Law schools in Dominican Republic

Notable law schools

• Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Faculty of Law

  Santo Domingo · Founded: 1538 · Oldest university in the country

  The oldest university in the Americas.

A short selection, not a ranking and not complete. “Founded” is the year of the school or its university.

What to remember anywhere

• This is a short list, not a ranking. We list a few schools per country by a stated fact: the oldest university where we are sure of it, the main national faculty, or a school with a famous history. A school that is not listed is not worse. Never choose a school from this guide alone.
• Founded means the school or its university. The year is when the school, or the university it belongs to, was founded. In the old universities law was usually taught from the early years; in newer ones the law faculty may have opened decades after the university.
• A law degree is not a licence to practise. In most countries a law degree is the first step. Becoming a lawyer, judge or notary usually needs more: professional training, a traineeship or pupillage, and an examination, and the rules differ by country and by profession. See our bar admission guide for how foreign lawyers qualify.
• Some countries treat law as a graduate subject. In the United States, Canada, South Korea and the Philippines, law is mostly studied after a first degree. Most of the world, including Europe, Latin America, Africa and much of Asia, studies law as a first degree straight after school.
• Names and structures change. Universities merge, rename and reorganise, and new law schools open. Check the school's own website and the national authority for the current name, entry rules and recognition of its degrees.

More about Dominican Republic

• The Dominican Republic legal-system profile (Civil law) in the Legal Families Atlas →
• How a foreign lawyer qualifies: Bar Admission by Country →