Note: The university is not currently enrolling new learners in the School of Law
The primary purpose of the Juris Doctor (JD) degree is to provide the education and professional training for those who wish to become lawyers. California Southern University School of Law is registered as an unaccredited correspondence law school with the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. This allows graduates of the JD program who have complied with Title 4, Division 1 of the Rules of the State Bar of California to sit for the California Bar Exam and upon passing the Bar Exam, to practice law in California.
Quick Facts:
- Credits required: 88
- Cost per credit: $545
- Program length: 4 years (full-time status)
What you’ll learn
Communicate in writing an argument appropriate to the legal field after developing, synthesizing, and organizing complex information, cases, rules, or statutes.
Employ communication skills to be an advocate and successfully interact with people from diverse experiences and cultures in a variety of legal situations.
Examine complex fact patterns, assess arguments and issues in light of applicable law, and appraise whether conclusions are supported by the information provided.
Identify cultural, religious, and racial biases in the law and its application.
Demonstrate the ability to conduct legal research, locate necessary information, and critically evaluate sources.
Develop competency in ethical, legal, and professional issues and make decisions that meet professional responsibility standards in the legal field.
Acquire an integrated understanding of the law and application of legal principles to pass attorney licensing exams.
Juris Doctor Degree Requirements
| Degree Requirements | Credits |
|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | 80 |
| Elective/Concentration Courses | 8 |
| TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED FOR THE JD | 88 |
Courses + Credits
Below, you’ll find the required and elective courses that make up the online Juris Doctor (JD) degree program at CalSouthern. The curriculum and course sequencing are designed to provide learners with a solid legal education and prepare them to be successful on the California Bar Exam.
Required Core Courses
1L Required Courses
- LAW 5101 Introduction to Law — 1-credit
- LAW 5110A Torts I — 3-credits
- LAW 5110B Torts II — 5-credits
- LAW 5111A Contracts I — 3-credits
- LAW 5111B Contracts II — 4-credits
- LAW 5115 Criminal Law — 4-credits
- LAW 5120A Legal Writing I — 2-credits
- LAW 5120B Legal Writing II — 2-credits
2L, 3L, and 4L Required Courses
- LAW 5116 Criminal Procedure — 4-credits
- LAW 5117 Legal Research — 4-credits
- LAW 5121 Civil Procedure — 4-credits
- LAW 5123 Constitutional Law I — 4-credits
- LAW 5124 Constitutional Law II — 4-credits
- LAW 5125 Property I — 4-credits
- LAW 5126 Property II— 4-credits
- LAW 5131 Wills, Trusts, and Estates — 4-credits
- LAW 5132 Community Property — 4-credits
- LAW 5133 Business Associations — 4-credits
- LAW 5134 Professional Responsibility — 4-credits
- LAW 5135 Evidence — 4-credits
- LAW 5141 Remedies — 4-credits
- LAW 5143 Uniform Commercial Code — 4-credits
Elective/Concentration Courses
- LAW 5142 Federal Income Taxation — 4-credits
- LAW 5144 Corporate Taxation — 4-credits
- LAW 5155 Employment Law — 4-credits
- LAW 5157 Environmental Law — 4-credits
- LAW 5158 Domestic Relations — 4-credits
- LAW 5167 Alternative Dispute Resolution — 4-credits
- LAW 5171 Real Estate Transactions — 4-credits
- LAW 5198 Legal Externship — 3-4-credits
- LAW 5199 Research Project — 1-4-credits
Download the University Catalog for full course descriptions, prerequisite information, and program details.
Disclosure Required by the CBE of the State Bar of California
The method of instruction at this law school for the Juris Doctor (JD) degree program is principally by correspondence. Students enrolled in the JD degree program at this law school must pass the First-Year Law Students’ Examination required by Business and Professions Code §6060(h) and Title 4, Division 1, Chapter 1, Rule 4.3(I) of the Rules of the State Bar of California as part of the requirements to qualify to take the California Bar Examination.
A student who passes the First-Year Law Students’ Examination within three administrations of the examination after first becoming eligible to take it will receive credit for all legal studies completed to the time the examination is passed. A student who does not pass the examination within three administrations of the examination after first becoming eligible to take it must be promptly disqualified from the law school’s JD degree program. If the dismissed student subsequently passes the examination, the student is eligible for re-enrollment in this law school’s JD program, but will receive credit for only one year of legal study.
Study at, or graduation from, this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or to satisfy the requirements for admission to practice in jurisdictions other than California. A student intending to seek admission to practice law in a jurisdiction other than California should contact the admitting authority in that jurisdiction for information regarding the legal education requirements in that jurisdiction for admission to the practice of law.