercise clauses of the First Amendment, and the attempt to define religion for constitutional purposes.
This course will examine certain fundamental social, economic, and political forces that drive tax and innovation policy. This course will combine a socio-legal and historical perspective on taxation with a more conventional political and economic analysis of innovation and public finance issues.
A survey course that canvasses the principal federal statutes prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, religion, age, national origin, and disability. In addition to analyzing various theories of employment discrimination law as articulated by the courts, the course emphasizes the practical aspects of prosecuting and defending discrimination claims in litigation. Special emphasis is placed on gender discrimination issues, including sexual harassment. The course will be relevant to students who anticipate litigating, practicing employment law, or serving a federal judicial clerkship.
A study of law using the tools, concepts, and perspectives of economic analysis.
This course is concerned with the federal regulation of national and state-chartered financial institutions. Topics addressed include the history of banking in the United States, entry restrictions, expansion through the bank holding company structure, branching, liability issues, limitations on bank activities, and the regulation of failing financial institutions.
This course provides students with a broad overview of developments in education law and policy by examining the historic and changing role of law and legal institutions in structuring American public and, to a lesser extent, private elementary and secondary education. It introduces students to the major constitutional, statutory, and regulatory authorities that influence the management and operation of American K-12 schools. Subjects to be explored include theories of compulsory attendance requirements; school choice; educational privacy rights; school board governance; educational equality; academic freedom; school finance; professional and contractual responsibilities of teachers; and compliance with state and federal mandates.
This course moves beyond the coverage of the basic constitutional law course, which focuses on theories of constitutional interpretation and on the contours of substantive constitutional doctrine, to explore the theory and practice of litigating constitutional and certain other civil rights claims and to examine some of the surrounding history and context. It covers the nuts and bolts (and theoretical underpinnings) of litigation of constitutional claims against governments or their officials and employees. While concentrating on 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the workhorse of constitutional litigation against local governments and state and local officials and employees, it also covers Bivens actions against federal officials and employees and briefly looks at the surviving remnants of other Reconstruction Era civil rights legislation such as 42 U.S.C. § § 1981, 1982, and 1985. This course does not cover modern civil rights legislation in areas such as voting, employment, public accommodations, housing, disabilities, etc., which are covered in other classes.
This is the foundational course for the study of the federal Bankruptcy Code and the regulation of the legal relationships between creditors and insolvent debtors. The course begins with a brief survey of individual state law collection remedies and non-bankruptcy composition and liquidation schemes. The remainder (and bulk) of the course focuses of the rights, obligations, and procedures created by federal bankruptcy law. Topics include: commencement of the case, the automatic stay, property of the estate, claims and priorities of distribution, avoidance powers of the bankruptcy trustee, use and protectio of collateral during the pendency of the case, treatment of executory contracts and leases, discharge of debts, and exemptions. Basic coverage of Chapters 7, 11 and 13 is included.
In this course, students compete for selection to national trial advocacy teams by trying cases based on prepared file materials. Enrollment is limited and based on (1) the demonstration of superior litigation skills in Trial Advocacy I (LAW 663), (2) prior membership on a national trial advocacy team, or (3) tryouts. Students who receive credit for this course are not eligible to enroll in LAW 664 (Trial Advocacy II). Pass/D/Fail.
This course provides students with a broad overview of the developments in the regulation of alcohol since the early Twentieth Century. Using the three primary types of alcoholic beverages, wine, beer, and spirits, the course examines all aspects of the industry from production to consumption. At the Federal level the course examines the 21st Amendment to the Constitution and its interplay with the Commerce Clause, equal protection, due process, the 1st Amendment, and regulations. The three tier system will also be discussed in relation to both the state and federal governments. The state and federal regulations regarding the shipping, sales, trademark, branding, tort liability, and production of alcohol will be reviewed. Finally, international law and institutions will be discussed.
Courses designated as Special Topics explore in depth an area of law that is not sufficiently covered by other courses in the curriculum.
The course is an introduction to the fields of employee benefits and executive compensation law. It addresses the federal income tax treatment of Deferred Compensation, Qualified Retirement Plans, Defined Benefit Retirement Plan Funding, Individual Retirement Accounts, Simplified Employee Pensions, American Retirement Plan Policy, Welfare Benefit Plans, The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), Labor Law, Employment Law and Employee Benefits , Governmental and Nonprofit Plans, Deferred and Incentive Compensation, Employment Agreements and Policy, and Employee Benefits in Mergers and Acquisitions.
