Mitchell Hamline School of Law offers a comprehensive Juris Doctor (JD) program designed to equip students with foundational and advanced legal knowledge. The curriculum emphasizes practical skills, ethical reasoning, and real-world application through a blend of doctrinal courses, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary studies.
- Constitutional Law: Explores the structure of government, individual rights, and the balance of powers under the U.S. Constitution, including landmark cases and contemporary issues like free speech and equal protection.
- Contracts: Covers formation, performance, breach, and remedies in contractual agreements, with emphasis on common law principles and the Uniform Commercial Code.
- Torts: Examines civil wrongs such as negligence, intentional torts, and strict liability, focusing on liability, damages, and defenses in personal injury and property damage cases.
- Civil Procedure: Details the rules governing litigation in federal and state courts, including jurisdiction, pleading, discovery, motions, and trial processes.
- Criminal Law: Studies the elements of crimes, defenses, and principles of criminal liability, alongside ethical considerations in prosecution and defense.
- Property: Addresses real and personal property rights, including estates in land, conveyancing, landlord-tenant law, and intellectual property basics.
- Evidence: Analyzes admissibility rules, hearsay exceptions, witness credibility, and expert testimony under the Federal Rules of Evidence.
- Professional Responsibility: Focuses on the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, attorney-client relationships, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest.
- Business Associations: Introduces corporate law, partnerships, LLCs, agency principles, and securities regulation for transactional practice.
- Family Law: Covers marriage, divorce, child custody, support, and domestic relations, integrating policy and procedural aspects.
- International Law: Surveys treaties, human rights, trade agreements, and dispute resolution in a global context.
- Environmental Law: Discusses regulatory frameworks, pollution control, natural resources, and climate change litigation.
- Intellectual Property: Explores patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, with practical drafting and enforcement strategies.
- Taxation: Examines federal income tax principles, deductions, credits, and planning for individuals and businesses.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution: Teaches negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and collaborative law as alternatives to litigation.
The program also includes clinics, externships, and electives in areas like health law, immigration, and public interest law, fostering advocacy skills and professional development. With a commitment to access to justice, students engage in pro bono work and simulation courses to prepare for diverse legal careers. This rigorous curriculum, spanning foundational first-year courses to advanced seminars, ensures graduates are ethical, competent practitioners ready to serve in courts, firms, government, or nonprofits. The school's hybrid format allows flexibility, combining in-person and online learning for broader accessibility.
