Experiential/Professional Skills Requirement
To receive the JD degree, all students must successfully complete an elective course that includes substantial instruction in professional/experiential skills generally regarded as necessary for effective and responsible participation in the legal profession. View all Professional/Experiential Skills Courses.
Substantial instruction in professional skills must engage each student in skills performances that are assessed by the instructor. This class is taken in addition to required courses with instruction in substantive law, legal analysis and reasoning, legal research, problem solving, oral communication, writing in a legal context, and professional responsibility.
Those who have questions about whether or not a particular course, or their performance in that course, satisfies the requirement should check with the law school registrar.
In this transitional year, two sets of standards apply to upper-level students in order to meet the ABA’s graduation requirements.Ìý Make sure that you meet the correct standard and do not rely on unofficial advice.Ìý The only official source of compliance is the Office of the Registrar.
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Students who matriculated before Fall 2016
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Complete one professional skills credit.
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Any experiential skills course will satisfy this requirement.
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Students who matriculated in Fall 2016
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Complete six credits of experiential skills courses.
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A student may satisfy this requirement through successful completion of a class that includes instruction in such professional skills as trial and appellate advocacy, alternative methods of dispute resolution, reflective judgment, counseling, interviewing, negotiating, problem solving, factual investigation, organization, or management.
The requirement may be satisfied through a course for the entire group of students enrolled in the class or it may be satisfied individually. Students may apply both externship seminar credits and field placements credits towards the Experiential Learning requirement.ÌýÌý
Note- Individual Faculty Supervision arrangements do not satisfy the Experiential Learning requirement.