Fowler School of Law
Academic Programs
»JD Course Catalog and Course Descriptions
Personalize Your Law Degree
Our forward-looking curriculum encourages students to take an entrepreneurial approach to individual educational jouneys. At the Fowler School of Law, our academic curriculum balances foundational legal instruction with a wide-ranging selection of subject concentrations and degree options.
In addition to the required courses, we provide students with a rich palette of electives and co-curricular activities which enrich their law degrees and law school experience.
Below you will find a sample curriculum for 1L, 2L and 3L years, showing the required courses as well as optional electives. Be sure to consider the option of a JD Certificate Program, with preselected courses and electives for a streamlined and specialized Juris Doctor degree. The Juris Doctor degree holds all classes in person with no remote or hybrid options available.
See the Chapman University Course Catalog site for more information.
FIRST YEAR CURRICULUM (1L) |
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| To create the strongest foundation for your degree, these 1L required classes provide the essentials for 1L law students, covering the crucial foundational topics for your law degree. | |
FALL |
CREDITS |
| Torts I | 3 |
| Contracts I* | 3 |
| Civil Procedure I | 3 |
| Criminal Law I* | 3 |
| Legal Analysis, Writing and Research I | 3 |
| TOTAL | 15 |
SPRING |
CREDITS |
| Torts II | 2 |
| Contracts II* | 3 |
| Civil Procedure II | 2 |
| Civil Procedure Practice Lab | 1 |
| Property | 4 |
| Legal Analysis, Writing and Research II | 2 |
| TOTAL | 15 |
| *If you are interested in a reduced course load, please contact lawadmission@chapman.edu to discuss your options with our Admissions Team. | |
SECOND & THIRD YEAR CURRICULA (2L & 3L) |
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JD REQUIRED COURSES |
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| Constitutional Law | |
| Corporations or Business Associations | |
| Evidence | |
| An Experiential Course | |
| A Practice Foundations Course: Civil Litigation, Criminal Litigation or Transactions | |
| Professional Responsibility | |
| (2) Practical Writing Requirements |
ELECTIVE COURSES |
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Electives allow Students to focus their studies, either within the requirements of a Certificate Program, or to build a specialty of their own, not covered by one of the Certificate Programs. Our course offerings range from traditional, bar-tested courses to "live client" clinical training with special topics to address the changing legal landscape. Students can choose electives from the following topics: |
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| Alternative Dispute Resolution | Food Law | |
| Bankruptcy Law | Health Law | |
| Business / Corporate / Securities | Immigration Law | |
| Civil Procedure / Pre-trial / Trial | Intellectual Property | |
| Constitutional Law / Government | International Law | |
| Criminal Law | Legal Research / Writing | |
| Elections | Tax Law | |
| Entertainment / Music / Sports | Torts and Damages | |
| Environment / Land Use / Real Estate | Wills, Trusts and Estate Law | |
| Family and Children | ||
JD CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS |
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Designed for students pursuing a career in litigation, arbitration and mediation, this program reamins an essential part of our commitment to train competent, ethical lawyers by offering foundational courses that are fundamental to virtually all areas of legal practice. Core Courses: Client Interviewing and Counseling, Negotiations, Trial Practice. |
The Enterpeneurial Law Certificate program offers two tracks: |
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The Business Law program brings special focus to legal matters involving companies and trade associations, providing an understanding of the fundamental language of business, including mergers and acquisitions, start-ups, bankruptcy, taxation, accounting and more. Core Courses: Business Associations OR Corporations, Federal Income tax, Financial Accounting. |
Environmental, Land Use & Real Estate Law The ENLURE Certificate program integrates the study of environmental protection and land use regulation with the study of real property transactions and development. Core Courses: Constitutional Law, Property
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Ideal for students interested in pursuing careers as prosecutors or defense attorneys,
where students learn from seasoned experts in the field. |
Complementing Chapman's commitment to preparing students to be global citizens, this program covers a comprehensive scope of global legal concerns, from immigration and human rights, to energy security and intellectual property. Core Courses: International Law and Organizations, International Business Transactions OR International Business Litigation |
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Learn the legal aspects of the entertainment industry, including intellectual property
rights, entertainment contract negotiations, licensing and more. |
Named one of the top schools for Tax Law in the country by preLaw Magazine, the Frank J. Doti Law program provides a solid foundation in an area of law that impacts both individuals and businesses, exposing students to a variety of tax issues encountered in practice. Core Courses: Federal Income Taxation, Taxation of Business Organizations, Estate and Gift Taxation, Tax Law Clinic. |