School of Law: Academic Rules

Academic Rules and Regulations

These Academic Policies contain current information regarding the Law School’s requirements, policies, and procedures. For additional information, consult the Academic Services/Student Records Office in 107 Slaughter Hall. These requirements, policies, and procedures may be changed at any time within the student’s term of residence and apply to all law students, including graduate and dual-degree students. These requirements, policies, and procedures may be waived (if waivable pursuant to a specific policy herein) only by the assistant dean for academic services or the assistant dean for student affairs.

In addition to the Academic Policies, all law students are responsible for complying with the policies listed in the University’s Graduate Record. The Graduate Record has important information on the University of Virginia, tuition, fees, financial aid, regulations governing graduate law and dual-degree programs, policies that apply to all University students, and the honor system. NOTE: Licensing jurisdictions oftentimes impose eligibility requirements for bar admission beyond those required by these Academic Policies, and students are therefore strongly advised to study and adhere to the eligibility requirements of any jurisdiction where they may seek bar admission.

I. Academic Policies and Procedures

Every student is responsible for knowing and complying with all University of Virginia Law School (Law School) policies and procedures.

A. Attendance

In accordance with American Bar Association (ABA) standards, regular and punctual in-person class attendance is part of each student’s required work in courses. While instructors are authorized to require a higher standard of attendance, students are required to attend 80 percent of class sessions at a minimum. Poor attendance may be taken into account by the instructor for grading purposes.

An instructor is expected to notify the Student Records Office when a student is frequently absent from class. If it is determined that the student’s absence from class is excessive, then the student shall be withdrawn from the class with a grade of WF (Withdrawn Failing), and the student shall not receive any academic credit for work performed in the course. The grade of WF does not have exclusionary significance, nor does it preclude the student from re-enrolling in the course in a subsequent semester.

Any member of the Law School community (faculty, student, or staff) who has reason to believe that a student is frequently absent from classes in general should inform the Student Records Office. Students not in compliance with the attendance standard in multiple classes could be subject to administrative withdrawal per Section I.J.

B. Class Rank

The Law School does not use or disclose class rank except for limited purposes, such as determination of specific academic awards.

C. Grievance Policy

The Law School is committed to addressing student concerns that directly implicate its program of legal education and its compliance with the ABA’s accreditation standards. In accordance with the University’s Student Academic Grievance Policy, any student who believes that an academic decision (as defined by that policy) violates the University’s or Law School’s academic policies may either consult with the vice dean or file an academic grievance with the vice dean. For purposes of I.C only, “student” includes prospective, current, and former students.  Any student who is concerned about the Law School’s compliance with the ABA’s accreditation standards may submit a signed, written statement explaining the concern and identifying the relevant ABA standard(s) to the assistant dean for student affairs. The assistant dean will work with a review committee consisting of the vice dean, the senior associate dean for administration, and other Law School personnel, as appropriate, to address the concern within a reasonable period of time. The assistant dean will notify the student in writing about the review committee’s resolution of the concern. A copy of all such concerns and their resolutions will be kept in the dean’s office until the next ABA accreditation visit. 

D. Concurrent Enrollment at Other Institutions or Other Schools at UVA

While enrolled in the Law School, no student may be enrolled concurrently in academic courses, as part of a degree program or otherwise, at another institution without prior approval by the Curriculum Committee. Exception: Students enrolled in dual degree programs (formerly called “external collaborative programs”) do not need Curriculum Committee approval.

While enrolled in a degree program at the Law School, no student may be concurrently active in another degree program at the University of Virginia unless admitted to and participating in an approved combination degree program (see Section III), or if authorized by the assistant dean of academic services and registrar.

E. Degree Requirements

JURIS DOCTOR (J.D.) DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Candidates for the J.D. degree must satisfy the following to earn their degrees. 

1) REQUIRED COURSES In addition to successfully completing the basic first-year required courses (Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Research and Writing I and II, Property, and Torts), J.D. degree candidates must successfully complete a designated professional ethics course and obtain at least six (6) credits from one or more designated professional skills courses.

Students entering the J.D. program in fall 2023 and thereafter must (i) participate in the 1L orientation training session on bias, cross-cultural competency and racism, and (ii) successfully complete at least one course designated by the faculty as educating students on bias, cross-cultural competency and racism.  Such designation is reflected in the course details on the Law School’s website. 

2) ACADEMIC RECORD  Degree candidates must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 and accumulate fewer than five exclusion points (see Section I.J).

3) CREDITS J.D. degree candidates must successfully earn a minimum of 86 degree credits. At least 64 of the 86 credits must be in courses that require attendance in regularly scheduled classroom sessions or direct faculty instruction. Additional information about the courses that satisfy this requirement may be obtained from the Student Records Office. See Section I.P for the Law School’s credit hour policy.

4) RESIDENCY J.D. degree candidates must complete six semesters in residence. A semester in residence is one in which a student enrolls in a minimum of 12 credits toward the degree and receives passing grades for at least nine of those 12 credits. Transfer students must complete at least 24 hours of classroom study at an accredited law school prior to enrolling at the Law School, for which they are awarded two semesters in residence at entrance.

5) WRITING REQUIREMENT In accordance with ABA standards, all J.D. degree candidates must satisfy the Law School’s upper-level writing requirement by completing at least one substantial research paper after the first year (see Section I.M).

6) CONDUCT All degree candidates must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the Law School’s academic and non-academic student conduct requirements (see Section VII) and its technical standards (see Section I.R).

7) DURATION OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENT: The course of study for the J.D. degree must be completed no later than 84 months after a student has commenced law study at the Law School or another law school from which the student transferred, except in extraordinary circumstances.

MASTER OF LAWS (LL.M.) DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Candidates for the LL.M. degree must satisfy the following to earn their degrees. NOTE: LL.M. degree candidates intending to sit for a bar exam may have additional course requirements specific to the jurisdiction of admission and should review carefully that jurisdiction’s policies. (Consult the Graduate Studies Office for details.)

1) ACADEMIC RECORD  All degree candidates must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 and accumulate fewer than five exclusion points (see Section I.J).

2) CREDITS LL.M. degree candidates must successfully earn a minimum of 24 degree credits. See Section I.P for the Law School’s credit hour policy.

3) RESIDENCY LL.M. degree candidates must complete two semesters in residence. A semester in residence is one in which a student enrolls in a minimum of 12 credits toward the degree and receives passing grades for at least nine of those 12 credits.

4) WRITING REQUIREMENT LL.M. degree candidates must satisfy the Law School’s upper-level writing requirement by completing at least one substantial research paper (see Section I.M).

5) CONDUCT All degree candidates must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the Law School’s academic and non-academic student conduct requirements (see Section VII) and its technical standards (see Section I.R).

DOCTOR OF JURIDICAL SCIENCE (S.J.D.) DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

In accordance with Law School policy, the course of study for the S.J.D. degree must be completed within five academic years (August-May) of admittance to candidacy. Candidates for the S.J.D. degree must satisfy the following to earn their degrees.

1) CREDITS S.J.D. degree candidates must successfully earn a minimum of 30 semester credits. These credits are earned through completion of the student’s first year study plan, dissertation work in residence, and attendance at the S.J.D. colloquium. Please note that S.J.D. students who pay tuition at the research rate may not enroll in classes for credit, but may audit up to two classes at the Law School with the instructor’s permission and if the assistant dean for academic services and registrar approves the seat’s availability.

2) ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS S.J.D. degree candidates must complete a dissertation approved by the Dissertation Committee and successfully defend the dissertation in an oral examination. In order for the candidate to proceed to the dissertation stage, his or her supervisor must certify successful completion of the first-year program of study. The candidate must also submit a revised dissertation proposal at the end of that year, approved by the supervisor and the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee. The candidate must deposit a final version of the dissertation with the Law Library. The dissertation must make an original contribution to legal literature and demonstrate mastery of the principles of scholarly research and critical analysis. It is expected that the dissertation will be publishable as a book or a series of law review articles.

The oral examination will be conducted by a Dissertation Committee consisting of the dissertation supervisor and two other faculty members. The dissertation may be submitted and the oral exam held at any time within five academic years of the student’s admission to the S.J.D. program. This period may be extended once for a maximum of one academic year.  Such an extension will be granted only in exceptional circumstances and only upon a showing that the candidate is actively working on the dissertation and is likely to complete the dissertation at the end of the one-academic year extension.

3) CONDUCT All degree candidates must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the Law School’s academic and non-academic student conduct requirements (see Section VII) and its technical standards (see Section I.R).

