The Kline School of Law offers a rigorous law curriculum that aims to prepare students for the realities of practice, combining the classic foundation of legal education with the experiential components that are so vital to both Drexel University's mission and to legal employers today. Students have the option of completing the JD in the traditional three years, or through an accelerated two-year program designed to get students into the legal workforce faster with the same essential skills and knowledge.
Students spend their first year on campus being introduced to the foundations of legal analysis, skills, and professionalism in a diverse learning community. The program includes traditional first-year courses such as contracts, property, and criminal law, as well as a critical introduction to lawmaking and statutory interpretation through a Legislation & Regulation course. The first year also includes a comprehensive legal methods course taught by full-time faculty which instructs students on the fundamentals of legal writing and analysis.
The remaining curriculum exposes students to a broad array of topics relevant to the study of law. Students are required to complete courses in professional responsibility, legal writing and other practice skills, and statutory law. Students must also complete at least 50 hours of pro bono work, documented with the Law School's Experiential Learning Office.
The Experiential Education Program
Students are required to complete either a co-op placement or a clinical experience in order to graduate. This requirement provides students with an integrated learning experience that prepares them for the complexities of modern-day practice.
The cooperative education program (co-op) allows upper-level students to spend a semester–or in some cases a full year–at a single legal placement. The Kline School of Law has relationships with a wide-ranging selection of co-op partners including judicial chambers, private law firms, in-house counsel offices, and non-profit organizations, but has also assisted many students in creating opportunities in other practice jurisdictions. Students are not paid for their work but will instead receive academic credits for their co-op experiences and for a lawyering practice seminar that must be taken in conjunction with the co-op.
Clinical experiences offer students the chance to represent real clients in a clinical setting. Clinical offerings include a Civil Litigation Field Clinic, Criminal Litigation Field Clinic, Federal Litigation and Appeals Clinic, Community Lawyering Clinic, and an Entrepreneurial Law Clinic. These experiences are paired with a seminar that guides students through reflection on their work and its impact on the community.
In addition to the co-op and clinical requirement, students may also take advantage of a broad selection of simulation courses that involve in-depth trial practice, advocacy, litigation, transactional practice, and alternative dispute resolution.
About the Concentrations
The Thomas R. Kline School of Law builds on some of the strengths for which Drexel University is nationally known by offering five optional concentrations. These are areas in which there are expanding employment opportunities and a need for specialized knowledge and skills: intellectual property, health, business and entrepreneurship, criminal law, and civil litigation and dispute resolution. These concentrations consist not only of specialized courses taught in the classroom, but also experiential learning opportunities such as co-ops and simulations.
Dual Degrees
For those law students interested in pursuing expertise in another area of study, the School also offers several dual degrees combining law with other subjects, including Law and Business Administration (JD/MBA), Law and Library and Information Science (JD/MSI-LIS), Law and Clinical Psychology (JD /PhD), Law and Public Health (JD/MPH), and Law and Public Policy (JD/MSPP). For more details about dual degree opportunities, visit the Thomas R. Kline School of Law Dual Degree website.