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.