The Lawyer As...

While our required curriculum provides a firm foundation for profession-readiness, you have ample room to choose electives in your second- and third-year of law school. To help inform your selection, we have organized our elective curriculum around the substantive ways that lawyers use their training—what we call “The Lawyer As...”
The Lawyer As Business Advisor
Contracts
Business Entities I: Unincorporated Business Entities
Business Entities II: Corporations
International Business Transactions
Business Planning for Small Business Enterprises
Entrepreneurship Law: Company Creation
Entrepreneurship Law: Operational Issues
Federal Securities Regulation
Nonprofit Organizations
Accounting for Lawyers
Lawyering and Ethics for the Business Attorney Seminar
White-Collar Crime
Sales
Secured Transactions
Consumer Protection
Bankruptcy
Banking Regulation
Payment Systems
Construction Law
Internships
- Office of Attorney General Antitrust Section
- Office of General Counsel
- Department of Banking & Securities
- Department of State
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (Securities and Exchange Commission; U.S. Department of the Treasury; U.S. Department of Commerce; U.S. Agency for Economic Development)
Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (PA Department of Labor and Industry; PA Department of Banking)
The Lawyer As Civil Rights Advocate
Trial Advocacy (Advocacy I)
Civil Liberties Litigation
Constitutional Law I
Constitutional Law II
First Amendment — Free Speech
Law and Individuals with Disabilities
Employment Discrimination
Election Law
International Human Rights
Protection of Individual Rights Under State Constitutions Seminar
Race, Racism, and American Law Seminar
Immigration Law
National Security Law
Poverty Law
Criminal Procedure
Advanced Criminal Procedure
Post-Conviction Process
Federal Courts
Nonprofit Organizations
Administrative Law
Regulatory and Legislative Practice Seminar
In-House Clinics
- Community Law Clinic — handling cases in family, disability, housing, and public benefits law
- Children’s Advocacy Clinic
Internships
- MidPenn Legal Services (Carlisle and Harrisburg)
- Community Justice Project
- Federal Judicial Placements
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR); Human Rights Watch)
Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (YWCA Domestic Violence Legal Center; Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission)
International Justice Internship
The Lawyer As Conflict Resolver
General Dispute Resolution
- Negotiation/Mediation
- Client Counseling
- Arbitration: Domestic and International
- Congressional Investigations Seminar
- Dispute System Design Seminar
General Civil Litigation in the United States
- Civil Procedure
- Trial Advocacy (Advocacy I)
- Advanced Trial Advocacy (Advocacy II)
- Federal Courts
- Pennsylvania Practice
- Evidence
- Electronic Evidence Seminar
- Remedies
General Criminal Litigation in the United States
- Criminal Procedure
- Advanced Criminal Procedure
- Federal Criminal Practice
- Pennsylvania Criminal Law Practice
- Post-Conviction Process
Substantive Law-Specific Procedure in the United States
- Administrative Law
- Bankruptcy
- Torts
- Regulatory and Legislative Practice Seminar
In-House Clinics
- Children’s Advocacy Clinic
- Community Law Clinic
Courses that include some negotiation:
- Entrepreneuership Law: Company Creation
- Entrepreneuership Law: Operational Issues
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. (National Labor Relations Board; U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; AFL-CIO)
Judicial Internships
The Lawyer As Consumer Advocate
Contracts
Sales
Secured Transactions
Bankruptcy
Payment Systems
Banking Regulation
Communications Law
Construction Law
Energy Law and Policy
Nonprofit Organizations
Congressional Investigations Seminar
Internships
- Office of Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection
- Public Utility Commission
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, Federal Trade Commission, AARP Legal Council for the Elderly)
Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (PA Office of the Attorney General, PA Department of Banking)
The Lawyer As Employment Advisor
Employment Law
Labor Law
Employment Discrimination
Employee Benefits Law
Law and Individuals with Disabilities
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (National Labor Relations Board; U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; AFL-CIO)
Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (PA Department of Labor and Industry)
Internships
- Office of General Counsel
- Department of State
- Department of Health
- PA Department of Transportation
- Office of General Counsel, Department of Public Welfare
- State Civil Service Commission
- Penn State Health
The Lawyer As Entrepreneur, Manager and Leader
Professional Responsibility
Cross-Border Legal Practice Seminar
Accounting for Lawyers
Entrepreneuership Law: Company Creation
Entrepreneuership Law: Operational Issues
Law Practice Management
Client Counseling
Negotiation/Mediation
Trial Advocacy (Advocacy I)
Advanced Trial Advocacy (Advocacy II)
Dispute System Design Seminar
Lawyering and Ethics for the Business Attorney Seminar
Strategic Legal Research
Writing Workshop
Writing and Editing for Lawyers
