The principal objective of the college is to prepare students for the practice of law. The college teaches the analytical and practical skills needed to interpret cases and statutes, the ability to communicate effectively, an awareness of the historical growth of the law, a knowledgeable appreciation of the interrelationship of law and society, and the ability to use law as an implement of social change and development. Students are thus equipped to serve their communities not only as advocates and counselors, but as policy makers and active, responsible citizens. Law students may also elect to complete the Contractual and Legal Affairs in Engineering and Construction Graduate Certificate .

Concentrations (Optional)

Advocacy and Dispute Resolution
Business Transactions

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Credit hours required

89 credit hours (including the hours for the concentration)

Academic Standards

• The required average is 2.00 and that average must be maintained on the work of all six semesters and also for the combined work of the grading periods in which the last 28 credit hours taken in residence were earned.
• Averages are computed on weighted grades and rounded to one decimal point. Grades are awarded on a numerical scale (in increments of 0.1) from 0.00 to 4.30.
• No credit toward the JD degree is awarded for grades of 0.00 to 0.70.
• Law student grade point averages are reported on the official transcript rounded to one decimal place.
• The course of study for the JD must be completed no earlier than 24 months and no later than 60 months after a student has commenced law study at the College of Law or a law school from which the college has accepted transfer credit.

Required Courses

• First Year — First semester
  • LAW 801 *, LAW 803 , LAW 805 , LAW 807 *, LAW 809 , LAW 811  
  • *First-year students will take either LAW 816  – Civil Procedure I (Experiential) or LAW 817  – Torts I (Experiential).
• First Year — Second semester
  • LAW 802 , LAW 804 , LAW 806 , LAW 808 , LAW 810 , LAW 820  
• Second Year
  • LAW 812  
  • LAW 814  

Additional Course Requirements

• To be eligible to receive the JD, candidates must earn at least 58 credit hours in residence at the College of Law.
• Of the required 89 credit hours, no more than 18 credit hours may be earned in any combination of the following courses – LAW 947 , LAW 948 , LAW 949 , LAW 989 , LAW 992 , LAW 994 , LAW 995 , LAW 996 , LAW 997 , LAW 998 , or LAW 999  or up to 6 credit hours of non-law electives.
• One Perspective course:  a course devoted to the study of legal systems, insights of other academic disciplines (such as history, literature, economics, philosophy, anthropology, or sociology), or other non-traditional viewpoints on legal concepts or problems.  The courses listed below satisfy this requirement, as may other courses as approved by the Dean or the Dean’s designee
  • LAW 834 , LAW 837 , LAW 873 , LAW 875 , LAW 879 , LAW 880 , LAW 881 , LAW 883 , LAW 886 , LAW 887 , LAW 888 , LAW 889 , LAW 890 , LAW 891 , LAW 892 , LAW 957 , LAW 962 , LAW 975 , or
  • LAW 990  (as approved by the Dean or the Dean’s designee)
• One Expository Writing experience:  a substantial research paper involving in-depth research and analysis of a legal issue. The paper should propose a solution to an important legal problem or present a sensible way of thinking about an important legal question. To satisfy this requirement, the paper must be well written, include proper citation to authority, and give appropriate attention to opposing arguments. The final version of the paper must respond to the professor’s feedback on the draft or drafts. The paper must be a minimum of 5,000 words in length (disregarding footnotes or endnotes).  The Expository Writing requirement may be satisfied through:
  • a College of Law Course (including a course used to fulfill another graduation requirement) that requires such a paper;
  • LAW 993 , 1 to 2 credit hours; a comment or other article written for a College of Law journal, subject to the policies of the relevant journal and approval of the faculty advisor for the journal.
• One Planning and Drafting experience: a substantial planning and drafting project that requires them to do the following:  anticipate problems and changes in circumstances and plan for their resolution in documents that govern future behavior; and draft those documents in precise language so that the effected persons understand their future rights and responsibilities.  The courses listed below satisfy this requirement, as may other courses as approved by the Dean or the Dean’s designee:
  • LAW 821 , LAW 822 , LAW 828 , LAW 831 , LAW 833 , LAW 836 , LAW 842 , LAW 845 , LAW 908 , LAW 911 , LAW 914 , LAW 937 , LAW 941 , LAW 942 , LAW 944 , LAW 946 , LAW 953 , LAW 961 , LAW 978 , LAW 998 , or 
  • LAW 990  (as approved by the Dean or the Dean’s designee), credit hours vary
• Experiential courses (for students entering Fall 2016 or after) totaling at least 6 credit hours:  a simulation course, a law clinic, or a field placement as defined by ABA Standards.  The courses listed below satisfy this requirement, as may other courses as approved by the Academic Standards & Curriculum Committee: 
  • LAW 833 , LAW 842 , LAW 845 , LAW 905 , LAW 906 , LAW 907 , LAW 908 , LAW 911 , LAW 914 , LAW 920 , LAW 921 , LAW 922 , LAW 924 , LAW 925 , LAW 926 , LAW 929 , LAW 930 , LAW 946 , LAW 947 , LAW 948 , LAW 949 , LAW 951 , LAW 953 , LAW 978 , LAW 982 , LAW 992 , or
  • LAW 990  (as approved by the Academic Standards & Curriculum Committee), credit hours vary
• One Professional Skills course (for students entering prior to Fall 2016): a course that involves substantial instruction in professional skills generally regarded as necessary for effective and responsible participation in the legal profession, develops the concepts and theories underlying the professional skills being taught, and engages each student in professional skills performances that are assessed by the instructor, such that the student has multiple opportunities to perform tasks with appropriate feedback and self-evaluation, and reflective evaluation of the students’ performance by the faculty member.  The courses listed below satisfy this requirement, as may other courses as approved by the Dean or the Dean’s designee:
  • LAW 831 , LAW 833 , LAW 842 , LAW 845 , LAW 905 , LAW 906 , LAW 907 , LAW 908 , LAW 911 , LAW 914 , LAW 920 , LAW 921 , LAW 922 , LAW 924 , LAW 925 , LAW 926 , LAW 929 , LAW 930 , LAW 942 , LAW 944 , LAW 946 , LAW 947 , LAW 948 , LAW 949 , LAW 951 , LAW 953 , LAW 978 , LAW 982 , LAW 992 , or 
  • LAW 990  (as approved by the Academic Standards & Curriculum Committee), credits vary