Students participating in federal externships obtain or enhance valuable practical skills by working full-time in Congressional or federal executive branch placements. These skills include legal research and writing, knowledge of substantive and procedural law, appreciation of professional responsibilities, and knowledge of the federal legislative or administrative system, among others. Students will also complete a classroom component and submit written coursework related to the experience.
This course explores a number of subjects where there are substantial differences between the Australian and American approaches to law and government. Limited to students participating in the Law School’s summer program at the Australian National University (Canberra, Australia).
This course surveys issues pertinent to the pre-trial stages of criminal prosecution, including federal and state constitutional principles and procedural rules. Topics considered include the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments, with emphasis on such matters as search and seizure, the privilege against self-incrimination, and the right to the assistance of counsel.
This course examines the evolving issues in evidence law.
This course focuses on problems faced by financially distressed businesses in the context of the bankruptcy process. The course will consider Chapter 7 liquidations as well as Chapter 11 reorganizations, but particular emphasis is placed on restructuring and reorganizing under Chapter 11. Topics include: the filing of a business bankruptcy case; administration of the case and appointment of professions; use, sale, or lease of property of the estate, including cash collateral; claims of the estate and against the estate; debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing, the role of the DIP versus the trustee; formation and role of the creditors' committee; plan formulation and claims impairment; vote solicitation and the plan confirmation process; and the use of reorganization plans as instruments of orderly and/or strategic liquidations.
Limited to members of The Journal of the Legal Profession.
This course will focus on many of the documents that employment lawyers draft, including non-litigation or pre-litigation policies and agreements, responses to enforcement agencies, and litigation documents such as pleadings, motions, and discovery. It will also require collaboration, skills used in practice, and professional conduct in all dealings with co-counsel, opposing counsel, clients, and the court.
This course is designed to introduce students to the laws governing contracting with the federal government including the policies and limitations of public contracting, procurement procedure, contract types, cost and price principles, remedies, and claims procedures.
The suggested course is not intended to be an "Administrative Law Light" or a proto Constitutional Law course. Topics such as the structural role of agencies in the separation of powers, presidential control of agencies, the Administrative Procedure Act, judicial review of agency action, agency adjudication and enforcement, and private enforcement of statutory duties would be left for Administrative Law and related electives; topics such as justiciability, the separation and balance of powers (and specific discussion of Article I, Article II, and Article III powers), due process, and equal protection would be left for Constitutional Law and related electives, Nor would the proposed course be about the sausage-making of the legislative process (e.g., lobbying and lobbying regulations, campaign finance law, First Amendment issues, and so on). The first-year Constitutional Law course and upper-level electives in administrative law, legislative process, election law, and advanced constitutional law would not be preempted. The proposed first-year course would instead provide a grounding in the writing, interpretation, and application of both statutes and regulations - ideally at both the federal and state level. This would necessarily include some aspects of the legislative process - for example, the role of conference committees, who prepare authoritative reports on why specific language made it into the final version of a bill, and the use of legislative history by courts. It would also necessarily include some aspects of the administrative law process -particularly the role of agencies, state and federal, in writing regulations that implement statutes, and the role of courts in applying Chevron and Skidmore deference in interpreting regulations. The course would also cover the canons of statutory interpretation and canvass various big picture approaches to statutory interpretation - originalism, textualism, dynamic interpretation, purposivism, and the like. The course would be trans-substantive, teaching students the tricks of the trade in interpreting and applying statutes and regulations in a range of areas. The course may therefore preempt the current upper-division course on statutory interpretation.
Credit is limited to the Editor in Chief, Managing Editor and Executive Editors of The Journal of the Legal Profession.
This course is an introduction to legislative drafting. Objectives for this course include: (1)understanding the forms and conventions of legislative drafting: (2) learning to conceptualize legislative solutions to social problems; and (3) appreciating the relationship between legislative drafting and substantive policy. The course will make use of practical examples drawn from recent congressional and state legislative action to explore best practices. Time will also be spent discussing the various ways in which lawyers participate in the legislative process and working on the development of specific skills helpful to those roles.
Special Problems in Corporate Law.
