TULSA,
Okla. The University of Tulsa College of Law and Concord
Law School of Kaplan University have announced that they will offer
an online master of jurisprudence in Indian law degree beginning
in August, pending acquiescence by the American Bar Association.
The 30-credit-hour program is for college
graduates, particularly those working in tribal governments and
businesses and government agencies, interested in learning about
Indian law.
The program is also for lawyers who wish
to gain additional expertise or expand their practices.
The TU College of Law and its Native American
Law Center already offer a Native American law certificate that
allows students pursuing a juris doctorate to specialize their degree
by taking courses in Native American jurisprudence. The college
also offers a master of laws degree in American Indian and indigenous
law.
"Our nationally recognized J.D. (juris
doctorate) certificate program and LL.M. (master of laws) are extremely
valuable to lawyers and judges working in the field of Native American
law," said G. William Rice, associate professor at the TU College
of Law and co-director of the Native American Law Center. "Adding
the ability for both lawyers and non-lawyers to pursue this new
master's degree in a fully online format expands our reach
to working adults across the country who want to study with the
top professors and practitioners in the field of Indian law today."
Stephen Burnett, interim dean of Concord
Law School, said, "Increased accessibility to legal education
is a significant part of our school's mission. Bringing the
expertise of the University of Tulsa together with our innovative
legal education platform will provide a valuable opportunity for
students interested in Native American law."
Judge Patrick E. Moore of the Muscogee
(Creek) Nation has also endorsed the program.
"As a tribal leader, judge and educator,
I have observed and participated in the field of Indian law for
more than 35 years," he said. "Educating those who are
or will be involved in the operation and management of tribal government
is essential for our continued growth and prosperity. Tribal leaders
must study, at the graduate level, the duties and responsibilities
of Indian government and the basics of Indian law, all of which
are covered in the University of Tulsa College of Law's excellent
MJIL program."
The TU College of Law provides an academically
rigorous, yet congenial atmosphere with opportunities for scholarship,
leadership and faculty mentoring. Specialties include energy law
and Native American law. J.D. students develop practical skills
through participation with student-driven legal journals, award-winning
moot court teams and an on-campus clinic.
The Mabee Legal Information Center is
recognized as one of the nation's top university law libraries.
The TU College of Law is one of the four
colleges of TU, which is ranked among U.S. News and World Report's
Top 100 Universities. The only law school located in Indian Country,
the college offers unparalleled resources and opportunities for
the study of Indian law. The college is home to the Native American
Law Center, which provides resources for the study and teaching
of legal issues concerning Indian tribes and other indigenous peoples
worldwide. The college offers an LL.M. in American Indian and indigenous
law, a summer institute on Indian and Indigenous Peoples law held
in Geneva, Switzerland, and was the first law school to offer a
certificate program in Indian law. To find out more, visit www.utulsa.edu/law.
Concord Law School is provider of online
law degrees. Since opening its virtual doors in 1998, Concord has
helped more than 1,200 graduates obtain their juris doctorates or
executive juris doctorates. Concord is accredited by the Accrediting
Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council, a nationally
recognized accrediting agency.
Concord Law School of Kaplan University
is part of Kaplan Higher Education, which serves more than 95,000
students through more than 70 campus-based schools across the United
States and abroad. For more information, visit info.concordlawschool.edu
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