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School 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 12 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./LL.M (Juris Doctor/Master of Laws in taxation), J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in international relations, philosophy), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration in health care), J.D./M.P.H. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health), J.D./M.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science in mass communication), and J.D./M.S.W. (Juris Doctor/Master of Social Work).

The School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, international law, litigation, health law, and intellectual property. In addition, clinics for upper-level students include Legislative Services, Criminal Trial Advocacy, and Civil Litigation Clinic. Credit varies from 3 to 8 hours. More than 60 seminars for varying credit are open to upper-level students. A judicial internship is worth 3 credits and a variety of externships, geared toward individual student interest, is offered for 6 credits. Independent study with a faculty member (supervised research and writing) is offered to upper-level students for 1 to 3 credits. Special lecture series include the Distinguished Speaker Series, Shapiro Lecture, Legal History Lectures, Intellectual Property Speaker Series, Law and Economics seminar, Faculty Workshops, and Faculty Brown Bag lunch talks. The school offers 8 overseas study programs: in Lyon, France; Paris; Oxford, England; Tel Aviv, Israel; Leiden, the Netherlands; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Florence, Italy; and Hong Kong. The Assistant Dean of Students coordinates a Voluntary Academic Support Program for first-year students whose first-semester grades indicate that they need assistance. The program is offered in the second semester of the first year for no credit. The classes focus on outlining and exam-taking skills. The law school has an Academic Support Program for second- and third-year students whose GPA ranges from 2.0 to 2.7. In addition, the Assistant Dean of Students Office, together with minority student organizations, sponsors an orientation program for incoming minority students. Minority law student organizations include APALSA (Asian-Pacific American students); BLSA (Black students); LALSA (Latin American students); SALSA (South Asian American students), and OUTLAW (gay, lesbian, and transgender students). A Student Organization Activities Fair, sponsored by the Student Bar Association, introduces students to school organizations and groups. A formal lecture series and other lectures arranged by faculty student organizations, or through a research center, are given regularly by well-known outside speakers throughout the academic year. The most widely taken electives are Corporations, Evidence, Federal Income Taxation.

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 2.0 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 Professional Responsibility. All students choose from voluntary clinical programs that include a Legal Externship program, Legislative Services, Criminal Trial Advocacy, judicial internships, Legal Aid, and Student Defenders and Prosecutors.The required orientation program for first-year students is a day and one-half program including building tours, panel discussions, faculty talks, and social events.

In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.3, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, and have researched and written a major paper on a topic of their choice. The paper is faculty supervised and evaluated.

Admissions

In the fall 2007 first-year class, 7246 applied, 1396 were accepted, and 268 enrolled. Figures in the above capsule and in this profile are approximate. Nineteen transfers enrolled in a recent year. The median LSAT percentile of the most recent first-year class was 92; the median GPA was 3.52 on a scale of 4.0. The lowest LSAT percentile accepted was 42; the highest was 99.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. The most important admission factors include GPA, LSAT results, and academic achievement. The Law School considers all factors, including social and economic. No specific undergraduate courses are required. Candidates are interviewed.

Applicants should submit an application form, LSAT results, transcripts, TOEFL for international students only, a nonrefundable applicatin fee, 2 letters of recommendation, a dean’s letter of certification, and a personal statement. Notification of the admissions decision is on a rolling basis. Check with the school for current application deadlines. The law school uses the LSDAS.

Financial Aid

In a recent year, about 85% 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, was $29,733; maximum, $43,084. Awards are based on need and merit. Required financial statements are the CSS Profile, the FAFSA, and institutional form. Check with the school for current application deadlines. Special funds for minority or disadvantaged students include Martin Luther King Jr., Whitney Young, Norbert Simmons, and Barbara Jordan fellowships and scholarships. First-year students are notified about their financial aid application within 2 weeks after acceptance.

Students

About 48% of the student body are women; 23%, minorities; 3%, African American; 13%, Asian American; and 7%, Hispanic. The majority of students come from Massachusetts (38%). The average age of entering students is 23; age range is 20 to 40. About 43% of students enter directly from undergraduate school and 9% have a graduate degree. About 4% drop out after the first year for academic or personal reasons; 95% remain to receive a law degree.

Students edit the Boston University Law Review, American Journal of Law and Medicine, Annual Review of Banking Law, Boston University International Law Journal, Public Interest Law Journal, and Journal of Science and Technology Law. All first-year students participate in the intramural J. Newton Esdaile Moot Court program during the spring semester. Second-year students may participate in the Edward C. Stone Appellate Moot Court Competition in the fall; the top advocates from the Stone Competition advance to the Homer Albers Prize Moot Court Competition during the spring semester of their second year. Teams of third-year students are sent to national intramural competitions such as National Moot Court, National Appellate Advocacy and Craven Constitutional Law. Students may participate in the Association of Trial Lawyers of America National Student Trial Advocacy Competition and the ABA Negotiation and Client Counseling competitions. The law school supports more than 25 student organizations, including Student Bar Association; Women’s Law Association; and Corporate Law Society. Other organizations include the Arts Law Association; Civil Liberties Association; and Communications, Entertainment, and Sports Law Association. There are local chapters of Federalist Society, Phi Alpha Delta, and Phi Delta Phi.

The law school operates on a traditional semester basis. Courses for full-time students are offered days only and must be completed within 3 years. For part-time students, courses are offered both day and evening. Graduate studies are offered part-time. New full- and part-time students are admitted in the fall. There is no summer session. Transferable summer courses are not offered.

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