Introduction
I. Introduction
Choosing one's curriculum can seem a daunting task. In order to
help our students make wise choices during their three years here, the
Pierce Law faculty and staff, with assistance from alumni and
accomplished practitioners, have produced this guide.
Pierce Law is committed to providing you with a solid legal
foundation. We want you to become an exceptional and well–rounded
lawyer and to be admitted to the bar of your choice. To that end,
this booklet describes the required curriculum and graduation
requirements and identifies courses that, although not required, are
heavily tested on most state bar exams.
The Pierce Law curriculum also affords you significant freedom to
choose courses that will help you meet your career goals. This
guide organizes the elective offerings according to major areas of
modern legal practice. Each section provides background on the
realities of getting a job in the area and on the skills needed to
succeed in the field. It is not possible or desirable to take all
the courses we offer in most areas. The faculty has prioritized
the courses as essential, recommended and related.
The faculty believes it unwise to try to become a true
"generalist." The reality is that most small "general"
practitioners focus on a few areas of practice. Rather, we
suggest studying the broad skills needed for all lawyers and focusing
on a few promising substantive areas. Examples of such areas
involve:
* Real Estate
* Litigation
* Criminal Justice
* Consumer, Collection and Bankruptcy
* Broad Business Practice
* General Practice Emphasizing Local Businesses
* Family and Children
* Elders and Persons with Disabilities
Please use this manual only to refine your thinking on course
selection. You should still use the formal and informal advising
systems in place to obtain advice about the combination of courses most
suited to your particular interest and goals. One of the most
important features of Pierce Law is that the faculty and staff are
committed to customizing your education to meet your career and
intellectual goals and helping you secure rewarding jobs after
graduation. To meet these goals, you were assigned an advisor
when you arrived. Many of you have remained with that person;
others have chosen to seek advice from the professors teaching in your
primary area of interest. This booklet is meant to enhance, not
to supplant, the important interaction among faculty, staff and
students.
Disclaimer
This book is not a contract or a guarantee. While our curriculum
is generally stable over time, whether a particular course is offered,
and if so, in what semesters and time slots, is subject to many
variables. This material is current as of April 1, 2007.
