They will learn how to read, analyze, and interpret statutes and apply the relevant legislative history. Moreover, they will gain a practical understanding of administrative law and the process of issuing new regulations. JM students go through the same training as JD students in learning how to research the law on an issue and use that knowledge in a wide range of contexts. The result is that as a JM graduate, you will be able to analyze an issue thoroughly from a legal perspective and as well as any young lawyer. Part and parcel of learning legal research is obtaining a firm background in the general principles and process of the law.
Courses teach basic legal doctrines and explain the methodology of legal reasoning and argument.
In addition, courses cover the doctrine of legal precedent and analyze how cases, statutes, and regulations, as well as the basic history of the law have changed laws over time. As a result, JM graduates have a complete legal foundation on which to analyze and discuss legal issues. Whether engaging in advocacy, drafting legislation, or producing legal memoranda, sound writing skills are essential to success in every aspect of public policy. The JM program complements the legal foundation with an extensive legal writing curriculum that allows students to develop and hone their skills to write effectively in just about every context. The unique combination of legal analysis with statistical and quantitative analysis is widely sought after and valued by all branches of the federal government and a variety of private organizations.