Academic Calendar

Keys and Symbols Reference

Introduction to the historical context to the nature, study, practice, and operations of law in the United States.

First Year Course.

Required.

This course is an introduction to the study of Constitutional Law. The focus will be on the structural framework established by the Constitution, including principles of federalism and the role of the Supreme Court in policing the constitutional order. Among other things, we will study the doctrine of judicial review, the reach of federal legislative power, limits on the reach of state power, the workings of the Supreme Court, and separation of powers and limits on the exercise of federal judicial power.

First Year Course.

Required.

In an industrial society characterized by a "free" enterprise system and notions of individual freedom, "contract" is one of the primary means by which private individuals order their affairs. The contracts course inquires into why promises are enforced as contracts, which promises are enforced, and how they are enforced. The course places emphasis on close and critical analyses of court decisions.

First Year Course.

Required

This course considers the general principles of substantive criminal law and evaluates them in terms of the various purposes that justify a system of criminal punishment. It will include an analysis of the doctrines of mens rea attempt, complicity, and conspiracy as well as certain crimes such as homicide and certain defenses such as self-defense.

First Year Course.

Required.

This course will introduce students to sources of international law, states, international organizations and non-governmental organizations, international dispute settlement, jurisdiction, human rights, international humanitarian law, and the use of force. This is a three-credit course that is open to first year as well as second and third year law students.

Second and Third Year Course.

ELA I is the foundational legal analysis and communication course. In the context of a problem-solving approach to legal writing students learn how to do the information gathering, pre-thinking and argument development that are essential to good legal communication. 

First Year Course.

Required.

First Year Course.

Required.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

This course is an introduction to the basic concepts of property law, focusing on the role of possession in allocating the various rights and responsibilities connected with personal and real property. The course covers acquisition of initial property rights, adverse possession, donative transfers, the evolution and nomenclature of interests in estates in land and future interests, concurrent property rights, and may also include marital property rights or takings.

First Year Course.

Required.

Torts is an introduction to the system governing civil liability for wrongs. Course coverage focuses on the tort of negligence. As time permits, other torts are analyzed.

First Year Course.

Required.

Civil Procedure I is an introduction to procedures employed by state and federal courts for resolution of civil disputes. The course investigates the process of forum selection, the rules implementing the requirement of notice and an opportunity to be heard, the pleadings stage of litigation, the discovery process, and the summary judgment mechanism as a device for terminating litigation prior to trial. 

First Year Course.

Required.

This course builds on core concepts and tools learned in ELA I with a focus on argumentation and rhetoric as the means to building strong and persuasive documents and presentations. Students continue to practice the process of legal writing as they research, analyze, organize, write and revise litigation-related documents.

First Year Course.

Required.

This course is designed to introduce law students to legal, business, and creative aspects of the entertainment industry. The course will cover copyright, contracts, compensation, credit, and First Amendment issues related to the film, television, music, and videogame segments of the entertainment industry. 

Second and Third Year Course.

This course teaches you how to be a trial lawyer through actual preparation and presentation of all segments of a trial. Students will learn techniques of basic direct and cross-examinations, impeachment, handling exhibits and demonstrative evidence, jury selection, opening and closing statements, advanced direct and cross-examination, and examination of expert witnesses. 

Second and Third Year Course.

Students in this course will study the law governing the attributes of corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies, and how these business associations are organized, operated, merged, dissolved, and acquired. As part of this course, students will be faced with problems involving claims against and the defense of business associations and their agents, and tasked with drafting incorporation documents based on factual situations.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course introduces students to all aspects of security interests in personal property collateral, including creation, perfection, priorities (between competing security interests and between security interests and other property interest), and enforcement of security interests (including repossession/sale of collateral and distribution of sale proceeds). 

Second and Third Year Course.

The course examines the property rights of married couples, focusing nespecially on New Mexico community property law, with a comparison to the marital property law of other states. It covers community property ownership and management rights during marriage, at death, and at divorce, and an examination of choice of law issues. 

