Skip to main content
University of Michigan Law School

Utility Menu

  • Visit
  • Apply
  • Give

Main navigation

  • Academics

    Academics

    • Areas of Interest
    • Programs of Study
    • Experiential Learning
    Explore
    • Clinics
    • Centers and Programs
    • Global Opportunities
    • Legal Practice Program
    Resources
    • Academic Calendar
    • Course Catalog
    • Class Schedule
    • Office of Student Records
    Professor Niehoff teaching a packed classroom
  • Admissions

    Admissions

    • Choosing the Right Law School
    • Tuition and Aid
    • Housing
    Apply Now
    • JD
    • LLM
    • Executive LLM
    • Certificate Program
    • SJD
    Resources
    • Online Admissions Resources
    • Admissions A2Z Blog
    • Admissions Office
    • Office of Financial Aid
    • Information for Admitted Students
    Students busily walking past reading room doors in the quad on a fall day.
  • Faculty and Scholarship

    Faculty and Scholarship

    • Our Faculty
    • Faculty Publications
    Explore
    • Law Library
    Resources
    • Scholarship Repository
    • Law School Directory
    Professor Eve Primus teaching in front of a full classroom
  • Student Life and Community

    Student Life and Community

    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Health and Wellness
    • Student Activities
    Explore U-M
    • Life at Michigan
    • U-M Athletics
    Resources
    • Mental Health Resources
    • Physical Health Resources
    • Office of Student Life
    A group of diverse students laughing outside on the quad
  • Careers

    Careers

    • Careers for Students
    • Careers for Alumni
    • Employer Recruiting
    Explore Your Career
    • JD Students
    • LLM Students
    • Judicial Clerkships
    Resources
    • Online Career Resources
    • Alumni Career Resources
    • Office of Career Planning
    Two students dressed professionally standing in hallway talking waiting for their interviews.
  • Alumni

    Alumni

    • Alumni Events
    • Connect with Alumni
    • Support Michigan Law
    Explore
    • Quadrangle Magazine
    • Postgraduate Funding Opportunities
    Resources
    • Careers for Alumni
    • Financial Aid Resources for Alumni
    • Office of Development and Alumni Relations
    Alumni on the quad catching up during reunion.

Quick Links

  • Quick Links
    • About Michigan Law
      • Visit Michigan Law
      • History
      • Architecture
      • ABA Disclosures
      • Jobs
    • News
      • Communications Office
    • Directory
    • Law School Events
    • Student Dashboard
    • Faculty and Staff Dashboard
    • Information Technology
    • Resource Center
    • Admin Portal
University of Michigan Law School

You are here

  • Home
  • Academics
  • Programs of Study
  • JD Program

JD Program

View of classroom full of students from the back of classroom with Richard Primus teaching.
Michigan Law has long been known as a different kind of law school. Here, accomplished and high-achieving students like you will find both intellectual rigor and friendships that last a lifetime. You will find opportunities to work closely with eminent faculty who have a sincere investment in your success. You will become part of a close-knit community of passionate legal scholars and practitioners whose work reverberates around the world.  

Explore Michigan Law’s JD Program

The Michigan Law experience is characterized by intellectual excellence and rigor, analytic and theoretical, that comes from our world-renowned faculty—top scholars and practitioners in their fields.

The Michigan Law curriculum includes both doctrinal and experiential teaching, so you’ll learn how to analyze complex legal issues with a holistic perspective and to apply theory in a real-world setting.

Areas of Interest
Course Catalog
Clinics
Centers and Programs
Global Opportunities
Legal Practice Program
Problem Solving Initiative
Workshops and Lectures

The 1L Experience

Law school—particularly the first year—has a reputation for being difficult. And yet Michigan Law students and alumni, known to rave about their time in school, frequently focus on their 1L year as a key element of their positive experience. 

This is neither a coincidence nor evidence of the Admissions Office tampering with the Ann Arbor water supply. It is, however, indicative of Michigan Law’s approach to the law school experience, including the intentional design of its curriculum.

As a 1L at Michigan, you will explore legal doctrines with world-class scholars and practitioners. You will have the opportunity and flexibility to pursue your own academic interests. And you will develop your writing, advocacy, and analytical skills in a comprehensive legal practice program.

The first year at Michigan will provide you with the foundation and skills to thrive both in law school and beyond, all while laying the groundwork for close and lasting connections with your classmates and professors—an immersive introduction into the legal profession that sets the tone for students’ academic and professional careers.

Core 1L Doctrinal Courses

  • Civil Procedure
  • Contracts
  • Constitutional law
  • Criminal law
  • Torts
  • Legal Practice Program

2L and 3L Coursework

After the first year, students design their education to best fit their individual needs. 

As a second- and third-year law student, you will have your pick from a vast selection of courses both inside and outside the Law Quad, with only a few (easily satisfied) requirements:

International and Regulatory Coursework

Before graduating, students must take a class to fulfill distribution requirements in international and comparative law and in statutory and regulatory law.

International and Comparative Law    Administrative Law 
 

Ethics and Professional Responsibility

Each student must take a course addressing legal ethics and professional responsibility.

Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility 
 

Writing Skills

All students must complete a course (apart from Legal Practice) with a substantial writing component.

Legal Writing and Research 
 

Experiential Learning

You will need to participate in Michigan Law’s offerings for experiential education. This can be satisfied through clinical work, practice simulations, or externships. 

Experiential Learning 

Also of Interest

  • Apply Now for Michigan Law’s JD Program
  • Degree Requirements
  • What’s law school like?
University of Michigan Law School Logo Abbreviated

625 South State Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1215 USA
© 2023 The University of Michigan Law School. All rights reserved.

Connect with us
  • Visit
  • Apply
  • Give
Footer menu
  • Academics
    • Admissions
    • Faculty and Scholarship
    • Student Life and Community
    • Careers
    • Alumni
  • About Michigan Law
    • Law Library
    • Directory
    • Law School Events
    • Consumer Information (ABA Required Disclosures)
Footer Utility
  • Site Map
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
  • Emergency Information