Candidates for the degree of Juris Doctor (J.D.) are required to complete at least 86 semester hours of credit, including all first-year required courses and Professional Responsibility, and fulfill the Upperclass Writing Requirement. The degree is awarded upon recommendation by the faculty of the law school. Eligibility for the degree requires compliance with all rules and regulations, which are set out in the Student Regulations Handbook provided to each student at the beginning of the academic year. For students' general guidance, however, the requirements to obtain the Juris Doctor degree are summarized here.

To meet the attendance requirement of the American Bar Association for admission to the bar, a full-time student must complete the degree requirements by regular attendance for six semesters of a minimum of 10 credits per semester and a maximum of 16 credits per semester. A part-time student must complete the degree requirements by regular attendance for eight semesters of a minimum of 8 credits per semester and a maximum of 12 credits per semester.

It is the policy of Brooklyn Law School to require full-time students to attend classes on at least three days of each week. In exceptional cases, written waivers of these policies may be obtained from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. ln the event that a student elects courses in a manner contrary to these policies without permission, the Associate Dean may deny credit in whole or in part for courses taken.