Regulatory and Legislative Practice Seminar
Nonprofit Organizations
Internships
- PA School Board Associations
- Judicial Placements
- Judicial Conduct Board
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (American Bar Association; U.S. Agency for International Development; AFL-CIO)
The Lawyer As Environmental and Energy Advocate
Environmental Law
Administrative Law
State and Local Governmental Law
Agricultural Law
Law of the Sea
Energy Law and Policy
Nonprofit Organizations
Congressional Investigations Seminar
Internships
- Office of General Counsel Department of Environmental Protection
- Office of General Counsel Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Department of Justice; Food and Water Watch; U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (PA Department of Environmental Protection; Environmental Hearing Board)
The Lawyer As Family Advisor
Family Law
Education Law
Wills, Trusts, and Estates
Estate Planning
Gender and Sexuality Law
Elder Law Financing: LTC Insurance
Elder Law Capacity: Advance Directives
Elder Law Comparative: Filial Support Laws
Juvenile Law
Law of Individuals with Disabilities
Poverty Law
Immigration Law
Bankruptcy
Basic Federal Income Taxation
Advanced Federal Income Taxation
In-House Clinics
- Community Law Clinic
- Children’s Advocacy Clinic
Internships
- Office of Attorney General, Department of Public Welfare
- Office of Attorney General, Department of Education
- Pennsylvania School Board Association
- MidPenn Legal Services
- Court of Common Pleas Judicial Placements
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (AARP Legal Council for the Elderly; National Senior Citizens Law Center)
Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (YWCA Domestic Violence Legal Center)
The Lawyer As Government Advisor
Constitutional Law I
Civil Liberties Litigation
Administrative Law
Congressional Investigations Seminar
Regulatory and Legislative Practice Seminar
Election Law
Education Law
Energy Law and Policy
National Security Law
Protection of Individual Rights Under State Constitutions Seminar
Internships
- Legislative Reference Bureau
- Judicial Conduct Board
- State Civil Service Commission
- Office of General Counsel
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (U.S. Department of Justice; Federal Communications Commission; Federal Aviation Administration; Environmental Protection Agency)
Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (Governor’s Office of General Counsel)
The Lawyer As Intellectual Property Advisor
Contracts
Introduction to Intellectual Property Law
Copyrights
Patents
Trademarks
Internet Law
Communications Law
Sports and Entertainment Law
Internships
- Federal Judicial Clerkships
The Lawyer As International Advisor and Advocate
International Human Rights
Cross-Border Legal Practice Seminar
Comparative International Taxation
National Security Law
Energy Law and Policy
Immigration Law
Arbitration: Domestic and International
International Criminal Law
Congressional Investigations Seminar
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (U.S. Agency for International Development; Human Rights Watch; U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control; U.S.-China Economic Review and Security Commission)
International Justice Internship
The Lawyer in Medicine, Health Care, and Biotechnology
Torts
Law and Medicine
Health Care Law and Policy
Nonprofit Organizations
Administrative Law
Elder Law
Law and Aging Policy Seminar
Law and Individuals with Disabilities
Employee Benefits Law
Wills, Trusts, and Estates
Estate Planning
Poverty Law
In-House Clinics
- Children’s Advocacy Clinic
- Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic
Internships
- Penn State Health
- Office of Attorney General, Antitrust Section
- Office of General Counsel, Department of Health
- Department of State
The Lawyer As Prosecutor and Defender
Criminal Law
Criminal Procedure
Advanced Criminal Procedure
Juvenile Law
White-Collar Crime
Post-Conviction Process
Death Penalty Seminar
Pennsylvania Criminal Law Practice
Federal Criminal Practice
National Security Law
International Criminal Law
Trial Advocacy (Advocacy I)
Advanced Trial Advocacy (Advocacy II)
Congressional Investigations Seminar
Internships
- Judicial Internships (United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Department of Justice, Executive Office of Immigration Review, United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, Court of Common Pleas of Cumberland and Dauphin County)
- United States Attorney’s Office
- Federal Public Defender Office
- Office of Attorney General (Antitrust Section, Health Care Section, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Tax Litigation)
- District Attorney’s Office (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, and York County)
- Public Defender’s Office (Adams, Cumberland, and Dauphin County)
International Justice Internship
Semester-in-Washington Program (Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia; Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia; U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia; U.S. Department of Justice)
Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Office of the Federal Public Defender, Middle District of Pennsylvania)
The Lawyer As Public Interest Advocate
