Law (J.D.)

University of South Dakota School of Law
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069-2390
Phone: 605-677-5443
Email: law@usd.edu
http://www.usd.edu/law 

90 Credit Hours Required

DEGREE:

Juris Doctor

Program Description

The mission of the University of South Dakota School of Law is to prepare lawyers and judges for the federal, state, and American Indian justice systems in South Dakota and to provide South Dakota residents and other students an affordable legal education imparting the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for the practice of law or other careers in a culturally diverse and global environment. Students at the Law School are a highly selective group that has demonstrated intellectual aptitude and personal characteristics desirable in the legal profession, including a desire to serve others.

A primary objective of the Law School curriculum is to develop analytical and other skills that are fundamental for the legal profession. The faculty employ a variety of pedagogical techniques to achieve that objective, including Socratic dialogue, the case method, lecture, and simulation. The curriculum is designed to familiarize students with basic legal doctrines and to instill in them the values of the legal profession and the judicial system.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of co-curricular and extracurricular activities at local, regional, and national levels. These student activities complement the formal components of the curriculum and assist in the development of legal skills. Activities include, but are not limited to, participation in the South Dakota Law Review, the Moot Court Board, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Board, and Trial Advocacy Competition.

Joint Degree Program Description

The School of Law offers a joint degree program with other colleges/schools of the University of South Dakota leading to the juris doctor degree and a master’s degree in one of the following nine disciplines:

• College of Arts & Sciences

JD/Master of Arts in English
JD/Master of Arts in History
JD/Master of Arts in Political Science
JD/Master of Arts in Psychology
JD/Master of Public Administration
JD/Master of Science in Administration

• School of Business

JD/Master of Business Administration
JD/Master of Professional Accountancy

• School of Education

JD/Master of Arts in Education Administration

Dual Degree Program in Environmental Law

Vermont Law School and the University of South Dakota School of Law offer a dual-degree program that enables qualified students to earn two degrees in three years: a J.D. from South Dakota and a Master of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School (JD/MELP). The dual-degree program is composed of courses taught at Vermont Law School’s Summer Session and courses offered by distance learning from Vermont Law School during the regular academic year, or a combination of Summer Session, distance learning courses, and internships. 

Flex-Time Option

This option will permit certain well-qualified students to take less than the normal load of credits each semester and to graduate with a juris doctor degree within five years instead of three years. Flex-time students follow the same class schedule as all other students, but take fewer hours each semester. The program’s flexibility is designed to admit a limited number of well-qualified students who could not otherwise attend law school on a full-time basis. The Law School does not offer evening or weekend courses.

Accelerated Admission

An applicant may apply, become admitted to, and enroll in the Law School without completion of the requirements for the applicant’s undergraduate degree. To be considered for accelerated admission, the applicant must have completed, prior to enrollment in the Law School, at least three-fourths of the required coursework for the undergraduate degree. Additionally, the applicant must submit a plan that shows precisely how the applicant intends to complete the requirements for the undergraduate degree prior to graduation from Law School. 

3+3 Option (by application)

This program is available by application, to eligible University of South Dakota students.

Students must:

• be enrolled in USD’s College of Arts and Sciences;
• earn 90 undergraduate credits by the end of the junior year;
• meet all major, distribution, general education, and testing requirements in accord with institutional and regental policies, guidelines, and requirements by the end of the junior year;
• have at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA by the end of the junior year, and must earn at least a 152 on the LSAT;^a
• submit to the School of Law a statement of interest regarding entry into the 3+3 option by the beginning of the third semester;
• enroll, during their junior year, in a 3+3 Specialized Course and pass it with the equivalent of a 75, or a C;
• earn at least 45 of their credits in residence at the College of Arts and Sciences;
• receive a letter of recommendation from the department chair or program director of his or her undergraduate major attesting not only to the student’s intellectual strengths, but also to the student’s maturity, work ethic, and overall readiness for graduate school (in addition to the two letters that are required in the standard admissions process);
• complete the standard application for admission to the School of Law.

1. If a 3+3 applicant moderately deviates from these requirements, and demonstrates evidence of extraordinary character, leadership, and maturity, the School of Law reserves the right to make an exception and grant admission in that case.

Graduate Student Enrollment in Law Courses

USD degree-seeking graduate students who are not enrolled in the Law School may be allowed to take certain Law School courses for credit on a case-by-case basis, subject to approval by the professor teaching the course. Graduate students interested in doing so should consult the two-year course schedule (found under Academics on the Law School website at http://www.usd.edu/law) to see what courses are being taught in the current two-year rotation. They should then contact the Office of the Dean to indicate their desire to take Law School courses. The Dean’s Office will contact the course professors and notify the students that enrollment has been approved or disapproved. Notifications will include any conditions on enrollment. 

Conditions on enrollment are determined by each individual professor and may include, but are not limited to, the following matters:

• Waiver of prerequisites, if required for law students
• Adjustment of course requirements
• Final examination requirements
• Evaluation of course performance on a separate scale from law students

Students should be aware that the Law School curriculum is rigorous and course content will not, on the whole, be adjusted to accommodate non-law students. First-year law classes (700 series) and other required, upper-level courses are not open to attendance by non-law students. In no case will a course be open to non-law students if sufficient space in the class is not available. Students who have not completed their bachelor’s degree will not be considered.