Future Students
Academics - Curriculum
 The School of Law seeks to qualify its graduates for the highest opportunities in professional legal services and to instill a sense of perspective about what the law does and is capable of doing for the good of society. The educational program of the School of Law provides a solid foundation in legal analysis, doctrinal coverage, and professional skills that will enable students to deal with the variety of problems encountered in a legal career and provide a strong sense of the lawyer's responsibility both to clients and to the community.
The first-year program concentrates on analytical skills, legal research and writing techniques, and basic legal doctrine, and provides the foundation for upper-level courses.
Due to the demands of the first-year curriculum, the School of Law strongly supports the American Bar Association's recommendation that first-year students do not work. Entering students are advised to make law school their top priority and to be prepared to spend a substantial amount of time studying and preparing for class. Second and third-year students are advised to limit employment to 10-15 hours per week.
In addition to all first-year courses, the School of Law requires successful completion of Civil Procedure II, Constitutional Law II, Criminal Procedure, Professional Responsibility or Problems in Professional Responsibility, and a perspective course, such as American Legal History, International Law, or Jurisprudence. All students must satisfy an upper-level writing requirement by writing a paper in a seminar or under the supervision of a faculty member in an area of the student's interest.
The upper-level curriculum is structured to encourage second-year students to take fundamental courses on the rules of civil procedure, business corporations, evidence, income tax, and trusts and estates. Other basic courses are available to ensure that students obtain a sound, general legal education and to prepare students to specialize in a specific area, such as business law or litigation.
The School of Law offers advanced courses that allow detailed study of areas such as business and commercial law, tax and estate planning, environmental law, and litigation. Students normally take these courses in their third year. Because of the diverse career paths of law graduates, the curriculum is designed to allow students interested in either general practice or a highly specialized field to pursue their interests in three years of legal study.
The upper-level curriculum also offers skills training for students in client contact clinics and a wide range of simulation courses. In addition to the traditional trial advocacy course, the School of Law offers a summer two-week intensive trial advocacy course and a criminal trial practice course. The core professional skills course is Interviewing, Counseling, and Negotiation. This course is offered every semester. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and ADR in Employment Law are taught annually.
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