Juris Doctor Degree - Law

The Accelerated JD Program at Creighton University School of Law is tailored to busy adult learners and recent college graduates who are eager to enter the legal profession. In the two-year program, you’ll receive the same education as students in the traditional JD track, but you’ll begin taking courses sooner—during the first summer of the program. By completing your degree faster, you’ll ultimately launch your legal career sooner.

How it Works

The Accelerated JD program is available to any student who has been accepted to the Creighton University School of Law. To participate in this accelerated program, simply email the Law School Admissions Office at least one week prior to summer term. The admissions process for the Accelerated JD program is the same as for the standard Juris Doctorate program. 

You’ll start the program in May, completing courses in the summer term before your classmates in the traditional JD program begin in August. Otherwise, the programs are similar, with the same credit hour requirements, courses and professors. You’ll also have the same opportunities to participate in law journals, legal clinics, externships and judicial clerkships. However, because your studies will be intense, we do not recommend working during your first year. 

Typically, you’ll graduate in August or December of what would have been your third year in the traditional JD program. Note that while students can join the Accelerated JD program after their first year of the traditional program, they may be unable to enroll in certain capstone courses, and the School of Law can’t guarantee an August graduation.

Sample Schedule 

To obtain your JD, you must earn 90 total credit hours. Although there is some flexibility in the Accelerated JD program, here is what your schedule may look like:

Summer Term 1 (13 hours)
Contracts 1 (3) 
Contracts 2 (3) 
Criminal Law (3) 
Torts (4)

Fall Semester 1 (15-16 hours) 
Civil Procedure 1 (3) 
Legal Research & Writing I (2) 
Property (4) 
Electives (6-7)

Spring Semester 1 (16-17 hours) 
Civil Procedure II (3) 
Constitutional Law (4) 
Legal Research & Writing II (3) 
Electives (6-7)

Summer Term 2 (12-14 hours) 
Required Courses 
Electives

Fall Semester 2 (16-17 hours)
Legal Research & Writing II (3) 
Remaining required courses 
Electives

Spring Semester 2 (16-17 hours) 
Electives (16-17)

In the summer of the second year, you may select from the following courses (offerings may vary) shown below. Note that these courses are three credits each; the exception is Business Associations, which is four credits.

Advanced Legal Writing and Drafting
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Business Associations
Client Interviewing and Legal Counseling
Commercial Contract Drafting
Evidence
Externships
First Amendment Freedom of Speech
From Nuremberg to the Hague*
International Criminal Law*
Negotiations
Professional Responsibility

*Taught in Germany

Scholarships are fully applicable to students in the accelerated program. Scholarships awarded on an annual basis will be adjusted to include a summer term for that year. It will be increased by 50% to cover three semesters (summer, fall and spring) instead of two. If you have a renewable scholarship, you may renew it for your second summer of law school based upon your class standing in summer and fall. Your scholarship for your final two semesters will be renewable based upon your class rank in summer, fall and spring.

Our traditional full-time JD program is three years and begins each fall. Students in this program are not required to take classes in the summer, allowing them to take advantage of experiential learning options in the summer via externship and internship opportunities. A student must complete 90 credit hours to graduate. That means an average of 15 credit hours each semester after completing your required first-year curriculum.

Curriculum Overview

First-Year Curriculum
Semester 1    
LAW 100 Introduction to Law (0 credits)
LAW 141 1L Seminar (0 credits)
LAW 103 Civil Procedure I (3 credits)
LAW 111 Contracts I (3 credits)
LAW 117 Legal Research and Writing I (2 credits)
LAW 125 Property Law (4 credits)
LAW 131 Torts (4 credits)

Semester 2    
LAW 104 Civil Procedure II (3 credits)
LAW 107 Constitutional Law (4 credits)
LAW 112 Contracts II (3 credits)
LAW 115 Criminal Law (3 credits)
LAW 118 Legal Research and Writing II (3 credits)

See a sample schedule.

After completing your first year at Creighton University School of Law, you’re required to earn 58 additional hours to graduate. To achieve that, you must take an average of 15 hours in each of your last four semesters. To reduce that number, you can take summer courses.

Credit hours are awarded based on a minimum of 700 minutes of instruction per credit hour.

