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Starting
in the fall of 2014, the University of Arizona
will be the first major research university to
offer a Bachelor of Arts in Law.
The
new degree is the product of a partnership between
the James E. Rogers College of Law and the School
of Government and Public Policy in the College of
Social and Behavioral Sciences.
"A
Juris Doctor is a highly valuable degree and there
are roles that only lawyers can serve. But
training a broader range of students will serve
society, open careers in areas of substantial
regulation, respond to changes in technology and
the forces of globalization, and invite
opportunities for the delivery of new and more
accessible legal services" says James
E. Rogers College of Law Dean Marc Miller.
After
completing core courses at the UA School of
Government and Public Policy, students in the
interdisciplinary program will be required to take
core law courses. These courses
will provide an understanding of subjects such as
property, contracts and torts, constitutional law,
administrative law, and civil and criminal
procedure. These courses will be taught by
full-time faculty at the law school and will be
designed to train students to "think like a
lawyer."
Beyond
the required core law courses, students will
complete an additional 15 units of law courses and
will have the opportunity to specialize in areas
such as international law, family law,
environmental law, immigration law and business
law, among others.
According
to John Paul Jones III, dean of the College of
Social and Behavioral Sciences, the new B.A. in
Law will also present an opportunity for unique
double majors.
"A
degree in law can be combined with degrees in
fields focusing on the environment, health,
technology, social justice, business, science,
culture and economic development, to name just a
few," said Jones. "In addition to adding value to
existing degrees, undergraduates interested in the
legal professions will be well served by
augmenting their law degrees with study in other
fields. The long term success for students will be
found in the overlaps between areas of study."
A
3+3 program will also be offered and allow
academically talented students to complete their
Bachelor of Arts in Law, and a Juris Doctor, in as
little as six years of study. The 3+3 program will
be open to UA law majors with a minimum 3.8 GPA.
Students will apply for the program their junior
year and, if accepted, take 30 graduate law
credits their senior year, as first year law
students. They will spend their fifth and six
years completing the remaining 58 J.D.
units.
"The
new undergraduate law degree, and the expedited
path to the J.D. provided by the 3+3, are examples
of how law schools can collaborate with other
departments to deliver a rich liberal arts
education and make legal education accessible to a
broader array of individuals," says College of Law
Associate Dean Brent White.
"The
B.A. in Law will prepare undergraduates for
numerous law-related careers for which legal
education is beneficial, but for which a J.D. is
not required," added White. "It also
responds to structural changes we are seeing in
the legal profession where some legal work is now
being performed by non-lawyers."
Possible
careers open to graduates of the program include
corporate compliance, city planning, water
resources management, tax advising, business
management, trade, banking and finance, conflict
resolution, healthcare administration,
contracts, government,
human resources, policy
analysis, and legal
technology consulting.
"The
B.A. in Law fits squarely within the new public
affairs education model of the School
of Government and Public Policy in the College of
Social and Behavioral Sciences," adds
Chad Westerland, associate director of the School
of Government and Public Policy. "By combining a
rigorous social science education with legal
training, graduates from the program will have a
unique skill set that will allow them to be highly
competent professionals and fully engaged
citizens."
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