This course surveys procedural rules and constitutional principles pertinent to the post-trial criminal process. Topics considered include post-conviction motions and hearings, appeals, collateral proceedings (habeas and the like), clemency/pardon procedures, and collateral consequences such as exclusion from government contracting, loss of voting rights, registration as a sex offender, etc.
Courses designated as Special Topics in Law Seminars explore in depth an area of Law that is not sufficiently covered by other courses in the curriculum.
A theoretical consideration of the concept of law as it applies to smaller societies around the world. Includes methods and processes of settling disputes, definitions of law, and related questions.
Courses designated as Special Topics in Law Experiential explore in depth an area of law that is not sufficiently covered by other courses in the curriculum.
This course will survey the issues arising out of the formation, operation, and dissolution of unincorporated business organizations including limited liability companies, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and joint ventures. Topics that may be covered include choice of entity, financing, governance, fiduciary duties, owner liability and rights, allocation of profit and loss, distributions, capital accounts, taxation, and securities law.
Special Problems in Labor Law.
This course introduces the basic concepts and principles of accounting. This is an introductory course and, as a result, assumes no prior knowledge or experience with accounting. Objectives of this course include: (1) a working knowledge of accounting; (2) the ability to understand the language of accounting; (3) enhanced ability to communicate with those in the accounting professions; and (4) the ability to critically review and analyze financial statement information.
This seminar explores a number of ways the world community has tried — with varying degrees of success — to protect the global environment. While the seminar addresses some traditional aspects of international environmental law, most of the attention is on a number of recently emerging issues — many of which concerned the world community when it gathered at the Earth Summit (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. Global warming, ozone depletion, sustainable development, tropical deforestation, the protection of the global commons, biodiversity, population growth, the greening of the WTO, the future of the U.N. Environment Programme, and the environmental policies of the European Union are considered.
This is an advanced course, the content of which varies. Topics treated in the past include the relationship between liberty and property; substantive and procedural problems raised when the government grants, withholds, or terminates largess; the constitutional dimensions of nongovernmental intrusions upon individual liberty; and U.S. Supreme Court practices and procedures, including mock deliberations and opinion writing in pending cases.
An advanced course in corporations emphasizing the legal conflicts between corporate bondholders, preferred shareholders, common shareholders, and corporate management in a variety of transactions, including recapitalizations, redemptions, mergers and acquisitions, and conversion of securities. The course focuses on the role fiduciary duties and contractual arrangements play in addressing these problems and examines the concepts, from a legal point of view, surrounding enterprise and securities valuation.
An examination of the real estate development process and legal relationships involved in the process. The course will acquaint the students with such areas as site selection and entity choice, acquisition and disposition transactions, the regulatory process (state and federal), and issues arising during the construction period.
This course expands the international law offerings for UA law students by permitting them to study international law subjects in courses taught by distinguished international law scholars on international campuses at Tel Aviv University (TAU), National Law University-Delhi (NLU-D), and other UA Law School partners around the world. Participants may register for 1 to 16 credit hours. The semester abroad course is supervised by the Law School's Director of International Programs.
This course has three overlapping goals: to consider the legal, social and economic problems affecting our nation’s poor; to develop the skills and substantive knowledge needed to provide effective advocacy for low income clients; and to think about the structural causes of poverty. The class will involve some field work.
The course is built on a single simulation in which students will work in-role throughout the semester as a prosecutor or criminal defense lawyer. Students will work with a partner and against an opposing pair. One goal is to work toward writing an effective brief and developing a supporting record in the simulation for this class. But so too does this course aim to help students develop their brief-writing and fact-development skills in a way that facilitates transfer to other legal writing projects that students may encounter in law practice.
This course explores the regulation of toxic substances and the cleanup of uncontrolled releases of hazardous substances. This course begins with a focus on the way in which the regulation of toxic chemicals has evolved under the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts. It then proceeds to a more extended study of the two primary statutes that deal with toxics: the Resource Conversation and Recovery Act (which regulates the disposal of solid and hazardous waste) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund). In addition to examining the regulatory and cleanup strategies contained in these statutes, we will pay particular attention to the issues of enforcement and judicial review. Finally, the course will look at the special way in which we regulate pesticides and the production and commercial use of toxic chemicals --- and how we have tried to use the spotlight of public attention to reduce the discharge of toxics to the environment. The course has particular relevance for those who are aiming for a career in environmental law since much of the work done in the private sector was well as the governmental and NGO sectors involves either RCRA or CERCLA. Environmental Law I is NOT a prerequisite for the course.
