Pursuing a Juris Doctor Degree
The UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law provides a high-quality legal education that equips students with the knowledge, skills, and ethical concepts to not only function as competent attorneys, public officials, business persons, and other professionals, but also to think critically about the efficacy of the law and legal institutions and to work for their improvement.
Graduation Requirements
Full-time students usually graduate in six semesters (three years) and part-time students usually graduate in eight semesters (four years). All students must complete degree requirements within seven years.
To receive the Juris Doctor degree, students must complete:
- Required Curriculum – 90 credit hours
- 60 credit hours must be completed in residence
- Overall grade point average of 2.30 or better
- Upper-level writing requirement
- Upper-level research requirement
- Policy and perspectives requirement
- Experiential learning requirement
- Bar Preparation Skills requirement
Key Links
- Course Descriptions
- Experiential Opportunities – Clinical Programs
- Bowen Student Success Program
- Bar Success Services
- Meet the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
- Graduation requirements policy
All first-year courses except RWA I Enhanced have a mandatory mean range of 2.9 and 3.1, with a recommended target of 3.0.
Upper-level courses, both required and elective, with 9 or more students, have the same mandatory mean range of 2.9-3.1. This grade range, however, will expand to encompass the class average if that class average is outside the mandatory mean range based on enrolled students’ GPAs. For example, if the combined GPA of students enrolled in a course is 3.2, the expanded mean range for the course is 2.9 to 3.3.
After students have finished most of their required courses, they can choose from a diverse offering of electives. Many choose bar recommended courses to prepare for additional subjects tested on state bar examinations. Students may also take courses to prepare them for a particular kind of legal practice.
Students may choose to take public service externships, where they earn academic credit for working at government agencies or nonprofit organizations. They may also choose from one of several legal clinics where they handle real cases under the supervision of a faculty member. Students can also take advantage of other co-curricular activities including moot court and trial competition, law review, or independent study.
The Bowen School of Law also offers six concurrent-degree programs which allow students to proceed in a structured way toward completion of both degrees in a shortened period of time.
Ethics and professionalism are as important to the Bowen School of Law as are academic performance and the mastery of practical legal skills. All students receive the Academic Rules detailing course loads, course selection, conduct of examinations, and related topics. Students also receive the Code of Academic Student Conduct which covers academic misconduct and the academic procedures for discipline.