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JD Degree Requirements

Curriculum

  • JD students must complete a minimum of 86 credit hours, 74 of which must be graded credits.
  • Full-time JD students may not graduate in less than 6 semesters, excluding summer sessions, with 12-17 credits per semester.
  • Part-time JD students must complete either
    • 8 part-time (8-12 credit) semesters, or
    • 7 part-time (8-12 credit) semesters and a minimum of 11 credits over 2 or more summer sessions, or
    • With approval from the Dean’s Office, a part-time student may complete no more than two additional hours above the maximum part-time limit of 12 hours in semesters 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, thereby reducing the 11 credit summer requirement by 2 credit hours to 9 credit hours of summer coursework. Note that students who receive prior approval from the Dean’s Office will be charged additional tuition at the hourly rate for each hour that exceeds 12 in that semester.
    • Note: Part-time JD students may not graduate in less than 7 semesters, excluding summer sessions.
  • JD students must complete their course of study no later than 84 months after commencing law study.
  • Required Courses
     

First Year: Fall Semester (credits)

Civil Procedure (4)

Property (3) (Part-time students will take Property in Semester 3)

Torts (4)

Legal Writing (2)

Legal Writing I & Legal Research

Professional Identity Formation (1)

First Year: Spring Semester
(credits)

Constitutional Law (4) (Part-time students will take Constitutional Law in Semester 4)

Contracts (4)

Criminal Law (3)

Legal Writing II (2)

Perspective Elective (2-3) (Part-time students will take a Perspective Elective course in a later semester)

Second Year: Fall Semester

Advocacy (2)

Requirements to be completed prior to graduation

Professional Responsibility (3)

Course(s) designated "Skills" (2)

Course(s) designated "Experiential"  (6)**

 

  • Students who have a GPA below 2.9 after the second, third, or fourth semester will be required to complete the Bar Exam Fundamentals course (LAW 232).
  • Students must complete 6 credits of experiential learning:
    • A minimum of 3 of these 6 credits must be “Live Client Experience” (LCE) courses, which include:
      • An intensive field placement in Loyola’s Externship Program;
      • Participation in one of Loyola’s clinics, or
      • An approved practicum project.
    • 3 of the 6 credits may be earned through “Comprehensive Simulation” (CS) courses.  These courses are structured around hypothetical legal situations.
    • Note: Students may not satisfy the Experiential Learning requirement by taking a class that is also taken to satisfy the "Skills" requirement or the "Perspective Elective" requirement.
  • Students must also complete a minimum of 2 credits in a “Skills” course and 2-3 credits in a “Perspective Elective.”

Good Standing

  • To remain in good standing and be eligible to continue in the program, 
    • JD students who matriculate after the 2016-17 Academic Year must achieve a minimum 2.33 grade point average in order to graduate.  Prior to graduation, in order to remain in good standing and be eligible to continue in the program, a student:
      • must have attained a grade point average of at least 2.0 at the end of the first semester of the first year;
      • must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.33 every semester thereafter; and
    • JD students who matriculate prior to the 2017-18 Academic Year must achieve a minimum 2.0 grade point average in order to graduate.  Prior to graduation, in order to remain in good standing and be eligible to continue in the program, a student:
      • must have attained a grade point average of at least 1.75 at the end of the first semester of the first year;
      • must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 every semester thereafter; and
      • must not receive a grade of “F” or “WF” in more than three courses during residence in the School of Law
    • JD students must not receive a grade of “F” or “WF” in more than three courses during residence in the School of Law

MJ Degree Requirements

Curriculum

  • MJ students must follow the prescribed curriculum for their particular program and must meet minimum credit hour requirements.
    • To receive credit for courses outside the prescribed curriculum, a student must receive prior approval from administrators of their program and the outside program.
    • If a thesis is required, the student must complete the thesis during the semester in which they register for their final thesis course. Students who seek an extension must formally request one through their program administrator.

Good Standing

  • To remain in good standing and be eligible to continue in the program, MJ students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 each semester.
  • MJ students who receive a grade of “F” or “WF” in more than one course in a given semester will be dismissed from the program.
  • Regardless of grade point average, an MJ student who receives more than two grades of “F” or “WF” will be dismissed from the program.

LLM Degree Requirements

Curriculum

  • LLM students must follow the prescribed curriculum for their particular program and must meet minimum credit hour requirements.
    • To receive credit for courses outside the prescribed curriculum, a student must receive prior approval from administrators of their program and the outside program.
    • If a thesis is required, the student must complete the thesis during the semester in which they register for their final thesis course. Students who seek an extension must formally request one through their program administrator.

Good Standing

  • To remain in good standing and be eligible to continue in the program, LLM students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 each semester.
  • LLM students must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.33 in order to graduate from the program.
  • LLM students who receive a grade of “F” or “WF” in more than one course in a given semester will be dismissed from the program.