General Course Descriptions for Terms: labor
743 - Negotiations/Mediation
This course examines both negotiation and mediation as they are used to put deals together, resolve disputes and settle legal claims. Students will resolve mock disputes and settle mock legal claims in class. Students learn about competitive bargaining and collaborative problem- solving and acquire insight into the management of the tension between these approaches. Through simulated exercises, students develop skills and confidence as negotiators, including awareness of the psychological aspects of dispute resolution and barriers to consensus. The course involves substantial interpersonal engagement. The first half of the course will focus on development of each student’s individual negotiation skills. The second half of the course will delve into the mediation process and techniques from the perspective of both mediators and lawyers who represent clients in mediation. Several practicing lawyers will share their personal experiences in both negotiation and mediation settings. This is a 2 credit, mandatory pass/fail, limited enrollment course. Evaluation of students will be based on class participation, completion of assignments, regular class attendance, and participation in negotiation and mediation simulations (in class and mid-term which is video-taped outside of class).
745 - Labor & Employment Law
The formal title of this course, Law 745, is “Labor Relations” but, more accurately, should be called “Introduction to Labor & Employment Law.” “Labor law” typically refers to “traditional” labor law, i.e., legal issues involving unions and/or arising under the National Labor Relations Act, and public sector labor laws. “Employment law” is everything else: individual employment rights; discrimination law; family medical leave, health and safety, plant closing notice laws, and wage and hour law. This course is intended to be a sampler platter, of sorts. The goal is to get a taste of each of the more interesting areas that comprise Labor & Employment law.
815 - Appellate Advocacy-Moot Court (skills-building)
Students admitted to Moot Court develop and refine their skills in appellate brief writing and oral advocacy. They work on collaboration, team-building, and peer-review skills. They use critique and feedback to hone their skills. They write and revise an appellate brief, which may satisfy their upper-level writing requirement. They participate in multiple rounds of simulated appellate oral arguments and receive feedback and coaching. The course culminates in an intramural moot court competition. Teams for external moot court competitions are chosen from the class. As representatives of the Law School, external teams engage in regional and national brief-writing and oral-advocacy competitions against students of other law schools.
940 - Employment Law
This is a course in “Employment law”. (“Labor law” typically refers to “traditional” labor law, i.e., legal issues involving unions and/or arising under the National Labor Relations Act, and public sector labor laws.) “Employment law” is everything else: individual employment rights; discrimination law; family medical leave, health and safety, plant closing notice laws, and wage and hour law. .
950 - Spanish for Lawyers
Description: Spanish for Lawyers is intended to aid fluent or highly proficient Spanish speakers develop vocabularies to facilitate more effective attorney communications with Spanish-speaking clients who possess limited English proficiency. This course is not intended for law students with beginning or intermediate Spanish language skills. The course is appropriate for law students whose Spanish proficiency is high (can speak and understand at an advanced level, even if not fluent). The course will introduce Spanish legal terminology in such areas as immigration law, criminal law, employment law, family law, and housing. The emphasis will be on speaking and listening comprehension. Students will also be given coursework assignments, including but not limited to grammar exercises, to assist students with Spanish mastery. Class instruction will be primarily in the Spanish language and will be conducted remotely. Finally, the 2-credit course will be graded on a mandatory pass-fail basis. Instructor: Perla J. Rubio Terrones is a UW Law alumni currently practicing immigration law as a staff attorney with Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) in El Paso, Texas. Prior to her role with KIND, she was a Clinical Instructor at the Immigrant Justice Clinic of the University of Wisconsin Law School and previously taught the Spanish for Lawyers course during the Spring semester of 2021. Throughout her legal experience, Perla has used her Spanish skills to represent clients, collaborate with community leaders, and work together with federal representatives and stakeholders. Her experience has taught her the importance of utilizing her language skills for the benefit of those with limited language access. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with future attorneys that will use their legal profession to serve Spanish-speaking communities.
988 - SP Environmental Law: Food Systems Law
Trade tariffs, fecal water pollution, and migrant workers’ rights: these are all issues that have been in the news this year. A common thread: these issues all affect, and are affected by, aspects of our food system and the laws surrounding this system. This course explores the various legal structures surrounding the governance of our food system; we will cover environmental regulation (or lack thereof), food safety laws, agricultural laws, trade laws, and labor laws.