Academic Requirements

Degree Requirements

Capital University Law School confers the degree of Juris Doctor (J.D.) after a student has passed a sufficient number of courses to have earned to earn 89 credit hours. In order to graduate, a student must maintain a 2.0 Cumulative grade point average. Credit hours are earned only for courses in which a student is awarded a grade of D or better, the grade S (satisfactory), or the transcript designation of K (transfer credit).

Required Courses

Certain subjects are deemed so fundamental for a complete understanding of American jurisprudence that they are required for graduation. Students must pass each of these courses to satisfy the graduation requirement. In addition, selected students must complete mandatory student support courses in order to graduate. See section 4.1.04. First and second year courses specifically required for graduation are listed below and must be taken in the year and the semester prescribed below or at the earliest possible time.

NOTES
¹ Part-time day students may take this course in their third year.
² Part-time day students may take this course in their second year.

Curricular Requirements for Graduation 

Perspective Course Requirement

Students must complete a perspective course or seminar (minimum 2 credit hour course). A “perspective” course is devoted to placing the study of law in a context other than what is routinely provided in required doctrinal, skills, or practice courses. A “perspective” course must provide one or more of the following four contexts

1. Thematic: These courses are devoted to placing the legal system or a particular legal subject in the context of a different academic theme. 
2. Interdisciplinary: These courses are devoted to placing the legal system or a particular legal subject in the context of other academic disciplines. 
3. Comparative: These courses are devoted to placing the legal system or a particular legal subject in the context of other legal or foreign doctrines.  
4. Foreign Law: These courses are devoted to placing the legal system or particular legal subject in the context of foreign legal doctrine. 

Courses satisfying this requirement are listed in registration materials each semester.

Upper-Level Writing Requirement

Students must fulfill the obligation of the upper-class writing requirement under the direction of a current full-time faculty member or, with the approval of the Associate Dean, a previous full-time faculty member. Students must receive, consistent with the above goals, faculty supervision and assessment of the writing experience before submitting the final version of a rigorous written work. The upper-class writing requirement may be fulfilled in any of the following classes:

• Capital University Law Review (via an approved note or comment).
• An approved research seminar taught by a full-time faculty member. Qualifying seminars shall be determined by the Law School Administration. Such seminars shall be designated in the students' registration materials.
• An approved course or practicum taught by a full-time faculty member. Qualifying courses and practicums shall be determined by the Academic Affairs Committee upon the request of the professor teaching the course. In considering the request, the Committee will consider both the above goals and the percentage of the course-grade assigned to the written work. On approval, such courses shall be designated in the students' registration materials. The following courses have received such approval: Appellate Advocacy Practicum and Environmental Law Practicum.
• A course or practicum taught by a full-time faculty member, in which the normal means of grade achievement is an examination but in which the professor has granted a written work option to a maximum of five (5) students. Qualifying courses and practicums shall be determined by the Law School Administration after consultation with the professor of the course. Such courses shall be designated in the students' registration materials.
• An independent research (course 982), by completion of an independent research paper or independent research project. To fulfill the upper-class writing requirement, independent research projects require the pre-approval of the Academic Affairs Committee. No faculty member may direct more than three independent study papers or projects per semester. Students are advised that faculty members generally are unwilling to supervise independent study for purposes of satisfying upper-class writing in the areas in which they offer upper-class writing opportunities in a seminar or course.

For a complete review of the requirement, see Chapter 4 of the Manual of Policies and Procedures (Section 4.10).

Experiential Learning Requirement

Starting with the entering class of Fall 2016, all students will be required to take one or more experiential courses totaling at least six (6) credit hours. An experiential course may be a law clinic, simulation course, or a field placement. Each experiential course must integrate doctrine, theory, skills, and ethics, must develop the concepts underlying the professional skills being taught, must provide multiple opportunities for performance and must provide multiple opportunities for self-evaluation.

Students will be required to fulfill 2 credit hours of experiential courses via Legal Drafting. Students will be required to fulfill the remaining 4 credit hours of experiential courses via a combination of (1) law clinics, (2) simulation courses, and (3) field placements.

(1) “Law Clinics” may include: 

• 940 General Litigation Clinic
• 941 Mediation Clinic
• 942 FYLaw Clinic
• 943 VITA Clinic

(2) “Simulation Course” may include: 

• 923 Advanced Trial Advocacy Practicum
• 924 Appellate Advocacy Practicum
• 903 Business Negotiations
• 930 Business Planning Practicum
• 914 Depositions
• 902 Dispute Resolution
• 911 Divorce Mediation
• 813 Labor and Employment Arbitration 
• 938 Environmental Law Practicum
• 905 General Arbitration
• 926 General Practice Practicum
• 913 Health Care & Dispute Resolution
• 908 Interviewing & Counseling
• 921 Jury Instructions
• 633 Legal Drafting Practicum
• 935 Marshall-Brennan Seminar and Practicum
• 910 Mediation
• 912 Mediation of Workplace Disputes
• 996 Mock Trial
• 990 Moot Court
• 904 Negotiation
• 922 Trial Advocacy Practicum

(3) “Field Placements” may include: 

• 944 Externships

Any course taken to fulfill this requirement may not be used toward the upper-level writing requirement set forth in Section 4.10, or as a substitute for the required course in Professional Responsibility. For example, if a student takes Appellate Advocacy Practicum to fulfill the upper-level writing requirement, then that course may not count toward the required six credit hours of experiential courses.

Students must receive a grade of C or better (or its equivalent) in each course toward the required six credit hours of experiential courses. 

The requirements for graduation, the availability of courses, course content, and credit hour allocations are subject to change as the law school faculty shall determine.

In accordance with ABA Accreditation Rule 304(c), students may not graduate in fewer than 24 and no more than 84 months.