Second-year Curriculum
Fall Semester

Law 205 Legal Research and Writing III (3 credits)
Other Required and Elective Courses (8-15)
Required Second-year Courses (students may take these courses in either semester)

Law 203 Professional Responsibility (3)
Law 335 Business Associations (4)
Law 341 Criminal Procedure (3)
Law 355 Evidence (3)
Law 457 Trusts and Estates (3/4)
Law 429 Commercial Law (3)

Third-Year Curriculum
Fall Semester

Required and Electives Courses (10-17)
Spring Semester

Required and Elective Courses (10-17)
Experiential Learning Requirement (see details below)

Externships
Externships offer Creighton law students the opportunity to earn credit for unpaid work in the public sector. You’ll earn at least three credit hours and be graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

Creighton helps connect students to externships, and past students have connected with a wide variety of opportunities. They have completed externships in the offices of county attorneys, city attorneys, public defenders, judges, nonprofit hospitals, universities and other nonprofits. They’re on campus—and across the state, the country and even the world. Some require senior certification; and some have course prerequisites.

Interested in earning a JD but can’t attend school full time? At Creighton, you can attend classes with full-time students but take course loads suited to busy lifestyles. Courses are offered throughout the day during summer, fall and spring semesters. You have up to six years to complete the requirements for graduation, and you may elect to move into a full-time JD Program. Consultation with your Sr. Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or your academic advisor is a must for successful advancement toward a degree.

Part-time students are eligible for scholarships if they would qualify for scholarships as a full-time student. Scholarships are awarded on a per credit hour basis.

Earn your law degree sooner. At Creighton, highly motivated undergraduate students can earn a bachelor’s degree in business or the arts and sciences and a law degree in just six years instead of seven. Students will spend three years on requirements for a bachelor’s degree and three years on requirements for a law degree. They'll save time—and money. We also offer a 3 + 3 program with the following schools:  College of Saint Mary and Buena Vista University.

How the 3 + 3 Program Works

Students in this program will spend their first three years at Creighton University in the Heider College of Business or the College of Arts and Sciences. There, they will follow a specific 3 + 3 curriculum for their major. In their junior year, they will apply to Creighton University School of Law, following the same application process as regular law school applicants. If accepted, they'll forgo their senior year and start law school. Once they successfully complete their first year of law school with grades of “C” or better, they'll earn their bachelor’s degree. Two years later, their JD.

Programs with other schools are similar to this, but check with the undergraduate school for specifics.

If you're a current high school student interested in becoming a Creighton lawyer, begin by applying to Creighton undergraduate. 

Arts & Sciences Majors to Choose From

The program is available for the following majors:

• Classical and Near Eastern Studies
• Classical Languages
• Communication Studies
• English
• French
• German
• History
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Psychological Science
• Spanish
• Theology

See the course catalog for more details on courses and GPA requirements. The 3 + 3 Law Worksheet gives a semester-level example.

BSBA/JD

Students interested in a business degree can earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) and JD degree in the 3 + 3 program. Students will become candidates for the undergraduate BSBA degree following their first year of law school. 

Students pursuing a BSBA will take core curriculum courses and business courses for the first 3 years. Then, their “senior” year will be their first year of law studies, which counts as the field of concentration courses for the BSBA degree.

See a sample plan of study for the 3/3 program.

Creighton’s six-year bachelor’s degree/law degree program will teach students:

• Leadership and management skills
• The ability to analyze and solve legal problems
• Critical and creative problem solving, sometimes contrary to conventional wisdom
• Sound practical judgment
• The tools, techniques and skills necessary to practice law successfully and ethically
• Insight into how the law operates in the real world
• Ignatian values, including personal and professional formation and seeking justice for all

BSBA/MBA/JD

Creighton offers a triple degree pathway, as well, which builds on the 3 + 3 BSBA/JD program, adding on a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. To follow this path, students would enroll in the MBA program in their fifth year. Students who follow this path will earn three degrees in just seven years. 

Students pursing the BSBA/MBA/JD will begin by following the plan above. In the seventh year, they'll start the MBA program.

The business law concentration is designed to prepare you for the demands and intricacies of our modern economy—whether you go into employment law, banking law, real estate law or any other business-related field. Your courses will be taught by professors with real-world experience, providing insights to help you thrive upon graduation.

To successfully complete the business law concentration, students must take 18 credits in relevant courses; maintain a 3.0 GPA; and complete a substantial project. For details about courses and the substantial project, visit the concentration’s curriculum page.

If you have questions about this concentration, please contact Edward A. Morse, JD.

The criminal law and procedure concentration will prepare you for a legal career focused on fundamental issues of security, personal liberty and constitutional rights—helping you become the ultimate trial lawyer. After mastering the basics in your criminal law and procedure courses, you’ll expand your knowledge in a variety of areas, including white collar crime, juvenile law, and international and comparative studies. You’ll also develop trial practice skills and put them to use by competing on our championship trial and moot court teams, as well as completing externships with judges, prosecutors and public defenders.

