General Requirements and Perspectives
II. General Requirements and Perspectives for All
Students
A. First Year Required Courses
| Fall | Spring |
| Torts (3 credits) | Property (4) |
| Contracts (3) | Con Law (4) |
| Civ Pro (4) | Sales (2) |
| Skills (4) | Skills (3) |
| One Perspectives Course (3) (Choose from Fundamentals of Law Practice, Fundamentals of IP, Legal Philosophy or Public International Law) | |
| 14 credits | 16 credits |
B. Upper Level Requirements
* Criminal Procedure (3) (offered both Fall and Spring) (hereinafter F and S)
* Administrative Procedure (3) or Administrative Law and Advocacy Clinic (4 credits, 2 for class): F, S
* Professional Responsibility (3): F, S
* Upper Level Writing Requirement (3). We offer a range of such courses, some offered each semester. Attachment A contains a list of current courses as of the printing of this guide.
Total upper level required credits – 12
C. "Bar" Courses
The Law Center offers courses in most areas covered by the bar exam. Prior to entering their second year, students should visit the bar websites for several of the states in which they would like to practice to see what topics are covered on each state bar exam.
The faculty does not recommend that students take courses just because they are tested on a state bar exam. Most graduates pass state bars without taking courses covering each tested subject. However, students with a weaker law school record should leave as little as possible to be learned for the first time during the time–pressured bar review courses, which are taken by virtually everyone after graduation.
Regardless of academic performance, the following courses are generally deemed difficult or the material comprehensive enough to counsel against trying to learn them for the first time after graduation:
* Evidence (3): F, S
* Business Associations (3): F, S
* Personal Income Taxation (3): F
* Wills, Trusts and Estates (3): F, S
Total strongly recommended bar courses – 12 credits
The following are tested in a substantial number of states, but many faculty members feel they can be learned during the bar review. Thus, students need not take them unless the student has a substantive interest in the area. Students with questions should discuss this with their faculty advisors.
* Introduction to Commercial Law (3) (S) or Debtor–Creditor Relations (3): F
* Family Law (3): S
* Remedies (3): F, S
* Criminal Law (3): F, S
* Conflicts (3) (currently not offered)
D. Employment Considerations
Before considering specific course selections, students should understand that employment opportunities are influenced by more than transcripts and bar passage. The size and the location of the firm are big factors, as well as the area of practice.
Students should also know that every hiring attorney is interested in candidates' writing and other communication abilities. This should make curricular options such as the Annual Survey of NH Law, Advanced Appellate Advocacy, IDEA and Pierce Law Review attractive. It is important to note that the last two make one–time offers for limited positions only to first–year students in mid–Spring. In the same vein, writing competitions deserve a close look. The Financial Aid office maintains a comprehensive list of competitions, accessible on their web pages.
Finally, practical experience is helpful to reduce the gap between school and practice. All students, especially those with little or no work experience prior to entering law school, can and should consider signing on for clinics or one of our wide array of possible externships. Students can only participate in an externship after they have successfully completed the Professional Responsibility class. Also, certain externships require specific qualifications (e.g. federal judicial externships are only recommended for those students in the top 10% of their class). All externships must get the approval of the externship director.
For more information about course selection and its impact on employment opportunities, students should seek the advice of a counselor in Career Services.
