OUR PROGRAMS OF STUDY, JOURNALS, & STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

Penn Law's curriculum is distinctive among our peers providing our students with a strong foundation in traditional and emerging legal areas that is further enriched and enhanced by the myriad cross-disciplinary opportunities (link to new cross-disciplinary section) both here at the Law School and through the University's esteemed professional and graduate schools. Penn Law students are well-grounded in legal principles and the skills of rigorous analysis and advocacy; many supplement these skills with study at Wharton, or the Annenberg School for Communication, or in the Bioethics program to name a few.

In other words, Penn Law students are educated for the challenges of today's legal practice - and prepared for tomorrow's.

The J.D. Program

All 1L students study Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, Torts, and Legal Writing. Two additional electives are chosen in the spring semester, one regulatory/administrative course (typically Administrative Law or Labor Law) and one from a variety of Perspective Courses which change annually. Recent courses have included Environmental Law, Introduction to Intellectual Property, Law and Society in Japan , Legal Responses to Inequality, Legislation, Privacy, and Public International Law.

The Upper Class curriculum is rich with a variety of core courses, as well as clinical courses, small seminars, moot court, and co-curricular opportunities that present an unprecedented wealth of opportunity for our students to gain critical thinking, analytical writing and presentation skills.

Additionally, all Penn Law students provide a minimum of 70 hours of pro bono service through the Public Service Program while in Law School , providing them with first-hand legal experience.

To view a complete list of courses and seminars offered at Penn Law School, visit the Registrar's Office, Course Description page.

The LL.M. Program

The University of Pennsylvania's Master of Laws Program (LL.M.) is comprised of approximately 80 international law graduates from over 20 countries with experience in international trade and finance as well as corporate law, civil procedure, and criminal law of their home countries. Through the Penn Law LL.M. program, students are offered a solid grounding in American law and legal institutions. Students study alongside J.D. classmates, primarily in upper level courses, where they are graded on the same standard as the J.D. candidates.

Cross-disciplinary Studies & Joint Degree Programs

As noted above, one of the hallmarks of Penn Law is the array of cross-disciplinary and joint degree programs available in conjunction with other graduate divisions of the University of Pennsylvania . Students can choose from over 80 approved courses in other divisions of the University, including courses in finance, communications, education, government, health care, social work, psychology, medical ethics, and management. Each year several students participate in joint degree programs, some of which include: M.A. Bioethics; M.B.A. Business Administration (Wharton); M.A. Communications (Annenberg); M.G.A. Government (Fels); M.D. Medicine; M.A. or Ph.D. Philosophy; M.S.W. Social Work. By pursuing two degrees concurrently, students can reduce, generally by a year, the amount of time it takes to complete the degrees consecutively as well as enhance their skills in ways that will make them flexible thinkers and leaders in the legal profession and beyond.

Public Service & Practical Training Opportunities

The Law School has one of the country's first law school clinical programs, and our nationally renowned Public Service Program, in which students provide 70 hours of hands-on pro bono legal service. These programs offer students the opportunity to develop relationships with clients, analyze problems presented in a real world environment, work under deadline, complete projects to the satisfaction of clients and supervisors, appear in court or in administrative hearings, and provide an invaluable service to the community - while being well-supervised.

This practical training enhances the skills of our students while preparing many for public interest and government careers. In fact, in each recent year members of our graduating class have received prestigious national fellowships for public interest work, such as the Skadden Fellowship, the Independence Fellowship, Echoing Green, and NAPIL.

Co-Curricular & Extra-Curricular Programs

Moot Court - through the Appellate Advocacy II course, Penn Law students participate in a school moot court competition. Competition results are ranked, with the top four students becoming 3L Keedy Cup teams (working on a new brief in the fall of third year, and arguing before a panel of distinguished judges); the next three students represent Penn Law at the National Moot Court Competition; and the next seven students join the Moot Court Board.

Journals - Penn Law has a proud tradition of excellent journal scholarship. Our four primary journals have each been recognized nationally for their high level of scholarship, integrity, and value to the profession. In addition, students who become members on these journals find that it provides an invaluable experience both in substantive law and skills in research, analysis and expression. More information on our four journals and our three student self-published journals.

Legal Writing Instructors - Each year, a select group of third-year students are chosen to serve as Legal Writing Instructors and Fellows for the 1L and LL.M. classes. These students work closely with the Director of Legal Writing Program to present real-world issues to the 1L students for their research and drafting. The writing instructors are chosen in a competitive process held at the end of the second year.