To graduate with a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree from IU McKinney Law, you must satisfy the following requirements. The Student Handbook outlines these requirements in detail.
In brief, to receive a J.D., you must:
- Complete 90 credit hours
- Maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.3 on a 4.0 scale
- Complete all curricular requirements
- Complete a substantial research paper
- Complete all of these degree requirements within 84 months of matriculation
Curricular requirements
To graduate, the following core courses are required:
First Year Courses:
Civil Procedure
Constitutional Law
Contracts and Sales
Criminal Law
Legal Communication and Analysis I and II
Legal Research
Property
Torts
Responsible Lawyering
Additional Requirements:
Advanced Research and Writing Requirement
Evidence
Professional Responsibility
At least 6 hours of experiential learning (including at least one live client placement)
If you are a full-time day student, you are required to register for the full load of 29 credit hours in your first two semesters and complete all basic-level required courses before registering for advanced courses.
If you are a part-time evening student (including in our Hybrid Part-Time program), beginning in the summer of your first year you may take a limited number of credits of upper-level electives while completing your required first-year offerings in the evening.
Please refer to the Student Handbook for more details concerning graduation requirements.
Summer J.D. classes
Each summer the faculty offer selected required and elective courses. You can accelerate your studies by attending summer sessions. If you’re in the part-time division, you must attend three summer sessions to complete degree requirements in four calendar years.
Learn more about the courses offered at McKinney Law or contact us for more information.
Bar requirements
Once you complete these degree requirements, you can be certified as eligible for the bar examination in the state in which you intend to practice. Prior to being certified to sit for the bar, the law school and bar examiners will review the information you supplied in your law school admission application in addition to your record while in law school. If you have any doubts about meeting bar requirements, you are advised to contact the board of bar examiners of the respective state for specific information.
Please keep in mind the bar requirements of most states include character and fitness qualifications. During your tenure as an applicant and law student, you are under an ongoing obligation to maintain the accuracy of your file, which includes, but is not limited to, disclosing any character and fitness incidents that happened prior to the start of your legal education throughout your time as a law student. Please refer back to the Obligations section of the Admissions website.
