SMU Dedman School of Law - Full-Time J.D. Curriculum

Full-Time J.D. Curriculum

All students must earn a minimum of 87 hours to complete the J.D. degree. One of the many advantages of earning an SMU J.D. is that students have a broad range of upper-level elective courses that give them the flexibility to tailor an individual course of study. Many of these classes are small – over one-half of upper-level courses have fewer than 25 students enrolled. For degree requirements, see J.D. curriculum requirements.

Year One

Fall	16 hours
Contracts I	2 hrs.
Torts I	3 hrs.
Civil Procedure I	3 hrs.
Property I	2 hrs.
Criminal Law	3 hrs.
Legal Research, Writing, and Advocacy I	3 hrs.

Spring	15 hours
Contracts II	3 hrs.
Torts II	2 hrs.
Civil Procedure II	2 hrs.
Property II	2 hrs.
Constitutional Law I	2 hrs.
Legal Research, Writing, and Advocacy II	3 hrs.

Years Two and Three

Upper Division Required Courses:

Professional Responsibility
Constitutional Law II
Edited Writing Seminar
General Writing Course
Professional Skills Course

Areas of Upper Division Electives Include:

Banking
Bankruptcy Law
Business/Corporate Law
Commercial Law
Constitutional Law
Criminal Law
Dispute Resolution
Employment/Labor Law
Environmental Law
Estate Planning
Family Law
Health Care Law
Insurance
Intellectual Property Law
Internet and E-Commerce Law
International Law
Litigation/Trial Advocacy
Oil & Gas Law
Real Estate Law
Tax Law