Fall Semester Curriculum (Students Matriculating Fall 2023 and Later)

All full-time students take the following four courses (15 credits total):

• Contracts (4 credits)
• Criminal Law & Procedure (4 credits)
• Civil Procedure (4 credits)
• Legal Analysis, Advocacy & Writing I (3 credits)

Spring Semester Curriculum (Students Matriculating Fall 2023 and Later)

All full-time students take the following four courses (15 credits total):

• Property (4 credits)
• Torts (4 credits)
• Constitutional Law (4 credits)
• Legal Analysis, Advocacy & Writing II (3 credits)

Most first-year courses are taught in a large lecture format, except Legal Analysis, Advocacy & Writing I and II, which are conducted in small sections of about 20 students. These smaller sections foster closer peer connections and facilitate study group formation.

Academic Performance

A student whose weighted average is less than 2.0 (on the 4.3 scale) on completion of the first two semesters is ineligible to continue unless the student petitions the Retentions Committee for permission to continue and the Retentions Committee permits continuation. See Chapter 7 of the Law School Rules. Contact the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs with questions. 

First-Year Part-Time Schedules

Course Scheduling Requirements

Part-time students must complete the first-year curriculum within two years of their matriculation date (see Law School Rules 3.02 and 7.06(1)).

Late Day Course Availability

Each academic year, during both the fall and spring terms, one section of first-year legal writing and one substantive first-year course will be offered in the late afternoon or early evening. The specific substantive course offered in the late day time slot will rotate annually, helping part-time students complete the first-year curriculum within two years. However, “late afternoon/early evening” part-time students may need to be flexible in order to complete the first-year curriculum within two years.

Course Planning Recommendations

If you enroll part-time in the fall semester, then you must complete the remaining fall semester courses the following fall. The same applies to spring semester courses.

It is strongly recommended that part-time students take Legal Analysis, Advocacy & Writing I in their first semester and Legal Analysis, Advocacy & Writing II in their second semester, rather than postponing them to later semesters.

If for any reason you are unable to complete the first-year curriculum within two years, please contact the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to discuss your options. 

Enrollment in Upper-Level Courses 

Part-time students on track to complete the first-year curriculum within two years (i.e., taking 7–8 credits of required courses per semester in year one) may enroll in upper-level courses only after consulting with the Law School Academic Advisor. Students should either email their request to the Law School Academic Advisor or schedule an advising appointment through Starfish prior to registering for classes. 

Part-time students may be eligible for clinics, externships, or co-curriculars if they have been selected for a program and have met with the Law School Academic Advisor prior to enrolling. Please note that a part-time student participating in a clinic or externship is ineligible for student practice until they have completed the first-year curriculum.  

Any part-time student who wishes to take an upper-level law course prior to completing the entire first-year curriculum must meet with the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs if they: (1) are not on track to complete the first-year curriculum within two years, (2) have failed a course, or (3) earned a GPA below 2.0 in any semester.