JD Academic Concentrations

Concentrations indicate focused coursework and experiential learning or independent research in a particular area of study beyond the required curriculum. Students pursuing a concentration register for courses in the same manner as other students and do not receive priority registration in a course.

Accordingly, students are encouraged to consider in a timely manner course selection and plans for fulfilling concentration requirements and to prioritize concentration courses in their registration process.

Students may pursue a maximum of two concentrations and must complete the requirements for each independently and may not count a single course or experience as satisfying two concentrations.

Students may use a single course to satisfy both the Law School’s six-credit experiential learning requirement and the experiential course option in Group C of a concentration. Students may use a single course to satisfy the upper-level writing requirement and a concentration requirement.

Students may elect the third-year student P/F grade conversion option for a graded course that meets a concentration requirement.

Each concentration requires successful completion of (1) two or more foundational courses, (2) three or more approved courses, and (3) an independent research paper or an experiential course; see specific course requirements using the drop-down for each concentration below.

DegreeWorks provides students a customized tool that integrates with the online course catalog, providing students with dynamic information based on previous, current, and planned course credit and will assist in determining if selections will fulfill the various concentration group requirements. To access DegreeWorks login to your MyBanner page, under "Student" and then "Student Records" you will see DegreeWorks.

To determine whether your selections will fulfill various concentration group requirements use the "What If" function in DegreeWorks. The What-If function allows you to review the impact to your curriculum if you choose to add a concentration to your JD. The What-If audit will show you what coursework is required for a concentration, what courses you have taken that satisfy requirements, and what courses are still left for you to take.

FAQS:

If you use the What-If feature, does it mean that you have added a concentration to your JD? No. The What-If function is for information purposes only. You will see the header What-If Audit displayed at the top of the audit whenever an audit is run on a What-If scenario.
Can I view multiple What-If scenarios on the same screen? Yes. DegreeWorks will allow you to select more than one concentration at a time, keeping in mind students are authorized no more than two total Concentrations.
Can I save my What-If scenario? No. What-If plans are not saved in DegreeWorks. You would need to run a new What-If scenario next time you log in to see it again.

The JD Declaration of Concentration form may be submitted directly to the Law School Registrar for review during the student's second year of study by the deadlines posted. Requests for group C experiential credit for journal notes or externships or independent projects must be approved by the Vice Dean prior to being applied to a concentration. Students must provide documentation of course content or paper subject for review when the Concentration request form is submitted. If requesting permission for a journal paper for a group C requirement attach copy of the published note when submitting the form. If requesting permission to use an externship or independent project for a group C requirement students must submit copy of the externship contract or course description and statement from the externship supervisor or independent course faculty manager indicating relevant work that must explicitly cover the applicable law-related topic. Externship or journal or independent project authorization should be forwarded when submitting request form to the Law School Registrar. Available JD concentrations, with course requirements listed using the dropdown for each, include:

Business Law Concentration

Required Courses: at least 7. Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:

Business Law Group A; complete all three of the following courses with course attribute BLWF:

LAW 311 - Federal Income Taxation
LAW 320 - Business Associations or LAW 303 - Corporations
LAW 697 - Securities Litigation or LAW 423 - Securities Regulation

Business Law Group B; complete at least three additional courses with course attribute BLWS from the following list:

