Dual Degree in Law and International and Regional Studies (JD+MIRS)

Students entering the Law School must complete the required first-year law curriculum. Students must take one elective course of three or four credits during their second semester. All students must complete the following before graduation: at least one international or comparative law course of two or more credit hours, at least one upper-level course with a rigorous writing component, one statutory or regulatory course of three or more credit hours, one course in professional responsibility of two or more credit hours, and two credit hours of experiential learning. Separate courses must be taken to fulfill the upper-level course with a rigorous writing component, the professional responsibility course, and the experiential learning course.

The JD requires a minimum total of 83 credits, earned between the Law School courses and courses at the LSA International Institute. Students must earn at least 71 credits toward the JD through courses taken at the Law School. 

Twelve (12) credit hours may be taken from the satisfaction of requirements for the companion degree. If you are admitted to the Rackham Graduate School and choose to pursue the JD/MIRS program, you must notify both the Law School’s Office of Student Records and Office of Student Life.

MIRS students will complete a total of 36 credits, distributed over at least two academic disciplines, at the 400-level or above. Twenty-seven (27) of these credits are determined by the specialization. The remaining 9 credits are required for all MIRS students.  MIRS requirements include two core courses and a graduate colloquium. In addition, MIRS students will have access to a graduate professional development workshop.

MIRS students are also required to achieve intermediate language proficiency. Prospective students should consult the specialization website for details concerning this requirement.

Up to 12 credit hours may be satisfied by courses taken in the Law School.

Applicants must gain separate and independent admission to both the Law School and the LSA International Institute, affiliated with the Rackham Graduate School, and should contact the admissions office of each school for application and admission information. If you are enrolled in a graduate program in another school or department at the University, the Law School will accept a valid GRE, GMAT, or MCAT score in lieu of an LSAT score; otherwise, a valid LSAT score is required.

Students must satisfy the degree requirements of each school and should consult with advisers in each school for the precise graduation requirements for each degree and for information about course offerings. Law School courses are not offered in the summer term. Students will not receive credit toward the JD for non-law coursework taken prior to matriculation at the Law School. Students should consult with MIRS advisors concerning credit toward the MA for Law coursework.

Tuition will be assessed at either the Law School or the Graduate School rate, whichever is higher, when courses toward both degrees are taken in one term.

Any JD who enrolls concurrently in another degree program will be awarded the JD degree after completing all of the requirements for the dual, joint, or combined degrees. (As a practical matter, this means that the student will receive the JD degree either after or at the same time as they receive the degree(s) in the other program(s).) This policy will not affect the student’s class year for purposes of the Law School’s commencement ceremony or alumni events, and it will not apply if a student discontinues the other degree program(s). A law student who believes that they will experience some hardship as a result of this policy may petition the Associate Dean for Academic Programming for an exception.

JD courses traditionally have a later grading deadline than other degree programs. On some occasions, this later JD grading deadline may affect a student in their final term if another degree program desires all of the student’s grades prior to the JD grading deadline.