The Juris Doctor (JD) curriculum consists of 88 total semester units and takes three (3) years of full-time or four (4) years of part-time study to complete. The curriculum is grounded in crucial lawyering skills such as critical reading, in-depth analysis, and presenting competently reasoned cases. For a full listing of class offerings, click here.
Experiential Learning
Hands-on experience is integral to La Verne Law’s Juris Doctor degree program. In considering our mission of advocacy and civic engagement, our Clinical Law Program emphasizes practical training and applying classroom knowledge in a real-world setting.
As a JD candidate, you work on actual cases under the direction of faculty and practicing lawyers, providing pro bono legal services in the process. Experiences encompassing our Lawyering Skills Practicum, Externship Program, and additional clinical opportunities have you interacting with clients, writing legal documents, practicing oral advocacy skills, interviewing witnesses, conducting factual investigations, and assisting in discovery, counseling, and negotiating. Learn more about what to expect and how these opportunities enhance your legal education.
Program Requirements
Total Program: 88 semester hours
Full-Time Division
The course of study in the full-time division requires three academic years of study in residence. In the full-time program, students should expect to devote most of their time to the study of law. The curriculum usually includes five days of class time per week, 14-15 units per semester for a total of 88 units. Full-time students may be allowed and/or required to enroll in some classes offered in the evening and on Saturdays. The California Committee of Bar Examiners for the State Bar of California has accredited the University of La Verne College of Law and Public Service as a 3 year full-time Juris Doctor program and as a 4 year part-time Juris Doctor program. Students enrolled in the full-time 3 year JD program are not allowed to graduate early or with less than 3 academic years.
A typical three-year course of study would be as follows:
1L - Foundational Year
The Foundational (First) Year curriculum consists of the following four two-semester core courses: Contracts, Property, Civil Procedure, and Torts. In the first semester, students are also required to take a one semester Writing course; and in the second semester, students are required to take a one-semester Criminal Law course.
2L - Experiential Learning Year
During the second-year students are exposed to experiential learning opportunities with a focus on both litigation and transactional skills. Each semester consists of multiple courses with designated hours for credit which are graded independently. Adjunct professors who are judges and practicing attorneys teach coordinated components of the semester experience. They also review the students’ participation in mock trial and mock negotiation sessions. Additionally, the Experiential Learning year incorporates academic success skills and legal writing.
3L - Enhancement Year
The Enhancement Year allows students to enhance their learning and expand their horizons by taking courses covering areas of personal interest as well as gaining valuable experience from clinics, externships, and other possibilities. It also incorporates a rigorous writing, academic success, and bar preparation curriculum. Collectively, the Enhancement Year serves to transition students from academic readiness to bar readiness, allowing them to build on what they have learned, become ready to pass the bar exam and enter the legal profession.
Sample Full-Time Division Schedule
- 1L Fall Semester: 15 semester hours
- Contracts
- Civil Procedure
- Property
- Torts
- Legal Writing & Analysis I
- 1L Spring Semester: 15 semester hours
- Contracts II
- Civil Procedure II
- Property II
- Criminal Law
- Torts II
- 2L Fall Semester: 15 semester hours
- Constitutional Law I
- Evidence I
- Criminal Procedure
- Trial Advocacy
- Professional Responsibility
- Legal Writing & Analysis II
- 2L Spring Semester: 14 semester hours
- Constitutional Law II
- Business Organizations I
- Sales
- Evidence II
- Transactional Workshop
- Electives
- 3L Year: 24 - 30 semester hours
- Wills & Trusts
- Capstone
- Upper Division Writing
- Professional Responsibility
- Experiential Course
- Electives
Part-Time Division
To accommodate the needs of working adults or others who cannot devote themselves to the full-time study of law, La Verne Law offers part-time day and evening programs. The part-time programs require four academic years of study. To complete the part-time programs within four years requires part-time students to enroll and study during the summer. In the part-time programs (Day or Evening), students complete 8-10 units per semester, typically attending class 3 times a week. Students may be required to attend class 4 times a week in some semesters, as well as may be required to attend Saturday classes. While the part-time program substantively mirrors the full-time program in terms of the required courses, experiential learning opportunities, and available electives, students should expect curricular adjustments with regard to timing and scheduling of the part-time programs. Full-time students may be allowed and/or required to enroll in some classes offered in the evening. The California Committee of Bar Examiners for the State Bar of California has accredited the University of La Verne College of Law and Public Service as a 3 year full-time Juris Doctor program and as a 4 year part-time Juris Doctor program. Students enrolled in the part-time 4 year JD program are not allowed to graduate early or with less than 4 academic years.
