Academics
In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. and LL.M. in U.S. and Global Legal Studies. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 9 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.A (Juris Doctor/Master of Bioethics), J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in legal history), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.D. (Juris Doctor/Doctor of Medicine), J.D./M.N.O. (Juris Doctor/Master of Nonprofit Management), J.D./M.P.H. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health), J.D./M.P.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Political Science), J.D./M.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Biochemistry), and J.D./M.S.S.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science in social work).
Students must take 15 credits in their area of concentration. The School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, international law, litigation, health law, law technology, and public law. In addition, clinical courses provide students with the opportunity to sit first chair and represent clients in a variety of cases. A wide range of seminars is limited to 12 students and range from copyright in the Digital Millennium to Wrongful Convictions. Judicial externships with federal district and circuit court judges are available to selected students for 3 credits. Supervised research with faculty is worth 2 credit hours, and is offered to second- and third-year students. Field work is also available for credit through the Coast Guard Defense Lab and the Terrorism Prosecution Lab. Special lecture series include the Klatsky Seminar in Human Rights and the Distinguished Intellectual Property Lecture. A study-abroad program is available in Russia, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. An academic assistance program offers tutorial assistance to first- and second-year students, primarily on exam technique and general writing skills. The school is actively involved in the recruitment of students who will enhance the diversity of the student body and legal profession. In addition to an extensive recruitment travel, there is an annual Minority Scholars Day. The most widely taken electives are Evidence, Business Associations, Criminal Procedure, Wills and Trusts.
To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 88 total credits, of which 39 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.33 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: a Perspectives course, CASE ARC: CORE I and II, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of a substantial research paper, CASE ARC: CORE III and FPS, and Professional Responsibility. More than 50 clinical course positions are available to third-year students. The required orientation program for first-year students is an intensive week-long orientation that includes 17 hours of instruction in the innovative CASE ARC Integrated Lawyering Skills Program.
In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.33, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, CASE ARC Integrated Lawyering Skills Program, and Professional Responsibility.