Non-Course Requirements

• The Doctor of Jurisprudence degree will be conferred upon candidates who complete, with the required average, 89 credit hours, including all required courses.
• A grade of 2.00 in at least 21 hours of required, numerically graded first-year courses.
• A cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or better at the end of the final semester.
• A grade point average of 2.00 or better for courses completed during the final two semesters of coursework at the College.
• At least 58 credit hours in residence at the University of Tennessee while enrolled at the College of Law.
• At least 64 credit hours in courses that require attendance in regularly scheduled classroom sessions or direct faculty instruction as defined by ABA Standards for Approval of Law Schools.
• The course of study for the JD degree must be completed no earlier than 24 months and no later than 60 months after a student has commenced law study at the College of Law or a law school from which the College has accepted transfer credit.

Advocacy and Dispute Resolution Concentration

The curriculum focuses on the substantive and procedural aspects of adjudication and gives students the opportunity to practice lawyering skills in an experiential learning atmosphere.

Credit Hours Required

25 credit hours

Required Courses

• Second Year
  • LAW 813  and LAW 920  
• Third Year (one of the following) –
  • LAW 905 , LAW 907 , LAW 908 , LAW 947 , or LAW 948  
  • The Dean or the Dean’s designee may designate other six-hour clinics or externships as satisfying this requirement.
• During the second and third year, any combination totaling 12 credit hours from the following courses –
  • LAW 821 , LAW 848 , LAW 854 , LAW 855 , LAW 856 , LAW 859 , LAW 877 , LAW 914 , LAW 915 , LAW 916 , LAW 918 , LAW 921 , LAW 922 , LAW 923 , LAW 924 , LAW 925 , LAW 926 , LAW 929 , LAW 930 , LAW 933 , LAW 945 , LAW 946 , LAW 949 , LAW 951 , LAW 953 , or 
  • LAW 990  (Only if approved by the Dean or Dean’s designee as satisfying the requirements of the concentration.)

Business Transactions Concentration

The Business Transactions curriculum allows students to concentrate their studies on the legal aspects of business and finance, emphasizing the needs of business concerns both large and small in terms of litigation and transactional lawyering.

Credit Hours Required

21 to 23 credit hours (depending on the capstone completed)

Required Courses

• LAW 818  
• LAW 826  (LAW 826 is not required for students who have an undergraduate major in accounting, finance, or business administration, who hold the MBA, or who are enrolled in the dual JD-MBA program. Waivers may also be granted to students who have acquired the requisite business knowledge through other course work or through practical experience.)
• LAW 827  
• LAW 972  
• LAW 940  
• LAW 842  
• LAW 841  
• In addition to the other requirements, students must complete a capstone course.
  • There are three capstone courses for the concentration, LAW 833 , LAW 937 , and LAW 978 , offered as instructors are available.  The Estate Planning Seminar has additional prerequisites. 
  • To complete the concentration, a student must take at least one of the capstone courses and may take all three if they are offered and the student’s schedule allows.