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Structure of the Required Curriculum
Full-Time Day Division
Typically students enrolled in the full-time day program complete degree requirements in six semesters over a three-year period. In the first year, full-time day students must take the required curriculum. In the summer prior to their first year, students are assigned at random to one of 8 or 9 first year sections of about 25-28 students. This section assignment determines the students' academic schedule for both the fall and spring semesters of the first year. Beginning with the fall semester, first-year, full-time day students take 16 credits of required classes, with meetings typically Monday through Friday between 9:10 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., except on Friday when classes seldom are scheduled to meet later than 3:00 p.m. In the spring semester these students take 13 credits of required courses and an elective – usually for either two or three credits. After the first year, full-time day students register for 11 to 17 credits in each semester, completing the required courses and selecting from a wide array of electives to develop a program which meets their academic interests and prepares them to achieve their career goals. Full-time day students should not work in their first year and may work no more than 20 hours per week thereafter.
Although semester scheduling of doctrinal courses may vary from year to year, in the fall semester 2008 students take Legal Analysis, Writing and Research I (3), referred to as LAWR I, in combination with either Introduction to Civil Procedure (2), Introduction to Contracts (2) or Introduction to Torts (2). Students also take Criminal Law (3) and the four-credit versions of the two doctrinal courses which they are not taking in coordination with LAWR I, that is, Civil Procedure (4) and/or Contracts (4) and/or Torts (4).
In the spring semester 2009, first-year, full-time day students take the second half of the course which in the first semester was combined with LAWR I [Civil Procedure II (3), or Contracts II (3), or Torts II (3)], and also take LAWR II (2), LAWR II: Research (1), Constitutional Law I: Governance (3), Property (4) and must take one (and no more than one) elective course, with most electives open to first-year students earning either two or three credits.
In addition to taking electives, in the third semester full-time day students take Constitutional Law II: Individual Rights (3). (This third-semester required course also may be available in the summer session. Students choosing to register for Constitutional Law II in the summer then may take an additional elective in their third semester.) In subsequent semesters, students also must take Advanced Legal Research (1) and one of several offerings which satisfy the Legal Profession Requirement.
First Year |
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Fall Semester 2008: |
LAWR I (three credits) |
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Introduction to either Civil Procedure or Contracts or Torts (two credits) |
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Civil Procedure and/or Contracts and/or Torts (two courses; eight credits total) |
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Criminal Law (three credits) |
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Total Credits: Sixteen |
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Spring Semester 2009: |
LAWR II (two credits) |
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LAWR II: Research (one credit) |
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Constitutional Law I: Governance (three credits) |
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Property (four credits) |
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Civil Procedure II or Contracts II or Torts II (three credits) |
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Elective (two or three credits) |
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Total Credits: Thirteen required, and one elective course for at least two credits. |
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Second Year |
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Fall Semester: |
Constitutional Law II: Individual Rights (three credits) |
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