Graduation Requirements for J.D., Certifications, and Dual Degrees

• Total Credits Required. To obtain a JD Degree from the University of Richmond, you must earn 87 credits of coursework.
• “Classroom Credits.” The American Bar Association requires that 64 of the 87 credits required to graduate consist of “classroom credits,” i.e., credits earned in courses that have regularly scheduled class meetings. Courses that provide “classroom credits” are marked with LAWC in BannerWeb and, because the vast majority of courses are LAWC courses, students rarely find it difficult to satisfy this requirement.
• Limitation on Counting Credits. The 87 credits required to graduate may not consist of (1) more than three credits from Research Assistant positions; (2) more than four credits from Independent Study and (3) more than 12 total credits* from Clinics (designated LWXC in BannerWeb) and Externships (designated LWXP in BannerWeb) combined (with the exception that, for students who have done the D.C. or Semester Externship, the limit is 19, not 12). Just because there is a limitation on the credits you can count towards graduation does not mean that you cannot take a particular class. For example, if you want to take four credits of Research Assistant, the entire four credits will show up on your transcript, but you will only get credit towards graduation for three of those credits and you will graduate with at least 88 credits.
  
  *For 2023-2024, students may petition to exceed the 12-credit limit (19-credit limit) on clinic and externship credits.

• First Year Courses. Students must satisfactorily complete all required first year courses.
• Trial Advocacy. Rising 2Ls must enroll in Trial Advocacy (LAWR 598) in the fall of their second year.
• Other Required Courses. Prior to graduation, all students must complete the following:
  • Professional Responsibility Course. A Professional Responsibility course (which is marked “LWPR” in BannerWeb) offers instruction on the rules of ethics applicable to lawyers.
  • Writing in Practice Course. A Writing in Practice course (which is marked “WIP” in BannerWeb) provides instruction in lawyering skills through multiple, practice-oriented writing assignments.
  • Upper Level Writing Course. An Upper Level Writing course (marked with “ULWR” in BannerWeb) is a course that requires a single, large writing project, often consisting of a scholarly paper, an amicus brief or a policy paper.
  • Six Credits of Experiential Coursework. Experiential courses (marked “LWXS,” “LWXP,” or “LWXC” in BannerWeb) are courses that provide instruction on specific lawyering skills. Note that, because Trial Advocacy (which is a required second-year course) qualifies as an experiential course, you only need to find four more credits of experiential coursework to complete this requirement.
  • Minimum GPA. To graduate, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.20 at the time of graduation.

• Six-Semester Requirement. J.D. students must earn their degree as a full-time student over at least 6 semesters and complete their coursework no later than 60 months from the date of matriculation. Full-time status in any given semester requires that the student be enrolled in at least nine credits and no more than 17 credits.
• Five-Year Requirement. All academic requirements for the Juris Doctor degree must be completed within five calendar years of matriculation.

The only dual degree offered exclusively at the University of Richmond is the JD/MBA in partnership with the Robins School of Business. This program reflects the interrelationships between law and business management. Graduates will be better able to function as managers because of their familiarity with the legal framework within which business must operate. Alternatively, as attorneys, they can better serve the needs of business clients because of their appreciation of the business milieu.

Applicants for this program are required to meet the admission standards of both the law school and the University of Richmond Robins School of Business. Students in the JD/MBA program complete one year of law school classes before beginning the MBA program. The two-year work experience requirement is waived for JD/MBA students.

Students accepted into this program will be permitted to count 12 credit hours from the JD program towards the requirements of the MBA program and 12 credit hours from the MBA program towards the requirements of the JD program, which amounts to a total savings of 24 credit hours.

Learn more about MBA Admissions.

For information on the MBA program, contact:

Program Manager, MBA Program
University of Richmond Robins School of Business
mba@richmond.edu

The delivery of health care services poses some of the most critical social, economic, and moral issues of our time. Lawyers representing individuals or health care providers confront myriad regulatory systems and issues fairly unique to this area. Health care policy makers and administrators are likewise concerned with the effective operation of entities within these regulatory confines and with the utility of these systems.

