Required First-Year Courses

The first-year program is mandatory. It consists of required courses in broad areas of law to which all lawyers should have some exposure. The first year commences with an introductory program beginning the week before regular law school classes. During this week, students are introduced to the judicial process, legal history, legal writing, case analysis, the significance of precedent, the adversary system, and the role and responsibilities of the lawyer as an advocate. No separate academic credit is given for this week, but attendance is mandatory.

Civil Procedure I & II

(3 credits each semester) - These classes include a study of the process of civil litigation from such preliminary matters as court selection and jurisdiction to appeal and collateral attack of final judgments. The antecedents of modern procedure are also covered; where appropriate, suggestions for reform are developed during class discussion. The emphasis is on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and on code pleading and common law procedure used in state court systems.

Contracts I & II

(3 credits each semester) - These classes explain the formation and enforcement by litigation and commercial arbitration of commercial and family agreements. They cover mutual assent or consideration, third-party beneficiaries, assignments, joint obligation, performance, anticipatory breach, discharge of contractual duties, and the Statute of Frauds.

Criminal Law

(3 credits) - This course analyzes what conduct society punishes through a criminal code and the appropriate punishment for the forbidden conduct. In this context, the course includes an analysis of the theories of punishment, the definitions of various crimes, the defenses available to one charged with criminal conduct, and the limitations placed by the Constitution on governmental power in the criminal law area. Throughout the course, special emphasis is placed on the appropriate role of the legislature and the courts, and the problems faced by them in devising and administering a criminal code.

Legal Research & Writing I

(3 credits) - LRW I analyzes the special problems posed by legal analysis and the expression of the results of that process. The primary emphasis is on techniques of basic legal analysis, the skills of basic legal writing, and proper citation form. Students complete a series of writing assignments.

Legal Research & Writing II

(2 credits) - LRW II introduces persuasive writing for trial and appellate courts. Techniques of intermediate library research and basic computer research are emphasized. Students draft appellate briefs and conduct mock oral arguments.

Property I & II

(3 credits each semester) - These two courses emphasize real property. Basic concepts are covered, including property rights in lost and found articles (general property concepts), types and historical origins of estates, and other interests in land. Property transfer techniques, such as gifts, leases, and sales, are considered. Land transfer techniques, including the land sale contract, the deed, the recording system, and methods of real property title assurance, are discussed. Some aspects of land-use controls are explored briefly.

Torts

(4 credits) - Tort law governs the protection of persons and property against physical harm, whether intentional or negligent, under a variety of doctrines, including trespass, nuisance, negligence, deceit, and conversion. A number of fundamental Anglo-American legal principles, such as duty; proximate cause; foreseeability; privilege; damages; injunctions; and functions of the advocate, trial judge, and appellate court, are developed in the context of the liability of builders, contractors, workers, manufacturers, dealers, railroads, and operators of motor vehicles.

Required Upper-Level Courses

Constitutional Law

(4 credits) - This course introduces the basic principles of constitutional law and current constitutional doctrines and problems. The focus is on the structure of the federal system and on the rights of individuals under the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fifth and 14th Amendments. Students also are advised to take the elective course, First Amendment, to complete their study of constitutional law. Constitutional Law must be taken in either the second or third year.

Legal Research & Writing III

(2 credits) - This course gives small section experiences in legal research and writing, advanced legal research techniques, and advanced writing assignments. This class must be taken before the end of the student's second year of law school.

Professional Responsibility

(3 credits) - Explains the role of the lawyer as counselor, advocate, and public servant; the individual lawyer's obligation to society and the profession as a whole; the ethical problems of the profession; representation of the unpopular cause and the undesirable client; the lawyer's obligation to law reform; the lawyer and the press; the lawyer in public service; and aspects of law-office management. Professional Responsibility must be taken in either the second or third year.

Electives

Most of the curriculum in the second and third year is composed of electives. This elective system allows students to choose courses that interest them and that will be useful in the types of careers they choose. Students are required to consult an adviser before registering for upper-level courses.

Credit hours occasionally vary when a course is offered during the summer session, and not every course is offered every year.

All students must take at least one of the following three-credit skills classes before graduation:

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
ADR in the Workplace
Business Planning
Conflict Resolution
Drafting Legal Documents
Interviewing, Counseling, & Negotiation
Legal Clinic (Transactional)
Mediation in Practice
Pre-Trial Practice
Solo Practice Planning
Trial Advocacy

A complete list of classes offered and descriptions can be found in the School of Law Catalog of Studies.