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Randall D. Schmidt : Courses and Seminars

Admiralty Law
LAWS 71001
This course will cover the development and scope of this part of the jurisdiction of the federal courts, the role of the Supreme Court in the common law development of the substantive law of the admiralty, and several of the main elements of substantive maritime law: maritime torts, industrial accidents, collisions, salvage, and limitation of liability. The student's grade is based on class participation and a final take-home examination.
Autumn 2011
Randall D. Schmidt
Employment Discrimination Clinic
LAWS 67113
Randall D. Schmidt and his students operate the Clinic's Employment Discrimination Project. The Project focuses primarily on pre-trial litigation. In individual cases, the Project represents clients in cases before the Illinois Department of Human Rights (Department ) and the Illinois Human Rights Commission (Commission ) and seeks to obtain relief for clients from race, sex, national origin, and handicap discrimination in the work place. Additionally, in its individual cases and law reform/impact cases, the Project seeks to improve the procedures and remedies available to victims of employment discrimination so that complainants have a fair opportunity to present their claims in a reasonably expeditious way. To accomplish this goal, the Project, in addition to litigation, is also active in the legislative arena and participates with other civil rights groups in efforts to amend and improve the Illinois Human Rights Act. Second-year students in the Project can expect to handle several cases individually and second chair other cases along with third-year students. Second-year students will autonomously handle cases that the Department is investigating. In these cases, students interview clients and witnesses, assist in the preparation of written briefs and memoranda explaining why the client was the victim of discrimination, and represent clients at informal hearings before the Department. Second- and third-year students will jointly handle cases in the Commission and at various pre-trial stages. They will be involved in discovery (drafting requests, responding to the employer's discovery, reviewing the information produced in discovery, etc.) and pretrial preparation (i.e., interviewing witnesses, drafting the pretrial memorandum, etc.). Second-year students will be given the opportunity to attend status hearings and hearings on contested motions, along with the third-year student assigned to the case. Moreover, if the case goes to trial, the second-year student will be actively involved in all phases of trial preparation and will attend the trial. Third-year students in the Project are assigned cases that are awaiting trial in the Commission. In these cases, third-year students attend status conferences, argue contested motions, engage in discovery, negotiate with the employer, and prepare the case for trial. If the case goes to trial, the third-year student will be expected to be the lead attorney on the case. The Project also handles, or is otherwise involved in, several appeals each year. Both second- and third-year students work on these appeals researching and drafting appellate briefs. If possible, third-year students present the oral arguments in the appeals. It is suggested, but not required, that all students in the Employment Discrimination Project take the Employment Discrimination course. Third-year students participating in the Employment Discrimination Project are required to take Evidence. Third-year Students are strongly encouraged to take, prior to their third year, Pretrial Advocacy and either the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop or Trial Advocacy. Enrollment in the Employment Discrimination Project is limited and preference will be given to students who take Pretrial Advocacy and the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop. The student's grade is based on class participation. The credit awarded to this seminar is governed by the new rules for credit for clinical work. Academic credit varies and will be awarded according to the Law School's general criteria for clinical courses as described in the Law School Announcements and by the approval of the clinical staff. Evidence is a prerequisite for 3L's in the clinic. Pretrial Advocacy and the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop (or an equivalent trial practice course) are highly recommended for 3L's in the project.
Spring 2012
Randall D. Schmidt
Employment Discrimination Clinic
LAWS 67113
Randall D. Schmidt and his students operate the Clinic's Employment Discrimination Project. The Project focuses primarily on pre-trial litigation. In individual cases, the Project represents clients in cases before the Illinois Department of Human Rights (Department ) and the Illinois Human Rights Commission (Commission ) and seeks to obtain relief for clients from race, sex, national origin, and handicap discrimination in the work place. Additionally, in its individual cases and law reform/impact cases, the Project seeks to improve the procedures and remedies available to victims of employment discrimination so that complainants have a fair opportunity to present their claims in a reasonably expeditious way. To accomplish this goal, the Project, in addition to litigation, is also active in the legislative arena and participates with other civil rights groups in efforts to amend and improve the Illinois Human Rights Act. Second-year students in the Project can expect to handle several cases individually and second chair other cases along with third-year students. Second-year students will autonomously handle cases that the Department is investigating. In these cases, students interview clients and witnesses, assist in the preparation of written briefs and memoranda explaining why the client was the victim of discrimination, and represent clients at informal hearings before the Department. Second- and third-year students will jointly handle cases in the Commission and at various pre-trial stages. They will be involved in discovery (drafting requests, responding to the employer's discovery, reviewing the information produced in discovery, etc.) and pretrial preparation (i.e., interviewing witnesses, drafting the pretrial memorandum, etc.). Second-year students will be given the opportunity to attend status hearings and hearings on contested motions, along with the third-year student assigned to the case. Moreover, if the case goes to trial, the second-year student will be actively involved in all phases of trial preparation and will attend the trial. Third-year students in the Project are assigned cases that are awaiting trial in the Commission. In these cases, third-year students attend status conferences, argue contested motions, engage in discovery, negotiate with the employer, and prepare the case for trial. If the case goes to trial, the third-year student will be expected to be the lead attorney on the case. The Project also handles, or is otherwise involved in, several appeals each year. Both second- and third-year students work on these appeals researching and drafting appellate briefs. If possible, third-year students present the oral arguments in the appeals. It is suggested, but not required, that all students in the Employment Discrimination Project take the Employment Discrimination course. Third-year students participating in the Employment Discrimination Project are required to take Evidence. Third-year Students are strongly encouraged to take, prior to their third year, Pretrial Advocacy and either the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop or Trial Advocacy. Enrollment in the Employment Discrimination Project is limited and preference will be given to students who take Pretrial Advocacy and the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop. The student's grade is based on class participation. The credit awarded to this seminar is governed by the new rules for credit for clinical work. Academic credit varies and will be awarded according to the Law School's general criteria for clinical courses as described in the Law School Announcements and by the approval of the clinical staff. Evidence is a prerequisite for 3L's in the clinic. Pretrial Advocacy and the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop (or an equivalent trial practice course) are highly recommended for 3L's in the project.