F. Disability Accommodation

1) REQUESTING A DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION

The Law School is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities, as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. Requests for disability accommodations are addressed through an interactive and individualized process among the student, the University’s Student Disability Access Center (SDAC), and the Law School’s Technical Standards Committee.

In order to receive a disability accommodation at the Law School, students should submit a written request for accommodation from the Law School using the form available through Student Affairs [https://disabilityservices.studenthealth.virginia.edu/application-process]. In order to preserve the integrity of the anonymous grading system, students should not request disability accommodations from individual professors. Information on disability accommodations will be disclosed to professors to the extent necessary to implement the accommodations. 

In addition to submitting a written request to the Law School, students requesting a disability accommodation should submit an application to SDAC for determination of disability status [https://disabilityservices.studenthealth.virginia.edu/application-process]. Documentation of the claimed disability should be provided to SDAC, and SDAC may require additional documentation.

For an exam-related disability accommodation, students are strongly encouraged to make any request at least 30 calendar days prior to the start of the exam period for the semester in order to provide sufficient time to assess the request and, if approved, implement the accommodation. Requests will be considered regardless of timing, but there may not be sufficient time to assess and implement requests that are not made at least 30 calendar days prior to the start of the exam period.

For a classroom-related disability accommodation, students are strongly encouraged to make any request at least 30 calendar days prior to the start of the semester in order to provide sufficient time to assess the request and, if approved, implement the accommodation prior to the first day of class. Requests will be considered regardless of timing, but there may not be sufficient time to assess and implement requests that are not made at least 30 calendar days prior to the start of the semester.

Because of the specialized skills required for the study and practice of law, disability accommodations that were available to students in other educational settings or for standardized testing will be considered as part of the disability accommodation process, but may not be reasonable for study at the Law School.

State bar requirements for disability accommodations vary, with some bar authorities imposing very stringent standards. Students should contact bar authorities for information on the disability accommodation requirements for the bar exam they intend to take.

2) PROCESS FOR DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION DETERMINATIONS

SDAC and the Law School will engage in an interactive and individualized process with students requesting a disability accommodation. Following an initial review, SDAC will make a determination of disability status and communicate any recommended accommodation to the Technical Standards Committee, which is responsible for determining whether students meet the Law School’s technical standards (see Section I.R. below) and, if not, whether reasonable accommodation would allow them to do so. In making that determination, the Technical Standards Committee may seek additional information about a candidate’s disability and about possible accommodations from knowledgeable persons within or outside the Law School. The Technical Standards Committee will carefully review each student’s situation case by case.

An accommodation is deemed unreasonable if it results in undue financial or administrative burdens to the Law School; fundamentally alters or modifies the nature of a Law School service, program, or activity (see, for example, the Law School’s academic policies, administrative policies, and accreditation standards); lowers or substantially modifies essential requirements (see, for example, the Law School’s technical standards and professional expectations); or poses a direct threat to the health or safety of the student or others.

If an accommodation is not approved, the Technical Standards Committee will consult with SDAC to determine whether there may be an alternative accommodation that may be put into place.

The Technical Standards Committee will prepare a written notification to students who have requested a disability accommodation as to 1) whether a disability accommodation has been approved; 2) the details of any approved disability accommodation; and 3) the duration of any approved disability accommodation.

All requests for disability accommodation and related information will be confidential, except to the extent necessary to evaluate the student’s condition and to determine and implement an accommodation.

3) IMPLEMENTATION OF DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS

The assistant dean for student affairs implements all disability accommodations at the Law School, in coordination with the Law School’s Technical Standards Committee.  All students with an approved disability accommodation should meet with the assistant dean for student affairs to discuss and facilitate its implementation.

In order to preserve the integrity of the anonymous grading system, students should not consult individual professors regarding the implementation of disability accommodations.  Information on disability accommodations will be disclosed to professors to the extent necessary to implement the accommodations.

4) COMPLAINT PROCESS FOR DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION DETERMINATIONS

If a student believes that he or she has been subject to treatment prohibited under the University’s Preventing and Addressing Discrimination and Harassment (PADH) and/or Preventing and Addressing Retaliation (PAR) policies (e.g., failure to provide an approved accommodation or failure to engage in the interactive process resulting in denial of a reasonable accommodation), the student may consult SDAC’s grievance procedures here [https://disabilityservices.studenthealth.virginia.edu/about-sdac/procedures-and-guidelines]; contact the University’s ADA Coordinator at (434) 924-3295 or adacoordinator@virginia.edu; or contact the University’s Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR) at (434) 924-3200 or uvaeocr@virginia.edu (see the PADHR complaint procedures here [https://eocr.virginia.edu/about-us/discrimination-harassment-and-retaliation/padhr-complaint-procedures]).

G. Eligible Faculty Supervisors

The list of faculty who may supervise Directed and Independent Research, Externship Directed Study, and Third-year Theses is available here.

H. Employment

Students are expected to dedicate their time and attention to their studies and should not engage in employment that is incompatible with a full-time commitment to the study of law. Students who choose to work part-time during the academic year are strongly encouraged not to work more than 20 hours per week during any week in which the student is enrolled in more than 12 credits of academic coursework. First-year law students are strongly discouraged from engaging in any outside employment during the academic year. Students who are considering an employment commitment that exceeds these recommendations must notify the assistant dean for student affairs prior to taking on any such commitment, and they are also encouraged to discuss these plans with the assistant dean for student affairs before making a final employment decision.

I. Grading System

Faculty are required to award grades in each course to a mean that will be enforced by the vice dean of the Law School. Instructors should ensure that grades have an adequate distribution around this mean.

1) GRADES There are three possible grading bases for courses at the Law School: (i) Traditional letter grades, whereby faculty evaluate performance in courses (including Independent Research and the graded portion of Externships) using one of 10 possible letter grades: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, and F; (ii) Satisfactory (S)/Unsatisfactory (U); and (iii) Honors (H), Pass (P), Fail (F). Students withdrawn from a course, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, receive Withdrawn (W) (Withdrawn) or Withdrawn Failing (WF) on their transcript. No credit will be awarded for a course in which a student receives a U or F grade, or a W or WF notation.. Grades of A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, S, H, and P are passing grades. 

NOTE: University and Law School policy states that any grade, once submitted, can be changed only in the event of a clerical error in calculation (adding up raw scores incorrectly) or transcription. The Law School does not entertain appeals or grievances of the faculty’s academic evaluation of students.

NUMERICAL GRADE POINT VALUES FOR LETTER GRADES

• ​A+ = 4.3
• A = 4.0
• A- = 3.7
• B+ = 3.3
• B = 3.0
• B- = 2.7
• C+ = 2.3
• C = 2.0
• D = 1.0
• F = 0.0

J. Leaves of Absence and Withdrawals

When a student’s course of study is interrupted, the interruption is categorized at the Law School as either a leave of absence or a withdrawal. In general, a leave of absence is intended for a student who is in good standing, who needs to suspend his or her enrollment for a short period of time (for example, due to a medical condition), and who intends to return to the Law School immediately following the leave of absence. By contrast, a program withdrawal (as opposed to a course withdrawal addressed by Section VI.D.) is generally intended for other situations, such as when a student needs to suspend his or her enrollment for a longer period of time or does not intend to return to the Law School. The process for readmission following a leave of absence is less demanding than following a withdrawal.

1) LEAVES OF ABSENCE FROM DEGREE PROGRAM

a) Description and Conditions
The assistant dean for student affairs has the authority to grant or deny a request for a leave of absence. A student who is in good standing and has completed one semester of law school (including completion of all examinations) may submit a written petition requesting a leave of absence to the assistant dean for student affairs. The petition should be submitted prior to the start of classes for the semester during which leave is desired or, if the semester has already begun, the petition must be submitted on or before the last day of classes for that semester. The petition for a leave of absence should provide an explanation for the reasons for the requested leave and the expected length of the leave. If the leave of absence is not granted, the student may instead withdraw from the Law School pursuant to Section J.2.

A student may be granted only one leave of absence, and any further absence shall be considered to be a withdrawal pursuant to Section J.2. Exception: depending on the timing of their program of study, students participating in an External Collaborative Program may be able to take more than one leave of absence. A leave of absence is normally granted for no more than one year; under no circumstances will a leave of absence be granted for more than two years.

A student granted a leave of absence after the add/drop period has ended for a given semester will receive W grades in all of his or her courses. Any grades already posted for the semester will be converted to W grades.

