Academics, Scholarship & Curriculum
Each of our 59 professors has distinct experience and expertise, allowing the law school to offer more than 100 courses and seminars in specialized areas of law. Our faculty not only teaches the law, but the intellectual tools and skills necessary to a successful legal career. Great emphasis is placed upon gaining experience in analyzing cases, statutes, and other legal materials, and in synthesizing from these materials general notions of the structure and operation of the legal system.
First-Year J.D. Curriculum
First-year students enter only in the Autumn quarter and will complete the following set
of required courses:
Enrollment in these important courses is arranged so that each student will take at least one of them in a small section of approximately 30 students. Small sections provide opportunities for more individual expression by the student, a closer teacher-student relationship, and greater opportunities for writing and testing. The course in Basic Legal Skills introduces students to essential professional skills—writing, research and oral advocacy—by means of exercises that simulate the work of practicing attorneys.
Enrollment in the program is full-time only. Because of the heavy course load, first-year students are strongly discouraged
from attempting to work on even a part-time basis.
Second- and Third-Year J.D. Curriculum
Although first-year J.D. courses are prescribed, 2Ls and 3Ls may design a program suited to their goals and interests.Students
have the opportunity of either sampling classes across a broad section of
the curriculum or emphasizing a particular course of study. Students should be
mindful to prepare for the subjects tested on the state bar exam that they
intend to take. J.D. candidates in upper-level courses also may take selected courses along with Ph.D. and LL.M. students, most of who are already practicing professionals.
A student must complete the following requirements during their second and third years to graduate:
- 90 more credits hours (assuming the completion of 45 credits during the first year), for a total of 135 credit hours.
- 6 more quarters of at least 12 credits per quarter (each quarter meeting this criteria is known as a residence quarter).
- 60 hours of public service legal work which may be satisfied by
- Professional responsibility course
- Advanced writing assignment
Practice Skills Courses
Success in the legal field requires refined practical skills in addition to theoretical knowledge. We offer a variety of courses and co-curricular activities to help students develop these skills. Research courses, public-interest law clinics, moot course opportunitites, and judicial, agency or public-interest externships all help to develop competencies in interviewing, counseling, negotiation, legal drafting, alternative dispute resolution, and trial and appellate advocacy.