Applicants for this program are required to meet the admission standards of both the law school and the VCU College of Health Professions Department of Health Administration.

When this program is successfully completed, the Master of Health Administration degree is awarded by Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions, and the JD is awarded by the University of Richmond. The program integrates these two professional curricula and recognizes the role of law in health administration and prepares professionals to bring an integrated base of competency to the health law and administration arena. Participants are provided with the necessary expertise to represent clients effectively within the health care industry or to function as legal policy makers or administrators who appreciate fully the legal environment of the healthcare field.

The JD/MHA can be completed with a minimum 4 years of coordinated study and a minimum 123 credit hours instead of 146 credit hours. Students accepted into this program will be permitted to count 11 credit hours from the JD program towards the requirements of the MHA program and 12 credit hours in the MHA program towards the requirements of the JD program, for a total savings of 23 credit hours.

Learn more about MHA Admissions.

For more information regarding the MHA Program, contact:

Director of Graduate Programs
VCU College of Health Professions
healthadmin@vcu.edu

The JD/Master of Social Work program recognizes the role of public law in social and economic
life and expects to bring together persons sensitive to both social and personal dysfunctions. This dual degree program prepares professionals to bring an integrated base of competency to the resolution of legal and social problems by bringing together two fields that call for knowledge and skills directed toward resolving human problems. This effort to integrate education in law and social work will draw on the contributions each can make to practice in both fields. When this program is successfully completed, the Master of Social Work with a concentration in administration, planning, and policy practice is awarded by Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, and the Juris Doctor is awarded by the University of Richmond.

Applicants for this program are required to meet admission standards of both the law school and the VCU School of Social Work.

The JD/MSW can be completed with a minimum 4 years of coordinated study and a minimum 123 credit hours instead of 147 credit hours. Students accepted into this program will be permitted to apply 12 credit hours from the JD program toward the MSW program and 12 credit hours in the MSW program towards the requirements of the JD program, for a total savings of 24 credit hours. 

Learn more about MSW Admissions.

For more information regarding the Master of Social Program, contact:

MSW Program Director
VCU School of Social Work
sswinfo@vcu.edu

The JD/Master of Public Administration program recognizes the role of law in public policy and public affairs.  This dual degree program brings together persons interested in becoming well versed in the values, knowledge, and skills related to the work of government while integrating two fields that require complementary knowledge and skills. This integration draws on the contributions that each discipline can make to a professional knowledge base for practice in government in nonprofit sectors. When this program is successfully completed, the Master of Public Administration is awarded by Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Juris Doctor is awarded by the University of Richmond.

Applicants for this program are required to meet admission standards of both the law school and the VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Department of Public Administration.

The JD/MPA can be completed with a minimum 4 years of coordinated study and a minimum 99 credit hours instead of 123 credit hours. Students accepted into this program will be permitted to apply 12 credit hours from the JD program toward the MPA program and 12 credit hours in the MPA program towards the requirements of the JD program, for a total savings of 24 credit hours. 

Learn more about MPA Admissions.

For information regarding the Master of Public Administration Program, contact:

Program Chair, Master of Public Administration
VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs
wsgradvise@vcu.edu

The professions of planning and law address the concerns of social and economic equity through the institutions which help shape the direction of urban change. While lawyers often are concerned with the impact of legislation and judicial decisions on groups and individuals, planners concentrate on social, economic, and political impacts of land use with the aid of legal strategies to guide community growth and development.

Applicants for this program are required to meet the admission standards of both the law school and the VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Department of Urban Studies and Planning.

