Program Overview

Introduction to the Juris Doctor (J.D.) Program

The Juris Doctor (J.D.) program at Temple University Beasley School of Law is designed to provide students with a comprehensive legal education. The program is offered in both full-time and part-time formats, allowing students to choose the option that best fits their needs.

Evening and Part-Time Day Division

The part-time programs are designed for students with time restrictions due to employment or other responsibilities. Most part-time students attend the Evening Division, which holds classes Monday through Thursday evenings. The Law School is committed to making the experience for evening students comparable to that of day students. Full-time faculty regularly teach in the evening, and admissions, curriculum, examinations, and all other standards are the same for both divisions.

Admissions

Students with evening family responsibilities or evening jobs, or students with disabilities that limit their studying, may enroll part-time in the Day Division. Students who wish to be part-time Day Division students must demonstrate that neither the full-time program nor the part-time Evening Division program is a reasonable educational alternative for them.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Part-time students are billed on a flat fee basis. Part-time students who have received permission to underload and are taking less than eight credits are billed on a per-credit basis. Part-time students are eligible to receive the same types of financial aid as full-time students, including merit and need-based scholarships and federal and private loans.

Course Load

The first year of the part-time evening program consists of required courses which meet Monday through Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to approximately 9:30 p.m. Students who attend the part-time day program enroll in classes meeting throughout the day, Monday through Friday. Part-time students continue taking required courses, along with elective courses, during the first semester of the second year.

First-Year Courses (Evening)

The following courses are required for first-year part-time evening students:

• Fall Semester:
  • Contracts I (4 credits)
  • Civil Procedure (4 credits)
  • Legal Research and Writing I (3 credits)
• Spring Semester:
  • Property (4 credits)
  • Torts (4 credits)
  • Intro to Transactional Skills (1 credit)
  • Legal Research and Writing II (2 credits)

Transfer Between Divisions

Students whose circumstances change or who wish to complete the program in fewer than four years may transfer between the Day and Evening Divisions and between the full-time and part-time programs. This transfer may be permitted only after completion of the first year upon petition to the Associate Dean for Students.

Services

To meet the needs of part-time evening students, many administrative offices offer evening hours by appointment. The Office of Career Services frequently offers programs for students at 5:00 p.m. to accommodate both day and evening students. The Law Library is open evenings and weekends.

Activities

Part-time students may participate in any extracurricular activity that is offered and have access to the full range of student activities at the Law School. Evening students hold office in student government, write for the law reviews, participate on the trial team and moot court, and are members of nearly every student organization.

Program Requirements

Part-time study, whether in the Day Division or Evening Division, requires four academic years to complete the J.D. Curriculum. Part-time students are classified as first, second, third, or fourth-year part-time students. All part-time students must take a minimum of 19 credit hours during the second and third academic years, including the summer session after the spring semester of each year. The mandated First-Year Curriculum for Part-Time Day students is identical in content and similar in sequence to that of the Part-Time Evening program.