First Year Curriculum

Lewis & Clark Law School requires all first-year students to take the same curriculum. The first-year curriculum provides a strong foundation for upper-division law study and for success in the profession of law. First-year, full-time day division students take eight courses:

• Civil Procedure
• Criminal Procedure
• Property
• Torts
• Contracts
• Constitutional Law I
• Legal Analysis and Writing
• Legal Elements (two-week intensive course)

Part-time, evening students do not take criminal procedure and property law in the first year.  These courses are available each year in the evening for part-time students to take as upper-division students.

Upper-division students (whether part-time or full-time) must also take:

• Constitutional Law II
• Regulation and Ethics of Lawyers or Legal Clinic (to meet the professionalism requirement)
• One seminar course
• Minimum of two credits in a professional skills course (see sample list)
• Complete two writing requirements

Detailed information about the number of hours, minimum grade point averages, and other administrative requirements for graduation are available from the Law School Registrar.

Students are free to design their own programs of study after the first year.  Students are responsible for seeing to it that they meet the requirements for graduation.

See the Academics Home Page for more information on the various courses and specialties offered, and for curriculum planning guides.