Juris Doctor (J.D.)
We provide a legal education to fit your future career and maximize your options.
About this Program
The J.D. program at the University of Mississippi School of Law is designed to do more than just help you think like a lawyer—it prepares you to be one. We understand that every student’s path is unique, which is why we tailor your legal education to fit your future goals and open up endless career possibilities.
From day one, you'll gain practical experience, with professional skills integrated throughout our curriculum. Our J.D. program starts with a strong foundation in key bar exam subjects like Torts, Contracts, Property, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, and Constitutional Law. You'll also benefit from a full year of legal research and writing, culminating in appellate brief writing and oral arguments.
Additionally, the University of Mississippi School of Law offers 8 clinical programs, a Pro Bono Initiative, and a Clinical Externship Program. Here, you'll have the unique opportunity to practice law under temporary admission to the bar, representing real clients under the close mentorship of our experienced clinical professors and supervising attorneys. These hands-on experiences will ensure you're ready to step into the world of law with confidence.
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Program Information
Program Type
Doctorate Program
Area of Study
Social Sciences, Law, and Policy
School
Duration
36 months
Degree
Juris Doctor
Program Location
Emphases
Air and Space Law;
Business Law;
Criminal Law;
Sports and Entertainment Law
Required Credit Hours
81
The Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law is the nation’s leading – and only – ABA Accredited law school that offers a concentration in Air and Space Law. For law students seeking such specialized legal courses, this concentration provides a comprehensive understanding of the legal processes regulating domestic and international aerospace activities. Students enrolled in the concentration program receive the distinctive, interdisciplinary knowledge and expertise for which the Center is world-renowned.
The Center offers a unique curriculum rich in the legal issues that arise from new technologies in space including:
- Public international law covering both the aviation and space industries
- International and domestic laws governing exploration
- National licensing of space activities
- Space security and military uses of space
- US space policy
- Use of remote sensing imagery as legal evidence
- Balancing privacy and humanitarian uses for remote sensing technologies
- Private international law
- Economic regulation of domestic and international air routes
- Environmental effects of aviation and space activities
- Cybersecurity laws and policies
- Aircraft financing and leasing
The concentration program in Air and Space Law consists of four aerospace law courses (12 credit hours), an Independent Study in Aerospace Law and/or possible externship/internship placement (3 credit hours), and three elective courses (12 credit hours), for a total of twenty-seven (27) credits.
Admissions Criteria, Continuation and Exit Requirements for Proposed Concentration in Air and Space Law Program
The Air and Space Law Concentration recognizes a student’s strong emphasis in the air and space law fields. A student may be recognized for a Concentration in Air and Space Law by earning a total of 27 credit hours satisfying the following requirements:
- Successful completion of 4 core courses (12 credit hours);
- Successful completion of 4 elective courses (12 credit hours); and
- Successful completion of 3 intensive credit hours
All credits counted for the Concentration must be graded, and the student must have at least a 3.0 grade point average for all credits counted toward satisfying the Concentration credit hour requirements as set forth above.
Core courses, elective courses and options for Intensive Credit Hours are listed below. Due to scheduling constraints and prerequisites, students must plan carefully in order to complete the Concentration. Each core course is offered at least one term each year. A list of the specific courses offered in any given term that may count toward the Air and Space Law Concentration will be disseminated prior to enrollment for that term.
Core Courses
- Public International Air Law 750
- Private International Air Law 751
- International Space Law 680
- Either US National Aviation Law 723 or United States Domestic Space Law 679
The University of Mississippi School of Law’s Business Law Institute offers a concentration in business law for students seeking to develop expertise in this field during law school. In today’s competitive legal market, completing the concentration’s requirements provides an edge for students demonstrating commitment to and interest in business law. Upon finishing the concentration’s requirements, students receive a certificate and a transcript notation evidencing their completion. This business law concentration is one of the many enriching opportunities the Business Law Institute offers students aspiring to practice business law.
Business Law Concentration Requirements
To be acknowledged for a concentration in business law, a student must satisfy the following requirements by earning at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA in the following classes and other credit-earning activities:
- Successfully completing Business Associations;
- Successfully completing at least 9 credit hours of Core Courses;
- Successfully completing at least 3 credit hours that represent Intensive work in the subject area;
- Successfully completing at least 27 total credit hours in the above areas and Other Eligible Courses.
Due to scheduling constraints and prerequisites, students must plan carefully to complete the Concentration.