Immigration Law
Constitutional Law II
Gender and Sexuality Law
Race, Racism, and American Law Seminar
First Amendment — Free Speech
Protection of Individual Rights Under State Constitutions Seminar
Juvenile Law
Law and Individuals with Disabilities
Poverty Law
Federal Indian Law Seminar
Nonprofit Organizations
Post-Conviction Process
Death Penalty Seminar
International Human Rights
Education Law
Employment Discrimination
Election Law
Congressional Investigations Seminar
In-House Clinics
- Children’s Advocacy Clinic
- Community Law Clinic — handling cases in family, disability, housing, and public benefits law
- Legislation and Government Clinic
Internships
- International Justice Internship
- Office of General Counsel
- Department of Education
- Department of Public Welfare
- Department of Banking & Securities
- Department of Community & Economic Development
- Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection
- Legal Services
- Community Justice Project
Public Interest Placements in Semester-in-Washington D.C. Program (American Bar Association; National Lawyers Guild; Council on American-Islamic Relations; National Partnership for Women and Families; National Senior Citizen’s Law Center)
Public Interest Placements in Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (YWCA Domestic Violence Legal Center; PA Office of Consumer Advocate)
The Lawyer As Regulatory Advisor
Constitutional Law I
Administrative Law
Regulatory and Legislative Practice Seminar
Environmental Law
Banking Regulation
Communications Law
Election Law
Energy Law and Policy
Congressional Investigations Seminar
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Federal Trade Commission; Securities and Exchange Commission; Federal Communications Commission)
Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (PA Department of Environmental Protection; PA Department of Banking)
Internships
- Office of Attorney General, Antitrust Section
- Office of Attorney General, Charitable Trusts Section
- Office of General Counsel
- Department of Banking
- Gaming Control Board
- Liquor Control Board
- Public Utility Commission
- State Civil Service Commission
The Lawyer As Researcher/Writer
Legal Analysis & Writing I: Objective
Legal Analysis & Writing II: Persuasive
Strategic Legal Research
Practice-Oriented Research Tips and Training Certificate Program
Judicial Internships
The Lawyer As Tax Advisor
Basic Federal Income Tax
Advanced Federal Income Tax
Corporate and Partnership Tax
Comparative International Taxation
Estate Planning
Entrepreneuership Law: Company Creation
Entrepreneuership Law: Operational Issues
State and Local Taxation
Internships
- Office of Attorney General, Tax Litigation Division
Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program (Internal Revenue Service; U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division)
Semester-in-Harrisburg Program (Office of Attorney General, Tax Litigation)
The Lawyer As Trial Advocate
Civil Liberties Litigation
Civil Procedure
Legal Analysis & Writing I: Objective
Legal Analysis & Writing II: Persuasive
Evidence
- Evidence
- Electronic Evidence Seminar
Remedies
Client Counseling
Trial Advocacy (Advocacy I)
Advanced Trial Advocacy (Advocacy II)
Advanced Appellate Advocacy
Negotiation/Mediation
Dispute System Design Seminar
Arbitration: Domestic and International
Federal Courts
Conflict of Laws
Insurance Law
Pennsylvania Practice
Criminal Law
- Pennsylvania Criminal Law Practice
- Federal Criminal Practice
- International Criminal Law
- Post-Conviction Process
- Criminal Procedure
- Advanced Criminal Procedure
- White-Collar Crime
Torts
Internships
- Judicial Internships (United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Department of Justice, Executive Office of Immigration Review, United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, Court of Common Pleas of Cumberland and Dauphin County)
- United States Attorney’s Office
- Federal Public Defender Office
- International Justice Internship
- District Attorney’s Office (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin and York County)
- Public Defender’s Office (Adams, Cumberland and Dauphin County)
- MidPenn Legal Services (Carlisle and Harrisburg)
- Community Justice Project (Harrisburg)
- Office of Attorney General: Tax Litigation Section, Health Care Section, Bureau of Consumer Protection
- Office of General Counsel
- Department of Environmental Protection
- Department of State
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Public Welfare
- Independent Boards and Commissions
- Gaming Control Board
- Liquor Control Board
- Public Utility Commission
- State Civil Service Commission)
- Mid Penn Legal Services
- Community Justice Project
The Lawyer As Wealth Management Advisor
Property
Wills, Trusts, and Estates
Real Estate Negotiation and Drafting
Elder Law
Law and Aging Policy Seminar
Estate Planning
Negotiation/Mediation
State and Local Taxation
State and Local Governmental Law
Entrepreneuership Law: Company Creation
Entrepreneuership Law: Operational Issues
Environmental Law
Insurance Law
Agricultural Law
Secured Transactions
Construction Law
Bankruptcy
Basic Federal Income Tax
Advanced Federal Income Taxation
Corporate and Partnership Tax
Internships
- Office of Attorney General, Charitable Trusts Division