The Master of Urban and Regional Planning and Juris Doctor dual degree program integrates these two professional curricula to provide the necessary expertise to apply legal and planning analysis to the resolution of urban and regional policy issues and problems. Some areas of cooperation include the development and enforcement of land use and growth management controls, environmental protection strategies, housing and community development, and numerous health and welfare programs. Graduates are equipped for a variety of professional positions including staff or legislative committees, government agencies and commissions, private consulting, neighborhood advocacy, directorships of planning and related agencies, and executive or legal aids to elected officials. When the program is successfully completed, the Master of Urban Studies and Regional Planning degree is awarded by Virginia Commonwealth University and the Juris Doctor is awarded by the University of Richmond.

The JD/MURP can be completed with a minimum 4 years of coordinated study and a minimum 111 credit hours instead of 135 credit hours. Students accepted into this program will be permitted to apply 12 credit hours from the JD program toward the MURP program and 12 credit hours in the MURP program towards the requirements of the JD program, for a total savings of 24 credit hours. 

Learn more about MURP Admissions.

For information on admission to the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, contact:

Program Chair, Department of Urban Studies and Planning
VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs
wsgradvise@vcu.edu

The National Center for Family Law offers law students at the University of Richmond the opportunity to earn a Certificate of Concentration in Family Law to be awarded at graduation along with the J.D. diploma. Transcripts will also reflect completion of the concentration program.

Earning the Certificate of Concentration in Family Law is similar to completing a major as an undergraduate. A student must take a basic Family Law course and a certain number of credits from other Family Law-related courses. Students seeking the Certificate of Concentration in Family Law will meet their upper-level writing requirement by writing on a family law-related subject.

Certificates will be awarded only to those who achieve a grade point average of at least 3.0 in all family law concentration classes taken. Students whose GPA is 3.5 or higher in concentration courses will earn the certificate "with distinction."

Each student must take the following courses:

Each student must take at least one of the following courses:

Students may count any of the following toward completion of the concentration requirements except as otherwise indicated:

Credit for independent studies, research assistance, courses not listed above, and courses taught outside the University of Richmond School of Law may be approved as sufficiently related to family law by the Director of the Family Law Certificate Program in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. No more than 4 credits total will be awarded in this category.

*Students can apply no more than 7 clinic credits toward meeting the requirements for the Certificate of Concentration; (Only 12 clinic credits, including clinical placements, may be credited toward the 87 needed for graduation; for those completing the D.C. Externship, up to 19 clinical credits may count toward graduation.)

**All concentration students must complete their upper-level writing requirement on a family law-related topic. The topic for any paper submitted to satisfy the family law upper-level writing requirement must be approved by the Director of the Family Law Certificate Program in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and must satisfy the standards applicable for the upper-level writing requirement.  This paper must be written in conjunction with either an upper-level writing seminar or an independent research project of at least 2 credits.nar or an independent research project of at least 2 credits.

The Intellectual Property Institute offers Richmond Law students the opportunity to obtain a Certificate in Intellectual Property ("IP") in the course of earning the J.D. degree.

Earning the IP Certificate is similar to completing a major as an undergraduate student. The student must (1) take the Intellectual Property Fundamentals course and a certain number of additional credits from a designated group of other IP-related courses, (2) write his or her upper-level writing requirement on an IP-related subject, and (3) achieve a minimum grade point average in the Certificate courses. Students who satisfy the requirements receive the IP Certificate at graduation and Intellectual Property is recorded as a concentration on their academic transcript.

Fifteen Total IP Credits: Each Certificate student must take a total of fifteen credits from the IP curriculum. These credits can come from three sources. First, as already discussed, three of the credits must come from the Intellectual Property Fundamentals course. Second, each student must take at least eight credits from the following "Core" IP courses (and may count more than eight credits from "Core" courses if he or she wishes).

Up to four credits from other sources may be counted toward the total of fifteen. This includes credits from the following "Satellite" courses.

The four credits from other sources can also include credits from Independent Studies, Research Assistance, clinical placements, IP moot court competitions, and courses taught outside of the University of Richmond School of Law but all such credits must be approved as sufficiently IP-related by the Director of the IP Institute, in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.