LAW 422 - Accounting and Finance for Lawyers
LAW 494 - Advanced Topics in Employment Law
LAW 518 - Anti-Money Laundering, and Countering the Financing of Terrorism
LAW 411 - Antitrust
LAW 602 - Applied Data Privacy Law for Regulated Industries: Managing Regulatory Change at Fincial
LAW 306 - Bankruptcy Survey
LAW 388 - Broker-Dealer and Exchange Regulation
LAW 318 - Business Torts
LAW 434 - Commercial Law Survey
LAW 438 - Corporate Taxation
LAW 350 - Cryptocurrency Regulation
LAW 553 - Current Topics in Antitrust
LAW 454 - Economic Analysis of the Law
LAW 452 - Employment Discrimination
LAW 456 - Employment Law
LAW 519 - Enforcement of the Securities Laws: Procedures and Issues
LAW 596 - Environmental Due Diligence in Commercial Transactions
LAW 379 - Financial Sanctions
LAW 546 - Government Contracts Seminar
LAW 559 - Introduction to Partnership Taxation for Corporate and Real Estate Lawyers
LAW 520 - Investment Management Regulation
LAW 387 - The Legal Envirn of Human Resource Mgmt for In-House Counsel & HR Executive
LAW 658 - Int'l Comm Arbitration Sem
LAW 496 - International Business Transactions
LAW 497 - International Trade Law
LAW 499 - International Dispute Resolution - International Commercial Arbitration
LAW 408 - Insurance
LAW 466 - Law and Bus in Metaverse Sem
LAW 675 - Law & Entrepreneurship Seminar
LAW 464 - Mergers & Acquisitions
LAW 473 - Non-Profit Law Practice
LAW 352 - Private Equity - Structure and Issues
LAW 420 - Commercial Real Estate Transactions
LAW 404 - Secured Transactions
LAW 322 - State & Local Taxation
LAW 446 - Sovereign Debt
LAW 793 - Telecommunications Law and Policy
LAW 646 - The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
LAW 581 - Trade Secrets

Business Law Group C; complete at least one of the following experiential learning courses with course attribute BLAW or a two-credit independent research paper on a business law-related topic (with prior approval):

Business Law-Related Externship (2 or more credits with prior approval)
LAW 704 Independent Research on business law-related topic (2-credits with prior approval)
Journal note on Business Law-Related Topic (with prior advance approval)
LAW 140D - Advanced Writing and Practice - Transactional Practice
LAW 371 - Complex Transactions in Regulated Industries
LAW 743 - Low Income Tax Clinic
LAW 737 - Planning a Chapter 11 Filing
LAW 352 - Private Equity - Structure and Issues

Criminal Law & Procedure Concentration

Required Courses: at least 7. Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:

Criminal Law and Procedure Group A; complete all three of the following courses with course attribute RLWF:

LAW 308 - Applied Evidence in a Technological Age 4 OR LAW 309 - Evidence
LAW 401 - Criminal Procedure I
LAW 402 - Criminal Procedure II

Criminal Law and Procedure Group B; complete at least three additional courses with attribute RLWS from the following list:

LAW 542 - American Jury Seminar
LAW 512 - Critical Issues Facing the Department of Justice
LAW 533 - Current Issues in Criminal Justice Litigation Seminar
LAW 414 - Cybercrime
LAW 415 - Federal Courts OR LAW 477 Section 1983 Litigation
LAW 440 - Federal White Collar Crime
LAW 390 - Health Care Fraud
LAW 498 - Int'l & Compar Crim Justice
LAW 385 - International Criminal Law
LAW 509 - Jury Strategies Seminar
LAW 342 - Life or Death: A Prosecutor’s Decision-Making Process in a Capital Case
LAW 463 - Persp in Law Enforcement- Policing and Prosecution
LAW 500 - Police Interrogation
LAW 599 - Representing Vulnerable Populations in Criminal Defense
LAW 477 - Section 1983 Litigation OR LAW 415 Federal Courts
LAW 531 - Select Prob Criminal Justice
LAW 384 - Sentencing Law
LAW 522 - Special Topics in Criminal Law Seminar
LAW 598 - Selected Topics in Juvenile Law Seminar
LAW 517 - Technology & Crimes Against Children
LAW 630 - The Death Penalty Seminar
LAW 529 - The Military Commissions
LAW 507 - The Role of the State Attorney General
LAW 720 - Trial Advocacy - Basic Advanced Litigation
LAW 397 - Virginia Criminal Procedure

Criminal Law and Procedure Group C; complete at least one of the following experiential learning courses with attribute CRIM, or a two-credit independent research paper on a criminal law-related topic (with prior approval):

LAW 140C - Advanced Writing and Practice - Pretrial Criminal Practice
LAW 605 - Criminal Justice Practice Skills
LAW 745 - Domestic Violence Clinic
LAW 747 - Innocence Project Clinic I
LAW 707 - Misdemeanor Practice
LAW 771 - Public Defender Externship
LAW 738 - Technology-Augmented Trial Advocacy
LAW 756 - US Attorney Externship

