MC Law offers certificates for J.D. students in several practice areas, specifically in Business and Commercial Law, Civil Litigation, Criminal Practice, Family and Juvenile Law, Health Care Law and International Law. These certificate programs assist students who have an interest in these practice areas by guiding them in design of their educational program while in law school to prepare them for practice in these particular practice areas. The certificates also provide recognition of academic excellence for students who fulfill the certificate requirements.
In addition to the practice area certificates, MC Law offers the Certificate of Civil Law Studies. The general requirements for this certificate differ from the practice area certificates. See the requirements for the Certificate of Civil Law Studies set forth below.
Students must maintain an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 in courses in the certificate program in which they participate to complete the certificate requirements. Additionally, students must earn at least a grade of C+ in any individual course that is counted toward the certificate. Each program consists of specified required courses, designated elective courses and skills courses, a writing requirement, and, in some programs, a minimum number of hours of courtroom observation. The writing requirement in satisfaction of the certificate requirements may also satisfy the writing requirement for the J.D. degree. Students may earn only one of these certificates in the J.D. program. A student may, however, earn both the Civil Law Certificate and one of the practice area certificates. Students seeking to earn a certificate in one of the designated practice areas must apply for admission to the certificate program with the designated faculty advisor for that program. The designated faculty advisor is identified in the registration materials provided to students each fall and spring semester, or this information may be obtained from the Director of Student Records.