Academics: JD Program

1. Maximum time to degree completion for all students: 6 years
2. Total number of credits needed for all students to graduate: 85 (Details)
3. Residency - Applies only to students entering Fall 2009 and thereafter (Details)
4. Minimum cumulative GPA for all students: 2.00
5. Written work is required for all students (Details)
6. Professional skills - Applies to all students entering Fall 2007 and thereafter (Details)
7. Required courses for all students (Details)
8. Elective courses for all students (Details)

1. Maximum time to complete JD degree is 6 years for all students.

2. Total number of credits needed for JD degree is 85 for all students.

Total Number of Credits Needed for Students Entering in Fall 2009 and Thereafter

• For at least 67 of the 85 credits required by this rule, the student’s transcript must indicate a grade on the A/B/C/D/F grade scale. (Only 18 credits may be earned on either the H/P/L/F or P/F scale.)
  • List of all courses graded PF/HPLF (PDF)
• At least 79 of these 85 credits must be earned at the University of San Diego School of Law.
• The Dean or his or her designate may grant exceptions to the above for students who transfer to USD from other law schools or who visit other law schools during a Fall or Spring semester.

3. Residency Applies Only to Students Entering Fall 2009 and Thereafter

 

Full-Time Students

• Option to Graduate in Six (6) Full-Time Semesters:

Students who enter full-time must attempt and pay for six (6) full-time fall or spring semesters of at least 12 credits for graduation.  

Students may apply up to 4 credits earned in a prior summer session toward the requirement of attempting 12 credits in a subsequent regular semester.  Students can apply up to 7 credits earned in any summer program in this fashion to any subsequent semester as long as no more than 4 are applied in any single subsequent semester. For example, a student can take 4 credits in the summer and apply all credits to the upcoming Fall or Spring semester and therefore attempt fewer than 12 credits in that upcoming semester (although students will pay full-time tuition as if they had attempted 12 or more credits). As set forth below, USD law students are limited to six (6) credits from non-USD and non-law graduate classes.

Students will have their tuition reduced in their sixth regular semester in the amount of USD tuition paid for those credits as long as their total credits at graduation do not exceed 93 credits, whether or not they are applying summer credits as described above.

• Option to Graduate in Five (5) Full-Time Semesters:

Students may choose to graduate in five (5) full-time fall or spring semesters of at least 12 credits if the student earns at least 12 credits during summer sessions, with no more than seven credits earned in any single summer session. The total tuition for the program is the same as if the student spent six full-time semesters in residence if all the summer credits are earned at USD. Because this option may impact job prospects, students are strongly encouraged to seek career and academic counseling before committing to this course of study.

Students applying summer credits as described above will have their tuition reduced in what would have been their sixth regular semester by the USD tuition paid for those credits.

Part-Time Students

• Option to Graduate in Eight (8) Part-Time Semester

Students who enter part-time must attempt eight (8) part-time regular semesters (8 to 11 credits) for graduation.

•  Option to Graduate in Two (2) Part-time and Four (4) Full-Time Semesters:

Students who desire to switch from part-time status to full-time status after they have successfully completed the first two semesters of the part-time program may graduate upon attempting four full-time semesters in the fall and spring terms and earning at least six (6) credits in summer school.

5. Written Work is Required For All JD Students

The written work requirement may be satisfied in any one of the following ways:

• Completion of a substantial, in-depth research paper of no fewer than 20 pages in length in a course of limited enrollment centered on the preparation of such in-depth research paper.  
• Scholarly written work submitted to the Law Review, San Diego International Law Journal or Journal of Contemporary Legal Issues for publication upon certification of the approving faculty member.

Be aware that successful completion of a writing course is not determined by the student’s grade in the course, but is separately indicated by professors in the manner specified by the Law School’s administration.  If you have any questions about the writing requirement, please consult the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs.     

6. A Professional Skills Course is Required For All JD Students Who Began in Fall 2007 or Thereafter.

As a condition for graduation, students beginning their law studies in 2007 or later must pass a Professional Skills elective from a list of such courses designated by the Dean. A course will be included on this list if it provides substantial instruction in the professional skills encompassed by ABA Standard of Approval for Law Schools 302(a)(4).

• Professional Skills Courses are designated with an "S" on the schedule of courses.

7. Required courses For All JD Students

Courses Required in the First Year	Credits
Civil Procedure I*	3
Civil Procedure II*	3
Constitutional Law I*	4
Contracts	4
Criminal Law	4
Property	4
Torts	4
Lawyering Skills I	3
TOTAL	29
*First-year Part-Time students take these courses in the second year
Courses Required beyond the First Year	Credits
Professional Responsibility	3
Tax I	3
TOTAL	6
TOTAL OF ALL REQUIRED COURSES	35 **
** Effective with the entering class of Fall 2009, students who complete their first year with less than a certain grade point average determined annually by the law school are required to take an additional 1 credit legal analysis/writing class in the fall of their second year. This class is graded H/P/L/F.

 

8. All JD Students Must Take Additional Elective Courses to Total 85 Credits.

Students must take additional elective courses to total 85 credits.

Students may request to enroll in elective courses after the first year.  There are courses that are covered on the Bar Exam which are not required, but are offered as electives.  For the California Bar these courses include:

• Community Property (2 or 3 credits)
• Constitutional Law II (3 or 4 credits)
• Corporations (4 credits)
• Criminal Procedure (3 credits)
• Evidence (4 credits)
• Remedies (3 or 4 credits)
• UCC Sales (3 credits)
• Wills and Trusts (3 or 4 credits)

Additional California Bar courses:

• California Civil Procedure (3 credits) – occasionally offered
• California Evidence – not regularly offered
• Business Associations – not regularly offered

Please keep in mind while making out your schedule that some non-bar electives are not offered every year.

The following cumulative limitations on electives apply:

 

Effective with the Entering Class of Fall 2009 Course Type	Maximum Credits
Independent Study	2
Independent Supervised Research, Journals, and Moot Court Combined	6
Non-Law Transfer Credit	6

 

Effective with the Entering Class of Fall 2007 Course Type	Maximum Credits
Clinics, Internships, Externships	10
Independent Supervised Research, Journals, and Moot Court Combined	6
Non-Law Transfer Credit	6