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), J.D./M.B.A (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.B.S (Juris Doctor/Master of Biological Science), J.D./M.B.T. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Tax), J.D./M.D. (Juris Doctor/Doctor of Medicine), J.D./M.Ed. (Juris Doctor/Master of Education), J.D./M.P.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Affairs), J.D./M.P.H. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Health), J.D./M.P.P. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Policy), J.D./M.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science), J.D./M.U.R.P. (Juris Doctor/Master of Urban Regional Planning), and J.D./Ph.D. (Juris Doctor/Doctor of Philosophy).
Students must take 12 credits in their area of concentration. The Law School offers concentrations in international law, labor law, litigation, health law, bioethics, human rights, and labor and employment. In addition, second-and third-year students may enroll in 19 separate clinics in such areas as bankruptcy, child advocacy, and civil practice. Through these clinics, students receive academic credit while also providing more than 18,000 hours of pro bono legal assistance to low income individuals in the Twin Cities each year. More than 60 seminars, averaging 2 credits each, are available each year to upper-level students. The Law School houses 10 research institutes: Human Rights Center, Institute on Race and Poverty, Kommerstad Center for Business Law and Entrepreneurship, Minnesota Center for Legal Studies, Institute for Law and Rationality, Institute for Law and Politics, Institute for Law and Economics, Institute for Crime and Public Policy, Institute on Intellectual Property, and Consortium on Law and Values in Health, Environment and Life Sciences. The Judicial Externship Program places students with local, federal and state court judges. There is a variety of endowed lecture programs that bring special speakers to the Law School each year. In addition, the Minnesota Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit preside over special hearings at the Law School each year. Study abroad is available in France, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Uruguay and Spain. A structured study group program is available to all first-year students. Student organizations include American Indian Law Student Association, Asian American Law Student Association, Black Law Student Association, Latino Law Students Alliance, and LAMBDA Law Student Association. The most widely taken electives are Business/Corporations, Tax, and Evidence.
To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 88 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 Research and Writing, Property, Statutory Interpretation, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Professional Responsibility. Clinical courses are not required, but they are popular, with a 50% participation rate.The required orientation program for first-year students consists of 2<1/2> days in which the entering class is introduced to each other and the law school faculty and staff.
In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0 and have completed the upper-division writing requirement.