University of La Verne

Programme overview

The Juris Doctor at the University of La Verne is a professional law programme focused on preparing graduates for legal practice and public service. The curriculum balances doctrinal instruction with skills training — such as legal research, writing, and client advocacy — and provides experiential learning through clinics and externships to bridge classroom theory and courtroom or community practice.

What you'll study

Students move through a common core of foundational subjects in the first year and then choose advanced, skills‑based, and practice‑oriented offerings in later years. Typical study areas include:

• Core doctrine: constitutional law, contracts, torts, criminal law, property, and civil procedure.
• Skills and practice: legal research and writing, trial and appellate advocacy, negotiation, and client counseling.
• Clinical and experiential learning: live-client clinics, externships with courts, government agencies or law firms, and simulation courses.
• Specialisation and electives: options that may include business law, family law, immigration, intellectual property, environmental law, or public interest law depending on availability.
• Professional responsibility and ethics: courses addressing lawyer conduct, regulation, and the role of law in society.

Entry requirements

Applicants are typically expected to hold a bachelor’s degree and submit a law school admissions test score where required, along with transcripts, letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and any other materials the admissions office requests. Admissions committees consider academic record, LSAT/GRE performance if accepted, relevant experience, and writing ability. Applicants with non‑traditional backgrounds should highlight professional or public service experience and clear motivation for legal study.

Career prospects

Graduates commonly pursue admission to the bar and careers as litigators, transactional attorneys, public defenders, prosecutors, corporate counsel, compliance officers, policy advisors, or nonprofit attorneys. The degree also supports roles in government, judiciary clerking, academia, and alternative legal careers such as mediation, legal technology, or consulting that value legal training and analytical skills.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Prospective students should explore merit scholarships awarded by the law school, need‑based aid, and external fellowships for public interest work. Typical funding pathways include institutional scholarships, federal and private student loans, work‑study, graduate assistantships where offered, and paid externships. Candidates aiming for public interest careers can seek loan repayment assistance programs and targeted fellowships to reduce debt while serving underserved communities.