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*

1L Required Courses29
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 Requirement2-3
One course designated as ethics/professional responsibility course
Electives48-56
Total Credit Hours88
*

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

1L Required Courses29
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 Requirement2-3
One course designated as ethics/professional responsibility course
JD Electives 136-50
Additional Electives Taken in Fulfillment of Both Dual/Joint Degrees 26-12
Total Credit Hours88
*

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

Required Courses11-12
Business Associations
Federal Income Tax I
Administrative Law
Distributional Courses8-10
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 Electives6-8
Total Credit Hours26-28

Curriculum Requirements: Litigation and Dispute Resolution Concentration

Required Courses13
Evidence
Civil Procedure II
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 Requirements12
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 Hours25

Curriculum Requirements: Social Justice & Public Interest Concentration

Required Courses
LAW 200Administrative Law4
LAW 217Constitutional Law II4
LAW 297LAW PRACTICE: SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY3
or LAW 268 LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Distributional: Experiential Learning3
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 Electives9
Research Requirement2
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 852Social Justice Research Capstone Seminar1
Total Credit Hours26
*

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

Required Courses
LAW 200Administrative Law4
or LAW 217 Constitutional Law II
LAW 297LAW PRACTICE: SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY3
or LAW 268 LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Approved Track Electives6
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 Requirement2
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 Hours15
*

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

Required Courses
LAW 100Business Associations4
LAW 154Corporate Compliance and Risk Management3
LAW 200Administrative Law4
Distributional Courses6-8
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 Electives6-8
Total Credit Hours23-27

Curriculum Requirements: Business Compliance and Sustainability Area of Focus

Required Courses
LAW 100Business Associations4
LAW 154Corporate Compliance and Risk Management3
Distributional Courses1-5
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 Electives2-4
Total Credit Hours14-16

Curriculum Requirements: Environmental Law Concentration

Required Courses
LAW 200Administrative Law4
LAW 213Environmental Law3
Distributional Courses6
Natural Resources
Coastal Law
Law of the Sea
International Environmental Law
Writing Requirement2
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 Electives10
Total Credit Hours25

Curriculum Requirements: Environmental Law Area of Focus

Required Courses
LAW 200Administrative Law4
LAW 213Environmental Law3
Distributional Courses3
Natural Resources
International Environmental Law
Approved Electives5
Total Credit Hours15

Curriculum Requirements: Immigration, Asylum, Citizenship Area of Focus

Required Course
LAW 335Immigration Law3
Distributional Courses6-11
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 Electives0-5
Total Credit Hours14

Curriculum Requirements: Health Law Area of Focus

Required Courses
LAW 200Administrative Law4
LAW 755HEALTH LAW AND POLICY3
Approved Electives8
Total Credit Hours15

Sample Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredit 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 Hours16
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 Hours16
Year Two
Fall
Upper Level Law Courses 1-6
 Credit Hours14
Spring
Upper Level Law Courses 1-6
 Credit Hours14
Year Three
Fall
Upper Level Law Courses 1-6
 Credit Hours14
Spring
Upper Level Law Courses 1-6
 Credit Hours14
 Total Credit Hours88

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

  1. Students will demonstrate advanced proficiency in high-level legal reasoning, fact analysis, and critical thinking.
  2. Students will demonstrate advanced proficiency in written and oral communications as it relates to the discipline.
  3. 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.