MLSC 6100 Foundations of U.S. Law for Non-Attorneys: Legal Principles & Ethical Obligations

Course provides non-attorneys with a comprehensive understanding of the legal principles relevant to various aspects of U.S. law, including the structure of the U.S. and State governments and their respective Judicial and administrative courts. Students will also analyze and understand the varying roles of the attorneys they will be working alongside (e.g., government, private, in-house, outside counsel, etc.). Through interactive discussions and case studies, students will exam Constitutional principles (e.g., freedom of speech, idividual protections, due process, etc.) and legal concepts involving statutory v. common law, stare decisis, attorney-client privilege, the work product doctrine, negligence, contract law, and litigation types. The course will also focus on professional ethics and responsibility.

Course overview

Department
Law
School
LAW
Credits
3
Level
Graduate
Offered
Every Spring

Course evaluations

Response-weighted averages from Boston College’s official course evaluations (Avalanche/Blue).

Course rating
4.54 / 5 · Excellent
59 responses
Instructor rating
4.69 / 5 · Excellent
59 responses
Terms evaluated
2
Most recent: Spring 2026

Scales: overall ratings run from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent); agreement questions from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree); weekly effort from 1 (up to 1 hour) to 5 (10 or more hours).

Evaluations by term and instructor
TermInstructorCourse overallInstructor overallWell organizedClear learning objectivesIntellectually challengingHelpful assignmentsApplicable beyond courseAttendance necessaryWeekly effortResponses
Spring 2026Andrew Mcconville4.84.84.84.74.84.74.74.7—17 of 25
Fall 2025Andrew Mcconville4.44.74.94.94.44.54.74.71–3 hrs/week21 of 23
Fall 2025Michael Cahalane4.44.74.94.94.44.54.74.71–3 hrs/week21 of 23

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors