Course Environment
Class
Tuesdays & Thursdays 3–4:15pm
One-on-One Meetings
Thursdays at 10:30–11:30am
Group Sessions
Fridays at 11am–12pm
In the Classroom
I’m committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive classroom that supports your learning. I’ll teach the class mostly by asking questions. Sometimes, I’ll call on particular students and ask questions. Other times, I’ll pose questions to the entire class and invite volunteers. Your job is to be prepared to participate every day. But things happen. If you find yourself unprepared, please email me at least an hour before class starts so I’ll know not to call on you. There’s no hard cap on the number of “passes” each of you may take, but I’ll talk to you if I’m concerned about your participation.
Our discussions in class will sometimes involve uncomfortable situations — that’s an essential part of law school. We’ll tackle difficult policy questions that highlight conflicting social and political values, and we must all listen in good faith when we disagree. I find this to be a good practice generally, but it’s a particularly useful skill for lawyers. This doesn’t mean we can’t disagree with each other — quite the contrary! — but I expect everyone to act respectfully at all times. Your time in law school marks the beginning of your career in a profession, so I expect you to act professionally. Professionals can be serious or silly, but they must be responsible and respectful.
When you’re participating in class, what matters is quality, not quantity. Quality doesn’t mean giving the “right” answer — there’s often no such thing, and even wrong answers can be great learning tools. The key is to be prepared and make your best effort to put your thoughts into words. Try to support your answers with reasoning and evidence. Your contributions will be valuable building blocks for our discussion, even if they sometimes feel clumsy in the moment. I expect you to support each other as colleagues. We’re all in this together — it’s a collaborative process. Please trust me.
Some people have anxiety about speaking in class. This isn’t the end of the world, but it is something we can work to fix. Talk to me if you find you’re one of these people. We’ll work on it or work around it.
Laptops and tablets are permitted in class for one reason only: reviewing the digital casebook and any notes you’ve typed before class begins. You may not use your phone unless an emergency arises, such as an urgent childcare issue. Recording and photography are never permitted during class. If you’re typing on your laptop/tablet or using your phone, I will assume you’re doing something unrelated to Cybercrime. Repeated impermissible uses of technology may negatively affect your final grade. I’ll explain my reasons for these policies during our first class.
Please be in class on time. The law school’s attendance policy applies to this course, and violations of that policy may result in involuntary withdrawal and a failing grade. Review the full policy, but the main point is this: regular attendance is required, and it’s your responsibility to sign in for each class session you attend. If you miss a class, please get notes from a classmate and discuss the material with at least one classmate before coming to my “learning hours“ to talk through things further. Classes won’t be recorded or streamed online unless I have to reschedule a class entirely.
And for reasons eloquently expressed here, please call me Professor Kadri.
See you in class!
Beyond the Classroom
I believe that learning should extend beyond our time together in the classroom.
I’ll hold student “learning hours” twice weekly in my office (Room 304). One-on-one meetings will occur at 10:30–11:30am every Thursday, while group sessions will occur at 11am–12pm every Friday. Please come by with questions about class, the law, law school, life — whatever you like. Or just come by to listen or say hello. In general, I encourage you to attend the group sessions on Fridays because you can learn from each other as well as from me. That said, I also recognize that some students feel more comfortable asking questions or expressing uncertainty without others present, so you’re always welcome to join me for a one-on-one meeting on Thursday. Those meetings will proceed on a first-come-first-served basis based on when you arrive. Please just show up without scheduling a time in advance.
I believe in setting boundaries and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I strongly encourage you to do the same in law school and beyond. For me, this means doing my best to avoid working after 5pm and on weekends so I can spend time with my family and friends (and dogs!) and doing things that enrich my personal life. For you, that might mean something quite different, but I’d urge you to be self-reflective about your time as you settle into your legal education.
What this means for us is that I generally won’t answer emails during evenings or weekends, nor will I email you during those times unless absolutely necessary. You are, of course, free to email me whenever you’d like — I recognize that you might prefer to keep different working hours — but please be thoughtful about the requests you make of others during law school, including your peers, your professors, and our amazing administrators and staff.
To help manage the time we spend working together this semester, I prefer you to ask me questions during class, during learning hours, or at the podium after class. These settings allow for richer conversations, and you never know what tidbits you might pick up when we talk or when you listen to my discussions with other students. If you’d like to speak about something more privately, please come to a one-on-one session on Thursday or email me if you have an unavoidable conflict at that time.
Most importantly, please know that teaching you Cybercrime is a priority for me this semester. You shouldn’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll make time for you.