The curriculum at McGeorge is designed to develop highly skilled professionals who are prepared for the rapidly changing legal market. A legal education at McGeorge will push you academically within a supportive, empathetic environment where faculty and staff are invested in your personal success.
The First Year — A Solid Foundation
The focus of the first year is on building a solid foundation in the theory of law and mastering legal research and writing. All first-year students have a small-group classroom experience in Global Lawyering Skills I & II, which provides the opportunity to work intensively with a professor on analytical and advocacy skills. First-year students also take a spring Legal Profession class where they begin to shape their professional identity and bring their professional goals into focus. In the fall semester, a skills course covers topics such as case briefing, note taking, outlining, and writing law school exams. This Analytical Skills Course is fully integrated with a substantive course, such as Torts, Civil Procedure, or Contracts.
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The First-Year Required Courses
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Full-Time Division
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Part-Time Division
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| Analytical Skills Course (1) Civil Procedure (4) Contracts (4) Criminal Law (4) Global Lawyering Skills I (2) Global Lawyering Skills II (3) Legal Profession (1) Property (4) Statutes & Regulations (3) Torts (4) |
Analytical Skills Course (1) |
Upper-division students choose among a broad array of elective courses where they get to focus on a more specialized path of study. Students may choose to add a Certificate of Concentration, as well as considering competition teams, law review, externships or legal clinics. The usual course load during upper-level years is 14-16 units (Full-Time) or 9-10 units (Part-Time). Students must complete a total of 88 units, including a minimum of 72 which must be graded units.
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Upper-Division Required Courses
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Full-Time Division
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Part-Time Division
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| Second Year Constitutional Law (4) Evidence (4) Global Lawyering Skills III (3) Second or Third Year Professional Responsibility (2) |
Second Year Constitutional Law (4) Contracts (4) Global Lawyering Skills III (3) Property (4) Statutes & Regulations (3) Third Year Evidence (4) Third or Fourth Year, or Any Summer 1 Professional Responsibility (2) |
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Legal writing is an essential skill for a successful legal career. McGeorge students satisfy the Upper-Division Writing Requirement by taking Global Lawyering Skills III during their second year.
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Upper-Division Writing Requirement
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Full-Time Division
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Part-Time Division
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| Second Year Global Lawyering Skills III (3) |
Second Year Global Lawyering Skills III (3) |
Experiential Curriculum — Hands-on Legal Experience
There is no substitute for the real-world knowledge gained through experiential learning. As part of our commitment to teaching practical lawyering skills, all McGeorge students complete at least two capstone experiences which include Legal Clinics, Externships, and Moot Court or Mock Trial, as well as additional units of experiential classes where the focus is on learning by doing. Students learn to apply legal theory to practice, develop professional lawyering skills, and become a reflective practitioners and lifelong learners.
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Experiential Curriculum Required Courses
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Full-Time Division
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Part-Time Division
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| Second or Third Year Legal Clinic or Externship (3) Legal Clinic, Externship, Mock Trial, or Moot Court (3-4) Experiential Courses (additional units to equal 11) |
Third or Fourth Year, or Any Summer 1 Legal Clinic or Externship (3) Legal Clinic, Externship, Mock Trial, or Moot Court (3-4) Experiential Courses (additional units to equal 11) |
Directed Study
McGeorge is committed to the success of each student. The Directed Study Program is designed to bolster a student's command of and confidence in core legal skills, with the goal of increasing success in law school and paving the way to passing the bar exam. Students who have a cumulative GPA after first year below a 3.0 are part of the Directed Study Program. In addition to the required courses below, students on directed study must complete at least one academic advising session per school year and students with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or below will also be enrolled in Directed Research (1) taught by the Director of Academic Success.
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Directed Study Required Courses (Students who have a cumulative GPA after first year below a 3.0 are part of Directed Study)
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Full-Time Division
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Part-Time Division
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| Second Year Remedies & Principles of Law (3) Second or Third Year Business Associations (4) At least one of the following bar courses: Community Property (2), Criminal Procedure (3), or Wills & Trusts (3) Third Year PASS I (3 P/F) |
Second Year Remedies & Principles of Law (3) Third Year Business Associations (4) Third or Fourth Year, or Any Summer 1 At least one of the following bar courses: Community Property (2), Criminal Procedure (3), or Wills & Trusts (3) Fourth Year PASS I (2 P/F) |
1 Note: To stay on track for graduation, part-time students generally must take 2-5 units each summer.
Questions?
Office of Student Affairs
Email | 916.739.7089
