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 credits of Law Center courses and 30 credits of M.A.L.A.S. work, with 6 credits of J.D. coursework counted toward the M.A.L.A.S. degree and 6 credits of M.A.L.A.S. coursework counted toward the J.D.). Candidates for this joint degree must meet the graduation requirements and satisfy the academic standards of both programs (for J.D. requirements, see the Juris Doctor Program chapter of the Georgetown Law Student Handbook of Academic Policies). Joint Degree students must also 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. coursework, taken in the first or second year of the joint program;
• 6 credits of additional M.A.L.A.S. coursework, in the third and/or fourth years or during a Summer session;
• 30 credits of the required first-year law program, taken in the first or second year of the joint program;
• 33 credits in further law courses including Professional Responsibility and successful completion of the legal writing requirement. Students matriculating in Fall 2016 or later must also complete 6 credits of experiential coursework. These courses are distributed among the third and fourth years, although students may earn 1 credit of experiential coursework by participating in an optional first-year Week One course; and
• 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 typically taken in the third and fourth years of the joint program, though International Law I may be taken as a first-year elective or over a summer session.

Students should note that they are only permitted to enroll in courses at both schools simultaneously during the third and fourth years of the program.