JURIS DOCTOR/MASTER OF ARTS IN LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

J.D./M.A.L.A.S. degree candidates must satisfactorily complete course requirements for both the J.D. and M.A.L.A.S. degrees. In addition to the J.D. and M.A.L.A.S. degrees, a Joint Program Certificate will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of the program. Students undertake a four-year course of study comprising a minimum of 109* academic credits (79* Law Center credits and 30 credits of M.A.L.A.S. courses). 6 credits from the Law Center will satisfy M.A.L.A.S. degree requirements and 6 credits of M.A.L.A.S. course work will satisfy J.D. requirements. Candidates for this joint degree must satisfy the academic standards of the two programs: maintain a minimum B (3.0/4.0) average; demonstrate advanced foreign language ability through successful completion of a Spanish or Portuguese oral proficiency examination; and successfully complete the written comprehensive examination of the M.A.L.A.S. Program.

Curriculum Outline:

• 24 credits of M.A.L.A.S. course work, ordinarily taken in the first year of the joint program;
  
• 6 credits of additional M.A.L.A.S. coursework, in the second, third, and/or fourth years or during Summer session;
• 31 credits of the required first-year law curriculum, ordinarily taken in the second year of the joint program*;
• 32 credits in further law courses including Professional Responsibility and the legal writing requirement. These courses are distributed among the third and fourth years;
• 16 credits in international law courses including: 3 credits in the required course International Law I: Introduction to International Law and 13 credits in further international law courses at least 6 of which should focus on Latin America. These courses are taken in the third and fourth years of the joint program; and
• Residency Requirement (see J.D. Program section).
  
  

* 1 fewer credits is required for students who completed the first-year law curriculum in the 2005-06 or 2006-07 academic years. 2 fewer credits are required for students who completed the first-year law curriculum prior to the 2005-06 academic year.