Course Planning

The basic goals of our curriculum are set out in our mission statement:

• Provide a superb legal education in the Jesuit tradition of academic excellence and genuine concern for the development of each student
  
• Expose students to a wide variety of philosophical currents influencing law making and law application
  
• Sensitize students to ethical standards and norms, including the traditional obligation to engage in public service

Degree Requirements

Our legal system is based on both English Common Law and the United States Constitution. Because of this, it is important that every law student understand the fundamental ideas associated with each of these governing principles.

In the course of their law school careers, students should have been exposed to, in one way or another, the varied philosophical approaches to law, the history of law and the ethical dimensions of problems that confront the practitioner. In addition to the ethical and philosophical dimensions, increased knowledge of specific facets of the law, such as statutory and regulatory law, is also necessary. Because American law students must know how to read and interpret statutes and regulatory materials, the School has courses designed to prepare students in this, and other, integral capacities.

Students are reminded that the first year research and writing course constitutes only a minimal opportunity to develop the technical skills expected of the practicing lawyer. The seminar requirement provides another opportunity. Students are also encouraged to make use of the many technological opportunities available to them and engage in directed research projects with faculty.

The Importance of Curriculum Planning

Customized academic planning is key to developing a greater breadth and depth of the field of law. Curricular diversity is highly encouraged because it allows students to become well rounded. As legal professionals, this characteristic will serve them well and help them become better prepared for the work world. Law school is the time to sample, which is, after all, important in a truly liberal education. Experimentation often brings about a clearer perspective and students who are exposed to a greater variety of legal courses may discover an area of the law in which they are particularly interested. Because over 150 hours are offered and only 91 must be taken, it becomes important to have a plan that focuses on course selections. Some factors that students may wish to consider when making selections are as follows:

Sequencing of Courses

First year required courses are often viewed as "building blocks" from the Common Law tradition. Viewed in this light, the required Contracts course must be taken before Commercial Transactions, which must be taken prior to Advanced Commercial Transactions. Similarly, Property is a required course, and is followed by Trusts and Estates, then Estate Planning. Some other examples of "building blocks" include Civil Procedure and Evidence, which are prerequisites to Clinics and Trial Advocacy.

Additionally, a number of courses should be seen as a foundation for more specialized courses. Students are encouraged to enroll in these courses in their second year through the registration priority system. Second-year registration priority courses are: Administrative Law, Business Associations, Commercial Transactions, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Trusts and Estates. In addition, students interested in specializing may elect from the following - Labor Law, International Law, Health Law, IP Survey, Tax or Moot Court I.

Finally, certain courses, such as Admiralty, Remedies, Conflict of Laws and Federal Courts, offer a cross-cutting approach to much of the law dealt with in other courses. Students are advised to enroll in these kinds of courses during the third year.

Practical Skills

Much attention has been devoted to the development of practical skills courses, which assist in developing such things as oral advocacy, writing, negotiation and counseling. Because these skills are vital for true professional development, various courses focusing on these elements are offered within the curriculum. Skill development opportunities outside of class are also available.

A Balanced Schedule

In order to achieve a balanced course load, it is important that each semester has included in it courses from area(s) of personal interest and courses that fulfill graduation requirements and bar-related subjects.

BAR Examination Subjects

In preparing for the Bar examination it is important to note that the multi-state portion of the exam is given in every state. The subject areas tested on the multi-state portion are listed below and the courses required by the School are denoted with an asterisk. Several areas tested on the Bar Exam are not required courses. Some examples of these are Evidence and Real Estate Transactions. Students are strongly advised to tailor their studies to include these subjects, ensuring better preparation for the exam. General advising sessions are offered to assist with course selection.

The multi-state core subject areas are:

Contracts*/Sales
Torts*
Evidence
Real Property (includes the courses Property* and Real Estate Transactions at the School of Law)
Criminal Law/Procedure
Constitutional Law (includes the courses Constitutional Law I*,
Constitutional Law II and First Amendment)

Subjects tested on the Missouri and Illinois Bar Exams include:

Administrative Law (Missouri)
Agency (Missouri and Illinois)
Commercial Paper/Bulk Transfers (Missouri and Illinois)
Conflict of Laws (Missouri and Illinois)
Corporations (Missouri)
Equity (Missouri and Illinois)
Family Law (Missouri and Illinois)
Federal Civil Procedure (Missouri and Illinois)
Missouri Civil Procedure
Illinois Procedure
Partnership (Missouri)
Personal Property (Illinois)
Sales (Missouri and Illinois)
Secured Transactions (Missouri)
Suretyship (Illinois)
Trusts and Future Interests (Missouri and Illinois)
Wills and Administration of Estates (Missouri and Illinois)