• Skip to Content
  • AZ Index
  • Catalog Home
The University of Alabama
The University of Alabama
  • About
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Athletics
  • Campus Life
  • Research
  • News
  • myBama
  • Directory
  • Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni
  • Map
  • Campus Calendar
  • Alerts
  • Make a Gift
  • Catalog Archive

Law, JD

  • Catalog Home
  • School of Law
  • Law, JD
Catalog Navigation
Back to Department
  • Catalog Archives
  • Graduate Catalog
  • Majors &​ Programs
  • School of Law
    • Law, JD
    • U.S. Law for International Lawyers, LLM
  • Undergraduate Catalog
Current Students Log In
Print Options
Apply Now
  • Overview
  • Requirements

The curriculum is designed to give students a great deal of freedom and flexibility. Apart from a group of core courses, most of which are taught in the first-year, students may select from a large number of courses, seminars and clinical offerings. They may choose to concentrate — to varying degrees — in one or more areas of law or to gain exposure to a broad number of areas. Students should realize, however, that the ability to predict one’s future practice area or areas is not always perfect. Therefore, many students may benefit from taking a relatively wide range of courses.

Despite the freedom to choose that students are given during their second and third years, there are some subjects that probably ought not to be ignored. Included within this category is a course that offers some perspective on the practice of law — such as a jurisprudential or international law offering, or a comparative or legal history offering; business organizations; a course which deals with regulation — such as administrative law or an environmental or labor law offering; and a course which offers some taste of practice; such as a clinical or trial advocacy offering, moot court, or alternate dispute resolution.

William L. Andreen
Clarkson Professor of Law

Admission Requirements

Students applying for the Juris Doctor program at The University of Alabama must register with the LSAC Credential Assemble Service. Students will need to supply Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores, their cumulative undergraduate grade point average, along with your personal statement, resume, and letters of recommendations. A Graduate Record Examination score will be considered in place of a LSAT score. 

The Alabama Scholars Admission Program streamlines the application process for students in good standing or graduates from specific Alabama universities and colleges. Students will still apply online through the LSAC website. 

Students of The University of Alabama are potentially eligible to apply through the 503 Alternative Admission Program. Criteria for this application are subject to change. Please e-mail admissions@law.ua.edu to request an application. 

Students considering transferring to The University of Alabama School of Law must complete one year of law school and provide first and second semester grades, a statement explaining why you desire to enroll with advanced standing, a letter of good standing and class rank from your current institution, a Credential Assemble Service report, and other documentation based on individual factors. Transfer students apply online through the LSAC website. 

Law Students Classifications

Law students are classified as following:

P1: 0 - 24.999 earned hours

P2: 25 - 48.999 earned hours

P3: 49 earned hours and above

Degree Requirements

Students are required to earn 90 semester hours of credit for work in the Law School, including all required courses, a seminar course, and six hours of experiential courses. Students also must maintain, in the judgement of the faculty, a satisfactory record of honorable conduct befitting a prospective member of the legal profession. 

Code and Title Hours
First Year Courses
LAW 600Contracts 4
LAW 601Property4
LAW 602Torts4
LAW 603Criminal Law4
LAW 608Civil Procedure4
LAW 609Constitutional Law4
LAW 610Legal Research/Writing I2
LAW 648Legal Research/Writing II2
LAW 713Intro to Study of Law1
LAW 742Legislation & Regulation2
Second and Third Year Courses
LAW 660Legal Profession3
One Seminar Course 1
Professional or Experiential Courses (consist of clinical courses, externships, and simulation courses (including Trial Advocacy).)6
Examples Include: LAW 728, LAW 733
Elective Courses (required to fulfill the 90-hour requirement)
Students must complete 90 semester hours
Footnotes
1

A seminar course allows student to study specialized areas of the law in a highly-interactive small-class environment. All seminars include a substantial writing assignment, adequate to demonstrate the ability of the students to perform in-depth legal research, to engage in legal reasoning, and to express themselves in a clear, concise and persuasive manner. Seminars typically include opportunities for student to make oral presentations, as well as opportunities to revise their written work based on comments from other students and the professor. With the exception of the general requirement of a substantial writing assignment, professors may tailor the requirements of the class to suit their pedagogical objectives and the subject matter of the course.

To be in good standing, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.33 and not be on probation for any other reason. 

Once a student has matriculated into the JD program they must complete the degree requirement in no less than 24 months and no more than 6 calendar years from the point of matriculation. 

