COURSE CURRICULUM

To earn a J.D. degree from Penn State Dickinson Law, students must complete a minimum of 88 credits, including all required first-year courses, and maintain full-time residence for six semesters while meeting good standing requirements. Students are required to successfully complete an upper-level writing seminar and a Professional Responsibility course, each with a minimum grade of C. Additionally, a minimum of nine experiential education credits must be completed, including at least three credits earned through a clinic or externship, and one course must satisfy ABA Standard 303(c), addressing bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism, with a grade of C or higher. The first-year curriculum, designed to establish a strong foundation in law and legal practice, is divided across the fall and spring semesters. In the fall, students take Torts (4 credits), Civil Procedure (4 credits), Criminal Law (3 credits), Legal Analysis & Writing I (2 credits), Race & Equal Protection of the Laws (0.5 credits), and Pathways to Legal Success: Foundations, Skills, and Career Development (1 credit), totaling 14.5 credits. The spring semester includes Contracts (4 credits), Constitutional Law I (3 credits), Property (4 credits), Legal Analysis & Writing II (2 credits), Legal Research (2 credits), and Race & Equal Protection of the Laws (0.5 credits), totaling 15.5 credits. This rigorous curriculum ensures students acquire essential legal knowledge, practical skills, and professional competence necessary for a successful law career.