Tue May 22 2012   
 

Curriculum

 

J.D. Program

 

 

 

 

LL.M. and S.J.D. Programs in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy  Requirements (IPLP)

 

 

 

 

LL.M. and S.J.D. Programs in International Trade and Business Law Requirements

(ITBL)

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

J.D. Program -- Requirements & Overview

 

Full-Time Program

Thorough preparation, regular and timely attendance, and active participation are crucial to successful law study.  The University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law offers a full-time course of study.  The College of Law does not offer a part-time program.  The course of study leading to the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree is designed to be completed in 6 semesters, or their equivalent, of resident study in accredited law schools. The College of Law adheres to the American Bar Association (ABA), the College's accrediting body, standard that students must successfully complete the J.D. degree requirements within five years of the student's first enrollment at the College of Law.

 

Requirements Subject to Change

Requirements for completion of the J.D. course of study may change from time to time as a result of changes required by the ABA, or any changes otherwise approved by the College of Law faculty.  Students should check the current version of this Student Handbook on the College of Law web site for changes that may be made during the student's matriculation. At the end of the student's J.D. course of study, if requirements for graduation have not been satisfied, the degree will not be granted. For this reason, students must remain currently informed about all policies and other information that bear directly on completing a degree program.  Students are responsible for checking, on a regular basis, their University of Arizona email accounts and information provided on the College of Law and University of Arizona websites.

 

Course, Unit, GPA Requirements

To meet J.D. graduation requirements, students beginning law study in the fall 2010 and after must successfully complete at least 88 units of law study, including required first year and upper level courses, with a cumulative grade point average of 2.000(C) and at least 37 graded law units beyond the first year. Students beginning work on their J.D. at the College of Law before fall 2010 must successfully complete at least 85 units to meet J.D. unit requirements and a minimum of 36 graded College of Law units after completing their first year.  In addition, each student must complete the following upper level courses or requirements: Evidence, Legal Profession, and an Advanced Research and Writing paper (otherwise known as the "Substantial Paper.")  Finally, all students must satisfactorily complete an upper-level Professional Skills course (see below), whether graded or non-graded.  Please note: When enrolling in law courses available for graded credit, J.D. students do not have a Pass/Fail option.  LL.M. students take all courses on a Pass/Fail basis; LL.M. students do not have a graded option.

    

Summer Study and Early Graduation

J.D. students are generally expected to graduate within three (3) years of the date of matriculation.  The course of study may be accelerated by summer study, but the earliest that a student is eligible for graduation is the end of the fall semester of the third academic year.  If a student wishes to graduate at the end of the fall semester of the third academic year, he or she must attend summer school both following the first and second year of law study, earn at least 10 summer school units total (a minimum of five (5) each summer), and must consult the Registrar, Ms. Mandy Shoemaker, before the first summer session following the first year of law school, to be sure the necessary number of summer school units are taken.  Students must obtain permission from the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to enroll in more than six (6) units over any one summer.  Students should be aware that the J.D. program of study is intended to take three years, and that summer school offerings at the College of Law are not designed to provide for accelerated graduation.

 

Reduced Academic Load

Students who receive permission based on good cause from the Executive Committee or its designate, the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Dr. Willie Jordan-Curtis, may take a reduced load each semester of their first year, as well as in the second and third years.  Students taking a reduced load during their first year of law studies must complete the first year courses not taken their first year during their second year of law studies.  The student must take the course(s) from the  same instructor(s) who  taught the course(s) in  the student's reduced-load semester(s).  The "same professor" requirement will only be waived in the event that the instructor who taught the course during the reduced-load semester is not teaching the course during the student's second year.

 

Required Courses -- First Year

First-year J.D. students are required to register for the entire prescribed course of first-year studies, which includes one elective in the second semester from among four courses which focus on areas of law substantially governed by statutes, and which raise questions about how legislatures and executive branch agencies - institutions other than courts - create law and regulate behavior.  These elective options include both more theoretical classes and specific subjects such as immigration law and federal income tax law.   Second- and third-year students must carry between 13 and 17 units each semester.  Students may not enroll for more than 17 units in any one semester. Exceptions for a course load of fewer than 13 units must be approved by the Executive Committee or Dr. Willie Jordan-Curtis.  However, third-year students may take fewer than 13 units per semester, with a minimum 10 units, at the beginning of their fifth semester, if they need fewer than 26 units to graduate.

