ACADEMIC CURRICULUM
Memphis Law offers both a full-time day program and a part-time day program. The part-time program is for a limited number of students whose other responsibilities make full-time study difficult. Our curriculum is designed to challenge students and prepare them for the practice of law. The curriculum reflects a commitment to traditional legal education with the emphasis on fundamental lawyering skills and core areas of knowledge.
Memphis Law operates on the semester system and requires 90 semester hours for the J.D. degree. A full-time student is required to enroll in at least 12 hours each semester. Students in the full-time program normally graduate in three years. Summer classes are sometimes available and students can graduate after five semesters and two summer sessions of full-time study.
Part-time students normally graduate in four or four-and-one-half years (including summer semesters). Graduation requirements for those students enrolled in the part-time program are the same as for those students enrolled in the full-time program. A part-time student is required to enroll in at least 8 hours, but no more than 11 hours, each semester.
The Law School adheres to Federal law and ABA definitions of a credit hour. One credit hour is granted for 50 minutes of classroom or direct faculty instructional time per week, multiplied by 15, and at least 120 minutes of additional out-of-class student work each week, or an equivalent amount of work for other courses and activities, multiplied by 15. The standard course extends over a 14-week semester, followed by a final examination period. Courses or other credit-bearing activities that occur over a different time period must incorporate the same total amount of instructional time and additional assigned work per credit hour as a standard course. At a minimum, students must complete 42.5 hours, accumulated through some combination of in-class and out-of-class time, for each credit hour.
Graduation requirements are set forth in the Academic Regulations. The current Academic Regulations are available here. The Academic Regulations are subject to change.
CLICK HERE FOR THE COURSE CATALOG.
Learning Outcomes
Memphis Law has adopted the following desired learning outcomes. These learning outcomes reflect the knowledge, skills, and values that the faculty believes are essential to the practice of law. In addition to learning outcomes, the faculty has adopted specific performance criteria for each learning outcome, which reflect the observable actions that will demonstrate achievement of the learning outcome.
- Learning Outcome 1: Graduates will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the law and the American legal system.
- Learning Outcome 2: Graduates will demonstrate competency in legal analysis and legal reasoning.
- Learning Outcome 3: Graduates will demonstrate competency in legal problem solving.
- Learning Outcome 4: Graduates will demonstrate competence in effective and efficient research.
- Learning Outcome 5: Graduates will communicate effectively in the legal context.
- Learning Outcome 6: Graduates will recognize and understand the ethical and professional responsibilities of lawyers to clients and the legal system.
- Learning Outcome 7: Graduates will demonstrate competency in those other professional skills and values necessary for legal practice.
- Learning Outcome 8: Graduates will recognize the value of community and public service.
Transferred Credit
Credit for law school work competed at law schools other than at The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law will be credited toward fulfilling graduation requirements only after individual consideration by the Dean. No credit, however, will be given for work completed in a United States Law School which is not ABA approved. Advanced standing will be granted only for work done after the student has completed a Baccalaureate degree. To be eligible for transfer, credit earned in each course considered for transfer credit must be at least equal to the overall grade point average required for graduation from the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.