Program of Legal Education – Courses of Instruction
IMPORTANT NOTICE: All students entering school in Fall 2023 are required to take two (2) clinical courses prior to the completion of their studies. While the current matriculation paths in this Catalog do not reflect this new requirement, the Catalog will be updated during your first semester of school to indicate how your matriculation paths will be impacted by this new requirement. This statement serves as notice of the new requirement.
Students at Southern University Law Center (SULC) matriculate through a 90-hour curriculum consisting of required and elective courses. Courses carry general designations for registration purposes as either First-Year (1L), Second-Year (2L) or Third-Year (3L) courses. Students are enrolled in one of three divisions: Full-Time Day, Part-Time Day, or Part-Time Evening. These divisions were created to accommodate the unique life circumstances that sometimes prevents an individual from pursuing a legal education. The Full-Time Day division was created for our traditional law students; while the Part-Time Day and Part-Time Evening Divisions were designed for students who—for various reasons—cannot attend school on a full-time basis.
Students enrolled in the Full-Time Day division should be able to complete their academic studies within three years. Students enrolled in either the Part-Time Day or Part-Time Evening divisions should be able to complete their academic studies in four years. SULC does not vary the distinction of its courses between the full-time division and the two part-time divisions. This decision was based on a desire to limit confusion about the designation of courses. Additionally, students are classified by the number of credit hours the student has successfully completed and not the number years in which they have studied at SULC.
- 1L courses are available, with some exception, to all students upon commencement of the program of legal education at SULC.
- 2L courses are available to full-time day students who have earned a minimum of 29 credit hours and to part-time (day or evening) students who have successfully completed a minimum of 19 credit hours.
- 3L courses are available to full-time and part-time day students who have completed a minimum of 59 credit hours and to part-time evening students who have completed a minimum of 39 credit hours.
Class offering are reviewed and evaluated each term, but a review of past schedules can serve as a general guide of when a class is usually offered.