Practice-Oriented Courses

In addition to clinics and externships a significant number of our upper-level courses are all about acquiring the knowledge and practicing the skills necessary to excel in a host of cutting edge and traditional practice areas. Teachers of these courses are accomplished lawyers and jurists at the top of their games. Note: not all courses listed below meet the Experiential Credits graduation requirement.

Here are some examples of practice-oriented courses:

• Real Estate Negotiation & Drafting
  Theresa Shea, vice president, general counsel to LMC Properties, the real estate subsidiary of Lockheed Martin ​
   
• Federal Court Practice
  Honorable Kim R. Gibson, United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
   
• Legal Journalism
  Cindy Simmons, senior lecturer in Penn State’s College of Communications 
   
• Federal Criminal Practice
  Hon. John E. Jones III and Hon. Christopher Conner, both of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
   
• National Security Law
  Adm. James Houck, retired head of the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Corps ​
   
• Trial Advocacy
  Christopher C. French, former litigation partner at K&L Gates, LLP and professor of practice
   
• Negotiation and Mediation 
   
• Business Planning for Mergers & Acquisitions I and Business Planning for Mergers & Acquisitions II
  Samuel C. Thompson Jr., professor and director of the Center for the Study of Mergers & Acquisitions 
   
• Higher Education Law Practice
  Keith Elkin, Assistant Dean of Academic and Student Affairs and Professor of Legal Skills 
   
• Business Planning for Small Business Enterprises
   
• Business Reorganization
   
• Electronic Evidence Seminar
  Hon. Thomas I. Vanaskie serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 
   
• Federal Regulatory and Legislative Practice Seminar
  Stan Brand, founding member of the Brand Law Group representing corporations, trade associations, labor unions, and individuals in major justice department, grand jury and independent counsel investigations and trial proceedings.
   
• Information Privacy and Security Law
   
• Mediation of Environmental and Public Conflicts
  Lara Fowler, attorney and mediator specializing in environmental and natural resources issues and former water resources coordinator with Oregon Water Resources Department ​
   
• Pennsylvania Criminal Law Practice
  Hon. Richard A. Lewis, Dauphin Court of Common Pleas​
   
• Probate Practice