Second and Third Year Course.

This course involves an in-depth inquiry into the building blocks of civil rights law; freedom of expression (speech and press), equal protection, due process, and religious freedom. There will be discussion of litigation strategy and the decision-making processes of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course will cover the pretrial stages of a criminal case and the Constitution's impact on criminal procedure. Classes will focus upon criminal/constitutional issues with emphasis on the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. Subjects covered will include searches and seizures, statements/confessions, due process, and line-ups.

Second and Third Year Course.

The Health Law course is a traditional law school course that will focus on the fundamental legal principles underlying the provision of health care in the United States. Using a practical problem-oriented approach, we will discuss quality control in health care, Confidentiality, cost and access, and the business structure of the healthcare enterprise.

Second and Third Year Course.

The course will consider the principles of law and rules governing the admissibility of testimonial and documentary proof in civil and criminal trials, including the concept of relevancy, the use of demonstrative evidence, direct and cross-examination of witnesses, impeachment of credibility, expert testimony, and hearsay. 

Second and Third Year Course.

In this course we will examine the impact of the law on the formation and dissolution of intimate partner relationships and on parent-child relationships. Topics will include: cohabitation and prenuptial agreements; marriage, including the history of interracial and same-sex marriage; divorce, including collaborative divorces; child custody and support; spousal support; property division; jurisdictional issues; motions practice in family law cases; and domestic violence in intimate partner relationships.

Second and Third Year Course.

The goals of the course are for the student to acquire: (1) a broad perspective as to the application and impact of the federal income tax in a variety of transactions; (2) practice in using the legal materials of taxation, especially the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury Regulations; and (3) an understanding of the policies underlying various IRC provisions, i.e., how the tax system is used to influence behavior and thus promote various social and economic policies.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course examines how the courts, legislative bodies and administrative agencies have adapted basic principles of property, contract and tort law to address the unique issues related to the development and production of oil and gas resources. The course will explore the nature of the interests created out of the oil and gas mineral estate and how these interests are protected.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course examines the legal rules governing the allocation, use, and management of water resources. The focus is primarily on the western U.S. The course also briefly addresses the law of interstate waters; water rights for federal and tribal lands in the West; water supply institutions, including New Mexico's acequias; and the application of the Endangered Species Act to water resources.

Second and Third Year Course.

This training seminar provides people with the opportunity to learn how to negotiate effectively and understand the theory and practice of mediation as a method of alternative dispute resolution. We will use simulations, small group exercises, and concept presentations based on realistic problems to provide an intensive, practice-oriented experience.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

This course focuses on the mediation of parenting, support, and property issues in divorce and post-decree cases. Simulations of family mediations will be the primary training tool. The classroom focus will be on analysis of the mediation process and psychological issues of parenting and divorce in the context of New Mexico's legal structure. 

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

This course explores the role of the federal courts, the nature of federal judicial power, its clashes with Congress, and its relationship with state and tribal systems. The course includes coverage of federal civil rights law and immunities, federal court abstention doctrines, the deference given to tribal courts, and the writ of habeas corpus.

Second and Third Year Course.

This is a one credit course designed to teach students the basic rights of consumers in various forms of consumer transactions. The course focuses on money law, money management, and the regulation of consumer credit and credit reporting.

Second and Third Year Course.

The National Moot Court Competition is held each March in conjunction with the Hispanic National Bar Association Annual Mid-Year Conference. This competition is co-sponsored by the Hispanic National Bar Foundation, the HNBA’s 501 (c)(3) sister organization. It provides law students with the opportunity to hone their brief writing and oral advocacy skills while exploring a complex legal issue.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

Wills and Trusts explores the ways by which an individual’s property passes at death; how individuals may affect that passage by creating a will or will substitute like a trust during lifetime; what the law requires for a will or will substitute to be enforceable; the extent to which the law may limit the disinheritance of a surviving spouse or child; and how fiduciaries administer estates and trusts.

