Academics
In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. 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), J.D./M.S.C.J. (Juris Doctor/Master of Criminal Justice), J.D./M.S.F. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science in finance), and J.D./M.S.I.E. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science in international economics).
Students must take 18 to 22 credits in their area of concentration. The Law School offers concentrations in health and biomedical law, business law, and financial services. In addition, clinic programs include the Suffolk Defenders, Suffolk Prosecutors, and Battered Women’s Clinic. Seminars are available in such areas as advanced evidence, family law practice, and jurisprudence. The Civil and Judicial Internship Program allows students to gain 2 to 5 credits per semester for supervised legal work performed for government or nonprofit agencies, private law firms and companies, and state and federal courts. More than 500 internships are offered. Students may intern abroad as well. Many students act as research assistants for individual faculty members. Work-study programs are available. The Donahue Lecture Series presents 3 to 4 national scholars who lecture on various topics in legal education. Students may participate in study-abroad programs. A summer study-abroad program is available at the University of Lund in Lund, Sweden. Tutorial programs are available through the Academic Support Program and the Peer Mentoring Program. There are multicultural groups such as the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association, Hispanic Law Students Association, Native American Law Students Association, and South Asian Law Students Association. There are 35 student groups. The most widely taken electives are Evidence, Family Law, and International Law.
To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 84 total credits, of which 43 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 Practice Skills, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Base Menu courses, Professional Responsibility, and Skills Menu courses. Clinical courses are not required, but are strongly recommended.The required orientation program for first-year students includes an introduction to classmates, professors, and law school administrators in various receptions and programs. New students also meet with upper-class students and are trained on the school’s computer systems. They participate in a program aimed at preparing them on what to expect during their first year of law school and are introduced to case briefing, outlining, and time management.
In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0 and have completed the upper-division writing requirement.