Capital Certificate in Public Law & Policy Requirements & Curriculum

To recieve a Certificate In Public Law & Policy, students must complete a minimum of 16 units approved by the Certificate Director.

Unit Distribution

• Administrative Law — three (3) units
• Legislation and Statutory Interpretation — three (3) units
• Government Law, Theory and Practice Seminar — two (2) units
• Field Placement/Externship/Legal Clinic — three (3) units
• Government and Public Law Electives — to fulfill remaining units, students choose from a number of electives that focus on aspects of lawmaking, government structure and issues related to public lawyering.

With Emphasis In ¹

Students may choose to obtain a Capital Certificate "with emphasis in" a particular area of public law. Students earn the "with emphasis in" designation by taking an additional two courses [for four (4) units minimum].

Some areas of emphasis include:

• Business and Trade Regulation
• Civil and Constitutional Rights
• Criminal Justice
• Education Law
• Elder Law & Policy
• Employment and Labor Law
• Environment, Natural Resources and Water Law
• Health Law and Policy
• Intellectual Property and Information Law
• International and Comparative Law and Regulation
• Legislative Process
• Tax Law and Policy.

¹ The Certificate Director may approve "with emphasis in" other areas.

Required Courses

• Administrative Law — three (3) units — Administrative Law is the law relating to administrative agencies in both the state and federal governments. All agencies, from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to the State Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, are required to comply with administrative law. Agencies make legally binding laws, called regulations, and have the power to decide who has violated the laws they have created. This course will teach students the law governing agencies and how to challenge or defend agency actions. This course will also examine such topics as the separation of powers (and other constitutional issues), state statutory law (especially the California Administrative Procedure Act), the role the judiciary has in controlling agencies, whether agencies can take actions for political reasons, and the procedures agencies must provide for people who apply for benefits. Regardless of the type of law a student intends to practice, it is highly probable that the student will have to deal with agencies. Surveyed lawyers consistently report that this is one of the courses they would most recommend current students take to be prepared for law practice.
• Legislation and Statutory Interpretation — three (3) units — In this age of statutory proliferation, an understanding of how courts interpret statutes is a crucial skill every attorney should possess. The dominant purpose of this class is to train students to make effective statutory interpretation arguments on behalf of their clients. Through a combination of exercises and cases, the class explores the academic and judicial debate concerning appropriate methods of statutory interpretation. In addition to studying the legislative process, students will learn different devices that are used in the interpretation of statutes, such as canons of construction, legislative history and precedent, as well as different theories of statutory interpretation, such as textualism, dynamic statutory interpretation and purposive interpretation.
• Government Law, Theory and Practice Seminar — two (2) units — In this course, students reflect upon the theory that underlies government operations and conduct independent research applying theory to a current government law issue. Using a combination of theoretical and practical approaches, students engage in a thorough analysis of a specific complex contemporary government law issue and then develop proposals to resolve the issue through legislative or administrative processes. A substantial paper and class presentation is a requirement of the course.
• Field Placement/Externship/Legal Clinic — three (3) units — Students perform on-site legal work as externs under the supervision of field placement supervisors in governmental units which specialize in matters of local, state or federal government law and policy or in a legislative office, a lobbyist's office, or in the legislative office of a government agency. Clients who use our Legal Clinics are unable to afford representation from private attorneys, and this innovative program provides students a learning environment that promotes real-world education and instills the value of service.

Elective Courses — Fall 2012

Elective Courses — Spring 2013

Questions?

Contact Adrienne Brungess, Director of the Capital Certificate in Public Law & Policy Program
Email | 916.739.7170