Second and Third Year Course.

Second and Third Year Course.

The purpose of the NNALSA Moot Court Competition is to create opportunities to promote the objectives of the NNALSA Mission Statement, actively encourage the development of the oral advocacy and brief-writing skills of NNALSA members, as well as enhance substantive knowledge in the fields of federal Indian law, tribal law and traditional forms of governance.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

This course introduces students to the U.S. legal system and study of law. Topics: the legal method, the common law system, judicial case and statutory analyses, the legal profession, and core areas of the law.

Restriction: permission of instructor.

This course surveys statutory and case law concerning federal lands, including undesignated Bureau of Land Management rangelands, National Forests, National Parks, and Monument Designations, while introducing students to environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, conservation transactions, wildlife, the Endangered Species Act, oil and gas and coal leasing, and hard rock mining on federal lands.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course will prepare the students selected for participation in the National Mock Trial Competition. The course involves intensive trial practice sessions with the objective of developing trial practice and oral advocacy skills.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

Research, writing, and publication, as well as editing and processing materials for publication.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

This course will stress and teach the basic legal terminology that is used in our judicial system in a variety of practice settings. The course will strive to give the practitioner a basic understanding of the legal framework that their Spanish speaking clients come from if they are from countries with civil system traditions. Basic terminology will be taught in the areas of criminal law, domestic relations and minor civil disputes. 

Second and Third Year Course.

This course is designed to give students an introductory working knowledge of the major federal environmental laws addressing toxic substances, waste management, air pollution, water pollution, environmental impact assessment, and biodiversity. 

Second and Third Year Course.

This course examines the power of the Indian tribes and the relationships among tribes, states, and the United States. Emphasis will be given to jurisdictional interfaces and conflicts among the three sovereignties.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course examines the power of the Indian tribes and the relationships among tribes, states, and the United States. Emphasis will be given to jurisdictional interfaces and conflicts among the three sovereignties.

Second and Third Year Course.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

A course exploring a topic not covered by the standard curriculum but of interest to faculty and students in a particular semester. Second and Third Year Course.

A student and full-time law school faculty member may agree to an individual research project for one, two, or three hours of credit. It is anticipated that the student will meet with the faculty member regularly during the completion of the project to review the work being done. A written product normally is expected, but its length and content shall be determined by the supervising faculty member.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

Students enrolled in the Law of Indigenous Peoples class will be invited to join the Tribal Law Journal staff for the fall and spring semesters of their second and third years. Students will meet throughout the year to learn Bluebook citations, how to cite sources of traditional law, editing and source checking scholarly papers.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

The editor(s) of the Tribal Law Journal will work with the Editor-in-Chief in soliciting and selecting for publication articles submitted to the journal on internal indigenous law. Student editors will work collaboratively with authors to create a final product that reflects the mission of the journal, and at the same time, maintains the integrity of the authors’ work.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

Students enrolled in the Law of Indigenous Peoples class will be invited to join the Tribal Law Journal staff for the fall and spring semesters of their second and third years. Students will meet throughout the year to learn Bluebook citations, how to cite sources of traditional law, editing and source checking scholarly papers.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

Advanced Constitutional Rights no longer has a pre-requisite fall semester. All students who have taken Constitutional Rights can enroll in Advanced Constitutional Rights. This course will delve into First Amendment, a topic so vast and complicated that an entire year can be easily consumed studying it. If time permits, the course will also review other topics.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course continues the analysis (begun in Civil Procedure I) of the procedural stages of a simple lawsuit, considers special problems raised by complex litigation, and explores alternatives to traditional litigation as a means of resolving disputes.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course will analyze state and federal statutes and common law relied upon in the typical practice of employment law, including the at-will employment doctrine and its exceptions, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the American with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Equal Pay Act, Wage and Hour law, Unemployment Compensation, Workers Compensation, the New Mexico Human Rights Act, etc. 

