Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor Program Mission
The Juris Doctor (JD) program at Trinity Law School is a rigorous program of legal education that prepares its students, upon graduation, for admission to the bar and for effective, ethical, and responsible participation as members of the legal profession.
Juris Doctor Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the JD program, the graduate shall, at a minimum, include competency in the following:
- Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the law in key areas tested on the California Bar Exam by obtaining a grade of C or higher on a class examination.
- Demonstrate that law may be practiced as a tool of ministry through pro-bono or low-cost legal services.
- Identify and formulate the legal issues and theories that apply to the facts of a described situation or problem in the content area as demonstrated by successful performance on an examination.
- Compare case law to a given set of facts, using it to determine the appropriate action as demonstrated by written case briefs and participation in classroom discussion.
- Integrate biblical principles to content area topics by classroom discussion and/or assignments.
Academic Year
The academic calendar consists of 15-week semesters – each fall and spring – with the option of taking additional courses during the summer session. Courses are typically offered in-person during the day or in the evening as well as online in the evening to facilitate full- and part-time programs of study. Please see the academic calendar in the Catalog or on the school's website for semester and session start and end dates, registration deadlines, and holidays.
Degree Requirements
To graduate with a JD degree, students must successfully complete the prescribed program of 90 units of study within 5 years. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above is required for the JD degree.
Students wishing to complete the JD program in 3 years should maintain a unit load of 15 units per semester. Students wishing to complete the program on a part-time basis should maintain a unit load of 12 units per semester. Students may be able to reduce their unit load by enrolling in summer session courses. Students are required to take a minimum of nine units each semester.
Students wishing to enroll in more than 16 units or less than nine units in any given semester must submit a petition to the Registrar’s Office for approval.
Accreditation
Trinity Law School is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California. Trinity Law School is a school of Trinity International University, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Trinity Law School’s degree-granting authority is in connection with its students qualifying to take the California Bar Examination and obtain admission to the practice of law in California based on accreditation by the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California.
Admission to Practice Law in California
Accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California, the JD program fulfills the requirements pertaining to admission to the practice of law in the State of California. Graduates are qualified to take the California Bar Examination.
Admission to Practice Law Outside of California
Study at, or graduation from, this law school may not qualify a student to take the bar examination or be licensed to practice law in jurisdictions other than California. A student who intends to seek licensure to practice law outside of California at any time during their career should contact the admitting authority for information regarding its education and licensure requirements prior to enrolling at this law school.
Out of State Students
Students coming to Trinity Law School from out-of-state to attend in-person classes should make sure that they have secured suitable housing and transportation to ensure that these issues do not become an impediment to academic success. Trinity does not provide on-campus housing. However, there are several apartment complexes with one-, two-, or three-bedroom units located near campus offering a range of rental rates, leasing, and amenities options.
Out-of-state, in-person applicants should contact the Admissions office for information on housing and essential services.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities requiring special arrangements will be accommodated upon petition, with supporting documentation of the disability, and upon approval of the Registrar's Office. Special accommodations will be carefully tailored to meet the documented need in accordance with the Trinity Law School disability policy. An informational packet detailing the services available for students with disabilities can be obtained from the Registrar's Office.
Students are required to take classes in an order that will maximize their learning potential. Students must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in all classes in each category before they can take classes in the subsequent category.
Category 1 Classes
- Legal Research and Writing 1 & 2
All students are required to take Legal Research and Writing 1 (3 units) during their first semester and Legal Research and Writing 2 (3 units) during their second semester. Students must complete or be concurrently enrolled in Legal Research and Writing 2 before completing the rest of the law school curriculum. Students who withdraw or are dropped from Legal Research and Writing 1 or Legal Research and Writing 2 will not be permitted to enroll in or continue other classes.