This course deals with the history of the United States viewed through aspects of the law, the legal profession, legal education, and the evolution of constitutional principles. Focus is on the background and context of the growth of American law and legal institutions and on the ways in which law and legal concepts have been centrally important in American History. Major emphasis is given to the period of the Revolution, the growth of positivism, the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, the New Deal, and the Cold War period.
This course explores the differences and similarities of U.S. and Australian law in a particular area. A variety of legal topics have been explored in the past such as Environmental Law, Constitutional Law, Family Law, and Criminal Law. This exposure to the ways in which Australians approach the law enables our students to better appreciate and understand the choices we make here in the United States about legal rules, regulatory structures, and institutions. The course, moreover, provides valuable insights into the increasingly global nature of law and legal practice.
Sales Law is an advanced course that deals with the law governing transactions in goods. It will focus primarily on the portion of UCC Article 2 that is not studied in the first-year Contracts course. Special emphasis will be given to the warranty, breach and damage provisions of Article 2. The students review each stage and apply these various bodies of law. The course uses both the case law and problem method to understand the application of the law.
The overall goal of this course is to provide students with direct, hands-on experience with the lawyering process in the context of issues and disputes that commonly arise during a typical contested bankruptcy case. Students will be assigned to teams representing either creditors or debtors/trustees and the teams will prosecute or defend various contested matters and adversary proceedings. Assignments may include: the debtor's schedules and the claims process, objecting to confirmation, seeking relief from the automatic stay, assumption or rejection of executory contracts and leases, nondischargeability claims and defenses, and avoidance claims and defenses. Assignments will require each team to discuss and research applicable legal principles, develop relevant facts, draft appropriate pleadings or discovery documents, and argue motions. Through these assignments, the course will address the procedural issues unique to federal bankruptcy proceedings and their interplay with rules of civil procedure and evidence, as well as local bankruptcy rules. Students will be required to follow and report on developments of a major pending bankruptcy case, and will be required to attend at least one session of bankruptcy court in Tuscaloosa.
The Business of Being a Lawyer (BBL) is designed to help students navigate the legal profession and law related professions. It covers the following: (1) The changing economics of the legal profession and resulting consequences for graduating law students. (2) Personal financial planning basics. (3) Emotional Intelligence ("E.Q."): an overview of predictable life crises in adulthood, particularly for attorneys, and psychological tools and resources available for handling such crises. (4) "Free agency": how to market oneself through one's working ife, given the fact that the average attorney changes jobs seven times in a career.
This course identifies how mediation fits within the existing dispute resolution process; it analyzes the component parts of mediation; it analyzes the mutuality of negotiations, as well as analyzing the strategies and hurdles of two-party and multiparty mediations. The course usually employs role-play of mediations to demonstrate the techniques used in mediations. Generally offered once a year.
This course deals with the arbitration of labor and employment disputes, including the history, theory, and practice of arbitration, pre-arbitration grievance procedures, and the lawyer’s role in arbitration. Materials from actual arbitration cases will be available, and members of the class will brief cases and conduct mock arbitration hearings and practical exercises.
This course examines the transactional aspects of intellectual property. Students will obtain the skills to draft and analyze intellectual property agreements both in traditional contexts and in the dynamic environment of new media.
This class considers issues in both intercollegiate and professional sports with an emphasis on constitutional law; tort and criminal law; antitrust, labor law, and other issues of law in the field of sports, such as considerations of Title IX, drug testing, violence, and the role of agents.
This course surveys procedural rules and constitutional principles pertinent to the trial phase of the criminal process. Topics considered include the Fifth, Sixth, and Eith Amendments with emphasis on such matters as the bringing of charges, the rights to counsel and jury trial, jury selection procedures, the right to confront witnesses, and other issues and procedures raised by statutes, procedural rules and constitutional law.
This course focuses on substantive legal and policy issues raised by juvenile crime, as well as procedural nuances present when a juvenile is processed through the juvenile and criminal justice system.
This introductory course will examine significant and practical issues and problems that arise in the development, administration and reform of public educational systems. Our perspective will be the national landscape, though we will examine and contrast Alabama law and practice on some topics. The course will involve some Socratic lecture; yet the main approach will be problem-based learning, requiring students to be actively engaged in identifying, developing, articulating and defending positions on the relevant topics and issues. Students will demonstrate legal scholarship and skills through drafting memoranda, motions and briefs, and through presenting oral argumentation and debate on relevant issues.
