Effective fall semester 2007, the Master of Laws (General) with Estate Planning Concentration program has been suspended. Applications are not accepted for and students may not enroll in the program at this time.

Required Courses (17 credit hours)

• LAW 8615 Estate Planning and Practice (3)
• LAW 8618R Drafting and Preparation of Estate Plans (2)
• LAW 8800 Thesis (4-8)
• LAW 8838R Tax Practicum (1)
• LAW 8843 Federal Income Taxation of Trusts & Estates (2)
• LAW 8868R Valuation for Transfer Tax Purposes (3)
• LAW 8892R Taxation of Estates, Gifts and Trusts (3)

Elective Courses

• LAW 8611R Dispositions and Succession Planning of Business Interests (1)
• LAW 8612R Tax Planning with Life Insurance (1)
• LAW 8613R Special Problems in Estate Planning (1)
• LAW 8614R Estate Planning for Retirement Plan Benefits    (1)
• LAW 8615R Estate Planning for Charitable Giving (1)
• LAW 8616R Fiduciary Administration for Estate Planners (1)
• LAW 8617R Elder Law for Estate Planners (1)
• LAW 8757R Entrepreneurial Clinic (2)

Thesis Requirement

A minimum of four and a maximum of eight credit hours (to be determined by the student in consultation with the thesis adviser) may be given for a written thesis on a subject approved by the student's thesis committee. The thesis must show substantial evidence of original research or development of the principles of at least one interdisciplinary field related to the student's thematic goal; be at least 75 pages in length; and be of high scholastic quality, suitable for publication as a lead article in a scholarly journal.

The thesis committee, consisting of the thesis adviser (selected by the student with the adviser’s consent) and the UMKC School of Law graduate studies committee, must approve the topic and the final form and substance of the thesis.

At the option of the Director of the Estate Planning Program, the thesis requirement may be met by satisfactory completion of Law 618R and Law 746R (for 2 credit hours), requiring the student to research and write a substantial original work in the estate planning field.

Other Courses

The UMKC graduate studies committee may approve up to six credit hours from other UMKC Law School course offerings or from the interdisciplinary offerings of other UMKC graduate and professional schools. However, such courses may not be required or be basic bar examination J.D. courses.