J.D. Program – Curriculum & Requirements

The Law School curriculum combines traditional substantive law courses (like contracts, torts, civil procedure and criminal law) with lawyering skills throughout the three years of legal education.

Major Requirements – Overall

Completion requirements

• Earn a minimum GPA of 2.5
• Earn at least 86 credits
• Successful participation in a clinic
• Passing grades in all required courses

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Major Requirements – First Year

Complete ALL of the following Courses:

• LAW 701 – Contracts:Law and a Market Economy I
• LAW 702 – Contracts: Law and a Market Economy II
• LAW 705 – Legal Research
• LAW 709 – Civil Procedure
• LAW 712 – Adv. Criminal Law
• LAW 7004 – Lawyering Seminar I
• LAW 7005 – Lawyering Seminar II
• LAW 7043 – Liberty, Equality, and Due Process
• LAW 7141 – Torts-Rsp Inj Conduc
• LAW 7161 – Law and Family Relations

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Major Requirements – Second Year

Complete ALL of the following Courses:

• LAW 787 – Intellectual Property
• LAW 7192 – Constitutional Structures
• LAW 7251 – Public Institutions/Administrative Law
• LAW 7292 – Evidence: Lawyering and the Public Interest
• LAW 825 – Lawyering Seminar III

Elective Courses

Earn at least 10 credits

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Major Requirements – Second or Third Year

Complete ALL of the following Courses:

• LAW 738 – Professional Responsibility

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Major Requirements – Third Year

Fulfill ALL of the following requirements:

• Clinic

Earn at least 26 credits from the following:

• LAW 731 – Advanced Clinical
• LAW 735 – Health Law Practice Clinic
• LAW 810 – Immigrant & Non-Citizen Rights Clinic I
• LAW 812 – Family Law Clinic 1
• LAW 813 – Family Law Practice Clinic
• LAW 814 – Community & Economic Development Clinic
• LAW 816 – Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic I
• LAW 827 – Community & Economic Development Housing Clinic
• LAW 861 – Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility (CLEAR) Clinic
• LAW 863 – Workers’ Rights Clinic (WRC)
• LAW 7351 – Health and Environmental Practice Clinic
• LAW 7401 – Equality and Justice Practice Clinic
• LAW 7751 – Mediation Clinic
• LAW 8054 – Defenders Clinic
• LAW 8102 – Immigrant and Non-Citizen Rights Clinic I
• LAW 8121 – Family Law Clinic 2
• LAW 8152 – Disability and Aging Justice Clinic (DAJC)
• LAW 8161 – Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic II
• LAW 8162 – Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic

The choice of which Clinic and elective courses will be offered is determined each year, and the Law School expressly reserves the right to change or modify these offerings for future years.

Elective Courses

Earn at least 9 credits

Core Doctrine

Complete ALL of the following Courses:

• LAW 779 – The Mastery and Application of Core Doctrine

Core Doctrine is a required course for all students. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher by the end of their fifth semester, may opt out of this requirement and take a sufficient number of additional elective credits to satisfy graduation requirements. CUNY School of Law does not round GPAs up or down for the purpose of this opt-out. Thus, a student with a GPA of 3.299 at the end of their fifth semester will be required to take Core Doctrine, while a student with a 3.30 GPA will not.