Juris Doctor Degree Requirements

San Joaquin College of Law offers a flexible program leading to the Juris Doctor degree. The degree can be attained in three, four, or five years. Attainment of the degree requires:

• Completion of 86 semester units: 71 units of required courses and 15 units of electives. Not more than four (4) elective units may be in clinical work.
• A cumulative grade point average of 65 or better. (Although transfer units may be accepted, only work completed at SJCL is credited toward a student’s cumulative GPA).
• A minimum grade of 55 in all required courses.
• Course attendance totaling a minimum of 16 semester units per academic year (except the first year of the Five-Year Program). An academic year runs from the beginning of the Summer Session through the conclusion of the Spring Semester. Enrollment in a minimum of six (6) units per semester is required (summer sessions excluded). \
• Completion of graduation requirements within five (5) years of enrollment.

Three-Year Program

Upon successful completion of the first year of law study, a student may choose to accelerate completion of the Juris Doctor degree to two additional years rather than three. This requires the student to take an additional six (6) unit substantive course in the second and third years and complete a clinical each summer. Taking at least one day course in the second year is necessary. The first-year courses are identical in the Three- and Four-Year Programs. In the second and third years of the Three-Year Program, thirteen (13) to sixteen (16) classroom hours are required each week.

To be eligible for the Three-Year Program, a student must have completed the first year with a cumulative GPA of 70 or higher. During the second and third years of the Three-Year Program, the student must certify each semester that he or she is not working more than 16 hours per week in non-law-related employment. Three-Year Program students MAY work more than 16 hours per week in law-related employment. A student who fails to qualify for and choose the Three-Year Program by the fall semester of his or her second year may not thereafter attempt to accelerate his or her studies.

Four-Year Program

The Four-Year Program is designed for working adults. Students attend classes four days per week (evenings 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. or afternoons 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.) for the first two years. The last two years are completed by attending classes three days per week. The typical program requires attendance at two or three summer sessions.

The Four-Year Program requires an average of ten (10) classroom hours each week throughout the four years. A student should expect to spend approximately three (3) hours in preparation time for each hour of classroom time.

Some courses have afternoon sessions, giving students the ability to tailor a study program to individual family and work needs.

Five-Year Program
Students who must extend their education because of family or work commitments can reduce the per semester course load and complete the program in five years.

The Juris Doctor degree must be completed within a total of five years from the time of admission.