Navigating the Law School Curriculum: A Comprehensive Guide
Embarking on a legal education is a significant undertaking. While individual experiences may vary, certain aspects of the law school curriculum remain consistent. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the law school curriculum, from the initial year to upper-level electives, designed to guide prospective and current law students.
Understanding the Law School Timeline and Terminology
Law school typically spans three years for full-time students. Students are classified by year: "1Ls" in their first year, "2Ls" in their second, and "3Ls" in their third. Part-time programs extend the duration to four years, accommodating working students who want to keep their careers on track.
The Foundational First-Year Curriculum
The first year of law school is structured to provide a solid foundation in core legal principles. Students explore these concepts through the study of the legal systems that govern the enforcement of agreements (Contracts), the ownership of resources (Property), and the protection afforded to people and their property from interference by others (Torts). The first-year core curriculum is mandatory.
With a few exceptions, students do not get to choose their first-year courses. Generally, these courses last one semester, and which classes you take in the fall or spring semester depend on your school.
The vast majority of students will take Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, and Torts as their “doctrinal classes.” This means that these courses focus on substantive legal doctrine - that is, the rules of law that govern a particular field. In addition, all law students take some form of a legal writing course in their first year. While this course will also explore substantive legal doctrine, the focus is on acquiring the skills of legal analysis and legal writing.
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Civil Procedure: Introduces the allocation of judicial authority among state and federal courts and the procedures they employ in civil litigation. In Civil Procedure I, first-year students are introduced to the allocation of judicial authority among state and federal courts and to the procedures they employ in civil litigation.
Constitutional Law: Students investigate the relationship of people to government and the concept of federalism.
Contracts: Examines the purpose and scope of the legal protection accorded agreements. Contracts or Property (4 Credits)
Criminal Law: The elements of major crimes, their policy and historical underpinnings, and the alternatives for designating and dealing with major antisocial behaviors are considered. Part-time students may attend in either the day or evening divison and delay Criminal Law I and Constitutional Law until their second year.
Property: Focuses on basic principles governing private and public control over tangible and intangible resources, especially land. The course addresses concepts and policies concerning property and special concepts concerning real estate, such as estates in land, future interests, and the rule against perpetuities.
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Torts: Considers the issues involved in assessing whether the law should require a person to compensate another for harm intentionally or unintentionally inflicted. Torts (4 Credits) The legal protection afforded in civil proceedings against interference by others with the one’s person, property and intangible interests is considered.
Legal Communication & Research Skills: In the fall, law students are introduced to foundational lawyering skills. They learn to read judicial opinions, analyze the law, and apply the law to a set of facts. Students write objective legal memoranda of the type that a junior associate or judicial clerk might be asked to write. The Legal Research and Writing Program teaches the basics of writing and speaking like a lawyer. In first-year Legal Research and Writing courses, students are assigned to small groups for individualized instruction. After introduction to basic research techniques, problems are assigned and various methods are utilized to help students develop their writing and analytical skills.
Consistent with Temple Law’s commitment to blending theory with practice, first-year students also participate in experiential programs within weeks of beginning law school. Students negotiate employment agreements and interview mock clients in Introduction to Transactional Skills.
In the spring semester, full-time first year students will be able to select one elective course from a list of 3-4 course offerings. Only first year students will be enrolled in these courses and enrollment will be across all of the first year sections. The courses offered as first year electives will vary from year to year, and in the past have included: Introduction to Intellectual Property, Environmental Law, International Law, Criminal Procedure, Introduction to Business Organizations, Family Law and Taxation.
The Case Method and Socratic Dialogue
Another truth about the first-year curriculum, and courses in law school in general, is that they rely on something called the case method. This means your reading will consist largely of cases, also known as judicial opinions, and you will then discuss those cases in class. The goal is not to memorize what happened in each individual case, but to learn how the law developed over time and how courts applied the law to the facts in front of them. Remember, reading cases is very challenging, especially at first, but with practice, you'll find it much easier over time.
