This course will have two central goals. First, it will provide students with a basic understanding of the legal principles and central policy goals that underly the U.S. legal system at the federal, state, and local levels. In this, students will learn how U.S. legal institutions are organized and operate. Second, the course will familiarize students with the basic processes that are used to advance legal claims in the U.S. In this skills-based portion of the course, students will be instructed in the fundamentals of legal research and communication. In addition, students will become acquainted with a range of standard legal documents and forms and will draft portions of standard documents and forms.  Cross-listed with and equivalent to the following course. (Note: no academic credit is awarded for retaking equivalent course.): LAW 300.