The University of Puerto Rico School of Law is a law school in Puerto Rico. It is one of the professional graduate schools of University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus and the only law school in the University of Puerto Rico System. It was founded in 1913 at its present site in Río Piedras, which at the time was an independent municipality and is now part of the City of San Juan. The School of Law has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1945 and by the Association of American Law Schools since 1948.
Academics
The Law School's academic program aims to increase and diversify the learning and development experiences of its students. Thus, half of its 92 credit/hour study program is elective, with course offerings ranging from theoretical to practical in topics pertaining to civil rights, technology, feminism, business, international relations and comparative law, among others. In addition, students are required to participate in a clinical program. The majority of the courses are taught in Spanish.
The Law School has several programs of study.
Juris Doctor (JD) Dual Juris Doctor and Law Degree Program (Licenciatura en Derecho) with the University of Barcelona, Spain; Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration with the University of Puerto Rico Graduate School of Business Administration; Juris Doctor and Doctor of Medicine with the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine; Juris Doctor and Master of Public Policy with the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota; Juris Doctor and Master in Public Administration with the University of Puerto Rico the Roberto Sánchez Vilella School of Public Administration; Juris Doctor and Master in Architecture with the University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture; and, Juris Doctor and International and European Legal Studies Program with the University of Antwerp, Belgium.
Graduate: LLM for Latin American and Caribbean lawyers.
Special Programs: The School of Law has students exchange programs with the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Vermont Law School, Florida International University, the University of Connecticut School of Law, the University of Palermo in Argentina, Diego Portales University in Chile, the University of Chile Law School, the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law in Canada, the University of Antwerp in Belgium and the University of Carlos III of Madrid. Under these programs, students register at their home institution, but will take a full course load at the host institution. The credits and grades earned during a single semester will be awarded by the home institution according to the standard procedure of the home law school. Students also have a chance to participate in a summer law program at the University of Barcelona, Spain.
Also, the school has a winter exchange program with the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law in Canada, through which students can earn four credits studying Law and Technology or Law, Technology, and Feminism for one week in Canada and two weeks in Puerto Rico.
Clinical Program
In March 1974, the Puerto Rico Supreme Court approved rules for the local courts to allow students to practice law and participate in judicial proceedings. The US District Court followed suit in 1991. The school requires that students complete a two-semester clinical program in their last year of study.
Cyber Law
Intellectual Property
Community Economic Development
Criminal Law (federal and state) Mediation Gay and Lesbian Rights Environmental Law Employment Law Civil Cases (in general) Juvenile Law Immigration Law
Admissions
The School of Law accepts students based on their academic excellence percentile. This percentile is tabulated by combining two basic criteria: the student's bachelor's degree cumulative G.P.A., as per the calculations of the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and their LSAT results. The two criteria receive the same weight at the time of calculating the numeric ranking. Admission is offered to the best ranking students.
Also, 15 spaces are offered to the applicants selected by the Admissions Committee recommendations, chosen from a group composed of the 60 applicants following the students admitted. Throughout this process, the Committee evaluates the personal statement and writing sample, and any socioeconomic disadvantages, academic achievement, graduate studies, propensity towards academic progress, publications, extracurricular activities, and other aspects which show student's aptitude for the study of Law.