Required First-Year Coursework
All first-year students are required to take two semesters of
Legal Analysis, Research & Communication (LARC). Each semester is
worth two credit hours. Courses are taught by full-time instructors in
small class sections that typically number between 14 and 17 students.
Each semester, students also attend two private conferences with their
instructors to receive individualized guidance on their assignments.
Both LARC I and II require five major writing projects, as well
as a number of smaller assignments. LARC I addresses synthesis,
analysis, written communication and plain-language drafting in a
predictive format utilizing a process approach emphasizing mastery of
discrete writing skills. LARC II expands upon this initial instruction
and includes research skills and strategy, persuasive writing at the
trial court level and reporting orally to a supervising attorney.
Students work on increasingly difficult assignments as whole products,
rather than component parts as in LARC I. Students also begin learning
computer-assisted legal research techniques.
Specialized Sections
Similar to the College of Law’s certificate programs, first-year LARC sections in the day program are specialized by subject matter. When applying to the College of Law, prospective students will select their preferred section from the following:
- Business Law
- Family Law
- Health Law
- Intellectual Property Law
- Litigation
- Public Interest Law
While every effort will be made to place admitted students in their preferred LARC sections, placement is not guaranteed. Applicants
will be notified of their LARC assignments after
receiving their letters of admission to the College of Law.
Required Second-Year Coursework
All second-year students are required to take a third semester of
legal writing in either the fall or spring semester. The coursework is
comprised of five major writing projects and a number of smaller
assignments, like LARC I and II.
The purpose of the third semester is to reinforce and deepen the
instruction that students received in LARC I and II. Students meet
weekly in slightly smaller sections where they are exposed to drafting
of trial-level motions, persuasive argumentation at the appellate level
and oral advocacy skills.
Upper-Level Curriculum
In addition to LARC I, II and III, all students are required to
take an approved upper-level writing course. The curriculum includes
courses in legal drafting, advanced legal research and judicial and
scholarly writing. These upper-level courses address many essential
communication and analytical skills, including contract drafting and
revision, research and analysis of complex legal issues, use of
sophisticated research sources, scholarly research and writing and
client communication.
In addition, students can further hone their research and writing
skills while exploring subjects in depth by joining any of DePaul's
five student-edited legal journals. These publications include the
DePaul Law Review; Business & Commercial Law Journal; Journal of
Art, Technology & Intellectual Property Law; Journal for Social
Justice and the Journal of Sports Law & Contemporary Problems.