Required Courses
- Law 601: Business Associations
The University of Mississippi School of Law is proud to offer a Criminal Law concentration so students interested in criminal law can immerse themselves in the field during their law school education. Upon successfully completing the requirements of the Criminal Law concentration, the student will be awarded a concentration evidencing their completion of the requirements for the concentration. The students will also have a notation reflecting their successful completion of the Criminal Law concentration made in their official law school transcript.
Overview of Program
The Criminal Law concentration is designed to provide students with a broad-based exposure to concepts, topics and skills vital to criminal law practitioners. The Criminal Law concentration prepares students for careers in criminal law as local, state and federal prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, public defenders and public interest litigators. A student may be recognized for a Concentration in Criminal Law by satisfying the following requirements:
- Successfully completing 3 Core Courses;
- Successfully completing at least 3 Intensive Credit Hours;
- Successfully obtaining at least 24 credit hours in Core Courses, Intensive courses and Other Eligible
- The student must obtain at least a 3.0 grade point average that includes grades for all credit hours counted toward satisfying each of the three requirements set forth
Due to scheduling constraints and prerequisites, students must plan carefully in order to complete the Concentration.
Core Courses, Intensive Credit Hours, and Other Eligible Courses are listed below. Each Core Course is offered at least one term each year, but others listed below may not be offered every year. A list of the specific courses offered in any given term that may count toward the Criminal Law Concentration will be disseminated prior to enrollment for that term.
Core Courses
- Criminal Procedure I: Investigation 635
- Criminal Procedure II: Adjudication 714
- Evidence 600
Intensive Credit Hours
- Clinics: Externship 654*
- Clinics: Criminal Appeals 697
- Clinics: Mississippi Innocence Project 692
- Clinics: MacArthur Justice Clinic 733
* Externship must be related to criminal law.
Clinics must be approved by the designated faculty member for the Concentration prior to enrollment for the term in which the credits are earned in order to fulfill the Intensive Credit Hours requirement.
The University of Mississippi School of Law offers a program of concentration in Sports & Entertainment Law for students who seek to develop special expertise in these areas during their law school careers. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, the concentration provides an edge for students who have demonstrated their commitment to and interest in Sports & Entertainment Law. Upon completion of the requirements of the Sports & Entertainment Law concentration, students will be awarded a certificate evidencing completion and a notation on their official transcript.
The Sports and Entertainment Law Concentration recognizes a student’s strong emphasis in the sports and entertainment law field. A student may be recognized for a Concentration in Sports and Entertainment Law by satisfying the following requirements:
- Successfully completing 5 Core Courses;
- Successfully completing at least 3 Intensive Credit Hours;
- Successfully obtaining at least 24 credit hours in Core Courses, Intensive courses and Other Eligible
- All credits counted for the Concentration must be graded, and the student must obtain at least a 3.0 grade point average that includes grades for all credit hours counted toward satisfying each of the three requirements set forth
Due to scheduling constraints and prerequisites, students must plan carefully in order to complete the Concentration.
Core Courses, Intensive Credit Hours, and Other Eligible Courses are listed below. Each Core Course is offered at least one term each year (for each of Core Courses 5, at least one of the eligible courses is offered each year), but others listed below may not be offered every year. A list of the specific courses offered in any given term that may count toward the Sports and Entertainment Law Concentration will be disseminated prior to enrollment for that term.
Core Courses
- Sports Law I (Amateur Sports) 647
- Sports Law II (Professional Sports) 755
- Entertainment Law 709
- Intellectual Property 580
- (A) Gaming Law 661 OR (B) Copyright Law 657 OR (C) Trademark Law 683
Intensive Credit Hours
Any of the following provided that it has been approved by the designated faculty member for the Concentration prior to enrollment for the term in which the credits are earned:
- Externship*
- Individual Study
- Writing class that satisfies the Upper Level Writing Requirement
- Skills class
* Externship must be related to sports or entertainment law.
Immerse yourself in innovative skill sessions
These intensive two-week courses on Contract Negotiation and Drafting immerse you in real-world situations, helping you practice transforming negotiations into well-crafted contracts. As you progress, you can select from various Skill Session courses—such as Trial Practice, Legal Spanish, and Small Business Drafting—enabling you to specialize in areas like litigation, transactional law, public service, estate planning, real estate, sports and entertainment law, and intellectual property.
Next Steps
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