Environmental Law Concentration

Required courses: 6 to 9. Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:

Environmental Law Group A; complete two or more of the following courses with attribute NLWF:

LAW 453 - Administrative Law
LAW 424 - Environmental Law
LAW 425 - Land Use Control
LAW 339 - Natural Resources Law (Can only be counted if not counted in Group B)

Environmental Law Group B; complete three or more supporting electives with attribute NLWS from the following:

LAW 587 - Animal Law Seminar
LAW 679 - Climate Change
LAW 593 - Disaster Law & Leadership Seminar
LAW 608 - Eminent Domain and Property Rights
LAW 426 - Energy Law
LAW 596 - Environmental Due Diligence in Commercial Transactions
LAW 634 - Federal Indian Law
LAW 346 - Fundamentals of Environmental Science for Policy
LAW 339 - Natural Resources Law
LAW 367 - Oil and Gas and Energy Economics
LAW 319 - Regulation of Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste
LAW 482 - The Clean Water Act
LAW 468 - Water Law

Environmental Law Group C; complete at least one of the following experiential learning courses with attribute ENVR, or a two-credit independent research paper on an environmental law topic (with prior approval), or a law journal note on an environmental law-related topic with prior approval, or an environmental law-related externship of two-credits or more:

LAW 700 - Directed Research
two-credits with prior approval on environmental law-related topic

Intellectual Property Concentration

Required courses: at least 7. Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:

Intellectual Property Group A; complete three or more of the following courses with attribute ILWF:

LAW 442 - Trademark Law
LAW 447 - Patent Law
LAW 448 - Intellect Property
LAW 465 - Copyright Law

Intellectual Property Group B; complete at least three additional courses with attribute ILWS from the following list:

LAW 491 - AI: Intro for Non-Experts
LAW 357 - AI Law & Policy
LAW 453 - Administrative Law
LAW 602 - Applied Data Privacy Law for Regulated Industries: Managing Regulatory Change at Financial
LAW 670 - Art & Cultural Heritage Seminar
LAW 428 - Artificial Intelligence & More; Legal Issues Likely to Arise from AI & Related Emerging Technologies
LAW 372 - Bioethics
LAW 665 - Cyber and Information Security Essentials Sem
LAW 414 - Cybercrime
LAW 341 - Cybersecurity Incident Response
LAW 310 - Electronic Discov & Data Seizure
LAW 358 - Electronic Discovery
LAW 391 - EU Privacy and Data Protection Law
LAW 415 - Federal Courts
LAW 370 - Food and Drug Law
LAW 458 - Health Law and Policy
LAW 336 - International Intellectual Property Law
LAW 466 - Law and Bus in Metaverse Sem
LAW 675 - Law & Entrepreneurship Seminar
LAW 412 - Legislation and Statutory Interpretation
LAW 544 - Patent Litigation Seminar
LAW 348 - Privacy Law
LAW 413 - Remedies
LAW 430 - Select topics in International IP & International Trade
LAW 302 - Statistics for Lawyers
LAW 793 - Telecommunications Law and Policy
LAW 400 - The First Amendment - Free Speech & Press
LAW 581 - Trade Secrets

Intellectual Property Group C; complete at least one of the following experiential learning courses with attribute INTC, or a two-credit independent research paper on an intellectual property law-related topic (with prior approval):

LAW 140D - Advanced Writing and Practice - Transactional Practice
LAW 351 - Alternative Dispute Resolution Survey
LAW 722 - Mediation
Intellectual Property-Related Externship (two or more credits)

International Law Concentration

Required Courses: at least 7. Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:

International Law Group A; complete two of the following courses with attribute TLWF (one of which must be International Law):

LAW 380 - Comparative Law
LAW 409 - International Law
LAW 496 - International Business Transactions

International Law Group B; complete at least four additional courses with attribute TLWS from the following list:

