First-Year Curriculum and Course of Study
The first-year curriculum in the full-time program introduces students to the building blocks of American law. The curriculum consists of 31 hours of required courses in civil procedure, contracts, property, torts, criminal law, and legal methods. 

All first-year students are divided into sections of 70 to 80 students, a class size that facilitates active student participation in the case and problem methods of law instruction. The Legal Methods course focuses on the skills required to practice law, including legal analysis, legal research, and legal writing.  The Director of Legal Methods teaches part of the course in lecture format, and adjunct professors teach the other part of the course in small discussion sections of approximately 12 students.  The adjunct professors are accomplished attorneys working in a wide variety of legal venues throughout Memphis.

Second Year Curriculum and Course of Study
The required second-year courses expose students to other fundamental areas of law and to diverse aspects of legal analysis. The curriculum consists of 24 hours of required courses in federal income taxation, business organizations, federal constitutional law, criminal procedure, the law of evidence, the law of secured transactions, and the law of decedents' estates.  Most students also enroll in Professional Responsibility during their second year.

Students are required to successfully complete an advanced research and writing project in a seminar setting of 12 to 14 students. The seminar course permits students to refine and advance their legal research and writing skills, and provides an opportunity to work under the close supervision of a faculty mentor.

Students also are required to complete an upper-level skills course. This requirement may be satisfied with a variety of courses, including Trial Advocacy, Legal Drafting or a legal clinic.

Electives and Experiential Learning
Beginning in the second year, students can take advantage of Memphis Law's wide range of elective offerings. These courses permit specialization in specific areas of the law, such as Taxation or Labor and Employment law, or enable students to gain exposure to diverse aspects of legal practice. Students may also take advantage of our extensive Experiential Learning Programs, including the Clinical Program, various externship offerings, and co-curricular activities, such as Law Review and Moot Court.