Graduation \Requirement

The requirements for a J.D. degree:
1. Completion of 91 credit hours, 80 of which must be classroom credits (76 if a JD/MBA or JD/MPA student)
2. A cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.0.
3. Six semesters in residence carrying not less than 10 classroom credit hours each semester, i.e, in courses requiring attendance at regularly scheduled class sessions in the law school. (see (3) Six Semesters in Residence, above)
4. Completion of all required courses (see Required Courses, below);
5. Fulfilling the school's research and writing requirement. This requires students to have a rigorous writing experience evidencing legal analysis resulting in a paper of professional quality.
6. Completion of the school's advanced torts requirement. This requires students to take at least one 3-hour course from a designated list of advanced torts courses offerings;
7. Completion of the school's jurisprudential requirement. This requires students to take at least one course from a particular group of jurisprudential elective course offerings;
8. Completion of the School's Professional Skills Requirement. This requires students to successfully complete a substantial professional skills certification.
9. Regular and punctual class attendance.


(5) At Least 80 Hours in Courses at Regularly Scheduled Class Sessions
Only courses requiring attendance at regularly scheduled class sessions at the law school (or at other schools or in summer abroad programs, in the case of a student visiting at another school or attending a summer abroad program) may meet this requirement. Thus, credit for clinics, research & writing, independent study, courses taken in other units of the university (unless cross listed) journal participation and competitions do not count toward the 80 hours. A student desiring to attend a summer abroad program offered by another school should check with Dean Berman to see if the number of class sessions in the program meet the requirements for the program's courses to count toward the 80 hours.The only exceptions are:

Law 8656 Public Defender Trials Clinic
3 hr credit/ 1 hr residency
Law 8656P Jackson County Prosecutor's Clinic
3 hr credit/ 1 hr residency
Law 8713P Innocence Project Clinic
full residency credit
Law 8745 Law Review
1 hr residency per semester on staff
Law 8745R Law Review Board
1 hr residency each semester on Board
Law 8748 Appellate Advocacy III
2 hr credit/ 1hr residency