Law, JD
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 three General Education courses (specific students may be required to complete more than three such courses), 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.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required First and Second Semester Courses | 29-30 | |
| Contracts | ||
| Criminal Law | ||
| Torts | ||
| Civil Procedure | ||
| Property | ||
| Law, Legislation and Regulation | ||
| Legal Writing, Leadership, Experiential Learning, Advocacy, and Professionalism 1 | ||
| Legal Writing, Leadership, Experiential Learning, Advocacy, and Professionalism 2 | ||
Choice of one or two one-credit 1L elective courses | ||
| Required Third through Sixth Semester Courses | 24-25 | |
| Professional Responsibility | ||
| Constitutional Law I | ||
| Legal Writing, Leadership, Experiential Learning, Advocacy, and Professionalism 3: Advanced Skills | ||
Completion of substantial research paper | ||
Experiential learning credits (includes experiential capstone project during 3L year) | ||
| Elective Courses | 34 | |
| General Education Electives (at least four of the following courses) | ||
| Business Associations | ||
| Conflict of Laws | ||
| Constitutional Law II | ||
| Criminal Procedure II | ||
| Evidence | ||
| Family Law | ||
| Sales | ||
| Secured Transactions | ||
| Wills, Trusts, and Future Interests | ||
| Concentration Requirements (see below) | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 88 | |
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 three of the following nine courses: Business Associations, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law 2, Criminal Procedure 1, Evidence, Family Law, Judicial Remedies, Sales, Wills & Trusts.
Certain groups of students will be required to complete more than three General Education courses, based on their Grade point average after completion of the first year JD curriculum.
Concentration Requirements
Business Law
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| LAWS 4401 | Business Associations | 4 |
| LAWS 5431 | Securities Regulation | 3 |
| Elective Courses: | ||
| Choose at least two of the following: | ||
| LAWS 5413 | Antitrust Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5412 | Advanced Securities Regulation | 3 |
| LAWS 5415 | Bankruptcy | 3 |
| LAWS 5432 | Business and Law Colloquium | 3 |
| LAWS 5439 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
| LAWS 5724 | Discrimination in Employment | 3 |
| LAWS 5420 | ERISA | 4 |
| LAWS 5403 | Federal Taxation of Corporation and Partnerships | 3 |
| LAWS 5436 | Financial Institutions Regulation | 3 |
| LAWS 5422 | Financial Markets: Law, Theory, and Practice | 2 |
| LAWS 4406 | Franchise Law | 1 |
| LAWS 5115 | International Arbitration | 2 |
| LAWS 5120 | International Business Transactions | 3 |
| LAWS 5401 | International Tax | 3 |
| LAWS 5427 | Mergers and Acquisitions | 3 |
| LAWS 4404 | Sales | 3 |
| LAWS 5434 | Secured Transactions | 3 |
| LAWS 5763 | White Collar Crime: Prosecution and Defense | 2 |
| LAWS 5764 | Workers' Compensation | 2 |
Criminal Law
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| LAWS 4807 | Criminal Procedure I | 3 |
| LAWS 5718 | Criminal Procedure II | 2 |
| LAWS 4808 | Evidence | 4 |
| Elective Courses: | ||
| Choose at least three of the following: | ||
| LAWS 5113 | Counterterrorism Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5720 | Death Penalty Law and Process | 2 |
| LAWS 5721 | Death Penalty Lab | 3 |
| LAWS 5722 | Death Penalty Lab II | 2 |
| LAWS 5121 | International Criminal Law and Procedure | 3 |
| LAWS 5118 | International Law Research Lab | 3 |
| LAWS 5736 | Juvenile Law | 2 |
| LAWS 6108 | Pretrial Practice: Criminal | 2 |
| LAWS 5749 | Prisoner Rights & Litigation | 3 |
| LAWS 5213 | Psychiatry and Law | 2 |
| LAWS 6110 | Trial Tactics | 4 |
| LAWS 5763 | White Collar Crime: Prosecution and Defense | 2 |
| LAWS 5760 | The Wire and the War on Drugs | 3 |
Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| LAWS 5707 | Alternative Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| LAWS 4808 | Evidence | 4 |
| LAWS 2803 | Legal Writing, Leadership, Experiential Learning, Advocacy, and Professionalism 3: Advanced Skills | 3 |
| Elective Courses: | ||
| Choose at least three of the following: a | ||
| LAWS 4806 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5716 | Conflict of Laws | 2 |
| LAWS 5724 | Discrimination in Employment | 3 |
| LAWS 5726 | Employment Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5731 | Federal Courts | 3 |
| LAWS 5733 | Immigration Law | 2 |
| LAWS 5734 | Immigration Law II | 1 |
| LAWS 5115 | International Arbitration | 2 |
| LAWS 5335 | Negotiation Strategies in Sports Management | 2 - 3 |
| LAWS 5213 | Psychiatry and Law | 2 |
| Practice-oriented electives | ||
| LAWS 6111 | Appellate Practice | 2 |
| LAWS 6103 | Basic Mediation Training | 1 |
| LAWS 5744 | Mediation Representation: Theory, Principle and Practice | 3 |
| LAWS 6107 | Pretrial Practice: Civil | 2 |
| LAWS 6110 | Trial Tactics | 4 |
- a
At least one must be a practice oriented course.
