Core Courses
Real Property I (3)
Property law is studied as a social and
legal institution to facilitate the acquisition, disposition, and use of
personal and real property. Over two semesters, students explore a
variety of rights and responsibilities in property, including distinctions
between real and personal property, the nature of ownership and possession,
adverse possession, landlord-tenant law, present and future estates in land,
concurrent ownership, conveyancing and deeds, recording, private land-use
restrictions (easements, covenants, and equitable servitudes), public land-use
regulations, and eminent domain. The course may include introductory exposure
to trusts, donative transfers, intellectual property, fixtures, mortgages, and
ownership of natural resources (i.e., water, oil, gas, wildlife).
Real Property II (3)
This course is a continuation of the two-semester first year year requirement. It is studied as a social and
legal institution to facilitate the acquisition, disposition, and use of
personal and real property. Over two semesters, students explore a
variety of rights and responsibilities in property, including distinctions
between real and personal property, the nature of ownership and possession,
adverse possession, landlord-tenant law, present and future estates in land,
concurrent ownership, conveyancing and deeds, recording, private land-use
restrictions (easements, covenants, and equitable servitudes), public land-use
regulations, and eminent domain. The course may include introductory exposure
to trusts, donative transfers, intellectual property, fixtures, mortgages, and
ownership of natural resources (i.e., water, oil, gas, wildlife).
Constitutional Law I (3) & Constitutional Law II (3)
These courses cover the powers of the federal
government and selected topics regarding the relationship of the branches of
the federal government to each other and to the States, as well as selected
topics regarding the Bill of Rights, due process, equal protection, and the
effect of the Fourteenth Amendment on the application of the Bill of Rights to
the States.
Core Electives (Must complete at least two (2) of the following)
Environmental Law (3)
This
course constitutes an analysis of the ends and means of environmental
protection through study of statutes, administrative regulations and practices,
and judicial decisions treating the protection of the environment in the United
States. Topics may include statutes that regulate pollution emissions (e.g.,
Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act); procedural requirements (e.g., National
Environmental Policy Act, California Environmental Quality Act); administrative
law (e.g., standing, standards of judicial review); hazardous and toxic
substances and wastes; risk assessment and management; natural resources and
wildlife conservation; enforcement and liability; and environmental justice. This is a core requirement in the Certificate in
Environmental Law, Land Use, and Real Estate Law. The
grade in this course is based on a paper.
Note: for the course paper to apply towards the Scholarly Writing
requirement, students must meet the minimum grade requirement set by the
professor.
Land Use Regulation (3)
This
course examines the government regulation of land use and development. It is a
course in applied constitutional, administrative, and property law. The
material covers land use planning, zoning, advanced and flexible zoning
mechanisms, subdivision controls, constitutional and state law constraints on
regulation, the economics and politics of land development, growth controls,
the environmental regulation of land use and ecosystems, and alternatives to
regulation. Students are exposed to business decision making, public problem
solving, regulatory permitting, and social science analyses.
Real Estate Transactions (3)
A
study of various aspects of real estate transactions and financing. Topics may
include contracts of sale, brokerage, buyer-seller rights and obligations,
title insurance, development, commercial leasing, mortgages, deeds of trust,
liens, foreclosure, receivership, priorities, subordination, suretyship,
securitization, tax considerations, and strategies of negotiation and drafting
Differing from traditional environmental and real estate law programs, Chapman University School of Law's Emphasis Program in Environmental, Land Use, and Real Estate Law (ENLURE Program) integrates the study of environmental protection and land use regulation with the study of real property transactions and development, leading to a certificate and transcript notation. Professor Kenneth Stahl Directs the Program.