LAW 441 - Admiralty Law
LAW 366 - Civil Litigation Responses to Acts of Intl Terrorism
LAW 637 - Comparative Constitutional Systems
LAW 380 - Comparative Law
LAW 410 - Conflict of Laws
LAW 391 - EU Privacy and Data Protection Law
LAW 338 - European Union Law
LAW 382 - Human Rights Law
LAW 485 - Immigration Law
LAW 496 - International Business Transactions
LAW 658 - International Commercial Arbitration
LAW 498 - International & Comparative Criminal Justice
LAW 385 - International Criminal Law
LAW 336 - International Intellectual Property Law
LAW 497 - International Trade Law
LAW 604 - Islamic Law Seminar
LAW 487 - Law of Armed Conflict: International Humanitarian Law in War
LAW 475 - National Security Law
LAW 374 - National Security Law Litigation
LAW 394 - Post-Conflict Justice
LAW 430 - Select topics in International IP & International Trade
LAW 797 - War Powers - The National Security Law Constitution
LAW 446 - Sovereign Debt
LAW 646 - The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

International Law Group C; complete at least two credits of coursework with attribute of INTN, OR LAW 691 Advanced Applied International Research for two credits, OR at least one international law-related externship (two or more credits), OR a two-credit independent research paper on an international law-related topic, OR note written for law journal on an international law-related topic with Vice Dean advance approval.

LAW 786 - Immigration Clinic I
LAW 787 - Immigration Clinic II

National Security Law Concentration

Required courses: at least 7. Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:

National Security Group A; complete two from the following foundational courses with attribute NSWF (if not used in Group B):

LAW 475 - National Security Law

or LAW 797- War Powers- The National Security Law Constitution

LAW 453 - Administrative Law

or LAW 412 Legislation / Statutory Interpretation

National Security Group B; complete at least four additional courses from the following with attribute NSWS; cannot re-use courses selected to meet Group A requirement:

LAW 453 - Administrative Law
LAW 518 - Anti-Money Laundering, and Countering the Financing of Terrorism
LAW 428 - Artificial Intelligence & More; Legal Issues Likely to Arise from AI & Related Emerging Technologies
LAW 366 - Civil Litigation Responses to Acts of Intl Terrorism
LAW 414 - Cybercrime
LAW 341 - Cybersecurity Incident Response
LAW 665 - Cyber and Information Security Essentials Sem
LAW 379 - Financial Sanctions
LAW 382 - Human Rights Law
LAW 607 - Internal Investigations
LAW 409 - International Law
LAW 487 - Law of Armed Conflict
LAW 514 - Laws of War
LAW 412 - Legislation and Statutory Interpretation
LAW 503 - Military Justice
LAW 374 - National Security Law Litigation
LAW 474 - Negotiating US-Europe Relations
LAW 543 - Terrorism Seminar
LAW 443 - The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978: Past Present, and Future
LAW 529 - The Military Commissions
LAW 797 - War Powers - The National Security Law Constitution

National Security Group C; complete at least one of the following with attribute NSWE:

LAW 704 on a national security law related topic (2 credits with prior approval)
At least one national security law related externship (2 or more credits with prior approval)
Student note written for law journal on a national security law-related topic (with prior approval)

Public Interest and Social Justice Concentration

Required Courses: at least 7. Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:

Public Interest and Social Justice Group A: complete three courses with attribute SJWF, one from each of the three following subgroups:

A.1. LAW 453 Administrative Law or LAW 412 Legislation and Statutory Interpretation

and

A.2. LAW 415 Federal Courts or LAW 477 Section 1983 Litigation

and

A.3. LAW 401 Criminal Procedure I or LAW 402 Criminal Procedure II or LAW 403 Criminal Procedure Survey

LAW 401 - Criminal Procedure I
LAW 402 - Criminal Procedure II
LAW 403 - Criminal Procedure Survey
LAW 415 - Federal Courts
LAW 453 - Administrative Law
LAW 477 - Section 1983 Litigation

Public Interest and Social Justice Group B; complete at least three additional courses with attribute SJWS from the following list:

