Legal Aspects of Design Practice

This course, an elective practice course, is open to students who have taken GSD 7212, an equivalent practice course, or who have had actual practice experience. It covers substantially all of the major legal issues an architect is likely to encounter in practice in the United States. Students are expected to attend all lecture/discussions and read the text of a two-volume work prepared for the course by Professor Sapers. The two volumes begins with an analysis of government regulation of practice. Subsequent chapters cover economic and regulatory issues respecting professional firms; an analysis of standard AIA owner/architect contracts and applicable contract law; two chapters containing court cases and monographs respecting the design professional\’s responsibilities and standard of care; a chapter on aspects of intellectual property law, chiefly copyrights, affecting practice; and a chapter analyzing professional liability coverage and potential conflicts with a professional\’s insurer. The remaining chapters cover owner/contractor agreements; the legal obligations of contractors; conflicts between contractors and design professionals; dispute resolution techniques; and new forms of project delivery. The student\’s attention is frequently drawn to ethical issues in the course of practice. There is a term paper and a final examination.Prerequisites: GSD 7212