JD Program

General JD Program Requirements

The juris doctor (JD) degree is conferred upon candidates who have fulfilled the following requirements:

  • earned credit for at least 90 semester hours of law study
  • obtained an overall GPA of 2.25 or better
  • earned at least six residency units (The maximum period of time for a full-time or part-time JD candidate to complete JD requirements is seven years.)

Required JD Courses & JD Certificate Opportunities

Proposed Full-time Track

Estimated Completion: 6 Semesters

First Semester (15 Hours)
Contracts I3
Property4
Torts4
Lawyering Skills I3
Expert Learning1
Second Semester (15 Hours)
Contracts II3
Civil Procedure I3
Criminal Law3
Constitutional Law I3
Lawyering Skills II3
Third Semester (15 Hours)
Civil Procedure II3
Constitutional Law II3
* Evidence4
Professional Responsibility3
Lawyering Skills III2
Fourth Semester (15 Hours)
Electives13
Fifth Semester (15 Hours)
Lawyering Skills IV2
* Trial Advocacy3
Electives10
Sixth Semester (15 Hours)
Electives15

* These required courses may be taken at any time during a student's second or third year. Evidence is a prerequisite to Trial Advocacy. Trial Lawyer may be taken in lieu of these two courses.

Proposed Part-time Track

(Day or Evening Program)
Estimated Completion: 8 Semesters + 2 Summer Sessions

First Semester (11 Hours)
Contracts I3
Torts4
Lawyering Skills I3
Expert Learning1
Second Semester (10 Hours)
Contracts II3
Property4
Lawyering Skills II3
Third Semester (9 Hours)
Civil Procedure I3
Constitutional Law I3
Criminal Law3
Fourth Semester (11 Hours)
Civil Procedure II3
Constitutional Law II3
Lawyering Skills III2
Professional Responsibility3
Fifth Semester (10 Hours)
* Evidence4
Electives6
Sixth Semester (11 Hours)
Lawyering Skills IV2
* Trial Advocacy3
Electives6
Seventh Semester (11 Hours)
Electives11
Eighth Semester (11 Hours)
Electives11
Ninth Semester/Summer Sessions
An additional 6 semester hours is required for graduation.

* These required courses may be taken at any time during a student's second or third year. Evidence is a prerequisite to Trial Advocacy. Trial Lawyer may be taken in lieu of these two courses.

Curriculum

JD Certificate Programs

While our core courses provide foundational knowledge of the law, JD candidates are encouraged to specialize their elective coursework to earn a certificate in one of the following areas:

Each JD certificate program has specific requirements and elective courses a student may take in order to earn the certificate.

Academic Areas

In addition to JD certificates, John Marshall offers a number of elective courses in the following substantive areas of law:

  • Business Law
  • Employee Benefits
  • Estate Planning
  • Information Technology Law
  • International Law
  • Public Interest Law
  • Real Estate Law

Externships

Earn course credit while you gain work experience. John Marshall's Externship Programs provides JD students with practical opportunities to distinguish their career candidacy.

JD Clinical Opportunities

The John Marshall Law School's JD program provides its students the opportunity to gain an understanding of the basic competencies expected of attorneys. In addition to the many courses that help meet this commitment, the John Marshall has a number of clinical legal opportunities for which credit may be received. Registration in a clinic placement is ordinarily limited to students who have earned at least 54 credit hours. A maximum of 10 clinic hours may be credited toward the JD credit requirements. Permission of the director is required for registration. Students must consult the director for specific requirements and rules applicable to the program.

Learn more about the following opportunities:

Links