Overview
The Juris Doctor degree at Miami Law is a full-time program combining a rigorous academic curriculum with professional training in critical lawyering skills. The 88-credit degree program is a full-time program requiring three academic years of study.
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission to University of Miami School of Law, an applicant must have earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university prior to enrolling at the School of Law. The Law School admits first-year J.D. students to commence studies only in the fall semester and reviews applications on a rolling basis throughout the year. Applications are reviewed as soon as all required documents are received.
JD Curriculum Requirements*
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1L Required Courses | 29 | |
| Civil Procedure I | ||
| Contracts | ||
| Elements | ||
| Property | ||
| Torts | ||
| Criminal Procedure | ||
| U.S. Constitutional Law I | ||
| Legal Communication and Research I | ||
| Legal Communication and Research II | ||
| 2 Upper Level Writing Requirements (minimum of 2 credits per requirements) | 2-4 | |
| Skills Requirement (minimum of 6 credits from a list of courses designated as skills courses) | 6 | |
| Professional Responsibility/Ethics Requirement | 2-3 | |
| One course designated as ethics/professional responsibility course | ||
| Electives | 48-56 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 88 | |
- *
No single course may satisfy more than one of the three graduation requirements (skills, writing and professional responsibility).
- *
Some designated courses and clinics may satisfy EITHER the skills or the writing requirement.
- *
Externships Cap: Only 9 externship credits may be counted towards the minimum 88 credits required for graduation.
- *
There are a number of ways to meet the substantial writing course requirement, including through enrolling in designated courses and seminars, and through faculty supervised independent writing credit.
JD Curriculum Requirements for Dual/Joint Degree Programs
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1L Required Courses | 29 | |
| Civil Procedure I | ||
| Contracts | ||
| Elements | ||
| Property | ||
| Torts | ||
| Criminal Procedure | ||
| U.S. Constitutional Law I | ||
| Legal Communication and Research I | ||
| Legal Communication and Research II | ||
| 2 Upper Level Writing Requirements (minimum of 2 credits per requirements) | 2-4 | |
| Skills Requirement (minimum of 6 credits from a list of courses designated as skills courses) | 6 | |
| Professional Responsibility/Ethics Requirement | 2-3 | |
| One course designated as ethics/professional responsibility course | ||
| JD Electives 1 | 36-50 | |
| Additional Electives Taken in Fulfillment of Both Dual/Joint Degrees 2 | 6-12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 88 | |
- *
No single course may satisfy more than one of the three graduation requirements (skills, writing and professional responsibility).
- *
Some designated courses and clinics may satisfy EITHER the skills or the writing requirement.
- *
Externships Cap: Only 9 externship credits may be counted towards the minimum 88 credits required for graduation.
- *
There are a number of ways to meet the substantial writing course requirement, including through enrolling in designated courses and seminars, and through faculty supervised independent writing credit.
- 1
The number of elective credits will vary depending on other course selections and the number of electives counted from the other dual/joint degree program to meet the minimum of 88 total credit hours is required for the JD.
- 2
The number of additional electives counted toward fulfillment of the dual/joint degree (double-counted toward each program) will vary for each dual/joint degree program. Refer to the Bulletin page for each dual/joint degree program for information on the specific number of electives that will count toward both programs.
Curriculum Requirements: Business of Innovation, Law, and Technology Concentration
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 11-12 | |
| Business Associations | ||
| Federal Income Tax I | ||
| Administrative Law | ||
| Distributional Courses | 8-10 | |
| Students take one course from each of the three tracks below. If a student takes more than one course from each of the three tracks listed in the Distributional Courses requirement, credits from those additional courses can be used to satisfy the Elective Courses requirements. | ||
| IP & Entrepreneurship | ||
| Intellectual Property for Business Lawyers | ||
| Patent Law | ||
| Copyright Law | ||
| Trademark Law | ||
| Startup Law and Entrepreneurship | ||
| Regulatory & Compliance | ||
| Antitrust | ||
| Corporate Compliance and Risk Management | ||
| Insurance Law | ||
| Securities Regulation | ||
| Business & Tax | ||
| Bankruptcy | ||
| Commercial Law: Secured Transactions | ||
| Commercial Law: UCC | ||
| Corporate Tax | ||
| Corporate Tax | ||
