The University of Texas at Austin

Dual Degree Program in Law & Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies

Program Purpose

This dual degree program is designed for those students who wish to study law and Russian, East European and Eurasian issues in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner. Students who expect to be involved in government service or legal practices with a Eastern European 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 Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies are recognized world-wide for their resources. The Tarlton Law Library is sixth largest academic law library in the United States.

Program Structure

A student admitted to the Dual Degree 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 Dual Degree Program. Both degrees are awarded simultaneously upon completion of all requirements of the Dual Degree Program. Therefore, students should arrange their course schedules so that all requirements for both degrees 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. Eighty-six 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 Russian, East European, and Eurasian 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 I, One semester, 4 or 5 hours*
  • Legal Research and Writing, Two semesters, 1 hour/semester
  • 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 Professional 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.

Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Requirements

For more information, see the Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies website.

Admissions

A prospective Dual Degree Program student 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:
    • Carefully read 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 Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies: A student who wishes to pursue the graduate program in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies must have earned a Bachelor's degree and have completed at least nine upper-division, undergraduate semester hours (excluding language courses) that focus primarily or exclusively on Russia, the former Soviet Union, or Eastern Europe. In addition the following requirements must be met:
    • A grade point average of 3.0 in upper-division undergraduate courses and any graduate work already completed;
    • A combined score of 1,000 on the verbal and quantitative parts of the Graduate Record Examination;
    • 18 hours (three years) of formal language training (or the equivalent) in Russian or another language of the area.
  3. To the Dual Degree Program: After admission to the School of Law and to the program in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, application to the Dual Degree Program shall be made by completing the application form and giving the additional information required by that form. Application forms for the Dual Degree 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 Dual Degree Program by following the procedures detailed in steps 2 and 3 above.

Financial Aid

The School of Law and the Russian, East European, and Eurasian 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, Law/Russian, East European, and Eurasian Dual Degree Program
c/o Admission Coordinator
University of Texas School of Law
P. O. Box 149105
Austin, TX 78713-9105

and

Director, Law/Russian, East European, and Eurasian Dual Degree Program
Center of Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies
University of Texas at Austin
Geography 106
Austin, TX 78712