Michael L. Bloom : Courses and Seminars
Unpublished
Contracts and Commercial Transactions
LAWS 91553
The objective of this course is to familiarize the student with contracts as used by sophisticated parties. Accordingly, this course will explore "real-world" contracts actually entered into by "real-world" companies—the Coca-Cola's, Microsoft's, and HP's of the world. Through this course, the student will attain a certain facility with agreements, their organization and structure, their language, and their provisions (and the interaction of these provisions). In addition to looking at contracts through the eyes of parties and practitioners, the course will pay considerable attention to how courts have treated various contractual provisions, exploring areas of substantive law—including, and in addition to, contract law—to the extent relevant. Readings will include comments from leading practicing attorneys (from law firms such as Sidley, Kirkland, and Cravath, and from legal departments at companies such as Microsoft, Accenture, and JPMorgan).
The student's grade will be based on in-class participation as well as a mid-term exercise and a take-home final exam. The mid-term exercise will involve substantial time spent outside of class negotiating and drafting an agreement and writing a memorandum analyzing this agreement. The take-home final exam will require the student to apply the tools and concepts developed by reviewing and working with contracts throughout this course to an agreement not presented in class or the materials. The course will require substantial out of class work and class participation will count toward the grade. Students will be negotiating and drafting contracts outside of class. This course is highly recommended for those students interested in taking other transactional offerings at the Law School, including (but, of course, not limited to) the Corporate Lab: Transactional Clinic.
Autumn 2012
David Zarfes, Michael L. Bloom
Corporate Lab: Transactional Clinic
LAWS 91562
This transactional clinic provides students with a forum for working closely with legal teams at various major companies (including those in the technology, consulting, telecommunications, finance, healthcare, insurance, and emerging-business sectors). The Corporate Lab aims to teach practical legal skills and knowledge both by having students work on actual projects and through classroom instruction and discussion. In addition, students will have the opportunity to hear from, and interface with, seasoned practitioners from leading law firms. This class mirrors a real-world work experience: Students will receive hands-on substantive and client-development experience and will be expected to manage and meet expectations (e.g., deadlines) while exercising a high level of professionalism. As a result, this class is likely to involve a significant time commitment (with a substantial amount of work to be completed outside of class), and students will get out of the Lab what they put into it.
Student grades will be based upon participation in the classroom, appropriate attention to client service, collaborative efforts within a team environment, and quality of work product. This offering will not count toward seminar restrictions. Please note that students who register are expected to remain in the course for three consecutive quarters, and that students may not take the Corporate Lab for more than nine credits. Students may be required to sign nondisclosure agreements with participating companies. While certainly not a prerequisite, “Contracts and Commercial Transactions” (offered in Autumn quarters) is strongly recommended for all students to take prior to, or concurrent with, taking this class. LL.M. students by instructor permission only.
Autumn 2012
David Zarfes, Michael L. Bloom, Sean Z. Kramer