Sample Part-time Division Schedule
1L Part-Time Evening Program
- 1L Fall Semester: 9 semester hours
- Contracts
- Torts
- Legal Writing & Analysis I
- 1L Spring Semester: 9 semester hours
- Contracts II
- Torts II
- Criminal Law
- 1L Summer: 3 - 5 semester hours
- Civil Procedure II
- Electives
- 2L Fall Semester: 8 - 11 semester hours
- Constitutional Law I
- Property I
- Criminal Law
- Electives
- 2L Spring Semester: 8 - 11 semester hours
- Constitutional Law II
- Property II
- Writing II
- Electives
- 2L Summer: 4 - 5 semester hours
- Professional Responsibility
- Electives
- 3L Fall Semester: 9 - 11 semester hours
- Evidence
- Criminal Procedure
- Trial Advocacy
- Electives
- 3L Spring Semester: 9 - 11 semester hours
- Business Organizations I
- Sales
- Negotiations
- Transactional Workshop
- Electives
- 4L Year: 12 - 22 semester hours
- Wills & Trusts
- Business Organizations II
- Capstone
- Remedies
- Community Property
- Upper Division Writing
- Experiential Courses
- Electives
See summary details of full-time and part-time programs here.
Electives1
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LAW 650 | Administrative Law | 2,3 |
| LAW 587 | Advanced Appellate Advocacy | 2 |
| LAW 562B | Advanced Legal Research | 2 |
| LAW 642 | Adversarial Evidence Seminar | 1-2 |
| LAW 580 | Appellate Advocacy | 2 |
| LAW 645 | Animal Law | 2 |
| LAW 543 | Arbitration | 2 |
| LAW 549 | California Civil Procedure | 2,3 |
| LAW 594 | Civil Rights Law | 2,3 |
| LAW 690 | Clinical Externship | 1-4 |
| LAW 647 | Construction Law and Ethics | 2 |
| LAW 636 | Discovery Techniques and Practices | 3 |
| LAW 653 | Employment Law Seminar | 2,3 |
| LAW 611 | Entertainment Law | 2 |
| LAW 523 | Family Law | 2 |
| LAW 523A | Family Law - Practice Workshop | 1 |
| LAW 624 | Federal Income Taxation | 2,3 |
| LAW 663 | Hearsay | 1 |
| LAW 655 | Immigration Law | 2,3 |
| LAW 699 | Independent Research | 1,2 |
| LAW 614 | Insurance Law | 2 |
| LAW 610 | Intellectual Property Overview | 2-3 |
| LAW 538 | International Law | 2-3 |
| LAW 595 | Issues in Constitutional Law | 2,3 |
| LAW 693 | Journal for Law, Business and Ethics Seminar | 2 |
| LAW 694 | Journal for Law, Business and Ethics Production | 1-2 |
| LAW 509 | Jury Selection | 2 |
| LAW 692 | Justice and Immigration Clinic | 1-6 |
| LAW 648 | Advanced Trial Techniques | 2 |
| LAW 695 | Law Review Seminar | 2,3 |
| LAW 697 | Law Review Production | 1-3 |
| LAW 557 | Lawyering Skills Practicum | 3-10 |
| LAW 654 | Local Government Law | 2 |
| LAW 529 | Math and Physics for Lawyers | 2 |
| LAW 546 | Mediation | 2-3 |
| LAW 555 | Mediation Practicum | 4 |
| LAW 588 | National Moot Court Competition Team | 1,2 |
| LAW 620 | Patent Law | 2 |
| LAW 550P | Plea Bargaining Practice Workshop | 1 |
| LAW 514C | Remedies - Practice Workshop | 1 |
| LAW 586 | Trial Team | 1-2 |
| LAW 631 | Video Game Seminar | 3 |
| LAW 658 | Workers' Compensation | 2,3 |
| LAW 521P | Wills & Trusts Practice Workshop | 1 |
- 1
Elective courses may not be offered every year.