Some courses in the course catalog this spring that might be interesting, but just don't sound that interesting to me. No offense meant by this list -- some of these courses really may be great -- but I thought I'd try to give some aspiring law students nightmares tonight:

Capital Market Regulation--Readings: Seminar

This seminar will focus on capital market regulation. This includes, but is not limited to, regulation of trading practices, exchange regulation, the role of mandated disclosure, and issues surrounding the globalization of securities trading.

Civil Procedure Advanced: Class Actions and Other Contemporary Issues

This course will explore some advanced issues relating to personal jurisdiction, supplemental jurisdiction, class actions and other aspects of complex litigation, the injunction, and their role in civil litigation.

Corporate Governance: Advanced Issues: Seminar

This four-credit seminar will meet over the academic year. We will focus on current academic thinking on corporate governance and the bases for differences around the world. The first semester will not have a research component; the second semester will.

Financial Derivatives

This course examines the economics and regulation of financial derivatives. We will cover the various types of derivative instruments and their primary trading markets, the regulation of financial derivatives, and the implications of financial innovation for individual and systemic risk, for corporate governance, and for social welfare.

Financial Institutions

This course explores the regulation of financial institutions in the United States. The course covers depository institutions, such as banks and thrifts, as well as other types of financial intermediaries, including insurance companies, securities firms, and investment companies.

International Finance

This course examines international banking and securities transactions and their regulation in the United States, the European Union, and Japan, as well as offshore and global financial markets, and emerging markets. It considers major areas of international regulation, e.g., the Basle Capital Accord and clearing and settlement. The course emphasizes understanding of important transactions, e.g., the use of Rule 144A securities in the United States and interest rate and currency swaps in the Euromarkets.

Pension Law

This course will explore retirement income policy by examining both Social Security and employer-based pension programs. As to Social Security, topics include benefit structure, state of financing and proposals for reform, including individual accounts. As to employer-based pensions, we will examine the special tax treatment as well as regulation under the Employee Retirement Security Act (ERISA) and other federal and state law, with respect to participation and vesting, funding and benefit guarantees and fiduciary responsibility of employers, their advisors and investment managers.

Securities Regulation B

This course offers an intensive introduction to the two most important federal securities laws: the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. The course explores the elaborate disclosure obligations that this country imposes on the distribution and trading of investment securities. Topics to be covered include the preparation of disclosure documents, exemptions from disclosure requirements, the relationship between disclosure obligations and anti-fraud rules, the duties of participants in securities transactions, and the applicability of federal securities laws to transnational transactions.

Taxation: Corporate Transactions

This course covers the federal income tax issues involved in the organization, operation, and restructuring of U.S. business corporations, including acquisitions, mergers, and spinoffs. The course provides the tax background necessary to understand many common business transactions for both public and closely held companies.