USC Gould School of Law students study together outside of the Law School building. Photo by Chris Flynn.
The USC Gould School of Law provides a forward-looking, interdisciplinary legal education, guided by nationally renowned professors and practitioners and energized by an engaged and collegial student body. As one of the most diverse of the nation’s top law schools, USC Gould is made up of students from across the country and around the world whose ideas and experiences enrich the learning process and provide new perspectives on the law. Through collaborative and rigorous training, hands-on experiential offerings, and exceptional career services support, Gould students acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed regionally, nationally and globally.
USC Gould alumni are partners in the world’s largest law firms, CEOs and presidents of multimillion-dollar companies, and leaders in government and public service organizations. Since its founding in 1900, the school has produced scores of judges and elected officials at the city, state and federal levels.
USC Gould School of Law
(213) 740-7331
Email: admissions@law.usc.edu
gould.usc.edu
Administration
Andrew T. Guzman, JD, PhD, Dean*
Franita Tolson, JD, Vice Dean*
Donald Scotten, JD, LLM, Vice Dean*
Elizabeth A. Carroll, JD, Vice Dean
Elizabeth Armour, AB, Associate Dean
Deborah A. Call, MBA, Associate Dean and Chief Programs Officer
Raymond Flores, MBA, EdD, Associate Dean
Diana C. Jaque, MLIS, JD, Associate Dean
David Kirschner, JD, Associate Dean
Robin H. Maness, MS, Associate Dean and Chief Development Officer
Yasmine McMorrin, JD, Associate Dean
Donna Pavlick, JD, LLM, PhD, Associate Dean
Ian Wood, MBA, Associate Dean and Chief Financial Officer
Margaret A. Kean, BA, Assistant Dean
Misa Shimotsu-Kim, MEd, Assistant Dean
Faculty
Dean and Carl Mason Franklin Chair in Law: Andrew T. Guzman, JD, PhD*
University Professor and Scott H. Bice Chair in Healthcare Law, Policy and Ethics: Alexander Morgan Capron, LLB*, MA (Hon.)
Judge Edward J. and Ruey L. Guirado Chair in Law: Thomas D. Lyon, JD, PhD*
Edward G. Lewis Chair in Law: Daniel M. Klerman, JD, PhD
J. Thomas McCarthy Trustee Chair in Law: Robert K. Rasmussen, JD
Robert C. Packard Trustee Chair in Law: Edward D. Kleinbard, MA, JD
Robert C. Packard Trustee Chair in Law: Edward J. McCaffery, MA, JD*
The Rader Family Trustee Chair in Law: Rebecca L. Brown, JD*
Nathan and Lilly Shapell Chair in Law: Nomi M. Stolzenberg, JD
UPS Foundation Chair in Law and Gerontology: Martin L. Levine, JD, LLD*
University Professor of Journalism, Communication and Law: Geoffrey Cowan, LLB (Journalism)
Orrin B. Evans Distinguished Professor of Law: Elyn R. Saks, MLitt, JD, PhD, LLD (Hon.)*
Virginia S. and Fred H. Bice Professor of Law: Scott A. Altman, JD*
Roy P. Crocker Professor of Law: Jody David Armour, JD
Richard L. and Maria B. Crutcher Professor of Law: Dan Simon, LLB, MBA, LLM, SJD
Sidney M. and Audrey M. Irmas Endowed Clinical Professor of Law: Niels W. Frenzen, JD
Maurice Jones, Jr. – Class of 1925 Professor of Law and Philosophy: Gregory C. Keating, JD, PhD
Robert Kingsley Professor of Law: Susan R. Estrich, JD
Richard L. and Antoinette S. Kirtland Professor of Law: Daria Roithmayr, JD
Newton Professor of Constitutional Law: David B. Cruz, MS, JD*
Robert C. and Nanette T. Packard Professor of Law: Scott H. Bice, JD*