To successfully complete the criminal law and procedure concentration, students must take 18 credits in relevant courses; maintain a 3.0 GPA; and complete a substantial project. For details about courses and the substantial project, visit the concentration’s curriculum page.

If you have questions about this concentration, please contact Leigh Ellis, JD.

The dispute resolution concentration will prepare you to resolve civil cases outside the courtroom. Through the Werner Institute for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution—a vibrant pillar of the School of Law—students learn the negotiation, mediation and arbitration skills necessary for dispute resolution. The concentration’s core courses provide a unique opportunity to practice these skills while receiving one-on-one feedback. And students can extend their classroom experiences through various competitions. By completing this concentration’s requirements, you’ll gain crucial skills and knowledge, whether you pursue a transactional or litigation path.

To successfully complete the dispute resolution concentration, students must take 18 credits in relevant courses; maintain a 3.0 GPA; and complete a substantial project. For details about courses and the substantial project, visit the concentration’s curriculum page.

If you have questions about this concentration, please contact Rachel Goedken, JD.

Through the energy, environmental and sustainability law concentration at the School of Law, you’ll be prepared to work within—and help shape—a dynamic law landscape. The concentration will give you the opportunity to discern applicable laws and regulatory regimes. You’ll learn to consider policy issues through research and written work. And you’ll gain an understanding of environmental law for both compliance and financial risk management purposes. By the time you graduate, you’ll be ready to serve energy companies, investors, utilities, manufacturing companies, lawmakers, policymakers, regulators, land use professionals and environmental organizations. 

To successfully complete the energy, environmental and sustainability law concentration, students must take 18 credits in relevant courses and complete a substantial project. For details about courses and the substantial project, visit the concentration’s curriculum page.

If you have questions about this concentration, please contact Dean Joshua Fershée, JD.

Family law covers a wide range of legal issues including divorce, child custody, adoption, domestic violence and more. This concentration will prepare you to help individuals and families as they navigate challenging personal situations, and it’s ideal for students with an interest in the intersection of law and social issues. In this concentration, you can focus on general family law or specialize in one of three different area: family law practice, children’s law or elder law. The family law concentration’s advisor, Professor Catherine Brooks, will assist you in planning your family law career and can help you put together a two- to four-semester plan of coursework.

To successfully complete the family law concentration, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA. If you choose to select a specialization track, you must earn 21 credits from a group of five required courses, as well as either Track Direction or Lawyering Skills. Several additional courses, including selected externships, are also required. For details about courses and the substantial project, visit the concentration’s curriculum page.

For more information about this concentration, please contact professor Catherine M. Brooks, JD.

The regulations and federal, state and local laws governing both healthcare operations and individual patients are increasingly complex. Yet by completing your concentration in health law, you’ll gain the readiness to practice law related to the intricate healthcare industry. Whether you want to help shape policy or represent individual providers, patients or large organizations, there’s a place for you in health law.

To successfully complete the health law concentration, students must take 18 credits in relevant courses; maintain a 3.0 GPA; and complete a substantial project. For details about courses and the substantial project, visit the concentration’s curriculum page.

If you have questions about this concentration, please contact professor Craig Dallon, JD.

If you want to prepare for a legal career in the ever-changing globalized legal marketplace—and impact laws and policies affecting human rights—the international and comparative law concentration is ideal for you. Classes in this concentration are taught by experts in their field who have practiced, published and been around the world. The concentration could even take you out of the country with Creighton’s Nuremberg Summer Program, which allows you to study international criminal law in Germany.

To successfully complete the international and comparative law concentration, students must take 18 credits in relevant courses; maintain a 3.0 GPA; and complete a substantial project. For details about courses and the substantial project, visit the concentration’s curriculum page.

If you have questions about this concentration, please contact professor Michael J. Kelly, JD, LLM.

At the Creighton University School of Law, the litigation concentration focuses on how to best represent parties in trials, hearings, arbitrations and mediations before local, state and federal courts. Professors in this concentration possess not only expert legal minds, but also real-world experience. In fact, our adjunct professors are judges, prosecutors and public defenders. They’re also mentors—eager to share what they’ve learned about litigation. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to put what you learn into action by participating in our moot court, trial and negotiation teams, which routinely do well in competitions.

To successfully complete the litigation concentration, students must take 18 credits in relevant courses; maintain a 3.0 GPA; and complete a substantial project. For details about courses and the substantial project, visit the concentration’s curriculum page.

If you have questions about this concentration, please contact Professor R. Collin Mangrum.

