A total of 91 credit hours are required to graduate. Of these, the first-year core curriculum of 30 credit hours is required as well as 8 to 10 credit hours in the upper division as listed below. The remaining credit hours are comprised of elective law courses.
Full-Time Day Course Requirements
- Civil Procedure I (2 credit hours)
- Contracts I (3)
- Criminal Law (3)
- Introduction to Legal Studies (0.5)
- Legal Research and Writing I (3)
- Torts (4)
- Civil Procedure II (3 credit hours)
- Constitutional Law I (3)
- Contracts II (2)
- Introduction to Legal Studies (0.5)
- Legal Research and Writing II (3)
- Property (4)
- Perspectives on Law Course or Seminar (2-3 credit hours)
- Legal Profession (Professional Ethics) (3)
- Professional Skills Course (1-3)
- Seminar (2)
After completing the first-year requirements, students can select from a variety of offerings to complete the minimum of 91 hours to graduate. The majority of upper division courses are elective with the exception of the requirements listed below.
The Perspectives on Law requirement may be satisfied by enrolling in any course or seminar designated as such. A perspectives on law course or seminar is one devoted to the study of comparative or international legal systems, insights from other academic disciplines (such as history, literature, economics, philosophy, psychology, anthropology or sociology), or approaches by other critical viewpoints on legal concepts or problems. Examples of Perspectives on Law offerings include, but are not limited to:
- American Legal History (course and seminar)
- Bioethics and the Law
- Critical Race Theory seminar
- Death Penalty seminar
- Disability Law
- International Law
- Jurisprudence
Seminars involve a small group of students who engage in extensive research, writing, and discussion. Seminars of varying topics are offered every semester. Examples of recent seminars include, but are not limited to:
- Access to Health Care
- American Presidency
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Death Penalty
- Education Law & Policy
- IP of Creative Businesses
- Tax Policy
- Trademark
- White Collar Crime
Courses meeting this requirement are designed to provide students with the experience of applying legal theory and skills to simulated or real client matters. Students may satisfy this requirement by representing clients under faculty supervision in the legal clinics or externship placements. Client representation courses include:
- Civil Advocacy Clinic
- Criminal Advocacy Clinic
- Mediation Clinic
- Externship Placement
Many professional skills classes are also available that provide students with the opportunity to practice legal skills in a variety of simulated client situations. These include, but are not limited to:
- Advanced Legal Research
- Anatomy of a Patent
- Civil Practice
- Client Counseling
- Estate Planning
- Fraud, Abuse and Health Care Regulation
- Law Practice Management
- Moot Court
- Negotiations
- Sports Law
- Transactional Health Care Practice
- Trial Advocacy I & II
Part-Time Day Course Requirements
There are two options for the Part-Time Day Program: an 11-hour schedule (listed below) or an 8-hour schedule, which postpones the asterisked courses below until semesters three and four respectively.
- Introduction to Legal Studies (0)
- Civil Procedure I (2)
- Contracts I (3)
- Legal Research and Writing I (3)
- *Criminal Law (3)
- Introduction to Legal Studies (0)
- Civil Procedure II (3)
- Contracts II (2)
- Legal Research and Writing II (3)
- *Constitutional Law I (3)
- Torts (4)
- Electives (up to 7 hours)
- Property (4)
- Legal Profession (3)
- Electives (up to 4 hours)
- Perspectives on Law Course or Seminar (2-3)
- Legal Profession (Professional Ethics) (3)
- Professional Skills Course (1-3)
- Seminar (2)
Part-Time Evening Course Requirements
Students in the Part-Time Evening Program complete their required first year core curriculum in two years by taking courses scheduled in the evening. Part-time students both in their first and second year will be in some of the same classes. Course sequencing will be determined based upon your matriculating year (even numbered or odd numbered year). The course sequence is as follows:
Even Academic Years (i.e. Fall 2016 - Spring 2017)
- Introduction to Legal Studies (0.5)
- Civil Procedure I (2)
- Constitutional Law I (3)
- Legal Research and Writing I (3)
- Introduction to Legal Studies (0.5)
- Civil Procedure II (3)
- Property (4)
- Legal Research and Writing II (3)
- Contracts I (2)
- Torts (4)
- Electives (up to 5 hours)
- Contracts II (3)
- Criminal Law (3)
- Legal Profession when offered (3) and/or Electives (up to 11 total hours)
Odd Academic Years (i.e. Fall 2015 - Spring 2016)
- Introduction to Legal Studies (0.5)
- Contracts I (2)
- Torts (4)
- Legal Research and Writing I (3)
- Introduction to Legal Studies (0.5)
- Contracts II (3)
- Criminal Law (3)
- Legal Research and Writing II (3)
- Civil Procedure I (2)
- Constitutional Law I (3)
- Electives (up to 6 hours)
- Civil Procedure II (3)
- Property (4)
- Electives (up to 4 hours)