THE UPPERCLASS J.D. PROGRAM OF STUDY

Beyond the first year, the only required upperclass courses are Professional Responsibility and a seminar, clinic or supervised research project that meets the upperclass writing requirement. Many years ago, the Law Center, like most law schools, had a prescribed upperclass curriculum. Faculty stopped dictating which courses upperclass students should take, however, when they themselves no longer agreed about what should be required, given the increasing diversity of law practice and divergent views about the benefits of various courses of study. This movement away from required upperclass curriculum has occurred at most law schools in the country.

Nonetheless, most faculty and lawyers would probably concur that it is advisable for students to take Tax I, Constitutional Law II, and Corporations. Taxation and the corporate form are ubiquitous in our society and therefore lawyers should have at least some familiarity with these areas. In addition, these courses are prerequisites to a number of more advanced offerings in the areas of business and corporate law. Constitutional Law is not only relevant to other courses, it addresses fundamental issues about the nature of our government that well-educated lawyers should understand. In addition to these courses, many students take Evidence: it is a prerequisite for many clinical courses and in the view of many is basic to understanding the American judicial processes. Additionally, many faculty recommend that students take introductory courses in Administrative Law and Legislation and Statutory Interpretation. Finally, given increased globalization, lawyers frequently need to be able to operate effectively beyond our national borders — communicating with people of other legal traditions and understanding the potential complications when other legal traditions are implicated. As a result, the faculty recommends that students take one or more courses in international or comparative law.

Beyond these courses, students should select a balanced and well-rounded array of courses that add to their theoretical understanding, doctrinal breadth, and that provide exposure to the range of skills that a good lawyer needs. Students should choose a mixture of public law courses, such as Criminal Law, Environmental Law, International Law I, or Federal Courts, and private law courses such as Commercial Law, Corporate Finance, Intellectual Property, International Law II, or Family Law. Most faculty members would also encourage students to take at least one course a year (or semester) that particularly piques their interest even if it is not clear how it will fit into their career plans.

Lawyers are called upon to use not only their analytical skills and substantive knowledge, but also their ability to structure creative solutions, to work collaboratively with others, to negotiate effectively, to be persuasive orally and in writing, and to communicate effectively with both lawyers and non-lawyers. Therefore, students should consider taking courses that use a variety of pedagogical formats and enhance their skills in a variety of areas. The courses in the Law Center’s clinical program offer not only the opportunity to “learn by doing,” but also the unique opportunity to engage in critical self-reflection about the lawyering process. The Law Center currently offers thirteen clinical courses to J.D. students for academic credit. All clinics are directed by Georgetown faculty members.

The clinical courses available to students are the following:

Appellate Litigation Clinic
Center for Applied Legal Studies
Criminal Justice Clinic
D.C. Law Students in Court
Domestic Violence Clinic
Federal Legislation Clinic
Harrison Institute for Public Law, Housing and Community Development Clinic
Harrison Institute for Public Law,
Policy Clinic
Institute for Public Representation
International Women’s Human Rights Clinic
Juvenile Justice Clinic
Street Law: Community
Street Law: High School

In addition to the clinical program, Georgetown offers an extensive array of alternative dispute resolution, simulation, and problem-based courses such as Business Planning Seminar, Negotiations, Mediation, Civil Litigation and Practice, Trial Practice, and Appellate Practice.

Students in their second year are encouraged to take advantage of the Law Center’s Ethics and Professional Identity seminar series. Students may enroll in their second year for a small seminar that will meet in the home of a faculty member during the upcoming spring and the following fall, or for one semester only in the fall. The seminars explore issues of professional identity, ethics and moral values in a small, informal setting.
Finally, many students find very rewarding an experience of deep and intensive engagement in their third year either through a capstone seminar such as Professor Gostin’s Advanced Health Law Seminar or the Environmental Research Workshop.

Because Georgetown has an enormous range of course offerings, selecting courses as a second and third year student can be a daunting task. Faculty essays describing these areas of legal interest are located in the Online Curriculum Guide, at:
www.law.georgetown.edu/curriculum/

Students are encouraged to consult faculty members and deans for individualized advice on the selection and sequencing of courses in particular subject areas as well as guidance on how to approach course planning when a student is unsure about the specific direction of his or her professional interest in law. In addition, during the course registration process in the Spring semester, the Dean’s Office sponsors a number of events such as the Faculty Panels on Course Selection that are helpful sources of information.

Clinic selection also occurs in the Spring semester, prior to the last day of registration. Each clinic has its own method of selection. Students may be chosen either by lottery or by a competitive process. Those clinics that use competitive selection base their choices on prior experience, writing samples, statements of interest and other criteria. Most clinics also give preference to students who are entering their final year of law school. During the Spring semester informational meetings are held and a clinic application packet, including detailed information about the clinics, their selection criteria and the application process, is made available to students.

For further information about the JD program click here.