University of Dayton School of Law, one of only two Catholic schools in the region and the only one in Ohio, focuses on delivering a unique hands-on approach to the study of law, while offering students flexibility in how they earn their law degree.
UDSL is one of a handful of schools to offer a hybrid program that mixes a significant amount of online education with in-class hours. The hybrid J.D. program blends online and on-campus instruction. Dayton law faculty teach students through weekly live classes and faculty-developed interactive coursework on an online platform. Students come to the University of Dayton campus for one week each semester for additional live classes and networking opportunities.
UDSL is also the only school in Ohio to offer a Two-Year J.D. Program, which allows students to complete their studies in two or two and a half years instead of the traditional three years.
In addition, the school has a Leadership Honors Program designed for highly-motivated students who want to be part of the next generation of lawyer-leaders. Students must be nominated for the program, which provides a full-tuition scholarship.
The school has formed several partnerships designed to give students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in specific areas of law.
A collaboration with the University’s Human Rights Center allows students to focus on protecting human rights, while a similar collaboration with the University’s Hanley Sustainability Institute provides them with opportunities around sustainability.
The school has also partnered with Lexis, which is located in Dayton, to focus on cutting-edge legal technologies and with Emerson, which has built a facility at the university that focuses on the internet of things. It includes a mini office, home and restaurant where everything has sensors and is connected.
These partnerships are in addition to the school’s Program in Law and Technology, which was one of the first programs to put a focus on technology law when it started in 1989. The program provides courses around patent law, copyright and trademark law, business dimensions of intellectual property law and cyberspace law.
The school also offers concentrations in Business Law & Compliance, Civil Advocacy & Dispute Resolution, Criminal Law, Human & Civil Rights Law, Law & Technology and Personal & Family Law.