First Week Assignments
Fall 2023
Family Law
Class 1, August 22: Introduction and Syllabus Review. Defining Family.
Pre-Class Assignment: Define “family” in 1-2 sentences
Reading: Family Law (FL) Ch. 1; Kohm, Lynne Marie, The Spirit of the Family Law Attorney (May 31, 2023). Virginia Lawyer Vol. 77 No. 1 June 2023, pp 26-28, Available at SSRN:
https://ssrn.com/abstract=4465125 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4465125.
Class 2: August 24: The Importance of Being a Family.
Reading: Fl. Ch. 2 pgs. 27-95
Federal Courts (#267)
Professor Michael S. McGinniss
Required Textbook: The required textbook (“Text”) is James E. Pfander, Federal Jurisdiction (4th ed. 2021) (West Academic), and the required Casebook is Jonathan R. Siegel, Federal Courts: Cases and Materials (3rd ed. 2023) (Aspen Publishing). Bound and electronic editions of both books are available from the publishers. In addition, access to the Text is available to students via the Law Library’s subscription to the West Academic Study Aids database. If you need assistance with accessing that database, please reach out to either David Haberman (david.haberman@und.edu) or Jon Voigt (jonathan.voight@und.edu) in the Law Library.
You are welcome to use either a print copy or an electronic version of the Text and/or Casebook, as you may prefer. The final examination for this course will be closed book.
At about 9:30 am on Wednesday, August 16, via Campus Connection, I plan to email to students registered for the course the password for accessing (on TWEN) the Syllabus, certain materials that will be included along with the Text and Casebook in assigned readings during the semester, and other materials of interest. If you register for the course after 9:30 am on August 16, please email me at michael.mcginniss@und.edu (note spelling “ss”) to request the password.
Class 1—Tuesday, August 22
The Nature of the Judicial Function Text: 15-26
Judicial Review and Its Justification; Casebook: 3-23
the “Private Rights”-“Public Rights” Dichotomy
Class 2—Thursday, August 24
Justiciability: Standing to Sue Text: 36-43
Foundations of Standing Doctrine; Casebook: 40-64;
Requirement of Injury Prob. 2-6 to
2-9 (p. 64)
Professional Responsibility (#236)
Professor Michael S. McGinniss
Required Textbook: The required textbook is the Seventh Edition (2020) of Nathan M. Crystal & Grace M. Giesel, Professional Responsibility: Problems of Practice and the Profession (“Text”). The required Supplement is the 2023 and 2024 Edition of Lisa G. Lerman, Philip G. Schrag, & Anjum Gupta, Ethical Problems in the Practice of Law: Model Rules, State Variations, and Practice Questions, which contains the complete ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (with Comments) (“MR”), as well as an excellent selection of multiple-choice questions that will be assigned for class, along with very helpful explanatory answers.
You are welcome to use either a print copy or an electronic version of the Textbook and/or Supplement, as you may prefer. The final examination in this course will be closed book.
At about 9:30 am on Wednesday, August 16, via Campus Connection, I plan to email to students registered for the course the password for accessing (on TWEN) the Syllabus, certain materials that will be included along with the Text and Supplement in assigned readings during the semester, and other materials of interest. If you register for the course after 9:30 am on August 16, please email me at michael.mcginniss@und.edu (note spelling “ss”) to request the password.
Class 1 - Monday, August 21
Foundations of Professional Responsibility: Text: 1-21
Lawyers as Responsible Fiduciaries, MR: 8.4, 8.3, 4.3
Officers of the Court, and Persons Questions: Rule Review (8.4,
pp.12-13, 643)
Class 2 - Wednesday, August 23
Going Beyond the Rules: Text: 21-38, 59-63
Conceptions of the Lawyer’s Role and MR: Preamble & Scope, 2.1
Developing Your Philosophy of Lawyering Questions: Problem 1-1 (p. 26);
Assessments 1-1 to 1-3 (pp. 62-63)