Events
J.D. Program
J.D. Program at St. Mary’s University School of Law
The Doctor of Jurisprudence degree (J.D.) is required to practice law in most states. The J.D. degree is offered by American Bar Association (ABA) accredited schools like St. Mary’s School of Law, as well as some non-ABA-accredited institutions and some institutions in Canada.
To pursue a J.D. program, you must first have (or be nearing completion of) a bachelor’s degree and take the LSAT. Learn more about the J.D. application process.
After obtaining a J.D. degree, you’ll need to be admitted to the Bar of the state where you want to practice law. Each state sets its own rules for bar admission, but generally this includes a bar exam and a character evaluation. You can find out more about the requirements to practice law in the state of Texas at the Texas Board of Law Examiners website.
Meet the Admissions Team
As graduates of St. Mary’s Law, our admissions team understands you’ll have many questions about the J.D. admissions process and campus life. You can request more information about the law school, or contact us directly at lawadmissions@stmarytx.edu.
Catherine Casiano
Assistant Dean for Admissions
ccasiano@stmarytx.edu
Eddie Chavez
Director of Admissions and Recruitment
echavez10@stmarytx.edu
Join Us for a Virtual Session
Join our weekly information sessions covering the admissions process specific to the JD program at St. Mary’s Law. This informative 1-hour virtual session aims to answer commonly asked questions regarding choosing, applying, and becoming admitted to St. Mary’s School of Law. Ask questions in this live session hosted by the Office of Admissions. Check back on this page for future dates and times as they become available.
New this year is Admission Unmasked™, an invaluable program for those planning to apply to law school during the 2022-2023 cycle — or any time after that. How can candidates prepare to apply to their dream schools? What is the application process like? What kinds of careers are available to people with a law degree? These and other questions will be answered during this in-depth program, running from June 20 through July 29. Participants will gain deeper knowledge and develop strategies and a chance to complete a personal statement that can be used as part of their law school applications. It’s free to enroll.
| Event | Date | Location |
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Virtual General Info Session Learn Information about our J.D. programs, including requirements and when to apply. |
Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022 4 p.m. CT |
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Virtual General Info Session Learn Information about our J.D. programs, including requirements and when to apply. |
Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022 4 p.m. CT |
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In-Person Law School Open House Hosted on St. Mary’s campus with Information about our J.D. programs, including requirements and when to apply, plus a student panel and special programming. |
Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022 9 a.m. – 1 p.m CT |
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Virtual Special Info Session: Online J.D. Program Find out more about the curriculum, class format, and costs of the ABA-accredited fully online program. |
Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022 4 p.m. CT |
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Virtual Special Info Session: Guaranteed Admission and Nelson Wolff Program for St. Mary’s Undergraduates Exclusively for graduates of St. Mary’s University Bachelor’s Programs, learn how to receive admission into the JD programs. |
Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022 4 p.m. CT |
Find St. Mary’s J.D. Admissions Near You
| Event | Date | Location |
| LSAC School of Law Forum | Saturday, September 24 |
Chicago, IL
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| Texas Women’s University Graduate and Professional Fair | Tuesday, Sept. 27 |
Denton, TX
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| University North Texas Graduate and Professional Fair | Tuesday, Sept. 27 |
Denton, TX
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| Indiana University Law Day | Tuesday, Sept. 27 |
Indianapolis, IN
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| Dean’s Panel for Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity — Indiana University | Tuesday, Sept. 27 |
Indianapolis, IN
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| University of Illinois Law School Fair | Wednesday, Sept. 28 |
Urbana, IL
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| Saturday, Oct. 1 |
Miami, FL
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| University of Minnesota Law School Fair |
Monday, Oct. 3 |
Minneapolis, MN
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| University of Wisconsin Law School Expo |
Tuesday, Oct. 4 |
Madison, WI
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| University of Texas at El Paso Graduate and Professional School Fair |
Tuesday, Oct. 4 |
El Paso, TX
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| Morehouse College Pre-Law Fair |
Thursday, Oct. 6 |
Atlanta, GA
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| LSAC Law School Forum | Friday, Oct. 7 |
Atlanta, GA
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| St. Mary’s In-Person Open House | Saturday, Oct. 15 |
St. Mary’s University – San Antonio, Texas
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| Law School Fair at Texas Tech University | Monday, Oct. 17 |
Lubbock, TX
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| Law School Caravan/SWAPLA — The University of Oklahoma Law | Tuesday, Oct. 18 |
Norman, OK
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| Florida A&M Law Day | Tuesday, Oct. 18 |
Tallahassee, FL
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| University of Texas at Dallas Law School Fair | Wednesday, Oct. 19 |
Richardson, TX
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| PreLaw Society University New Mexico Law School Fair | Wednesday, Oct. 19 |
Albuquerque, NM
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| Law School Caravan/SWAPLA Law Fair – The University of Texas at Austin | Thursday, Oct. 20 |
Austin, TX
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| Law School Fair at Hendrix College | Friday, Oct. 21 |
Conway, AR
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| JD Digital LSAC Law School Forum | Saturday, Oct. 22 |
Virtual
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| Law School Caravan/WAPLA — University of Utah | Tuesday, Oct. 25 |
Salt Lake City, UT
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| Law School Caravan/WAPLA – Brigham Young University |
Wednesday, Oct. 26 |
Provo, UT
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| LSAC Law School Forum | Saturday, Oct. 29 |
Los Angeles, CA
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| WAPLA – UNLV | Tuesday, Nov. 1 |
Las Vegas, Nevada
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| Baylor University Law Fair | Tuesday, Nov. 1 |
Waco, TX
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| Law School Fair at The University of Texas at San Antonio/SWAPLA | Wednesday, Nov. 2 |
San Antonio, TX
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| Texas State University Law School Fair | Wednesday, Nov. 2 |
San Marcos, TX
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| Texas A&M Law School Caravan | Thursday, Nov. 3 |
College Station, TX
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| LSAC Law School Forum | Saturday, Nov. 5 |
Houston, TX
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| Louisiana State University Law School Fair | Monday, Nov. 7 |
Baton Rouge, LA
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| St. Mary’s In-Person Open House | Saturday, Nov. 12 |
St. Mary’s University – San Antonio, Texas
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| St. Mary’s University School of Law Alumni Association Reconnect Event | Wednesday, Nov. 16 |
McAllen, Texas
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| JD Digital LSAC Law School Forum | Saturday, Nov. 19 |
Virtual
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| JD Digital LSAC Law School Forum |
Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 |
Virtual
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J.D. Program Options
St. Mary’s offers several ways to earn a J.D.:
- Full-time J.D. program with daytime classes
- Online J.D. Program
- Joint MBA/J.D. program
Academic Requirements
Applicants may apply to either the full-time day program or a part-time evening program, but not to both. Admissions and graduation standards are the same for both J.D. programs.
All programs and offices, including the Clinical Program, are available to full-time daytime students as well as part-time evening students.
A candidate for the J.D. program must earn a minimum of 90 credit hours in order to graduate, or 91 credits hours for students who entered prior to Fall 2018. Students who entered law school in the Fall of 2019 or later must have a cumulative GPA of 2.3 or higher to graduate. For students who entered prior to that time, a cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required to remain in good academic standing. Other curricular and academic requirements will apply. Those requirements are set forth in the St. Mary’s School of Law Student Handbook. Faculty may add additional requirements at any time.
