Academics
In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. and M.S.J. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 12 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: B.S./J.D. (Bachelor of Science/Juris Doctor), J.D./M.A.D.I.R. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.D. (Juris Doctor/Doctor of Medicine), and M.D./M.S.J. (Doctor of Medicine/Master of Science in Jurisprudence).
Students must take 13 credits in their area of concentration. The School of Law offers concentrations in intellectual property law and health law. In addition, the Center for Social Justice’s for-credit clinical programs and pro bono program allow students to engage in a legal apprenticeship with an average of 15 hours per week performing legal duties, such as interviewing and counseling clients, conferring with adversaries, taking depositions, conducting research, and participating in trials. Students acquire the practical skills, knowledge, and experience that both train them and make them more attractive to prospective employers. Students may apply to the particular clinic they seek to join. The clinical programs include the Civil Litigation Clinic, Family Law Clinic, Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, Impact Litigation Clinic, and the Pro Bono Program. There is a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.6 with certain course prerequisites. Students are encouraged to enroll in at least 1 or 2 seminars or small group courses in subjects that interest them. The Advanced Writing Requirement is a required seminar course to meet graduation standards and is 2 to 3 credits per course. Elective seminars include Drafting, Simulation, and Skills courses, offered for 2 to 4 credits each. Internships include judicial, not-for-profit organizations, and federal and state government. Research program opportunities, offered to second- and third-year students, include independent research, seminars, and the opportunity to serve as a faculty research assistant. The Center for Social Justice sponsors a pro bono program that places students in a variety of legal settings during all 3 years of the law school. The law school sponsors innumerable programs. Recent speakers have included Janet Reno, Scott Turow, Akhil Amar, Cornell West, Arthur Miller, Randy Barnett, Erwin Chemerinsky, and Maya Angelou. There are summer study-abroad programs in Italy, Egypt, and Ireland. Academic support services are available to students in academic difficulty. Minority programs include the Partners in Excellence (PIE) Program, which seeks to attract a diverse pool of highly talented students who will enrich the academic life of the law school, and the Legal Education Opportunities (LEO) Institute, which is intended to provide educationally disadvantaged students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to succeed in the study of law. The most widely taken electives are Criminal Procedure, Estates and Trusts, and Commercial Law Survey.
To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 85 total credits, of which 44 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Research and Legal Writing, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Appellate Advocacy, Business Associations, Evidence, Federal Income Taxation, Persuasion and Advocacy, and Professional Responsibility. Students may apply to the particular clinic they seek to join. The required orientation program for first-year students is a 2-day program commencing immediately before the start of classes with activities continuing into the first week of classes.
In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, and have completed 85 credits of academic work. Not more than 10 of these credits may be completed with a grade of F, D, or D+. No student may attempt more than 95 credits of academic work.