Degree: Juris Doctor (JD)

Graduate School Option

Students in the School of Law who are not enrolled in a dual-degree program may take up to nine hours of approved courses in the other graduate and professional schools of Case Western Reserve University and have such courses counted as elective credit toward the JD degree. Such coursework must be graduate-level coursework and must be closely related to the study of law and the student's educational/career objectives.

Academic Regulations

All coursework counting towards requirements of the JD degree must be completed within five years of initial matriculation into law school. Courses completed more than five years prior must be retaken, and the older courses will not be counted towards the degree requirement. A complete list of Academic Regulations for the Juris Doctor program is contained in the Law Student Handbook. Questions can be directed to the School of Law's Academic Services Office.  

Class Attendance Policy

JD students are required to attend all class sessions for which they are registered. Instructors will provide details of their procedures and policies regarding class absence at the beginning of the course. Students who fail to meet responsibilities for class attendance and preparation are subject to dismissal from a course by the Instructor. Students dismissed from a course will receive a grade of WF for the course and will not be eligible to take the exam or complete the work in the class.

Curricular Concentrations

JD students have an option to earn a curricular concentration by focusing their course selections within a particular area of legal study. Requirements for each particular concentration are listed below. In order to receive the concentration, students must earn at least 15-18 credit hours (varies by the specific concentration) in courses within the concentration. Each concentration has a number of prescribed required courses, along with a menu of courses that can be counted as elective hours. Each concentration also has a writing requirement (a substantial research paper on a topic applicable to the concentration) and a capstone experience requirement (related to the concentration). Specific courses applicable to each concentration are subject to change by faculty review.  Students should contact the School of Law's Academic Services Office for the applicable concentration requirements.

Program Requirements

The JD degree requires successful completion of 88 credit hours, of which 44 hours are in specified required courses, at least 2 credit hours in the writing of a substantial research paper, at least 12 credit hours of experiential learning experiences (including a required capstone experience completed during the 3L year) and at least 34 credit hours of electives. The first year program for the JD degree consists of the required basic courses, along with two 1 credit hour 'mini-course' electives taken in the spring term.

Elective courses

In addition to the required courses and the optional curricular concentrations, all students must take open elective courses in order to earn a minimum of 88 credits of law school coursework to qualify for the Juris Doctor degree.  All students must enroll for a full-time course load each semester (10 - 18 credit hours), and must complete at least six regular semesters of full-time coursework.  Optional summer courses may be used to reduce the credit load during a regular semester, but the student must still complete at least six regular full-time semesters (summer does not count as a regular semester.) 

General Education Requirement

All candidates for the Juris Doctor must satisfy a General Education Requirement in order to qualify for graduation.  This requirement consists of upper-level doctrinal courses that are tested on the Bar Exam.  To satisfy this requirement, a student must enroll in and earn credit for at least four of the following nine courses: Business Associations, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law 2, Criminal Procedure 1, Evidence, Family Law, Sales, Secured Transactions, Wills & Trusts. 

Concentration Requirements

Business Law

Criminal Law 

Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution

a

At least one must be a practice oriented course.

Health Law

International Law 

There are a number of different focus areas available within the International Law concentration.  Listed below are general requirements.  Students should consult with the concentration advisor for details about different focus options.

a

At least one course in Business law, and one course in Public/Comparative law.

Law, Technology, and the Arts

There are a number of different focus areas available within this concentration.  Listed below are general requirements.  Students should consult with the concentration advisor for details about different focus options.

Public Interest Law

Sample Plan of Study

Required First and Second Semester Courses

Required Third through Sixth Semester Courses

Dual Degree Options

• Art History and Museum Studies, MA/Law, JD
• Biochemistry, MS/Law, JD

• Bioethics and Medical Humanities, MA/Law, JD

• Business Administration, MBA/Law, JD

• Law, JD/Medicine, MD

• Nonprofit Organizations, MNO/Law, JD
• Political Science, MA/Law, JD
• Public Health, MPH/Law, JD
• Social Work, MSW/Law, JD