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Law Center

Concurrent and Combined Degree Programs and
Special Programs

Health Law and Policy Institute

The Health Law and Policy Institute is one of the top health law programs in the country, with one of the broadest course curricula. It was established in 1978. The institute is an interdisciplinary center designed to stimulate teaching, research, and service in all areas of health law policy.

Concurrent J.D./M.P.H.

The Law Center, in conjunction with the University of Texas School of Public Health, offers students the opportunity to obtain a law (J.D.) degree and a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree concurrently. By receiving joint credit for courses approved by both institutions, a student may earn both degrees in three and one-half years, one year less than it would take to earn the degrees separately.

J.D./Ph.D. Program

The Health Law and Policy Institute, in conjunction with The Institute for Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, gives students the opportunity to receive both a J.D. and a Ph.D. in medical humanities in five to six years.

Semester in Houston

Second- and third-year law students enrolled in good standing at an ABA-accredited law school are eligible to apply to spend a semester at the University of Houston Law Center to enroll in health law courses, including the Health Law Clinic.

LL.M. in Health Law

The Health Law and Policy Institute has a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree program with a concentration in health law. The program is open to individuals with a J.D. degree or its equivalent.

Health Law Clinic

The institute oversees the Health Law Clinic, in which students receive credit for supervised field work in health law. Students may take up to 10 hours of clinical credit. Current placements include: M.D. Anderson Hospital, Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Veterans Administration Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, St. Luke's Hospital, and the University of Texas Medical Branch. Placements outside the Houston area are also available.

Information regarding the Health Law and Policy Institute may be obtained by contacting:

Health Law and Policy Institute
University of Houston Law Center
Houston, Texas 77204-6381
(713) 743-2101

Environmental Law Curriculum

The Law Center has special strengths in the areas of energy, natural resources, and the environment. About a dozen courses in these areas are offered each semester to both J.D. and LL.M. students. The Law Center's reputation in these areas has been enhanced by research projects such as the Environmental Liability Law Program and the Russian Petroleum Legislation Project. These projects received major funding from outside sources which enabled Law Center professors to engage in research related to liability for complex environmental injuries and to draft model oil and gas legislation under a protocol with the Russian Federation. Students have opportunities to take specialized courses and write seminar papers with the professors who conduct this type of research.

Environmental Law Clinic

A clinical education program in environmental law allows students to gain practical experience in the field for course credit. Students are placed in jobs with governmental agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the offices of the Texas Attorney General, the Harris County and Houston City Attorneys, or public service entities such as the Environmental Defense Fund and the Galveston Bay Foundation.

Trial Advocacy Institute

Trial advocacy skills training courses have become an integral part of the Law Center's curriculum. Students may enhance advocacy skills through courses designed with a "hands on" approach. The Institute offers courses in Civil Litigation, Criminal Litigation, Pretrial Litigation, Legal Negotiations, Appellate Advocacy, and Psychology of Communication. These courses provide the necessary practical application framework law students need in order to successfully practice law and are taught by some of Houston's top legal practitioners. Students also have the opportunity to become involved in the Law Center's nationally ranked Mock Trial/Moot Court programs, which are affiliated with the Institute. These national student competitions provide additional opportunities for training in trial and appellate skills. The Advocates, a student organization affiliated with the Trial Advocacy Institute, sponsors a variety of intramural and interscholastic competitions. Related course offerings through the Law Center include Legal Clinic and Mediation.

Mexican Legal Studies Program

The Mexican Legal Studies Program at the Law Center was founded to promote understanding of the Mexican legal system, economy and society by U.S. law students. The program provides exposure to the Mexican legal system, particularly as it applies to foreign investors seeking to do business in Mexico. The Mexican Legal Studies Program, one of the oldest summer-abroad programs in existence, has helped to solidify the Law Center's position as a center for Mexican legal knowledge and expertise.

The curriculum includes an introduction to civil law and the Mexican legal system and courses in more specialized areas such as foreign investment, banking and international trade, including the North American Free Trade Agreement.

For information, contact:

Mexican Legal Studies Program
University of Houston Law Center
Houston, Texas 77204-6370
(713) 743-2080
E-mail: mlsp@www.law.uh.edu

Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance

The Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance provides research, instruction, and service in the field of higher education law, and encourages interdisciplinary work in the applied studies of administration and law. The institute offers interdisciplinary course work in education law to doctoral and law students as well as to other qualified graduate and professional students. Ongoing institute interests include the study of litigation, legislation, governance, statewide coordination, finance, and equity issues in post-secondary education. International and comparative education are also a focus within the institute and foreign scholars are regular participants in research activities.

For Information contact:

Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance
University of Houston Law Center
Houston, Texas 77204-6370
(713) 743-2075

Intellectual Property Program

The University of Houston Intellectual Property Program affords students the opportunity for study, research, and writing on patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret subjects, as well as on interdisciplinary legal protection for computer hardware and software. The Law Center's offerings in intellectual property law are the most extensive of any law school in the western United States, and are designed to provide students with a broad exposure to the central concepts of domestic and international protection of proprietary technology, information, and expression in the modern industrial world.

For information, please contact:

UH Intellectual Property Program
University of Houston Law Center
Houston, Texas 77204-6391
(713) 743-2810

J.D./M.B.A. Program

The Law Center and the College of Business Administration at the University of Houston offer a concurrent degree program that enables students to prepare for careers where law and business overlap, including public service, investment banking, accounting, international trade, industrial relations, corporate law, the entertainment industry, and management consulting. This program provides students with the opportunity to finish both degrees in a shorter time period than if they were pursued separately.

For information contact:

Office of Admissions
University of Houston Law Center
Houston, Texas 77204-6391
(713) 743-1070

and

College of Business Administration
University of Houston
Houston, Texas 77204-6283
(713) 743-4900

J.D./M.A. Program

The History department at Rice University sponsors a program combining the historical and legal disciplines. The curriculum combines graduate work in legal and constitutional history at Rice with professional training in law at the Law Center. Concurrent law and history degrees, including Ph.D.s, are also possible in conjunction with the University of Houston Department of History. Students enrolled at the Law Center and who are successfully pursuing their legal studies are eligible to apply for admission to the program during their first or second years in law school.

International Law Institute

The International Law Institute provides support to a wide range of programs and activities in international law that take place at the Law Center. As business, legal, and governmental affairs have expanded to encompass matters of international concern, the practice of law has also broadened. The Law Center's international and comparative law programs are designed to prepare lawyers for the challenges of confronting a wide range of practice. This is particularly true in Houston and the Southwest, where international trade and foreign investment are vitally linked to the total economy.

The Law Center has a large curriculum of courses in this broad area. The John O'Quinn Law Library boasts an outstanding collection of foreign and international materials to support an ambitious research program in international and comparative law. The International Law Institute works with law faculty and with international law practitioners to support academic and research programs in this area of growing importance.