MSU College of Law approves new 1L Curriculum

MSU College of Law faculty recently approved a new 1L curriculum, which will take effect for the 2011-12 academic year. The new program embodies a 21st century approach to legal education, with a decreased emphasis on the casebook method and expanded opportunities for practical skill development. MSU Law students follow a proscribed schedule that includes 29 credits during the first year of enrollment. Subject to approval by the MSU University Curriculum Committee, the 1L curriculum is as follows beginning in fall 2011: Fall Semester (15 credits total): Civil Procedure (4 credits) Contracts (4 credits) Lawyers & Ethics (1/2 semester, 1 credit) Research, Writing & Analysis (2 credits) Torts (4 credits) Spring Semester (14 credits total) Advocacy (2 credits) Constitutional Law I (2 credits) Contract Negotiation (1/2 semester, 1 credit) Criminal Law (3 credits) Property (4 credits) Regulatory State (2 credits) Students will begin their legal education during orientation with Foundations of Law, a course designed to level the playing field and increase student success in substantive courses. The course will provide a review of American legal history, an overview of the U.S. court system, and a primer on key topics such as burdens of proof and standards of review. Thanks to one important change, incoming students will begin discussing the moral responsibilities of the profession right from the start of their program. The new, seven-week Lawyers & Ethics course also will ease the transition to law school, as 1Ls experience their first exam and learn useful test preparation strategies earlier in the semester. In their first spring at the Law College, students will gain exposure to administrative law and federal legislation in a new Regulatory State course, while they begin putting their knowledge into practice during Contract Negotiations and Advocacy classes. The revised curriculum changes both Constitutional Law II and Evidence to electives, while also reducing both Civil Procedure and Contracts to single-semester, four-credit courses. With its exciting new course offerings and added flexibility, the new curriculum promises to provide an exciting first-year learning environment at MSU Law. Published: Thu, Apr 21, 2011