The joint degree program in Law and Latin American Studies was created to provide training for attorneys, policy makers, and public servants who wish to learn about Latin America and to gain a deeper knowledge of the civil code legal system of Latin America and Louisiana, which differs profoundly from that found in the rest of the United States. Applicants to the joint degree program must be admitted separately by each of the participating programs. Thus a potential joint degree student must be admitted to the Law School through its normal admissions process, and also to the Latin American Studies graduate program in the School of Liberal Arts via its own separate admissions process. Admission to one school does not guarantee admission to the other, nor does the failure to be admitted into the joint degree program preclude admission into either one or the other school independently.<br><br>This unique joint JD/MA degree program encourages students to explore the economic, social, political, environmental, and cultural contexts that shaped not only legal thought and institutions in distinct regions of Latin America, but also the practice and application of law. Within this degree program, students can shape a program that is broadly conceived or highly focused. A focused program might concentrate, for example, on environmental, maritime, corporate, or human rights issues.