About

The dual Master of Social Work and Juris Doctor (M.S.W. and J.D.) program is designed for those seeking to make a difference in the lives of individuals through direct legal and social interaction and intervention. The program provides students with a thorough grounding in social work and the law through academic instruction and practical application. The dual degree program requires that prospective students apply for and be accepted to both programs. To graduate, students must earn 131 total credit hours.

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Available Options

  • Direct Practice Concentration
  • Management and Community Practice Concentration
  • Trauma Informed Practice Concentration
  • Advanced Standing Concentration

Accreditation

For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.

Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete a program at BSL will be able to demonstrate:

Legal and Law-Related Knowledge
Knowledge of specific areas or aspects of substantive law, legal theory, or legal procedure
Example: Acquiring knowledge of domestic / comparative / international / transnational legal doctrine and processes, jurisprudence, knowledge of legal theory, and statutory / regulatory law and processes.
Analysis and Decision-Making
Understand and develop solutions to legal problems
Example: Analyzing, being creative or innovative, exercising practical judgment, problem solving, and reasoning.
Policy Evaluation
Draw connections between specific legal issues and policy contexts or values
Example: Understanding or evaluating specific situations in light of fundamental principles and values such as equality, fairness, liberty, justice, or analytical orientations such as economics, public safety, or public policy.
Professional Identity
Responsibilities of lawyers to their profession and society
Example: Demonstrating awareness of professional commitments to continued learning, community involvement and service, diligence, engagement, ethics, honesty, integrity, and dedication.
Writing
Written professional communication for a variety of professional purposes
Example: Creating written texts for different audiences and purposes, advocating, negotiating, analyzing, memorializing transactions, or disseminating knowledge.
Oral Communication
Using oral communication for a variety of professional purposes
Example: Advising, advocating, counseling clients, influencing, listening, presenting information, speaking for professional purposes.
Information Gathering and Processing
Obtaining and assessing information about facts, law, procedure, and people
Example: Fact finding, interviewing, researching, and sorting known information so as to identify what is important for particular purposes.
Interpersonal Perspectives
Emotionally intelligent engagement, team building, collaboration, cooperation, and leadership
Example: Seeing the world through the eyes of others, resolving conflicts, empathizing, evaluating, mentoring, organizing and managing others.
Client and Practice Management
Skills required to ethically and effectively manage ethical, professional and business aspects of the legal profession
Example: Building relationships with clients, members of the legal profession, and others, handling stress, identifying client or community needs, organizing one's own work, using technology and electronic media.

Career Possibilities

Graduates of the law school typically work as attorneys. A law degree is a prerequisite for admission to the bar in most states, and bar admission is required to engage in the practice of law. Law school graduates work in private law firms, business, government, non-­‐profit, and academic settings. Possibilities include:

  • Public Welfare Administrator
  • Attorney
  • Prison Administrator
  • Probation or Parole Officer
  • Legislator
  • Executive Director of a Non-Profit
  • Legal Aid Attorney
  • Labor Attorney
  • Family Law Attorney

Requirements

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Documents/Downloads

Master of Social Work and Juris Doctor

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Direct Practice Concentration

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Management and Community Practice Concentration

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Trauma Informed Practice Concentration

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Advanced Standing Concentration

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Contacts

School of Social Work

The programs offered by the School of Social Work strive to instill values of social and economic justice, respect and worth of others, cultural diversity, and self-determination. We also foster a strengths-based environment that emphasizes openness, collaboration, and engagement striving towards individual and community resiliency.

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Greenspun College of Urban Affairs

The Greenspun College of Urban Affairs is committed to creating contemporary solutions for resilient communities. Our academic programs focus on making effective public policy, creating support structures to meet behavioral and mental health challenges, ensuring cities are safe and prepared to meet emergency situations, effective and ethical journalism, and interpersonal and public communication strategies.

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William S. Boyd School of Law

The William S. Boyd School of Law prepares students for the competent and ethical practice of law, offering three- and four-year programs for the Juris Doctor degree.

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