Juris Doctor (J.D.)

McGeorge School of Law offers programs leading to the Juris Doctor (JD) degree through a Full-Time Division and a Part-Time Division. The two divisions have the same curriculum, faculty, and methods of instruction; maintain the same scholastic standards and degree requirements; and adhere to the same objectives.Full-Time students take Skills Lab, Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Global Lawyering Skills I & II, The Legal Profession, Statutes and Regulations, Property, and Torts during the first-year; Global Lawyering Skills III, Constitutional Law and Evidence during the second-year; and Professional Responsibility during either the second- or third-year. First-year required courses must be taken with the division in which a student is enrolled unless an exception is approved by the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Upper-division electives and required courses may be taken during the day or evening hours, as individual schedules permit.Bar ExamIf a student sits for any bar exam (excluding the Patent Bar) prior to completion of all degree requirements, they will not earn a JD degree from McGeorge. An exception may be made for a student who wishes to sit for the Delaware or North Dakota bar exam, which is offered only one time per year.Period of StudyStudents must complete their JD degree within 84 months of matriculation.McGeorge's diverse electives and co-curricular offerings allow you to explore a variety of legal career opportunities. If you have a particular career path in mind, our certificates of concentration will enhance your JD experience and allow you to master a specific practice area.BusinessCapital LawyeringElder and HealthIntellectual PropertyInternationalTaxTrial & Appellate AdvocacyWater and EnvironmentalInstitutional Learning OutcomesAt McGeorge, our learning outcomes are the lawyering skills that students are expected to obtain through the completion of a legal education. Consistent with ABA Standards, upon completion of a JD degree, graduates of the McGeorge School of Law will demonstrate mastery of the following student learning outcomes at the level needed for admission to the bar and effective and ethical participation in the legal profession as an entry level attorney. McGeorge School of Law has designed its curriculum to prepare students with the key skills and competencies needed to demonstrate these learning outcomes in the legal profession.Each student will:Demonstrate the ability to identify and understand key concepts in U.S. substantive law, legal theory, and procedure.Apply knowledge and critical thinking skills to perform competent legal analysis, reasoning, and problem solving.Demonstrate the ability to strategize, develop, and conduct efficient legal research in U.S. law.Demonstrate the ability to identify and understand foundational concepts in international law and to perform international legal research.Demonstrate communication skills, including effective listening and critical reading, writing in objective and persuasive styles, and oral advocacy and other oral communications.Demonstrate professional judgment, ethics, and professionalism through conduct consistent with the legal profession's values, standards, and discipline.Demonstrate the ability to understand, collaborate, and engage with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences in a variety of legal settings and contexts.Demonstrate understanding of the legal profession’s commitment to access to justice.Demonstrate understanding of career options and steps toward defining and achieving career goals in light of personal values.