Provost Professor of Policy, Political Science and Law: Jeffery A. Jenkins, PhD (Political Science)***
John B. and Alice R. Sharp Professor of Law: Ariela J. Gross, JD, PhD*
Torrey H. Webb Professor of Law: Jonathan M. Barnett, MA, MPhil, JD
Professors: Sam Erman, JD, PhD; Sofia Mary Gruskin, JD, MIA (Preventive Medicine); Bart A. Kosko, JD, PhD (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Sharon A. Lloyd, PhD (Philosophy); John G. Matsusaka, PhD (Finance and Business Economics); Claudia Moatti, PhD, HDR (Classics); Kevin J. Murphy, PhD (Finance and Business Economics); Jonathan Quong, PhD (Philosophy)*; Alison Dundes Renteln, JD, PhD (Political Science); Camille Gear Rich, JD; Stephen Rich, MA, JD*; Emily Ryo, JD, PhD; Wayne Sandholtz, PhD (International Relations); Hilary M. Schor, PhD (English); Michael Simkovic, JD; Franita Tolson, JD
Associate Professors: Jessica Marglin, MA, PhD (Religion); Nathan Perl-Rosenthal, MA, MPhil, PhD (History); Abby K. Wood, MALD, JD, PhD
Assistant Professors: Erik Hovenkamp, JD, PhD; Felipe Jimenez, JD, LLM, JSD; Dorothy S. Lund, JD; Marcela Prieto Rudolphy, JD, LLM
Adjunct Professor: Richard Peterson, MDR, JD, LLM
Adjunct Assistant Professors: Preston Ascherin, JD; Anitha Cadambi, LLB, LLM; Judy K. Davis, MLIS, JD; Cynthia Guyer, MLIS, JD; Sarah Hall, JD; Diana C. Jaque, MA, MLIS, JD; Paul Moorman, MLIS, JD; Brian Peck, JD; Brian M. Raphael, MLS, JD*; Jean Lantz Reisz, JD; Karen Skinner, MS, MLS, JD
Clinical Professors: Michael J. Brennan, LLB; Michael Chasalow, JD, MBA*; Hannah R. Garry, MA, JD*; Lisa Klerman, JD; Jef Pearlman, JD; Heidi L. Rummel, JD
Professors of Lawyering Skills: Elizabeth A. Carroll, JD; Rebecca S. Lonergan, JD; Susan C. Wright, JD
Assistant Professor of Lawyering Skills: Laura Riley, JD
Professors of the Practice of Law: Clare Pastore, JD; Donald Scotten, JD, LLM
Emeritus Professors: Marshall Cohen, MA, MA (Oxon) (University Professor); Edward J. Finegan, PhD (Linguistics); Ronald R. Garet, MPhil, JD, PhD* (Carolyn Craig Franklin Chair in Law, Emeritus); Cynthia B. Herrup, PhD (History); George Lefcoe, LLB (Ervin and Florine Yoder Chair in Real Estate Law); Michael H. Shapiro, MA, JD (Dorothy W. Nelson Professor of Law, Emeritus); Larry G. Simon, LLB (Herbert W. Armstrong Professor of Constitutional Law, Emeritus); W. David Slawson, MA, LLB* (Torrey H. Webb Professor of Law, Emeritus); Christopher D. Stone, JD, LLD (Hon.)* (J. Thomas McCarthy Trustee Chair in Law, Emeritus)
Clinical Emeritus Professors: Lee W. Campbell, JD; Noel M. Ragsdale, JD*
Emeritus Professor of Lawyering Skills: Robert M. Saltzman, JD
*Recipient of university-wide or school teaching award.
USC Gould School of Law School is accredited by the American Bar Association. For information on ABA accreditation, please contact:
The American Bar Association
321 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 988-5000
The Juris Doctor (JD) is the standard law degree. To obtain the degree, full-time attendance for six semesters is required. During the first year, the student takes a curriculum of basic courses that examine fundamental legal institutions and address legal problems relevant to today’s society and the modern practice of law. During the second and third years, the student must complete a writing requirement and at least 6 units in experiential courses. The remainder of the courses taken in the last two years are primarily elective.
