More About the J.D. (Bacharelado em Direito)

The J.D. Degree

Studying law in the United States is very different from studying law in many other countries, especially Brazil. In various countries, students begin their law studies immediately following graduation from high school (senior year); most universities in other countries require only a high school diploma or the equivalent in that country to admit students to their law faculties. In the United States, however, law is a professional academic field, the equivalent of a graduate degree in other parts of the world.

Law schools in the US grant Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees - equivalent to a "doctorate" in Brazil. The Juris Doctor program generally lasts three years for full-time students and four years for part-time students. All students must earn a minimum of 87 hours to complete the J.D. degree. One of the many advantages of earning a J.D. is that students have a broad range of upper-level elective courses that give them the flexibility to tailor an individual course of study. Many of these classes are small – over one-half of upper-level courses have fewer than 25 students enrolled. 

The first year of law school is generally considered to be the most difficult because of the core classes - such as Property Law, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Contracts, etc - exams, and the Socrates method. The Socrates method is a method used in most law school classes in which the professor cold calls on students to state a case or respond to a case-based question. This intimidates many students, particularly international students, who might be afraid to speak up in class, but most international students do just fine. Is it scary? Yes! Is it just like you see in the movies (I.e. Legally Blonde)? A little worse ... but it's AWESOME!

In a typical class setting, the professor asks a question and calls on a student who may or may not have volunteered an answer. The professor either then continues to ask the student questions or moves on to another student. The first step is to ask the student to paraphrase the argument to ensure they read and basically understand the case. (Students who have not read the case, for whatever reason, must take the opportunity to "pass," which most professors allow as a matter of course a few times per term.) Assuming the student has read the case and can articulate the court's argument, the professor then asks whether the student agrees with the argument. The professor then typically plays Devil's advocate, trying to force the student to defend his or her position by rebutting arguments against it.These subsequent questions can take several forms. Sometimes they seek to challenge the assumptions upon which the student based the previous answer until it can no longer be defended. Further questions can be designed to move a student toward greater specificity, either in understanding a rule of law or a particular case. The teacher may attempt to propose a hypothetical situation in which the student's assertion would seem to demand an exception. Finally professors can use the Socratic method to allow students to come to legal principles on their own through carefully worded questions that encourage a particula. Read more about the Socratic Method on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method#Law_schools.

On your first year of Law School at the school I go to (Southern Methodist University, in Dallas / Texas), you'd most likely take an average of 16 credit hours (first semester) and 15 hours (second semester), comprised of: 

Contracts I	2 hrs.
Torts I	3 hrs.
Civil Procedure I	3 hrs.
Property I	2 hrs.
Criminal Law	3 hrs.
Legal Research, Writing, and Advocacy I	3 hrs.
Contracts II	3 hrs.
Torts II	2 hrs.
Civil Procedure II	2 hrs.
Property II	2 hrs.
Constitutional Law I	2 hrs.
Legal Research, Writing, and Advocacy II	3 hrs.

Studying law in America has been the greatest and most unique experience of my life. Believe me when I say I wouldn't change it for the world. But choosing a law school in the US is a VERY important process. It is important to find a school that suits you, in a State where you'd most likely want to practice and/or live. Look at school rankings - duh - but also, and most importantly, remember to visit the schools’ campuses, if possible, talk to current students and graduates, and learn as much as you can about the school. How is the job placement? What are your chances of finding a great job that pays you well right after graduation? How do people in the state see the school? What is the Bar passage ranking? It does not matter whether you go to an Ivy League school or a smaller Law School in a smaller state. As long as you attend a law school in the general area when you intend to practice, and as long as you give your best effort, you'll be fine.

As I have mentioned before in my previous posts, in order to apply for law school in the US, you will need the following requirements:

• A Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent (4-year university degree) in any subject.
• Register for the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) 
• LSAT scores
• Letters of Recommendation (usually at least two)
• TOEFL scores if English is not your native language
• Financial documents showing proof of funds for the academic year – You only need this if you are applying for an F-1 visa.

For those of you who KNOW you want to practice in a State where they don't offer LL.M admission to the Bar, doing the J.D. program may be your only option. Here is a link to some fast facts about the J.D. degree at SMU - http://www.law.smu.edu/Prospective-Students/Fast-Facts.aspx

I am currently getting my J.D. from there - after getting my LL.M - and I graduate December / 2015. Being at SMU for more than 3 years and after getting 2 degrees, I would definitely recommend you checked out their website or, if you don't plan on practicing in Texas, check out the website of other schools in the State you would consider moving to.

That's all for today folks.

KEEP CALM & LAWYER UP!

Uanna Alves

Fo