Legal Studies Latest News as of 5/19/22

May 19, 2022

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1) Requirement Change!!!
2) Depositions
3) Volunteers Needed!!! (For Saturday)
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1) Requirement Change!!!
Requirement Change!!!
Effective Summer 2022, for those graduating Su22 and onward, the major requires 30 upper division units. The change from 32 upper division units to 30 upper division units for the major has been approved by the Executive Committee at the College of Letters & Science and will put us in compliance with Berkeley Division Regulation 809.A, and will make things a bit easier to manage if you want to take a 3 unit course to fulfill an Area requirement.
The major still requires the following:
**  Stats, Phil, Hist, Social/Behavioral prereqs
**  Four Core classes (one designated as SS, one designated as H)
**  Four Area/Distribution Requirements (2 must fall into one Area and 2 must fall in two different additional Areas).
The only thing that is changing is the overall number of upper division units required for the major. Yahoo!
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2) Depositions
Depositions

Legal Studies Fall 2022 Announcement: 
An Opportunity for Undergraduates to Participate in a Berkeley Law JD Skills Class with the OPTION of earning 1 unit of LS 199 Individual Research Credit

In Fall 2022, undergraduates will have a unique opportunity to play the role of witnesses in a Berkeley Law JD Professional Skills Class (Depositions: Law 246.3), taught by Professor Henry Hecht.
 
Professor Hecht seeks six (6) students to serve as role-playing witnesses.  Students selected will be expected to prepare in advance by reading a witness statement and a limited amount of background material.  Witnesses will then be expected to participate during the semester in six (6) Tuesday afternoon classes from 3:35 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., on September 20, September 27, October 18, October 25, November 15, and November 22.  During those classes, you will play the role of a witness for either the plaintiff or the defendant in a mock case.  Students selected must be able to commit to attending all six (6) Tuesday afternoon classes.  

Professor Hecht's Depositions course is a lawyering skills course, in which Berkeley Law students, working in small groups, simulate the process of preparing witnesses for their depositions and then taking as well as defending their depositions.  Practicing Bay Area lawyers attend these sessions, observe the law students in action, and critique their performances.  (Note: A deposition is a pre-trial legal procedure in which witnesses in a civil lawsuit answer questions by the opposing parties under oath, typically in a law office rather than a courtroom.)  
Playing the role of a witness will allow you to gain insight into the US system of civil litigation and to see it in operation.  In addition, it will provide you with a chance to meet and talk with Berkeley Law students and Bay Area attorneys.  Finally, witnesses will earn a $50.00 Amazon gift card for their service.  

To Apply:

Please apply by e-mail to Professor Hecht at hhecht@law.berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail), with a copy of your message to Monique Sanchez, his Faculty Support Assistant, at msanchez@law.berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail), by no later than Wednesday, September 7, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.  Please include the words “Application to be a Witness” and your last name in the subject line of your e-mail.  In your cover message, please include a brief statement about why you are interested in taking part in this class; and attach your resume.

Students' applications will be reviewed by Professor Hecht, and he will notify students of his decisions by no later than Friday, September 9, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

OPTION: Earn 1 Unit of LS 199 Course Credit for Supervised Independent Research with Professor Perry
 
Students who choose this OPTION have the opportunity to earn one unit of LS 199 P/NP course credit for their service as a witness in Professor Hecht’s Depositions class under the supervisor of Professor Perry.  In order to earn this supervised independent research credit, students will be required to do some additional readings on the civil litigation process and on the participant observation method, which are described below.  At the end of the semester, students selecting this option must submit a paper of at least ten pages in length, exclusive of notes and bibliography.  The requirements for the LS 199 course credit, offered by Professor Perry, are described below.
 
Requirements for LS 199 credit:
i.     Attend all six (6) class role playing sessions, and prepare for the role plays;
ii.    Take notes on what you did and what you observed, preferably in a small note pad, organized by the date of the session; and submit the raw, handwritten pages along with your final paper;
iii.    Read materials, posted on bCourses, on participant observation methods; and consider how those method(s) apply to your own experience;
iv.    Read two chapters, posted on bCourses, from Robert Kagan’s Adversarial Legalism: The American Way of Law, focusing especially on Chapter 6, which mentions depositions;  
v.    Papers will be graded on a P/NP basis by Professor Perry.
If you want to pursue this option, specify that in your cover message to Professor Hecht when you apply; and he will let Professor Perry know.  
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3) Volunteers Needed!!!
Volunteers Needed!!!
Erin is seeking volunteers for the Berkeley Law Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 Law School commencement this Saturday at the Greek. You'd need to arrive at 7am.  If interested, contact Erin Dineen directly at edineen@law.berkeley.edu
As an incentive, volunteers will receive a $75 gift card.
Contact Erin Dineen directly at edineen@law.berkeley.edu
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