School of Law - The University of Alabama - Overview
An Online Law Degree at a Top-Ranking, Historic Public College
The University of Alabama was the state's first public college, founded in 1831 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The university has consistently achieved a ranking within the top 50 public colleges in the "US News and World Report." It has over 30,000 enrolled undergraduate and graduate students and offers over 200 fields of study.
The School of Law offers 8 Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Law (LLM) degrees. Students can participate in joint degree programs, combining a JD degree with a Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science (MS) in Civil Engineering, Master of Arts (MA) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Science, or PhD in Economics. It has a 10:1 student to faculty member ratio and a bar exam passage rate of 95 percent. "National Jurist" named it a 2010 Best Value Law School and "US News and World Report" ranked the school 30th on its 2010 list of Best Graduate Schools.
Taxation Law for Juris Doctors
The University of Alabama School of Law LLM in Taxation is for students who are already lawyers and want advanced degrees in tax law. The program is designed to allow working professionals to earn degrees without leaving their current jobs. Students in this program often work in related positions at their current jobs and are able to practice the skills used in their classes and on the job. Other students in the program want to make career switches to tax positions during their legal careers.
Students without law degrees can pursue both the JD and LLM in Tax at the same time by attending 2 summer sessions during the 3-year JD program. The JD classes are not held online, so students must have access to the UA campus. Up to 12 hours of the LLM online courses can be counted towards the JD degree.
A One-Year LLM for International Students
The School of Law has a special LLM in Tax program for international students with law degrees from countries other than the United States. The international LLM program is 1 year of full-time study: 24 credit hours in 2 semesters. Students have the option to take courses in topics such as international business law, environmental law, comparative law, or other areas relevant to their interests.
The international LLM program is not a distance-learning program. Instead, students must reside on the University of Alabama campus. Students are required to maintain 2.5 GPAs during the program, although this requirement is sometimes altered for students for whom English is a second language.
Certificate in Tax for CPAs
The Certificate in Tax Program offered by the School of Law is for certified public accountants who would like to specialize in tax law. The curriculum teaches students how to understand relevant case law, code sections, and regulations. Students can focus coursework on estate planning, business tax, or a combination of topics to suit their needs.
The certificate program is 12 credit hours and must be completed within 5 years. Students are required to maintain 3.0 GPAs during the program. Applicants must be certified public accountants and will be evaluated by their previous academic performance and work experiences.
Admissions and Financial Aid
Applicants to the LLM program must have law degrees. Prior academic performance, as well as practical experiences, is evaluated by a committee. The committee may ask for interviews or letters of recommendation if more information is needed.
Tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students is the same. The school does not offer scholarships, but offers a tax research course to allow students to be considered part-time, and therefore considered for federal financial aid.
Online Curriculum with Class Interaction
The LLM in Tax program consists of 24 credit hours over 2 years of study and 3 semesters per calendar year. Classes are held online in virtual classrooms 2 evenings a week. Topics include capital transactions, partnership tax, estate and gift tax, and tax exempt organizations. Students are required to attend orientation sessions before beginning the program. An orientation session includes an introduction to tax research and personal income tax courses. Students are also required to pass comprehensive exams after their first 3 semesters of study.
Most students enter as part of graduating classes and meet and interact in virtual classrooms throughout the entire 2 year program. Students can also form study groups and meet in online chat rooms. Students only need to come to campus twice during the 2 year program: once for orientation, and once to take the comprehensive exam.
Experienced, Knowledgeable Faculty Members from Across the Country
The online program allows students to learn from professors and attorneys from across the United States. Students can learn income tax of estates and trust from Ladson Boyle from University of South Carolina School of Law, estate planning from Amy Hess from University of Tennessee School of Law, and partnership and advanced partnership from Paul Carman of the Chapman and Cutler Tax Department.
Attend School in a Virtual Classroom
Students attend live lectures in online classrooms, complete with video, audio, and chat capabilities. Using microphones and cameras attached to their computers, students can interact and ask questions like in real classrooms. Instructors have the ability to share Powerpoint and Excel documents with their classes. The program is supported by its own website, and discussion boards, podcasts, video streams, and online study groups are all available. Books, electronic research databases, and other course materials are available online as well.
To participate in online classes, students need computers with high-speed Internet access and Windows 2000, XP, or Vista; Mac OSX 10.3+; or Linux. They also each need an Internet browser that is Java and JavaScript enabled.