Academics
Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 14 semester hours credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in philosophy), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.C.R.P. (Juris Doctor/Master of City and Regional Planning), J.D./M.P.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration), and J.D./M.S.H.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Health Administration).
Students must take 47 hours in their area of concentration. The College of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, environmental law, family law, international law, labor law, litigation, sports law, tax law, and torts and insurance. In addition, second- and third-year students may earn 3 to 6 semester hours by enrolling in the Tax Clinic and the Center for Law, Health and Society’s Health Law Partnership (HeLP) Clinic. Students in the Tax Clinic assist individual clients in preparing their cases for presentation before the Small Claims Division of the U.S. Tax Court and the Administrative Appeals Office of the Internal Revenue Service. Students in the HeLP Clinic have opportunities to work on cases related to children’s health and welfare. Seminars are offered to students who have completed the prerequisites and are normally worth 2 semester hours. Internships include working for local district attorneys, solicitors, and defenders; clerking for county, state, and federal judges; and placement in a variety of other governmental or pubic interest organizations. Independent research for 1 to 2 semester hours credit may be selected by third-year students upon approval by a faculty adviser and the administration. Field work includes pro bono work. Special lecture series include the Henry J. Miller Distinguished Lecture Series. The College of Law offers 2 study abroad programs. Law students can participate in the Summer Academy for International Commercial Arbitration conducted in Europe, which includes visits to arbitral institutions in Vienna, Budapest, Prague, and Venice. Law and graduate students may also participate in “The Urban Environment: Law, Policy and Culture — The Rio Experience.” The administration offers an academic enrichment program for students who need or desire additional help in required courses. Minority and special interest programs are usually sponsored by student organizations and/or faculty members. The most widely taken electives are Basic Tax; Wills, Trusts, and Estates; and Criminal Procedure.
To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 90 total credits, of which 43 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 73 (on a scale of 100) in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure I and II, Contracts I and II, Criminal Law, Legal Bibliography, Legal Method, Property I and II, Research Writing and Advocacy I and II, and Torts I and II. Required upper-level courses consist of Constitutional Law, Evidence, Litigation, and Professional Responsibility. The required orientation program for first-year students occurs in the first week of the fall semester and is designed to introduce some of the first-year required courses, college personnel, and facilities, and to familiarize students with procedures.
In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 73.0 and have completed the upper-division writing requirement.