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Woodruff CurriculumThe Woodruff Curriculum is one of the true hallmarks of a Mercer education and will help distinguish you as a professional throughout your career.

The Woodruff Curriculum is one of the true hallmarks of a Mercer education and will help distinguish you as a professional throughout your career. Initiated in 1990, the philosophy behind the curriculum was truly ahead of its time and is now looked upon as a model by law schools across the country.

The History of the Woodruff Curriculum
Atlanta philanthropist George W. Woodruff bestowed $15 million to Mercer's School of Law, along with a challenge to "...make a very good law school even better." In response to this challenge, Mercer faculty and administrators looked deeply into the practice of law, how today's lawyers have been prepared, and how tomorrow's lawyers could be better prepared. Their hard work and efforts were realized by the launch of the Woodruff Curriculum, which has helped to re-define the concept of legal education.

  • Class sizes were reduced to levels that place Mercer's classes among the smallest in the country
  • Course requirements were revised to place an even greater emphasis on practical skills, ethics, and professionalism needed for the practice of law
  • A first-of-its-kind legal writing program was launched and has since evolved into one of America's finest
  • Cutting-edge technology and resources were added to an already comprehensive law library
  • The Woodruff Scholarship was established to attract the sharpest minds

Recognized for Excellence
As a result of these efforts, Mercer's Walter F. George School of Law is one of only a select group of schools in the country to have received the Gambrell Professionalism Award from the American Bar Association. The award cited the curriculum's "depth and excellence" and its ability to "turn law students into professionals."

The Woodruff Curriculum
The First Year
The vision and foresight of the Woodruff Curriculum will become evident on your first day at Mercer. Your first semester will begin with Introduction to the Study of Law, a one-week course designed to demystify the teaching methods and goals of law school. You will then delve into such core courses as:

  • Property
  • Contracts and Sales
  • Torts
  • Criminal Law
  • Civil Procedure
  • Legal Profession
  • Legal Writing and Research
  • Legal Analysis
  • Constitutional Law
  • Jurisdiction and Judgments

And you will not have to wait to receive the benefits of small classes—several first-year courses have fewer than 25 students.

The Second Year
At the start of your second year, you will take a workshop on client interviewing and counseling, and you will choose from elective courses to fulfill requirements in two blocks. The Administrative Block includes labor, environmental, immigration, and patent law, among other topics. The Perspectives Block includes courses on legal history, comparative law, and other subjects of broader scope.

The Third Year
Your third year will begin with a workshop on dispute resolution, followed by a core course, Law of Lawyering, in which you will grapple with ethical and professional challenges in the life of a lawyer. Your sixth and final semester will offer in-depth seminars on key topics, as well as Advanced Skills courses that will deepen your abilities in areas such as:

  • Advanced Trial Practice
  • Advanced Litigation
  • Transactional Drafting
  • Managing a Law Practice
  • Case Settlement Negotiation
  • Labor Arbitration

Current Curriculum Requirments

View a full list of electives

How to use Resources For
  • Simply use the "Resources For:" links in the above orange bar, and for each you will see a series of links appear in this box that will take you on a streamlined path to the most relevant information possible.

 
 
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