Exploring the Belmont University College of Law: A Comprehensive Overview

Belmont University College of Law, situated in Nashville, Tennessee, stands as a private institution dedicated to legal education. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the Belmont University law program, covering its academic offerings, curriculum structure, admission requirements, and other key aspects.

Academic Programs and Pathways

Belmont University offers several pathways for students interested in pursuing legal studies:

BS/BA in Legal Studies

This traditional four-year pathway allows students to complete a Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Legal Studies along with a minor in a complementary field.

3+3 Program (BA/BS)/(JD)

This accelerated pathway allows students to earn both a bachelor's degree and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree in six years. Students in this program complete their first year of law school at Belmont during their fourth undergraduate year.

Both pathways benefit from small class sizes and mentoring by interdisciplinary faculty from various Belmont departments.

Curriculum Structure

The Juris Doctor (JD) program at Belmont University College of Law features a curriculum that integrates legal analysis, practical legal skills, and professionalism. The program builds upon each semester, offering a structured and progressive learning experience.

First-Year Curriculum

The first year focuses on fundamental courses:

Civil Procedure
Constitutional Law
Contracts & Sales
Criminal Law
Criminal Procedure
Property
Torts

Second-Year Curriculum

The second year consists of specialized coursework, allowing students to delve deeper into specific areas of law.

Third-Year Curriculum

The third year comprises capstone electives, giving students the opportunity to tailor their legal education to their interests and career goals.

Practicum

A unique aspect of Belmont Law's curriculum is the Practicum offered each semester. Through practicum work, students develop proficiency in the practical aspects of law, including:

Legal writing
Legal research
Client interviewing and counseling
Litigation
Negotiation
Other specialized areas

Legal Studies Major Requirements

The Legal Studies major requires the completion of 30 hours of coursework, including core requirements and electives.

Major Core Requirements (18 Hours)

MGT 2410 Business Law I (3 Hours)
COM 2200 Persuasion (3 Hours) or COM 2020 Argumentation and Debate (3 Hours)
LGS 1300 Intro to Legal Studies (3 Hours)
LGS 1350 Introduction to Legal Writing (3 Hours)
LGS 3130 Legal Entrepreneurship (3 Hours)
PHI 3430 Philosophy of Law (3 Hours) or PHI 3440 Social & Political Philosophy (3 Hours)

Major Electives (12 Hours)

Students choose twelve hours from the following:

ENW 2310 Introduction to Rhetoric (3 Hours)
HIS 2010 The American Experience to Reconstruction (3 Hours)
HIS 2020 The American Experience Since Reconstruction (3 Hours)
Any LGS 2000-4000 level course
LGS 2320 Trial Practice (3 Hours)
MGT 3230 Business Ethics (3 Hours)
MGT 4220 Business Law II (3 Hours)
MGT 4310 Negotiation (3 Hours)
PSC 3280 American Constitutional Law I (3 Hours)
PSC 3290 American Constitutional Law II (3 Hours)
PSC 4320 International Law (3 Hours)
REL 3510 Poverty and Justice (3 Hours)
REL 3540 Eco-Justice and Faith (3 Hours)
SOC 3700 Criminal Justice (3 Hours)
SOC 3800 Criminology (3 Hours)
SWK 2020 Social Movements and Social Change (3 Hours)
SWK 2350 Poverty in the United States (3 Hours)

Legal Studies Major (3+3 option)

Students pursuing the 3+3 option must complete 83 credit hours of BELL Core (Gen Ed) and major courses, along with 16 additional free elective hours, totaling 99 earned hours before matriculating to the College of Law.

Legal Studies Major (Non 3+3 option)

Students not seeking early entry into Belmont’s College of Law, or those leaving the Law School and returning to complete the undergraduate degree, must fulfill minor requirements (18 hours, not in Legal Studies) and general electives (27 hours minimum), totaling 128 hours for the program.

Certificate Programs

Belmont University College of Law offers certificate programs that allow students to specialize in specific areas of law. These programs provide specialized knowledge and indicate to prospective employers that a student has expertise in the field.

Read also: Explore Belmont University Jobs

Criminal Law Certificate Program

This program offers courses such as White Collar Criminal Law, Trial Advocacy, Sentencing Law, and Wrongful Convictions.

Requirement 3: Students must complete at least eight additional credit hours of Criminal Law electives.
Requirement 4: Students must complete an upper-level rigorous writing requirement on a criminal law topic in connection with one of the courses listed in requirement two or requirement three. This can include writing a note on a criminal law topic for a Belmont University College of Law approved journal or law review.

Entertainment Law Certificate Program

This program explores legal and business issues relevant to film, multimedia, music, publishing, radio, sports, television, theatre, and visual arts.

Requirement 3: Students must complete at least eight additional credit hours of Entertainment and Music Business Law electives.
Requirement 4: Students must complete an upper-level rigorous writing requirement on an entertainment law and music business topic in connection with one of the courses listed in Requirement Two or Requirement Three.

Health Law Certificate Program

This program focuses on the legal aspects of the healthcare industry, with courses including Insurance Law, Health Care Fraud and Abuse Regulation, and Health Care Business and Finance.

Requirement Three: Students must complete at least eight additional credit hours of Health Law electives.
Requirement Four: Students must complete an upper-level rigorous writing requirement on a health law topic in connection with one of the courses listed in requirement two or requirement three. This can include writing a note on a health law topic for a Belmont University College of Law approved journal or law review.

Admission to the Belmont College of Law

Admission into Belmont’s graduate law program (J.D.) is competitive. Participation in the Legal Studies 3+3 program does not guarantee admission to the Belmont College of Law J.D. program.

Admission Requirements

Students interested in the 3+3 program should work closely with the undergraduate law school advisor to ensure that they meet the requirements and their GPA is competitive for graduate studies.

Students may apply to the Belmont graduate program after completing a minimum of 97 semester credit hours as given in the curriculum matrix.
Finish major requirements in the Major of Legal Studies.
Finish general education requirements (B.A. or B.S.).
Create an account with the Law School Admissions Council’s Credential Assembly Service (LSAC CAS) early in your junior year and apply for a need-based fee waiver from LSAC (if relevant).
Complete a personal statement for the law school application.
Complete a resume for the law school application.
Complete a financial aid application (if relevant) for the law school application and research other scholarship/financial aid options.
Contact the College of Law’s Admission Coordinator and complete the law school application.
An applicant must present a satisfactory score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). If taken multiple times, the average score will be used. A select number of applicants may use an ACT or SAT score in lieu of the LSAT when the ACT or SAT score is at the 85th percentile or higher and the cumulative undergraduate grade point average is above 3.50.
Be in good standing with the university.

Students are advised to take these additional calendared steps to prepare for the LSAT:

Take an LSAT prep course prior to the Junior year (not necessary if the ACT/SAT and UGPA meet entrance requirements).
Take the LSAT in the late summer or early fall of the Junior year (not necessary if the ACT/SAT and UGPA meet entrance requirements).
Submit the law school application online via the LSAC CAS in January of the spring semester of the Junior year once five semesters of grades are available.

Additional Information

The application deadline for Belmont University College of Law is May 1.
The application fee is $50.
The full-time tuition is $56,360.
The student-faculty ratio is 10.6:1.

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