JD Curriculum, Fall 2006
89 credits required to graduate
General Law Program
Although George Mason offers a number of structured specialization options, students are not required to specialize in their legal studies. Many students enter law school without a clearly defined area of interest. Those students may pursue a general course of study, choosing electives as their interests develop.
JD Course Requirements
All George Mason law students, whether pursuing a specialty track or the General Law Program, are required to satisfactorily complete 89 credit hours for graduation. Forty credit hours are in general courses; the remaining credit hours are in elective courses. In addition, students must complete the School of Law’s upper-level writing requirement. (See Academic Regulation 3-3.3)
| Course Name | Required Time | Semester Traditionally Offered |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to LRWA | 1st Yr. | Fall |
| Contracts I | 1st Yr. | Fall |
| Torts | 1st Yr. | Fall |
| Economic Foundations | 1st Yr. | Fall |
| Property | FT: 1st Yr./PT: 2nd Yr. | Fall |
| Trial-Level Writing | 1st Yr. | Spring |
| Contracts II | 1st Yr. | Spring |
| Civil Procedure | 1st Yr. | Spring |
| Criminal Law | 1st Yr. | Spring |
| Appellate Writing | 2nd Yr. | Fall |
| Constitutional Law I | 2nd Yr. | Fall |
| Legal Drafting | 2nd Yr. | Spring |
| Constitutional Law II | 2nd Yr. | Spring |
| Professional Responsibility | FT: 1st Yr./PT: Before Graduation | Fall/Spring |
General Electives should be taken to reach the remaining credit hours needed to
graduate and to fulfill the School of Law's upper-level writing requirement.
Scheduling Considerations:
- After the first year, students in the full-time division must maintain a credit load of 10-17 hours per semester, and students in the part-time division must maintain a credit load of 8-12 hours per semester. (See Academic Regulation 3-6.5)
- In order to earn a JD, a student must be in residence for a minimum of six semesters. A student is in residence for a semester when he/she earns at least 10 hours of academic credit in a fall or spring semester. (See Academic Regulation 3-5)
- All students must complete 89 credit hours to graduate, 77 of which must be "in-class" credit hours, and no more than 12 credit hours may be graded "CR." (See Academic Regulation 3-3.1)
| Full-Time Division | Part-Time Division |
|---|---|
| First Year -- Fall | First Year -- Fall |
| Introduction to LRWA | Introduction to LRWA |
| Contracts I | Contracts I |
| Torts | Torts |
| Economic Foundations | Economic Foundations |
| Property | Â |
| First Year -- Spring | First Year -- Spring |
| Trial-Level Writing | Trial-Level Writing |
| Contracts II | Contracts II |
| Civil Procedure | Civil Procedure |
| Professional Responsibility | Criminal Law |
| Criminal Law | Â |
| Second Year -- Fall | Second Year -- Fall |
| Appellate Writing | Appellate Writing |
| Constitutional Law I | Constitutional Law I |
| Electives | Property |
| Â | Electives |
| Second Year -- Spring | Second Year -- Spring |
| Legal Drafting | Legal Drafting |
| Constitutional Law II | Constitutional Law II |
| Electives | Electives |
| Third Year -- Fall | Third Year -- Fall |
| Electives | Electives |
| Third Year -- Spring | Third Year -- Spring |
| Electives | Electives |
| Â | Fourth Year -- Fall |
| Â | Electives |
| Â | Fourth Year -- Spring |
| Â | Electives |
*The upper-level writing requirement must be completed before graduation.
*Evening students must take Professional Responsibility prior to graduation.