JD students have an opportunity to learn about foreign legal systems and to experience different cultures through study abroad programs. Qualified second- and third-year JD candidates are exposed to international law as they take part in exchange programs with leading partner institutions worldwide. For more information, please check out the Gould School of Law Website.
All applicants are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) administered by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) or the Graduate Records Examinations (GRE) administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). Applicants who take the LSAT must take the test no later than February if they seek to start law school the following August. Applicants who take the GRE must take the test no later than mid-January (the specific date is available in the application instructions) if they plan to start law school the following August.
USC Gould admits a small number of highly qualified transfer students with LLM degrees from USC Gould. These students will have taken a large number of JD courses in their LLM course of study and received strong grades in those courses; the LSAT is not required.
USC Gould School of Law maintains several dual degree programs with the graduate schools on campus. These programs enable qualified students to earn a law degree (JD) and the appropriate master’s degree. If the master’s degree normally requires one year of study, a student in a dual degree program may earn both degrees in only three years. If the master’s normally requires two years of post-baccalaureate courses, a total of four years may be required. To earn the JD, all students (including dual degree students) must complete 37 numerically graded law units at USC beyond the first year curriculum.
Students may be accepted for a dual degree program when they are accepted to the law school, although most students do not apply until near the end of the first year. All programs require that students successfully complete the required first year of law school before beginning work toward the master’s degree. Credit toward the law degree may not be given for graduate work completed prior to the completion of the first year of law school, although some credit toward the master’s degree may be allowed by the faculty of the cooperating department of approved work completed prior to the first year of law school. Students are not eligible for either of their dual degrees until they complete the requirements for both degrees.
Following are general descriptions of current dual degree programs. Students who wish to pursue a dual degree program with a graduate program not listed below, can propose a customized dual-degree program. In all cases, prospective students must seek and gain acceptance to both the law school and the other graduate program, and have the dual degree program approved by both schools. Decisions regarding admission to the law school and the graduate program are made independently. For more information, contact the Law School Admissions Office at admissions@law.usc.edu.
Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration
In addition to the LSAT, applicants to this dual degree program are required to take the Graduate Management Aptitude Test. Requirements are detailed at Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA) and in the USC Marshall School of Business section of this catalogue.
Juris Doctor/Master of Business Taxation
The Leventhal School of Accounting offers a specialized program in taxation leading to the Master in Business Taxation (MBT). Requirements are detailed at Juris Doctor/Master of Business Taxation (JD/MBT) and in the USC Leventhal School of Accounting section of this catalogue.
Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration
Students are required to complete 97 units of course work. Candidates for the dual degree must fulfill the statistics requirement of the Public Administration (MPA) degree. See the Master of Public Administration section. Requirements are detailed at Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration (JD/MPA) and in the USC Price School of Public Policy section of this catalogue.
Juris Doctor/Master of Public Policy
The USC Price School of Public Policy and the USC Gould School of Law offer a dual degree that enables qualified students to earn both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Public Policy in approximately four years of study.
The dual degree allows students to acquire a blend of the analytic skills of public policy and an understanding of legal institutions and processes. This combination of knowledge is well suited for law students who want to affect the policy-making process and craft legislation to aid in achievement of public policy goals. It is equally appropriate for prospective policy analysts who are interested in law and public policy.
Dual degree students spend the first year of the program completing the required first year of law school. The remaining units of law school courses and the required 36 units of core MPP courses are taken by students in the second through fourth years.
Students are required to complete 114 units of course work, including 78 units in the USC Gould School of Law and 36 units in the USC Price School of Public Policy. The MPP program has a statistics prerequisite. See Public Policy (MPP) . Requirements are detailed at Juris Doctor/Master of Public Policy (JD/MPP) and in the USC Price School of Public Policy section.
