Academic Calendar
Our academic year begins in mid-August, when we welcome first-year students for orientation and events, and closes with commencement in mid-May, when we hand hard-earned diplomas to our newest alumni.
Fall Semester 2025
First Year LLM Students - add to calendar
- Short Course Instruction (American Law in a Global Context) – Wednesday, August 13 – Friday, August 22
- Semester Course Instruction Begins – Monday, August 25
First Year MLS Students - add to calendar
- Short Course Instruction (Introduction to Law and Fundamentals) – Saturday, August 2 – Wednesday, August 6
- Semester Course Instruction Begins – Monday, August 25
First Year JD Students - add to calendar
- Orientation – Thursday, August 14 – Friday, August 15
- Short Course Instruction (Introduction to Legal Analysis) – Monday, August 18 – Friday, August 22
- Semester Course Instruction Begins – Monday, August 25
Advanced JD (2L and 3L), LLM, MLS, SJD Students - add to calendar
- Semester Course Instruction Begins – Monday, August 25
All Students - add to calendar
- Labor Day (no classes meet) – Monday, September 1
- Pro Bono Day (no classes meet) – Tuesday, November 4
- Veteran's Day Holiday (no classes meet) – Tuesday, November 11
- Administrative Makeup Day (Tuesday classes will meet instead of Wednesday classes*) – Wednesday, November 26
- Semester Course Instruction Ends – Wednesday, November 26
- Thanksgiving Holiday – Thursday, November 27 – Friday, November 28
- Review Sessions – Monday, December 1 – Wednesday, December 3
- Reading Period – Thursday, December 4
- Final Examinations – Friday, December 5 – Thursday, December 18
- Semester Ends – Thursday, December 18
- Winter Campus Closure – TBD
*To account for class days missed due to holidays.
Future Semester
-
Spring 2026
Advanced JD (2L and 3L), LLM, MLS, and SJD Students - add to calendar
- Short Course Instruction (January Term courses) – Friday, January 2 – Tuesday, January 13 (includes Saturday, January 3 and Saturday, January 10)
- Semester Course Instruction Begins – Wednesday, January 14 (Monday classes will meet instead of Wednesday classes*)
First Year JD Students - add to calendar
- Semester Course Instruction Begins – Wednesday, January 14 (Monday classes will meet instead of Wednesday classes*)
All Students - add to calendar
- First Administrative Makeup Day (Monday classes will meet instead of Wednesday classes*) – Wednesday, January 14
- Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (no classes meet) – Monday, January 19
- President’s Day Holiday (no classes meet) – Monday, February 16
- Spring Break – Monday, March 23 – Friday, March 27
- Cesar Chavez Holiday (administrative offices closed) – Friday, March 27
- Second Administrative Makeup Day (Monday classes will meet instead of Thursday classes*) – Thursday, April 23
- Semester Course Instruction Ends – Thursday, April 23
- Review Sessions – Friday, April 24 – Tuesday, April 28
- Final Examinations – Wednesday, April 29 – Tuesday, May 12
- Semester Ends – Tuesday, May 12
- Commencement – Friday, May 15
*To account for class days missed due to holidays.
Past Semesters
-
Spring 2025
Advanced JD (2L & 3L) LLM, MLS & SJD Students
- Short Course Instruction (January courses) - January 2-15
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - January 16 (Monday classes meet)
First Year JD Students
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - January 16 (Monday classes meet)
All Students
- First Administrative Makeup Monday (Monday classes meet) - January 16 (Thursday)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (no classes meet) - January 20
- Presidents' Day Holiday (no classes meet) - February 17
- Spring Break - March 24-28
- Cesar Chavez Holiday (administrative offices closed) - March 28
- Second Administrative Makeup Monday (Monday classes meet) - April 25 (Friday)
- Instruction Ends - April 25
- Review Sessions - April 28-30
- Reading Period - May 1
- Final Examinations - May 2-15
- Semester Ends - May 15
- Commencement - May 16
- Memorial Day - May 26
-
Fall 2024
LLM Students
- Short Course Instruction (American Law in a Global Context) - August 14-23
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - August 26
First Year MLS Students
- Short course Instruction (Introduction to Law and Fundamentals) - August 3-7
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - August 26
First Year JD Students
- Orientation - August 15-16
- Short Course Instruction (Introduction to Legal Analysis) - August 19-23
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - August 26
Advanced JD (2L & 3L), MLS, SJD Students
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - August 26
All Students
- Labor Day (no classes meet) - September 2
- Pro Bono Day (no classes meet) - November 5
- Veteran's Day Holiday (no classes meet) - November 11
- Administrative Makeup Monday (Monday classes meet) - November 27 (Wednesday)
- Instruction Ends - November 27
- Thanksgiving Holiday - November 28-29
- Review Sessions - December 2-4
- Reading Period - December 5
- Final Examinations - December 6-20
- Semester Ends - December 20
- Winter Campus Closure – December 21-January 1
-
Spring 2024
Advanced JD (2L & 3L) LLM, MLS & SJD Students
- Short Course Instruction (January courses) - January 3-13 (Includes Saturdays 1/6 & 1/13)
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - January 16
First Year JD Students
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - January 16
All Students
- Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (no classes meet) - January 15
- Presidents' Day Holiday (no classes meet) - February 19
- Spring Break - March 25-29
- Cesar Chavez Holiday (administrative offices closed) - March 29
- Administrative Makeup Monday (Monday classes meet) - April 23 (Tuesday)
- Instruction Ends - April 23
- Review Session/Reading Period - April 24-26
- Final Examinations – April 29-May 9
- Semester Ends - May 10
- Commencement - May 10
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Fall 2023
LLM Students
- Short Course Instruction (American Law in a Global Context) - August 9-18
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - August 21
First Year MLS Students
- Short course Instruction (Introduction to Law) - August 14-18
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - August 21
First Year JD Students
- Orientation - August 10-11
- Short Course Instruction (Introduction to Legal Analysis) - August 14-18
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - August 21
Advanced JD (2L & 3L), MLS, SJD Students
- Semester Course Instruction Begins - August 21
All Students
- Labor Day (no classes meet) - September 4
- Pro Bono Day (no classes meet) - October 24
- Veteran's Day Holiday (no classes meet) - November 10
- Administrative Makeup Friday (Friday classes meet) - November 22 (Wednesday)
- Instruction Ends - November 22
- Thanksgiving Holiday - November 23-24
- Review Sessions/Reading Period - November 27-November 30, and December 8
- Final Examinations - December 1-15
- Semester Ends - December 15
- Winter Campus Closure - December 23-January 2