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Registrar's Web Team
30 January 1998
IN THIS CHAPTER
Doctor of Jurisprudence
Curriculum
Master of Laws
Admission to Candidacy
Degree Requirements
Joint Programs
Doctor of Jurisprudence
To qualify for the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree (JD), a student must meet the following requirements:
- The student must have completed a period of resident study equivalent to at least three academic years.
- The student must have taken (and, if failed, repeated once) all courses required by the faculty of the School of Law at the time of the student's initial enrollment, except those that have been removed from the list of required courses since the student's initial enrollment. The student must pass at least one seminar as described in the section "Seminars" below.
- Eighty-six semester hours are required for graduation. With the permission of the dean, a student may enroll in a course in another school or college of the University. To count toward graduation from the School of Law, the course must be a graduate course and must be related to a course of study offered in the School of Law. (Except in the College of Pharmacy and the School of Law, graduate courses at the University are identified by numbers with "8" or "9" as the second digit.) No more than six semester hours of such work may be counted.
- The student must have a grade point average of at least 1.90 on all work taken in the School of Law.
Curriculum
Required Courses
The following courses are required: Law 221, 321, 421, or 621; 323; 227, 327, or 527; 231, 331, or 531; 132, 232, or 332; 233, 333, or 533; 334 or 434; 181C, 281C, 381C, or 481C; 285 or 385; 297S, 397S, or 497S; and such other courses as the dean and faculty of the School of Law may specify. To avoid scholastic difficulty, the student should complete all required work except the seminar before the final semester.
Seminars
To graduate from the School of Law, a student must take and pass during the second or third year at least one section of Law 297S, 397S, or 497S, the writing seminar. A seminar is classified as a writing seminar if the instructor requires that the student write an original paper that embodies the results of extensive research. The student must prepare at least one draft, which is meaningfully critiqued by the instructor; the student must then submit a final version of the paper, revised in light of the instructor's critique. A seminar is also classified as a writing seminar if the instructor requires the student to write at least three papers involving research. The papers must be of significant aggregate length and the instructor must critique both the style and the content of each paper. Writing seminars are limited to twelve students, unless the instructor agrees to admit additional students. Any course in which twenty or fewer students are enrolled may be counted as a writing seminar if a paper of seminar quality is completed as optional or required work. With the consent of the dean a student may elect a second seminar. The purpose of this program is to require demonstration of the ability to write an original paper embodying the results of extensive research.
Master of Laws
The degree of Master of Laws (LLM) is awarded to students who have completed a rigorous program of coursework and research. The program leading to the degree is designed for students of high ability seeking academic work beyond the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree or its equivalent. Specific information about the graduate program and application forms are available from the Director of Graduate Studies, School of Law, The University of Texas at Austin, 727 East Dean Keeton Street, Austin, Texas 78705-3299.
Admission to Candidacy
Applicants are considered for admission to candidacy for the degree by the Graduate Studies Committee of the School of Law. Complete applications must be submitted by March 1 prior to the fall semester in which the applicant seeks to begin the program. Generally, candidates are admitted for the fall semester only.
- The applicant must have earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree or its equivalent from a school that is a member of the Association of American Law Schools or is approved by the American Bar Association, or have earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree or its equivalent from an established foreign university.
- The applicant must demonstrate outstanding ability to complete the requirements for the degree.
- An applicant who graduated from a law school situated in a country whose official language is not English must present a satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This test is administered by the Educational Testing Service in the United States and other countries. Information about it is available from TOEFL Services, P O Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6151.
Degree Requirements
For each candidate, a specific program of coursework and research is developed to meet degree requirements and the candidate's needs and interests. The program must include
- Residence during one academic year, consisting of two long-session semesters. The residence requirement of two long-session semesters cannot be reduced by coursework taken in residence during the summer session.
- Completion of a program of work in the School of Law and other divisions of the University that includes at least twenty-four semester hours of coursework, including a thesis. This program must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.
- Preparation of a thesis that makes a substantial contribution to the literature of the chosen subject area, and approval of the thesis by the Graduate Studies Committee.
Candidates must maintain a grade point average of at least 1.80 to continue in the program and must have an average of at least 1.90 at the end of the final semester to receive an LLM degree. They must complete the Master of Laws degree requirements within one calendar year of beginning graduate law study at the University unless, in unusual circumstances, the Graduate Studies Committee grants an extension.
The University also has approval to offer the degree of Master of Comparative Jurisprudence, but this degree program is inactive.
Joint Programs
Together with other units of the University, the School of Law offers joint degree programs that lead simultaneously to the JD and the following degrees.
Master of Business Administration. This program is designed to train qualified students for careers in business or the legal profession or both. Students must complete at least 134 semester hours of coursework to earn the two degrees. Generally, the first year of coursework is taken in the School of Law.
Master of Public Affairs. This program is designed to train qualified students for careers at any level of government and in government-related areas of the private sector or the legal profession. Students register in one school during year I of the program and in the other during year II; in years III and IV the student may take courses in both schools.
Master of Arts with a major in Latin American studies. This program is designed for students who wish to study law and Latin American issues in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner. Generally, a student with the requisite language background can obtain both degrees in eight semesters. A student admitted to the joint program must complete the normal first-year coursework in the law school during the first year of the program, before taking any courses in the joint program.
Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning. This four-year program is designed to train students for careers in which knowledge of planning methodology and process, coupled with the analytic skills and professional expertise of lawyers, are essential. Students register in the School of Law during the first year of the program.
Master of Arts with a major in Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies. This program combines study of law with interdisciplinary area studies and language. It responds to an increased need in both public and private sectors for legal specialists with a thorough understanding of the culture, economics, geography, history, and politics of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. This program takes approximately four years; the first year must be taken in the School of Law.
Master of Arts with a major in Middle Eastern studies. This program responds to the increased need in both public and private sectors for legal specialists with a thorough understanding of the economics, geography, history, politics, language, and culture of the Middle East and North Africa.
Other related fields. Formal joint degree programs have not been established between the School of Law and every graduate program. However, the School of Law and the Graduate School are seeking to establish paths by which students may earn two degrees; for example, a student might pursue both the JD and a PhD in economics, government, or philosophy. The law school will endeavor to accommodate the scheduling problems that may arise for these students and to smooth the path toward acquiring the two degrees. Students interested in designing a two-degree program should contact the School of Law and the appropriate academic department for information.
For information about the joint programs, write to the School of Law, The University of Texas at Austin, 727 East Dean Keeton Street, Austin, Texas 78705-3299.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - General Information
Chapter 2 - Admission
Chapter 3 - Academic Policies and Procedures
Chapter 5 - Courses
Chapter 6 - The Faculty
Appendix - Endowments