Academics
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./Certificate (Juris Doctor/Certificate in health services administration), J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/ Master of Arts in international relations), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), and J.D./M.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Science in information tech management).
Students must take 24 credits in their area of concentration. The School of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, international law, and litigation. In addition, clinics include the Milton R. Abrahams Legal Clinic, worth 4 credits, is open to all third-year students who have completed all required courses and the Community Economic Development Clinic. Seminars, worth 2 and 3 credits, include the Comparative Criminal Procedure, International Human Rights Law and Mediation Seminar. Internships are offered to eligible upper-level students in many different city, county, and federal offices and legal aid offices. Participants serve as law clerks to the various attorneys and judges, for 3 non-classroom hours. Students may select research topics and write papers for credit under the guidance of a faculty member. Special lecture series include the annual TePoel Lecture Series, Lane Foundation Lectures, and the Koley Lectures. The law school has an exchange program with Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, Spain. Students may earn up to 12 hours of law school credit through the exchange program. The Black Law Students Association and Latino Law Students Association offer tutorial programs to members. The most widely taken electives are Negotiable Instruments, Federal Income Taxation, and Criminal Law.
To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 94 total credits, of which 57 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 I and II, Constitutional Law I and II, Contracts I and II, Legal Research, Legal Writing and Lawyering Skills I, Property I and II, and Torts I and II. Required upper-level courses consist of Business Associations, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Legal Writing and Lawyering Skills II, Professional Responsibility, Secured Transactions in Personal Property, and Trusts and Estates I. The required orientation program for first-year students is a <1/2> day program that includes introduction to Socratic method, financial aid presentation, and mentor groups.
In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0, and have completed the upper-division writing requirement.