In addition to the overall program objectives, the first year places an emphasis on developing analytical skills, a sense of the role of legal institutions in our society, and essential writing skills. Each course in the first-year curriculum shares these goals in addition to conveying substantive knowledge about a particular area of the law.  Beginning with the Fall 2006 entering class, first-year students will have two small section courses each semester.  One course each semester will cover one of the traditional first year subject matters (please see subject matters listed below); this section will be comprised of 30 students.  The other small section course each semester is Legal Analysis, Writing and Research; this section will be comprised of approximately 20 to 25 students. 

Students who enter law school in the fall of 2006* will take the following courses each semester:

Fall:
Contracts and Sales Transactions
Introduction to Law & Legal Reasoning
Legal Analysis, Writing and Research I
Property
Torts

Spring:
Civil Procedure
Constitutional Law I
Criminal Law
Legal Analysis, Writing and Research II
One three hour elective

*Students who enter law school in May 2007 will have taken all of the above (over the summer session and two regular academic semesters) and 6 to 12 additional hours of electives by the end of the Spring 2008 term.