Autumn 2011
Randall D. Schmidt
Employment Discrimination Clinic
LAWS 67113
Randall D. Schmidt and his students operate the Clinic's Employment Discrimination Project. The Project focuses primarily on pre-trial litigation. In individual cases, the Project represents clients in cases before the Illinois Department of Human Rights (Department ) and the Illinois Human Rights Commission (Commission ) and seeks to obtain relief for clients from race, sex, national origin, and handicap discrimination in the work place. Additionally, in its individual cases and law reform/impact cases, the Project seeks to improve the procedures and remedies available to victims of employment discrimination so that complainants have a fair opportunity to present their claims in a reasonably expeditious way. To accomplish this goal, the Project, in addition to litigation, is also active in the legislative arena and participates with other civil rights groups in efforts to amend and improve the Illinois Human Rights Act. Second-year students in the Project can expect to handle several cases individually and second chair other cases along with third-year students. Second-year students will autonomously handle cases that the Department is investigating. In these cases, students interview clients and witnesses, assist in the preparation of written briefs and memoranda explaining why the client was the victim of discrimination, and represent clients at informal hearings before the Department. Second- and third-year students will jointly handle cases in the Commission and at various pre-trial stages. They will be involved in discovery (drafting requests, responding to the employer's discovery, reviewing the information produced in discovery, etc.) and pretrial preparation (i.e., interviewing witnesses, drafting the pretrial memorandum, etc.). Second-year students will be given the opportunity to attend status hearings and hearings on contested motions, along with the third-year student assigned to the case. Moreover, if the case goes to trial, the second-year student will be actively involved in all phases of trial preparation and will attend the trial. Third-year students in the Project are assigned cases that are awaiting trial in the Commission. In these cases, third-year students attend status conferences, argue contested motions, engage in discovery, negotiate with the employer, and prepare the case for trial. If the case goes to trial, the third-year student will be expected to be the lead attorney on the case. The Project also handles, or is otherwise involved in, several appeals each year. Both second- and third-year students work on these appeals researching and drafting appellate briefs. If possible, third-year students present the oral arguments in the appeals. It is suggested, but not required, that all students in the Employment Discrimination Project take the Employment Discrimination course. Third-year students participating in the Employment Discrimination Project are required to take Evidence. Third-year Students are strongly encouraged to take, prior to their third year, Pretrial Advocacy and either the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop or Trial Advocacy. Enrollment in the Employment Discrimination Project is limited and preference will be given to students who take Pretrial Advocacy and the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop. The student's grade is based on class participation. The credit awarded to this seminar is governed by the new rules for credit for clinical work. Academic credit varies and will be awarded according to the Law School's general criteria for clinical courses as described in the Law School Announcements and by the approval of the clinical staff. Evidence is a prerequisite for 3L's in the clinic. Pretrial Advocacy and the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop (or an equivalent trial practice course) are highly recommended for 3L's in the project.
Winter 2012
Randall D. Schmidt
Pre-Trial Advocacy
LAWS 67403
This class focuses on fundamental pretrial litigation strategies and skills, including creation and evaluation of legal and factual theories, pleading and motion practice, interviewing clients and witnesses, discovery planning, depositions, negotiations and pretrial preparation. The class employs a variety of learning methodologies, including lectures, small group discussions, simulated exercises, and videotaped performances by students. Evidence is a prerequisite (may be taken concurrently). Students taking Pretrial Advocacy are also eligible to enroll in the Intensive Trial Practice Workshop. The student's grade is based on class participation. Enrollment is limited to 48 students with preference given to students who have been accepted into a clinic course.
Spring 2012
Herschella G. Conyers, Craig B. Futterman, Mark J. Heyrman, Randall D. Schmidt, Randolph N. Stone