The JD Program
Major: Law
Degree Awarded: Juris Doctor (JD)
Calendar Type: Semester
Total Credit Hours: 85.0
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 22.0101
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 23-1011
About the Program
The Kline School of Law offers a rigorous law curriculum that aims to prepare students for the realities of practice, combining the classic foundation of legal education with the experiential components that are so vital to both Drexel University’s mission and to legal employers today. Students have the option of completing the JD in the traditional three years, or through an accelerated two-year program designed to get students into the legal workforce faster with the same essential skills and knowledge.
Students spend their first year on campus being introduced to the foundations of legal analysis, skills, and professionalism in a diverse learning community. The program includes traditional first-year courses such as contracts, property, and criminal law, as well as a critical introduction to lawmaking and statutory interpretation through a Legislation & Regulation course. The first year also includes a comprehensive legal methods course taught by full-time faculty which instructs students on the fundamentals of legal writing and analysis.
The remaining curriculum exposes students to a broad array of topics relevant to the study of law. Students are required to complete courses in professional responsibility, legal writing and other practice skills, and statutory law. Students must also complete at least 50 hours of pro bono work, documented with the Law School's Experiential Learning Office.
The Experiential Education Program
Students are required to complete either a co-op placement or a clinical experience in order to graduate. This requirement provides students with an integrated learning experience that prepares them for the complexities of modern-day practice.
The cooperative education program (co-op) allows upper-level students to spend a semester—or in some cases a full year—at a single legal placement. The Kline School of Law has relationships with a wide-ranging selection of co-op partners including judicial chambers, private law firms, in-house counsel offices, and non-profit organizations, but has also assisted many students in creating opportunities in other practice jurisdictions. Students are not paid for their work but will instead receive academic credits for their co-op experiences and for a lawyering practice seminar that must be taken in conjunction with the co-op.
Clinical experiences offer students the chance to represent real clients in a clinical setting. Clinical offerings include a Civil Litigation Field Clinic, Criminal Litigation Field Clinic, Federal Litigation and Appeals Clinic, Community Lawyering Clinic, and an Entrepreneurial Law Clinic. These experiences are paired with a seminar that guides students through reflection on their work and its impact on the community.
In addition to the co-op and clinical requirement, students may also take advantage of a broad selection of simulation courses that involve in-depth trial practice, advocacy, litigation, transactional practice, and alternative dispute resolution.
About the Concentrations
The Thomas R. Kline School of Law builds on some of the strengths for which Drexel University is nationally known by offering five optional concentrations. These are areas in which there are expanding employment opportunities and a need for specialized knowledge and skills: intellectual property, health, business and entrepreneurship, criminal law, and civil litigation and dispute resolution. These concentrations consist not only of specialized courses taught in the classroom, but also experiential learning opportunities such as co-ops and simulations.
Dual Degrees
For those law students interested in pursuing expertise in another area of study, the School also offers several dual degrees combining law with other subjects, including Law and Business Administration (JD/MBA), Law and Library and Information Science (JD/MSI-LIS), Law and Clinical Psychology (JD /PhD), Law and Public Health (JD/MPH), and Law and Public Policy (JD/MSPP). For more details about dual degree opportunities, visit the Thomas R. Kline School of Law Dual Degree website.
Additional Information
For more information about the JD program, visit the the Thomas R. Kline School of Law website.
Degree Requirements
A total of 85.0 semester credits are required to graduate with a minimum of 61.0 credits of "in-class" coursework. (See the Law School Student Handbook for courses that do not count.)
Additional Requirements:
Students must also complete:
- At least one legal writing course designated as meeting the standard of the Upper-Level Writing requirement [WUL] as indicated by the course materials
- At least one Statutory course as indicated by the course materials
Professional Practice Requirement
To better prepare our students for the legal profession, students are required to complete either a law co-op or a law clinic.
Pro Bono Requirement
Students must fulfill a minimum of 50 hours of qualifying pro bono service, documented with the Law School's Experiential Learning Office.
