Levin College of Law

Juris Doctor

The College of Law combines traditional and innovative teaching methods to provide a dynamic professional program. The three-year Juris Doctor curriculum is designed to develop students’ analytical ability, practical knowledge, communications skills, and an understanding of the codes of responsibility and ethics that are central to the practice of law. Students also may enroll in certificate programs offered in several popular practice areas.

Faculty employ a variety of teaching methods, including the traditional “case” and “Socratic” methods, as well as problems, simulations, and role-playing. Courses designed to develop and refine students’ writing abilities are required each year. Seminars and advanced courses provide close interaction and individualized research. Clinical programs (simulated and live) allow students to develop skills in the context of real cases.

The required first-year curriculum teaches students to read and analyze cases, to research points of law efficiently and to express those points clearly in the context of subject matter basic to their legal education. Second- and third-year students choose from more than 100 elective courses and seminars covering all areas of law, both traditional and contemporary.