| Corporate Tax | ||
| Partnership Tax | ||
| Partnership Tax | ||
| Partnership Tax | ||
| Approved Electives | 6-8 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 26-28 | |
Curriculum Requirements: Litigation and Dispute Resolution Concentration
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 13 | |
| Evidence | ||
| Civil Procedure II | ||
or LAW 320 | Substantive Criminal Law | |
| Litigation Skills I Workshop: Pretrial | ||
| Writing Requirement | ||
| At least one of the two graduation writing requirements must be litigation focused. | ||
| Additional Course Requirements | 12 | |
| One or more courses from both sub-sections A and B and at least two elective courses from sub-section C for a total of at least 12 credits. | ||
| A. Alternative Dispute Resolution (at least one): | ||
| Alternative Dispute Resolution | ||
| ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION: DESIGN SYSTEMS | ||
| FEDERAL ARBITRATION ACT | ||
| International Commercial Arbitration | ||
| Mediation | ||
| Negotiation | ||
| B. Experiential (at least one): | ||
| Bankruptcy Clinic I | ||
| Children and Youth Law Clinic I | ||
| Tenants Rights Clinic | ||
| Federal Appellate Clinic I | ||
| Health Rights Clinic I | ||
| Litigation Skills II: Criminal Litigation | ||
| Litigation Skills II: Business Litigation | ||
| Innocence Clinic I | ||
| Investor Rights Clinic | ||
| Immigration Clinic I | ||
| Externship I | ||
| C. Approved Electives | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 25 | |
Curriculum Requirements: Social Justice & Public Interest Concentration
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LAW 200 | Administrative Law | 4 |
| LAW 217 | Constitutional Law II | 4 |
| LAW 297 | LAW PRACTICE: SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY | 3 |
| or LAW 268 | LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE | |
| Distributional: Experiential Learning | 3 | |
| Students are required to take an experiential learning course offered in the list below. Three credits from any of the below offerings may be applied toward the concentration. | ||
| Clinics | ||
| Children and Youth Law Clinic I | ||
| Human Rights Clinic | ||
| Human Rights Clinic I | ||
| Immigration Clinic I | ||
| Tenants Rights Clinic | ||
| Health Rights Clinic I | ||
| Innocence Clinic I | ||
| Children and Youth Law Clinic | ||
| Investor Rights Clinic | ||
| Bankruptcy Clinic I | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CLINIC I | ||
| Health and Elder Law Clinic: Medical Legal Partnership | ||
| Investor Rights Clinic | ||
| Externships | ||
| Externship I | ||
| Externship II | ||
| Externship III | ||
| Practica | ||
| Cyber Civil Rights Initiative Practicum | ||
| Criminal Justice Policy Reform Practicum | ||
| DEATH PENALTY PRACTICUM | ||
| STARTUP CLINIC | ||
| COMMUNITY LAWYERING PRACTICUM | ||
| Approved Electives | 9 | |
| Research Requirement | 2 | |
| Students are required to engage in research and writing on social justice and public interest themes. There are two components to the research requirement: | ||
| Students must complete at least one of the following (2 credits): | ||
Independent study on topic that falls within SJPI concentration, or | ||
Seminar paper (on topic that falls within SJPI concentration) * | ||
| Engagement and Reflection Requirement | ||
| Students are required to engage and reflect on social justice and public interest themes with their faculty advisor. Students must register for: | ||
| LAW 852 | Social Justice Research Capstone Seminar | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours | 26 | |
- *
A student’s SJPI advisor is expected to be available to supervise the independent study/seminar paper, or work with the student to make alternative arrangements.
Curriculum Requirements: Social Justice & Public Interest Area of Focus
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LAW 200 | Administrative Law | 4 |
| or LAW 217 | Constitutional Law II | |
| LAW 297 | LAW PRACTICE: SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY | 3 |
| or LAW 268 | LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE | |
| Approved Track Electives | 6 | |
| Students elect one track from the following: | ||
Economic Justice Track | ||
Identity and Civil Rights Track | ||
Government and Political Process Track | ||
Practicing Social Justice Track | ||
| Research Requirement | 2 | |
| Students are required to engage in research and writing on social justice and public interest themes. There are two components to the research requirement: | ||
| Students must complete at least one of the following (2 credits): | ||
Independent study on topic that falls within SJPI area of focus, or | ||
Seminar paper (on topic that falls within SJPI area of focus) * | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
- *
A student’s SJPI advisor is expected to be available to supervise the independent study/seminar paper, or work with the student to make alternative arrangements.
