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Degree of the Americas -
JD/LED Degree Program

Introduction
The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law (UDM) and the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM or Monterrey), Mexico’s leading private law school, have partnered to offer the Degree of the Americas, a multiple degree program that allows students bilingual in Spanish and English to earn law degrees in the United States and Mexico. Students completing this legal education program are awarded the U.S. Juris Doctor (J.D.) from UDM School of Law and the Mexican Bachelor of Arts in Law, the Licenciado en Derecho(L.E.D.), from Monterrey. While there are many programs that enable students to study in the United States and Mexico, this may be the only program of its kind in which students receive the law degrees that will provide the educational qualifications necessary to practice law in the U.S. and Mexico.

Students who want to practice in all three NAFTA countries also will be able to earn Mexican, U.S., and Canadian law degrees through UDM's joint U.S./Canadian law degree program with The University of Windsor Faculty of Law in Ontario, Canada.

An International Perspective
More and more law firms and corporations have cross-border practices, and many law firms are expanding their practices throughout Latin America. Although Mexico and the U.S. share a common border, their legal systems are vastly different. Mexico follows a civil law tradition that resembles both Latin American and Western European legal systems such as France, Germany, or Spain. The U.S. and Canada follow a common law tradition similar to the United Kingdom. These rich traditions reflect differing perspectives about the rule of law and the role of individuals in making law. The Degree of the Americas enables students to practice the legal profession in a global environment and economy. Through knowledge of civil law and common law, students will also be familiar with the underpinnings of the legal systems throughout Latin America and Europe, making it easier for them to understand legal issues in many other countries.

The Degree of the Americas Program Curriculum
Students who begin at UDM in the J.D. program may complete all UDM program requirements (90 credit hours) in three years. These include courses in Property, Torts, Civil Procedure, Legal Writing, Contracts, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Taxation and others.

During these three years, students also may take a series of Mexican law courses offered at UDM and taught by professors from Monterrey. These courses, taught in Spanish, cover foundational Mexican and Civil Law principles. If a student chooses to complete all 14 Mexican law courses (42 credits) at UDM, the student will graduate from UDM having completed approximately 108 credits.

Monterrey will recognize all Mexican law credits taken at UDM and will count the credits toward the Mexican law degree, enabling students to complete the Mexican law degree in only two additional years of study at Monterrey. Students who start their studies at Monterrey will study there for three years followed by two years at UDM. Rather than studying for seven and a half years, students will be able to complete both programs in five years. There is no requirement that students complete the program in five years.

Students have the unprecedented opportunity to earn, in addition to the UDM and Monterrey degrees, the LL.B. degree from The University of Windsor Faculty of Law in Ontario, Canada. In order to accomplish this, students will spend three years studying in the UDM/Windsor (J.D./LL.B) joint degree program, during which they complete 104 credits. This program is the only U.S./Canadian law program students can complete in three academic years. Given the demanding nature of the J.D./LL.B. program, students who add the Mexican degree may take some, but not all, of the Mexican law courses that Monterrey faculty teach at UDM. They will take the remainder of the Mexican courses at Monterrey, extending the Mexican time of study by approximately one year.

The time required for each student will be determined by the student together with advisors at UDM and Monterrey and based on the extent of the student’s ability to handle more extensive work each semester. This will allow students to complete all three degrees in six years, instead of the more than ten years that would be required if students attended each school separately.

Mexican Law Courses at UDM
As far as is known, UDM School of Law is the only mainland U.S. American Bar Association (ABA) approved law school to offer the variety of law courses taught in Spanish. Any UDM student—in any of UDM’s law degree programs—may take these courses as electives. These courses give bilingual
students the opportunity to take nearly one third of the credits required for their U.S. law degree in Spanish and to increase their competitive advantage in the global job market:

• Mexican Law Theory
• Mexican Law History
• Mexican Criminal Law I
• General Theory of Administrative Law
• Mexican Criminal Law II
• General Theory of the Administrative Order
• Obligations I
• Credit Titles
• Obligations II
• Collective Labor Law
• Business Corporations
• Direct Amparo Trial
• Individual Labor Law
• Indirect Amparo Trial

Locations
UDM School of Law is located in the heart of downtown Detroit, across from the GM World Headquarters in the Renaissance Center. The School is within walking distance of federal and state courts, prominent law firms, and the City’s municipal centers.

The ITESM is located in Monterrey, Mexico. Monterrey is Mexico’s third largest city and an educational and cultural center of the country. Campus Monterrey is five minutes from a downtown that includes a pedestrian mall, Old Town, and La Gran Plaza which is home to many of the city’s most important places: the Cathedral, the Government Palace, the Contemporary Art Museum, the Municipal Building, and the Court House among others. The city of Monterrey is well known for its cultural activities and beautiful surroundings.

The University of Windsor Faculty of Law is located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, just across the Detroit River from UDM, next to the Ambassador Bridge, which links the U.S. and Canada. In fact, Windsor and UDM are only minutes apart by car or public transportation.

Application
Applicants interested in applying to enter in Fall 2009 the U.S./Mexican portion of the Degree of the Americas Program at UDM School of Law complete the Fall 2009 UDM Application for Admission. To remain in the Degree of the Americas Program and matriculate at ITESM, a student from UDM must graduate from UDM with a 2.8 G.P.A. or better and successfully complete ITESM’s Spanish proficiency exam and its Supplemental Application regarding, among other items, the student’s character and fitness for the practice of law in Mexico.

For more information:

UDM LAW CONTACT:
Kimberly Jones
Director of Admissions and Multicultural Affairs
Admissions and Student Affairs
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
651 E. Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
313-596-0253
866-428-1610 (toll free)
joneski@udmercy.edu