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JD Degree Requirements
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Academic Advisor: James Lambert
Students enrolled in the JD program must earn 87 law credits to graduate. Those 87 credits must be comprised of the following:
- The prescribed first-year courses:
- Ethics Requirement: A two-credit course in ethics and professional responsibility. Courses that satisfy the Ethics requirement are identified in the Course Browser by using the JD Course of Study drop-down menu and searching for "JD - ethics."
- Substantial Research and Writing Project Requirement: One faculty-supervised research paper for a minimum of two credits. This may be fulfilled by way of a seminar or an independent study. The SRWP paper must be a solo project; group projects may not be used to fulfill the requirement. The student's engagement in a substantial research and writing project must be registered with the Registrar's Office no later than the end of the drop/add period of the student's fifth semester. Courses that satisfy the SRWP requirement are identified in the Course Browser by using the JD Course of Study drop-down menu and searching for "JD - substantial research and writing project."
- Experiential Learning Requirement: a minimum six credits in simulation courses, clinics and/or externships. Courses that satisfy the Experiential Learning Requirement are identified in the Course Browser by using the JD Course of Study drop-down menu and searching for "experiential learning."
- Professional Development Requirement: All students entering law school in Fall 2018 or later must complete two non-academic professional development credits. Please note that these credits do not count toward the minimum credit requirement for your degree.
- Regularly-Scheduled Courses: A minimum 64 of the 87 credits must be earned in courses that require attendance in regularly scheduled classroom sessions or direct faculty instruction.
- Regularly-scheduled law school courses include
- Law School courses and seminars, including courses cross-listed at the Law School but originating in another school or department at the University.
- Law School clinics
- Regularly-scheduled courses completed at another ABA-accredited law school, including through the inter-institutional agreement with UNC and NCCU and transfer credits for students who completed the first year at another law school or who visited away at another law school.
- Credits from an approved study abroad program.
- Regularly-scheduled law school courses do NOT include
- Independent study
- Non-law courses
- Externships
- Research tutorials
- Ad hoc seminars
- Bass Connections
- Regularly-scheduled law school courses include
All students are responsible for monitoring their compliance with the graduation requirements.