 

First Year, First Semester

Subject
Units
Contracts (Law 600A)
4
Introduction to Legal Process & Civil Procedure (Law 601A)
4
Torts (Law 604A)
4
Legal Process, Analysis, and Writing (Law 603P)
2
Introduction to Legal Research (Law 603Q)                  1
Total
15

 

First Year, Second Semester

Subject
Units
Property (Law 605)
4
Elective regulatory/statutory course from designated menu
3
Criminal Procedure (Law 602)
3
Constitutional Law (Law 606)
3
Legal Process, Analysis, and Writing (Law 603P)                  2
Total
15

 

Specific Course Requirements Beyond First Year

Subject
Units
Evidence (Law 608)
3 or 4
The Legal Profession (Law 609)
2 or 3
Professional Skills Course
One of Courses Listed Below
Advanced Research & Writing (Substantial Paper) Seminar (Law Review or Journal); or Student-Initiated Substantial Paper*
3-4

 

*Advanced Research & Writing:  Substantial Paper Requirement

Students may satisfactorily complete this requirement in one of three ways:

 

 

Professional Skills Courses, including Clinics

(Described in greater detail below the chart for Core Courses)

Advanced Legal Research

Advanced Legal Writing & Intro. to Appellate Advocacy (formerly Persuasive Communication)

Advanced Trial Advocacy

ASUA Interviewing

Basic Trial Advocacy

Case Studies in Public Interest

Clinics:

    Attorney General Clinic

    Child & Family Law Clinic

    Civil Rights Restoration Clinic

    Criminal Defense Placement Clinic

    Immigration Law Clinic

    Indigenous Peoples Clinic

    Mortgage Placement Clinic 

    Prosecution Placement Clinic

    Tribal Courts Clinic

 

Entrepreneurship Program

Jessup Moot Court

Judicial Clerking Program

Mediation

Mediation Advocacy

Mock Trial Team

Moot Court (Second Year)

Negotiation

Negotiation of Employment Agreements

Patent Practice

Persuasive Communication (now entitled Advanced Legal Writing & Intro. to Appellate Advocacy)

Pretrial Litigation

 

 
Any other courses approved by the Vice-Dean.

 

In addition to the first year and upper-level courses required to be completed before graduation, the faculty has recommended that students complete the following recommended core courses:


Recommended Core Courses

Business Organizations (Law 616)
3 or 4
Estates & Trusts (Law 619)
3 or 4
Constitutional Law II (Law 615)
3 or 4

UCC Secured Transactions (633C)

3
Income Taxation (Law 646)
3 or 5
Criminal Law (Law 650)
2 or 3
Persuasive Communication (now Advanced Legal Writing and Intro. to Appellate Advocacy) (Law 653A)
3

 

Professional Skills Courses, including Clinics -- Overview

The academic program at the College of Law provides a wide range of opportunities for students to gain practical skills and real-life lawyering experiences. These experiences range from simulated courses such as Basic Trial Advocacy and Pre-Trial Litigation to real-life experiences such as working with judges in the Judicial Clerking program or working in public or governmental agencies representing clients in one of our Clinics.

 

Clinical Courses

General

For the purposes of this section, "clinical course" means a course that has a field and classroom component and requires an enrolled student to represent clients and perform work on actual cases under the supervision of a licensed attorney. A clinic course may be offered through an in-house or placement program. Depending on space availability, a student may take clinical courses for two semesters by either participating in the same clinic twice or in two different clinics. Students may not get paid for clinical work for which they receive academic credit. Students may not receive more than ten (10) units total for clinical courses.

The in-house programs, offered to J.D. students on a graded basis only, include clinical courses in immigration law, child and family law, indigenous peoples law, tribal courts, and civil rights restoration. The placement programs include the criminal defense, criminal prosecution, and the Attorney General's clinic, and are offered on a Pass/Fail basis only. Priority in registration is given to students who have not yet been enrolled in a clinical course.

Number of Units

The number of units awarded for specific clinical courses are designated in the course descriptions placed on the College of Law website each semester in connection with the schedule of courses, but generally range as follows:

  1. Between three and six units of credit upon completing the first in-house clinic and three to four units of credit upon completing a second in-house clinic.
  2. Four units of credit upon completing the first placement clinic and three units of credit upon completing a second placement clinic.
  3. Credit for any clinical course offered during the summer session may be adjusted as appropriate for the work involved, but may not exceed the amount of credit prescribed in paragraphs (1) and (2).

Grading

As mentioned above, the in-house clinics (Immigration Law, Child and Family Law, Indigenous Peoples Law, and Civil Rights Restoration clinics) are offered to J.D. students on a graded basis only. The placement clinics ( Prosecution and Defense clinics, and the Attorney General clinic) are offered on a Pass-Fail basis only.

Clinics Requiring Student Practice Certification

To be eligible to enroll in a clinical course that requires that a student be certified pursuant to Student Practice Rules, a student must have completed three semesters of full-time law study, have completed Evidence (Law 608), and either have completed Legal Profession (Law 609) or be enrolled in it contemporaneously with the clinical course. Clinical courses covered by the Student Practice Rules include the Child and Family Law Clinic and the Prosecution and Defense and Attorney General clinics. For pre- or co-requisites for the other clinics, please consult the course descriptions published each semester with the College of Law course schedule on the College of Law website.

 

Other Professional Skills Courses

 

As indicated above, students may select from a broad range of other Professional Skill Courses to develop their practical skills. Among these are courses in basic and advanced trial advocacy, pre-trial litigation, appellate advocacy, advanced legal research, interviewing, mediation, mediation advocacy, patent practice, entrepreneurship, negotiating employment agreements, and others. 

