Professional Development Database

The list includes 62 first-year, required, law school professional development initiatives based on information from law school websites as of November 2019.

The list was compiled by Rupa Bhandari, Asst. Dean & Adjunct Prof., Santa Clara Law and Prof. Jerry Organ, Co-Director of the Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions, University of St. Thomas School of Law.

Mandatory 1L Class: 1 Credit Courses

School/College	Course	Format
University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law	Preparing to Practice	1 credit over two semesters
University of Arkansas Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law	Professionalism and the Work of Lawyers	1 credit over two semesters
Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School	Professional Skills Training	1 credit over two semesters
University of California, Davis School of Law	Lawyering Process	1 credit in Spring
Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law	Foundations of Legal Profession	1 credit Spring semester class exploring professional identity, values in the profession and career pathways
University of Illinois College of Law	Fundamentals of Legal Practice	1 credit in Spring
Lewis & Clark Law School	Foundations of Professional Practice	Defining professional identity, improving professionalism/job-seeking skills, and enhancing communication skills
Loyola University Chicago School of Law	Professional Identity Formation	1 credit in Fall
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law	The Legal Profession	1 credit Spring semester class shaping professional identity and bringing professional goals into focus
University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law	No Course Title	1 credit Fall semester class exploring career paths, concepts of legal professionalism, the business of law, the "soft skills" required for effective lawyering and developing an individual career strategy
University of New Mexico School of Law	Lab	1 credit Fall semester class considering the role of the lawyer within the profession and within society
New York Law School	Foundations in Study of Law (Fall) and Foundations for the Pursuit of Professionalism (Spring)	1 credit over two semesters
Northern Illinois University College of Law	Introduction to Legal Profession I & II	1 credit at end of academic year
University of North Texas	Fundamentals of Being a Lawyer	1 credit in Spring
Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law	Legal Problem Solving & Analysis	January Term
Regent University Law School	Foundations of Practice	1 credit in Spring
University of Richmond T. C. Williams School of Law	No Course Title	Hiring now for a Faculty Director of Professional Identity Formation; plan to have mandatory 1L class and upper division electives/ co-curricular offerings
University of South Carolina School of Law	Introduction to the Legal Profession	1 credit in Fall
University of South Dakota School of Law	Foundations of Law	1 credit
Southern Illinois University Law School	Professionalism and the Law I and II	1 credit over two semesters
University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Law	Lawyering and Professionalism	1 credit in Fall
Texas A&M University School of Law	Professional Identity Course + Professionalism & Leadership Program	1 credit in Fall
University of Tulsa College of Law	Dean's Seminar on the Legal Profession	1 credit in Fall
Villanova University's Charles Widger School of Law	Professional Development Curriculum all 3 years. 1L Requirement (1 unit); Upper level - Courses Professional Development II & III available	1 credit for each
Wake Forest University School of Law	Professional Development Class	1 credit

Mandatory 1L Class: 2/3 Credit Courses

School/College	Course	Format
Elon University School of Law	Lawyering, Leadership & Professionalism	1 credit in August and 1 credit in Spring trimester
University of Florida Levin College of Law	Introduction to Lawyering & the Legal Profession	2 credit Fall semester class focusing on evolving nature of legal services, types of law practices, demographics of the legal profession and skills
Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law	The Legal Profession	3 credit Spring semester class examines what professionalism means for lawyers
University of North Dakota School of Law	Professional Foundations	2 credit class examining professional role, identity, and practice for lawyers
Penn State Dickinson Law	Problem Solving I: The Lawyer and Client	2 credits in Fall
University of St. Thomas School of Law	Moral Reasoning for Lawyers (Fall), Serving Clients Well (Spring), and Mentor Program	1 credit for each
University of San Diego School of Law	Experiential Advocacy Practicum	1 credit each semester

