Increasingly, developments within scientific fields have given rise to new or revised statues or regulations. The impact of contemporary issues such as digital file sharing, bioterrorism, and global warming have all posed challenges to the understanding of law and its relationship to science. As science becomes a more prominent part of public awareness, it becomes increasingly important to expand our knowledge of both legal and scientific issues in order to provide society with a legal framework that is both fair and reasonable.  The Law and Science Concentration offers students an opportunity to focus on an area of the law relating to science.  The program requires that students complete particular courses and directed research at a high level of performance. Completion of the program is noted on the student's transcript. The student may apply to the program any time after enrollment, but not later than when the student has earned 45 semester hours credit.

General concentration requirements include six or seven courses (with a minimum of 15 hours), an experiential requirement, and a writing requirement.  Course work entails one core course, a choice of 4 electives, and one capstone course.  Students must maintain a minimum of a B (3.0) average in the core and elective courses taken toward credit for the Concentration. 

Students may obtain a General Law and Science Concentration or choose one of the following specializations: 

• Biosecurity Law
• Cybersecurity Law & Policy
• Energy Law
• Environmental Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Science, Engineering, Technology and Law
• Water Law

Top Reasons Why Law Students Get a Law & Science Concentration

1. The Law & Science Concentration prepares you for a practice area that involves scientific concepts.
2. The Law & Science Concentration allows you to focus on a particular area of interest, without requiring that you have a background in science.
3. Completion of the Program is noted on your transcript, alerting potential employers to this focus of study.
4. The Law & Science Concentration provides students with an opportunity to receive mentorship from faculty members with expertise in the area of law and science throughout their time in law school.
5. The Program can be completed within your three years at the law school.

Learning Outcomes for Law & Science Concentrations

Biosecurity Law

1. Recognize and identify legal issues in biosecurity law.
2. Analyze cases and explain the implications for scenarios.
3. Interpret regulatory frameworks in biosecurity law.
4. Generate a broad understanding of the practice of law and biosecurity law through experiential learning.
5. Construct legal and regulatory analysis and problem-solving solutions to examples demonstrated with a substantial research paper.
6. Synthesize the course cluster in biosecurity law for application to the theory and practice of law.

Cybersecurity Law & Policy

1. Recognize and identify legal issues in cybersecurity law
2. Analyze cases and explain the implications for scenarios
3. Interpret regulatory frameworks in cybersecurity law
4. Generate a broad understanding of the practice of law and cybersecurity law through experiential learning
5. Construct legal and regulatory analysis and problem-solving solutions to examples demonstrated with a substantial research paper
6. Synthesize the course cluster in cybersecurity law for application to the theory and practice of law

Energy Law

1. Recognize and identify legal issues in energy law.
2. Analyze cases and explain the implications for scenarios.
3. Interpret regulatory frameworks in energy law.
4. Generate a broad understanding of the practice of law and energy law through experiential learning.
5. Construct legal and regulatory analysis and problem-solving solutions in energy law to examples demonstrated by writing a substantial research paper.
6. Synthesize the course cluster in energy law for application to the theory and practice of law.

Environmental Law

1. Recognize and identify legal issues in environmental law.
2. Analyze cases and explain the implications for scenarios.
3. Interpret regulatory frameworks in environmental law.
4. Generate a broad understanding of the practice of law and environmental law through experiential learning.
5. Construct legal and regulatory analysis and problem-solving solutions in environmental law to examples demonstrated by writing a substantial research paper.
6. Synthesize the course cluster in environmental law for application to the theory and practice of law.

Intellectual Property Law

1. Recognize and identify legal issues in intellectual property law.
2. Analyze cases and explain the implications for scenarios.
3. Interpret regulatory frameworks in intellectual property law.
4. Generate a broad understanding of the practice of law and intellectual property law through experiential learning.
5. Construct legal and regulatory analysis and problem-solving solutions to examples demonstrated by writing a substantial research paper.
6. Synthesize the course cluster in intellectual property law for application to the theory and practice of law.

Science, Engineering, Technology and Law

1. Recognize and identify legal issues in science, engineering and technology.
2. Analyze cases and explain the implications for scenarios.
3. Interpret regulatory frameworks in science, engineering and technology law.
4. Generate a broad understanding of the practice of law and science, engineering and technology law through experiential learning.
5. Construct legal and regulatory analysis and problem-solving solutions in science, engineering and technology law to examples demonstrated by writing a substantial research paper.
6. Synthesize the course cluster in science, engineering and technology law for application to the theory and practice of law.

Water Law

1. Recognize and identify legal issues in water law.
2. Analyze cases and explain the implications for scenarios.
3. Interpret regulatory frameworks in water law.
4. Generate a broad understanding of the practice of law and water resources through experiential learning.
5. Construct legal and regulatory analysis and problem-solving solutions in water law to examples demonstrated by writing a substantial research paper.
6. Synthesize the course cluster in water law for application to the theory and practice of law.

Additional Information

Interested applicants should contact Dr. Victoria Sutton for additional information.

• vickie.sutton@ttu.edu
• (806) 834-1752
• Concentration Requirements