Certificate in Governmental Affairs

JD candidates interested in a certificate in Governmental Affairs must complete the following courses: 

Code and Title Hours
Required Courses
LAW 638Political & Legisl. Processes 2
LAW 744Legislative Drafting2
Elective Courses12
LAW 621
Immunity Doctrine Seminar
LAW 631
Employment Law
LAW 655
Immigration Law
LAW 684
Antitrust Law
LAW 690
Water Law
LAW 696
Health Care Law
LAW 702
Environmental Law I
LAW 709
Securities Regulation
LAW 710
Public International Law
LAW 715
Judicial Opinion Drafting
LAW 719
Law & Religion
LAW 723
Law & Economics
LAW 731
Special Topics in Law (Democratic Institutions, Educational Law, Law & Public Policy, Reproductive Rights)
LAW 815
Health Care Liability
LAW 819
International Human Rights Law
Other Courses as Approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Total Hours16

International & Comparative Law Certificate 

JD candidates interested in a certificate in International & Comparative Law must complete the following courses: 

Code and Title Hours
Required Courses
Approved Study Abroad Program
LAW 671Intl. Business Transactions3
LAW 710Public International Law3
Elective Courses 10
LAW 646
The Law of War
LAW 655
Immigration Law
LAW 666
International Trade Law
LAW 763
Intl Environmental Law Seminar
LAW 761
International Taxation
LAW 819
International Human Rights Law
LAW 837
WMD Law & Policy
Other Courses as Approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Total Hours16

Public Interest Law Certificate 

JD candidates interested in a certificate in Public Interest Law must complete the following courses: 

Code and Title Hours
Required Courses
LAW 769Poverty Law2
LAW 821Public Interest Lawyering2
50 hours of community service
Clinic Requirement - 2 to 4hrs of Appellate, Childrens, Civil, Criminal, Entrepreneurship, Domestic Violence, or Mediation clinic2 to 4
Elective Courses12
LAW 606
Privacy & Data Security Law
LAW 628
Consumer Protection
LAW 631
Employment Law
LAW 633
Gender & The Law
LAW 655
Immigration Law
LAW 674
Family Law I
LAW 676
Labor Law
LAW 683
Administrative Law
LAW 702
Environmental Law I
LAW 705
Alt. Dispute Resolution
LAW 710
Public International Law
LAW 719
Law & Religion
LAW 721
Employment Discrimination
LAW 723
Law & Economics
LAW 726
Civil Rights Actions
LAW 731
Special Topics in Law (Law & Public Policy)
LAW 735
Criminal Procedure: Pretrial
LAW 751
Crim Pro: Post-Conviction
LAW 763
Intl Environmental Law Seminar
LAW 771
Environmental Law II
LAW 779
Mediation Practice & Process
LAW 790
Crim Procedure: Trial
LAW 791
Juvenile Justice Jurisprudence
LAW 819
International Human Rights Law
LAW 822
Spanish for Lawyers
LAW 834
Mental Health Law
LAW 843
Lawyers & Social Change
LAW 893
Appellate Advocacy Clinic
LAW 894
Criminal Defense Clinic
LAW 895
Domestic Violence Law Clinic
LAW 896
Entrepr./Nonprofit Clinic
LAW 897
Children's Rights Law Clinic
LAW 898
Mediation Law Clinic
LAW 899
Civil Law Clinic
Total Hours18-20
Footnotes
1

Limited to Non-Profit and (non-judicial) Government Office placements.  Students who believe that a particular judicial externship will relate to the kind of public interest practice the student wishes to pursue may petition the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for approval.  No more than a total of five credits of externships may count toward the 12-hour elective requirement for the Certificate.

2

No more than a total of four hours of clinical work may count toward the 12-hour elective requirement for the Certificate — in addition to the existing requirement that students complete a four-hour clinic to obtain the Certificate.

3

Limited to Non-Profit and (non-judicial) Government Office placements. Students who believe that a particular judicial externship will relate to the kind of public interest practice the student wishes to pursue may petition the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for approval.  No more than a total of five credits of externships may count toward the 12-hour elective requirement for the Certificate.

Contact

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL 35487

(205) 348-6010

Visit our contact page for more information

  • Instagram
  • X
  • Facebook
  • UA on TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube

Resources

  • Alumni
  • Jobs
  • Libraries
  • Policies
  • Information Technology
  • Emergency Management
  • University Police

Tools

  • myBama
  • Blackboard
  • Student Email
  • Campus Map
  • Directory
  • Social Media
Part of the University of Alabama System Illustration of Denny Chimes
The University of Alabama Logo

Copyright © 2024 The University of Alabama

(205) 348-6010

Contact UA

  • Accessibility
  • SACSCOC
  • Taskstream
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Data Access Request
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy

Print Options

Send Page to Printer

Print this page.

Download Page (PDF)

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

Download 2025-26 Graduate PDF

All pages in the Graduate catalog.

Download 2025-26 Undergraduate PDF

All pages in the Undergraduate catalog.

Download 2025-26 Law PDF

All pages in the Law catalog.

Cancel

This website uses cookies to collect information to improve your browsing experience. Please review our Privacy Statement for more information.