During the academic year a limited number of placements are available in federal judges’ and magistrates’ offices in Birmingham, Alabama. Students must work in their assigned judge’s chambers for a minimum of 120 hours per semester (at 8 hours per week); attend two class sessions (one 4-hour class session at the beginning of the semester and a second 2-hour class session at the end of the semester); and write a 15-page paper describing legal and/or ethical issues the student encountered during his or her externship. Students will observe pre-trial hearings and trials and research and draft memoranda. Students will be visited on-site by a faculty member. Pass/D/Fail.
A student registered for independent study performs research under the supervision of a professor on a narrow topic of law. Prior to registering, the student and the professor execute a written agreement about the research. The agreement includes a description of the work to be done, a list of at least 4 learning goals of the research project, and a time frame for the project. Law students are limited to three hours of independent study toward graduation credit.
A student registered for independent study performs research under the supervision of a professor on a narrow topic of law. Prior to registering, the student and the professor execute a written agreement about the research. The agreement includes a description of the work to be done, a list of at least 2 learning goals of the research project, and a time frame for the project. Law students are limited to three hours of independent study toward graduation credit.
A student registered for independent study performs research under the supervision of a professor on a narrow topic of law. Prior to registering, the student and the professor execute a written agreement about the research. The agreement includes a description of the work to be done, a list of at least 2 learning goals of the research project, and a time frame for the project. Law students are limited to three hours of independent study toward graduation credit.
This course or seminar will examine law and legal institutions from the perspective of Christian thought more generally. Topics covered may include the place of specifically Christian legal thought in legal thought generally; methodological issues; the relevance of Christian theology for law; Christian writings on jurisprudential topics such as justice, equality, and rights; historical influences on Christian understandings of law and politics; and Christian scholarship related to conventional legal subject matter such as contracts, property, torts, etc.
Introduction to the U.S. income tax with emphasis on income taxation of individuals. Study of basic concepts of income, exemptions, deductions, credits, and tax rate structure. Some emphasis is on fringe benefits and employee compensation issues.
Federal estate taxation of estates and gift taxation of inter vivos transfers, including generation skipping transfers.
Study of capitalization rules, depreciation, and other capital recovery mechanisms. Federal income tax rules applicable to capital gains and losses. Non-recognition transactions. Limitations on losses, e.g., passive activity loss rule. Alternative minimum tax.
The law governing human reproduction is complicated and rapidly evolving. Legal issues that arise out of the reproductive process can include elements of constitutional law, family law, civil rights law, health law, as well as tort and contract law. The purpose of this class is to introduce you to the legal and policy issues currently implicated in the reproductive process and explore potential frameworks for analyzing the novel situations that will undoubtedly arise as family structures and reproductive technologies evolve. The class will provide both an overview of the current legal landscape while also challenging you to think about what the law governing reproduction should be as a normative matter. While sometimes using international law as a point of comparison, the course will focus primarily on U.S. law and policy.
This course examines the federal income taxation of corporations and their shareholders including the income tax consequences of organizing corporations, corporate distributions, redemptions, and liquidations. It includes study of Subchapter S.
Federal Income Taxation of trusts, estates, and their beneficiaries. Grantor trusts. Income in respect of a decedent.
A study of the Federal income tax treatment of partners and partnerships (and entities classified as partnerships), including contributions to and distributions from partnerships, partnership operations, substantial economic effect regulations and special allocations, transfers of partnership interests, taxation of service partners, shifting of liabilities among partners, special basis adjustments, and terminations.
Administrative procedure before the Internal Revenue Service, rulings, compromise agreements, deficiency assessments, refunds, penalties, statutes of limitations, Tax Court jurisdiction and procedure.
The course is an introduction to the fields of employee benefits and executive compensation law. It addresses the federal income tax treatment of Deferred Compensation, Qualified Retirement Plans, Defined Benefit Retirement Plan Funding, Individual Retirement Accounts, Simplified Employee Pensions, American Retirement Plan Policy, Welfare Benefit Plans, The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), Labor Law, Employment Law and Employee Benefits , Governmental and Nonprofit Plans, Deferred and Incentive Compensation, Employment Agreements and Policy, and Employee Benefits in Mergers and Acquisitions.
