The Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) program is designed to provide a general legal education. Within the broad curriculum available at Texas Tech University School of Law, students may specialize in a particular area of law through their choice of electives.
Students entering in the 2019-2020 catalog year must successfully complete a minimum of 90 credits with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.250. Students typically satisfy graduation requirements within six semesters; however, the School of Law does not guarantee that the offered curriculum will include a combination or sequence of courses that will enable a student to complete the law degree other than through the normal program of study (i.e., three consecutive academic years of two semesters each).
All students take an Oath of Professionalism upon matriculation and are required to adhere to the standards set forth in the Honor Code and the Student Code of Professional Conduct. The Honor Code, along with additional academic requirements for graduation and for maintaining good standing, can be found by visiting the TTU Law Policies and Procedures page.
Curriculum
Each first-year student enrolls in 30 semester credit hours during their first year as a law student. Students must take 26 hours of advanced required courses during their second and third years. Fifteen of those hours must be taken during the second year. Students then choose from elective courses to complete a minimum total of 90 credit hours for graduation. In addition, law students have an upper level writing requirement and an experiential learning requirement that they must meet during their second or third year to satisfy graduation requirements. Please see the Course Descriptions for more information.
Public Service Requirement
A crucial part of a legal education involves preparing students for all aspects of their professional commitments as lawyers. Accordingly, all students are required to participate in the legal profession’s commitment to public service by performing 30 hours of legal pro bono work and community service during their time in school. Texas Tech School of Law provides a myriad of opportunities throughout the year to perform legal pro bono work and community service for low-income and disadvantaged people in Lubbock and throughout the state.
