Our three-year Juris Doctor curriculum is rich and diverse. It begins with traditional courses and coverages and expands to include the latest in theoretical and interdisciplinary analyses.

The first-year curriculum is rigorous, traditional and prescribed. It provides the foundation in history, doctrine, process and analysis that students need to fully appreciate more specialized courses offered in the second and third years of law school.

Second- and third-year students have freedom to select most of their courses. We have deliberately structured our curriculum to provide students with the opportunity to obtain a broad and interdisciplinary exposure to different areas of law. We have especially strong programs in environmental law, international law and business, with certificate programs in environmental law and international law. We also have one of the strongest criminal law programs in the region. Students interested in litigation and public interest law have the opportunity to gain experience in those areas by taking courses at our internationally-recognized Public Interest Law Center.

Because writing and communication skills are essential to becoming effective, successful lawyers, we emphasize legal writing and research throughout our curriculum. In the first year, Legal Writing and Research is a required course. This course is taught by full-time faculty members who are lawyers with outstanding academic backgrounds and legal experience.

Students have the opportunity to further develop and refine the craft of legal writing and research in their second and third years of study. To obtain their degrees, students must satisfy an upper-level writing requirement by completing a research paper of substantial length.