In cooperation with the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, this four-year, interdisciplinary public policy program prepares students for careers in government, nonprofit and legal organizations, and research. After completing their first year of law school, students take one year of courses in Law and Public Policy (LPP) and then return to the regular course of law study. Students examine a full range of strategies for creating policy change, including legislation, litigation, the ballot box and civil action. Students engage in policy analysis and applied research that develops real-world solutions to public policy challenges.
Students pursuing dual degrees plan their schedules with the assistance of advisors from the law school and the LPP Program. Applicants to the School of Law interested in pursuing a concurrent degree do not need to duplicate each school’s request for letters of recommendation, transcripts and standardized test scores. Applicants should complete the law school application and note on it that they are applying to LPP and submit the LPP application form to LPP, noting on it that they are applying to the School of Law.
Ideally, students apply to the JD and the MS in Law and Public Policy (LPP) simultaneously. Those who apply and are admitted complete the MS in LPP after completing the first year in the School of Law. Applicants will also be considered once enrolled in the JD, provided the student applies for entry to the MS in LPP in the Fall of year 2 or the Fall of year 3 of the JD program. In these cases, permission of the School of Law is required.