ยป JD Degree Graduation Requirements

Students admitted to the JD program at Chapman University's Fowler School of Law shall complete the following minimum requirements to earn a JD degree:
  • 2.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average
  • 88 Units
  • 6 Residency Credits

First-Year Required Curriculum

  • Civil Procedure I and II
  • Civil Procedure Practice Lab
  • Contracts I and II
  • Criminal Law
  • Legal Analysis Writing and Research I and II
  • Property
  • Torts I and II

Degree Requirements Beyond First Year Curriculum

  • Federal Income Tax (must take in the 2nd year in the fall or spring for students that matriculated prior to Fall 2021) 
  • Corporations OR Business Associations
  • Constitutional Law (must be taken in the 2nd year in the fall or spring semester effective Fall 2022)
  • Evidence
  • Practice Foundations-Transactions (must be taken prior to Fall 2021; Fall 2021 and thereafter, students can take Practice Foundations-Transactions, Practice Foundations-Criminal or Practice Foundations-Civil towards the Practice Foundations requirement) 
  • Professional Responsibility
  • One (1) Experiential Course (see class schedule for approved courses each semester)
  • Two (2) Practice-Oriented (Practical) Writing Requirement Courses

Professional Development

All students are required to complete five (5) sessions of professional development training and events. The five mandatory sessions identified by the Career Services Office (CSO) must be completed by the end of the first year of legal study. These professional development sessions are not course credits and do not count against or reduce the requirement for 88-course credits necessary for graduation. This professional development training is administered by the CSO.   

Additional Requirements (based on cumulative first year GPA)

  • Legal Writing Skills course
    • Students must take this course if LAWR I OR LAWR II grade is below 2.0 OR if determined by the LAWR Professor
    • Required courses if cumulative GPA is below 2.6 at the end of the first year (full-time and part-time students):
      • Criminal Procedure/Police Practice
      • Remedies*
      • Wills & Trusts
    • *Students who are ranked in the bottom 25% of their class at the end of the first year must take Remedies with Practice Lab

Additional Requirement (based on class rank)

  • Any student entering their final year of law study ranked in the bottom 25% of their class MUST take Selected Topics in American Law AND Advanced Selected Topics in American Law in order to graduate.  Both of these courses are designed to prepare students for the bar exam.