Curriculum

The Law School provides more than 100 offerings, including clinical experiences, simulation courses, drafting courses and externships. Courses are designed to teach not only rules of law, but also how lawyers analyze, express themselves, perform many of their functions, and solve problems, as well as how legal institutions operate. The curriculum is broadly based and designed to respond to the rapidly changing needs of the modern law practice. Electives are continually added to address change, especially in the area of technology, finance, and international law. In addition to learning substantive law, the Villanova law student is guided by the faculty to develop critical analytical abilities and an understanding of professional ethics along with the fundamental skills of the practicing lawyer-including counseling, negotiation, advocacy, mediation, dispute resolution, conciliation, and mature judgment.

The First-Year curriculum of required courses provides a thorough introduction to the basic common law subjects and to the essentials of practical skills, while examining the impact of law on social problems. Each first-year law student takes at least one substantive course in a small section, allowing closer student-faculty contact. An extensive legal research, writing, and advocacy program also provides personalized learning through small-group classes, moot-court exercises, and individual conferences with full-time legal writing instructors.

In the second and third years students shape their own curriculum with the guidance of faculty advisers and substantive area course guides developed by the faculty. Students select from a primarily elective curriculum that offers grounding in foundation courses and a wide range of advanced and specialized courses to satisfy a variety of student interest. In addition to these more traditional courses, students may represent actual clients in a variety of clinical courses; receive training in practical lawyers' skills such as trial practice, appellate advocacy, drafting, alternative dispute resolution, interviewing, counseling, and negotiating; do research and writing, closely supervised by a faculty member, in seminars, directed research, and practical skills courses. Most of these courses are offered in small classes. In addition, J.D. students can enroll in certain courses in the Graduate Tax Program curriculum.

To be eligible for the Juris Doctor degree, students must satisfactorily complete 87 credits (students entering in Fall 2004 and earlier) or 88 credits (students entering beginning fall 2005), the required curriculum and must complete six consecutive, full-time semesters in residence.

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