 

Exchange Programs, Externships, and non-Law Courses

     J.D. Students may choose to participate in an array of internships, exchange opportunities with other universities, and courses in other colleges and departments in the University of Arizona. 

Exchange Programs

Puerto Rico Exchange Program

The College of Law has established an exchange program with the University of Puerto Rico School of Law for semester-long visits. This program permits students from each school to register at its home school, pay "home" tuition, and take a full course load at the host institution. University of Arizona J.D. students may enroll at the University of Puerto Rico Law School for either their 3rd, 4th, or 5th semester, or for the summer session following their 1st or 2nd year. Course units earned at the University of Puerto Rico transfer back to the College of Law as long as the student earns a grade of "C" or better in the course as Pass/Fail grades. As these are not considered "graded units," exchange term coursework cannot be counted to satisfy the "37 graded units beyond the first year" requirement. See Ms. Mandy Shoemaker, Registrar, Ms. Donna Shafer, or Ms. Carolyn Coolidge for information about the Puerto Rico Exchange Program.

 

NACLE Program (North American Consortium for Legal Education)

Participating Exchange Institutions:

McGill University, Montreal, Canada (Quebec);University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, Ottawa, Canada (Ontario); Dalhousie Law, Halifax, Canada (Nova Scotia); University of British Columbia School of Law, Vancouver, Canada (BC)

 

LYON 3 LLM exchange program

Universite Jean Moulin Lyon 3 Faculty of Law, Lyon, France.

See Ms. Carolyn Coolidge, Graduate Legal Studies, Rountree Hall 218, for information on the NACLE and LYON exchange programs.

 

 

Internships and Ad-Hoc Externships

Umbrella or "Ad Hoc" Externships

J.D. students wishing to obtain academic credit for unique government-related, government-sponsored, or non-profit externships arranged by the student may be able to do so if they meet certain conditions established by the College of Law Faculty.

Some, but not all, of the conditions are that the student be in good standing; that the student obtain agreement of a faculty member willing to serve as the supervising faculty member; that the student's immediate supervisor at the government agency be an attorney licensed to practice law; and that the student submit a proposal to the Curriculum Committee demonstrating that all conditions for approval of the umbrella externship have been met.

 

An Approved Externship Must Meet the Following Criteria:

(1)Proposals for new externships shall be developed with a faculty member or dean who will be the faculty supervisor. The faculty member should have an academic or curricular interest in the field placement.

(2)Each proposal shall be submitted to the Curriculum Committee for review and approval before the externship placement can be offered.

(3)A proposal for an externship must describe its educational objectives and outcomes, the work to be performed by the student, and any prerequisites for the externship. The educational objectives and outcomes must provide that substantially all of the extern’s work be legal work or work directly related to that, involving activities and work product that lawyers engage in and produce and that will contribute to the professional development and legal education of the extern.

(4) A proposal shall describe how issues of professional ethics will be addressed including confidentiality, professional liability and conflicts of interest.

(5)The field supervisor must be an attorney or judicial officer and must be able to devote the requisite time to supervision of the student.The proposal shall describe the method for training and evaluating the field supervisor.If the externship is new, there must be a pre-placement orientation for the field supervisor in which the educational purposes of an externship and the role of a field supervisor are explained.

(6)A proposal for an externship must describe how the faculty and the field supervisors will maintain regular contact about the student’s experience.

(7)An externship must include opportunities for faculty- guided reflection and shall describe the mechanism for such student reflection.

(8)A proposal for an externship must describe how and how often the faculty supervisor and the student will communicate about the student’s experience.

(9)A proposal for an externship must clearly describe how the student’s academic performance will be evaluated. Such evaluation must involve both the faculty and the field supervisors.

(10)Faculty oversight must include an on-site visit to the externship placement as required by ABA Standard 305. For out-of-town placements, this requirement may be delegated upon approval of the Curriculum Committee.

 

The burden is on the person proposing that a particular externship receive Law College academic credit to establish that the externship meets all the requirements of this section and that a particular law faculty member is qualified and willing to serve as the supervising faculty member. The Curriculum Committee may require the proposer to furnish whatever documentation it considers necessary to make its decision.The judgments and determinations of the Committee whether the proposed externship meets the requirements of this section are final and not appealable.

 

Students should not expect to gain approval for ad-hoc externships similar to those already offered for credit by the College of Law.

 

A student interested in applying for an ad-hoc externship should draft a proposal with the input of the supervising faculty member and submit it to the Curriculum Committee as early as possible in the semester preceding the intended externship to allow the Committee to fully consider the student's proposal. Forms for submitting proposals are available from Ms. Lissette Calderon at lissette.calderon@law.arizona.edu (request "Learning Contract/Proposal Form"). The proposal should demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Curriculum Committee that arrangements for any required site visit and classroom component have been made. Proposals should be submitted to the Faculty Chair of the Curriculum Committee, Professor Dave Marcus (david.marcus@law.arizona.edu) with a copy to Vice Dean Miller (marc.miller@law.arizona.edu).

