Advanced Standing Two-Year Juris Doctor for Internationally Trained Lawyers
If you hold a law degree from a non-U.S. jurisdiction (a J.D. or its equivalent), you may qualify for our Advanced Standing Two-Year J.D. for Internationally Trained Lawyers program.
The Advanced Standing Two-Year J.D. for Internationally Trained Lawyers is intended for students who:
- already hold a law degree from a jurisdiction outside the United States;
- and would like to earn a Juris Doctor degree from the University at Buffalo School of Law.
In this new and innovative program, students receive advanced standing, and therefore can finish the J.D. degree in just two years. Graduates are eligible to sit for the New York State bar and/or the bar exam of a different state.
First-Year Curriculum (required)
Students in the Advanced Standing Two-Year J.D. program are completely integrated into the first-year curriculum. The first year begins in August, and students will take Legal Profession, Torts, Contracts, Constitutional Law, Legal Analysis, Writing and Research I & II, Property, Civil Procedure, and Criminal Law.
Upper-Division Curriculum
In the fall OR spring semester of their second year, students in the program must take the following: a 3-credit course in ethics, a 3-credit course in Advanced Legal Analysis, Writing & Research, a 3-credit seminar, and one or more experiential course(s) totaling at least 6-credit hours.
Students in the Advanced Standing Two-Year program are expected to pass the New York State bar exam, and therefore certain courses are strongly recommended, such as Corporations. At the same time, prior studies, intellectual interests and future professional goals must also be considered in course selection. Students will receive individual counseling on course selection and scheduling.