College of Law

Academics

In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 6 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in anthropology, history, psychology, and English), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science in biological science, geosciences, and computer science), J.D./M.S.F. (Juris Doctor/Master of Finance), and J.D./M.TAX (Juris Doctor/ Master of Taxation).

The College of Law offers concentrations in environmental law, international law, Indian law, health law, lawyering skills, entrepreneurial law, and public policy and energy law. In addition, clinics include Immigrant Rights Project, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Legal Program, and the Social Enterprise and Economic Development (SEED) Law Project. At the University of Tulsa Boesche Legal Clinic, students represent needy clients in a variety of civil cases. All students are supervised by a faculty member, and credit is offered. Numerous seminars are offered and have a limited enrollment. Through the college’s Legal Internship Program, students may obtain practical experience gained under the supervision of practicing attorneys and the college. The Judicial Internships program offers students supervised educational experience in the Oklahoma District Court, Oklahoma Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court, U.S. Magistrate’s Office, and U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Externships and internships with certificates are offered in Health Law and Indian Law. Qualified students may pursue independent study in specific areas of the law under the supervision of law professors. Through the In-Residence Program, students meet and talk with scholars, alumni, practitioners, and judges in classes and lectures. Special lecture series include Legal Scholarship Symposium, Supreme Court Review, Buck Franklin Lecture, and the Hager Lecture. Summer institutes in law are offered in Ireland, Switzerland, China, and Argentina. Students also have the opportunity to study abroad in London for a semester. A first-year workshop focuses on study and exam skills and a third-year bar exam preparation program is available. Minority programs include Diversity Day Programs, Black Law Students Association, Hispanic Law Students Association, Native American Law Students Association, Alumni Diversity Committee, and College of Law Diversity Committee. Special interest groups include the Comparative and International Law Center, National Energy and Environmental Law, and Native American Law Center.

To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 88 total credits, of which 44 to 45 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 I, Constitutional Law I, Contracts, Criminal Law and Administration, Legal Reasoning Analysis and Writing I and II, Legal Research, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Civil Procedure II, Constitutional Law II, electives, Evidence, Perspective and Transnational (2 courses), Professional Responsibility, Seminar (2 hours), and Skills (2 hours). The required orientation program for first-year students starts 1 week before the beginning of other courses.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, and 5 hours enrichment.

Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 1157 applied, 586 were accepted, and 160 enrolled. Twenty transfers enrolled. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 57; the median GPA was 3.21 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 34; the highest was 93.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. Minimum acceptable GPA is 2.0 on a scale of 4.0. The most important admission factors include LSAT results, GPA, and undergraduate curriculum. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are not interviewed.

The application deadline for fall entry is open. Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, a personal statement, a nonrefundable application fee of $30, and 2 letters of recommendation. Application fee is waived if students apply at www.law.utulsa.edu/law. Notification of the admissions decision is on an ongoing basis. The latest acceptable LSAT test date for fall entry is February. The law school uses the LSDAS.

Financial Aid

About 89% of current law students receive some form of aid. The average annual amount of aid from all sources combined, including scholarships, loans, and work contracts, is $28,746; maximum, $46,824. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statement is the FAFSA. The aid application deadline for fall entry is open. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students include scholarship awards. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application at time of acceptance.

Students

About 38% of the student body are women; 13%, minorities; 2%, African American; 1%, Asian American; 3%, Hispanic; 6%, Native American; and 1%, foreign nationals. The majority of students come from Oklahoma (41%). The average age of entering students is 28; age range is 20 to 57. About 40% of students enter directly from undergraduate school, 14% have a graduate degree, and 48% have worked full-time prior to entering law school. About 2% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 91% remain to receive a law degree.

Students edit the Tulsa Law Review; Energy Law Journal; Year in Review, published jointly with the ABA section of Environment, Energy and Resources (SEER); Tulsa Journal of Comparative and International Law; and the newspaper Dicta. The First Board of Advocates sponsors 7 moot court competitions, including the first-year Client Counseling, Client Counseling (regional and national), and ABA Negotiation (regional and national). Other competitions include Indian Law. Law student organizations, local chapters of national associations, and campus organizations include ABA-Law Student Division, Federalist Society, Student Bar Association, Delta Theta Phi, Phi Alpha Delta, and Phi Delta Phi.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 3 years. For part-time students, courses are offered both day and evening and must be completed within 4 or 5 years. Part-time students must have flexibility to attend classes during the day; the College of Law does not have a J.D. program exclusively offered in the evening. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There are 4-, 6-, 8- and 12-week summer sessions. Transferable summer courses are offered.

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