Income tax and estate and gift tax planning for ndividuals. Pre-requisites: Estate and Gift Tax required, Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates (recommended).
Description of typical state taxes: Ad valorem (property), sales and use, individual and corporate income taxes. Study of federal cases and statutes that limit states in design of their tax systems.
Environmental law embraces a variety of laws that regulate our interaction with the natural and human environments: laws that regulate pollution, control land use, protect wildlife, ensure the safety of industrial chemicals, and restrict waste disposal are examples of environmental laws. Such laws exist on the municipal, state, federal, and international levels. Moreover, environmental law (perhaps more than most other types of law) inherently embraces other disciplines, such as environmental science and environmental economics.
The course examinies liability incurred in connection with health care delivery and finance, with the focus being on medical malpractice, informed consent and vicarious liabilty of institutional health care providers.
This advanced legal writing course provides second and third year students with an opportunity to draft documents of ten utilized in representing business entities. It focuses on teaching general components of drafting corporate documents.
The first arc of the Seminar exposes students to the leading theoretical perspectives on contract law and policy - philosophy, economics, psychology, and sociology. The second arc involves the theory of drafting contacts, sometimes known as transaction design or contract theory (by economists). The final arc considers the issue of enforcement and execution of contacts, an issue of critical relevance to anyone drafting contracts, counseling clients, or making policy arguments. Altogether, the seminar provides students with a toolkit they would otherwise lack which helps them to distinguish themselves in the workplace.
This course will cover the sources of international law recognizing and securing human rights to individuals and groups. It will also consider the theory and policy issues connected to the study of international human rights law, as well as issues of implementation of international human right law in domestic legal systems. The primary sources of law to be considered include the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1996 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, along with a number of other issue-specific sources.
The course will consider lawyers' use of litigation and policy advocacy as issues associated with representing individuals unable to affor legal representation.
This class, conducted largely in Spanish, will emphasize communication and conversation. Lessons will be tailored to the individual students' abilities.
This course is a study of the origins and development of English law, legal institutions and the legal profession.
This course examines jury selection, promotes the skills needed to be successful in the area of voir dire and jury selection and sharpens the skills for improving the chances of a favorable verdict at trial. The course is a professional skills course and requires student participation. Students will be assigned case files to review and develop voir dire and jury selection strategy.
This course will focus on documents a litigator needs to prepare for trial. Students will write several documents necessary at various stages of the litagation process.
Limited to members of the Alabama Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review.
Limited to editor in chief and managing editor of the Alabama Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review.
This course explores the law surrounding mental health. Both civil and criminal aspects are covered, including but not limited to civil commitment, the right to refuse treatment, antidiscrimination law, fitness to stand trial and the insanity defense.
This course will cover the treaties and other normative regimes which comprise the international legal framework for regulating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
This course offers a survey of adoption law. Students will learn historical and contemporary perspectives of adoption law including the application, selection and approval processes. Facets of various types of adoption such as intercountry, transracial, transcultural, stepparent, second-parent, kinship and same-sex adoptions will be considered. Also, recent developments in adoption law such as post-adoption contact, amendments of confidentiality statutes and efforts to eliminate barriers to adoption will be discussed. In this interdisciplinary course, law students will discuss psychological and sociological consequences of adoption as well as statutes, cases and regulations that govern adoption and the lawyer's role throughout the adoption process.
This course is designed for students who either (1) know they want to pursue the upper-level IP curriculum and, perhaps, a career in IP; (2) know they do not want to be IP lawyers, but understand that intellectual property is an important area of the law and wish to obtain a flavor of its basic principles; or (3) are dubious of the IP enterprise, and simply want to know more about IP so they can make an informed decision about upper-level curricular choices and career goals.
Lawyers have long played key roles in ushering in social change. From the early abolitionists to civil rights lawyers who lent their skills to the NAACP's campaign against segregation, to those litigating today on behalf of prisoners, immigration detainees, and Guantanamo Bay inmates, Lawyers have serviced as vital agents of social change. This class is for law students who wish to develop their skills as instigators of social change and have or wish to develop a specific plan to perform that role. You should have pre-existing interest, if only an inchoate one, of a law-reform nature that you would like to expand and clarify while in law school so as to land running after you graduate and take the bar. This course is for students who can see themselves working as movement lawyers, whether in solo fashion, as members of a litigation team at a specialized agency or think tank, or part-time as pro bone attorneys while working at a conventional legal job at a firm or agency.
