General Catalog - John F. Kennedy University

School of LawStudent BodyLaw school students range in age from their early 20s into their60s, bringing a rich diversity of backgrounds and life experiences.Some have advanced degrees and work experience in law-relatedfields; others begin their studies with no professional knowledgeof the law.Class Size and TimesClasses are small—no more than 40 people per class—andare offered during the day and evening. Most day classes arescheduled Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon; mostevening classes are scheduled from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.Clinical ProgramAfter the second year of study, students are encouraged to obtainpractical experience at the on-site Elder Law Clinic or throughplacement with government agencies, public interest firms andclinics, or private law firms. During this experience, studentsengage in a wide array of legal activities—legal research, draftinglegal documents, client and witness interviewing, and trial preparation.Participation may be voluntary or for academic credit.Law LibraryThe law library houses a collection of over 35,000 volumes andmore than 175 periodical titles. Primarily supporting students,alumni, and faculty of the School of Law, the library is also availableto the public for a fee.In addition to titles required by the California State Bar foraccreditation, the library’s collection includes practical resourcesfor law clerking and the practice of law. These include Californiaand federal form books, procedure guides, and specialty materialsin such areas as bankruptcy, criminal, employment, environmental,family, immigration, property, and tax law.Academic Support ServicesThe law school administration is dedicated to providingacademic support that is responsive to students’ needs. TheSchool of Law has an extensive academic support program (ASP)available throughout a student’s law school career, focusing onskills and topics of particular interest to law students. In addition,the university has an academic support center to help on issuesranging from time management to writing.The ASP provides an interactive learning environment for lawstudents. The goal of the program is to improve students’ understandingof the most challenging subject matter. For first-yearstudents, the program focuses on contracts, torts, and criminallaw. For second-year students, the focus is on real property, civilprocedure, and evidence. For third-year students, constitutionallaw is the focus. The program also provides assistance to fourthyearstudents in the form of preliminary Bar Exam preparationincluding exam writing and multiple-choice testing skills.For first- to third-year students, the ASP has three opportunitiesfor learning: Saturday workshops, teaching assistant (TA) reviewsessions, and practice examinations.• The Saturday workshops are periodically offered forcontracts, torts, civil procedure, evidence, and realproperty. These sessions are led by an experienced masterteacher and are designed to provide students with issuespotting and writing assistance in discrete areas of the law.The Saturday workshops include a practice exam. Studentsmay turn their practice exams in for written feedback ontheir examination performance.• The TA review sessions are led by student teaching assistantsand focus on material selected by the master teachers.• Practice exam sets are from past JFKU law courses and pastCalifornia Bar Exams in most subject areas. Past JFKU lawexams (with answers) are available online or in the law library.Past California Bar Exam sets are available with Bar-publishedanswers from the library.School of Law204 School of LawJohn F. Kennedy University