 

 Maximum Units for Internships or Externships

No student may apply more than 10 units of credit earned from internships or externships to the requirements for the J.D. Absent unusual circumstances, students should not expect to be approved for more than six (6) units for any internship during the academic year or three (3) units during the summer, or three (3) units in an Arizona placement.

Legislative Internships

(a) General. The College of Law offers legislative internships in Washington, D.C., through which J.D. students may receive academic credit while working in the office of a United States Senator or Representative from Arizona. A student who serves as an intern during the fall or spring semester may receive 10 units of credit. If the service is during the summer, a student may receive (6) units of credit. The units of credit for a legislative internship are awarded only as Pass/Fail. No more than three legislative interns may serve in the office of a United States Senator and no more than one intern may serve in the office of a United States Representative at a one time. Students interested in such Internships should consult the Career Office.

 

(b) Educational Goals. The overall legal education goal to be achieved by a legislative internship is to give the law student an intense experience in, and realistic view of, law making and the legislative process on the federal level. Participation in this program should enable the law student to hone professional skills, particularly those regarding legal research and writing and negotiation, in the legislative setting. In addition, it should provide the law student with some exposure to the interaction of the legislative and executive branches of government and various federal agencies, as well as an opportunity to observe sessions of the United States Supreme Court.

 

(c) Advance Approval of Program. Before a student is permitted to enroll in a legislative internship program under this section, the particular legislative office must submit for approval a written proposal to the College of Law. In order for a law student to receive academic credit for participating in the program, the program must meet the requirements set out in subsection (e). The Career Office has the list of approved Internships and information on application procedures.

 

(d) Student Eligibility. To be eligible to participate in a legislative internship, a law student must have successfully completed the first year of law school and, at the time of application and upon commencing the internship, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75. In addition, the student must obtain the permission of the Vice Dean.

 

(e) Requirements of Legislative Internship Programs. Before a particular legislative internship program under this section is approved by the College of Law, it must meet all of the following requirements:

     (1) Substantially all of the work required of a legislative intern must be legal work or work directly related to legal work.

     (2) The daily work of a legislative intern must be directly supervised by a person in the particular legislative office who is an attorney admitted to the practice of law in a state or the District of Columbia. The fact that the legislator is an attorney does not satisfy this requisite because the legislator is frequently not able to assume direct, daily supervision of the legislative intern.

     (3) A legislative intern may not receive compensation for services performed as an intern but may receive a stipend or other allowance to assist with living costs, as well as a tuition waiver.

     (4) The work of a legislative intern shall be reviewed on a regular basis over the period of the internship by a member of the College of Law faculty to ensure that substantially all of the intern's work is legal work or work directly related to it; that the legal educational goals are being met; and that the academic credit allowed is commensurate with the time and effort expended by, and the legal educational benefits to, the intern and to evaluate the duties and work product of the intern. This review may be accomplished by written correspondence, telephone, FAX, e-mail, or other types of communication. In addition, the Dean or his or her representative shall conduct, when possible, in-person meetings with the legislative intern in Washington, D.C., during the internship. A law faculty member assigned to this supervisory task shall receive one or two hours of teaching credit therefore, as determined by the Dean or Vice Dean. The responsible law faculty member shall submit an annual report concerning the particular internship program to the Curriculum Committee, which report shall contain such information as the Committee reasonably requests.

     (5) A substantial amount of the work performed by the legislative intern for academic credit must involve legal research and writing projects that result in a written work product susceptible of effective review and evaluation by the supervising law faculty member. Failure of the legislative office to provide adequate opportunity for the intern to engage in this type of work may result in the legislative office being disqualified from further participation in the program, effective at the end of the semester or summer session in which the disqualification occurs.

     (6) To receive a "Pass" and academic credit for the internship, the legislative intern must receive a "Satisfactory" performance rating from both the attorney directly supervising the intern in the particular legislative office and the supervising law faculty member. In addition, before a "Pass" and academic credit are awarded, the legislative intern shall submit a final, written report to the supervising law faculty member detailing the nature of the intern's work, the average number of hours worked per week, the average percentage of the total work week spent on legal work or work directly related to it, and any other matters required to be included in the report by the supervising law faculty member.

 

Courses Outside the Law College

Graduate Courses Outside the College of Law That Are Not Cross Listed.

A non-joint degree law student who has completed one year of law studies and has a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or above may take a maximum of 6 units of graduate courses outside the College of Law that are not cross-listed by the College of Law.  The Assistant Dean for Student Affairs must determine in advance that each course to be counted toward the 6 credit hours is relevant to law study.  Law school credit may be awarded only if a grade of “C” or higher is received (in a graded course) or “pass” (in a pass/fail course).  Whether credit is awarded or not, the grade earned shall appear on the student’s College of Law transcript, but shall not be included in the student’s cumulative grade point average at the Law College.

