Course Requirements

All JD students are required to take the following courses:

1. The First-Year Curriculum in its Entirety (Rule 3.01):

Fall Semester (15 total credits)

• Law 711: Contracts (4 cr)
• Law 714: Civil Procedure (4 cr)
• Law 726: Criminal Law & Procedure (4 cr)
• Law 722: Legal Analysis, Advocacy, & Writing I (3 cr)

Spring Semester (15 total credits)

• Law 715: Torts (4 cr)
• Law 724: Property (4 cr)
• Law 731: Constitutional Law (4 cr)
• Law 723: Legal Analysis, Advocacy, & Writing II (3 cr)

 2. One Professional Responsibilities Course (Rule 3.12):

• Law 850: Professional Responsibilities (3 credits) OR
• Law 798: Professional Responsibility and Criminal Practice (2 credits)

Note: Students may not use a Professional Responsibilities course to meet the Upper-Level Writing or Experiential Learning Requirement in the same semester.

3. One Course that Meets Rule 3.03:

According to ABA Standard 303(c), “A law school shall provide education to law students on bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism.”

Each semester, approved courses meeting this requirement will be indicated in the online Law School Course Schedule. An approved clinical experience fulfilling Rule 3.03 may count toward the Experiential Learning requirement as well.

4. Six Credits of Experiential Learning (Rule 3.07):

Students may complete this requirement through any combination of simulation courses (e.g., Negotiations, Contract Drafting, or Lawyering Skills), clinical courses (Law 854 courses), or externships (Law 855 courses).

Note: Students may not use an Experiential Learning course to meet the Upper-Level Writing or Professional Responsibility Requirement in the same semester.

5. Upper-Level Writing Requirement (Rule 3.11.1):

Completion of a rigorous, faculty-supervised writing experience subsequent to the completion of the 1L curriculum, to include:

• At least 20 pages (double-spaced) of written work
• Timely submission of a draft of the paper to the faculty supervisor who will provide feedback on the writing
• Timely submission of a final version of the paper to the faculty supervisor incorporating the feedback

Students may meet this requirement through one of the following:

• Enrolling in a course listed as “LW eligible” on the online Law School Course Schedule. OR
  • Note: students must check with the instructor on the first day of class to ensure they understand any requirements and/or deadlines necessary for satisfactory completion.
• Working directly with a faculty member who has agreed to supervise the work either through an approved Directed Research project, appropriate journal material, or ad hoc.   

Approval & Completion Process

Students who have turned final versions of their papers in to their faculty supervisors should complete the Upper-Level Writing Requirement form found in their My Student Info portal. The form is then routed to the faculty supervisor for their approval and then to the Registrar, who will email the student directly to confirm the requirement is complete.

Note: Students may not use an Experiential Learning course or Professional Responsibilities course to meet the Upper-Level Writing Requirement in the same semester. Do NOT leave this requirement for your final semester!

Credit Requirements

To earn a JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School, students must complete 90 total credits. Of these, 64 credits must be comprised of courses with "regularly scheduled classroom sessions or direct faculty instruction" ABA Standard 311(a).

Examples of law courses that do not count toward the “64-credit rule” include law journals, externships, directed research/reading, and most Moot and Mock Trial experiences. 

Consult the online Law School Course Schedule to confirm individual course credit totals.

Grade Point Average Requirement

No less than a 2.0 cumulative grade point average is required in order to graduate. On the Law School’s grading scale, a 2.0 translates to a C average. A student’s grade point is calculated at the conclusion of each semester and appears on the unofficial Law School transcript accessible through My Student Info. 

For further information about the grading system, grading scale, and GPA calculation, visit Grading System.

Residency Requirement

According to Law School Rule 9.01(1)(c), a "minimum of 50 credits must be earned as a JD candidate in this Law School for a student to be entitled to receive a JD from Wisconsin." Accordingly, students transferring to Wisconsin with a significant number of credits earned previously may need more than 90 credits total to earn a JD from Wisconsin. 

Credits that are part of a Law School study abroad exchange program are considered "in residence."

Time Limitation

According to Law School Rule 7.06, students must complete all JD degree requirements within six years from the commencement of law studies – whether at Wisconsin or another institution. Transfer students needing to complete at least 50 credits to meet the residency requirement should be aware of this limitation and plan accordingly. Extensions of time may be granted by the Retentions Committee -- contact the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs with questions.

Military service does not typically count against this time period.

Students who complete 90 total credits and fulfill all other JD degree requirements may be graduated, regardless of any remaining requirements needed to complete Diploma Privilege.

Distance Education 

Law students are not permitted to earn more than one-third of the credits required for the JD degree through distance education courses (that is, no more than 30 credits of 90 credit total). Per ABA Standards, a 'distance education course' is one in which "students are separated from all faculty members for more than one-third of the instruction and the instruction involves the use of technology to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and all faculty members, either synchronously or asynchronously." 

Currently, the Law School does not offer sufficient distance education courses for a student to exceed 30 credits; however, students who study as a 'visitor' at another law school --or who take non-law distance education courses elsewhere on campus-- should be aware of this 30-credit limitation, as it could prevent credits from being applied toward the JD degree.

Alternative Ways to Earn Credit

Non-Law Coursework

In some situations, non-law coursework may be applied towards the JD. For more information, visit: 

• Non-Law Courses for JD Credit
• Certificate Programs
• Dual Degrees

Study Abroad

Students interested in study abroad should consult with the Law School Registrar to ensure they can meet all the necessary degree requirements before committing to any program. It is not recommended for students to study abroad their final semester.

Prior to departure, it is important to provide course descriptions and syllabi to the Law School Registrar for review. The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will assess courses for transfer credit so that students can better prepare for the remainder of their academic requirements upon returning.

Students are responsible for ensuring their transcript from the host school is sent to the Law School Registrar. A grade of C or better is required in order to earn credit for each course. However, all grades will appear as either S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) on both the campus and law school transcripts. These courses are not factored into the Law School grade point average.

For more information, visit the Study Abroad website and the Study Abroad article in this handbook.

Semester at Another Law School

Students interested in studying law at another ABA-approved U.S. law school should consult with the Law School Registrar to ensure they can meet all the necessary degree requirements before committing to any program. It is not recommended for students to spend their final semester at another law school.

Prior to departure, it is important to provide course descriptions and syllabi to the Law School Registrar for review. The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will assess courses for transfer credit so that students can better prepare for the remainder of their academic requirements upon returning.

Students are responsible for ensuring their transcript from the host school is sent to the Law School Registrar. A grade of C or better is required in order to earn credit for each course. However, all grades will appear as either S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) on both the campus and law school transcripts. These courses are not factored into the Law School grade point average.

Students who spend a fall or spring semester at another U.S. law school must file “re-entry” forms before returning. These forms should be obtained from the Law School Registrar. A student who has not complied with the re-entry requirement will not be able to register for a subsequent semester.