::Academic Rules 10, 17, 18

Academic Rule 10: 90 Credit Hours Needed for Graduation

• All students, except those involved in a program leading to both a juris doctor and a masters degree in another discipline, must successfully complete 90 credit hours of law curriculum course work.
• Courses audited do not count towards this requirement.
• If a grade of “F” is awarded for any reason, the credit hours involved shall be deemed not successfully completed and those hours must be made up by retaking the course or completing additional hours successfully.
• Students who have received academic credit for a course (other than Directed Research, Moot Court, Law Review, or Clinic) may not re-enroll in that course except pursuant to an Academic Success Plan described in these Academic Rules.
• Students who, pursuant to an Academic Success Plan, enroll in a course for which they have already received academic credit will not receive academic credit for successfully re-completing that course.
• During the semester or summer session in which a student completes the ninety credit hours required for the J.D. degree, he or she may take up to six (6) additional course credits free of charge.
• This privilege will terminate at the conclusion of said semester or summer session.
• Grades for all courses taken during said semester or summer session will be included in the computation of the student’s GPA and appear on the student’s transcript.

Academic Rule 17: Required Courses

These classes are required for graduation:

If a faculty advisor to a moot court competition certifies that by participating in such competition a student has learned the equivalent competencies of those taught in Legal Writing & Research IV, the student may obtain a waiver of the Legal Writing & Research IV requirement.

The entire first-year curriculum consists of required courses. First-year students taking a reduced course load may not take any elective courses in the spring without special permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Academic Rule 18: Highly Recommended Courses

These courses should form the basis for developing your course schedules. 

• Administrative Law (3 credits)
• Agency & Partnership (3 credits)
• Corporations (3 credits)
• Community Property (2 credits). This course is highly recommended for students who plan to take the bar or practice in a community property state.
• Creditors’ Rights (3 credits)
• Family Law (3 credits)
• Federal Indian Law (3 credits)
• Payment Systems (3 credits)
• Remedies (2 credits)
• Sales (formerly UCC 2) (3 credits)
• Skills training courses, particularly Litigation & Dispute Resolution or Trial Advocacy (3 credits) or two or more clinical credits from in-house clinical law course offerings or externship field placements.
• Other skills courses such as Negotiation and Mediation (2 credits) are also recommended.
• Taxation of Individual Income (3 credits)
• Trusts & Wills (3 credits)

NOTE: We also recommend that all students write a major paper during theIR second or third year of law school. This paper may be written as part of the requirements for a designated course, or as part of directed research.

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