 

Cross-Listed Courses Outside of the College of Law.

A non-joint degree law student who has completed the first year of law study may enroll in graduate courses cross-listed by the College of Law. Grades earned in up to the first 8 units in these courses shall appear on the student’s College of Law transcript and shall be included in the student’s cumulative grade point average at the College of Law, provided that the student enrolls under the “LAW” prefix. Grades earned in any additional courses cross-listed by the College of Law shall appear on the student’s transcript but not be included in the student’s cumulative grade point average.

 

Maximum Credit.

A law student other than those pursing a joint degree may receive, in total, a maximum of 14 units of credit towards his or her J.D. degree from graduate level courses located in departments outside the College of Law, whether those courses are cross-listed or not.

 

Joint Degree Law Students.

Generally joint degree students already take 12 or more units as part of the non-law units that count towards the J.D.  The limitations on the total law units that may be obtained from non-law school courses apply to joint degree students unless the joint degree agreement with another department provides for more non-law units, in which case the terms of the agreement govern. This limitation can be adjusted, but only in compelling circumstances, on a case-by-case basis with the approval of the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and the Executive Committee.

 


Transfer Credits from Other ABA Approved Schools

A J.D. student who has completed the first year of law studies and who is in good academic standing may, with the approval of the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Dr. Willie Jordan-Curtis, take courses at any law school in the United States that is on the list of law schools approved by the American Bar Association. Transfer credit will be awarded for such courses so long as each course is graded by letter, and the student requesting credit obtains a grade of "C" or higher. However, such grades will not be included in the student's cumulative grade average, and will not be considered "graded units" for purposes of satisfying the requirement that each student earn 37 graded units beyond the first year. Students who expect to receive their J.D. from the College of Law may visit at another law school for up to two semesters. Students who visit must nevertheless complete at the College of Law the 37 graded units required after the first year of law studies and must complete all required courses at the University of Arizona College of Law.  Students should obtain approval from Dr. Jordan-Curtis before enrolling in courses offered by other ABA-approved law schools if they wish to have transfer credit applied to their J.D. degree.  This includes any courses offered in an ABA-approved study abroad program sponsored by an ABA-approved law school.

 

Dual Degree Requirements and Programs

The College of Law faculty has approved a number of dual degree programs through which students may work toward and earn the J.D. degree and another, non-law degree, at the same time.  A link to the various dual degree programs is provided below. Only the programs designated as dual degrees have been approved by the College of Law Faculty. Dual degree students must take several unique steps to enroll, as well as remain aware of special considerations applying to dual degree students. It is very important that any student enrolled in a dual degree program plan his or her program with these in mind:

