Program Overview

Academics

The university offers a range of academic programs, including JD Programs, LLM Programs, SJD Programs, Master's Programs, and Certificates.

JD Programs

The JD Programs provide students with a comprehensive education in law, including:

• JD Curriculum
  • Courses
• Specialties
  • Business Law
  • Criminal Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Health Law
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • International Law
  • Public Interest Law
• Dual Degrees
• Concurrent Degrees

LLM Programs

The LLM Programs offer specialized training in various areas of law, including:

• LLM in U.S. & Global Legal Studies
• LLM in Intellectual Property Law
• LLM in International Business Law
• LLM in International Criminal Law
• Joint LLM in International Commercial Law and Dispute Resolution
• Summer Language and Law Institute

SJD Programs

The SJD Programs provide advanced training in specific areas of law, including:

• SJD in Health Law

Master's Programs

The Master's Programs offer graduate-level education in law and related fields, including:

• Master's in Patent Practice
  • MPP FAQs
  • MPP Courses
• Master of Law Programs
• Master of Compliance and Risk Management

Certificates

The university also offers various certificate programs, allowing students to specialize in specific areas of law.

Study Abroad

Students have the opportunity to study abroad at one of the university's 17 partner schools around the world.

Student Handbook

The Student Handbook provides students with essential information about university policies, procedures, and resources.

Bar Support

The university offers support to students preparing for the bar exam, including resources and guidance.

Academic Calendar

The Academic Calendar outlines important dates and deadlines for the academic year.

JD Curriculum

The JD Curriculum is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in law, including:

What Makes Our Curriculum Different?

The JD Curriculum is unique in that it:

• Allows students to work with clients beginning in the first semester
• Includes transactional drafting, financial literacy, and statutory and regulatory analysis in the first year
• Provides opportunities for students to spend a semester working full-time in one of the university's on-campus clinics or externships in the U.S. or around the world
• Offers concentrations similar to college majors
• Allows students to spend a semester studying abroad at one of the university's 17 partner schools around the world
• Provides the opportunity for students to spend their third year in Europe, completing a foreign LLM in addition to their Case Western Reserve JD, at no additional cost

Year-by-Year Breakdown

The JD Curriculum is structured as follows:

Year One:

• Students work with clients in their first semester
• Students take the basics: Criminal Law, Contract Law, Torts, Property, and Civil Procedure
• Students start a three-course plus capstone sequence that involves legal writing, leadership, experiential learning, advocacy skills, and professionalism
• Courses:
  • Criminal Law (3 credits)
  • Torts (4 credits)
  • Contracts (4 credits)
  • Legal Writing, Leadership, Experiential Learning, Advocacy, and Professionalism (LLEAP) 1 (3 credits)
  • Law, Legislation, and Regulation (3 credits)
  • Property (4 credits)
  • Civil Procedure (4 credits)
  • LLEAP 2 (3 credits)
  • A choice of 2 electives (1 credit each)

Year Two:

• Students build on the first year's core courses and begin classes that cover key bar exam subjects (Business Associations, Constitutional Law, Evidence, Wills, and Sales)
• Students continue the three-course writing and skills sequence, choosing an advanced course in either litigation or transactional skills
• Students add electives and can follow a specialty concentration in health, international law, intellectual property law, business law, criminal law, or civil litigation and dispute resolution
• Courses:
  • Constitutional Law (4 credits)
  • Professional Responsibility (3 credits)
  • LLEAP 3 (3 credits)
    • Choice of advanced litigation skills or advanced transactional skills
    • Both options include financial principles for lawyers
  • Concentration courses and electives
  • Core Courses (e.g., Evidence, Criminal Procedure, Wills, Federal Courts, Business Associations, etc.)
  • Upper-level writing requirement
  • Experiential education requirement

Year Three:

• Students participate in an intensive real-world experience, such as an externship, a role as a staff attorney in one of the university's clinics, or an opportunity created in another state or another country
• Students take more core courses and specialty electives
• Courses:
  • Capstone Experience (minimum 6 credits, maximum 12 credits)
    • Clinic Capstone - On-Campus
    • External Capstone - in the U.S. or abroad
  • Core Courses
  • Electives

Graduate Practice-Ready

The university's JD Program is designed to prepare students to be practice-ready upon graduation, with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the legal profession.