Category 2 Classes
- Contracts
- Torts
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
Category 3 Classes
- Legal Institutions and Values
- Business Associations
- Civil Procedure
- Property
Category 4 Classes:
- Professional Responsibility and Ethics
- Constitutional Law
- Evidence
- Community Property
- Jurisprudence
- Wills, Trusts, and Estates
- Remedies
- Legal Writing (Litigation Skills or Transactional Skills)
- Advanced Exam Approaches and Skills
To avoid class conflicts, students should register for classes in the following order:
- Legal Research and Writing 1 & 2
- Contracts 1 & 2
- Torts 1 & 2
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Legal Institutions and Values
- Business Associations
- Civil Procedure 1 & 2
- Property 1 & 2
- Professional Responsibility and Ethics
- Constitutional Law 1 & 2
- Evidence 1 & 2
- Community Property
- Jurisprudence
- Wills, Trusts, and Estates
- Remedies
- Legal Writing (Litigation Skills or Transactional Skills)
- Advanced Exam Approaches and Skills
Taking classes in any order other than what is listed above may result in a class conflict which may delay graduation.
Students may take electives upon completion of or concurrent enrollment in 30 units. Not all elective courses are offered each year. Elective courses are rotated on a semester basis and are offered depending on student interest and professor availability.
Non-Classroom Credit
A maximum of 9 units of non-classroom credit may be earned toward the 90-unit graduation requirement. Non-classroom credits may be earned for internships or independent study as well as participation in Moot Court, Law Review, and any clinical program. Of these nine units, a maximum of six units may be from internships. There is a six-unit maximum for independent study. There is a four-unit maximum for Moot Court and Law Review. Students cannot take more than three units of internship in any given semester, excluding the summer sessions. Students are not allowed to obtain internship credit for a paid position or for doing work supervised by a close relative.
Practical Skills Requirement
Students must complete 6 units of practical skills course credit toward the 90-unit graduation requirement. Courses that meet the practical skills requirement include LA 559 Legal Research and Writing 1: Objective Writing, LA 560b Legal Research and Writing 2: Persuasive Writing, LA 560d Legal Writing: Litigation Skills/LA 560e Legal Writing: Transactional Skills, clinics, and electives. See specific course descriptions for an indication of whether the course meets the practical skills requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LA 505a | Legal Institutions and Values | 3 |
| LA 521 | Contracts 1 | 3 |
| LA 522a | Contracts 2 | 3 |
| LA 531a | Criminal Law | 3 |
| LA 541 | Torts 1 | 3 |
| LA 542 | Torts 2 | 3 |
| LA 559 | Legal Research and Writing 1: Objective Writing | 3 |
| LA 560b | Legal Research and Writing 2: Persuasive Writing | 3 |
| LA 560d | Legal Writing: Litigation Skills | 3 |
| or LA 560e | Legal Writing: Transactional Skills | |
| LA 600i | Constitutional Law 1 | 3 |
| LA 601i | Constitutional Law 2 | 3 |
| LA 613 | Professional Responsibility and Ethics | 3 |
| LA 661 | Property 1 | 3 |
| LA 662 | Property 2 | 3 |
| LA 671i | Evidence 1 | 3 |
| LA 672i | Evidence 2 | 3 |
| LA 673b | Civil Procedure 1 | 3 |
| LA 674b | Civil Procedure 2 | 3 |
| LA 702a | Business Associations | 3 |
| LA 764 | Community Property | 2 |
| LA 783i | Criminal Procedure | 3 |
| LA 790b | Jurisprudence | 3 |
| LA 803 | Wills, Trusts, and Estates | 3 |
| LA 822a | Remedies | 3 |
| LA 998e | Advanced Exam Approaches and Skills | 3 |
| Total Hours | 74 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Elective Courses (16 Hours) | ||
| LA 543 | Open Development in Cambodia: Human Trafficking and Economic Development | 2-4 |
| LA 560d | Legal Writing: Litigation Skills | 3 |
| LA 560e | Legal Writing: Transactional Skills | 3 |
| LA 675a | Alternative Dispute Resolution | 3 |
| LA 753 | Trial Practice | 3 |
| LA 763 | Family Law | 3 |
| LA 870 | Civil Litigation Skills | 2 |
| LA 870a | California Civil Procedure and Evidence | 2 |
| LA 901 | Introduction to International Human Rights | 3 |
| LA 910 | The Right to Life and the Law | 3 |
| LA 916c | Human Trafficking: Prosecution of Domestic Cases | 1 |
| LA 919 | International Forum on Human Rights (Europe) | 2 |
| LA 920a | International Institute of Human Rights (Europe) | 4 |
| LA 953 | Legal Internship | 1-6 |
| LA 957 | Law Practice Management | 2 |