Second and Third Year Course.

This course explores private real property land-use arrangements, including problems arising under land sale contracts, deed formalities and construction, the recording system, and non-possessory interests in land such as easements, real covenants, and equitable servitudes. The course also covers other topics related to interests in real property and the use of real property, including landlord/tenant law and nuisance.

Second and Third Year Course.

Administrative Law focuses on the roles of government agencies, the legal framework for agency decisions, and the issues presented when agency decisions are challenged in court.  Major topics include agency rulemaking and adjudication procedures; agency use of guidance; standards that apply when courts review agency decisions; and questions of judicial reviewability.

Second and Third Year Course.

In this course, we will study Articles 2 and 2A of the Uniform Commercial Code, which cover the sale and leases of goods. This course expands on concepts from Contracts. In addition, we will consider the CISG (the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods), which can override the UCC as adopted by U.S. states. The focus of this course will be practical and problem-based. 

Second and Third Year Course.

The focus of this course will be on the process of Supreme Court decision-making. The course also will look at the Supreme Court as an institution, and will examine the selection of Supreme Court justices and the role played by the modern Supreme Court. Finally, the class will also engage in exercises based on a case selected from the Supreme Court's pending docket.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course will focus on the aspects of criminal procedure that are not covered in Criminal Procedure I. Using a problem-oriented approach, this class will cover topics such as: charging decisions, bail, preliminary hearings, grand jury proceedings, discovery, Brady issues, double jeopardy, joinder and severance, speedy trial, plea bargaining, effective assistance of counsel, sentencing, and habeas corpus.

This class will also be open to first year students.

This course provides a historical and a contemporary perspective on the internal law of Indigenous peoples, domestically and internationally. This course is intended to familiarize students not only with traditional and contemporary aspects of the internal law of tribes. The tremendous influence exerted by outside forces on the internal law of Indigenous peoples will also be considered in a critical manner.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course explores the role of debt, credit, and debt forgiveness in a capitalist society. It covers state court collection procedures, the main provisions of the three primary chapters of the Bankruptcy Code: Chapter 7 liquidation, Chapter 13 wage-earner rehabilitation, and Chapter 11 reorganization.

Second and Third Year Course.

The different types of relief covered by the course include: Damages, Restitution, and Equitable Remedies of Injunction, Specific Performance, Constructive Trust, Accounting, and Equitable Lien. While reviewing these remedies, we will concentrate on which is the preferable remedy, considering the harm that the plaintiff has suffered.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course will focus on trial procedure, evidence, and trial skills utilizing lectures and class discussions on the principles of evidence and trial skills; demonstrations of trial skills; practice sessions in which each student performs various exercises to learn trial skills; individual review with me of videotapes of the trial practice performances; and a mock jury trial.

Second and Third Year Course.

Land Use Law provides the law student with the background principles of land use law and acquaints the law student with federal, state and local statutes, ordinances and regulations which regulate land use. Students learn the appropriate legal source material for land use law. They are required to submit a written project which utilizes their course knowledge and research skills in the context of a local land use problem.

 Second and Third Year Course.

This course is limited to second year students who are selected through a writing competition. Coursework includes research, writing, proofing, and preparing materials for publication. Under editorial supervision, staff members are required to write a case note or comment of publishable quality in their first year on the NMLR. Concurrent enrollment in a Legal Research course is highly encouraged.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

This course will study the application of antitrust, constitutional, contract, international, labor and tort law, and other laws in sports. Field trips (perhaps out of town) to one or more games or a competition will be involved. The course may also include guest speakers. Students will participate in a negotiation exercise, including the drafting of a strategy memo and contrast terms, and will write a paper.

Second and Third Year Course.

The National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition is an annual inter-law school appellate moot court competition sponsored by Pace University School of Law.  The purpose of the competition is to develop expertise in environmental law appellate advocacy.

