Requirements & Prerequisites

Requirements for Graduation

Refer to the Rule §3-1-1

To receive a J.D. degree, a Colorado Law student must satisfy the following requirements:

  • Complete eighty-nine (89) semester hours with a numerical GPA of at least 2.0 (72.0 for students matriculating before fall 2010);
  • Complete required courses in the first-year (1L) curriculum and required courses in the second and third-year (2L and 3L) curricula;
    • Legal Ethics and Professionalism
    • Evidence
    • Seminar
  • Colorado Law Rules encourage students to participate in experiential learning opportunities. The Rules also require students to balance experiential learning with other classroom study, graded courses with non-graded courses, and study within and outside Colorado Law. This balance is encouraged by limiting the course credits that apply towards the J.D. degree as follows:
  • Up to fourteen of the eighty-nine hours may be in coursework outside of the Law School and for courses and activities that do not involve a substantial classroom component such as journals, moot court, and trial competitions; Independent Legal Research; courtroom observation courses; externships; or coursework completed in another department, school or college of the University or at another institution of higher learning, more closely defined below:
  • Up to eight credit hours may be for work on a law journal or for appellate and trial competitions.
  • Up to six credit hours may be for non-law courses cross-listed in other departments of the University.
  • Up to four credit hours may be earned in externships. Upon special petition, students may earn an additional three externship credits for a total of seven credit hours.
  • A minimum of sixty-three course credits of the 89 credit hours must be earned in regular class sessions.

1L REQUIRED COURSES

1Ls take a full schedule of courses—16 hours in the fall semester and 14 in the spring semester. Each student is assigned to one, small-section traditional course.

  • First Semester
  • Second Semester

2L & 3L REQUIRED COURSES

  • Evidence (LAWS 6353)
  • Legal Ethics and Professionalism (LAWS 6103)
  • Seminar
  • No student shall receive more than 14 credit hours toward the JD degree from co-curricular activities such as journals, moot court, and trial competitions; Independent Legal Research; courtroom observation courses; externships; or coursework completed in another department, school or college of the University or at another institution of higher learning.

 

Course Scheduling Priority

Prerequisites

Advanced  Course

Prerequisite(s)  or Corequisite(s)

Advanced American Indian Law

American Indian Law

Advanced Topics in Health Law and Policy

Health Law I: Finance, Administration and Organization of  Health Care

Advanced Trial Advocacy

Trial Advocacy

American Indian Law Clinic

All of the following: 

     American Indian Law          

Business Planning

Income Taxation and one of the following:            

      Agency, Partnerships and LLC          

      Corporations

Corporate Finance

Corporations

Civil Practice Clinic   Criminal Defense Clinic

Evidence

Comparative Criminal Procedure

Criminal Procedure

Corporate Taxation   International Taxation   Real Estate Planning   Survey of Business Enterprise Taxation   Taxation of Conduit Entities

Income Taxation

Entrepreneurial Law Clinic

Two of the following:          

     Accounting Issues for Lawyers          

     Advance Corporate Law          

     Agency, Partnership and LLC          

     Copyright          

     Corporate Finance          

     Corporations          

     International Bus.  Transactions          

     Patent Law          

     Securities Regulation          

     Telecommunications Law          

     Trademark and Unfair  Competition

Estate Planning

All of the following:          

     Wills and Trusts          

     Income Taxation          

     Federal Estate & Gift Tax  

Suggest the following:          

     Corporations          

     Family Law          

     Real Estate Planning

External Mock Trial Competitions

Evidence and Trial Advocacy

or

Evidence and Trial Practice

International Crime and Punishment

International Law  Recommend:

     International Human Rights

International Taxation Survey of Business Enterprise Taxation

Income Taxation

IP and Technology Contracting

One of the following:          

     Copyright          

     Introduction to IP Law

Law and Economics of the Information Age

One of the following:          

     Antitrust          

     Copyright          

     Law and Economics          

     Telecomm Law and Policy

Mergers and Acquisitions

Corporations

Public Land Law

Foundations of Natural Resources Law and Policy

Seminar: Advanced Natural Resources Law

Any three natural resources/environmental courses.  Foundations is strongly recommended and Indian Law can count as one of the  three courses. Prerequisites can be taken concurrently with the seminar.

Seminar: Law and Economics of the Information Age

One of the following:          

     Telecomm. Law and Policy          

     Antitrust          

     Law and Economics          

     Copyright

Technology Law and Policy Clinic

 No prerequisites, but at least one technology-related course such as Telecom Law, Intro to IP, Copyright Law, or Information Privacy is recommended as a corequisite.

Year-Long Courses The following are two-semester courses that meet in the fall and spring semesters:

  • American Indian Law Clinic (LAWS 7309)
  • Civil Practice Clinic (LAWS 6009/6019)
  • Criminal Defense Clinic (LAWS 6029/6039); the one-semester     course is (LAWS 6079)
  • Entrepreneurial Law Clinic (LAWS 7619)
  • International Criminal Law: Theory and Practice (LAWS     7100)
  • Juvenile Law Clinic (LAWS 7449)
  • Seminar: Constitutional Theory (LAWS 8015)
  • Seminar: Humanizing Contracts (LAWS 8011)
  • Seminar: Pop Culture (LAWS 8055)