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Speaking of class discussion, in law school, many professors use an approach to teaching called the Socratic Method. This means that, instead of presenting a lecture about the significance of the cases you have read for class, your professor will call on one or more students and ask them various questions about the reading. The goal is to guide the student - and the entire class - to a critical understanding of what each case stands for and how they all fit together to form a legal framework. Instruction in modern law schools is founded on the notion of teaching each student to think like a lawyer.
Assessment Methods in Law School
The traditional approach in law school is to offer a single exam, at the end of the semester, that constitutes 100 percent of your grade in the course. However, this tradition is changing. More and more law professors offer midterm exams, as well as other types of interim assessments (frequently referred to as “formative assessments,” meaning they are intended to help you evaluate the extent to which you are properly learning the material throughout the semester).
Upper-Level Electives and Specializations
Every year, Brooklyn Law School students engage in the extremely important process of selecting their courses and planning their upperclass programs for the following academic year. Students can choose from a rich array of classes, clinics, seminars, lawyering skills courses, and other academic offerings they wish to take during those years. All upper-level courses are electives with important exceptions. All students must successfully complete a course in Professional Responsibility prior to graduation. This requirement reflects Temple’s commitment to the development of lawyers with high ethical standards. Students must also successfully complete two upper-level writing requirements and six credits of skills course. Additionally, students who matriculated as of August 2021 are required to complete a course that satisfies the Bias in the Law requirement.
Students can use various writing experiences to satisfy the upper-level writing requirement, including coursework in certain upper-level writing courses and seminars, or independent study. The additional writing requirement may be satisfied through law review and journal notes, documents prepared in Legal Drafting classes, and documents prepared in other settings approved by a faculty committee. In order to satisfy the additional requirement, the work must be the result of legal research and analysis, demonstrate the proper use of authority, and must be clearly written. Students must complete at least 6 credits in designated skills courses, which must include credits from at least one live-client experience.
J.D. Degree Requirements
The Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree is awarded upon recommendation by the faculty of the law school. Eligibility for the degree requires compliance with all rules and regulations, which are set out in the Student Handbook available to students. For general guidance, the J.D. To graduate with the J.D. degree, students must complete at least 85 credits. The first-year program of instruction is designed to examine and foster an understanding of the processes by which law is made, the institutions that make law, and the analytical skills necessary in the professional use of case law and legislation. Several first-year classes meet in large sections of approximately 90-120 students. Additionally, all full-time first-year students enroll in a seminar section, compromised of approximately 40-50 students. The smaller class size allows for a more intimate and interactive experience. Students also take two semesters of the Gateway to Lawyering course, which begin students’ skills training with an emphasis on legal writing and research.
Program Options: Full-Time, Part-Time, and Extended J.D.
Law schools offer various program options to accommodate different student needs. Full-time programs typically require three academic years to complete, with day division courses scheduled Monday through Friday. Acceleration is generally not permitted in full-time programs.
Part-time programs are designed for students with time restrictions due to employment or other responsibilities. Most part-time students attend the Evening Division, with classes held Monday through Thursday evenings. Some schools, like Temple Law, are committed to making the experience for evening students comparable to that of day students, with full-time faculty regularly teaching in the evening.
Extended 4-Year J.D. Our 4-year extended J.D. is designed for working students who want to keep their careers on track.
Preparing for Law School
The first semester of law school - especially the first few weeks - is often compared to drinking from a fire hose. There is no way to fully prepare for this except to experience it yourself. Still, it’s possible to prepare somewhat the summer before 1L by learning how to read and brief cases, participate in Socratic dialogue, and analyze exam questions.
Additional Opportunities: Seminars, Clinics, and Summer Study
Many law schools offer seminars with small groups of students working closely with faculty. HLS students can meet with faculty members, clinical practitioners, and research librarians for guidance, advising, and mentorship.
Students who wish to lighten their fall and spring course load can take advantage of a summer evening term at the main campus in Philadelphia, or a summer term abroad in Rome.
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