Certificate in Business Law

• View the Application for the Certificate in Business Law

The certificate in Business Law offers students the ability to build on their required Business Associations course by deepening their understanding of the intersection between law and the business world. Students interested in pursuing the Business Law Certificate should complete the required application and meet with one of the Business Law faculty advisors for guidance regarding course selection so that students can best tailor their business law curriculum to fit their future goals. Ideally students should begin this process either concurrently with, or soon after completing, their Business Associations course.

To complete the Business Law Certificate, in addition to Business Associations, a student must complete 11 more credits of approved business law course work and attain a cumulative 2.3 grade point average in all certificate courses.

Certificate in Constitutional Law

View the Application for the Certificate in Constitutional Law

The Constitutional Law Certificate offers the opportunity to focus your advanced studies in law school in the area of constitutional law and/or civil rights. The Con Law Certificate may be of interest to those students who would like to concentrate their intellectual study in the complexities of constitutional law and its broad topics of governmental power and individual rights. The Certificate may also appeal to those interested in a career in civil rights litigation, social justice work, governmental representation, or criminal law, among others. The study of constitutional law delves into the subjects of daily front-page news--from social justice and inequality to questions of individual privacy, judicial power, freedom of religion, election law, legal history, race, and gender, and more.

The Con Law Certificate and associated classes are enhanced by the expertise of the faculty working under the umbrella of the Center for Constitutional Law at Akron. The Center is one of only a few national constitutional resource centers established by Congress for the study of constitutional law. This expertise provides Akron Law students with a unique opportunity, in addition to the fact that this type of certificate in con law or civil rights is offered by only five or so law schools nationwide. For questions on the Con Law Certificate, contact the director of the program, Professor Tracy Thomas at thomast@uakron.edu.

More about the program.

Certificate in Health Law

View the Application for the Certificate in Health Law

The remarkable growth and transformation of the healthcare industry translates into a growing number of jobs for lawyers.

At the same time, meeting the challenge of educating today's practice-ready health lawyers is a new and unique enterprise. Navigating complex health law issues increasingly requires a sophisticated understanding of the confluence of science, technology and social science, something not usually taught in a more traditional, finite health law program.

Recognizing these new dynamics, UA's Health Law Certificate Program takes a 'boots on the ground' approach, providing skills training and externships to meet the one to two year experience prerequisite to employment. This skills training and externship experience will allow graduates to hit the ground running in their first years of practice in multiple areas, such as regulatory compliance and risk management, while encouraging continuous reflection on the relationship between law, science and technology.

To complete the certificate, students must complete four health law courses from a variety of class offerings and complete a semester-long externship.

Students have an opportunity at Akron Law that few law schools offer of completing both the Health Law Certificate and a Litigation Certificate—or both a Health Law Certificate and a Certificate in IP. There is a significant amount of overlap among these three fields, and combining certificate programs allows our graduates to enter the legal profession with a highly relevant and marketable skill set.

More about the program.

Certificate in Intellectual Property Law

• View the Application for the Certificate in Intellectual Property
• Certificate in Intellectual Property Law for Non-JD students
• Certificate in Intellectual Property Law for Post-JD students

The IP Law Certificate program is an opportunity to specialize in one of the University of Akron’s premier programs. There are three versions of the certificate. The one applicable to most students is the IP Law Certificate for JD students.

The IP Law Certificate for JD Students is open to all JD students. It is an excellent chance to study with our expert faculty. You do not need a technical background --it is helpful for one kind of IP practice, in patent law, but attorneys from many backgrounds practice in this fascinating area. To earn the certificate, you must complete 15 credits of coursework in IP. Further requirements are listed on the application form.

We also offer the unique opportunity for current JD students to earn a Joint JD/LLM in IP Law. The LLM, or Masters in Law, is an advanced degree beyond the JD. Our Akron Law JD students can earn an IP LLM along with their JD by completing only 12 additional credits. If you pursue this option, you can graduate with not only a JD, but also an advanced LLM degree in IP. See our LLM page for details.

The IP Law Certificate for Non-JD Students is open to students with at least a bachelor’s degree who do not have a law degree and are not currently interested in obtaining one. Before enrolling as a non-JD student, you should discuss your interest first with our IP faculty to determine whether this program is right for you. It is a helpful experience and credential for some, but for many students, our IP Pro JD program will be a much better fit. While it will require more time, career prospects for our JD grads are excellent and they are glad they made the investment.

The IP Law Certificate for Post-JD Students is open to students who have already completed a JD degree and wish to earn a further credential in IP. To earn the certificate, you must complete 12 credits of coursework in IP. Further requirements are listed on the application form. You should consider and discuss with an IP faculty advisor whether this program or the LLM is the right fit for you.

1. Complete the Fundamentals of Intellectual Property course.
2. Complete at least one of the three core IP courses: Patent Law and Policy, Copyright Law, or Trademark Law.
3. Complete a minimum of 9 additional credit hours in courses designated as part of the intellectual property law curriculum or approved by the student’s IP faculty advisor, including at least one credit related to international intellectual property.
4. Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.3 for the 15 credits of coursework taken to earn the certificate.

Certificate in Litigation

• View the Application for the Certificate in Litigation

The certificate program is open to all students. A student wishing to earn the certificate must seek and obtain approval from a member of the litigation faculty to participate in the certificate program, who will then act as the student's advisor. Students should seek approval as early as possible in their law school career, but no later than two semesters before they intend to graduate. The student shall work closely with his or her advisor to tailor a program of study suitable to meet his or her goals. To earn the certificate, the student must:

1. Earn at least a 2.3 GPA in Civil Procedure I & II and Evidence.
2. Complete Trial Advocacy I or Summer Trial Academy.
3. Complete a minimum of 9 credits in designated litigation courses.
4. Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.3 in all courses taken toward the certificate.