  1. Admission. Students who wish to enroll in a dual degree program (described below) must apply independently to both the College of Law and the other program (Philosophy, Psychology, Business Administration, Economics, Public Administration, American Indian Studies, Latin American Studies, Agricultural Economics (AREC), Finance, Public Health, or Women's Studies). (For convenience, the non-law programs will be referred to as "other programs" in the "Graduate College.")
  2. Advising. Professor Kathie Barnes is the academic advisor for dual degree students. She may be reached at (520) 621-5513 and at kathie.barnes@law.arizona.edu. Professor Robert Williams is the academic advisor for Dual Degree students working on the J.D.-M.A. in American Indian Studies. He may be reached at (520) 621-5622, or 621-7108; and williams@law.arizona.edu.
  3. Advising in Other Programs. Students must consult with an advisor in the non-law program to be sure all requirements in the other program are met.
  4. Notification of College of Law Registrar. Students enrolled in the College of Law who wish to take advantage of the College of Law dual degree program must inform the College of Law Registrar, Ms. Mandy Shoemaker, at shoemaker@email.arizona.edu, immediately upon acceptance into the other program; failure to do so may jeopardize the student's ability to obtain the benefits of the dual degree program.
  5. First Year of Each Program. All dual degree students, like all other J.D. students, must complete the entire required first year law program, and must do so in one academic year. The typical dual degree program requires a student to participate full time in one program for one year, and full time in the other program for the next year; after that, students may enroll in courses in both programs simultaneously.
  6. Non-Law Units Applied to the J.D. Each dual degree program allows a student to apply from between 9 and 15 units of non-law courses (from the other program) to the J.D. (For ease of discussion, these will be referred to as "15 units"). To apply the 15 non-law units to the J.D., the non-law units must have been earned after the student has been admitted to the College of Law. Non-law units earned before a student has been admitted to the College of Law will not be applied to the J.D. In addition, the 15 units will not be applied to the J.D. unless the other degree is awarded before or in the same semester as the J.D. is awarded. It is critical that students make sure that they understand the number of units that may be “double-counted” to both degrees, and that they confirm with both the other department and the Graduate College that they are counting units accurately.
  7. Graded Law Unit Requirement. Dual degree candidates must satisfy all requirements of the J.D. Program. The current J.D. Program requires that all students, including dual degree candidates who entered the J.D. Program before fall of 2010, must earn 36 graded law units beyond the first year required law courses; students who entered the J.D. Program beginning with the fall of 2010 must earn 37 graded units beyond the first year. To meet this requirement, a dual degree student must plan carefully. Any units earned in the other program that are allowed to be applied to the J.D. do not count toward the graded unit requirement, even if those courses are taken for a grade in another department. If a dual degree student wishes to earn the J.D. before the other degree, only six (6) non-law units may be applied to the J.D.
  8. Calculating Law Grade Point Average. The candidate's grades in courses taken in the other program that are applied to the J.D. degree are shown on the Law College transcript, but the grades from the other program will not be included in the cumulative law grade point average. The candidate's grades in law courses that are applied to the other program's degree will be reported to the Graduate College on whatever basis is approved by the Graduate College and the College of Law. In any event, the College of Law will record a student's grades in law courses on the Law College transcript in the same manner as for all other law students and compute law course grades into the cumulative law grade point average.
  9. Enrollment in College of Law for Minimum of Five Semesters. Every dual degree student must enroll as a law student for at least five full semesters, and may enroll in the other program for the remaining semesters during which the student is working toward the two degrees. Students in any of the dual degree programs may take courses simultaneously in both programs after completing the first full year of law studies and the first full year of the other program. In any event, during any semester that a student is enrolled in a majority of law units, the student must be enrolled as a law student.
  10. Registration. Registration for dual degree students is particularly complex, and dual degree students should follow the instructions in this paragraph to insure as smooth a registration process as possible. For University registration purposes, students must formally elect each semester to register either in the College of Law as a law student or in the Graduate College as a graduate student. For example, if a dual degree student is enrolled as a law student in the fall semester, and plans to register as a graduate student for the following spring semester, the student must contact a representative in the graduate program to ensure that the "change" in registration from one college to the other is properly achieved. In other words, every dual degree student must contact the college he or she is changing into before the semester begins. Even if a dual degree student is not changing from one college to another in a given semester, he or she should contact Ms. Mandy Shoemaker before each registration period to ensure that registration goes smoothly ((520) 621-7667 or shoemaker@email.arizona.edu). Note: After completing the full first year of each program, dual degree students may take courses from both law and the other program during any given semester; students must, however, be formally enrolled in either the College of Law or the other program, and cannot be formally enrolled in both programs.
  11. Graduation. To have the units from a non-law program applied to the J.D. degree, students must submit, within the first three weeks of the graduating semester, a list of courses the student wishes to have applied to the J.D. This list must be attached to a properly completed General Petition Form and submitted to the College of Law Registrar, Ms. Mandy Shoemaker (General Petition Forms are available from Ms. Donna Shafer, Room 150-D).
    Note: Any dual degree student who hopes to receive the J.D. before receiving the other degree will only be able to apply up to six (6) non-law units toward the J.D.
  12. Ranking. The following ranking procedures apply to any student who is considered a dual degree student by the College of Law:
    • Until a dual degree student begins to take law courses, there will be no class rank for the student in the College of Law.
    • Once a dual degree student begins to take law courses, the student will be ranked. For the first year, the student will be ranked in the first year law school class with whom the dual degree student completes his or her first year.
    • After completion of the first year, a dual degree student will be ranked in the current law school class that has completed the first year but has not completed the second year of law school (the second year class). Neither the starting class nor the expected graduating class of the dual degree student is relevant to the ranking of the student. The student will be ranked with the current second year class until the student completes law course units sufficient to render the student a third year student if he or she were not a dual degree student.
    • After the dual degree student completes law course units sufficient to advance the student to "third-year" status, the dual degree student will be ranked with the current third year class (those students who have completed two but not three years of law school). The student will be ranked with the current third year class until the student receives his or her J.D.
    • The unit breakdown is as follows:
      • Dual degree students shall be ranked at the time of their graduation from law school in the class with which they graduate.
      • Note that ranks will not be provided through email. Rather, ranks will only be provided pursuant to a written request, accompanied by a signature, or pursuant to a request made in person.
      • Order of the Coif. Not fewer than 66 (64 for students entering the J.D. program before fall 2010) graded units must be taken at the College of Law if a student wishes to be considered for membership in Order of the Coif.
  13. Financial Aid. A dual degree student who applies for financial aid will be considered for need-based scholarships from the College of Law only during those semesters in which the student is enrolled as a law student in the College of Law (and not enrolled as a graduate student in the other program) and meets all of the other criteria for receipt of need-based scholarship aid approved by the faculty. For additional information about Financial Aid, see the section on Financial Assistance in this handbook.

 

A description of the individual dual degree Programs can be found at

Dual Degrees.

