JD/LLM in LIT Curriculum

Students earning a JD/LLM in LIT will learn innovative new methods for delivering legal services through both cutting-edge coursework and hands-on applied training. Our program focuses on both knowledge and skill—a combination employers increasingly expect and demand.

Students earn a JD/LLM in LIT upon completion of 24 credits as follows, evenly divided between JD coursework and LLM-specific requirements (note this curricular summary does not include other traditional requirements for all JD students under the general law school rules and regulations):

JD Coursework (12 Credits)

Students must complete at least 12 credits from the existing Legal Innovation & Technology Concentration menu

Core Courses (9 credits)

Completion of all 4 LIT Core Courses, totaling 9 credits:
  1. Twenty-First Century Legal Profession  (2 Credits)
  2. Process Improvement and Legal Project Management  (2 Credits)
  3. Legal Tech: Small Firm  (3 Credits)
  4. Generative AI and the Delivery of Legal Services (2 Credits)

LIT Electives (3 credits)

Additional coursework selected from the LIT Concentration elective menu, allowing students to tailor their training with courses such as Digital Evidence, Race/Ethical AI, and Cyber Civil Rights, and Artificial Intelligence & the Law.

* LIT courses are subject to change and not guaranteed to be offered every semester, or offered in a particular format whether online or in person.

LLM Coursework (12 Credits)

1. Graduate Business School Electives (6 credits)
 JD/LIT LLM students, with guidance from the LLM in LIT academic director, choose two courses (3 credits each) from the following Suffolk University Sawyer Business School offerings: 

  • MBA 721 – Collaborate
  • MBA 730 – Innovative Thinking
  • ISOM 840 – Security & Privacy
  • ISOM 845 – Business Intelligence, Data Visualization, and Storytelling

* Graduate business school courses are subject to change and not guaranteed to be offered every semester. Students should not be required to complete any prerequisites for enrollment in these courses as part of the JD/LLM in LIT program and are encouraged to work with the LLM in LIT academic director for cross-registration and scheduling.

2. LIT LLM Capstone Project (6 credits)
 A supervised, practice-oriented project completed under the direction of the LLM in LIT academic director. Students design a Capstone pathway aligned with their goals and available options within the program, which may include:

  • Research and development of a new legal tech tool
  • Legal innovation work through the Sawyer Business School’s SEED Clinic
  • Externship with accompanying research or deliverable, such as a white paper or market report
  • A policy or regulatory reform proposal
  • Advisory or independent work with Suffolk Law’s LIT Clinic

The Capstone is typically completed over two semesters but may be completed in one semester with approval, subject to the discretion of the academic director.