When I read the course description for International Business Transactions, I couldn’t resist.  This inability to resist says a lot, because the class meets at the blasphemous hour of 8:30 in the morning. I am not a morning person.  I don’t usually start defrosting until around 10:00, and even then, it’s iffy.  Professor Paul Taylor of Taylor Global Law Office is a fluent Japanese speaker and writer who teaches at Lewis & Clark and PSU “for fun.”  I understand his “fun” at PSU begins at 8:00 am, so I should consider myself lucky for the extra 30 minutes.  But really, this class is remarkably practical, well paced, usually interesting and occassionally even “fun.”  Professor Taylor is an import-export, NAFTA, GAAT, TAA genius.  He knows which color schemes and marketing slogans are sure to be flops overseas.  He doesn’t even blink when foreign business people try to divert his attention with life-sized posters of nude women hanging on conference walls. From what I understand, at least one of his eyes occasionally catches glimpses of other life forms.  To find out why, you’ll have to roll about of bed and take his class.

HE’S AN ONION…

At Lewis & Clark, Constitutional Law is taught in two parts: the first of which is taken in year one; the second sometime before you graduate.  I have had the privilege of Professor Kanter’s tutelage for both.  Constitutional Law is not an easy class; on the contrary, I struggle with this class more than any other.  But Con Law II is critical to understanding issues that come up in almost every other law school course, so it is better to take it sooner rather than later. Knowing in advance this course was going to make me cry, I decided to take it from an onion.  I call him (though never to his face) an onion because he is quite simply layer upon layer of brilliance and layer upon layer of kindness.  His passion for individual rights and all things Constitutional, coupled with his ability to connect with students makes him an easy choice.  If you want to make his day, bring professional baseball to Portland and keep a copy of the Constitution with you at all times. 

SHE’S TOO COOL…

Barbra J. Safriet.  I triple dare you to Google her.  I got bored after 4 pages knowing 2,350 hits were likely to lead me to more and more of the same.  All of it meaningful and relevant just like her class.  Professor Safriet impressed me off the bat.  It wasn’t her beautiful resume that got my attention, rather it was, 1) she cared how much the casebook cost; and 2) she was concerned about how much it weighed.  She dealt with #1 by negotiating a lower price for us, and since there was nothing she could do about #2, I’m glad it’s at least fascinating “heavy” reading.  My interest in Health Law stemmed from my own experiences with the health care system and my recognition that health law affects everyone.  When I signed up for her class, I had no idea that I was going to be learning from a sought-after speaker, writer, and health care law and policy expert.  Professor Safriet presents complicated regulatory schemes with humor, clarity and a great deal of patience.  I recommend reading the Nutshell before starting this class because it will help frame the repeated themes of cost, access and quality in health care, and having the background will position you to think more critically about the issues presented in class. 

 HE’S A MICROWAVE…

Property law has a reputation for being a daunting subject.  While concepts like present estates and future interests, the rule against perpetuities, finder’s law and bailments can make even valedictorians cry “uncle,” the information is both fascinating and relevant.  In class, we discuss topics like ownership of wild animals- including ones that get tangled up in a driver’s fender; whether humans have a property interest in their body parts; whether a finder of buried treasure can keep it; and under what circumstances a renter is justified in withholding rent.  Professor Jeff Jones specializes in turning up the heat.  He brings up a topic, presents a question, and stands at the podium grinning while his class explodes with various theories.  Honestly, his class garners more participation than any seminar course I’ve taken.  Something about his leadership leaves students (myself especially) feeling vested in the concepts, even if they are distant and rooted in medieval pastimes. To get the most out of this class, I would suggest spending some time with an ENE (Examples & Explanations) before tackling the casebook materials.