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 12 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.P.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration), and J.D./M.P.P (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Policy).
The S.J. Quinney College of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, environmental law, family law, intellectual property law, international law, juvenile law, litigation, natural resources, public lands and energy, and constitutional law. In addition, live and simulation component clinics are offered for 2 to 4 credit hours. Clinics may be criminal, in which students work at the offices of the county attorney, U.S. Attorney, federal defender, or Salt Lake legal defenders; civil, in which students represent actual clients from a public-interest law firm; or judicial, in which students act as law clerks to state and federal judges. There are also placements in environmental law, health law, legislative and mediation program locations. In seminars, students perform closely supervised research, analysis, and writing, covering a wide array of topics. Students may spend a semester as full-time clerks in the judicial extern program as part of the judicial clinic. Numerous opportunities exist for students to be paid as research assistants for faculty, or to undertake directed research for credit or advanced legal research courses. Field placements with a public interest law office, Utah Legal Services, Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake, Legal Center for People with Disabilities, Catholic Community Services, and the ACLU are part of the clinical program. Special lecture series include the Leary Lecture, Fordham Debate, Distinguished Jurist in Residence, Law Review Symposium, the Natural Resources Law Forum, and the annual Wallace Stegnar Symposium. Study abroad is possible for upper-level students in the London Law Consortium, a 1-semester, ABA-approved program. The academic support program is available for eligible students and includes a legal process tutorial course, organized study groups, and academic counseling. The college sponsors a summer intern program, funded with private donations, for minority students. Selected students intern with major Salt Lake City law firms for 10 weeks following the completion of their first year and receive a $3000 stipend. The college has hosted and regularly recruits participants from the Council on Legal Education Opportunity Summer Institute, and the Pre-Law Summer Institute. Special interest groups include the Natural Resources Law Forum and the Family Law Symposium. The most widely taken electives are Evidence, Criminal Procedure, and Business Organization.
To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 88 total credits, of which 40 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 Writing and Research, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Advanced Constitutional Law, Professional Ethics, and seminar. Students are not required to take clinical courses. They are, however, strongly encouraged to participate.The required orientation program for first-year students is a 4-day course before classes begin to help students understand the role of law, the tasks of a lawyer, and the method of legal education and study.
In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0 and have completed the upper-division writing requirement.