Academics
In addition to the J.D., the law school offers the LL.M. Students may take relevant courses in other programs and apply credit toward the J.D.; a maximum of 8 credits may be applied. The following joint degrees may be earned: J.D./M.A.E.S. (Juris/Doctor Master of Environmental Studies), J.D./M.B.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration), J.D./M.P.A. (Juris Doctor/Master of Public Administration), J.D./M.S.E.S. (Juris Doctor/Master of Environmental Science), and J.D/M.U.P.D.D. (Juris Doctor/Master of Urban Planning, Design and Development).
Students must take 18 to 26 credits in their area of concentration. The Cleveland-Marshall College of Law offers concentrations in corporate law, criminal law, labor law, litigation, civil litigation, and dispute resolution. In addition, the Employment Law Clinic offers from 6 to 10 credits, the Urban Development Law Clinic offers from 2 to 10 credits, the Fair Housing Clinic offers from 2 to 8 credits, and the Environmental Law Clinic offers 2 to 4 credits. Upper-level students may take seminars and up to 3 hours of independent research; seminar papers fulfill the upper-level writing requirement. A judicial externship is worth 6 credits; students work 24 hours a week in a federal or state appellate court. A U.S. Attorney externship is worth 4 credits; students are placed in a civil or criminal U.S. Attorney’s office. There are independent/public service externships worth 4 to 6 hours. Special lecture series include the Cleveland-Marshall Lecture Series, the Criminal Law Forums, and Labor and Employment Lecture Series. Students may participate in study-abroad programs run by ABA/AALS-approved law schools. Cleveland-Marshall also sponsors an ABA/AALS summer program in St. Petersburg, Russia. First-year students admitted to the Legal Career Opportunities Program are offered a course in Legal Process. An Academic Excellence program is offered. Cleveland-Marshall has a Director of Minority Affairs who oversees minority programs. A variety of special interest group programs are available. The most widely taken electives are Advocacy, Business, and Employment Law.
To earn the J.D., candidates must complete 90 total credits, of which 41 are for required courses. They must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the required courses. The following first-year courses are required of all students: Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Writing, Property, and Torts. Required upper-level courses consist of Constitutional Law, Evidence, and Legal Profession. The required orientation program for first-year students is 5 days and includes social activities, legal writing and demonstration classes, library tours, peer adviser meetings, and technology set-up.
In order to graduate, candidates must have a GPA of 2.0, have completed the upper-division writing requirement, and have completed a course with an administrative component of law, evidence, and legal professions. A perspective course and upper-division writing requires a third semester of Legal Writing and a research paper.