Restriction 2L and 3L students only.

Second and Third Year Course.

Topics course for occasional offerings that will be available for both law and graduate (regular and non-matriculated) students. Most of the use will be for special topics courses taught in summer institute(s).

This course will focus on both the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses of the First Amendment. The course also will look at many contemporary First Amendment issues. This course will examine various issues in the context of the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise clause. The class will be taught in a seminar format, and lively discussion is both expected and encouraged.

Second and Third Year Course.

This 3 credit hours course examines the multitude of issues involving the immigrants and the law. Starting with the historical origins of the United States immigration law, the course will focus on family and employer sponsored immigration, asylum, naturalization, exclusion, and deportation regulations. The impact of the US Patriot Act will also be explored. 

Second and Third Year Course.

This course is limited to third year members of the NMLR and includes research, writing, proofing, preparing materials for publication, and the opportunity to be published.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

This course surveys the components of Intellectual Property Law, including the Law of Ideas, Copyrights, the Right of Publicity, Trademark Law, Unfair Competition Law, Trade Secrets, Patent Law. The marketing of Intellectual Property related goods represents one of the most dynamic sectors of the U.S. and world economy. U.S. exports of all intellectual property products are second only to those of aircraft.

Second and Third Year Course.

Pretrial Practice follows the management of a civil lawsuit from establishing an attorney-client relationship through a settlement conference. The emphasis is on the strategies and tactics of litigation and solving real-world pretrial problems. Students will be assigned to represent either a plaintiff or a defendant in a simulated case. It is helpful to have taken civil procedure and evidence before enrolling in this course.

Second and Third Year Course.

This course will provide students with an opportunity for experiential learning to hone skills that they will use in their everyday practice with clients, colleagues, and opposing counsel. These skills include preparation, active listening, formulating appropriate questions, relaying difficult or complex information, and advocating on a client’s behalf. The course will focus on three distinct skills – interviewing a client, counseling a client, and negotiating on the client’s behalf.

Second and Third Year Course.

Law Office Externs are law students who are placed under the supervision of a practicing lawyer to obtain knowledge and experience in the practice of law. While working with their supervising attorney, students have the opportunity to gain valuable practical skills in a real-world setting. 

Prerequisite: Completion of first year curriculum.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

The Community Lawyering Clinic provides outreach legal services in partnership with local community service providers, including non-legal disciplines. MLAC law students represent children, caregivers, and families to address non-biological factors affecting children’s health. Students represent clients in Family Court, Children’s Court (juvenile delinquency), and other venues as necessary.

Clinical Program.

Required.

The Southwest Indian Law Clinic (SILC) provides high quality legal representation and clinical practice experience in Indian Country. SILC students may represent individual clients and/or tribal groups or Indian communities. 

Clinical Program.

Required.

Second and Third Year Course.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

This course will be led by Professor Leo Romero or Professor Joshua Kastenberg. The professor will be assisted by four adjuncts--two adjuncts assigned to the course by the Bernalillo County Public Defender’s Office and by two assigned by the 13th Judicial District Attorney's Office.

Pre-req.: Evidence, co-req.: Ethics

Highly Recommended: Criminal Procedure I, Criminal Procedure II, Trial Practice, Evidence & Trial Practice

Second and Third Year Course.

The Judicial Extern Program provides law students with a candid first hand experience in the judicial decision-making process. This is accomplished by placing students in a judge or justice's office for a specified number of hours each week to work directly with the judge in daily decision-making tasks.

Prerequisite: Completion of first year curriculum.

Clinical Program.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

This course studies the rules governing the professional conduct of lawyers and explores the values of the legal system which justify and explain those rules. Specific subject matter includes: the duties of competence, confidentiality, and loyalty; acquisition and retention of clients; and problems concerning the manner of representation. 

Second and Third Year Course.

Required.

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