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Law student in moot court room
School of Law

Juris Doctor (JD)

Advance Your Legal Studies

Western New England University will inspire and support you to become a true student of law and a skilled practitioner. In the JD program, you will learn the science of legal study as a methodology to analyze legal and social issues.

Why Choose Juris Doctor (JD)?

You will develop the ability to perform careful research and write thorough and precise legal memoranda and scholarly papers. You will be prepared to artfully articulate persuasive legal arguments and apply them in a professional context through clinics, externships, and moot court experiences. In small classes, you will be taught by full-time faculty who teach all required day and evening courses. You will graduate prepared to use your law degree to make an impact on your profession and society.

What Will You Study?

The JD program is structured to prepare you for the practice of law in any American jurisdiction. You will begin with several required courses that form the foundation for more advanced legal studies. Through electives and experiential learning opportunities, you are able to customize the JD program to fit your professional goals. While students are not required to pursue a concentration, you may choose to do so to focus your studies on a specific practice area. Study options include full-time, part-time day, or part-time evening.

Law students

Experiential Learning

The legal principles you learn in your first year will be put into action in your second and third years. You can assist real clients in one of our many clinics, gain experience through an externship, research and write a scholarly note for Law Review, participate in a moot court or other competition team, or receive credit through study abroad.

Experiential Learning

Law students

First Year Practical Lawyering Courses

Your first year includes two dynamic courses: Introduction to Law, which prepares you for the study of law, and Introduction to the Legal Profession, a week-long simulation course where student “law firms” are mentored by practicing lawyer “senior partners.”

Lawyering Courses

Law students

Dual Degree Programs

Become more marketable by adding a second advanced degree to your JD. Through our dual degree programs, your academic credentials will distinguish your résumé and with skills and expertise that prospective employers seek out.

Dual Degrees

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