Mandatory 1L Class: Integrated Courses

School/College	Course	Format
University of California, Irvine School of Law	Legal Profession I & II	2 credits each semester + assigned mentor
Case Western Reserve University School of Law	Legal Writing, Leadership, Experiential Learning, Advocacy, and Professionalism	6 credits over two semesters
City University of New York School of Law (CUNY)	Lawyering Seminar I and II	8 credits over two semesters focusing on legal reasoning, professional responsibility, legal writing, and other lawyering skills
George Washington University Law School	Fundamentals of Lawyering I & II	3 credits Fall semester and 3 credits Spring semester, examining professional identity, client communication, and professional development with legal research/writing
Gonzaga University School of Law	Litigation Skills + Professionalism Lab & Transactional Skills	2 credits Fall semester and 2 credits Spring semester
The University of Kansas School of Law	Lawyering Skills II	3 credits in Spring with integrated professional development
University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law	Legal Research, Writing	2 units in Fall; 4 in Spring; also introduces many facets of professionalism and skills necessary to make ethical and professional choices
Northeastern University School of Law	Legal Skills in Social Context	8 credits over two semesters, combining legal research and writing, problem solving skills, and real client work in 1L year
Samford University Cumberland School of Law	Lawyering & Legal Reasoning I & II	3 credits each semester with integrated professional development
St. Mary’s University School of Law	LCAP Legal Communication, Analysis, and Professionalism	6 credits over two semesters
Seton Hall University School of Law	Introduction to Lawyering I & II	3 credits each semester with integrated professionalism

Graduation Requirement

School/College	Course	Format
Baylor Law School	Professional Development Program	5-18 hours over three years modeled after CLEs
University at Buffalo School of Law	No Course Title	1L Career Office programming required to register for 2L classes
Chapman University's Dale E. Fowler School of Law	No Course Title	All students are required to complete 5 sessions of professional development training + events identified by Career Office by end of 1L year of legal study
University of Chicago Law School	Kapnick Leadership Development Institute	Partnership with Business school, begins at off-site retreat pre 1L classes (at Orientation) and continues with modules in 1L year
University of Cincinnati College of Law	Professional Development Program	Must attend 3 annual planning meetings with Center for Professional Development + do professional development plan and reflective piece
University of Denver Sturm College of Law	Career and Professional Development Credit	Each 1L must complete 5 sessions of their choice (from core competencies) during 1L year + 2 individual Career Office meetings after 1L year
DePaul University College of Law	Preparing to Practice I & II	0 credits, Fall (job search skills) & Spring (communication, time management, social media)
Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law	Professional Fundamentals	Fall semester – 0-credit
University of Houston School of Law	Passport to Success Program	4 mandatory 1L learning sessions, as well as year-round advising and 30+ networking and recruiting events for all students
University of Idaho College of Law	Professionalism Education Program	Grad Requirement
Michigan State University College of Law	Foundations of Law	0 credit, mostly academic skills + a little professionalism
University of Missouri School of Law	No Course Title	Job Search Skills, Career Exploration, and Professional Development. 1Ls must attend a boot camp and some programming. Grad requirement.
Nova Southeastern Shepard Broad College of Law	Legal Skills and Professionalism I & II	0 credits
University of Oregon School of Law	No Course Title	Professional Planning Requirement- must complete program
Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law	No Course Title	Register with Center for Career and Professional Development, have at least 1 in person meeting, earn 6 PD credits from workshops & events
Pepperdine University School of Law	Professional Development Class	The Parris Institute for Professional Formation consists of (1) Launch Week, (2) The Parris Institute 1L Series, and (3) Academic Mastery Workshops, Preceptor and Mentor program and upper division programming
St John’s University of Law	Professional Development Class	Fall 0 credit Job search strategies, hiring timeline, how to draft legal resume/cover letter, interviewing, and professionalism
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School	Professional Development Series	No Course Title

Criteria for Database Inclusion

To be included on this list, a course or program had to include some type of engagement with professional identity or professional values. A course or program that just offered skill instruction without some engagement with professional identity or professional values was excluded from the list.

While we tried to err on the side of being over-inclusive, this list may not be complete. The list is intended to demonstrate that a large number of law schools are taking steps to address professional development to make students more practice-ready for the legal profession.