JD Curriculum

Recognizing the importance of giving students a solid foundation in theory and skills, instruction at USF emphasizes participation, dialogue, and practical experience.

Our unique ethics training is introduced into virtually every class to help students navigate complex real-world situations and build analytical skills. Courses illustrate the importance of prudential judgment, sensitivity, self-motivation, and sustained effort.

USF's core courses, which are concentrated in the first and second years of the full- and part-time programs, provide students the fundamental skills and basic knowledge needed to successfully practice any area of law. The core also ensures that students begin to master writing and speaking skills required of legal professionals in the Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis course. This year-long course, which ranks among the finest in the country, goes well beyond the typical introduction to legal writing and research found at many law schools. Students engage in increasingly sophisticated research projects and learn to prepare a variety of legal documents, including pleadings, briefs, opinion letters, and research memoranda.

Electives, which full-time students may pursue in their first year, build on these practical skills, with courses in pre-trial litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and trial advocacy. Further, the rich diversity of elective courses and programs, from corporate to technology to public interest law, allow students to pursue their career objectives and individual interests.

Courses in all programs are taught by the law school's full-time faculty along with distinguished scholars visiting from prestigious American and foreign law faculties. Instruction in specialized courses is enriched by prominent members of the judiciary and bar.