StudyQA — PhD: Juris Doctor of Laws — University of Colorado Boulder

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The Juris Doctor (JD) program at the University of Colorado Boulder is designed to prepare students for successful careers in the legal profession through a comprehensive and rigorous curriculum that combines theoretical knowledge with practical application. As a flagship law degree offered by one of the leading public research universities, the JD program emphasizes critical thinking, ethical understanding, and effective advocacy, equipping graduates with the skills needed to navigate the complex legal landscape. Students have the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of legal topics, including constitutional law, civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, property, torts, and legal research and writing, among others. The program also offers specializations and electives in areas such as environmental law, business law, intellectual property, health law, and social justice, allowing students to tailor their education to their interests and career goals.

At Colorado Law, experiential learning is a core component, with opportunities for internships, clinics, moot court competitions, and practicums that provide real-world experience and develop practical skills. The faculty comprises nationally recognized scholars and practitioners committed to mentoring students and fostering an inclusive, collaborative academic environment. The university's strategic location in Boulder offers students unique advantages, including proximity to federal and state courts, government agencies, law firms, and nonprofit organizations, facilitating valuable externships and professional networking opportunities.

Graduates of the program are well-prepared to sit for the bar exam in multiple jurisdictions and pursue diverse careers in private practice, public service, corporate legal departments, academia, and government agencies. The university also emphasizes professional development and leadership skills, encouraging students to become not only competent lawyers but also responsible and ethical contributors to the legal community and society at large. With a strong alumni network and dedicated career services, the University of Colorado Boulder’s Juris Doctor program strives to cultivate well-rounded legal professionals committed to justice, innovation, and service.

First Year

First-year courses lay the foundation and all JD candidates take these courses to learn to “think like a lawyer.” Common law courses taught in the Socratic Method allow students to develop legal reasoning and critical thinking skills. All first-year students are assigned to a small cohort to help build strong relationships and study groups with classmates.

Fall Semester

Civil Procedure: Rules governing pleading, joinder of parties, discovery, jurisdiction of courts, right to jury trial, appeals and res judicata and collateral estoppel, with emphasis on the Federal and State Rules of Civil Procedure
Contracts: Contract liability, offer and acceptance, consideration, frauds statute, contract remedies, the parol evidence rule, contract performance, conditions, changed circumstances
Legal Writing: Legal analysis and document preparation, objective legal analysis techniques, legal rule synthesis, authority use to explain rules and rule application to case facts
Legislation and Regulation: Statutory interpretation, architecture of the administrative state and interpretation and review of regulation.
Torts: Nonconsensual allocation of losses for civil wrongs, focusing on negligence and strict liability

Spring Semester

Legal Writing II: Appellate brief and document preparation, oral arguments before a three-judge mock court, techniques of persuading a court to accept a client’s view of the law and facts, professional judgments within ethical boundaries and lawyer credibility
Constitutional Law: Constitutional structure, including judicial review, federalism, separation of powers and constitutional rights of due process and equal protection
Criminal Law: Statutory and common law of crimes and defenses, the procedures by which the law makes judgments as to criminality of conduct, constitutional limits
Property: Personal property, estates and interests in land, landlord–tenant, basic land conveyancing and private land use controls
Academic Support

Second and Third Years

The elective program in the second and third years builds upon the foundation laid in the first-year curriculum. Students must take Evidence and Legal Ethics and Professionalism courses and a seminar course. Colorado Law encourages a balance between experiential learning and classroom studies, graded courses and non-graded courses and study within and outside the law school.

Elective Courses

Business

Accounting Issues for Lawyers
Advanced Contracts: Commercial Transactions
Agency, Partnership and the LLC
Antitrust
Auditing, Compliance and Management
Bankruptcy
Business Planning
Business Transactions
Corporate Finance
Corporations
Creditors’ Remedies and Debtors’ Protection
Deals
Deals Lab: Advanced Securities
Deals Lab: Advanced Venture Capital
Law Practice Management
Mergers, Acquisitions and Reorganizations
Payment Systems
Secured Transactions
Securities Regulation
Venture Capital and Private Equity

Criminal

Capital Punishment in America
Criminal Procedure: Investigative Phase
Criminal Procedure: Adjudicative Process
Post Conviction Criminal Procedure
White Collar Crime

