Communications Law (CMGL)

CMGL 0204. Communication Skills Boot Camp. (1 Credit)

Building your career requires building relationships. Building relationships requires solid, effective communication skills. In this course, you will hone your ability to listen well to the needs of others, craft clear messages, tell stories that support your argument, present information with impact, lead meetings effectively, and brainstorm creative solutions. You will increase your awareness of your innate Personal Communication Style, and will learn and practice the five attributes of innovative thinkers. This course involves interactive exercises, including video recordings of role play scenarios. There is no paper or final exam. As in life, 100% of the grade is based on participation.

Attributes: EXP, LAW, LLM.

CMGL 0299. Cyber Crimes. (2 Credits)

This course will examine unique aspects of computer or “cyber” crime. It will survey federal statutes pertaining to computer and internet-related crimes and their application -- both domestically and internationally -- such as identity theft, hacking and economic espionage, online threats and harassment, child pornography and enticement, and human trafficking. The course will also cover practical aspects of computer crime investigation and current computer forensic examination capabilities. Finally, the course will explore sentencing issues, and first amendment and fourth amendment issues that arise in this context.

Attributes: CORC, CRCP, IPIE, LAWI, LAWT.

CMGL 0320. First Amendment and the Evolution of Media. (2 Credits)

The media are more complex, varied and pervasive – for better and worse – than they have ever been. This seminar focuses on the First Amendment protection for speech and the press, and its role in the evolution of media. Class readings include both seminal 20th century First Amendment decisions and important recent cases. By writing short papers and participating in class discussion, students learn how to analyze First Amendment questions that arise in the rapidly changing media landscape. For example, can the government impose a prior restraint on speech? Should any form of media have different or stronger First Amendment rights than any other? To what extent does the First Amendment protect speech that is deemed dangerous or threatening? What about false speech? Do the owners of media platforms have the exclusive right to control their content, or do users of the platforms have a right to make their speech heard? How do courts address the tension between First Amendment rights and privacy rights? Questions like these have influenced each form of media, from print, broadcast radio and television, to cable TV, the Internet and social media. They will be asked with equal or greater urgency as new media continue to develop.

Attributes: INLJ, IPIE, JD, LAWT, LLM.

CMGL 0341. Information Privacy Law. (2 to 4 Credits)

This interdisciplinary course is about us, our data, and the myriad ways in which websites, the government, and even our friends pose threats to our privacy. We will touch on the development of tort, contract, statutory, and constitutional law, and we will address several questions throughout the class, including: How, if at all, can we protect information known to some others? How has technology changed our relationships with each other and with the government? Can traditional privacy rules and laws accommodate today's needs?<p> We will begin by discussing theories of privacy to which we will refer throughout the entire course. Then, we will discuss issues of privacy and disclosure by the media and by other private citizens. We will then turn to privacy and law enforcement and discuss issues related to police surveillance, abuse of power, safety, and the Fourth Amendment. Then we take up questions of consumer privacy, data aggregation, notice and choice, predictive algorithms and artificial intelligence, and the "black box" of data analytics.<p> Assessment will be based on class participation, in class activities, and a take home exam.

Attributes: CORC, CRCP, IPIF, JD, LAWT, LLM.

CMGL 0368. Journalism and the Law. (2 to 4 Credits)

A study of the scope of First Amendment protection of a free press and the current regulatory framework of the mass media. Specific topics include defamation, privacy, prior restraints, reporters' privileges, access to governmental information, the free press/ fair trial conflict, access to the media, regulation of broadcast and cable television, and commercial speech and advertising.

Attributes: IPIE, JD, LAWT, LLM.

CMGL 0399. Information Law Survey. (2 or 4 Credits)

Digital communication technologies make it easier than ever to distribute information. The survey course in Information Law addresses the way in which law, legal institutions, and private actors control the flow of information. The course will take up these themes in the areas of intellectual property, free speech, open government, search, informational privacy, cloud storage, cybersecurity, and communications. ..

Attributes: CORC, CRCP, IPIF, JD, LAWT, LLM.

CMGL 0929. Comparative Personal Data and Privacy Law. (1 Credit)

Course will have a Take-home Exam.

Attributes: CORC, LLM.