 

 

Independent Study

Students may receive one to three units of credit, depending upon the magnitude of the project, for investigating and writing on special legal problems under the supervision of a member of the faculty. Prior to registration, the student must obtain written approval to register for Independent Study from the professor who will supervise the student's work. Students who intend to enroll for Independent Study should see Mandy Shoemaker, Registrar, to get an authorization form that must be signed by the sponsoring faculty member. Students may take up to 6 units of Independent Study during their law school careers. A student who either wishes to:  (a) take more than three (3) units of Independent Study in a single semester; (b) take more than three (3) units of Independent Study under the supervision of one faculty member; or (c) take a total of more than six (6) units of Independent Study, must petition the Executive Committee for permission, as well as obtain the approval of the appropriate faculty member.  Petitions should be submitted to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.  Independent Study is offered only on a Pass/Fail basis; no other grade is available.

 

Employment During Law School

The Faculty believes that part-time legal education lacks the depth required for adequate professional training. Thus, the College of Law does not offer a part-time program. During the first year, the College of Law strongly recommends that students devote themselves entirely to their studies and suspend any outside work. During the second and third years, students may choose to work on a part-time basis; however, the classroom educational experience and the preparation necessitated by the rigors of law coursework demand that academic work take primary importance in a student's pursuits.  However, the College of Law recognizes that certain financial situations may call for employment. Whatever the case, the American Bar Association Standards for Accreditation of Law Schools require that full-time students not be employed more than 20 (twenty) hours weekly (whether inside or outside the law school).  There can be no exception to this rule.

 

 

 

IPLP LL.M. and S.J.D. -- Overview of Requirements

LLM Requirements

The LL.M. in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) is a full-time residential academic program. LL.M. students are required to successfully complete 24 credit hours of classes over the course of one academic year in order to graduate. Three courses are required: Federal Indian Law I, International Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples, and the IPLP Colloquium. It is the responsibility of each LL.M. student to ensure that he or she meets these requirements. The LL.M. is available in three concentrations, in addition to the basic degree. Students wishing to pursue the Cultural Resources, Human Rights, or Critical Race Theory & Practice concentration should contact IPLP’s Associate Director to design an appropriate course of study. Students may switch between tracks of the LL.M. with written permission of IPLP’s Associate Director.

 

S.J.D. Requirements

S.J.D. candidates will spend one year in residency with the program, taking part in course work equal to a minimum of 24 credit hours. With the guidance of the candidate’s faculty advisor and IPLP’s Associate Director, each S.J.D. student is expected to enroll in courses related to his or her specialization. Coursework may include independent study credits, clinical courses, or any other courses approved by IPLP’s Associate Director. Students are required to enroll in the IPLP Colloquium during their year in residence. For the remaining credits, students are permitted to choose from law school courses and with prior written permission of IPLP’s Associate Director may also take up to one related graduate-level class each semester from another department on campus. Upon completion of the one-year residency requirement, candidates will typically spend one to two years completing their dissertation and related research. Students must fully complete all degree requirements no later than three years after the end of their year in residence. S.J.D. students must also comply with the IPLP Program's Dissertation procedures.

 

Continuous Enrollment Requirement: Unless excused by an official Leave of Absence, all LLM and SJD students are subject to the Continuous Enrollment Policy and must pay applicable tuition and fees in order to remain in the program. If the student fails to obtain a Leave of Absence or maintain continuous enrollment, he or she will be required to apply for re-admission, pay the Graduate College application fee, and pay all overdue tuition and fees, including cumulative late penalties. Tuition or registration waivers cannot be applied retroactively.

 

Changing Degree Programs

Students enrolled in IPLP’s LL.M. program who apply for admission to the S.J.D. prior to graduation may choose to forego receipt of the LL.M. and directly apply previously earned credits toward the S.J.D. Students interested in this option should consult with IPLP’s Associate Director.

 

Course Selection

The IPLP post-graduate programs are intended to be flexible in order to match the College of Law's diverse academic strengths with the particular interests of each L.LM. and S.J.D. student. Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in IPLP courses to complete the credits required to earn the LL.M. and S.J.D. degrees, although IPLP’s Associate Director will work with each student to design a course of study that will help each student fulfill his or her career goals. Students are permitted to take other law school classes and with prior permission of IPLP’s Associate Director may also take up to one related graduate-level class each semester from another department. With the prior permission of IPLP’s Associate Director, students in the LLM and SJD programs may enroll in up to 6 units of 400-level or higher course work taken at The University of Arizona to fulfill degree requirements. These units must not have been used to fulfill requirements for an undergraduate degree. Students may not apply credits earned in classes below the 400 or level to the credits required for the LL.M. and/or S.J.D. degree. Only classes taken at the University of Arizona may be applied toward the credits required for the LL.M. and S.J.D. degree; no credits from courses taken at other law schools or universities may be used to fulfill the degree requirements. 

 

Grading

LL.M. and S.J.D. students are graded on a Superior/Pass/Fail basis.

