Thomas Goode Jones School of Law Curriculum

1. Thomas Goode Jones School of Law Curriculum

2. Full-time students First-year Courses Torts* (6) Property* (6) Civil Procedure (6 Contracts* (6) Legal Research & Writing (6) Second-year Courses Constitutional Law* (6) Criminal Law* (3) Evidence* (3) Corporations (3) Criminal Procedure* (3) Part-time Students First-year Courses Torts* (6) Contracts* (6) Legal Research & Writing (6) Second-year Courses Civil Procedure (6) Property* (6) Criminal Law* (3) Corporations (3) Third-year Courses Constitutional Law* (6) Evidence (3) Criminal Procedure* (3) Foundational Courses

3. Torts • Torts is the simplest subject in the first-year curriculum to map. • Definitions (elements) of the torts are key • Definitions for your definitions (Rinse. Repeat) • Example**: • Battery • Intent to cause • Blah, blah blah • Blah, blah blah • Harmful or offensive touching • Blah • To the person of another • Blah • Injury

4. Contracts • This can be difficult to map because there is no set starting point to your puzzle. You have to make one! • Three primary sources of law • UCC – Article 2 • Restatement • Common law • Question of first semester Contracts. • Do you have a valid offer, which was neither revoked nor terminated, that was properly accepted?

5. Legal Research & Writing • Different than the substantive classes. • Easy to see how much time this requires. • This course can ruin your time management. • More than any other class this one is about effort. • No excuse for not doing well.

6. Property • More reliant on case law than the other subjects. • History is important. • Will often bleed into Contracts and Torts. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish. • A Black’s law dictionary is helpful with all of the ancient terms.

7. Civil Procedure • This course is all about getting a case into the correct court in the correct format. • While it deals with procedure it has quite a bit of substance as to the reasoning and rationale for the rules. • Your source of law will be the Rules with the court cases providing added depth. • Warning: This class can fool you.

8. Additional Required Courses • Professional Responsibility – MPRE • Rigorous Writing • Significant writing beyond the first year. • Practical Skills • At least one possibly two will be required for graduation.

9. Skillscourses we currently offer • Legal Research and Writing • Legal Research & Writing I and II (6 hours) • Legal Drafting (3 hours) • Law Review (1-3 hours) • Appellate Advocacy • Legal Research and Writing II (3 hours) • Appellate Advocacy (3 hours) • Moot Court Competition (2 hours) • Trial Advocacy • Trial Advocacy (3 hours) • Trial Advocacy Competition & Team (1-2 hour) • ADR • Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiation (3 hours) • Dispute Resolution Process (3 hours) • Arbitration (3 hours) • Mediation Clinic (3 hours) • Externship (3 hours) • General Practice • Law Office Management (3 hours) • Pre-Trial Practice (3 hours) • Externship (1-3 hours)

10. Live Client Clinic • Legal Services of Alabama • Assisting battered women • Directed by Professor Howell. • For Juniors and Seniors.

11. Appellate Advocacy Track

12. Trial Advocacy Track

13. ADR Certificate Track (15 hours)

14. Skills Offerings

15. Seminars • Small classes typically with a paper and a presentation. • Choices (not all) • Topics in Gospel Jurisprudence • Historical and Theological Foundations of the Law • Gender and the Law • Children’s Rights • First Amendment • Intellectual Property

16. Find your Focus • Business and Banking: (example) • Tax • Wills and Trusts • Estate Planning • Secured Transactions • UCC • Unincorporated Associations • Corporations • Employment Law • Sales • Negotiable Instruments • Bankruptcy • Zoning and Land Use • OTHERS (not exhaustive) • Criminal Law • Family Law • Litigation • Small Office Practice • Public Interest • Environmental

17. Method to the Madness To get you prepared for the legal profession