Academics

Colorado Law’s three-year, full-time Juris Doctor (JD) degree provides a strong, well-rounded legal education with a rich mixture of theory, policy, doctrinal analysis, and professional skills. Students have broad flexibility to meet their individual interests and needs.

Areas of Academic Strength

Environmental, Energy, and Natural Resources Law. Ranked consistently among the very best in the country, environmental and natural resources law has been a key focus of the Colorado Law curriculum for more than half a century, and is one of the strongest and deepest programs of its kind. 

Technology and Intellectual Property Law: Colorado Law has developed one of the nation’s most comprehensive legal programs oriented around information technology. Technology lawyers address interesting policy challenges and novel legal issues, and rank among the most satisfied within the legal profession. Colorado Law is the right place at the right time for those interested in exploring the frontiers of entrepreneurial law, technology policy, and intellectual property.

Entrepreneurial and Business Law: Colorado Law provides a robust curriculum in business law, tailored for aspiring deal lawyers in Boulder, Denver, and beyond. Boulder has a vibrant entrepreneurial community with many start-up and emerging companies. We place students in small law firms that serve small business and emerging companies, as well as in larger law firms who serve traditional larger corporate clients. In recent years, we have placed students in interesting and fulfilling in-house positions.

American Indian Law: At Colorado Law, we believe that American Indians deserve the very best lawyers and that we have an obligation to train them. Our American Indian Law Program faculty, including the nation’s top scholars and practitioners in the field, offers a full slate of introductory and advanced classes in the field to prepare students for all aspects of Indian law practice, and we now have dozens of successful alumni practicing Indian law in tribal government, federal agencies, and at law firms. Colorado Law graduates are equally prepared to work on impact litigation, economic development, policy advocacy, individual legal services, and tribal governance in Indian law. Our American Indian Law Program also appeals to many students with broader practice interests in natural resources, public lands, property, museum and art law, technology, entrepreneurship, family law, and beyond. Indeed, because American Indian law raises questions regarding the rule of law and legal pluralism, the contours of sovereignty and governance, cross-cultural representation and minority rights, and interdisciplinary study and practice, it offers important intellectual development opportunities for all Colorado Law students.

Juvenile and Family Law:  Juvenile and family law covers a broad range of practice areas, such as marriage, divorce, custody, visitation, family support, child abuse and neglect, delinquency, adoption, estate planning, education law, and elder law. The Juvenile and Family Law Program (JFLP) provides students with opportunities to acquire specialized knowledge in this field, develop a network of, and foster collaboration between, students, academics, and practitioners, and engage in interdisciplinary work in the study and practice of the field. The Program includes specialized courses, research projects, externships, and clinical opportunities.

Academic Support

From the student’s first day, Colorado Law invests in her or his academic success. Through the Rothgerber Academic Assistance Program, upper-division law students tutor first-year students in their courses, except Legal Writing and Advocacy. The program is open to all first year students, and more than 50 percent of the class participates in this free opportunity. 

Legal Research and Writing 

Colorado Law’s Legal Research and Writing Program ensures that its graduates are proficient in legal research, analysis, and writing, and capable of adapting these skills to varying contexts. All first-year Legal Writing and Appellate Court Advocacy courses are taught by resident legal writing faculty, and legal research and research strategy is guided by professional librarian instructors. Upper-division courses are designated as writing classes and students spend a seminar preparing a substantial paper requiring significant legal research and writing.