Balanced, Comprehensive Academic Program
Thomas Jefferson School of Law offers a traditional program of legal education leading to the award of the degree of Juris Doctor.
The academic program at Thomas Jefferson School of Law has been carefully designed to ensure that it offers a balanced and comprehensive curriculum that will educate students to practice in any area of the law to which their careers may take them. Yet, it has a distinctive flavor. Rapid technological change and the accompanying process of globalization have transformed most areas of the law while also giving rise to entirely new ones. Because the growth in the Thomas Jefferson faculty has coincided with these trends, the law school has acquired special strengths in the areas of law that most reflect our changing world; that is, those relating to technological change, globalization and the transformation of our social order.
Centers of Academic Excellence
We established our three Centers of Academic Excellence to provide an institutional framework for these strengths. For instance, with today’s lawyers facing the issues of an increasingly global community, students interested in specific areas of International Law will find within the law school’s Center for Global Legal Studies an array of courses ranging from traditional public international law and human rights to more specific courses addressing all aspects of international business. The curriculum regularly includes courses taught by members of the full-time faculty dealing with international trade, finance, tax, business transactions and intellectual property. The large number of experienced full-time faculty at Thomas Jefferson who teach the International Law courses is unique for a smaller law school.
Popular Course Concentration Areas
We offer more than 10 different course concentration areas. For example, Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s extremely strong Intellectual Property program addresses one of the hottest areas of law today with an extensive list of related course offerings taught by professors who have experience in the field. One of Thomas Jefferson’s professors recently was voted one of the “Top San Diego Attorneys” in Intellectual Property by his peers. The law school’s Center for Law, Technology & Communications also recently joined with technology giant QUALCOMM Incorporated to co-host an all-day seminar attended by many of the region’s IP practitioners.
Thomas Jefferson also has an immensely popular concentration of course offerings in Entertainment and Sports Law taught by professors who have worked in this area representing wellknown recording artists, sports figures and a broadcast network’s sports division. For the past few years, the law school’s Sports Law Society has hosted immensely popular conferences on opportunities in the sports industry.
Legal Writing Program
In 2007, U.S. News & World Report’s survey ranked Thomas Jefferson Jefferson’s Legal Writing Program among the top 30 in the nation. The program was one of the first in the country to be taught primarily by tenured and tenure-track faculty members, and to draw extensively on thinking, learning, writing and teaching methods from other disciplines. Thomas Jefferson’s legal writing faculty includes teachers who are experts in a number of fields, making them especially qualified to help students begin to construct a foundation for their own practice of law.
Academic Support
Thomas Jefferson School of Law tailors its instruction and support services to the needs of the individual student. Our Student Services Team is available to listen to students’ academic concerns and help solve problems. Our extensive Academic Success Program provides special assistance to students to bolster confidence and guide students to a successful academic and legal career. Other special programs such as our on-campus bar preparation programs and our Preparing to Enter the Profession Program all contribute to our students’ academic success.
Technical Support
Thomas Jefferson provides cutting-edge technical support services, including on-line registration, on-line courses, and an easy laptop purchase program for students. We also offer on-site service for laptops.
Extracurricular Options
There are several extracurricular programs that enhance and enrich the academic experience at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and offer our students significant real-world experience and considerable opportunities to use their legal skills. Our varied clinical education programs, the Thomas Jefferson Law Review and our award-winning competition teams also provide immense satisfaction to the students who participate.
Full and Part-Time Programs
Students admitted to Thomas Jefferson may choose to enroll in either the three year full-time or the four year part-time program. An academic year consists of two semesters. The law school also offers courses during a summer term.
Day and Evening Classes
Students may change programs at the beginning of any semester. Full-time students are expected to take most of their classes during the day and are not permitted to work in excess of 20 hours per week. Part-time students may take classes at any time and are not subject to any restrictions on employment. Full-time students typically take about five courses per semester while part-time students take about three. Both programs of study require completion of 88 units of credit.