The Juris Doctor (JD) Degree

About the JD program

Students spend their first year on campus learning the foundation of legal analysis, skills, and professionalism. The program includes traditional first-year courses, such as contracts and criminal law. It also includes a comprehensive legal methods course, taught by full-time faculty, that instructs students on the fundamentals of legal writing and analysis, as well as a class on interviewing, counseling, and negotiation. Beginning in 2011, students are also able to choose an elective course as part of their first year curriculum. The menu of courses available offer general overview courses in topics students will encounter in their legal education.

The cooperative education program

The cooperative education program allows second- and third-year students to spend one semester at a designated placement. The goal of the program is to provide students with an integrated learning experience that will ensure that they are prepared for the complexities of modern-day practice.

Students have a choice between full-time and part-time co-op placement. Placements include judicial chambers, private law firms, in-house counsel offices, and non-profit organizations. Students are not paid for their work but will instead receive academic credits for their co-op experiences and for a lawyering practice seminar that must be taken in conjunction with the co-op. Students may take an additional course in a semester in which they are enrolled in the co-op. Co-ops are encouraged as part of the integrated law school experience, but are not required.

Students have their first opportunity for a co-op experience in the fall of their second year. To ensure the appropriateness of a placement, students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.500 in order to be placed in a co-op.

Examinations

Grades in many law school courses are based solely on a final examination. Most final examinations are taken at designated dates and times, and others are take-home examinations. Exam questions are primarily in essay format, but some questions may be in another format (e.g. , multiple choice). Writing and skills classes often include multiple assignments to determine a final grade.

For additional information, visit the The Earle Mack School of Law website.