To graduate with a J.D. degree from the UNT Dallas College of Law, the following requirements must be met:
*Students can place out of this; criteria for placing out are set out below.
In addition to required courses, students must complete a number of “Requirements.” Each of the Requirements relates to an important skill, experience, or proficiency that students at the College of Law are expected to attain. The Requirements are not themselves “courses.” Rather, depending on the Requirement, the Requirements are satisfied through credit-bearing courses, not-for-credit courses or experiences, or demonstrated proficiency.
The Requirements are:
The Writing Requirement. The Writing Requirement is satisfied by (1) completion of six (6) writing segments, and (2) completion of a Major Writing. A writing segment is a writing assignment that correlates in scope and complexity with written work product that lawyers prepare; and on which the student receives assessment. A course may contain more than one writing segment, or may contain one or more writing segments along with a research or skills segment. The Major Writing (1) is an experience involving multiple, original writings or a single, lengthy writing, entailing significant synthesis and analysis; the sum total should generally be at least 25 pages; (2) includes the submission and assessment of at least two drafts of each writing (that is, at least one first-draft and a final draft); (3) must be taught (or supervised) by full-time faculty, or other faculty (such as part-time professor of practice, or adjunct professor) with demonstrated ability to supervise a legal writing experience entailing significant synthesis and analysis. The Registrar will maintain a list of courses containing writing segments approved by the faculty, and writing segments satisfying the upper-level writing experience.
The Research Requirement. The Research Requirement is satisfied by completion of eight (8) research segments. A research segment requires the completion of at least one significant research assignment, which will include a research plan, a research trail, and a research bibliography. A course may contain more than one research segment, or may contain one or more research segments along with a writing or skills segment. To ensure that students become proficient in the foundational information and research abilities required in practice, multiple research segments will address and reinforce knowledge of sources, creation of a research plan, use of multiple platforms for research, maintaining a research trail, and storing information. The Registrar will maintain and publish a list of courses containing research segments approved by the faculty.
The Skills Requirement. The Skills Requirement is satisfied by completion of a total of 10 skills segments, which requires six (6) skills segments in addition to the skills provided in the required classes of Practice Foundations I and Practice Foundations II. A skills segment is a performance or activity on which students are assessed and which requires a student to engage in one or more of the following professional skills, or other skills recognized by the faculty as a possible basis for a skills segment: interviewing, counseling, negotiation, fact development and analysis, trial practice, document drafting, conflict resolution, organization and management of legal work, collaboration, cultural competency and self-evaluation. A course may contain more than one skills segment, or may contain one or more skills segments along with a writing or research segment. The Registrar will maintain and publish a list of courses containing skills segments approved by the faculty.
The Experiential Requirement. To satisfy this Requirement, a student must complete at least two courses from any of the following three categories: Practicum, Externship, and Clinic. Subject to approval, two courses can be from the same category
The J.D. degree plan requires completion of the 1-hour course in Principles of Accounting and Finance for Lawyers (1 hour). However, the UNT Dallas College of Law course catalog notes that students may place out of this with demonstrated proficiency in the learning outcomes of this course.
There are three ways to demonstrate this proficiency and therefore to place out of the course. Please note: Placing out of the course does not lessen the total hours required for the degree program, but simply satisfies this requirement.
A student demonstrates this proficiency with any of the following:
Page last modified on December 11, 2015 at 1:31 pm.