| LA 959k | Trinity Mobile Legal Clinic | 1 |
| LA 959o | Trinity Religious Liberty Clinic | 2 |
| LA 960 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| LA 970 | Independent Study/Guided Research | 1-6 |
| LA 982a | Law and Literature: Revenge, Justice, and Mercy | 1 |
| LA 989 | Moot Court | 1-2 |
| LA 991 | Law Review | 1-3 |
| LA 995al | Accounting for Lawyers | 1 |
| LA 995np | Law of Nonprofit Organizations | 3 |
Juris Doctor Flex Academic Support Classes
Students who have not taken the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) or who do not meet the requirements for the regular Juris Doctor (JD) program may be considered for admission into the Juris Doctor Flex Track Academic Support Classes (Flex Track). Students must complete 18 units of study in separate Flex Track courses specifically designed to pass the California First-Year Law Students' Examination (FYLSX). At the end of the first year (18 units of study), a student with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.67 or higher will have the FYLSX requirement waived.
During the first semester, Flex Track students who take the LSAT and score a 145 or higher, and who earn a grade of C or higher in their three first-semester courses, may apply to the Admissions Committee for consideration to join the regular JD courses. Flex Track students accepted into the regular JD courses must finish taking their second-semester Flex Track courses before being permitted to register for second-year regular JD courses.
All other Flex Track students must sit for and pass the FYLSX to join the regular JD courses at Trinity Law School.
Flex Track students must enroll in and successfully complete Torts 1, Contracts 1, and Criminal Law in the first semester, and Torts 2, Contracts 2, and FYLSX Skills in the second consecutive semester. These courses are offered in the evenings (in-person and online). Students who drop a class, receive a failing grade, or receive an Unauthorized Withdrawal in any class during either of the two semesters will be dismissed from Trinity Law School.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LA 521x | Contracts 1 | 3 |
| LA 522x | Contracts 2 | 3 |
| LA 531x | Criminal Law | 3 |
| LA 541x | Torts 1 | 3 |
| LA 542x | Torts 2 | 3 |
| LA 599x | FYLSX Skills | 3 |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Final Course Grades
Grading is based upon the relative quality of each student’s response compared with other students in the same class. Grades on individual components in a class are not be curved. Final grades are not an average of grades on individual components.
For the following classes, grades are distributed according to Table A:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LA 505a | Legal Institutions and Values | 3 |
| LA 521 | Contracts 1 | 3 |
| LA 522a | Contracts 2 | 3 |
| LA 531a | Criminal Law | 3 |
| LA 541 | Torts 1 | 3 |
| LA 542 | Torts 2 | 3 |
| LA 559 | Legal Research and Writing 1: Objective Writing | 3 |
| LA 560b | Legal Research and Writing 2: Persuasive Writing | 3 |
| LA 783i | Criminal Procedure | 3 |
| LA 599x | FYLSX Skills (Flex Academic Support Class) | 3 |
For all other required classes, grades are distributed according to Table B.
Grading tables can be found in Appendix 1.
Grading Curves
In applying the curve, professors will use the distribution of grades with reference to class size as shown in the tables located in Appendix 1. Professors may petition a Dean to slightly deviate from the curve in classes where a strict application of the curve would not properly measure student performance.
Law Student Registration with the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California
Students seeking admission to practice law in California must register with the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California within 90 days from the commencement of their law studies. Registration must be completed through the State Bar of California website.
Petitions to the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California
Petitions filed with the Committee of Bar Examiners of The State Bar of California must be verified. Accordingly, students are requested either to appear before a notary public to have a petition sworn to, or in the alternative, to attach a declaration under penalty of perjury in the following form:
“I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing petition is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. Executed on this __ day of, 20__, at __(city)__, __(state)__.
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Signature