LAW 587 - Animal Law Seminar
LAW 532 - Children’s Rights
LAW 595 - Citizen Lawyers Seminar - Lessons in Leadership
LAW 401 - Criminal Procedure I
LAW 402 - Criminal Procedure II
LAW 533 - Current Issues in Criminal Justice Litigation Seminar
LAW 449 - Data & Democracy Seminar
LAW 467 - Elder Law Seminar
LAW 398 - Election Law
LAW 452 - Employment Discrimination
LAW 624 - Empowering Choices: A Client-Centered Approach to Disability Rights Law
LAW 424 - Environmental Law
LAW 355 - Gender, Sexuality, & Law
LAW 485 - Immigration & Citizenship
LAW 382 - Human Rights Law
LAW 407 - Labor Law
LAW 500 - Police Interrogation
LAW 552 - Pro Bono in Practice
LAW 489 - Race and the Constitution Sem
LAW 685 - Race, Law, and Lawyering in Diverse Environments
LAW 319 - Regulation of Toxic Substances and Hazardous Waste
LAW 599 - Representing Vulnerable Populations in Criminal Defense
LAW 507 - Role of State Attorney General
LAW 628 - Selected Topics in Race & American Legal History Seminar
LAW 429 - State & Local Government Law
LAW 517 - Technology & Crimes Against Children
LAW 632- Testing Rule of Law
LAW 630 - The Death Penalty Seminar
LAW 507 - The Role of the State Attorney General
LAW 427 - Vice and the Law
LAW 488 - Youth Law

Public Interest and Social Justice Group C; complete at least one of the following with attribute SJSP:

2-credit minimum Externship - The following Externships qualify towards the Concentration: Judicial, Federal Government, Nonprofit Organization, Prosecutor, Public Defender, State/Local Government, U.S. Attorney, and Virginia Attorney General.
LAW 788 - Appellate & Supreme Court Clinic I
LAW 789 - Appellate & Supreme Court Clinic II
LAW 745 - Domestic Violence Clinic
LAW 784 - Elder & Disability Law Clinic I (EDLC I)
LAW 746 - Family Law Clinic
LAW 743 - Low Income Tax Clinic
LAW 786 - Immigration Clinic I
LAW 787 - Immigration Clinic II
LAW 747 - Innocence Project Clinic I
LAW 782 - Special Education Advocacy Clinic I (PELE)
LAW 780 - Veterans’ Benefits Clinic I

Political Law Concentration

Required courses: at least 7. Students must complete courses in the following groups, as noted:

Political Law Group A; complete at least three courses with attribute POLF from the following list:

LAW 453 - Administrative Law
LAW 398 - Election Law
LAW 412 - Legislation and Statutory Interpretation OR LAW 638 Statutory Interpretation Seminar
LAW 429 - State & Local Government Law

Political Law Group B; complete at least three of the following with attribute POLS; if a student satisfies all four of the Group A requirements, the fourth course may be counted as supporting counted here.

LAW 580 - 2nd Amend-Hist Theory Prac
LAW 312 - Advanced Constitutional Law Survey
LAW 687 - Advanced Readings in Political Economy
LAW 393 - Campaign Finance
LAW 449 - Data & Democracy Seminar
LAW 486 - Defamation and Disinformation
LAW 454 - Economic Analysis of the Law
LAW 415 - Federal Courts OR LAW 477 Section 1983 Litigation
LAW 311 - Federal Income Taxation
LAW 355 - Gender, Sexuality, & Law
LAW 546 - Government Contracts Seminar
LAW 513 - Law and Politics
LAW 685 - Race, Law, and Lawyering in Diverse Environments
LAW 507 - Role of State Attorney General
LAW 477 - Section 1983 Litigation OR LAW 414 Federal Courts
LAW 493 - State Constitutionalism
LAW 322 - State & Local Taxation
LAW 619 - Supreme Court Seminar
LAW 400 - The First Amendment - Free Speech & Press
LAW 427 - Vice and the Law

Political Law Group C; Experiential with attribute POLI or Independent; at least two credits in one of the following or combination of.

LAW 301 - Election Law Practicum - Lawyering a Campaign
LAW 758 - Federal Government Externship
LAW 704 - Independent Legal Research on political law-related topic (with Vice Dean approval)
LAW 502 - Legislative Redistricting w/Geographic Information Systems
LAW 378 - Non-Profit Campaign Finance Law
LAW 749 - Non-Profit Organization Externship
LAW 716 - Power, Influence & Responsible Leadership
LAW 753 - State & Local Government Externship
LAW 752 - Virginia Attorney General Externship
LAW 421 - Voting Rights Litigation and Practice