JD Degrees and Programs

Course Offerings, Requirements, and Programs

You can design your curriculum around courses that prepare you for work in specific areas of interest—here or abroad.

You can choose from more than 150 classes, seminars and clinics, including classes in our Graduate Program in Banking & Financial Law and our Graduate Tax Program.

You can concentrate in any of five important fields: International Law, Intellectual Property Law, Health Law, Business Organizations & Finance Law, or Litigation & Dispute Resolution.

You can get involved in a wide range of educational, clinical and pro bono activities, which enable you to develop and use your legal skills in the public interest.

You can study abroad in any of BU Law’s 16 foreign study programs, including two full-year international dual-degree programs. You can study in any of BU Law’s 13 foreign study programs for one semester in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East—among the most expansive set of international options at any U.S. law school. In addition, you can spend your entire third year at one of two partner schools, pursuing an international dual-degree program: JD/LLM in European Law at the University of Paris (Paris II), and JD/LLM in Asian Legal Studies at the National University of Singapore.

You can pursue a dual degree, earning a JD and master’s degree, by combining law study with other BU graduate programs.

You can pursue a combined JD/LLM degree in either tax or banking and financial law on an accelerated seven-semester basis.

And you can pursue your own interests by cross-registering for any of the hundreds of classes Boston University’s other schools and graduate programs have to offer.

Degree Requirements

The JD program is a full-time day curriculum requiring three academic years of study. All first-year students begin in the fall semester. A total of 84 semester credits must be completed with a final weighted average of at least 2.3 (C+). Students may earn up to 12 semester credits toward the JD degree by taking courses in other graduate or professional schools at Boston University.

The First-Year Class

The entering class will have 265 students divided into three sections of about 88 students who take most of their courses together. First-year students are also assigned to at least one smaller class of approximately 45 students for one of their substantive classes (torts, contracts, property, etc.). They also take a research and writing seminar with about 15 students.

First-Year Courses

The first year at BU Law forms the core of a legal education, conveying not only the basics of legal doctrines and rules, but also building the skills and confidence that allow you to frame, interpret and apply those rules effectively. Required courses are:

• Civil Procedure
• Legislation
• Constitutional Law
• Property
• Contracts
• Torts
• Criminal Law
• Research and Writing Seminar

First-Year Writing Program

“While many students come to law school with good writing skills, writing for the law is different,” explains Professor Robert Volk, who directs BU Law’s First-Year Writing Program. “Even if students are good writers, they need to learn to write in the specific style that effectively communicates legal thinking.”

Another essential skill is legal research. “It’s a world unto itself that requires specific tools and skills to use those tools,” he says. “It’s more art than science, and it’s a fundamental component of the program.”

In small classes, students receive close instruction in analyzing complex legal questions. “Although most people believe attorneys spend all their time in court,” says Professor Volk, “the vast majority, especially new attorneys, spend most of their time researching and writing. Developing these skills early in your education makes you more attractive to prospective employers, who are hungry for associates who can write.”

First-Year Moot Court

The second component of the research and writing requirement is the J. Newton Esdaile Appellate Moot Court Program in the spring semester. Students conduct research, draft a brief, and present a case in oral argument before a panel of judges made up of faculty, lawyers and students.

First-Year Advising

BU Law’s community of support includes student advisors, alumni mentors, and first-year faculty advisors, as well as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Christine Marx and her staff. Each of these resources is on call to help students adjust to life in law school—from learning how to organize their studies to having fun in the city.

The Student Affairs Office sponsors workshops throughout the year on topics such as time and stress management, strategies for taking exams and how to balance work and family life.

Semester-in-Practice Program

The Semester-in-Practice Program provides an opportunity to spend a semester working full time for credit at an externship placement outside of Boston. Designed for students who want an intensive, hands-on experience through an opportunity not available in Boston, this program aims to further your specific career and academic goals.

The Semester-in-Practice Program offers four options:

• Human Rights Externship in Geneva—Through the Human Rights Externship, students may spend a semester working in Geneva for a non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to the protection of human rights.
• Government Lawyering in Washington, D.C.—Students in the Government Lawyering Externship may spend a semester working at a government office in Washington. Examples include opportunities with the staff of a Congressional committee or subcommittee, in the legal office of an administrative agency, or with a federal board/commission.
• Death Penalty Externship—Students participating in the Death Penalty Externship may work at the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Independent Proposal Externship—Students may develop their own proposal for a full-time externship outside of Boston.

Finding Your Niche

First-year students are given the opportunity to participate in a 3-step program designed to help them find their own niche in the legal profession. Students take the Myers Briggs (MB) questionnaire, an assessment tool that is used around the globe to help individuals and teams understand how their personality preferences affect communication style, decision-making preferences, ways of processing information, and more. It is a particularly powerful tool in career planning as it helps people analyze and understand the elements of the best “fit” in the workplace in light of their natural strengths and preferences. The Career Development & Public Service staff will help you understand what the MB results mean, and discuss how this process can help you understand yourself as you navigate law school and as you explore career options. Later in the year, a consultant will discuss some of the key factors that lead to career satisfaction as well as the correlation between MB personality types and legal practice areas. This 3-step process will help inform your discussions with the Career Development Office as you explore your options in the legal profession to find the right fit for you.