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School of Law 2002-2004 Online Bulletin Table of Contents

 
School of Law
2002-2004
Academic Bulletin

School of Law 
211 South Indiana Ave 
Bloomington, IN 47405-7001 
Local: (812) 855-4765 
Contact Office of Admissions 
 

Special Programs

Summer Start Program
Study Abroad Programs
Joint Degree Programs
Law and Society Program
Graduate Legal Studies Program
Master of Laws
Certificate Program for Graduate Students
Doctor of Juridical Science
Doctor of Philosophy in Law and Social Science
Minors

Summer Start Program

Ours is one of the few law schools in the country to offer an early-start program, which allows students the opportunity to begin their legal education in the summer. Students who take advantage of this option take one first-year class—usually Criminal Law or Torts—from early July through early August. This course is just as rigorous and academically demanding as the same course offered during the academic year. Early-start students understand that they are merely starting before their counterparts who enter in the fall and that they will have acquired learning skills and knowledge that those who enter in the fall have yet to gain. By the end of the summer, these students are familiar with the basics of legal analysis, the school, and the community and have made friends with each other and with some second- and third-year students as well. Students who start in the summer may then choose either to take an elective or to take one fewer course in the fall.

The summer course is smaller and the atmosphere more relaxed and casual—but no less rigorous—than during the academic year. Students who start in the summer with one class often find that this allows them a smoother transition into the law school environment. Students coming to law school after a break in their studies, in particular, find the early-start program attractive.

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Study Abroad Programs

The Law School offers many opportunities for study abroad, from a semester in London to a summer in South Africa.

London Law Consortium
French Foreign Exchange Program
German Foreign Exchange Programs
Spanish Foreign Exchange Program
Summer Abroad Programs

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London Law Consortium

The School of Law participates in a consortium with seven other law schools to offer a spring semester of study in London. A limited number of students enroll in 12 to 15 credit hours of courses that are taught by faculty from four of the eight American law schools. In addition, a course is offered by a barrister or solicitor, and students may work as externs with law offices and courts. Classes are held at the Florida State University London Study Center, located on Great Russell Street near the British Museum. Students are eligible to apply for participation during their second or third year in law school.

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French Foreign Exchange Program

Two law students may attend the Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris II) Law School in Paris during the fall semester. As all courses are taught in French, students must already have acquired fluency. Participating students may enroll in courses such as Advanced Civil Law, European Community Law, State-Owned Companies, and French Public Law.

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German Foreign Exchange Programs

Up to three students may enroll during the fall semester at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, the first private law school in Germany. Courses will be taught in English and will introduce students to European law and the German legal system. For students fluent in German, there may also be an opportunity to study at the universities of Erlangen or Jena, or in Kiel.

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Spanish Foreign Exchange Program

An exchange program with the ESADE Law School in Barcelona provides an opportunity for two second- or third-year students to study law in the Spanish system. Fluency in Spanish is required. Classes available to exchange students include European Union Law, Roman Case Law, and Spanish Court Procedures.

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Summer Abroad Programs

The School of Law offers students the opportunity to study law abroad as part of a special joint relationship with the Institute on International and Comparative Law, a summer-study program sponsored by the University of San Diego School of Law. Students are introduced to foreign and international legal institutions during an intensive four- to five-week session, while also providing supplementary clinical experiences or language instruction. Each session's courses are designed to take advantage of the resources of the host city. All courses are taught in English, and students can earn from four to six credits. Students may choose from programs in London, Oxford, Paris, Dublin, Florence, Moscow and St. Petersburg, and Barcelona.

Other summer-study options include: a three-week seminar on law and public policy, sponsored by the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs and conducted in Paris, Brussels, and Berlin; and a four-week community-development visit to South Africa.

Legal study for academic credit in Hong Kong, Beijing, or Capetown, South Africa, may also be possible for interested students.

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Joint Degree Programs

Formal joint degree programs combine a law program with programs from the Kelley School of Business, the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the School of Journalism, the Department of Telecom-munications, the School of Library and Information Science, and the University Graduate School, thus enabling a student to earn a J.D. and a master's degree or Ph.D. in another academic discipline. In addition, joint degree programs with other disciplines may be individually designed and structured to meet the student's learning and career goals.

Students must apply to and be accepted by both schools or departments to be joint degree candidates. Whether in a formal or individually structured joint degree program, students typically spend their first year in the Law School; thereafter, course time is divided between the schools or departments in whatever way best meets the educational objectives of the student and the requirements of the schools or departments.

Joint degrees are awarded simultaneously and shorten the time students would spend earning both degrees separately. Each year about 50 students pursue joint degrees.

Combined Doctor of Jurisprudence-Master of Business Administration

and

Combined Doctor of Jurisprudence-Master of Professional Accountancy

See description under Business and Commercial Law.

