The J. D. program encompasses 90 semester hours and is divided into full-time and part-time sections. Both programs begin in the fall and there are no spring admissions. In addition to the 1st year required curriculum, each student must complete the following courses at the Law Center to graduate:
Professional Responsibility Course – a 3-hour Professional Responsibility course must be taken and a passing grade received.
Senior Writing Requirement – The Senior Writing Requirement can be satisfied (1) by taking a two or three credit seminar course (SEM:) and earning a grade of "C" or better; or (2) by completing the requirements for the following student publications: Law Review, HJIL, Business and Tax Law Journal, Houston Journal of Health Law and Policy, or Texas Consumer Law Journal.
Required Skills Course – Students must take and pass one of the following courses:
| Advanced Family Law Advanced Negotiation Advanced Oil & Gas Contracts Appellate Advocacy Attorney Communication Business Planning Civil Clinic Consumer Clinic Consumer Dispute Resolution Contract Drafting Criminal Clinic Death Penalty Clinic |
Depositions E-Discovery Estate Planning Immigration Clinic Innocence Investigations International Courts & Tribunals Legal Negotiations Mediation Externship Practicing Consumer Law Pre-Trial Litigation Storytelling Trial Advocacy Transactional Clinic |
Outline of the first year schedule:
Full-time Schedule- First Year |
Part-Time Schedule- First Year |
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Fall Semester |
Hours |
Fall Semester |
Hours |
|
Contracts |
4 |
Property |
4 |
|
Procedure I |
4 |
Procedure I |
4 |
|
Torts |
4 |
Lawyering Skills & Strategies | 3 | |
Lawyering Skills & Strategies |
3 |
Total |
11 |
|
Total |
15 |
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Spring Semester |
Hours |
Spring Semester |
Hours |
|
Constitutional Law |
4 |
Contracts |
4 |
|
Property |
4 |
Torts | 4 | |
Criminal Law |
3 |
Lawyering Skills & Strategies | 2 | |
Statutory Interpretation & Regulation |
3 | Total |
10 |
|
Lawyering Skills & Strategies |
2 |
|||
Total |
16 |
Summer |
Hours |
|
Criminal Law |
3 |
|||
Statutory Interpretation & Regulation |
3 |
|||
Total |
6 |
|||
Fall Semester |
Hours |
|||
Constitutional Law |
4 |
|||
Electives |
6 |
|||
Total |
10 |
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Note: All courses may not rotate to the night program after the first year. The core courses will be offered at night per the schedule found here. After that time, the courses will be offered as long as the student enrollment supports offering the class.