Faculty Curricular Advice
Introduction
The faculty advises every law student to take a well-balanced curriculum regardless of potential career choices. In particular, each student should try to take as many of the following courses as feasible:
| Civil Procedure II | Administrative Law |
Evidence |
U.S. Constitutional Law II |
Business Associations |
Substantive Criminal Law |
Federal Income Tax |
Commercial Law |
In addition, each student should take at least one course in the International or Foreign law and transactions areas in order to have some perspective on an increasingly globalized legal practice. In the same vein, students may find illuminating at least one course which offers a general perspective on law and its development, such as Jurisprudence, Legal History, Law and Society, Therapeutic Jurisprudence, Psychology and Law, or Law and Economics when they are offered. Students taking such a balanced curriculum would take approximately 35-38 credits leaving 19 to 22 credits of the 88 required for graduation for electives or some specialization and graduation requirements.
Taking a balanced basic curriculum will expose the student to a number of skills as well as content. For example, Commercial Law, Federal Income Tax, Substantive Criminal Law, Evidence and Administrative Law all focus on statutes and legislative practice in differing ways. Administrative Law and Constitutional Law demonstrate limits on politics and government. Civil Procedure II completes the picture of the trial system begun in the first year. Business Associations introduces the ideas of private ordering and governance. All of these courses together show differing perspectives on legal change and flexibility. Finally, a choice among seminars and workshops sharpens oral and written communication skills.
The faculty also recognizes that there are other criteria that are useful in choosing courses, such as to seek a broad exposure to as many faculty members and their approaches as possible, or to take courses for their specific content. Students should not take courses related to the bar as a substitute for bar study, but should take such courses on their own merit or because they fit an overall curriculum plan. In addition, students are encouraged to take advantage of the many opportunities to assist underserved populations. These opportunities are available throughout the curriculum.
Some students may wish a degree of specialization based upon a desired career goal. In that regard this introduction is followed by advice listed by general categories of the curriculum. These listings are not meant to substitute for a balanced grounding as described above. Nor are the recommendations meant to be rigid. The lists are offered for guidance. In fact, all of the basic courses listed above are recommended as also basic to one, and usually more, of the more specialized area advice sections, particularly in litigation and international law choices. For more detail about courses and professors, be sure to see the specific course descriptions.
Students should note that the menu requirements stated in Chapter 4 of the Student Handbook must still be satisfied. In order to graduate, each student must successfully complete 36 credits from courses in the 100, 200, and 300 level, and one course in the 400 level. (The course numbers indicate the level in the year in which the student enrolls in the course.) In your registration packet, you will find a list of courses by course number. Students must also satisfy the Skills Requirement, the Seminar/Workshop Requirement and the Upper-Class Writing Requirement. These are described in greater detail in the Student Handbook.
Finally, students should note that not each of these courses listed is necessarily given each year.