The Sports Law concentration at the School of Law will provide you with a solid foundation in a wide variety of legal fields related to the rapidly changing sports industry. You’ll have the opportunity to study a variety of topics, ranging from amateur sports and NCAA compliance to collective bargaining, antitrust and intellectual property issues. As part of this concentration, you may participate in an NCAA Compliance externship with the athletic department at a Division I university. And joining eligible competitions related to sports law will give you further experience as you earn credit toward your concentration requirements.

To successfully complete the sports law concentration, students must take 18 credits in relevant courses and complete a substantial project. For details about courses and the substantial project, visit the concentration’s curriculum page.

If you have questions about this concentration, please contact professor David P. Weber, JD.

If you want to be a leader within government organizations—or those that work closely with them—the JD/MS in Government Organization and Leadership (GOAL) is ideal for you. This three-year, dual degree program will give you the preparation to succeed in a highly competitive environment.

Download the GOAL viewbook.

How the Program Works

At the center of the GOAL program is a semester living and working in the nation’s capital. During the first semester of your third year of law school, you’ll be immersed in a full-time externship with a federal agency, Congressional committee, office of a member of Congress or a nonprofit organization that works with government.

From drafting policy statements to attending hearings and strategy sessions, you’ll be immersed in the professional world of your practicum colleagues. Creighton Law’s extensive alumni network and long-standing relationships in D.C. support students in securing meaningful placements. Program highlights include visits to the White House and Pentagon, meetings with Nebraska’s U.S. senators and networking events with Creighton alumni at top D.C. law firms. Previous externships have included placements at:

• The Department of Agriculture
• The Department of Energy
• The Department of Justice
• The Department of State
• The Department of the Treasury
• The National Indian Gaming Commission
• The Peace Corps
• The Senate Agriculture Committee
• The Senate Banking Committee
• The Senate Finance Committee
• The Veterans Administration
• D.C. Public Defender
• The World Bank

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science in Government Organization and Leadership requires completion of 35 credit hours, including the externship in Washington, D.C., and a major paper requirement. Thirteen credit hours taken for the JD degree may count toward completion of the MS. Five credits of specific GOAL courses taken may count toward completion of the JD degree. To secure the MS and the JD degrees, you must assemble a total of 107 credit hours. The receipt of a JD degree is a prerequisite to receipt of the Master of Science degree in the GOAL program.

To enhance the practical experiences provided by the externship, students will complete two courses. One examines leadership issues and features speakers in top positions throughout D.C.; the other examines specific ethical issues encountered by attorneys in public service. See the full curriculum.

Program Outcomes

Students who participate in the GOAL program will gain enhanced employment opportunities as lawyers in government service. They will also develop:

• A set of core competencies for assuming leadership roles
• Skills to facilitate and improve strategic planning, creativity, collaboration and consensus building
• An understanding of attorneys’ roles within large and diverse governmental organizations
• A comprehensive grasp of professional ethics in government settings—including the specific standards that apply to lawyers in government service, as well as general ethical principles that align with both the Jesuit tradition and core societal values

How to Join the Program

Being admitted to the program begins by applying to Creighton University School of Law. Once you are enrolled at the School of Law, you will need to apply for GOAL by April 1 of your first year of law school.

See the cost of attendance.

Earn a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration in as little as three years with this dual degree program offered by the School of Law and Heider College of Business. This is an ideal program if you want to work in a legal practice, corporate law, business, government or other organization that requires the ability to tackle both legal and business issues. You’ll also be able to enter the workforce sooner and set yourself apart in a competitive job market.

Begin Making an Impact—Sooner

This JD/MBA program includes small classes to promote participation, externships to gain experience and a focus on humanist values to prepare you to make a difference in the lives of those you serve. JD/MBA students will also gain leadership and management skills, as well as the insights, tools and techniques to ethically and successfully practice law in the real world. You will also learn to:

• Counsel clients
• Analyze and solve legal problems
• Exercise sound, practical judgment
• Critically and creatively solve problems

Additionally, both the School of Law and the Heider College of Business will help you develop these skills and abilities in alignment with Ignatian values, including personal and professional formation and seeking justice.

How to Join the Program

To enter this dual-degree program, you must apply to the School of Law’s JD program and the Heider College of Business’ MBA program separately, following the application procedures for each one. Typically, students apply to the MBA program during their second semester of law school—after meeting with one of the School of Law’s associate deans and submitting a Notice of Intent to participate in the JD/MBA program. Students entering the MBA program must also:

Either show evidence that they have completed at least one statistics course as an undergraduate or complete a non-credit statistics tutorial offered by the Heider College of Business for a fee.

Successfully complete the GMAT exam (the LSAT exam cannot be substituted for the GMAT).

MBA Program Costs

JD Program Costs