Curriculum

The program of study at the School of Law is structured to prepare you for the practice of law in any American jurisdiction. You will begin with several  required courses that form the foundation for more advanced legal studies:

• Academic Success
• Advanced Legal Analysis I and II
• Business Organizations
• Civil Procedure
• Constitutional Law
• Contracts
• Criminal Law
• Evidence
• Introduction to Law
• Introduction to the Legal Profession
• Income Tax or Legislative & Administrative Process
• Lawyering Skills I and II
• Professional Responsibility
• Property
• Torts

Download a sample program of study (PDF)

Concentration Programs

Legal education presents a broad array of options for graduates. The careers in which you can apply your skills are vast. Navigating the extensive course offerings to find the classes that will help you prepare the best for your career can be challenging. Western New England University has made this process much simpler with our five concentration programs. 

While students are not required to pursue a concentration, you may choose to focus your studies on a specific practice area. Course options for the second and third year are laid out in clear progressions, showing students the best paths to take to gain the expertise they will need.

Concentration Programs Include:

• Criminal Law Concentration
• Gender and Sexuality Concentration
• International and Comparative Law Concentration
• Public Interest Law Concentration
• Concentration in Transactional Law Practice

Lawyering Skills

Lawyering Skills is a required first-year course that teaches students the basic techniques of legal research, writing, and analysis—all essential tools of the lawyering profession. The full-time Lawyering Skills faculty work closely with students in smaller classroom settings introducing case briefing, case synthesis, and analysis through a series of research and writing assignments. Students learn how to research legal issues, frame legal arguments, and analyze legal problems. In addition, students are also trained to use computer-assisted legal research, including Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw. This full-year course culminates in an oral argument in a simulated court setting, during which each student argues a motion based upon a brief he or she has written.

Upper Level Writing Requirement

All students must complete two courses that provide substantial opportunity to write and revise under the instructor’s supervision.  The courses that can be taken in satisfaction of this requirement are listed in the course catalog with a LAWW course prefix.

Experimental Learning Requirement

The experiential learning requirement at Western New England School of Law is designed to help give law students a chance to get real-world legal experience before graduation. Students entering are required to complete 6 experiential learning credits. Courses that contribute experiential learning credits are designated in the course catalog with an LAWE prefix, and include clinics, externships, and simulation courses.

Antiracism And Cultural Competency Requirement

All students must take one upper-level course that engages with legal issues related to racial justice and/or diversity, equity, and inclusion.  These courses are designated in the course catalog with a LAWA prefix (or LAWWA or LAWEA for those that simultaneously satisfy the writing or experiential learning requirements as well).

Pro Bono Requirement

All students will be required to complete 20 hours of pro bono legal work prior to graduation. This requirement will give students the opportunity to apply the skills they have learned in the classroom in a real-world setting while supporting the School’s commitment to public interest lawyering.