Nov 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Law Curriculum and Courses 
    
2024-2025 Law Curriculum and Courses

2024-2025 Law Curriculum and Courses




Program Requirements

In order to receive the Juris Doctor degree, a student must complete 90 credits of courses, successfully complete all curricular requirements, satisfy all probationary requirements, and fulfill all financial obligations to the university.

This page conveys the current course offerings in the structure of required and elective courses. It is updated each term.

Other sections of the UMass Law website contain the official disclosure of requirements for progression, performance, and ethical behavior, including the UMass Law Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct, and Academic Integrity Policy. The website lists current faculty and describes the academic and student programs that UMass Law offers. The UMass Law website also gives a full disclosure of consumer information as required by ABA Standards.

Courses (Required, Distribution Requirements, and Electives)

The courses and requirements for the Juris Doctor degree are shown in this listing.

In addition to the required curriculum, the Law School offers a constantly changing list of elective courses. In choosing courses, students are required to satisfy four distribution requirements (code, foundation, practice and the upper-level writing requirement). Students are also required to complete 30 hours of Pro Bono service and the MPRE graduation requirement.

Generally, electives that are taught are chosen based on such things as the importance of the area of the law, the skills and values which can be taught, student interest, and faculty expertise. Topics courses are scheduled to provide opportunities for a one-time presentation of a special topic of interest. Many electives are taught by qualified, practicing attorneys or judges, who bring an invaluable practical perspective to their topic of expertise. Because working professionals are usually available only in the evening hours, and because both full-time and part-time students can benefit from these courses, they are often scheduled in the evenings. The Law School is proud to offer flexible access to specialized and elective courses.

Students may also explore other areas of interest with a faculty member through an Independent Legal Research Project.

Other Courses


In addition to the required courses, students meet requirements by selecting courses in a number of categories. Those categories are displayed below, followed by a number of Elective courses that students may select to complete their programs. No class may be used to satisfy more than one requirement (for example, LAW 565 Payment Systems may be used as a code course or a foundation course, but a student can use this course for only one of those purposes).

Foundation Courses


Students are required to take three credits (at least one course) from the courses designated as “foundation courses.” Any elective designated as a code course, but not used to satisfy the code distribution requirement, may also be used to satisfy the foundation distribution requirement.

Code Courses


Every student must take at least one course (at least three credits) in which the primary focus is statutory law.

Upper Level Writing Requirement


Students are required to satisfy the upper-level writing requirement (at least two credits) by writing a paper in a designated elective course or by doing an Independent Legal Research Project. Students must receive a grade of B or better to satisfy this requirement.

MPRE Graduation Requirement


For details on the MPRE Graduation Requirement, visit the MPRE Graduation Requirement page.

Pro Bono Requirement


For details on the Pro Bono Requirement, visit the Pro Bono Requirement page.

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