Juris Doctor (J.D.)
Juris Doctor Total Required Hours
The total credit requirement for the J.D. degree is 86 credit hours (of which 65 must be for a W&M Law letter grade). Additionally, the American Bar Association specifies that no more than 20 percent of the required credit hours may be taken in any one semester. At William & Mary, this means students may not take more than 17 credits in any one semester.
Length of Program
This is a full-time program of legal education. As such, the American Bar Association specifies that it must be completed in no fewer than 24 months and no more than 84 months from the date of matriculation as a degree-seeking first-year law student.
Legal Practice Program
- William and Mary Law School’s Legal Practice Program helps students gain the writing, oral communication, and professional skills they’ll need to be great lawyers. The Legal Practice Program is a required three-semester course of study. A second or third-year student with particular skill in legal writing is assigned to each section to teach the ins and outs of proper legal citation. Practicing attorneys in a variety of fields will teach the Lawyering Skills course, providing close guidance on how to interview a client, conduct a negotiation, and other skills necessary to the successful practice of law. Throughout the program, our students will gain the confidence they need as they enter the job market. Beyond the Legal Practice Program, students can continue to develop their writing and practice skills through electives, clinics, and externships.
- In the first year of the program, students work in small Legal Writing classes with a full-time faculty member who specializes in legal writing. Students will develop an objective legal analysis and writing skills in the fall semester and persuasive writing abilities in the spring semester. Students will learn techniques for effective communication through twice-weekly classes and in individual conferences designed for effective, targeted feedback that will help make students not only a better writer but also a better editor of their own work. Law librarians will provide separate sessions on finding legal authorities and other aspects of legal research. Courses required in the first year:
- In the second or third year, students will build on the skills developed in the first year of the program by choosing an Advanced Writing and Practice course in a particular field of practice: civil pretrial practice, criminal pretrial practice, appellate advocacy, or transactional practice. In this upper-level writing course, students will continue to improve their professional writing skills by drafting more advanced documents, learning strategies from a specialist in the field. Students will receive not only careful feedback on their work but also advice on professionalism and practice tips. Three semesters in the Legal Practice Program:
Professional Ethics
- In the second or third year* students must complete a course in Professional Ethics:
- LAW 115 - Professional Responsibility or LAW 117 - The Legal Profession
- *For students intending to apply for a Third Year Practice Certificate for use in their summer prior to or during their third year, Evidence and Professional Responsibility or The Legal Profession, plus four semesters of legal study are required for eligibility to obtain a Third Year Practice Certificate
Experiential Work
Experiential courses totaling at least six credit hours. Three of these six credits are satisfied by the required Lawyering Skills I and II in the first year. Additional courses that satisfy the requirement include simulation courses, clinics, and externships.
Required Writing Experiences
- In the first year: Legal Research & Writing I and II
- In the second or third year: Advanced Writing and Practice OR any courses designated as Law Writing Requirement (LWWR)
Advanced Legal Analysis and Doctrine
- Students who have been identified, based on academic performance, as likely to benefit from additional bar exam preparation studies will be required to enroll in the Law School’s Advanced Legal Analysis and Doctrine LAW 361 during their third-year as a condition of graduation. The Dean’s Office will be responsible for identifying and contacting such students and granting exceptions to the requirement, on a case-by-case basis for good cause.
Note
Curricular requirements are subject to change.
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Concentrations (optional)
Introduction
This policy provides overall requirements and guidance for students who pursue a concentration as part of the J.D. program at the Law School. Concentrations indicate focused coursework and experiential learning or independent research in a particular area of study beyond the required curriculum. Students who successfully complete the concentration will receive a notation on their Law School transcripts.
Each concentration requires successful completion of (1) two or more foundational courses, (2) three or more approved courses, and (3) an independent research paper or an experiential course. The number of courses required in (1) and (2) is specific to the individual concentration being pursued; students must meet their concentration’s requirements as noted below. Pursuit of a J.D. concentration does not require additional credit hours above the minimum 86 required for the J.D. degree.
The JD Declaration of Concentration form may be submitted directly to the Law School Registrar for review during the student’s second year of study by the deadlines posted. Requests for group C experiential credit for journal notes or externships or independent projects must be approved by the Vice Dean prior to being applied to a concentration. Students must provide documentation of course content or paper subject for review when the Concentration request form is submitted. If requesting permission for a journal paper for a group C requirement attach copy of the published note when submitting the form. If requesting permission to use an externship or independent project for a group C requirement students must submit copy of the externship contract or course description and statement from the externship supervisor or independent course faculty manager indicating relevant work that must explicitly cover the applicable law-related topic. Externship or journal or independent project authorization should be forwarded when submitting request form to the Law School Registrar.
A student will be deemed to have satisfied the requirements for completion of the concentration only upon approval of the JD Declaration Form by the Assistant Dean for Academic Services. The form must be submitted by February 1 for May graduates, by May 1 for August graduates, and by September 1 for December graduates. The Assistant Dean for Academic Services may provisionally approve completion if the Form indicates that the concentration’s requirements will be completed through pending coursework or a pending research paper.