Family, Gender and Health

Domestic Violence
Family Law
Gender, Law, and Public Policy
Health Law I: Finance, Administration and Organization of Health Care
Health Law II: Medical Malpractice Litigation
Juvenile Justice
Parent, Child and State
Sexuality and the Law

Government and Public Interest

Administrative Law
Education Law
Election Law
Employment Discrimination
Employment Law
Federal Courts
First Amendment
Labor Law
Legislation
Local Government
Race and American Law

Intellectual Property, Technology and Telecommunications

Computer Crimes
Copyright
Introduction to Intellectual Property Law
IP Counseling
IP and Technology Contracting
Patent Law
Patent Litigation
Privacy and Security in the Digital Age
Telecommunications Law and Policy
Trademark and Unfair Competition

International

Conflict of Laws
Law and Development
Immigration and Citizenship Law
International Business Transactions
International Dispute Resolution
International Environmental Law
International Human Rights
International Law
International Legal Order: History and Foundations
International Trade Law
Refugee and Asylum Law

Jurisprudence and Perspective

Class and Law
Critical Theory Colloquium
Economic Analysis of Law
Gender and Law
Jurisprudence
Philosophy of Law

Litigation

Advanced Appellate Advocacy
Advanced Evidence
Complex Civil Litigation
Evidence
Federal Litigation: Everything but the Trial
Litigation Drafting
Motions Advocacy
Trial Advocacy

Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law

American Indian Law I
American Indian Law II
Climate Change Law and Policy
Energy Insecurity and Sustainable Law
Energy Law and Regulation
Environmental Law
Foundations of Natural Resources Law and Policy
Jurisdiction in Indian Country
Mining and Energy Law
Oil and Gas
Public Land Law
Toxic and Hazardous Waste
Water Law
Wildlife and the Law

Practice—Clinical

American Indian Law Clinic
Appellate Advocacy Clinic
Civil Practice Clinic
Criminal Defense Clinic
Entrepreneurial Law Clinic
Extern Program
Family Law Clinic
Juvenile Law Clinic
Natural Resources Litigation Clinic
Technology Law and Policy Clinic

Practice—Simulation

Advanced Trial Advocacy
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Appellate Advocacy Competition
Arbitration
Legal Negotiation
Mediation
Motions Advocacy
Trial Advocacy
Trial Competition

Property

Advanced Real Estate Transactions
Construction Law
Estate Planning
Land Use Planning
Real Estate Planning
Real Estate Transactions
Wills and Trusts

Research and Writing

Advanced Legal Research
Advanced Legal Writing
Independent Legal Research: Journal of International Environmental Law and Policy
Independent Legal Research: Journal on Telecommunications & High Technology Law
Independent Legal Research: Law Review
Judicial Opinion Writing

Taxation

Corporate Taxation
Estate Planning
Federal Estate and Gift Tax
Federal Tax Politics
Income Taxation
Partnership Tax
Tax Policy
Taxation of Conduit Entities

Seminars

Advanced American Indian Law
Advanced Criminal Procedure
Advanced Natural Resources Law
Antidiscrimination and First Amendment
Class and Law
Comparative Constitutional Law
Computers and the Law
Constitutional Theory
Consumer Empowerment
Counseling Families in Business
Gender Law
Information Privacy
Jurisprudence
Law and Economics of Utility Regulation
Law and Literature
Media, Popular Culture and Law
Oil and International Relations
Power, Ethics and Professionalism
Securities Litigation and Enforcement
Separation of Powers
Tax Policy
Theory of Punishment

Note: Not all courses are offered each semester. This is a composite list of the last three years of course offerings.

Requirements

Register for the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and pay all appropriate fees
Register, prepare for, and take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)
Submit all official undergraduate and graduate transcripts to LSAC
Submit two letters of recommendation to LSAC
Submit your application, personal statement and resume electronically through LSAC
Submit the In-State Tuition Classification Application to apply for in-state tuition if you believe you qualify. Even if you are already a Colorado resident you must submit this form to show documentation of your Colorado residency.
Pay the $65 application fee
The minimum TOEFL score requirement is 100 iBT / 250 CBT / 600 PBT.