FIU's College of Law is justly proud of its Academic Excellence Program. One of the program's goals is to help students pass the bar exam. The following elective course and program are specifically relevant.
The course will function as a capstone course reviewing differences and distinctions between state law and general common law principles in certain fundamental areas of law. The differences and distinctions will focus on those areas determined to be of significance to the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, as indicated by the areas typically tested on the Florida and Multistate portions of the bar examination. Prerequisites: Offered to 3L and 4L students. (description from the 2021 Course Catalog)
Created by Prof. Raul Ruiz, the program is offered just after law school graduation ... Students enrolled in BESP benefit from a number of critical resources. These resources include a faculty or alumnus bar exam mentor, frequent bar preparation workshops, ... and access to personalized feedback on bar exam preparation essays. The goal of BESP is to provide students with the tools they need to pass the bar examination. (description from the AEP Program page)
The following courses cover bar tested material. Please note that not all courses are offered every semester or even every academic calendar year. You should view the Class and Exam Schedules to see which courses will be offered during the current school year, determine tentative schedules for the following year, and plan ahead accordingly.
This is a basic course on state and federal law governing incorporated business enterprises, partnerships and limited liability companies.
This course examines topics not covered in the basic course in Criminal Procedure, including the grand jury process, bail, the plea-bargain process, right to jury trial, double jeopardy, joinder and severance, and right to confront and examine witnesses.
This course explores pre-trial aspects of criminal procedure under the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the United States Constitution, with emphasis on searches and seizures, police interrogation and the right against self-incrimination, and the right to counsel.
This course addresses the law of evidence, including: hearsay, judicial notice, burden of proof, and presumptions; functions of judge and jury; competency and privileges of witnesses; and exclusion of testimony of witnesses and documents.
This course examines state regulation of sexual and marital relationships, including the conflict between the doctrines of family privacy and state intervention in the marital relationship. Topics include: premarital controversies, capacity to marry and the formalities of marriage; rights and duties of marital partners; annulment and separation; divorce grounds and no-fault; spousal support and basic issues of property distribution; principles governing child custody and visitation; child support; mediation of property and custody issues; and regulation of non-traditional relationships.
This course is an examination of the historical origins and underlying values of the rights of conscience protected in the First Amendment. The emphasis will be on the fundamental principles articulated in Supreme Court interpretations of its provisions relating to free speech, free press, and religious liberty.
This course entails a study of Florida civil practice from the commencement of an action through final judgment.
This course studies the Constitution of the State of Florida, including recent decisions of the Florida Supreme Court and analysis of current proposals for constitutional change.
Focused on differences and distinctions between state law and general common law principles in certain fundamental areas of law typically tested on the Florida bar examination. Prerequisites: Foundation courses or substantial equivalent.
This course will survey the uses of different payment mechanisms (negotiable and nonnegotiable instruments, credit cards and electronic funds transfer and wire transfer systems) in both credit and cash transactions. The course will consider allocation of risks for fraud, countermands, defenses on the underlying contract, mistake, timeliness and unauthorized payments. In each case the allocation of risks in connection with different payment mechanisms will be considered, along with whether these allocations should be the same or different for each mechanism. The course will focus on Articles 3 and 4 of the Uniform Commercial Code and, as time permits, consider letters of credit under U.C.C. Article 5 and the International Chamber of Commerce Uniform Customs and Practice. Special emphasis will be given to techniques of statutory analysis, commercial counseling and a rethinking of present rules, especially in the light of the revision of Articles 3 and 4. The impact of federal legislation on the state payments law (U.C.C. Articles 3, 4, and 4A) may also be treated.
This course covers the creation, perfection, and enforcement of security interests in personal property under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, including priorities among conflicting interests in the same property and choice of law problems. Some discussion of bankruptcy law as it affects the interests of secured creditors may also be included.
The intergenerational transfer of wealth in the United States is controlled by both statutory and common law principles. Competing views of the individual’s freedom of disposition and state power both to channel and to tax property have led to an interesting and complex array of legal devices and institutions. These include statutory intestacy and elective share provisions, wills, and trusts. Related topics to be addressed will include planning for incapacity, future interests in property, powers of appointment, life insurance, and introductory aspects of trust and estate administration.
Current course descriptions can be seen in the official Course Catalogs.