Guidelines for 2nd Year Students

Required Fall Second Year Course:

During the first eight weeks of the Fall Semester, all second year law students must take Analytical Methods for Lawyers, a course designed to assure all students are familiar with accounting principles. Students who have earned five credit hours of accounting in their preparatory education may be excused from taking this course with the permission of the Associate Dean.

Recommended Fall Second Year Courses:

In the Fall of your second year consider:
Business Organizations 1
Constitutional Law 1
Taxation: Federal Income Tax
Evidence

These are known as THE BIG FOUR. It is recommended that you take them in your second year to avoid conflicts with third year electives. Taxation is not required. However, a knowledge of basis tax law is essential for every lawyer, and the faculty strongly urge you to take the basic Federal Tax course. In addition, Federal Income Tax is a prerequisite to all our tax sequences, and it is important that it be taken in the Fall of your second year to be able to take the tax sequences. Business Organizations 1, Evidence and Constitutional Law 1 are required for graduation of all students. Be aware that both Evidence and Federal Income Tax will be offered again in the Spring Semester.

THE BIG FOUR are difficult courses. If your GPA is below a 2.5, it is recommended that you take only the BIG FOUR. If your GPA is above 2.5, consider taking a skills course so as to begin meeting the skills requirement. If your GPA is above 3.0, consider a substantive course, e.g., a course tested on the bar exam you intend to take. Your faculty advisor can help you identify bar courses.

Elective: Consider Criminal Practice: an Introduction (2 hours) or Civil Practice: an Introduction (2 hours), pre-requisites to third year clinic courses. Both of these are also skills courses.

At the end of your first year, you will have completed 34 credits. Ninety credit hours are required for graduation. Thus you will need 56 credits to graduate. You will need to average 14 credits in your remaining three semesters of full time study.  If you matriculated in the Summer, you will have earned 36 credits by the end of your first year.  Thus, you will need 54 credits to graduate, viz., 2 semesters of 13 credits and two semesters of 14 credits.  Students who matriculated in the Summer should consider taking Estates Wills & Trusts or some other core elective in the Fall of their second year in lieu of Evidence.

Recommended Spring Second Year Courses:

Constitutional Law 2 (tested on every Bar)
Business Organizations 2
Evidence (if not taken in Fall)
Taxation: Federal Income Tax (if not taken in Fall)

It is advisable that you take these courses your Second Year to avoid potential conflicts in your third year with other bar courses. When you meet with your advisor, plan your last two years in law school. Take a course, if possible, in every area of law tested on the bar examination in your state. The National Conference of Bar Examiners maintains a web site with links to the bar admissions office of every state.  Visit this web site for the subjects tested on each state's exam and for information about filing deadlines.

In your planning, bear in mind that we offer specialized sequences in bankruptcy, tax and estate planning.  You may also be interested in following a course of study that makes you elibible for a certificate of acheivement.

Upper Level Required Courses:

Make sure that you take all of the upper-level required courses, in addition to the required courses in your first three semesters:
Constitutional Law 1
Evidence
Business Organizations 1
Legal Profession

Seminar Requirement:

All students must complete an upper division seminar with a grade of "C" or better before graduation. Seminars are limited to 12 students.

Skills Requirement:

All students must complete at least 10 hours of designated "skills" classes before graduation. All clinic courses are skills courses.

Adding and Dropping Classes:

You may only add and drop classes during the time frame indicated on the academic calendar.  Please see the web page maintained by the registrar for these and other important dates.

Check courses with prerequisites. Plan ahead for third year courses by taking the proper prerequisites. Note especially the prerequisites for Business Planning and Estate Planning. Also check the clinic offerings. Some clinics require Civil Practice: An Introduction, or Criminal Practice: An Introduction.