Combined Doctor of Jurisprudence-Master of Public Affairs

and

Combined Doctor of Jurisprudence-Master of Science in Environmental Science

See descriptions under Environmental Law.

Combined Doctor of Jurisprudence-Master of Arts in Journalism

and

Combined Doctor of Jurisprudence-Master of Arts/Master of Science in Telecommunications

See descriptions under Communications, Information, and Intellectual Property Law.

Combined Doctor of Jurisprudence-Master of Library and Information Science

The School of Law and the School of Library and Information Science offer a four-year combined program leading to the Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) degrees. The program is designed for students who wish to enter the field of law librarianship. Students should apply to both schools at the same time for the combined degree. However, students already enrolled in the School of Law may apply for admission to the program no later than the end of their second year of law study, and students already enrolled in the School of Library and Information Science may apply to the School of Law no later than the end of their first year of M.L.S. study.

The program requires students to complete 80 credit hours in the School of Law, including all degree requirements, Copyright Law, Constitutional Law II, and 30 credit hours in the School of Library and Information Science, including the degree requirements of that school for this program.

Further information about these joint degree programs may be obtained from the admissions offices of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the Kelley School of Business, the School of Journalism, the Department of Telecommunications, the School of Library and Information Science, the University Graduate School, and the School of Law—Bloomington, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405.

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Law and Society Program

The "law and society" concept is one rooted in interdisciplinary teaching and study of legal institutions, processes, doctrines, and applications. Because law has an effect on so much of social practice, both shaping it and being shaped by it, study of law and society issues is of vital importance to scholarship, policy formulation, and legal decision making. As countries become involved in global legal, economic, and political structures and alliances, study of the interactions of culture, society, and law becomes even more central to scholarship and teaching in the social sciences and law.

The school has a rich history of interdisciplinary legal studies. We developed our program not only because there is significant research activity in the area, but because teaching in so many subject areas—which range from criminology and political science to anthropology and psychology—involves understanding the intersections. The Law and Society Program facilitates the interaction among disciplines that is crucial to the teaching mission and the advancement of knowledge at a major university.

As a significant part of the curriculum outside the classroom, the Program for the Study of Law and Society provides a forum for scholars and students in the Law School and throughout the university who are interested in interdisciplinary law-related research. Each year the program sponsors a major symposium that brings together prominent law and society faculty from Indiana University and leading scholars from around the world.

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Graduate Legal Studies Program

The Graduate Legal Studies program, designed primarily for internationally trained lawyers, has been home to hundreds of international students since 1904. Students who choose Indiana University benefit from the Law School's long tradition of academic excellence in a congenial and supportive environment. The director of graduate programs and the assistant dean for international programs provide individualized attention to each student. Additionally, our international students have the opportunity to develop close working relationships with the faculty and to meet distinguished visiting jurists and scholars from around the world.

The program immerses students in the study of American law, providing an in-depth understanding of American common law and the American legal system. Students may also choose from a variety of courses that examine global legal issues. The Law School can provide students with the foundation they need to accomplish their academic and professional goals, from passing the bar examination to practicing law within the global context.

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Master of Laws

The Law School offers a choice of master's degree programs to accommodate a range of academic interests and backgrounds, welcoming to the program legal scholars, practicing attorneys, and jurists, as well as recent law school graduates.

LL.M. Thesis
For those who are interested in pursuing an academic career, the LL.M. thesis provides an excellent foundation in scholarly research and writing. This degree requires the completion of 30 credit hours, 6 to 10 of which are dedicated to a thesis that focuses on the student's primary research interest. Students are assigned thesis advisors whose academic expertise is compatible with the students' interests and with whom they work closely in completing their thesis projects. Students may choose from a variety of courses that support their thesis work or from other areas of interest.

LL.M. Practicum
The practicum provides aspiring legal practitioners and jurists with direct experience in the American legal system. Students enrolled in this program have the opportunity to observe judicial proceedings at various stages and venues and to interact with practicing attorneys and judges. The LL.M. Practicum requires completion of 27 credit hours.

Master of Comparative Law (M.C.L.)
The M.C.L. degree provides the same flexibility in academic planning as the LL.M. degrees, but with a greater focus on American common law. The M.C.L. degree requires the completion of 24 credit hours, which include practicum experience.

Any candidate for a graduate degree in law who has not already had a year in residence at an American law school and who does not hold a degree in law from a university in a common-law country is urged to acquire sufficient background in American political and economic institutions, methods and materials of American law, and use of the English language before beginning course work. Further information can be obtained from the Admissions Office.

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Certificate Program for Graduate Students

The Law School offers a Certificate in Legal Studies Program, which enables internationally trained lawyers and law graduates to immerse themselves in the study of American law for a shorter time than would be required in the typical M.C.L. or LL.M. degree programs.

