Programs, Institutes, Concentrations, and Centers
To respond to the increased demand for specialized legal skills, Catholic Law offers five intensive certificate programs and an additional six structured concentrations in specialized areas of practice. Students who fulfill the requirements of either of these programs will graduate with enhanced expertise in a particular area of the law. Certificate programs and concentrations offer different levels of specialized legal training, but either path distinguishes graduates as especially practice-ready in their chosen area of interest.
Certificate programs represent the most rigorous specialized legal education offered at Catholic Law. Each program has developed its own academic criteria, which supplement the general J.D. program. All of the law school’s certificate programs have at least a 25-year track record of producing industry leaders within their areas of legal specialization. Their reputation, reach, and influence have grown steadily over the years, opening limitless career doors for today’s students. For students accepted for admission, institute certification may be earned in the following areas: Comparative and International Law Institute; Compliance, Investigations, and Corporate Responsibility Program; Law and Public Policy; Law and Technology Institute; and Securities Law Program.
Comparative and International Law Institute
Globalization, with its impact on trade, politics, economics, technology and many other areas of life, brings fundamental changes in society. The Comparative and International Law Institute equips law students with the knowledge and practical skills required to address complex multinational legal issues and to advise clients on laws of more than one country. Through a rigorous curriculum and externships, students are exposed to public and private areas of international law, international business transactions, immigration, and human rights. As a supplement ot the institute, summer law programs offered on areas of international Humans Rights (Rome) and International Business and Trade (Krakow).
Compliance, Investigations, and Corporate Responsibility Program
The Columbus School of Law's Compliance, Investigations & Corporate Responsibility Program offers a unique opportunity for students and members of the bar to gain the skills necessary to work in the compliance and sustainability fields and to enhance the transparency, responsibility and sustainability of organizations in the United States and around the world.
The Law and Public Policy Program is an excellent choice for students interested in the public policy arena working in government, public interest law, politics, advocacy, or law firms. Its specialized coursework and opportunities for interdisciplinary study offer training in the skills necessary for lawyers who participate in the development of law and public policy in legislative, administrative, and judicial forums. The certificate emphasizes that the holder possesses the key skills essential for lawyers working in the policy arena.
The Law and Technology Institute (LTI) offers an enhanced curriculum to students interested in exploring the many important legal questions and policy debates surrounding evolving technologies. The curriculum will equip students with a well-rounded foundation, while also allowing them to pursue a particular area of interest, such as communications law, intellectual property law, or information privacy law. LTI students gain valuable practical experience through externships in government, industry, public interest organizations and law firms.
The Securities Law Program places its students in the top echelons of the field ─ including partners at major law firms, regulatory chiefs, and even commissioner on the Securities Exchange Commission ─ leading positions that are a testament to the excellence of the program and its graduates. The broad and varied concentration of securities and corporate law courses, as well as the breadth of available externships, accommodate students who engage in the area of study at varied levels of intensity. The law school's D.C. location enables many of its securities offerings to be taught by senior staff from the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), in addition to members of the faculty.
Concentrations encourage increased academic focus within a field of interest, but do not offer certification. Catholic Law offers concentrations in the following practice areas: Civil Litigation, Criminal Litigation, Family Law, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, and Securities Regulation.
The Center for Religious Liberty is an academic center dedicated to the study and articulation of the Catholic approach to religious liberty as a fundamental human right for all persons, regardless of faith. This right is recognized by the United States Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Church’s teaching in Dignitatis Humanae. The Center aims to increase discussion and understanding of these issues by hosting speakers, organizing conferences, awarding writing prizes, providing educational programming, and commenting on religious liberty issues in the public square.