Professor Smith teaches Civil Procedure and other upper-level and experiential courses consistent with her practical experience. She also stays abreast of emerging areas of law and integrates them into the curriculum to expose students to niche industries.

Civil Procedure

This course is an introduction to the organization of the federal and state courts, principles of jurisdiction, and procedural rules for civil cases. Topics include: pleadings, class actions, pretrial motions, discovery, venue, joinder of claims and parties, res judicata, collateral estoppels, summary judgment, non-jury and jury trials, claim and issue preclusion, binding effects of adjudication, and appellate review.

Conflict of Laws

This course studies the important task of choosing the substantive and procedural law that should govern a dispute or transaction when the law of more than one jurisdiction might apply.  Major topics include the choice of which state or nation’s law to apply, the jurisdiction of courts, and the enforcement of foreign judgments. The standards governing this choice of law derive from the federal constitution, federal and state statutes and common law.

Electronic  Discovery

This seminar provides an in-depth treatment of both the legal and technical aspects of electronic discovery – the preservation, collection, review, production and use of electronically stored information in civil and criminal litigation (and investigations). Coverage includes selected aspects of the quickly developing body of e-discovery case law, federal and state e-discovery rules, and the technology issues impacting electronic discovery. This seminar provides the student with a detailed grounding in the law and application of electronic discovery principles to civil and criminal litigation. Demonstrations using live technology occur when helpful to providing a learning “laboratory” for the students.

Fashion Law

Fashion law is a contemporary and specialized legal field that addresses matters intertwined with the fashion industry's operations, specifically the various challenges that unfold over the lifespan of clothing articles and fashion accessories. Essential aspects within the realm of fashion law encompass intellectual property, civil rights, corporate and financial matters, labor and employment regulations, real estate affairs, global trade, governmental oversight (encompassing safety and sustainability considerations), dress codes, religious attire, consumer dynamics, and the intersection of privacy with wearable technology.

Federal Courts

This course considers the role of the federal courts in the federal system. It is both an advanced course in constitutional law (including the separation of powers and federalism) and a course on the legal rules for litigating a federal claim.

Florida Practice

This course includes a study of the unique aspects of Florida Law, including Florida Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure, the preparation of pleadings and materials for trial, the court system, legislative procedures, and the significance of Florida’s integrated bar with an emphasis on professional responsibility. The course examines jurisdiction and process. The Rules of Florida Civil  and Criminal Procedure are reviewed in depth. 

Health Law

This course explores all the major topics in the health care field such as treatment, relationship, liability, professional licensure, right to die, reproductive rights, health care insurance, and regulation of health care facilities and transactions.  The course also discusses Obamacare and recent issues surrounding the U.S. health care system.

International Arbitration

This course is an intensive introduction to the law, theory and practice of international commercial arbitration, which is the default method of resolving international commercial disputes using a third party neutral. The course examines arbitration law and practice from a comparative, multi-jurisdictional perspective, including the United States law of international commercial arbitration. The course also addresses new technological developments in international arbitration.

Intersectionality: Racism, Sexism, Classism, Colorism, Capitalism, Spiritualism & the Law

This course provides students with a deeper understanding of the ways in which various forms of oppression and privilege intersect in legal contexts.  The class delves into the various social identities that can intersect, such as race, gender, sexuality, class, disability, religion, and more. Students examine how these identities can create unique experiences of privilege and oppression. The class examines the policy implications of intersectionality, discussing how laws and policies can be crafted to consider and address intersecting identities in employment discrimination, criminal justice, family law, immigration, education, and more.

Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiation

This course studies theories and skills involved in interviewing, counseling and negotiating. Student performances in role plays and simulations are a primary means of instruction.

Marijuana Law & Policy

This seminar studies cannabis law, which includes the policy side, the criminal justice side, the medical marijuana or health law side, and the regulation side.  This emerging area of law and policy brings unprecedented legal issues to the forefront and intersects with so many other areas of the law (banking law, IP law, human rights law etc).

Remedies

This course surveys the history and development of basic remedies for civil wrongs. Topics covered include contempt, damages, declaratory judgments, election of remedies, equity jurisdiction, injunctions, modern equity practice, present value adjustment, proof requirements, rescission, reformation and restitution.

Trial Practice

This course includes a series of classes and simulations devoted to the study of trial techniques, followed by the preparation and trial of a mock trial.

Comparative Analysis of Global Marijuana Laws -- Overseas

This international course examines the competing approaches to regulating marijuana (medical and non-medical use), the rationales behind these approaches, the legal authority for choosing among them, why understanding marijuana law is a civil rights issue both domestically and abroad, and the future of global marijuana laws.