The University of Texas at Austin

Dual Degree Program in Law & Latin American Studies

Program Purpose

The Joint Program is designed for those students who wish to study law and Latin American issues in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner. Students who expect to be involved in government service or legal practices with a Latin American focus could benefit from this program.

The University of Texas is well positioned to offer a program of this nature. The Law School has long been considered to have one of the best faculties in the nation. Professors affiliated with the Institute of Latin American Studies are recognized world-wide for the resources. The Tarlton Law Library is sixth largest academic law library in the United States and has strong Latin American holdings. The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection is the largest library covering the whole region at any university in the world.

Program Structure

A student admitted to the Joint Program must complete the normal first-year coursework at the School of Law during the first year of the program. This must be done before taking any courses relating to the Joint Program. Both degrees are awarded simultaneously upon completion of all requirements of the Joint Program. Therefore, students should arrange their course schedules so that both degree requirements are completed in the same semester. Generally speaking, a student with the requisite language background can obtain both degrees in eight semesters.

Law School Requirements

All Law School requirements applicable to students in the normal JD program must be satisfied. Seventy-two credit hours are required for graduation. As a general rule, no courses taken in satisfaction of the Master's degree requirements other than offerings in the Law School itself may be credited toward the JD degree. Students must check with the Law School on their eligibility to take the bar examination.

No language coursework or courses pertaining to Latin American Studies (or other coursework beyond the normal first-year coursework of the JD program) may be taken in the first year of Law School.

Law School Curriculum

The first-year curriculum in the Law School consists of the following courses:

  • Civil Procedure, One semester, 4 or 5 hours*
  • Constitutional Law I, One semester, 4 or 5 hours*
  • Contracts, One semester, 4 hours
  • Criminal Law, One semester, 4 or 5 hours*
  • Legal Research and Writing, Full Year, 2 hours
  • Property, One semester, 4 or 5 hours*
  • Torts, One semester, 4 or 5 hours*

*Five hour courses contain a writing component. Courses and sections for first year classes are preassigned.

Students are required to take Professional Responsibility, Constitutional Law II, and a writing seminar after the first year. Students must take a Skills course, as identified by the School of Law each semester, as a first year elective or during the second or third years. The remaining hours at the Law School are elective.

Latin American Studies Requirements

For more information, see the Institute of Latin American Studies website.

Admissions

A prospective joint program students should apply as follows:

  1. To the UT School of Law: Information on admissions may be obtained from the Admissions Coordinator, The University of Texas School of Law, P. O. Box 149105, Austin, Texas 78714-9105. This information is also available on the Law School web site. The following steps must be taken:
    • Read carefully all Law School admissions information.
    • Obtain an application/bulletin from the Law School Admissions Office.
    • Take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) no later than December.
    • Register with the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) by January 15.
    • Complete and submit an application for admission no later than February 1. Be sure to include a Law School Application Matching Form.
  2. To the Institute of Latin American Studies: Information regarding admission may be obtained from the Student Services Office, Institute of Latin American Studies, SRH 1.301, Austin, Texas 78712.. The following steps must be taken:
    • Obtain an application form and a brochure describing admissions policies and program information.
    • Submit the application form and other required materials to the Director of Admissions, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, by February 1.
    • Take the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) and have results sent to the Office of Admissions no later than December.
  3. To the joint program: After admission to the School of Law and to the program in Latin American Studies, application to the Joint Program shall be made by completing the application form and giving the additional information required by that form. Application forms for the Joint Program may be obtained from either School.

    Students presently enrolled in the first-year program in the School of Law may apply for admission to the Joint Program by following the procedures detailed in steps 2 and 3 above.

Financial Aid

The School of Law and the Institute of Latin American Studies have limited funds for qualified students who merit financial assistance and who can show need. Information with respect to such assistance appears in the admissions information provided by these institutions. In general, funding for the first year may be awarded only through the School of Law, and through either institution thereafter.

Faculty Advisors

Any questions should be addressed to:

Director, Latin American
Joint Degree Program
c/o Admission Coordinator
University of Texas School of Law
P. O. Box 149105
Austin, TX 78713-9105

and

Director, Latin American
Joint Degree Program
Institute of Latin American Studies
SRH 1.301
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78712