The Certificate in Legal Studies is conferred upon successful completion of 8 credit hours of course work that can be accomplished in one semester or during the summer.

Internationally trained lawyers and law graduates participating in this certificate program select their own courses, depending upon their areas of interest. Certificate participants also have opportunities to gain valuable experience in the techniques of American legal research, including electronic research methods. Candidates for this program must submit applications at least five months prior to the start of the semester in which they plan to begin their studies.

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Doctor of Juridical Science

The School of Law offers an advanced graduate program, primarily for international students, which leads to the Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) degree. The program provides students of great promise and demonstrated ability with an opportunity for extended study, research, and scholarly writing. Those few admitted to the program must have outstanding records and must provide evidence of excellent reading and writing skills in English. Graduates of this program typically achieve distinction in their home countries as law professors or in public service.

The centerpiece of the program is a doctoral dissertation completed under the supervision of members of the law faculty, who direct or serve on the candidate's dissertation committee. When appropriate, a faculty member from another unit within the university may be invited to serve on a dissertation committee. The shape of the dissertation will be anticipated in significant part by a proposal of the research to be undertaken. In order for a student to be admitted to S.J.D. study, the Graduate Committee of the School of Law must conclude both that the applicant's research proposal is of exceptional importance and originality and that the applicant possesses the talent and the breadth of training and experience to carry the project through to completion.

S.J.D. applicants from abroad normally will have distinguished themselves in a demanding LL.M. program. They often will be LL.M. graduates of the IU School of Law. When the applicant has received an LL.M. degree from any other law school, the application should include names of professors at that school who are familiar with the applicant. When an applicant has obtained a J.D. with distinction from a U.S. law school, he or she may be considered without an LL.M. In such cases, the Graduate Committee will weigh post-J.D. experiences that bear on the applicant's scholarly objectives. Admission into the S.J.D. program is highly selective.

S.J.D. applicants will be expected to spend one year in residence at the IU School of Law. This requirement is in addition to any residence requirement satisfied here for an LL.M. degree. The Doctor of Juridical Science degree is conferred upon the successful completion of at least 30 credit hours that meet the requirements established by the Committee on Graduate Study in the School of Law.

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Doctor of Philosophy in Law and Social Science

The School of Law and the University Graduate School offer a combined program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy in Law and Social Science degree. This program involves interdisciplinary research and problem solving in areas where law and social science overlap.

Applicants must apply separately to, and be admitted by, the Law School, the collaborating academic department, and the University Graduate School (which awards all Ph.D. degrees). Applicants whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL results. Applicants may also be required by the collaborating academic department to take additional tests such as the GRE.

Each Ph.D. candidate will be assigned an advisory committee consisting of at least two faculty members from the Law School and at least two faculty members from the collaborating academic department. The chairperson of the advisory committee will serve as the candidate's primary academic advisor.

The candidate must complete at least one academic year in residence in the Law School after matriculating in the Ph.D. program. The candidate must also comply with any residency requirements that may be imposed by the collaborating academic department.

The candidate must complete a minimum of 90 credit hours. At least 30 credit hours must be earned in required law courses, and at least 15 additional credit hours must be earned in the form of independent-study (dissertation research) credits taken in the Law School. The remaining 45 credit hours may be earned either in the Law School or elsewhere, as may be required by the collaborating academic department.

Specific information on required courses, examination and dissertation information, and other requirements of this program may be obtained through the Law School's Web site (www.law.indiana.edu) or by contacting the Law School Admissions Office.

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Minors

Minor in Law

Students pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Education, or Doctor of Business Administration may obtain a minor in law by completing 13 to 16 credit hours of course work in the School of Law, including a basic methodological course such as Contracts, Property, Torts, or Constitutional Law, and 2 credit hours in either a research seminar or independent research. Graduate students interested in more information about the minor in law should contact the dean for students in the Law School.

Minor in Gender Studies

To be eligible to receive the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence with a minor in gender studies, a student must complete 80 credit hours in the School of Law, 6 credit hours of which must satisfy the gender studies cross-listing requirement; complete either G601 or G602 (interdisciplinary 3-credit course in gender studies, in alternate years); and complete a 3-credit elective course at or above the 500 level offered by the Gender Studies Program (some 300- or 400-level courses may be approved for graduate credit with prior approval of the dean).

Minor in Business

The minor in business is primarily designed for students who wish to take an intensive course of study in accounting. To be eligible to receive the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence with a minor in business, a student must complete a total of 92 credit hours—80 credit hours in the Law School, including required course work, and 12 credit hours in the Kelley School of Business. Required course work is necessary for graduation, and students must gain prior approval before entering the program.

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