University of Georgia School of Law

Juris Doctor

The Juris Doctor is conferred upon the successful completion of the three-year, full-time legal study program at Georgia Law. On average, greater than 95 percent of the members of each entering class graduate. The J.D. graduate must complete the 1L Curriculum, earn a minimum of 88 semester credit hours, satisfy our upper-level writing requirements, and complete the required course in The Law and Ethics of Lawyering, as well as a Practical Skills offering. Because obtaining a legal education is a challenging and time-consuming task, you should be prepared to devote substantially all working hours during the academic year to law study. The University of Georgia does not offer a part-time law program. Therefore, first-year students are urged to refrain from taking jobs when classes are in session, and no law student is allowed to work in a paid position that requires more than 20 hours per week during the academic year. Despite the rigorous demands of legal education, many law students want to further expand their educational horizons by gaining specialized training in other fields while earning their law degrees. The University of Georgia offers three ways to do this: elective credit, dual degree programs, and concurrent enrollment.