Master of Laws in Alternative Dispute Resolution (LLM in ADR)
The on-campus Master of Laws in Alternative Dispute Resolution (LLM in ADR) program is a master’s degree program for law graduates and attorneys interested in building strength as advocates in ADR processes or gaining skills and a prestigious credential for pursuing career opportunities as mediators or arbitrators.
Students submitting an application must have earned a basic law degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), a Juris Doctor (JD) or the foreign equivalent. Please visit the Gould School of Law Website for more information.
Master of Laws in International Business and Economic Law (LLM in IBEL)
The on-campus Master of Laws in International Business and Economic Law degree is a two- to four-semester, full-time and part-time master’s degree program for law graduates and attorneys interested in developing a global perspective and interdisciplinary skills that will enable them to understand and integrate relevant laws, policies and business best practices that shape international commerce and trade.
Students submitting an application must have earned a basic law degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), a Juris Doctor (JD) or the foreign equivalent. Please visit the Gould School of Law Website for more information.
Master of Laws in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity (LLM in PLCB)
The on-campus Master of Laws in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity degree is a two- to four-semester, full-time and part-time master’s degree program for law graduates and attorneys who wish to develop skills that will enable them to understand and integrate relevant laws, policies and best practices that shape privacy law and cybersecurity.
Students submitting an application must have earned a basic law degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree or the foreign equivalent. Please visit the Gould School of Law Website for more information.
Master of Laws (LLM) (On-campus and Online)
The on-campus Master of Laws (LLM) program is a master’s degree program for foreign graduate students trained in law. This two- to four-semester, full-time and part-time program introduces foreign lawyers to American law and the U.S. legal system and prepares them for leadership roles in the global market. Students may enroll in an optional certificate track in Alternate Dispute Resolution, Business Law, Compliance, Media and Entertainment Law, Transnational Law and Business, or Technology and Entrepreneurship Law.
The online Master of Laws (LLM) program is a master’s degree program for foreign graduate students trained in law. This program is offered on a part-time or full-time basis in a completely online modality and introduces foreign lawyers to American law and the U.S. legal system and prepares them for leadership roles in the global market. Students may enroll in an optional certificate track in Business Law, Compliance, Entertainment Law and Industry, Financial Compliance, Health Care Compliance, Human Resources Compliance, or Privacy Law and Cybersecurity.
Students submitting an application to either LLM program must have earned a basic law degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree or the foreign equivalent. Please visit the Gould School of Law Website for more information.
Two-Year Extended Master of Laws (LLM)
The on-campus Two-Year Extended Master of Laws (LLM) program combines a one-year certificate program with a one-year master’s degree for foreign graduate students trained in law. During the first year, students complete mandatory law and English courses to prepare them for the master’s program and further their English fluency. After successful completion of the first year, students earn a Certificate in U.S. Legal Studies . In the second year, students matriculate into our on-campus Master of Laws program.
Students submitting an application must have earned a basic law degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree or the foreign equivalent. Please visit the Gould School of Law Website for more information.
Master of Comparative Law (MCL)
The on-campus Master of Comparative Law (MCL) program is a master’s degree program for foreign graduate students trained in law who have already earned an LLM degree. This two-semester, full-time program is focused on the study of comparative law.
Students submitting an application must have earned a basic law degree, a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree or the foreign equivalent and have previously earned an LLM degree. Please visit the Gould School of Law Website for more information.
Master of Dispute Resolution (MDR)
The on-campus Master of Dispute Resolution (MDR) program is a master’s degree program for graduates from varying fields of study, who are interested in building strength as advocates in alternative dispute resolution processes.
Students submitting an application must have earned an undergraduate degree by the time they begin the MDR program. Please visit the Gould School of Law Website for more information.
Master of Studies in Law (MSL) (On-campus and Online)
The on-campus Master of Studies in Law (MSL) program is designed for new graduates as well as seasoned professionals from varying fields of studies and careers, who seek an understanding of how the U.S. legal system functions. Students may enroll in an optional certificate track in Business Law or Compliance.