Any student seeking a leave of absence must meet with the director of financial aid as a condition of approval from the assistant dean for student affairs. The meeting may be held in person, by telephone, or by video conference. A leave of absence shall not be granted until all amounts due to the Law School are paid in full. Any student on a leave of absence must continue to abide by the Law School’s and the University’s student conduct requirements. The assistant dean for student affairs may impose additional conditions upon which the leave is granted.

b) Readmission
A student who has satisfied all of the conditions of his or her leave of absence may request readmission to the Law School by submitting a written request for readmission to the assistant dean for student affairs by April 1 for fall admission or October 1 for spring admission. The assistant dean for student affairs will provide the student with the relevant form and may request additional information or documentation in support of the readmission request. The student must meet any additional conditions that are deemed warranted by the assistant dean of student affairs upon return to the Law School.

A student who fails to comply with one or more conditions of his or her leave of absence or who does not return to the Law School following a leave of absence will be deemed to have voluntarily withdrawn, and any readmission will be governed by the provisions of Section J.2, not Section J.1.

2) WITHDRAWALS FROM DEGREE PROGRAM

There are four types of withdrawal — (a) voluntary withdrawal, (b) administrative withdrawal, (c) withdrawal (exclusion) due to academic deficiency, and (d) required withdrawal — each of which is described below. The process for readmission after withdrawal is described in section (e).

a) Voluntary Withdrawal
A student who wishes to withdraw voluntarily from the Law School must submit a written notification to the assistant dean for student affairs. A student who withdraws after a semester has begun must do so on or before the last day of classes for that semester. A student who withdraws after the add/drop period has ended will receive W grades in all courses. Any grades already posted for the semester will be converted to W grades.

b) Administrative Withdrawal
A student who ceases attending the Law School without an approved leave of absence or voluntary withdrawal, or ceases carrying at least nine credits during a semester, or fails to meet Law School administrative obligations will be administratively withdrawn and assigned “W” grades in all courses for that semester, or “WF” if appropriate. Administrative obligations whose breach triggers administrative withdrawal include, but are not limited to, when a student fails to timely meet Student Financial Services obligations; when a determination is made by the Admissions Office that a material duty to disclose or amend has not been satisfied; or when a first-year student does not satisfy the final, official transcript requirement by October 15 (which is a condition of admission to the Law School).

c) Withdrawal (Exclusion) Due to Academic Deficiency

Students who accumulate five or more exclusion points will be withdrawn (excluded) due to academic deficiency.  C and C+ grades earn one exclusion point; D grades earn 2 exclusion points; F and U grades earn three exclusion points.  The number of credit hours for a particular course will not be considered in calculating exclusion points.  Exclusion points do not expire.  This provision applies to all courses for which students earn degree credit, regardless of whether they are Law School courses or courses offered by other schools or institutions. 

Separate from exclusion points, students will be withdrawn (excluded) due to academic deficiency for failing to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA). 

1. Upper-level J.D. students with a cumulative GPA below 2.7 in LAW courses at the conclusion of any semester will be withdrawn. 
2. First-year J.D. students (1Ls) and LL.M. students are subject to the following provisions:

• Any 1L or LL.M. student with a cumulative GPA below 2.7 at the conclusion of the fall semester is not in good academic standing and is placed on academic probation.  Students on academic probation must complete a support program during the spring semester administered by the Office of Student Affairs.  If a student on academic probation finishes the spring semester with a cumulative GPA in LAW courses of 2.7 or above, the probation status ends, and the student returns to good academic standing.
• Any 1L or LL.M. student with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 but above 2.7 at the conclusion of the fall semester remains in good academic standing but must complete a support program during the spring semester administered by the Office of Student Affairs. 
• Failure to adhere to or complete a required support program will be reported to the vice dean as a potential violation of the Law School’s student conduct and technical standards requirements.
• Any 1L or LL.M. student with a cumulative GPA below 2.7 in LAW courses at the conclusion of the spring semester will be withdrawn (excluded) due to academic deficiency.

Readmission after withdrawal (exclusion) due to academic deficiency is granted only in exceptional cases.

d) Required Withdrawal 
The Law School reserves the right to require the withdrawal of any student who, in the opinion of the faculty, is not profiting or is not likely to profit by the instruction offered or whose conduct fails to comply with the Law School’s academic and non-academic student conduct requirements, including its technical standards requirements. The faculty has delegated the authority to make such determinations to the Academic and Professional Standards Committee under the procedures outlined in Section VII. Readmission after required withdrawal is not permitted.

e) Readmission After Withdrawal
A student may petition for readmission after withdrawal as long as such readmission is consistent with the Law School’s degree requirements, in particular the requirement regarding the length of the course of study described in Section I.E.

A student who withdraws from the Law School prior to the completion of at least one semester (including completion of all examinations) and who wishes to resume their studies must reapply for admission through the Admissions Office in accordance with the deadlines and procedures set by that office.

A student who withdraws from the Law School after the completion of at least one semester (including completion of all examinations) and who wishes to resume their studies must petition the Academic Review Committee for readmission by April 1 for fall admission and by November 1 for spring admission. Any petition for readmission shall be prepared in the form required by the Academic Review Committee. A student must wait at least three months from the time of the withdrawal before submitting a petition for readmission, unless the student’s petition shows extraordinary circumstances, in which case the Academic Review Committee may, in its discretion, waive this requirement and the deadlines listed above.  In no case may a student petition for readmission more than once. The Law School reserves the right to impose additional conditions upon any student seeking readmission after withdrawal.

K. Summer Courses at Other Law Schools

Students may enroll in law courses during the summer at ABA-approved law schools subject to the following:

1. The assistant dean for academic services must approve in advance the school attended and the courses taken. Approval will be granted only when extenuating circumstances prevail, such as personal or academic hardship. Examples of acceptable hardship are: insufficient credits earned during the academic year due to illness, poor academic performance, or financial hardship requiring the student to work part-time.
2. Courses taken must be comparable to offerings in the curriculum at the Law School in both depth and substance, although the actual subject matter may differ from offerings available at the Law School.
3. Students are expected to attend a law school of comparable quality. If that is not possible in the area where the student is located, the student must attend the best available institution in that area, although that fact alone will not ensure its approval; all requests will be considered on an individual basis.
4. Students may not enroll in courses at the school visited that duplicate courses completed at the Law School.
5. Students who have received an F grade in a course at the Law School will not be allowed to transfer credit for that course from another law school.
6. No summer abroad program will be approved, including those sponsored by ABA-approved law schools.
7. A maximum of six semester credits may be undertaken in summer school.
8. The number of credits undertaken may not exceed the number of weeks in the summer school session (e.g., not more than three credits may be completed in three weeks).
9. Only grades of C (or its equivalent) or better earned at the school attended will be credited toward the Law School degree. Pass/fail grades will be accepted for courses graded only on a pass/fail basis.
10. Summer school grades are not included in the calculation of the Law School’s grade point averages or in the consideration of the Law School honors.
11. Students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits per semester during the regular academic year, regardless of the number of credits completed in summer school.
12. Regardless of the number of credits completed in summer school, students must complete six residency semesters to earn the J.D. degree. Summer course work may not be used to accelerate a student’s graduation date.
13. Special limitations apply to summer school students holding outside employment as follows:

• a. Students enrolled in courses at the rate of one credit per week of summer school (i.e., three credits in three weeks, six credits in six weeks) may work 10 hours per week.
• b. Students enrolled in courses at the rate of one credit per two weeks of summer school (i.e., three credits in six weeks, six credits in 12 weeks) may work 20 hours per week.
• c. Students enrolled in courses at the rate of one credit per three weeks of summer school (i.e., three credits in nine weeks) may work 40 hours per week.

L. Transfer Students

All transfer students, including transfers into the J.D. program from the Law School’s LL.M. program, are responsible for complying with the Law School’s policies and procedures, including degree requirements (see Section I.E). Transfer students can be awarded a maximum of 32 semester credits and two residency semesters at entrance. Credit will not be awarded for work taken in a summer study abroad program or for work experience at their prior schools. While transfer students are eligible for Order of the Coif membership, their grades at their prior schools will not be used in considering their eligibility. Questions about transfer credits, degree requirements or other academic issues should be addressed to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar.

Students awarded two residency semesters at entrance may not participate in full-time externships, exchange programs, or other semester/yearlong study abroad programs and may not visit away at another law school. Transfer students interested in combination degree programs should discuss their options with the assistant dean for academic services.

M. Upper-Level Writing Requirement

In accordance with ABA standards, all J.D. degree candidates must satisfy the Law School’s upper-level writing requirement by completing at least one substantial research paper during their second or third year of law school. J.D. students may not satisfy the upper-level writing requirement during their first year of law school. LL.M. degree candidates also must satisfy the Law School’s upper-level writing requirement as part of their degree requirements. Briefs, a series of papers, or team-written papers may not be used to satisfy the writing requirement.

Students may satisfy the writing requirement in one of the following ways:

1. Successful completion of a substantial research paper in a Law School semester-long or yearlong course included on the Approved Writing Requirement Course List. The course instructor will be asked at the end of the semester to certify that the research paper submitted satisfies the writing requirement, which is separate from the grade in the course. 
2. Successful completion of an independent research project (see Section VI.H). The student must enroll in the project before the close of the Add/Drop period, and the supervising faculty member will be asked at the end of the semester to certify that the research paper submitted satisfies the writing requirement. 
3. By “special request” from an instructor to convert a paper in a semester-length course into a substantial research paper meeting the upper-level writing requirement standard.  This option requires students to complete and submit a form to the Student Records Office (available on LawWeb) by the end of the fifth week of the semester in which the research paper is due. Contact the Student Records Office for details. The course instructor will be asked at the end of the semester to certify that the research paper submitted satisfies the writing requirement. 
4. Combination degree students may satisfy the writing requirement by writing a substantial research paper on a law-related topic in a course taken in the other school or department — either at UVA or at another institution approved for participation in the Law School’s dual-degree program — provided that a resident Law School faculty member certifies that the written work meets the Law School’s standards for the writing requirement. In no case will this approval result in additional course credit; the certification relates solely to satisfaction of the upper-level writing requirement. This option applies only to work completed as part of the combination degree program. Undergraduate papers, papers completed in other graduate programs, briefs written over the summer while employed, and the like are expressly excluded from satisfying the writing requirement. For more information about this option, contact the assistant dean for academic services and registrar.

WRITING REQUIREMENT STANDARD

The expectation is that the written work will be typed, doubled-spaced and a minimum of 7,500 words, footnotes included. However, this is intended only as a guideline. Final determination of appropriate requirements is left to the judgment of the course instructor/supervising faculty member. Students should arrange with the course instructor/supervising faculty member to submit an outline, abstract, first draft, or other mutually agreeable research plan for comment prior to submitting the final version of the paper. Students should be certain that their understanding of what is required to meet the writing requirement coincides with that of the course instructor/supervising faculty member.

PROCEDURE
For the semester in which a student intends to satisfy the writing requirement, it is the student’s responsibility to:

1. enroll in a course designated as satisfying this graduation requirement; designated courses are identified in the online Current Courses listing. A student enrolled in such a course need not submit a “Special Request” Form to the Student Records Office; OR
2. submit the required and completed forms with the Student Records Office to enroll in an Independent Research project. At the conclusion of the semester, the supervising faculty member will be asked at the end of the semester to certify that the research paper submitted satisfies the writing requirement.; OR
3. submit a completed, approved and signed Writing Requirement “Special Request” form to the Student Records Office no later than the end of the fifth week of the semester. At the conclusion of the semester, the instructor will be asked to certify that the research paper submitted satisfies the writing requirement; OR
4. submit a completed, approved and signed combination degree substantial research paper form to the Student Records Office no later than the end of the fifth week of the semester. At the conclusion of the semester, the Law School’s faculty advisor for the combination degree program will be asked to certify that the paper meets the upper-level writing requirement standard.;

Regardless of which option above that a student chooses, it is the student’s responsibility to be certain that their understanding of what is required to meet the requirement coincides with that of the supervising faculty member, faculty advisor or course instructor.

N. Visiting at Other Law Schools

Students seeking permission to visit away at another ABA-approved law school must petition the assistant dean for student affairs. Approval will be granted only when the student’s continued presence in the Charlottesville area places an exceptional hardship on the student. An example of a qualifying circumstance would be the onset of a severe illness of a close family member that requires the student’s presence outside of the Charlottesville area. The need to accompany or join a spouse elsewhere, due to area employment opportunities or the desire to study in another location, does not constitute such a hardship. For further information and assistance, contact the assistant dean for student affairs.

Transfer students awarded two residency semesters at entrance are not eligible to visit away at another ABA-approved law school.

Students receiving permission to spend one or two semesters at another law school are governed by the following:

1) Students are expected to attend a law school of comparable quality. If that is not possible in the area where the student is located, the student must attend the best available institution in that area, although that fact alone will not ensure its approval; all requests will be considered on an individual basis.

2) Students must satisfy the upper-level writing requirement and complete the required professional ethics and professional skills courses while in attendance at the Law School.

3) Students must be in good academic standing at the Law School before enrolling at the other school.

4) The student’s proposed course schedule at the school visited must be approved by the assistant dean for academic services and registrar.

5) Enrollment at the school visited must be on a full-time basis and for a minimum of 12 semester credits (or the equivalent) each semester.

6) Students may not enroll in courses at the school visited that duplicate courses completed at the Law School.

7) Only grades of C (or its equivalent) or better earned at the school visited will be credited toward the Law School degree. Pass/fail grades will be accepted for courses graded only on a pass/fail basis.

NOTE: D, F, and U grades (or their equivalents) awarded at visited institutions earn exclusion points in the same manner as grades earned at the Law School (see Section I.J. ).

8) Students who have received an F grade in a course at the Law School will not be allowed to transfer credit for that course from the school visited.

9) Registration as a “not-in-residence” student and payment of the associated fee at the Law School are required during the semester in which the student intends to graduate.

10) Students who undertake course work at the Law School while visiting away are responsible for any resulting tuition and fee charges.

11) Grades received at the school visited are not included in the calculation of Law School grade point averages or in the consideration of Law School honors.

O. Class Work Deadline

All class sessions and meetings must be completed on or before the applicable last day of classes identified on the Academic Calendar.  Clinical instructors for single-semester clinics should not expect or require students to submit written work product or undertake other client-related work after the last day of classes on the Academic Calendar.  Clinical instructors for year-long clinics should not expect or require students to submit written work product or undertake other client-related work during the Fall exam period nor after the last day of classes at the conclusion of the Spring term.  No examination “review sessions” (even optional ones) should be held by instructors during the reading period or the exam period.  Instructor office hours of any duration, location, and/or frequency during the reading period or exam period are acceptable.

P. Credit Hour Policy

1) The associate dean for curricular programs, in consultation with the assistant dean for academic services and registrar, determines and assigns the number of credits for Law School courses. Credits are assigned in accordance with Standard 310 of the ABA’s Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools.

2) One credit hour is the amount of work that reasonably approximates 42.5 total hours of (a) classroom/direct faculty instruction time and (b) out of class work. One credit hour for other academic activities approved for credit by the Law School (e.g., independent research projects) reasonably approximates the equivalent amount of work. Ordinarily, exam, paper, and professional skills courses will have at least 2 hours of outside work for every 50 minutes of time spent in class or direct faculty instruction.

a) Exam courses: 42.5 hours per credit of time spent in class, preparing for class (reading or completing class assignments or assessments), and preparing for and taking an exam.

b) Paper courses (e.g., most seminars): 42.5 hours per credit of time spent in class, preparing for class (reading or completing class assignments or assessments), and/or researching and writing the required paper(s). NOTE: If the written work product is a substantial research paper that fulfills the Law School’s upper class writing requirement (see Section I.M.) additional out-of-class work may be required. 

c) Field placement or clinic: 42.5 hours per credit of time spent in class, performing field placement or clinic work, preparing for class or completing class assignments, and preparing for and taking an exam (if applicable).

3) With the exception of independent research projects (see Section VI.H.), if a student spends more than the minimum number of total hours per credit on the course, no additional credit beyond the established amount will be awarded for satisfactory completion of the course.

4) Each semester, the associate dean of curricular programs, in consultation with the assistant dean for academic services and registrar, will audit current courses to ensure compliance with this policy. 

5) The Law School’s curriculum committee will review the credit hour policies and procedures annually. 

Q. Class Recording

Consistent with University policy, classes at the Law School cannot be recorded without permission from the instructor.  Instructors may choose not to record their classes.

R. Technical Standards for UVA Law Students

To be competent members of the legal profession, lawyers must possess a range of skills and fulfill a variety of obligations. These skills and obligations are essential to the practice of law, regardless of the lawyer’s exact career path, and flow from accrediting agencies, licensing authorities, and customs in the profession.

To develop these skills and prepare for these obligations, students must be able to meet the following technical standards, without accommodation or with reasonable accommodation, from the time they enroll at the Law School until they graduate. These technical standards reflect competencies and requirements that the Law School has determined, through its academic judgment, to be essential to the program of legal education. 

• Collect, process, synthesize, and summarize large volumes of complex information from diverse sources, including written materials, lectures, and conversations.
• Apply knowledge and skills to new situations.
• Satisfy all instructional requirements, including exams, papers, and other assignments.
• Speak publicly, listen to others, participate in both open and structured discussion, and make oral presentations in class and other settings, with or without notice.
• Communicate effectively and with integrity in writing, including in papers, on exams, and in correspondence with instructors, administrators, prospective employers, and others.
• Meet all deadlines for academic assessments and administrative requirements.
• Arrive punctually for professional commitments, including classes and appointments with instructors, administrators, prospective employers, and others.
• Monitor and respond promptly and appropriately to communications from instructors, administrators, prospective employers, and others.
• Comply with the academic policies and other rules of the Law School and those of individual instructors, including policies on in-person class attendance, academic assessments, course selection and enrollment, financial aid, and graduation requirements.
• Comply with all ethical obligations applicable to summer or external employment as well as representation of clients in clinical and similar settings.
• Work effectively, including on exams and other academic assessments, when under time pressure, when alone and in groups, and when monitored (e.g., to ensure academic integrity).
• Interact fairly, collegially, and ethically with others, regardless of difference, including productively engaging with those who hold conflicting attitudes and opinions or come from different backgrounds.
• Manage multiple academic and non-academic assignments throughout the semester simultaneously and responsibly.

Students are required to attest that they can satisfy these technical standards, without accommodation or with reasonable accommodation, prior to enrolling at the Law School.

Current and prospective students who need or anticipate needing reasonable accommodation should see Section I.F above. Students who are unsure if they can satisfy the technical standards even with reasonable accommodation may discuss their situation with the Law School’s assistant dean for student affairs. Whether a student can satisfy the technical standards will be determined through an individualized assessment, including consideration of reasonable accommodations, as described in Section I.F above.

The University of Virginia does not discriminate against qualified current and prospective students with disabilities. These technical standards are not intended to deter any current or prospective student for whom reasonable accommodation will allow fulfillment of the Law School’s program of legal education.

II. International Programs

A. International Dual-Degree Program

Third-year J.D. students may complete a dual-degree program with the University of Paris I Pantheon – Sorbonne Law School and Sciences Po/Paris. Students who successfully complete the program earn 27 credits; two residency semesters; a French law diploma (entitling them to sit for the French bar exam); and a J.D. degree from the Law School. For questions related to the administration of the program (e.g., nomination/application process, courses, credits, grading standards), please contact studentrecords@law.virginia.edu.  For questions about financial aid/tuition/fees, please contact financialaid@law.virginia.edu.  For questions related to student exchanges and careers, please contact privatepractice@law.virginia.edu.  The faculty advisor for the Program is the Chairperson of the International Relations Committee.

NOTE: Transfer students awarded two residency semesters at entrance are not eligible to participate in international dual-degree programs.

Selected students must complete four semesters at the School of Law, all graduation requirements, and a minimum of 59 credits toward their J.D. degrees before undertaking the program in Paris during their third year of study. Selected students are responsible for complying with all requirements and procedures for foreign student travel imposed by the University’s International Studies Office, with proof of compliance transmitted to the chair of the International Relations Committee before the student departs.

NOTE: D, F, and U grades (or their equivalents) awarded at international dual-degree institutions earn exclusion points in the same manner as grades earned at the Law School (see Section I.J.).

B. International Exchange Programs

The Law School offers second- and third-year J.D. students the opportunity to apply to participate in eleven international exchange programs: the University of Auckland in New Zealand; Bocconi Law School in Italy; Bucerius Law School in Germany; Hebrew University in Israel; Instituto de Empresa (IE) in Spain; Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) in India; the University of Melbourne in Australia; Pantheon-Paris-Assas University in France; Seoul National University in Korea; the University of Sydney in Australia; Tel Aviv University Law School in Israel; and Waseda University in Japan. Students who participate in these exchange programs will be abroad either in the fall semester of their third year or in the spring semester of their second year (Tel Aviv only). Students must take at least 12 credits in law classes at the host school (i.e., exclusive of law-related classes in non-law departments at the host school), and will earn one residency semester upon successful completion of such courses. Students who wish to earn additional credits may concurrently enroll in independent research projects at the Law School while on exchange. For questions related to the administration of the exchanges (e.g., nomination/application process, courses, credits, grading standards), please contact studentrecords@law.virginia.edu.  For questions about financial aid/tuition/fees, please contact financialaid@law.virginia.edu.  For questions related to student exchanges and careers, please contact privatepractice@law.virginia.edu.  The faculty advisor for exchange programs is the Chairperson of the International Relations Committee.

NOTE: The individual course grades earned at the Exchange institution do not appear on the Law School transcript.  D, F and U grades (or their equivalents) awarded at the Exchange institutions earn exclusion points in the same manner as grades earned at the Law School if the course is part of the student’s 12-credit load.  

Transfer students awarded two residency semesters at entrance are not eligible to participate in these international exchange programs.

Selected students are responsible for complying with all requirements and procedures for foreign student travel imposed by the University’s International Studies Office, with proof of compliance transmitted to the Student Records Office before the student departs.

C. Law Courses at Foreign Universities

Students may receive credit for law courses completed in law schools outside the United States under the following circumstances:

1) A student may petition the assistant dean for academic services and registrar for permission to receive credit for courses taken in the regular law faculty of a reputable foreign university. The petition must meet the following requirements:

a. The proposed courses must be relevant to the student’s existing or planned course of study at the Law School and will complement the student’s professional education.

b. The student must show sufficient academic ability and background, including proficiency with the language of instruction, to indicate that the courses completed will advance the student’s professional education in law.

c. The university in which the courses are offered must have a substantial and well-established law program, and the courses to be completed must be part of its regular course of instruction for its degree in law.

d. The nature and reputation of the university’s law program must show that it possesses a rigor that justifies the awarding of credit. NOTE: Summer programs offered through U.S. law schools at foreign universities do not qualify under the provisions of this policy.

2) A maximum of six semester credits may be applied toward the J.D. degree; the credits earned will not count for residency purposes. Students wishing to earn more than six semester credits at a foreign university should consider Student-Initiated Study Abroad (see Section II.D). D, F, and U grades (or their equivalents) awarded at foreign universities attended pursuant to this section earn exclusion points in the same manner as grades earned at the Law School (see Section I.J. ).

3) The assistant dean of academic services and registrar will present the student’s petition to the Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee will act on the petition at its next regularly scheduled meeting. It may obtain whatever information it deems relevant in addition to the information contained in the student’s petition. The Committee’s action is final.

4) The student will be responsible for complying with all requirements and procedures for foreign student travel imposed by the University’s International Studies Office, with proof of compliance transmitted to the Student Records Office before the student departs. 

NOTE: University policy restricts University-affiliated student travel to (or continued presence in) locations for which the U.S. State Department has issued a Travel Warning. Such warnings can be issued unexpectedly. Students should choose their destination and prepare accordingly.

D. Student-Initiated Study Abroad

Under the student-initiated study abroad program, a student may spend one semester away from the Law School studying law in a foreign university law school or law department (hereafter the “foreign law school” or “host law school”), for which the student will receive, upon satisfactory completion, up to 15 credits (up to 12 transfer credits for coursework completed at the foreign law school and one to three graded credits for a research paper written as part of the study abroad experience under the supervision of an eligible Law School professor) and one residency semester toward the J.D. degree.

NOTE: Study abroad programs offered through U.S. law schools at foreign universities do not qualify under the provisions of this policy.

The program is administered by the Law School’s International Relations Committee, which must approve all applications. The purpose of student-initiated study abroad is to enable a student to obtain an academic and research experience not otherwise available at the Law School. Given the Law School’s diverse array of academic and research opportunities, students will bear a heavy burden to demonstrate that study abroad is truly justified. Each student participating in student-initiated study abroad will be required to complete a substantial research paper on a topic of scholarly interest to the student, approved by a Law School faculty member who has agreed to supervise the student’s project (“Law School faculty advisor”), and related to the course of study undertaken by the student at the host law school. The topic of the paper must be included in the student’s proposal to the International Relations Committee. The host law school must be one that offers the first degree in law within that country, although graduate-level courses may be more appropriate for the second- and third-year Law School students eligible for the program. The host law school and the academic coursework pursued must be of sufficiently high quality to make the granting of credit from the Law School appropriate.

It is the student’s responsibility to contact and obtain admission to and the approval of the host law school as well as to locate and enlist the support of a faculty advisor at the host law school (“foreign faculty advisor”). Student contact with foreign law schools should be coordinated through the Law School’s International Relations Committee. If the plan requires study in a foreign language, the student must demonstrate proficiency in that language. Students engaged in student-initiated study abroad will continue to pay full tuition and fees to the Law School for the semester in which they are engaged in student-initiated study abroad. The Law School will customarily provide some financial assistance to the student to partially offset the tuition charged by the host institution, but international student tuition is highly variable among foreign universities and each case will require independent financial review by the International Relations Committee. No such financial assistance will be provided without the approval of the International Relations Committee, so students are advised to consult with the committee early in the process. Students are encouraged to discuss other financial concerns with the Law School financial aid office.

1) ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION 

A student in good academic standing may study abroad in their fourth or fifth semester of law school. Applications for student-initiated study abroad to be undertaken in the spring must be submitted to the chair of the International Relations Committee by Nov. 1. Applications for projects to be undertaken in the fall must be submitted by April 1. Planning for a student-initiated study abroad semester must commence much earlier, however, because several necessary steps — such as applying to an appropriate foreign law school, writing a research and foreign coursework proposal, and obtaining both Law School and foreign faculty advisors — are time-consuming.

NOTE: Transfer students awarded two residency semesters at entrance are not eligible for student-initiated study abroad.

The application for student-initiated study abroad should include:

a. A description of the host law school (including its national and international reputation), its grading system, academic calendar and a description of a full course load for a semester.

b. A proposed course of study, including the name and detailed description of each course to be taken (along with the name and qualifications of the instructor, when available), the number of hours per week and the number of weeks the course meets, the course type (e.g. lecture, seminar), and the evaluation method (e.g. written or oral examination, paper).

c. A letter of acceptance and approval of the proposed course of study from the host law school.

d. A written description of the research proposal that identifies the research topic on which the student and both the Law School and foreign faculty advisors have agreed, indicating the sources and methodology through which the student plans to research the topic, and demonstrating the usefulness of the foreign study for the type of research indicated. A proposal to examine a series of general questions about a topic without indicating a thesis or plan that shows how the research relates to the topic will not be acceptable. The student should explore the structure of the research proposal with both the Law School and foreign faculty advisors before submitting the application. The length of this research proposal is usually five to 15 double-spaced typed pages. The main justification for a student-initiated study abroad program is the opportunity for the student to do unusual types of research and to expand their intellectual base in a chosen area of law or policy. Thus the research paper ought to be one that cannot practically be researched in Charlottesville.

e. A signed letter from a full-time resident Law School faculty member confirming that he or she has discussed the project and the foreign coursework with the student, will supervise the coursework and research project and will grade the research paper (see Section I.F).

f. A signed letter from a full-time resident faculty member of the host law school indicating that he or she has committed to serving as the student’s foreign faculty advisor, including a statement from the faculty member in support of the student’s course of study and research project. A simple statement of support will not be sufficient; the foreign faculty advisor must provide an endorsement specific to the student’s course of study and provide some explanation of why he or she supports the student’s particular research project. The foreign faculty advisor need not commit to grading the research paper; it will be graded for credit by the Law School faculty advisor. The student must also provide the foreign faculty advisor’s curriculum vitae.

g. A Law School transcript and a current resume. If the plan anticipates study in a foreign language, the student must demonstrate proficiency in that language.

h. A signed acknowledgement confirming the applicant’s knowledge and understanding of all program requirements, application requirements and procedures, and financial obligations and procedures.

2) EVALUATION AND APPROVAL
Student-initiated study abroad applications are submitted to the International Relations Committee for review. The International Relations Committee may disapprove the application, approve it as submitted or request changes that would make the proposal acceptable. The Committee will state in its approval how many credit hours (not to exceed 12) the Committee will award for successful completion of the foreign coursework component of the student-initiated study abroad plan. The burden remains on the student to persuade the committee that the coursework is sufficiently rigorous and that it will enable the student to fulfill educational objectives that cannot be achieved at the Law School.

3) REQUIREMENTS
The International Relations Committee may attach conditions to its approval of the student’s application. Conditions may include but are not limited to the following:

a. No student will be awarded more than 15 credit hours for successful completion of the student-initiated study abroad. Up to three of those hours will be allocated to the proposed substantive research paper and will be graded by the Law School faculty advisor. Up to 12 credits will be allocated to the student’s foreign coursework.

NOTE: For incidental study, students may earn up to six semester credits at a foreign university under the provision for Law Courses at Foreign Universities (see Section II.C).

b. Steady progress must be made on the research paper during the student-initiated study abroad semester. Specifically, the student and the Law School faculty advisor should agree to a schedule for completion of a detailed outline of the paper, a first draft and subsequent drafts. Having agreed to such a schedule, the student will be expected to adhere to it. The final version of the paper must be submitted to the Law School faculty advisor no later than 14 days before the grading deadline for the semester in which the student-initiated study abroad is undertaken.

c. When the student submits the research paper to the Law School faculty advisor, the student will also submit to the Law School faculty advisor (with a copy to the chair of the International Relations Committee) a written summary of their experience in the student-initiated study abroad program.

d. As soon as it is available, the student shall forward to the chair of the International Relations Committee a copy of the grade report for their foreign coursework, with any additional explanation of the foreign law school’s grading system that the chair deems necessary to evaluate the adequacy of the student’s performance for Law School credit. D, F, and U grades (or their equivalents) awarded in a student-initiated study abroad program earn exclusion points in the same manner as grades earned at the Law School (see Section I.J. ).

e. Periodic communications between the student and the Law School faculty advisor are required throughout the student-initiated study abroad semester to assist the student in making satisfactory progress toward completion of their academic coursework and research project. The responsibility for communication rests with the student, who should report to their Law School faculty advisor at least twice a month.

f. The student will be responsible for complying with all requirements and procedures for foreign student travel imposed by the University’s International Studies Office, with proof of compliance transmitted to the Student Records Office before the student departs.

NOTE: University policy restricts University-affiliated student travel to (or continued presence in) locations for which the U.S. State Department has issued a Travel Warning. Such warnings can be issued unexpectedly.  Students should choose their destination and prepare accordingly.

III. Special Programs

A. Combination-Degree Programs

The Law School and other schools and departments of the University have developed several combination degree programs enabling students to obtain a J.D. degree and master-level degree concurrently. Students enrolled in combination degree programs must file required documents with the Student Records Office and be in good standing at the Law School. The following combination degree programs are currently available:

• J.D./M.A. (English, environmental science, government, foreign affairs, history, philosophy)
• J.D./M.B.A. (business)
• J.D./M.D. (medicine)
• J.D./M.P.H. (public health)
• J.D./M.P.P. (public policy)
• J.D./M.S. (accounting)
• J.D./M.U.E.P. (urban and environmental planning)

More Information

B. Dual Degree Programs

For a student who is admitted both to the Law School and to one of the following three schools, the Law School can approve a dual degree program on application by the individual student:

• J.D.-M.P.A. (Public Affairs) in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University
• J.D.-M.A.L.D. (Law and Diplomacy) in the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
• J.D.-M.A. (International Relations) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

Please refer to the Graduate Record for further information about admission, course, degree, and residency requirements. Students enrolled in dual degree programs must file required documents with the Student Records Office.

C. Externships

1) OVERVIEW

The Law School offers four different types of externships: part-time externships, J-term externships, full-time externships, and UVA Law in DC, a specialized full-time externship program based in Washington, D.C. In all four externships, students obtain field placements for one semester or J-term in domestic or international government, judicial, or nonprofit organizations, where they engage in legal work under the direct supervision of an attorney in the placement organization. Summer work does not qualify for externship credit. Externship proposals substantially similar to available clinical offerings will not be approved. Students may not earn a salary or other compensation for externship work unless it is standard at the placement.  Reimbursement by the placement organization for work-related expenses may be permissible. Externship work hours that are counted toward academic credit may not count toward a student’s pro bono hours. Students participating in externships are expected to complete field placement work by the end of the finals period, but externs may request a short extension to the director of externships when extraordinary circumstances arise necessitating additional work time.

a. Part-time externships
Part-time externships are primarily local and require a total of 130 hours’ work at the placement organization (10 hours per week) as well as directed reading and writing assignments, for a total of 4 academic credits (1 letter-graded, 3 Satisfactory (S)/ Unsatisfactory (U)).

b. J-Term externships
J-Term externships may be local, national, or international, and require a total of 88 hours at the placement organization (8 hours per day) that must be completed between January 1 and the first day of the spring semester, as well as directed reading and writing assignments, for a total of 2 academic credits (1 letter-graded, 1 Satisfactory (S)/ Unsatisfactory (U)). Students participating in J-term externships may not enroll in other J-term classroom courses at the Law School. 

c. Full-time externships
Full-time externships may be local, national, or international, and require a total of 455 hours’ work at the placement organization (35 hours per week), directed reading, and writing assignments, including a substantial research paper on an approved topic relevant to the placement organization’s work, for a total of 13 credits (3 letter-graded, 10 Satisfactory (S)/ Unsatisfactory (U)). By permission of the director of externships and assistant dean for academic services and registrar, students participating in full-time externships may enroll in Independent Research or Directed Research projects for a total of 1 or 2 additional credits but may not enroll in other courses at the Law School.

d. UVA Law in DC
UVA Law in DC is a curricular offering requiring a total of 455 hours’ work at the placement organization (35 hours per week), which must be a government office or agency or a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization, participation in a weekly seminar in Washington, directed reading and writing assignments, and a substantial research paper on an approved topic relevant to the placement organization’s work, for a total of 13 credits (3 letter-graded, 10 Satisfactory (S)/ Unsatisfactory (U)). By permission of the director of externships and assistant dean for academic services and registrar, students participating in full-time externships may enroll in Independent Research or Directed Research projects for a total of 1 or 2 additional credits but may not enroll in other courses at the Law School.

For all externships, the student is responsible for obtaining the placement with a qualified organization. The Public Service Center can assist students in finding placements. The organization must provide a letter to the director of externships acknowledging the program’s expectations and the organization’s obligations, including the role of the placement organization supervisor, the faculty advisor, and the director of externships. 

2) OBJECTIVES OF THE EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM
The externship program provides students the opportunity to supplement academic learning in a setting outside the classroom under the supervision of a practicing lawyer. Externships combine substantial, practical legal work for a governmental or nonprofit organization with academic inquiry through readings, a reflective journal, research papers, and guided reflection papers, and, in the case of UVA Law in DC, a weekly seminar. Externs learn to work under close supervision, receive feedback from the supervisor at the placement organization and a Law School faculty member, and engage in self-assessment. 

The main objectives of the Law School’s externship program are to connect traditional academic learning and abstract legal thinking with the practice of law, and to assist students in building their professional identity, becoming better problem-solvers, master self-directed learning, and developing interpersonal and professional skills.

3) ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION
To apply, a student must be in good standing. First-year students and LL.M students are not eligible for externships. Transfer students are not eligible for full-time externships.

Ordinarily a student may participate in a full-time externship only in their fourth or fifth semester of law school, so that the value of the experience may be shared with law school colleagues, drawn upon in the classroom, and used to enrich the student’s own approach to traditional academic classes. A student who wishes to extern full-time in their final semester must obtain advance permission from the director of externships and consult with the Student Records Office prior to applying.

No student may do more than one full-time externship or UVA Law in DC externship, and no student may do more than two externships in total, during their law school career. No student may do more than one externship per semester.

In accordance with ABA Standards, a student cannot be enrolled in an externship unless they are concurrently enrolled in, or have successfully completed, a course designated by the faculty as educating students on bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism prior to the start of the externship.

Applications should be submitted to the Law School’s director of externships.  Deadlines will be posted on the Externships website.

Because the student must obtain their placement and (for full-time individualized externships) must also develop a detailed proposal for a substantial academic research paper, as well as a background reading list, the student should begin the process at least two months before those deadlines, including applying as soon as possible to the organization where he or she would like to extern. Because potential externship placement organizations can have varying decision schedules, applications for academic credit may be submitted without final confirmation of a position with the placement organization, as long as the student submits evidence of substantial progress toward obtaining a placement.

Full-time externships require a signed letter from a resident Law School faculty member, confirming that he or she has discussed the proposed externship with the student and has agreed to serve as the faculty supervisor, and, in accordance with the Externship Manual, to monitor the research project, directed readings, and written products under a schedule established in advance. 

Detailed information on application requirements for each type of externship is available on the Externships website.

4) APPROVAL OF EXTERNSHIPS
The application must be approved for the student to receive academic credit for the externship.

a. Part-time externships
The director of externships approves part-time externships in consultation with the Curriculum Committee.

b. Full-time individualized externships
The Curriculum Committee approves proposed full-time externships, other than UVA Law in DC externships, acting on the recommendations of the director of externships.

c. J-term externships
The director of externships approves J-term externships in consultation with the Curriculum Committee.

d. UVA Law in DC
The director of externships approves UVA Law in DC externships in consultation with the Curriculum Committee.

Final authority for decisions on externships rests with the Curriculum Committee.

Further information on the criteria for approval of externship applications is available via the Law School’s Externships website.

5) EXTERNSHIP ENROLLMENT

Students who have been notified of their approval for an Externship must notify the assistant dean of academic services and registrar via email to be enrolled in the appropriate externship courses. The email notification must be delivered before the close of the Add/Drop period for the semester in which the Externship occurs.

6) EVALUATION 
To receive credit for the non-letter grade portion of any externship, the student must complete all work hours, submit timely and thorough journals and timesheets, and obtain a satisfactory evaluation from the supervisor at the placement organization. The director of externships makes the final determination on whether the student should receive credit for the field placement component of the externship.

The Directed Study portion of an externship will receive a traditional point-bearing letter grade (see Academic Policy I.I) based on the following:

a. Part-time externships
The grade will be awarded based primarily on the required written assignments and progress toward the student’s self-defined goals for the externship supervised by the director of externships.

b. Full-time externships
The grade will be awarded based primarily on the substantial research paper supervised by the co-instructing resident faculty member as well as the written assignments supervised by the co-instructing director of externships.

c. J-term externships
The grade will be awarded based primarily on the required written assignments and progress toward the student’s self-defined goals for the externship supervised by the director of externships.

d. UVA Law in DC
The grade will be awarded based primarily on the required written assignments and progress toward the student’s self-defined goals for the externship supervised by the director of externships. 

D. Third-Year Thesis Program

Under the third-year thesis program, third-year students may receive credit for intensive research leading to a thesis completed under close faculty supervision coupled with an oral defense before a faculty committee.

1) ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION 
A student in good academic standing may undertake a yearlong thesis during their third year of law school. Applications must be received by the Curriculum Committee before the beginning of the student’s third year. Planning for the thesis must commence much earlier, however, because several necessary steps — such as writing a research protocol, preparing a summary of the current literature and obtaining faculty advisors — are time-consuming.

THE APPLICATION MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

a. A written description of the student’s research proposal. The description shall identify the research topic on which the student and the faculty advisors have agreed and indicate the sources and methodology through which the student plans to research the topic. The written description should include an explanation of why the proposed research is unique and cannot satisfactorily be done through normal course work or supervised independent research.

b. A summary of the current literature, endorsed by the student’s faculty advisors, that indicates how the proposed research will make a significant contribution to the scholarly literature.

c. A signed letter from two full-time resident law faculty members confirming that they have reviewed the thesis proposal and literature summary and judged that the research will make a significant contribution to the scholarly literature, and affirming that they will supervise the project and grade the research paper (see Section I.G).

2) EVALUATION AND APPROVAL 

The Curriculum Committee may disapprove the application, approve it as submitted or request changes that would make the proposal acceptable.

3) CREDIT 

In general, six hours of academic credit will be awarded for completion of a third-year thesis. No more than six hours of credit may be earned, although in unusual cases a lesser amount of credit may be approved. Credit will be allocated equally to each semester in the student’s third year. A student who is preparing a thesis may not earn additional credit for supervised independent research during the same period.

4) THESIS 

Students should expect to prepare a thesis of approximately 30,000 words, including footnotes. This is intended only as a guideline; final determination of appropriate requirements will be left to the supervisory faculty committee. A printed copy of the final paper must be submitted to the Student Records Office to be forwarded to the Law Library, where it is filed under the name of the supervising faculty member for 10 years.

5) FACULTY SUPERVISION, DEFENSE OF THESIS AND FINAL APPROVAL

a. The project must be supervised by two faculty members, who are expected to meet frequently with the student throughout the year.

b. Each thesis will be reviewed by a committee composed of the two supervising faculty members plus one other faculty member named by the Curriculum Committee. Unless the Curriculum Committee determines otherwise, the supervising committee will conduct an oral examination of the student on the subject of their thesis. The supervising committee will determine the grade earned by the student and may reduce the number of hours of academic credit earned by the student if the completed work was insufficient to earn the amount of credit originally approved.

