JD Program

During three years of intensive study and hands-on practice, students are immersed in the history, theory, and the complex reality of the law. Students can tailor their education through nine concentrations, and hone practical and professional skills by working directly with clients in the College’s community clinics or by joining our Moot Court Team.

The JD curriculum at UC Law SF is grounded in fundamentals: research and writing, appellate advocacy, criminal and tort law, and practical lawyering skills. It is an intensive full-time degree program of increasing complexity and depth but with the flexibility to let you focus on your greatest professional and intellectual interests.

Concentrations

Dig deeper into the subjects you love and work closely with professors who are renowned experts in their fields. As a JD student at UC Law SF, you have the option of earning a certificate of concentration in one of nine distinct areas of the law.

Lawyering Skills

Lawyering is the real work of practicing law. As a student in the UC Law SF JD program, you will gain professional and practical lawyering experience such as cross-examining a witness, writing an appellate brief, negotiating a contract, mediating a dispute, filing a patent and protecting the civil rights of a real client. You will build confidence through hands-on simulation courses, compete on one of our professional skills teams, serve clients in the community through our law clinics, or contribute to one of the College’s nine law journals.

Experiential Learning

Our students can take advantage of externship opportunities with state legislators and human rights advocates, the Department of Justice, or the Sierra Club. They can also in pro bono and public interest initiatives right here in the Civic Center and Tenderloin neighborhoods, or study abroad at one of our partner universities for a semester or full-year exchange. Students at UC Law SF have a rich and vibrant community, with many opportunities for community involvement on campus and in the wider community.

Apply now to the UC Law SF JD Program, or contact the Admissions Office to learn more about the distinct advantages of the UC Law SF JD program.