Full-time students are required to enroll in 12-16 semester hours each semester. Summer coursework is optional.
First-year daytime classes other than Legal Writing are typically divided into two to three sections. All students in a given section have very similar schedules and have most or all of their classes together for the first year.
Part-time students typically enroll in 8-11 semester hours each semester, although upper-division part-time students may take as few as one course per semester, provided they stay on track to complete the J.D. degree in not more than six years.
Part-time students are not required to take summer courses, but we strongly recommend that they do so after the first and second years to stay on track for timely graduation.
First year evening classes other than Legal Writing typically have one section of 30-40 students.
Legal Writing classes range in size from 12-24 to ensure close faculty-student interaction.
Evening classes typically run from 6:30 - 10:00pm, although some may run as late as 10:30. Although first-year and second-year part-time classes meet only two nights a week in-person, the evening schedule in later years may vary depending upon the electives and number of credit hours on a student's schedule.
No student is guaranteed to have the same schedule from one semester to the next.
Full-time students in the first year of law school typically take classes only during daytime hours, but, as long as seats are available, they may be able to take first year courses during evening hours.
Upper-division law students determine their own schedules. Because about one-third of our student body can attend classes only during evening hours, upper-division full-time students may find themselves taking classes at night. This is especially true of highly specialized elective courses, which are often taught by adjunct faculty members.
