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. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./J.C.L. (Juris Doctor/Licentiate of Canon Law), J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in politics, philosophy, history,), J.D./M.L.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Library Science), and J.D./M.S.W. (Juris Doctor/Master of Social Work).
The Columbus School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, entertainment law, environmental law, family law, intellectual property law, international law, juvenile law, labor law, litigation, maritime law, media law, securities law, sports law, tax law, torts and insurance, communications law, securities and corporate law, public policy, and law and religion. In addition, the law school has 4 one-semester and 2 year-long clinics offering from 6 to 12 credits including General Practice, Families and the Law, and Advocacy for the Elderly. Seminars are open only to upper-level students. Students from the law school participate in nearly 200 externship placements annually in all organizations, and law firms of all sizes and specialties. Students may serve as research assistants to law faculty members. Fieldwork opportunities are available through the general externship program as well as the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic and seminars such as the Public Policy Practicum and the Education Law Practicum. Special lecture series are the Pope John XXIII Lectures, the Brendan F. Brown Distinguished Lectures and Scholars-in-Residence, and the Mirror of Justice Lectures. The International Business and Trade Summer Law Program is a 6-week summer program that takes place at the historic Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. The program is open to students who have completed their first year of law school and are in good standing. Student groups and individual faculty members conduct informal tutorial sessions. A Writing Consultant is available for individualized legal writing assistance. The most widely taken electives are Evidence, Corporations, and Family Law.
To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 84 total credits, of which 33 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.1 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Lawyering Skills, Property, Social Justice and the Law, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Professional Responsibility. The required orientation program for first-year students occurs during the first week and consists of the beginning of the Lawyering Skills course, a general introduction to the law library and the law school, study skills, and social activities.
In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.15, and have completed the upper-division writing requirement.