The Juris Doctor Program
Our academic program. The three-year academic program at Texas Law is intense and transformative. The first year is spent on the study of foundational topics in our legal system, such as constitutional law and civil procedure, that are essential for every lawyer to master. These classes are taught by world-class faculty members. In addition to the knowledge imparted in your first-year courses, you will begin the acquisition of something more important: high-level analytical skills, or the ability to “think like a lawyer.” After your first year at Texas, you will never think about a legal problem the same way again.
In the second and third years, you have the opportunity to design a course of study that fits your aspirations. In part this means choosing courses on the subjects, and studying with the professors, that interest you the most. But it also means choosing the approach to learning that suits you best. We provide endless opportunities to learn in the classroom, but also an immense range of clinics and internships that enable you to learn in hands-on fashion.
You also can take courses elsewhere in the University, whether as part of a dual-degree program or “a la carte.” Our study-abroad programs offer many chances to study in other countries, too. Our faculty, staff, and alumni can help you think about any of these opportunities and whether they are right for you. In the meantime, below are links that offer some introductory information about them and other useful facts about our program.
- Degree Requirements
- Read about experiential learning at Texas Law.
- Read in particular about our great clinical programs.
- See our study-abroad options.
- Considering a dual degree? Find out more.
- Employment & Salary Statistics
- Recent Class Profiles
Student life. At Texas Law, our aim is to provide more than an outstanding academic program. It is also to provide a high quality of life. In our view, law school should be three great years in which you form lifelong relationships, enjoy all that Austin has to offer, and take part in a community that you will value forever. We do a lot on the non-academic side to create that kind of environment. Our first-year society and mentoring programs are one-of-a-kind, and help to create a sense of fun and camaraderie that is unusual at law schools. We also have an amazing range of journals and student organizations that provide many students with some of their most valuable experiences here. Below are links to more information about student life at Texas Law.
Our resources. Between the two headings above—the academic program at Texas Law, and the vibrant student life—lies a network of resources that connects both sides of the law school: a support structure outside the classroom to help ensure your success. The support structure includes academic counseling in our Student Affairs Office and career counseling in our Office of Career Services; we seek to provide counseling of both kinds to every one of our students. We also have dedicated and knowledgeable financial-aid counselors to help you understand and manage the economics of being a law student and graduate. We have librarians to help you with research challenges, writing tutors to assist with the demands of legal drafting, and an energetic technology department to help you navigate a legal world that is increasingly high-tech. Here are links to some of those resources: