2020-2021 Law School Catalog

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First-year students

The provisions of section 1 apply to all first-year students, except that application of these provisions to students in the Accelerated JD Program shall be subject to the modifications set forth in section 1.d.

(All other students are subject to the provisions of section 2 – Upper-class Students.)

First-Semester Academic Standing

  1. At the end of the first semester, a student is not in good academic standing and will be dismissed from the law school if either of the following applies:
    1. the student receives final grades that are unsatisfactory in three of the student’s first semester courses, or
    2. the student receives two or more final grades of D+ or lower in first semester courses

    The dismissal is final, and there is no appeal of the dismissal. The academic performance and individual circumstances of students who are dismissed pursuant to this section are not subject to review by the Academic Standing Committee.

  2. The Academic Standing Committee will review a student who has unsatisfactory final grades in two courses or who has a grade point average below 2.000 for the first semester but who does not fall under II. C. 1. a. i. Such a student is not in good academic standing and may be dismissed. The Committee may vote to allow the student to continue on academic probation. The Committee may also set other conditions of the student’s continued enrollment, including but not limited to a reduction in course load, participation in academic and other student support programs or courses, repeat of certain courses, or a leave of absence from the school. In determining if a student may continue, the Committee will take into account the following:
    1. whether the student experienced extraordinary circumstances during the first semester that affected the student’s academic performance or
    2. whether the student is likely to succeed in the study of law.

    If the Committee votes to dismiss the student, that dismissal is final and unappealable.

  3. Students who receive one unsatisfactory grade or who have a grade point average under 2.500 in the first semester and who do not otherwise fall under II C.1. a.i. or II C.1. a.ii. will
    1. receive a notice from the Academic Standing Committee warning the student of the Academic Standing Requirements and advising the student of academic support resources, and
    2. be required to meet with a faculty member, advisor or associate dean, to be designated by the Dean, to discuss their first semester difficulties and devise a course of action for achieving academic success and passing the bar examination. Students may be directed to participate in the Academic Support Program, enroll in particular courses in the upper year curriculum, or take other appropriate corrective measures.

Second-Semester Academic Standing

  1. At the end of the second semester of the first-year, a student is not in good academic standing and will be dismissed from the law school if either of the following applies:
    1. the student has a grade point average of less than 2.000 for that academic year, or
    2. the student has unsatisfactory grades in three or more courses for that academic year.

    The dismissal is final, and there is no appeal of the dismissal. The academic performance and individual circumstances of students who are dismissed pursuant to this section are not subject to review by the Academic Standing Committee.

  2. The Academic Standing Committee will review a student who does not fall within the above dismissal standard (II. C. 1. b. i.) but has a grade point average for that academic year ranging from 2.000 to below 2.330 or was reviewed by the Academic Standing Committee after the first semester and failed to meet one or more conditions of continued enrollment set by the Committee. Such a student is not in good academic standing and will be dismissed unless the committee finds by clear and convincing evidence that:
    1. the student experienced extraordinary circumstances during the academic year;
    2. the extraordinary circumstances affected the student’s academic performance,
    3. those circumstances are no longer an impediment to the student’s academic performance; and
    4. the student is likely to succeed in the study of law, which includes a likelihood of passing a bar examination.

    If the Committee votes to dismiss the student, that dismissal is final and unappealable.

  3. A student who has a grade point average after the second semester of the first year ranging from 2.330 to below 2.500 is not in good academic standing and will be reviewed by the Academic Standing Committee. Such a student will be dismissed unless the Committee finds by clear and convincing evidence that the student is likely to succeed in the study of law, which includes a likelihood of passing a bar examination. Evidence relevant to the Committee’s determination of likely success for purposes of this paragraph may include, but is not limited to, the absence of unsatisfactory grades in the student’s academic record, the presence of grades of B+ or higher, and demonstrated improvement in the student’s academic performance in the second semester relative to the first. If the Committee votes to dismiss the student, that dismissal is final and unappealable.
  4. Students who are not in good academic standing but are allowed by the Academic Standing Committee to continue will be placed on academic probation and Academic Warning. The Committee may also set other conditions of the student’s continued enrollment, including but not limited to a reduction in course load, participation in academic and other student support programs or courses, repeat of certain courses (whether or not required by paragraph II.C.1.c. below), or a leave of absence from the school.

Repeating Courses

Students allowed to continue on academic probation after the first or second semester will be required to repeat any course taken during the first year of law school in which they received a grade of C- or lower. The Academic Standing Committee may, within its discretion, vote to waive this requirement regarding any course for which the student received a grade higher than F.

Academic Warning

In addition to those students who are placed on Academic Warning pursuant to the above Second-Semester Academic Standing provision, the following students will also be placed on Academic Warning, but without review by the Academic Standing Committee:

  1. Any student with a grade point average for the first year, ranging from 2.500 to below 2.670;
  2. Any student who has at least two unsatisfactory grades for that academic year, regardless of the student’s grade point average.

