COURSE OF STUDY

The Law is Based on Precedent. Does a Legal Education Have to Be?

At Penn Law, you certainly will be taught the foundations of the law. We have a rigorous and demanding first year curriculum, focusing on the traditional topics (required courses in Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Writing, Property and Torts) and offering you a choice of two electives. The upper level curriculum, too, is rich in the standards, such as Corporations, Evidence, Secured Transactions, Tax, Trusts and Estates, and introductory courses in many specialized areas of the law.

Our curriculum also has unrivaled depth, allowing you to choose from a dizzying array of electives from your first year to your third, from these more traditional courses to those in emerging fields, and also allowing you to supplement your legal education with courses at the esteemed graduate and professional schools at the University of Pennsylvania through our cross-disciplinary program.

As the first national law school to institute a mandatory pro bono requirement, Penn Law has clearly demonstrated our commitment to Public Service. Students are enriched by this experience while simultaneously gaining lawyering skills and contributing to the public interest legal community.
At Penn Law, you will be able to craft your legal education. You will have the flexibility – and support – to create a program that meets your needs and goals whether at the Law School, on the Penn Campus, or in one of our Study Abroad programs. Please read more about our curriculum in the Academics section and Registrar's section to get a complete understanding about the opportunities within Penn Law and the strength of our truly cross-disciplinary curriculum.