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 American studies), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), and J.D./M.P.P. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Policy).
In addition, clinics, worth 3 credits, combine a classroom component with supervised work in an office setting and include domestic violence, legal aid, and federal tax practice. Seminars, worth 2 to 3 credits, are open to both second- and third-year students (size limited to 15 to 25 students) and include civil rights, corporate drafting, and legal technology. Internships, worth 3 credits, include Attorney General Practice, Department of Employment Dispute Resolution, and Virginia Court of Appeals. Research programs, worth 1 to 2 credits, include independent research, advanced research, directed research, and tax research. They are open to second- and third-year students and must be completed with a supervising professor. Field work is offered through an externship program open to second- and third-year students for 1 to 3 credits. Externships require a minimum of 40 hours of work, a synopsis of work done, a journal, and an evaluation by the supervising attorney or judge. Placements may be made with a judge, nonprofit organization, Virginia Court of Appeals, Department of Employment Dispute Resolution, Attorney General’s Office, or Supreme Court of Virginia. Special lectures include the Institute of Bill of Rights Law, Cutler Lectures, and George Wythe Lectures. Study abroad is available in the summer in Madrid, Spain, with most classes worth 2 credits and open to any second- or third-year student who applies from an ABA accredited law school. In addition, semester abroad programs are available to second- and third-year students in Japan, New Zealand, and Spain. Tutorial programs are available to any first-year student under the direction of the Associate Dean for Programs. Minority programs are arranged by minority student organizations. Special interest group programs are arranged by individual student organizations. The most widely taken electives are Criminal Procedure, Evidence, and Corporations.
To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 86 total credits, of which 34 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 1.8 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts I and II, Criminal Law, Legal Skills I and II, Property I and II, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Ethics and Legal Skills III and IV. The required orientation program for first-year students is a 1-week program designed to introduce legal analysis, legal vocabulary, legal teaching methods, legal writing, and the law firm structure of the Legal Skills Program.
In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0 and have completed the upper-division writing requirement.