Required Materials: There is no casebook required for this course. I have put together my own set of materials (the "Supplement" or "Supp."). You may purchase the Supplement at the Book Center.

Class Schedule: I will assume primary responsibility for the following classes:

August 28:          Adoption Procedure (Part 1)

September 11:    Adoption Procedure (Part 2)

September 18:    Secrecy versus Openness in Adoption

September 25:    Step-Parent and Second-Parent Adoptions

October 9:          Transracial Adoption

October 16:        International Adoption

The last 4 classes (November 13, November 20, November 27 and December 4) will be dedicated to student presentations. The remaining weeks (in the middle of the semester) will be unscheduled, assuring sufficient time and energy for completion of a thorough first draft, careful comments on the draft by a fellow student, and individual meetings with me.

Course Requirements and Grades: The final grade in the course will be based on five factors: (1) the first draft of the seminar paper (30%); (2) the final draft of the paper and the quality of the improvements from the first draft (40%); (3) the presentation (10%); (4) the written comments on the draft of another student’s paper (10%); and (5) classroom participation and attendance (10%).

Upper-level Writing Requirement: The seminar paper may be used to satisfy the upper-level writing requirement as long as the final draft of the paper receives a B- or better grade.

Attendance: The School’s attendance policy, which requires students to attend at least 80% of all scheduled classes, will be enforced. Students who fail to attend at least 80% of all scheduled classes will be certified out of the class.

Deadlines: I have set the following deadlines to ensure that everyone is able to complete the course requirements in a timely fashion:

Selection of paper topic (with my approval):                             Monday, September 18

Submission of one-page outline                                                 Tuesday, October 3

Submission of first draft                                                         2 copies due by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, October 30

Submission of written comments on                                           2 copies due by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 6
another student’s first draft

Submission of final draft                                                         Thursday, December 7

***Please note: Late papers will not be accepted unless the student has received an extension from me prior to the due date. Extensions will be granted only in exceptional circumstances.***

Potential Paper Topics:

Web Page: I have created a web page for the course, which contains a course description; course information and requirements; the syllabus; those portions of the readings that are not copyrighted; and links to my e-mail and to my home page. The address is:

Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who require special accommodations or classroom modifications should notify the University Office of Disability Resources and Services (DRS) no later than the fourth week of the term. Students may be asked to provide documentation of their disability to determine the appropriate accommodations. The DRS office is located in 216 William Pitt Union. To schedule an appointment, call (412) 648-7890 (voice or TTY). Once an assessment has been made, please meet with the Associate Dean of Students in the School of Law, Kevin Deasy, who will assist you with notifying professors regarding classroom modifications, if any.