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Academics & Clinicals

Certificate Programs

Certificates of Concentration

The University of Wisconsin Law School faculty has established certificates of concentration in several areas of studies. To be eligible for a certificate, a student must complete 15- 20 credits from a specified menu of selected courses. The student must earn a grade of 77 or better in each law school course and a grade of B or better in each non-law course. Students who maintain an average of 85 or better (or an AB) in the specified courses receive their certificates with Honors.

- Criminal Law
- Family Law
- Estate Planning
 - International Law
- Labor and Employment Law

Other Certificates

There are many opportunities for interdisciplinary study at the University of Wisconsin. The UW Law School offers dual degree opportunities in conjunction with master's and doctoral programs on campus. in addition, the Law School offers interdisciplinary certificate programs that provide an opportunity for concentrated study, but do not involve an additional degree. Certificates are available in three subject areas: Environmental Law, Russian Area Studies, and International Law and Business.

- ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CERTIFICATE

Prerequisites: All first-year courses and Constitutional Law I

Required Law School Work: 6 credits

  • Environmental Law and Institutions
  • Land Use Controls

Required Non-Law Work: three courses, 7-10 credits)

Three non-law environmental courses taken from either category A or B. All three courses must be in one of the two categories to ensure a reasonable development of knowledge.

Category A

Basic Courses

  • Envir. St. /WI Ecol/ Zoology 360 Extinction of Species (3 cr.)
  • Botany/Forestry/Zoology 460 General Ecology (4 cr.)
  • Envir. St / Prev. Med. 502 Air Pollution and Human Health (3 cr.)
  • Envir. St./Env. Tox/Prev. Med 507 People, Chemicals, Environment (2 cr.)
  • Envir. St. 575 Analysis of Environmental Impact (3 cr.)

Advanced Courses

  • Envir. St./Botany/Forestry 461 Environmental Systems Concepts (3 cr.)
  • Atm. Ocn./ Physics/Envirn St. 472 Scientific Background to Global Environmental Problems (3 cr.)
  • Environmental Problems (3 cr.)

Category B

Basic Courses

  • Envir. St/Econ 343 Environmental Economics (3 cr.)
  • Geog./Envir. St. 339 Environmental Conservation (4 cr.)
  • Urb. Reg. Pl./Econ./Envir. St./Poli.Sci. 449 Government and Natural Resources (3 cr.)
  • Hist. 460 Environmental History (3 cr.)

Advanced Courses

  • Urb. Reg. Pl./Envir. St. 843 Land Use Policy and Planning (3 cr.)
  • Urb. Reg. Pl./ Envir. St. 865 Water Resources Institutions and Policies (3 cr.)

Additional Elective Law Courses: (4-8 credits) Students must elect sufficient additional work from courses approved for the certificate so that they receive a minimum of 20 credits. The following courses and seminars are approved:

  • Seminar on International Environmental law (3 cr.)
  • Local Government Law (3 cr.)
  • Water Rights Law (3 cr.)

Other courses and seminars approved by the certificate coordinator should also be included.

Grade point requirements for the certificate: A student must earn at least 20 credits in the foregoing courses and receive grades of 77 or better in each law course, and B or better in the non-law courses.

Registration as a Candidate for the Certificate: Students wishing to pursue a certificate program must register with the program coordinator no later than the start of the second semester of the second year in law school. Registration as a candidate for the certificate will ensure that the student may take up to 10 non-law credits in the courses indicated above and receive law school credit for that work. This exemption from the 6 credit rule applies even if the student does not otherwise qualify for the certificate at the time of graduation provided that all non-law credits are from within the categories identified above.

Certificates: The Law School will be responsible for the creation, production, and awarding of the Certificate of Special Training in Environmental Law and Policy to students who successfully complete the program. The Law School will notify the university Registrar when students complete their programs, and will supply the university Registrar's office with an up-to-date list of the certificate requirements. The student's transcript will be annotated at the time of completion of the program.

- CERTIFICATE IN RUSSIAN AREA STUDIES

Law Students may qualify for the Certificate in Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies administered by the Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia by complying with the requirements established under that program. Law students, with the written consent of the Law School, may take up to 10 credits in non-law courses for credit toward their law degree in connection with seeking a certificate in Russian Area Studies provided:

a. the courses are part of the Certificate in Russian Area Studies program;

b. the courses are approved by the Law School as reasonably related to the legal education of a student; and

c. no other non-law school credits will count as credits for the JD degree (see rule 3.08).

- CERTIFICATE IN INTERNATIONAL LAW AND BUSINESS

To obtain a Certificate in International Law and Business, a law student must complete a minimum of 18 credits from the course list below. At least nine of the credits must be obtained from the following list of law courses and at least six of the credits must be obtained from the following list of business school courses. Of the law courses, law students must take one of the two tax law courses listed in A1, one of the two international economic law courses listed in A2, and Business Organizations II.

Class Credits

Mandatory Law School Courses

International Tax

OR 3

Tax II

International Trade Law

OR 2-3

International Business Transactions

Business Organizations II (3)

( Note: Business Organizations I is not a prerequisite to Business Organizations II, but is strongly recommended.)

Additional Law School Courses: The following course may also go toward the 18 credit requirement:

  • Securities Regulation (3)
  • Corporate Finance (3)
  • Contracts II (3)
  • Antitrust Law (4)

Any other Law School class approved by the Director of the Law School's Global Legal Studies Center.

Mandatory Business School Courses

Any two of the following:

  • Business 745 Multinational Business Finance (3)
  • Business 755 International Operations (3)
  • Business 707 International Accounting (3)
  • Business 720 Global Marketing (3)
  • Business 730 International Real Estate (3)

Any other Business School class approved by the Director of the Law School's Global Legal Studies Center.