“Legal study at the UT School of Law is as diverse as the challenges that face law and the legal order in the 21st Century. Courses in which history, philosophy, and economics offer perspectives on law and legal institutions sit alongside courses in which the complexities of mainstream legal doctrine occupy center stage. Colloquia where students engage firsthand with cutting-edge scholarship sit alongside clinical programs, lecture courses, and classes where active give-and-take is the norm. International human rights are an important theme, and so too are local environmental concerns, state and national health policy, bedrock questions of political justice, and a myriad of issues associated with the flourishing of business and innovation.” (UT School of Law Website)
In the first year of study, students engage in the traditional courses, a course in Legal Research and Writing, and an elective. During the second and third years, students are obligated to complete three required courses; including, Professional Responsibility, Constitutional Law II, and a writing seminar. Other than that, students are free to select the courses that they are interested in from a large number of available electives and seminars. Student can also pursue the opportunity to participate in one of the school’s clinical programs in public interest, immigration, children's rights, mental health, criminal law, housing, or trial advocacy.
In addition, for those interested in exploring the study of law in a different culture, the school offers study abroad programs in England, Scotland, Australia, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Mexico.
For those students considering dual-degree programs, the law school offers the JD/Master of Social Work, JD/Master of Public Affairs, JD/Master of Global Policy Studies, JD/Master of Business Administration, JD/Master of Arts in Latin American Studies, JD/Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning, JD/Master of Arts in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, JD/Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies, JD/PhD in Philosophy, and the JD/PhD in Government.
For those students considering pursuing a legal education beyond the JD, the law school offers the LLM to a small class of about 40-50 students every year. The LLM program offers three courses of study inlcuding: U.S. Law for Foreign Lawyers, International Environmental Law and Latin American Studies.