This course deals with the principles and mechanics of tax consolidations, including eligibility, inter-company transactions, inventory adjustments, basis of property and subsidiaries, net operating losses and limitations on their utilization, earnings and profits, and loss disallowance rules.
This course will serve as a general introduction to professional ethics in the accounting and business environments. We will discuss the fundamental ethical issues of business and society, the roles and responsibilities of the accounting and auditing profession, ethical behavior by management, and legal and professional guidelines that address the ethical concerns of society.
Students will gain an understanding of basic accounting principles and the core objectives of accounting and financial reporting. Upon completing the course, students will be familiar with the three key financial statements – the balance sheet, the income statement and the statement of cash flows and have the ability to perform basic financial analysis. Key concepts will be reinforced with practical case work.
A student registered for independent study performs research under the supervision of a professor on a narrow topic of law. Prior to registering, the student and the professor execute a written agreement about the research. The agreement includes a description of the work to be done, a list of at least 2 learning goals of the research project, and a time frame for the project. Law students are limited to three hours of independent study toward graduation credit.
A student registered for independent study performs research under the supervision of a professor on a narrow topic of law. Prior to registering, the student and the professor execute a written agreement about the research. The agreement includes a description of the work to be done, a list of at least 2 learning goals of the research project, and a time frame for the project. Law students are limited to three hours of independent study toward graduation credit.
A student registered for independent study performs research under the supervision of a professor on a narrow topic of law. Prior to registering, the student and the professor execute a written agreement about the research. The agreement includes a description of the work to be done, a list of at least 2 learning goals of the research project, and a time frame for the project. Law students are limited to three hours of independent study toward graduation credit.
Public Policy analysis and argument is an essential part of the lawyer's job, whether in private or government practice or in other capacities. This class is designed to give students a vocabulary and toolkit that will enable them to better evaluate laws, legal decisions, and regulations, lend persuasiveness to their arguments about public policy, and,perhaps most important, interact not only with other lawyers, but with officials, experts, and professionals in other fields who are accustomed to public policy analysis. Through relevant readings, mixed with case studies, we will cover such tools and topics as behavioral economics, the legislative process, public choice, cost-benefit analysis, decision making under conditions of uncertainty, the importance of agenda setting, comparative institutional analysis, rent-seeking, and democratic experimentalism.
Following successful defense of the dissertation proposal, each JSD student enrolls in LAW 908 until completion of the research phase. Students work under the direction of a dissertation advisor until successful completion of the dissertation. Students complete 12 hours on research. Typically, students take 12 hours per semester, but not fewer than 3.
Following successful defense of the dissertation proposal, each JSD student enrolls in LAW 908 and 909 until completion of the dissertation. Students work under the direction of a dissertation advisor until successful completion of the dissertation. Students must complete a minimum of 24 hours of dissertation research and writing. The first 12 hours focus on research and the last 12 hours focus on writing. Typically, students take 12 hours per semester, but not fewer than 3 unless all requirements are met and one hour is needed for graduation.
Student Resources
The University of Alabama School of Law provides multiple forms of academic support services and resources to its students. The School of Law offers academic support workshops during a student's first year on such topics as study skills, time management, outlining, and exam writing. Students may also request one-on-one sessions to receive targeted instruction in areas such as classroom preparation, rule synthesis and legal analysis, and improving fundamental writing skills. In the spring semester of the first-year, students experiencing academic difficulties take a reduced load of courses and attend individualized instructional sessions.
Libraries
The Bounds Law Library is located in the east wing of the Law Center. Parking is available on the west side of the building, off of the 2nd Ave entrance to Coleman Coliseum.
Scholarship
Thanks to gifts from generous alumni and friends of the Law School, and the support of The University of Alabama and the Law School, we are able to provide a significant amount in merit scholarships to law students each year. Regardless of the application method used, all first-year Law School applicants are considered automatically for first-year scholarship - there is no separate application or additional materials required. Scholarships are awarded based on criteria established by the donors and the Scholarship Committee. Scholarship criteria include undergraduate grade point average and performance on the LSAT, and may also include other relevant factors, including economic background. The Law School Admissions Office notifies scholarship recipients of these awards.
