Trusts, Wills, and Estates

Discussion - 2 hours.  This streamlined version of Trusts, Wills, and Estates is designed for students who are mainly interested in taking the course to prepare for the bar exam. It covers the basics of intestate succession and the creation and interpretation of wills and trusts under the Uniform Probate Code and the California Probate Code. Although it does not delve deeply into these issues, it sets the stage for students to master them during the bar review period.  

Discussion - 3 hours. The general public assumes that all lawyers can do two things: try a case and write a Will. Most lawyers can’t do either. This course is designed to rem­edy that situation in part by introducing students to the basics of estate planning and ad­min­is­tration. It should be taken by most students--if for no other reason than that it is a Bar course. The course will cover: the changing nature of the family; the law of intestate succession; statutory Family Protection schemes; re­stric­tions on Testation; the role, preparation and construction of Wills; the uses, cre­ation, construction and termination of Trusts; rudimentary tax consid­era­tions in the estate planning process; the use of future inter­ests and pow­ers of appointment; the mechanics of Estate Administration (in­clu­ding an examination of Probate and of alter­natives to Probate); the role and responsibil­ities of fiduciaries; the role of the attorney in the Estate Planning process; and the Rules of Profess­ional Respon­sibility as they apply to the estate attorney.

Final Assessment: Exam
Grading Mode: Letter Grading

Advanced Writing
No
Units
2 or 3
Professional Skills
No
Course Number
221
Active
Yes

Certificate

Cluster

Unit 16
No