Required Courses | ||
LAW 550S | Torts | 4.0 |
LAW 552S | Contracts | 4.0 |
LAW 554S | Civil Procedure | 4.0 |
LAW 555S | Legislation and Regulation | 3.0 |
LAW 556S | Property | 4.0 |
LAW 558S | Criminal Law | 4.0 |
LAW 560S | Constitutional Law | 4.0 |
LAW 565S | Legal Methods I | 3.0 |
LAW 566S | Legal Methods II | 3.0 |
LAW 830S | Professional Responsibility | 2.0-3.0 |
Electives and Menu Requirements including: | 50.0-49.0 | |
One Upper-Level Writing Course (WUL) | ||
One Statutory Course | ||
One Professional Practice Course | ||
Total Credits | 85.0 |
Upper-Level Writing (WUL) Courses (may also be used as electives once requirement is fulfilled): | ||
LAW 610S | Reproductive Rights Law | 2.0-3.0 |
LAW 611S | Sex, Gender, & the Law | 3.0 |
LAW 614S | Supreme Court Seminar | 3.0 |
LAW 647S | The Rights of Children | 2.0 |
LAW 656S | Justice Lawyering Sem if full-year paper | 1.0-3.0 |
LAW 673S | Crime and Community | 2.0 |
LAW 790S | Toxic Torts | 2.0 |
LAW 791S | Regulating Patient Safety | 2.0 |
LAW 793S | Mental Health Law if paper option | 3.0 |
LAW 827S | Immigration Litigation | 2.0 |
LAW 828S | International Business Transactions | 2.0-3.0 |
LAW 832S | Contract Theory Seminar | 2.0-3.0 |
LAW 836S | Legal History | 2.0-3.0 |
LAW 838S | Foundations of Legal Analysis | 2.0 |
LAW 840S | Literature and The Law Seminar | 2.0 |
LAW 842S | Law and Mind Sciences | 2.0 |
LAW 844S | Law and Social Movements | 3.0 |
LAW 848S | Courts and Public Policy | 2.0-3.0 |
LAW 882S | Litigation Drafting | 2.0 |
LAW 884S | Contract Drafting | 2.0 |
LAW 910S | Appellate Advocacy | 2.0 |
LAW 920S | Drexel Law Review (if WUL option) | 1.0-6.0 |
LAW T880S | Special Topics in LAW | 1.0-5.0 |
Statutory Courses (may also be used as electives once requirement is fulfilled): | ||
LAW 620S | Administrative Law | 4.0 |
LAW 622S | Employment Discrimination | 3.0 |
LAW 623S | Election Law | 3.0 |
LAW 624S | Environmental Law | 3.0 |
LAW 642S | Special Education Law | 2.0-3.0 |
LAW 674S | Health Care Fraud and Abuse | 2.0 |
LAW 675S | Federal Criminal Law | 2.0-3.0 |
LAW 676S | White Collar Crime | 2.0-3.0 |
LAW 700S | Business Organizations | 3.0-4.0 |
LAW 701S | Federal Income Tax | 4.0 |
LAW 702S | Enterprise Tax | 4.0 |
LAW 706S | Secured Transactions | 3.0 |
LAW 708S | Payment Systems | 3.0 |
LAW 710S | Bankruptcy | 3.0-4.0 |
LAW 711S | Sales | 3.0 |
LAW 714S | Securities Regulation | 3.0 |
LAW 740S | Trusts and Estates | 3.0 |
LAW 760S | Copyright | 3.0 |
LAW 764S | Trademarks & Unfair Competition | 3.0 |
LAW 792S | Food and Drug Law | 3.0 |
LAW 796S | Insurance Law | 2.0 |
LAW 820S | Immigration Law | 3.0-4.0 |
LAW 821S | European Union Law | 2.0-3.0 |
LAW 826S | Refugee and Asylum Law | 2.0 |
Professional Practice Courses (may also be used as electives once requirement is fulfilled): | ||
LAW 931S & LAW 654S | Law Co-op and Lawyering Practice Seminar | 8.0-9.0 |
LAW 933S & LAW 654S | Co-op Intensive and Lawyering Practice Seminar | 12.0 |
LAW 941S & LAW 942S & LAW 656S | Criminal Litigation Clinic I and Criminal Litigation Clinic II and Justice Lawyering Sem | 14.0-15.0 |
LAW 943S & LAW 944S & LAW 656S | Civil Litigation Clinic I and Civil Litigation Clinic II and Justice Lawyering Sem | 14.0-15.0 |
LAW 947S & LAW 948S & LAW 656S | Federal Litigation and Appeals Clinic and Federal Litigation and Appeals Clinic II and Justice Lawyering Sem | 14.0-15.0 |
LAW 950S & LAW 951S & LAW 656S | Community Lawyering Clinic I and Community Lawyering Clinic II and Justice Lawyering Sem | 14.0-15.0 |
LAW 924S & LAW 653S | Entrepreneurial Law Clinic and Entrepreneurial Law Clinic Seminar | 7.0 |
Free Electives (may require permission to enroll) | ||
Any other unspecified LAW course numbered 550S and above may count as a JD elective |
Sample Plan of Study
First Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
LAW 550S | 4.0 | LAW 555S | 3.0 |
LAW 552S | 4.0 | LAW 556S | 4.0 |
LAW 554S | 4.0 | LAW 558S | 4.0 |
LAW 565S | 3.0 | LAW 566S | 3.0 |
15 | 14 | ||
Second Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
LAW 560S | 4.0 | LAW 830S (recommended term) | 2.0-3.0 |
Electives/Menu Requirements | 10.0 | Electives/Menu Requirements | 12.0-11.0 |
14 | 14 | ||
Third Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
Electives/Menu Requirements | 14.0 | Electives/Menu Requirements | 14.0 |
14 | 14 | ||
Total Credits 85 |