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.
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.
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.
The first-year curriculum in the Law School consists of the following courses:
*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. The remaining hours at the Law School are elective.
Students must choose three disciplines in which to take a total of 24 hours of Latin American Studies coursework; none of these 24 hours may be satisfied by offerings at the Law School. No fewer than six hours may be taken in any one discipline.
In addition, no fewer than six hours in courses or seminars that are on Latin American topics or that have direct and obvious relevance to Latin America must be taken at the Law School. For example, a course on immigration law at the Law School would normally constitute such an offering. Absent prior written approval of the Institute's Graduate Advisor, the only Law School offerings that count toward this requirement shall be those on an approved list of Law School offerings maintained by the Graduate Advisor.
In addition to the 24 hours of Latin American Studies coursework and the six hours of Latin America-related offerings at the Law School referred to above, students in the Joint Program must write a six-hour thesis whose topic involves Latin American and legal issues. Credit for such work is given under the "LAS 698A and 698B" course numbers with consecutive registration in the last two semesters of study. The thesis must be read and approved by a supervising professor and a second reader. One reader will represent Latin American Studies and the other will represent the Law School.
Except as set forth above, all degree requirements applicable to students of the Latin American Studies Master's degree program apply to students in the Joint Program. All courses to be counted toward the degree must have Latin American content, as determined by the Graduate Advisor. Each student is required to take a language proficiency examination in Spanish or Portuguese or to begin language coursework by the end of the first semester of the academic year following the first year of the normal Law School program.
There is additional information on the Institute of Latin American Studies page.
A prospective joint program students should apply as follows:
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.
Any questions should be addressed to:
Director, Latin Americanand
Director, Latin American