Health Law
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| LAWS 4201 | Health Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5218 | Health Care Organizations, Finance, and Regulation | 3 |
| Elective Courses: | ||
| LAWS 4806 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5413 | Antitrust Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5724 | Discrimination in Employment | 3 |
| LAWS 5420 | ERISA | 4 |
| LAWS 5215 | Health Care and Human Rights | 2 |
| LAWS 5220 | Health Care Controversies | 2 |
| LAWS 5268 | Health Law and Policy Lab | 3 |
| LAWS 5229 | Information Privacy Law | 1 |
| LAWS 6503 | Health Matrix Seminar | 2 |
| LAWS 4402 | Nonprofit Organizations Law | 2 |
| LAWS 5339 | Privacy Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5213 | Psychiatry and Law | 2 |
| LAWS 5205 | Public Health Law | 2 |
| LAWS 5764 | Workers' Compensation | 2 |
| LAWS 5918 | Reproductive Rights | 3 |
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.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| LAWS 4101 | International Law | 3 |
| Elective Courses: a | ||
| LAWS 5739 | Law of Archeological Relics | 2 |
| LAWS 5111 | Admiralty Law | 2 |
| LAWS 5716 | Conflict of Laws | 2 |
| LAWS 5113 | Counterterrorism Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5314 | Cyberlaw | 3 |
| LAWS 5436 | Financial Institutions Regulation | 3 |
| LAWS 5745 | Foreign Affairs Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5215 | Health Care and Human Rights | 2 |
| LAWS 5734 | Immigration Law II | 1 |
| LAWS 6051 | Civil Rights, Human Rights, and Immigration Clinic | 4 |
| LAWS 5115 | International Arbitration | 2 |
| LAWS 5120 | International Business Transactions | 3 |
| LAWS 5121 | International Criminal Law and Procedure | 3 |
| LAWS 5116 | International Human Rights | 3 |
| LAWS 5319 | International Intellectual Property | 3 |
| LAWS 5136 | International Humanitarian Law | 1 |
| LAWS 5118 | International Law Research Lab | 3 |
| LAWS 5123 | Trade Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5705 | International & US Family Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5135 | War and Morality | 3 |
- 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.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| LAWS 4300 | Intellectual Property Survey | 3 |
| LAWS 4301 | Copyright Law | 3 |
| LAWS 4303 | Trademark Law | 3 |
| Elective Courses: | ||
| Choose at least three of the following: | ||
| LAWS 5314 | Cyberlaw | 3 |
| LAWS 5739 | Law of Archeological Relics | 2 |
| LAWS 5319 | International Intellectual Property | 3 |
| LAWS 5324 | Law of the Music Industry | 2 |
| LAWS 5335 | Negotiation Strategies in Sports Management | 2 - 3 |
| LAWS 5332 | Sports Law | 1 |
| LAWS 5333 | Representing the Professional Athlete | 2 - 3 |
Public Interest Law
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| LAWS 5717 | Constitutional Law II | 3 |
| LAWS 5731 | Federal Courts | 3 |
| Elective Courses: | ||
| Choose at least two of the following: | ||
| LAWS 4806 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5711 | Civil Rights | 3 |
| LAWS 5908 | Public Law Research Seminar | 2 |
| LAWS 5724 | Discrimination in Employment | 3 |
| LAWS 5725 | Education Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5727 | Environmental Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5215 | Health Care and Human Rights | 2 |
| LAWS 5116 | International Human Rights | 3 |
| LAWS 5736 | Juvenile Law | 2 |
| LAWS 5737 | Labor Law | 3 |
| LAWS 5755 | LGBT Legal Issues | 3 |
| LAWS 5749 | Prisoner Rights & Litigation | 3 |
| LAWS 5918 | Reproductive Rights | 3 |
Sample Plan of Study
Required First and Second Semester Courses
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| LAWS 1101 | Contracts | 4 |
| LAWS 1102 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| LAWS 1103 | Torts | 4 |
| LAWS 1801 | Legal Writing, Leadership, Experiential Learning, Advocacy, and Professionalism 1 | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| LAWS 1201 | Civil Procedure | 4 |
| LAWS 1203 | Property | 4 |
| LAWS 1204 | Law, Legislation and Regulation | 3 |
| LAWS 1802 | Legal Writing, Leadership, Experiential Learning, Advocacy, and Professionalism 2 | 3 |
| Choice of one or two one-credit 1L elective courses | 1-2 | |
| Credit Hours | 15-16 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 29-30 | |
Required Third through Sixth Semester Courses
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LAWS 2002 | Constitutional Law I | 4 |
| LAWS 2001 | Professional Responsibility | 3 |
| LAWS 2803 | Legal Writing, Leadership, Experiential Learning, Advocacy, and Professionalism 3: Advanced Skills | 3 |
| Completion of substantial research paper | 2-3 | |
| Experiential learning credits (includes experiential capstone project during 3L year) | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 24-25 | |