Students who are placed on Academic Warning must enroll in, and earn a satisfactory grade in, the following courses:

  1. Legal Analysis & Methods (must be taken no later than the fall semester of the student’s second year.
  2. Evidence
  3. Trusts and Estates
  4. Business Entity Fundamentals
  5. Commercial Law Survey, Commercial Sales, or Secured Transactions
  6. Criminal Procedure
  7. Family Law
  8. Fundamentals of Law (must be taken in the student’s final semester)

With the exception of Legal Analysis & Methods (which must be taken no later than the fall semester of the second year) and Fundamentals of Law (which must be taken in the student’s final semester), these courses may be taken at any time prior to graduation and they serve as a substitute for the Base Menu requirements that are applicable to students who are not on Academic Warning. Students on Academic Warning remain subject to all other graduation requirements.

Students who receive an unsatisfactory grade in the above courses must participate in the Academic Support Program and are required to repeat the course in which the unsatisfactory grade was received.

Course Guidance and Curriculum Review. Students are strongly urged to take advanced courses that serve to reinforce first-year courses in which they received unsatisfactory grades. Such courses may include advanced legal writing courses and such other courses as may be designated as appropriate by the Law Faculty. Students are also strongly urged to take advantage of all of the bar exam preparation opportunities offered at the law school.

Students on Academic Warning may not exceed the normal semester credit load for their division.

The Academic Warning designation is not subject to appeal.

[Academic Warning course requirements amended by Faculty 3/2/17]

Guided Curriculum

Any student who completed their first-year prior to the 2016-2017 academic year with a cumulative GPA of 2.670 or higher but less than 3.000 in the first year must take Advanced Survey of Core Legal Principles in the student’s final year. Any student who completes their first year during the 2016-2017 academic year or later with a cumulative GPA of 2.670 or higher but less than 3.000 must complete all of the following courses in order to be eligible to graduate:

  1. Evidence;
  2. Trusts and Estates;
  3. Business Entity Fundamentals;
  4. Commercial Law Survey, Commercial Sales, or Secured Transactions;
  5. Criminal Procedure;
  6. Family Law; and
  7. Advanced Survey of Core Legal Principles (must be taken in the student’s final year).

[Revisions to Rule II. C. 1. e. approved by law faculty on 5/19/16 and 3/2/17]

Special Provisions for Students in the Accelerated JD Program

  1. Any student enrolled in the Accelerated JD Program who has completed fewer than three semesters of study is a “first-year” student within the meaning of section 1. Any other student in the Accelerated JD Program is an “upper-class” student within the meaning of section 2.
  2. For students in the Accelerated JD Program:
    1. The “first semester” for purposes of section 1.a. is defined as the period from the beginning of the first required summer term to the end of the first fall semester of study. All courses taken by students in the Accelerated JD Program during this period will be regarded as “first semester courses” for purposes of section 1.a.
    2. The “second semester” for purposes of section 1.b. is defined as the first spring semester of study.
    3. The “first year” for purposes of section 1.d. Academic Warning and 1.e. Guided Curriculum shall comprise the first required summer term, the first fall semester, and the first spring semester of study.
  3. At the end of the first required summer term, a student in the Accelerated JD Program is not in good academic standing and will be dismissed from the law school if either of the following applies:
    1. the student receives final grades that are unsatisfactory in three courses in that term, or
    2. the student receives two or more final grades of D+ or lower in in that term.

    The dismissal is final, and there is no appeal of the dismissal. The academic performance and individual circumstances of students who are dismissed pursuant to this section are not subject to review by the Academic Standing Committee.

  4. A student in the Accelerated JD Program who completes the first required summer term with a grade point average less than 2.000 or receives two unsatisfactory grades in the first required summer term and is not otherwise subject to automatic dismissal is not in good academic standing and will be placed on academic probation for the first fall semester of study without review by the Academic Standing Committee; must participate in the Academic Support Program during the first fall semester; and will be administratively withdrawn from any upper-level courses for which the student may be registered in their first fall semester. Such a student must meet with an Associate Dean no later than two weeks after final grades for the first summer term have been posted in order to discuss the student’s academic performance. The Academic Standing Committee will review the student’s record after the conclusion of the first fall semester, regardless of the student’s academic standing at that time, to determine whether the student should be permitted to continue in the Accelerated JD Program.
  5. A student in the Accelerated JD Program who receives one unsatisfactory grade in the first required summer term or completes the first required summer term with a grade point average of less than 2.670 must meet with an Associate Dean no later than two weeks after final grades for that term have been posted in order to discuss the student’s academic performance and whether the student should continue in the Accelerated JD Program.
  6. Any student in the Accelerated JD Program subject to review by the Academic Standing Committee may be required by the Committee to withdraw from the Accelerated JD Program as a condition of being permitted to continue as a JD student.