Academics
Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 4 (8 in joint-degree 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.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science in computer science, dispute resolution), and J.D./M.U.R.P. (Juris Doctor/Masters of Urban and Regional Planning).
The Shepard Broad Law Center offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, environmental law, international law, litigation, tax law, torts and insurance, children and family, and health law. In addition, the clinics offer 12 credits to students who work with families and children, an environmental group, an international agency, a prosecutor or public defender, a corporation or business firm, a personal injury firm, or a mediation program. The mediation program is worth 8 credits. Upper-level students may take seminars for 2 to 3 credits. As interns, students earn 2 credits researching for a judge or serving as a Guardian ad Litem. The Career Development Office sponsors lecture series on various types of law practices. The Law Center offers a dual degree program with the University of Barcelona and similar opportunities in other countries. Tutorial programs consist of the Academic Resource Program and the Critical Skills Program. Special interest group programs are the Individuals with Disabilities Project and Guardian ad Litem. Both offer credit for working to protect the rights of the disabled and children. The most widely taken electives are Sales, Remedies, and Florida Constitutional Law.
To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 90 total credits, of which 57 are for required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law I, Contracts, Criminal Law, Lawyering Skills and Values I and II, Legal Study Skills I and II, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Advanced Lawyering Skills and Values (2 semesters), Advanced Legal Analysis, an upper class writing requirement, Business Entities, Constitutional Law II, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Family Law, Professional Responsibility, and Wills and Trusts. The required orientation program for first-year students includes an introduction to the law school experience before classes begin; other sessions are held during the semester.
In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, and have passed all required courses.