What will you be taking next year? The Registrar's office has posted the course descriptions for the 2008-2009 academic year so now's the time to begin planning.

The course descriptions include every course currently offered at Pierce Law, including the school's extensive curriculum in intellectual property. Did you know Pierce Law offers more IP law courses than any other law school?

There are plenty of courses that give you practical experience outside the classroom -- Pierce Law's specialty. There are externships, law review, and nine clinics to choose from, including the state Appellate Defender's Office, which is housed at Pierce Law.

What do you need to take to get your JD degree? The requirements and guidelines are:

First Year. By the beginning of your second year you should have taken and received a passing grade in: Contracts, Torts, Civil Procedure, Property, Constitutional Law, Article 2 Sales, Legal Skills I & II and a ―perspective‖ course (i.e., Fundamentals of Law Practice, Fundamentals of Intellectual Property, Legal Philosophy or Public International Law).

Second and Third Year: During your second or third year J.D. students must take Criminal Procedure I, Administrative Process, Professional Responsibility, an Upper Level Writing course and an Upper Level Professional Skills Development course. While you may take the required courses in your third year, one or all of these courses may be requirements for other courses and you should try to schedule them as soon as possible. All of the required courses will be offered at least once each semester. In addition, the Administrative Law & Advocacy Clinic will be offered each semester and during the Summer (SU). This limited enrollment clinic (8 students) fulfills the Administrative Process requirement.

Upper Level Writing Requirement: All students are required to fulfill an upper level writing requirement. Courses, seminars and activities that fulfill this requirement for the 2008-2009 year are listed on the Registrar's web page.

Upper Level Skills Requirement: All students are also required to fulfill an upper level skills component. A list of courses fulfilling this requirement is also located on the Registrar's web page.

Other Degree Requirements: The Pierce Law faculty requires successful completion of 85 credits toward the J.D., including the required courses. In addition, the faculty's residency rules require you to enroll in 6 regular (FA and SP) semesters for at least 12 credits each semester and receive passing grades in at least 10 credits each semester.