Wills, Trusts, & Estates

Federal income tax is life. This class lives in a statute, the Internal Revenue Code. It focuses on reading, interpreting, and applying the rules of the Code. It is primarily a statutory interpretation class. Students will calculate the federal income tax liabilities of taxpayers by determining each taxpayer's gross income, determining and subtracting above the line deductions, noting adjusted gross income, subtracting either itemized deductions or the standard deduction, applying tax rates, and then calculating and subtracting any available tax credits. We will do calculations using only the +, -, multiply, and divide functions on a $5ish calculator.

This course focuses on the laws regarding the status, treatment, and disposition of human remains. We are in the midst of a "death revolution" in the United States - cremation rates are rising fast and traditional funeral service providers are under stress. This course examines these trends and the role that the law is playing in shaping and responding to social norms and economic realities. Students will engage in significant legal research and writing in this course, "representing" a non-traditional funeral services provider and analyzing the provider's ability to operate under existing laws.

Law firms that represent business entities must understand the needs and expectations of those entities to succeed. Many such entities have in-house lawyers who, among other things, manage those entities' relationships with law firms, so the expectations and wishes of those in-house lawyers will ultimately determine the success of the law firms with which they work. This course will introduce you to the world of corporate law departments and in-house lawyers. What perspective do in-house lawyers apply to their companies' law-related problems and issues? How do they work with and manage external resources such as law firms? We'll speak with current and former in-house lawyers and we'll cover the scope of the role of in-house lawyers and corporate law departments, how their presence has impacted the legal profession, and how their perspectives will continue to shape how lawyers, both in-house and outside the client organization, can better serve that organization by delivering legal service of higher value to the business.

An exploration of how laws address family relationships: the rights and responsibilities of family members to each other, the rights and responsibilities of family members to third parties, and how these rights and responsibilities are enforced at divorce. Special attention will be paid to the family law issues arising most frequently in a family law practice – asset and liability division, alimony, child support, child custody, and modification of prior orders.