A few second-and third-year merit scholarships may be available to students who did not receive scholarships as incoming first-year students. These awards depend on available funding and usually are based on academic performance. If funding is available, the Law School awards second- and third-year scholarships during the summer. Students are considered automatically for these awards.
Students with questions regarding merit scholarship awards may contact the Admissions office at admissions@law.ua.edu or (205) 348-5440.
Financial Aid
In addition to personal/family contribution and scholarships, many students also apply for federal financial aid to help fund their legal education. The University of Alabama participates in the Federal Direct Lending Program for federally guaranteed student loans, allowing students to borrow directly from the government instead of a private lender. Students interested in seeking financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
When a law student applies for financial aid by filling out of the FAFSA, the results of the application will be sent to The University Alabama in the forms of a Student Aid Report (SAR) if the student designates UA as an institution in the FAFSA. Following acceptance to the Law School, each student who applied for federal aid and designated UA receives a financial aid packet from Student Financial Aid. Additional information may be requested for the FAFSA or from The University of Alabama.
A Childcare Allowance can be added with documentation provided each year by the student for daycare or after-school care expenses.
The FAFSA may be completed online at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. More information on financial aid may be obtained by contacting Student Financial Aid, The University Alabama, Box 870162, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0162; (205) 348-6756 or by visiting 106 Student Services Center. Also, more information can be found at financialaid.ua.edu. Law students with questions regarding financial aid also may contact Cheryl Rollins at crollins@law.ua.edu or (205) 348-1123.
A special Note for Veterans and their Dependents - for information on educational benefits for qualified veterans and their dependents, please visit the Veteran and Military Affairs website. Amounts vary according to the type of benefit.
Accreditation
The University of Alabama is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral degrees. Questions about the accreditation of The University of Alabama may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Veterans Services
The Office of Veteran and Military Affairs provides assistance to veterans, reservists, service persons, and eligible dependents. The office processes all certifications that must be filed with the Department of Veteran and Military Affairs before educational benefits can be received. Students must register with the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs each semester to begin receiving or to continue receiving benefits. In addition to helping students apply for benefits and complete VA certifications, the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs provides academic, personal, and financial referrals to students in VA programs. VA sponsored work- study programs and tutoring are available to those who qualify. Students eligible for veterans benefits include VEAP veterans, reservists and veterans on the "New GI Bill," disabled veterans, dependents of persons who have total and permanent service-connected disabilities, and dependents of persons whose deaths were service-connected.
Information about services, application procedures, and compliance with VA requirements is available at the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, Houser Hall, Ste. 3000, or by contacting The University of Alabama, Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, Box 870251, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0251; 205- 348-0983.
GI Bill® Complaint Policy
For students receiving VA education benefits, any complaint against the school should be routed through the VA GI Bill Feedback System by going to the following link: https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/feedback.asp. The VA will then follow up through the appropriate channels to investigate the complaint and resolve it satisfactorily.
Law Terms for Federal VA Certification Purposes
Below is UA’s determination for VA purposes of how the academic policy for full-time status would apply to VA students for determining rate of pursuit for VA purposes: LAW POLICY FOR FULL-TIME STATUS WITHIN ANY SEMESTER = 10 HRS
To bring clarity and equity to this situation, the Office of Veteran & Military Affairs has established the following policy when certifying graduate students in non-standard terms that takes the academic policy of what the institution considers full time and allocates the policy's equivalent to the individual parts of the term when certifying benefits to the VA and is publishing this certification policy guidance to bring the institution into federal compliance by having this information published in UA's catalog. Otherwise, graduate students using benefits would be unfairly subjected to the lesser weighted undergraduate hours.
Residency for Tuition Purposes Policy
The Residency for Tuition Purposes policy addresses the residency of Veteran or members of the United States Armed Forces in accordance with PL 115-251 sec. 301.
Pending Payment Compliance
Pending Payment Compliance is in accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679(e) in accordance with PL 115-407 sec. 103.
Military Transcripts
Students are required to disclose all prior training. Evaluation of all prior transcripts will be completed in accordance with [38 CFR 21.4254(c)(4); 4253(d)(3)]. Students must submit transcripts by the end of their first term of enrollment. Failure to submit transcripts will result in a loss of VA funding after the second term of enrollment.
VA students are not allowed to receive VA Educational Benefits for courses in which they have earned credit. VA students are not allowed to repeat courses in which they have a passing grade unless a higher grade is required to pursue their course of study.