The online Master of Studies in Law (MSL) is designed for new graduates as well as seasoned professionals from varying fields of studies and careers. This program is offered on a part-time or full-time basis in a completely online modality for students who seek an understanding of how the U.S. legal system functions. Students may enroll in an optional certificate track in in Business Law, Compliance, Entertainment Law and Industry, Financial Compliance, Health Care Compliance, Human Resources Compliance, or Privacy Law and Cybersecurity.
Students submitting an application must have earned an undergraduate degree by the time they begin the MSL degree. Please visit the Gould School of Law Website for more information.
A progressive degree is an option for current USC undergraduate students. For more information, please visit the Gould School of Law Website. You may also contact USC Gould Undergraduate for more details.)
USC Gould offers stand-alone certificates to allow students with a bachelor’s degree to gain further knowledge of a particular area of law.
Registration
Registration for JD students is handled by the USC Gould School of Law Academic Services Office. First-year students will automatically be registered in their fall semester courses approximately two to three weeks prior to the beginning of the school year and for their spring semester courses during the week listed in the law school calendar for upper-division student registration.
Registration for master’s students is handled by the Graduate and International Programs Office. Master’s students will receive registration information in July with detailed instructions on how to register for fall and spring classes.
Grading and Attendance Policies
Grading
The grading system uses both numbers and letters in a range from 1.9 to 4.4 with letter-grade equivalents ranging from F to A+. The grade equivalents are: A+ (4.1–4.4); A (3.8–4.0); A- (3.5–3.7); B+ (3.3–3.4); B (3.0–3.2); B- (2.7–2.9); C+ (2.5–2.6); C (2.4); C- (2.1–2.3); D (2.0); and F (1.9). Students receiving a grade of 1.9 will not be given credit for the course toward graduation. A student who fails a first-year course must repeat the course, but both grades will be included in computing that student’s general average. Other courses may not be repeated except on petition to the associate dean. A student with a weighted cumulative average of less than 3.0 at the end of the year will be placed on restricted enrollment. A Juris Doctor student with a weighted cumulative average of less than 2.9 at the end of any year will not be permitted to continue. An overall grade point average of at least 2.6 is required for graduation for students who are enrolled in the LLM, LLM in ADR, MCL, MDR or MSL, Alternative Dispute Resolution Certificate, Business Law Certificate (online), Compliance Certificate (online), and Entertainment Law and Industry Certificate (online) programs.
Credit/D/F
After the first year, a Juris Doctor student may take up to a total of 8 units on an elected CR/D/F basis, chosen from among courses otherwise graded in a normal manner. No more than 4 such units may be taken in a semester. Master’s students may take up to 5 units of CR/D/F grading during the length of their program. The student must elect to take a course CR/D/F during the first two weeks of the semester. Courses or seminars may, at the instructor’s option, be designated prior to registration as not available for CR/D/F grading. To earn the JD, all students (including dual degree students) must complete 37 numerically graded law units at USC beyond the first-year curriculum.
Students may also take such courses regularly offered only on a CR/D/F basis, in addition to courses taken under this rule.
Withdrawals from Courses
A student may not withdraw from a course later than two weeks after the first day of classes of any semester without permission of both the associate dean and the instructor.
Attendance
Class attendance is an important part of law school education. It assists both the individual and fellow students in making the most of the educational opportunity offered. Students should, therefore, attend class regularly and participate in the discussion. Professors may require attendance and may take attendance into account in evaluating student performance.
For tuition and fee information, please visit the Gould School of Law Website.
Standard Unit Rule
The Standard Unit Rule (also called “credit hour”) is an amount of work that reasonably approximates:
(1) not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and two hours of out-of-class student work per week for 15 weeks, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
(2) at least an equivalent amount of work as required in subparagraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including simulation, field placement, clinical, co-curricular, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours. (ABA Standard 310)
Depending on the course type, the law school awards credit for varying periods of time. In all cases, however, the course work entails no less than the minimum total amount of in-class and out-of-class time required by the ABA (per Interpretation 310-1):
50 minutes of in-class time and two 60-minute periods of out-of-class time for 15 weeks for each unit of credit (a 15-week may period may include one week for a final examination).
