Juris Master (JM) Program
Today’s professionals face growing regulation, intensifying risk and liability concerns, and increasingly complex decision environments. Whether you are a professional interested in gaining a better grounding in law and regulation to advance your career, or a student whose primary degree would be enhanced by an integrated study of the law, Emory Law’s juris master offers the insight and flexibility to help you achieve your goals. This 30-credit-hour master's program can be completed in either on-campus (full-time or part-time) or now online, in two concentrations.
On-Campus Study
The campus-based format offers the broadest flexibility of course offerings, with a wide range of concentrations and courses available, or the option to customize the program to your specific interests. The program can be completed full-time in nine months or part-time in up to four years. Courses are offered throughout the day, including limited late afternoon, evening, and summer options.
Online Study
For students interested in learning about Health Care Law or Business Law, we now offer 18-month, online courses of study in Health Care Law, Policy and Regulation; and in Business Law and Regulation, starting with the fall 2017 semester. The online program is comprised of 10 sequential 7-week asynchronous courses, with 3 three-day residencies.
Make Connections
With more than 10,000 alumni across the globe, Emory Law offers access to thousands of successful, talented graduates, with connections that begin as soon as you start your studies.
Exemplary Scholars & Teaching
More than 60 full-time faculty—expert scholars and talented practitioners alike—along with an accomplished cadre of adjunct faculty, teach more than 250 courses at Emory Law. Their focus on research means they are not only teaching you the law, they are also actively participating in shaping laws around the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
To obtain a JM degree, students must complete 30 credits in the law school, spread between required and elective courses.
All JM students are required to take two foundational courses, Introduction to the American Legal System and Analysis, Research, and Communications for Non-Lawyers, and one course from the first-year JD foundational curriculum (1L).
Students in the on-campus format must take these two foundational and 1L courses during the student’s first or second semester, and concurrent with or before taking elective courses, with the exception of Negotiations and Alternate Dispute Resolution, which may be taken prior to or concurrent with the 1L course.
Students in the online format may take these three foundational courses sequentially in the first three terms of the program and typically must complete all three before going on to additional coursework.
The balance of your coursework reflects your professional interests, with a range of concentrations you can customize to meet your needs.
The two foundational courses, Introduction to the American Legal System and Analysis, Research, and Communications for Non-Lawyers, are offered both fall and spring in both the on campus and online program.
So-called 1L courses (typically first-year courses for JD students, which teach fundamental areas of law) are available in both formats.
Students in the on-campus format may choose from a variety of on-campus 1L courses. Students may enroll in Torts, Contracts, Legislation & Regulation, or Civil Procedure in the fall semester; and Constitutional Law, Property or Criminal Law in the spring semester. There are multiple sections of each of these classes, usually offered at different times and taught by different faculty. Students in the on campus format may, and in some cases are encouraged, to take more than one 1L class.
Students enrolled in the online format will take Contracts during their second semester.
Students in the on-campus format may take anywhere from 2 to 15 credit hours each semester. On-campus class sessions are generally held once or twice each week, but some 4-credit-hour classes meet three times per week. Both day and evening classes are available. When deciding on a course load, we encourage students to consider their other commitments, funding, commuting challenges, and other personal and professional factors. Full-time students in the on-campus format typically take 12-15 credit hours of coursework each semester and may take 4-6 credits hours during the summer. Part-time students in the on-campus format typically take 2-6 hours each semester, though individual course loads can vary.
Students in the online format use a compressed format to take one class at a time in an intensive, 7-week format. In this format students typically take two classes, or six credits, back-to-back each semester. In total, online students take 10 seven-week three-credit hour courses sequentially over 18 months.
Not exactly, but a student may move from one format to the other after taking the appropriate Bridge class.
Students moving from the on-campus format to the online format must take one of the online classes held in spring: Bridge to Online, February 1 - 23, 2019 or April 1 - 23, 2019 (tentative).
Students moving from the online format to the on-campus format must take the in-person class: Bridge to On-Campus, held on campus at Emory Law on one date in spring. Date TBD.JM students generally take the same classes that contain the same content, and rigor, as our JD and graduate students. Students in the on-campus format will be expected to do the same work as JD students. Students in the online format will also take specialized classes along with licensed attorneys. An historic adage among law schools says “expect 4 hours of reading for every one hour in class.” Students in the online and part-time on-campus formats should expect to work a minimum of 15-20 hours each week; students in the full time on-campus program should expect to work 30-40 hours each week.
Most courses in the law school curriculum are available to JM students enrolled in the on campus format. However, there are some limitations on a student’s ability to register for other courses that be might of interest. A few classes are designed for JD students only, and speak directly to licensure requirements. JM students must also meet all pre-requisite requirements for upper level classes. A limited array of Emory Law’s overall catalog is available in the online format. For specifics, see the Emory Law course catalog or speak with the program administrator.
Sometimes life and work get busy. In such circumstances, students may choose to take a leave of absence between classes, and return to school at a later date. Students who wish to take a break in their studies should contact the Graduate Programs Office.
Students experiencing difficulties completing their work during a class session should contact the Graduate Programs Office immediately. Missing even one or two classes may significantly impact your ability to perform effectively. The Graduate Programs Office works with students to determine whether accommodations are appropriate, or whether a student should withdraw from a course. In some cases, students may be able to receive an incomplete grade for a course. Withdrawals, incompletes, and other forms of leave must be approved by the Graduate Program Office, and may impact billing and financial aid allotments. Students are advised to speak with their Financial Aid representative, if appropriate.