Curriculum Requirements: Business Compliance and Sustainability Concentration
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LAW 100 | Business Associations | 4 |
| LAW 154 | Corporate Compliance and Risk Management | 3 |
| LAW 200 | Administrative Law | 4 |
| Distributional Courses | 6-8 | |
| Corporate Tax | ||
| Securities Regulation | ||
| Federal Income Tax I | ||
| Antitrust | ||
| Banking Law | ||
| Bankruptcy | ||
| Regulation of Broker-Dealers and Investment Advisers | ||
| Employment Discrimin | ||
| Labor Law | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Disability Law | ||
| Employment Law | ||
| International Business Transactions | ||
| CLIMATE FINANCE | ||
| Immigration Law | ||
| Navigating Antitrust Risk | ||
| HEALTH LAW: FRAUD AND ABUSE | ||
| HEALTH LAW: PRACTICE AND WORKSHOP | ||
| INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION LAW AND PRACTICE | ||
| Mindfulness and Motivating Business Compliance with the Law | ||
| Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) in College Athletics | ||
| PRIVACY LAW | ||
| Business and Human Rights | ||
| WHITE COLLAR CRIMINAL LAW | ||
| Externship I | ||
| Approved Electives | 6-8 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 23-27 | |
Curriculum Requirements: Business Compliance and Sustainability Area of Focus
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LAW 100 | Business Associations | 4 |
| LAW 154 | Corporate Compliance and Risk Management | 3 |
| Distributional Courses | 1-5 | |
| Corporate Tax | ||
| Securities Regulation | ||
| Federal Income Tax I | ||
| Antitrust | ||
| Banking Law | ||
| Bankruptcy | ||
| Regulation of Broker-Dealers and Investment Advisers | ||
| Administrative Law | ||
| Employment Discrimin | ||
| Labor Law | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Disability Law | ||
| Employment Law | ||
| International Business Transactions | ||
| CLIMATE FINANCE | ||
| Immigration Law | ||
| Navigating Antitrust Risk | ||
| HEALTH LAW: FRAUD AND ABUSE | ||
| HEALTH LAW: PRACTICE AND WORKSHOP | ||
| INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION LAW AND PRACTICE | ||
| Mindfulness and Motivating Business Compliance with the Law | ||
| Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) in College Athletics | ||
| PRIVACY LAW | ||
| Business and Human Rights | ||
| WHITE COLLAR CRIMINAL LAW | ||
| Externship I | ||
| Approved Electives | 2-4 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 14-16 | |
Curriculum Requirements: Environmental Law Concentration
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LAW 200 | Administrative Law | 4 |
| LAW 213 | Environmental Law | 3 |
| Distributional Courses | 6 | |
| Natural Resources | ||
| Coastal Law | ||
| Law of the Sea | ||
| International Environmental Law | ||
| Writing Requirement | 2 | |
| Students must write a substantive research paper on an environmental law topic. This could be done as an independent study or a law review note. Writing an appellate brief in an environmental moot court competition also qualifies. With advisor approval, you may also use a seminar paper written on an environmental topic. | ||
| Approved Electives | 10 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 25 | |
Curriculum Requirements: Environmental Law Area of Focus
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LAW 200 | Administrative Law | 4 |
| LAW 213 | Environmental Law | 3 |
| Distributional Courses | 3 | |
| Natural Resources | ||
| International Environmental Law | ||
| Approved Electives | 5 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Curriculum Requirements: Immigration, Asylum, Citizenship Area of Focus
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| LAW 335 | Immigration Law | 3 |
| Distributional Courses | 6-11 | |
| Administrative Law | ||
| Constitutional Law II | ||
| BUSINESS, ENTERTAINMENT, AND SPORTS IMMIGRATION LAW | ||
| Immigration, Ethnicity, and Public Policy | ||
| Constitutionalism, Democracy, and Human Rights | ||
| Advanced Immigration | ||
| Immigration Clinic I | ||
| Approved Electives | 0-5 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 14 | |
Curriculum Requirements: Health Law Area of Focus
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LAW 200 | Administrative Law | 4 |
| LAW 755 | HEALTH LAW AND POLICY | 3 |
| Approved Electives | 8 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Sample Plan of Study
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| LAW 11 | Civil Procedure I | 3 |
| LAW 12 | Contracts | 4 |
| LAW 13 | Elements | 3 |
| LAW 15 | Torts | 4 |
| LAW 19 | Legal Communication and Research I | 2 |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| LAW 14 | Property | 4 |
| LAW 16 | Criminal Procedure | 3 |
| LAW 17 | U.S. Constitutional Law I | 4 |
| LAW 29 | Legal Communication and Research II | 2 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| Upper Level Law Courses | 1-6 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Upper Level Law Courses | 1-6 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| Upper Level Law Courses | 1-6 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Upper Level Law Courses | 1-6 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 88 | |
Mission
The University of Miami School of Law J.D. program offers graduate training culminating in a Juris Doctor in Law. It is the mission of the School of Law is to use legal training and knowledge to produce lawyer-citizens who understand the perpetually dynamic nature of modern legal practice, and who exercise democratic values, problem-solving skills, and leadership capabilities in whatever positions they assume.
In fulfilling this mission, members of the School of Law are committed to community engagement, intellectual rigor, student development, diversity, and innovation.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate advanced proficiency in high-level legal reasoning, fact analysis, and critical thinking.
- Students will demonstrate advanced proficiency in written and oral communications as it relates to the discipline.
- Students will demonstrate advanced knowledge of the ethical responsibilities of a lawyer, and demonstrate advanced proficiency in analyzing and applying the rules of professional responsibility.