In exceptional cases, at the discretion of the Vice Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs (upon the request of the faculty member), a specific course may carry 1 unit of credit greater than the time the course meets each week. Those cases are limited to courses in which the instructor certifies to the Vice Dean that the course requires substantial written work. If the written work is optional, students may enroll in these types of courses for different unit values. Students performing the written work will receive additional credit.
Full policies and procedures for USC Gould School of Law students are published in the Student Handbook and are available on the Law Portal.
USC Gould School of Law, one of the nation’s elite law schools, offers undergraduate courses and programs in its curriculum, which are taught by its internationally distinguished faculty and lecturers. Our mission is to provide a broad-based academic foundation in law to undergraduate students who have an interest in law and legal-related fields. Law affects everyone in our society and students will deepen their education by exploring the role law plays in the world, its impact on society, and the way in which it intersects and impacts almost every facet of life.
USC Gould courses meet a variety of graduation requirements. Some courses satisfy USC General Education (GE) requirements, and others are either required or are electives in several USC majors and minors. For more information about the minor in Legal Studies, undergraduate course offerings, and those that satisfy USC General Education requirements, please vist the USC Gould School of Law Website or email: undergraduate@law.usc.edu
Undergraduate Courses
LAW 101w , LAW 200w , LAW 201 , LAW 202 , LAW 205 , LAW 210p , LAW 220 , LAW 250w , LAW 275p , LAW 300 , LAW 310w , LAW 320p , LAW 402 , LAW 403 , LAW 404 , LAW 406 , LAW 444 , ECON 434 .
Minor in Legal Studies
The minor in Legal Studies enables students to deepen their understanding the U.S. legal system and provides them with the fundamentals of law. The minor in Legal Studies totals 22 units, consisting of 6 required units, and 16 elective units.
For more details on the minor, please visit USC Gould School of Law Website. Undergraduate students wishing to declare a minor in Legal Studies should email: undergraduate@law.usc.edu or submit an application form.
Undergraduate Majors, that include LAW courses:
Law, History, and Culture (BA)
Philosophy, Politics and Law (BA)
Public Policy (BS)
Undergraduate Minors, that include LAW courses:
Economics Minor
Forensics and Criminality Minor
Justice, Voice, and Advocacy Minor
Health Policy Minor
Law and Public Policy Minor
Law and Society Minor
Psychology and Law Minor
Resistance to Genocide Interdisciplinary Minor
USC’s Progressive Degree program enables USC undergraduate students to begin work on a USC master’s degree while completing the requirements for their USC bachelor’s degree. Students complete their undergraduate degree and MSL degree in no more than five years.
Undergraduate students may submit an application to the Master of Studies in Law (MSL) degree program as a junior for enrollment beginning in the fall or spring. Students must have completed at least 64 total units of undergraduate course work, but may not have not exceeded 96 total units, excluding AP, IB or transfer units earned prior to graduation from high school.
Students must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 both at the time an application is submitted and at enrollment.
Students should complete their undergraduate degree and MSL degree in a total of five years. For more information, please vist the USC Gould School of Law Website or email: undergraduate@law.usc.edu
Accelerated BA/JD Program (3+3)
Undergraduate students at USC, who have completed their required bachelor’s major course work by the end of their junior year (or have minimal units of upper-division elective courses remaining), may apply to our accelerated JD program. Students will complete their undergraduate and law school studies in a total of six years.
Students must have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.80 both at the time an application is submitted and at enrollment. Under current ABA guidelines, the LSAT is not required; however, this is subject to change. The program is open to all participating majors. Please visit the Gould School of Law Website for more information.
Minor
Master’s Degree
Graduate Certificate
Dual Degree
Doctoral Degree
Law
Courses numbered 500 and above are open only to law students except by special permission from the associate dean.
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