 

Internships

A student in the LL.M. or S.J.D. program may also earn up to six credits for an internship. LL.M. and S.J.D. students wishing to obtain academic credit for an internship must arrange the internship and obtain prior approval of the internship. A copy of the conditions for approval may be obtained from IPLP's Associate Director. One of those requirements is that the student submit a proposal to the IPLP Associate Director demonstrating that all conditions for approval of the internship have been met. If the Associate Director approves the proposal, it will then be submitted to the College of Law Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee shall make the final determination of whether the student may obtain academic credit for the internship and the number of academic credit hours to be awarded. A student interested in applying for an ad-hoc internship should submit a proposal as early as possible in the semester preceding the intended internship to allow the Committee to fully consider the student's proposed internship. Students must be prepared to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Curriculum Committee that arrangements for any required site visit and classroom component have been made.

 

Independent Study

Students may receive one to three units of credit, depending upon the magnitude of the project, per semester for investigating and writing on special legal problems under the supervision of a member of the faculty. Prior to registration, the student must obtain written approval to register for Independent Study from IPLP's Associate Director and from the professor who will supervise the student's work. Students who intend to enroll for Independent Study should see Mandy Shoemaker, Registrar, to get an authorization form that must be signed by the sponsoring faculty member. Students may apply up to 6 units of Independent Study toward the LL.M. or S.J.D. degree.

 

Employment During Law School

The educational experience involved in the LL.M. and S.J.D. programs, and the preparation necessitated by the rigors of law coursework, demand that academic work take primary importance in a student's pursuits. However, the College of Law recognizes that certain financial situations may call for employment. While outside employment is discouraged for students enrolled in the LL.M. and S.J.D. programs, students are permitted to engage in up to twenty hours of employment per week.

 

Fulfilling Requirements

Students are responsible for remaining informed about all policies and other information that bear directly on completing degree programs. If the student does not fulfill the requirements, the degree will not be granted.Students are responsible for checking, on a regular basis, their University of Arizona email accounts and information provided on the College of Law and University of Arizona websites.

 

 

ITBL LL.M. and S.J.D. -- Overview of Requirements

LL.M. Requirements

The LL.M. in International Trade and Business Law (ITBL) is a full-time residential academic program. LL.M. students are required to successfully complete 24 credit hours of classes, together with the one unit Introduction to American Law class over the course of one academic year in order to graduate. The following courses are required: Introduction to American Law; Legal Research and Writing; Business Organizations; International Trade Law; and either International Commercial Transactions or Comparative Commercial Law.  Each student must also sign up for three thesis units in the fall or spring semester, or in some combination of the two.  The thesis will be a work of independent research and writing on a topic of the candidate's choice, completed under the direction of a faculty advisor.  It is the responsibility of each LL.M. student to ensure that he or she meets these course and thesis requirements.

 

S.J.D. Requirements

S.J.D. candidates will spend one year in residency with the program, taking part in course work equal to a minimum of 24 credit hours. With the guidance of the candidate’s faculty advisor and the ITBL Program Director, each S.J.D. student is expected to enroll in courses related to his or her specialization. Coursework may include independent study credits, clinical courses, or any other courses approved by the Program Director. Students are permitted to choose from law school courses and with prior written permission may also take up to one related graduate-level class each semester from another department on campus. Upon completion of the one-year residency requirement, candidates will typically spend one to two years completing their dissertation and related research. Students must fully complete all degree requirements no later than three years after the end of their year in residence. S.J.D. students must also comply with the ITBL Program's Dissertation procedures.

 

Continuous Enrollment Requirement: Unless excused by an official Leave of Absence, all LLM and SJD students are subject to the Continuous Enrollment Policy and must pay applicable tuition and fees in order to remain in the program. If the student fails to obtain a Leave of Absence or maintain continuous enrollment, he or she will be required to apply for re-admission, pay the Graduate College application fee, and pay all overdue tuition and fees, including cumulative late penalties. Tuition or registration waivers cannot be applied retroactively.

 

 

Changing Degree Programs

Students enrolled in ITBL's s LL.M. program who apply for admission to the S.J.D. prior to graduation may choose to forego receipt of the LL.M. and directly apply previously earned credits toward the S.J.D. Students interested in this option should consult with the ITBL  Program Director.

 

Course Selection

The ITBL's post-graduate programs are intended to be flexible in order to match the College of Law's diverse academic strengths with the particular interests of each LL.M. and S.J.D. student. Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in ITBL courses to complete the credits required to earn the LL.M. and S.J.D. degrees, although the program director will work with each student to design a course of study that will help each student fulfill his or her career goals. Students are permitted to take other law school classes and with prior permission of the program director may also take up to one related graduate-level class each semester from another department.

 

Grading

LL.M. and S.J.D. students are graded on a Superior/Pass/Fail basis.

 

Fulfilling Requirements

Students are responsible for remaining informed about all policies and other information that bear directly on completing degree programs. If the student does not fulfill the requirements, the degree will not be granted.Students are responsible for checking, on a regular basis, their University of Arizona email accounts and information provided on the College of Law and University of Arizona websites.

 

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Updated: 05/02/2012