Concentration Requirements
- Each concentration requires successful completion of (1) two or more foundational courses, (2) three or more approved courses, and (3) an independent research paper or an experiential course. The number of courses required in (1) and (2) is specific to the individual concentration being pursued; students must meet their concentration’s requirements as noted below.
- Students pursuing a concentration register for courses in the same manner as other students and do not receive priority registration in a course. Accordingly, students are encouraged to consider in a timely manner course selection and plans for fulfilling concentration requirements and to prioritize concentration courses in their registration process.
- Students may pursue a maximum of two concentrations. Students who pursue two concentrations must complete the requirements for each independently and may not count a single course or experience as satisfying two concentrations.
- Students may use a single course to satisfy both the Law School’s six-credit experiential learning requirement and the experiential course option in Group C of a concentration.
- Students may elect the third year student P/F grade conversion option for a graded course that meets a concentration requirement.
- Students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all concentration requirements. Any questions or concerns in this regard, or any identification of errors or ambiguities in the DegreeWorks evaluation platform, should be brought to the Assistant Dean for Academic Services as soon as possible.
Concentration Options
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Business Law Concentration
Required Courses: at least 7
Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:
Business Law Group A:
Complete all three of the following courses with course attribute BLWF:
Business Law Group B:
Complete at least three additional courses with course attribute BLWS from the following list:
Business Law Group C:
Complete at least one of the following experiential learning courses with course attribute BLAW or a two-credit independent research paper on a business law-related topic (with prior approval):
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Criminal Law & Procedure Concentration
Required Courses: at least 7
Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:
Criminal Law and Procedure Group A:
Complete all three of the following courses with course attribute RLWF:
Criminal Law and Procedure Group B:
Complete at least three additional courses with attribute RLWS from the following list:
Criminal Law and Procedure Group C:
Complete at least one of the following experiential learning courses with attribute CRIM, or a two-credit independent research paper on a criminal law-related topic (with prior approval):
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Environmental Law Concentration
Required courses: 6 to 9
Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:
Environmental Law Group A:
Complete two or more of the following courses with attribute NLWF:
Environmental Law Group B:
Complete three or more supporting electives with attribute NLWS from the following:
Environmental Law Group C:
Complete at least one of the following experiential learning courses with attribute ENVR, or a two-credit independent research paper on an environmental law-related topic (with prior approval), or a law journal note on an environmental law-related topic with prior approval, or an environmental law-related externship of two-credits or more:
- LAW 700 - Directed Research two-credits with prior approval on environmental law-related topic
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Intellectual Property Concentration
Required courses: at least 7
Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:
Intellectual Property Group A:
Complete three or more of the following courses with attribute ILWF:
Intellectual Property Group B:
Complete at least three additional courses with attribute ILWS from the following list:
Intellectual Property Group C:
Complete at least one of the following experiential learning courses with attribute INTC, or a two-credit independent research paper on an intellectual property law-related topic (with prior approval):
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International Law Concentration
Required Courses: at least 7
Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:
International Law Group A:
Complete two of the following courses with attribute TLWF (one of which must be International Law):
International Law Group B:
Complete at least four additional courses with attribute TLWS from the following list:
International Law Group C:
Complete at least two credits of coursework with attribute of INTN, OR LAW 691 Advanced Applied International Research for two credits, OR at least one international law-related externship (two or more credits), OR a two-credit independent research paper on an international law-related topic, OR note written for law journal on an international law-related topic with Vice Dean advance approval.
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National Security Law Concentration
Required courses: at least 7
Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:
National Security Group A:
Complete two from the following foundational courses with attribute NSWF (if not used in Group B):
or LAW 797- War Powers- The National Security Law Constitution
or LAW 412 Legislation / Statutory Interpretation
National Security Group B:
Complete at least four additional courses from the following with attribute NSWS; cannot re-use courses selected to meet Group A requirement:
National Security Group C:
Complete at least one of the following with attribute NSWE:
- LAW 704 on a national security law related topic (2 credits with prior approval)
- At least one national security law related externship (2 or more credits with prior approval)
- Student note written for law journal on a national security law-related topic (with prior approval)
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Political Law Concentration
Required courses: at least 7
Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:
Political Law Group A:
Complete at least three courses with attribute POLF from the following list:
Political Law Group B:
Complete at least three of the following with attribute POLS; if a student satisfies all four of the Group A requirements, the fourth course may be counted as supporting counted here.
Political Law Group C:
Experiential with attribute POLI or Independent; at least two credits in one of the following or combination of.
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Public Interest and Social Justice Concentration
Required Courses: at least 7
Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:
Public Interest and Social Justice Group A:
Complete three courses with attribute SJWF, one from each of the three following subgroups:
A.1. LAW 453 Administrative Law or LAW 412 Legislation and Statutory Interpretation
and
A.2. LAW 415 Federal Courts or LAW 477 Section 1983 Litigation
and
A.3. LAW 401 Criminal Procedure I or LAW 402 Criminal Procedure II or LAW 403 Criminal Procedure Survey
Public Interest and Social Justice Group B:
Complete at least three additional courses with attribute SJWS from the following list:
Public Interest and Social Justice Group C:
Complete at least one of the following with attribute SJSP:
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