Degree Requirements

To complete the degree of Master of Laws in Advocacy, students must meet the following requirements:

• 24 months of residency during two consecutive academic years as a Clinical Teaching Fellow, engaged in teaching and the full-time supervision and instruction of J.D. students who are enrolled in a clinic.
• 24 academic credits awarded for satisfactory performance of some combination of the following, as determined by the student’s supervising faculty member: teaching, course development, practice of law, supervision of students, participation in clinic seminars, and completion of coursework. Grades are recorded pass/fail.

All Fellows affiliated with the Center for Applied Legal Studies must also complete a paper of publishable quality within five years of their date of matriculation in order to obtain the LL.M. in Advocacy.

The possibility of graduating with distinction is available to all Master of Laws in Advocacy candidates. To achieve the with distinction designation, Master of Laws in Advocacy candidates must receive certification from their supervising faculty member that they have performed outstanding work throughout their two years in residence, and have completed a paper of publishable quality.

With the exception of Clinical Teaching Fellows affiliated with the Center for Applied Legal Studies or Street Law, all Clinical Teaching Fellows must be admitted to practice in the District of Columbia. Clinical Teaching Fellows affiliated with the Center for Applied Legal Studies must be admitted to practice in the bar of any state or the District of Columbia.

The academic policies pertaining to the Clinical Teaching Fellowships are further defined in the Clinical Programs brochure and that brochure supercedes the policies set forth in this Bulletin in the event of any inconsistency.