About the Program

The UC Berkeley School of Law offers a broad, three-year curriculum leading to the Juris Doctor (JD) degree. Berkeley Law educates students not only for the practice of law but also for all the varied roles lawyers perform in modern society. The law school provides an intellectually challenging course of study that imparts the theoretical and practical skills necessary for effective, creative, and responsible legal counseling and advocacy. To this end, Berkeley Law's curriculum is continually evolving and offers hundreds of courses, including dozens in its top-ranked Intellectual Property, International Law, Social Justice, and Environmental Law programs.

The school is a member of the Association of American Law Schools and is accredited by the American Bar Association. Its graduates are qualified to become applicants for admission to practice in any state of the United States.

Berkeley Law does not require or even recommend a specific pre-law major. To prepare for law school, students should take courses that help them develop written and oral communication skills; increase analytical and problem-solving skills; obtain broad exposure to the humanities and social sciences in order to understand the social context within which legal problems arise; and acquire a general understanding of economics, because many legal problems relate to the economic functioning of society.

In selecting specific courses, consultation with an undergraduate advisor may be desirable. Berkeley Law seeks a student body with a broad set of interests, backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives.

The school also offers programs, mainly for foreign-educated attorneys, that lead to the degree of Master of Laws (LLM) or the degree of Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD).

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