IV. Papers

A. Original Work Required

Any paper or other written work submitted for any Law School course, seminar, or independent research project must be solely the original work of the student in whose name the work is submitted, with all sources acknowledged. Unless specifically authorized otherwise in writing, use of artificial intelligence in the process of writing any paper or other written work is prohibited. The Law School may analyze papers using anti-plagiarism, AI-detection, and related programs.

B. Multiple Submissions

No paper or written work, or portion thereof, may be submitted for credit toward the law degree that has been previously submitted in identical or similar form in another course or seminar or any other forum anywhere, either within the Law School or any other setting. The work submitted for credit toward a law degree must be completed originally and solely for the requirement for which it is submitted.

1. If a student wishes to submit work for credit toward the law degree that he or she has begun previously (but was not submitted for academic credit) the student must submit the previous work to the instructor in advance for approval. Such approval must be in writing provided via email to the Student Records Office.
2. Similarly, no paper or similar papers may be submitted in more than one course or seminar or independent study or any other forum, either within the Law School or any other setting, concurrently without the advance written permission of the instructors to whom the paper will be submitted provided via email to the Student Records Office. If permission is granted, the paper must be at least twice the length required for each course or seminar for which it is submitted. 

C. Deadlines and Extensions

Unless the instructor announces an earlier deadline, all papers for academic credit are due no later than noon on the day before the last day of the finals period for the semester in which credit is to be awarded. If the instructor sets an earlier deadline, it must fall during Law School business hours. EXCEPTION: Student-initiated study abroad program research papers have a different deadline. 

Students are expected to work diligently over the course of the semester to complete papers in a timely manner.

Instructors may not grant deadline extensions; all authority in this matter is delegated by the faculty to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar and the assistant dean for student affairs.

All written work product due after the last class session for a course must be submitted via EXPO.

Deadline extensions must be sought in advance of the scheduled deadline and will be granted only when the student suffers an emergency near the deadline (e.g., the student’s hospitalization). The student seeking an extension must make a written request to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar and the assistant dean for student affairs, stating the current status of the paper, including information on the work remaining and expected amount of time necessary to finish the paper. The student must also provide with the request the most up-to-date draft of their paper. To support a request for an extension, the student must have written documentation of the emergency that proves satisfactory to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar and the assistant dean for student affairs. The form for making a request is available on LawWeb.

An extended deadline cannot be later than one week before the grading deadline for the class requiring the paper.

The Law School expects students to have papers substantially complete by the start of the exam period. No extensions of paper deadlines will be permitted due to mismanagement of time during the course of the semester, changes in the research or direction of the paper, events that occurred during the semester, or exam period workload.   

D. Late Submissions

Students are expected to submit papers in accordance with established deadlines. Failure to submit papers when requested may result, for each 24-hour period that the paper is beyond the deadline, in as much as a two-step reduction in the grade for the course, seminar, or research project (including independent research, external studies, student-initiated study abroad, and third-year theses). The first 24-hour period begins at the submission deadline, so a paper submitted at any point during this first 24-hour period warrants up to a two-step reduction. The exact reduction in grade will be determined by the instructor. Pursuant to Part I.I.1 of these policies, faculty use 10 letter grades, each of which constitutes a “step,” in evaluating performance in courses and seminars (A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, F).

V. Examinations

Detailed examination information is posted each semester. Students are responsible for reviewing and complying with all exam policies and procedures. Student requests for exceptions to these policies may be granted only by the assistant dean for student affairs and assistant dean of academic services and registrar(see below). Failure to take an examination without an exception (see Section V.I below) during the scheduled time will result in a failing grade.

A. Final Exam Schedule

Law courses typically have a final exam at the end of the semester or require a paper in lieu of an exam. If a paper in lieu of an exam is permitted, the policies in Section IV apply to the paper. First-year courses will have “fixed” exams; all other courses in the Law School requiring examinations will have “flex” exams. The final exam calendar is posted on LawWeb at the beginning of each semester.

1. If a course is scheduled to have a fixed exam, students must sit for that exam during the designated time.
2. If a course is scheduled to have a flex exam, students must take that exam during the announced window of availability.  
3. Students must take flex exams in locations designated by the Law School and announced by Student Records on LawWeb prior to the start of the exam period. Students may not take a flex exam in a room with students taking a fixed exam unless by specific permission from the Student Affairs Office or Student Records Office. 
4. Advance registration for exams is not required. 

B. General Rules

1. No information of any kind about any exam, including an exam from a prior semester, may be transmitted by any means to students who have not taken that exam. This prohibition includes but is not limited to information about the specific content of questions; the number, difficulty and kinds of questions; and general topics included or not included on the exam.
2. Unless specifically instructed otherwise by an instructor, students may discuss exams after the exam period ends, but only with students who have completed the exam.
3. The time permitted by an instructor for an exam will be multiplied by 1.334 for designated LL.M. and exchange students (for an extra 20 minutes per exam hour).  J.D. and non-law students are not eligible for this additional exam time.
4. Unless specifically authorized otherwise in writing, students may not use aids while taking an exam. Aids include, but are not limited to, human assistance, notes, books, outlines, study guides, dictionaries, language translation services or programs (e.g., Google Translate), computer programs, internet applications, and artificial intelligence. Unless specifically authorized otherwise in writing, everything that appears in an exam answer submitted for grading must have been created and written originally and entirely by the student in English while taking the exam.  The Law School may analyze exam answers using anti-plagiarism, AI-detection, and related programs.

C. Computer Policies

1. Students are required to take all exams (fixed and flex) on a laptop computer unless instructed otherwise. Unless specifically authorized otherwise in writing, use of other computing devices while taking an exam, including but not limited to, tablets and smart phones, is prohibited except for the limited purpose of multi-factor authentication. Other than the monitor attached to the student’s laptop, students may not use peripheral monitors unless accommodated in writing for medical reasons by the assistant dean of student affairs. Use of a peripheral mouse or keyboard is permitted as long as doing so does not encroach on another student’s work space or disrupt other students.
2. It is the student’s responsibility to have all computer equipment in good working order at each exam. Students should reboot their computers and scan for viruses before the exam period begins.
3. Students are expected to monitor their University email accounts. If there is a problem with a student’s exam, the student will be contacted via their University email address. 

D. Procedure for Problems Experienced During an Examination

Students who experience computer problems, medical concerns, or other issues that affect their ability to perform during an exam should immediately contact an appropriate administrator (Law IT, Student Affairs, or Student Records) and report the problem. 

Once an issue is reported, specific procedures/remedies are in place including allowances to stop time as follows:

Computer problems:

• The exam time clock is “stopped” when a student reports a computer-related exam issue to Law IT and Law IT accepts the student’s report. Once the problem is corrected, the time clock is restarted and the student resumes sitting the exam using either his/her laptop or a back-up PC.
• If a student loses part or all of her or his exam answer as a result of a computer-related issue, Law IT will try to recover the work lost before the issue was reported. Students will be given one-half of any time lost between the last successful “save” and the report time of an issue. This time will be added to the remaining time left on the exam and the student’s exam end time will be adjusted accordingly. Example: A student reports and Law IT accepts a problem two hours into a three-hour exam at 3:15 p.m.  The last recoverable saved document is time stamped at 2:45 p.m. Student will be given one-half of the 30 minutes lost, i.e., 15 minutes. Hence, when the student resumes the exam, he or she will be given one hour and 15 minutes to complete the exam.

Medical or other issues:

• The exam time clock is “stopped” when a student reports to an appropriate law school administrator a medical or other issue affecting his or her ability to perform and the appropriate law school administrator accepts the student’s report. If the student is able to resume the exam, the time clock is restarted.
• The duration of the stoppage described in (a) above shall not exceed 60 minutes. Moreover, students will not be allowed more than one stoppage of time under this section during an exam.
• If the student is unable to resume the exam due to hospitalization, the appropriate law school administrator will make a determination at a later date regarding the exam status of the student.

E. Honor Pledge

1. Unless specifically instructed to hand-write and sign the Honor Pledge on the exam cover sheet, students submitting exams electronically acknowledge the following Honor Pledge on all exams: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received aid on this examination, nor did I have prior knowledge of its contents.” 
2. Students who are unable to acknowledge the Honor Pledge must inform Student Records Office personnel or the assistant dean for academic services and registrar.

F. Exam Types and Questionset Distribution, Answer Submission, and Collection Procedures

1. FIXED EXAMS First-year courses have fixed exams, which means those exams are scheduled to occur on a specific day and time for all students in the course.  Students will receive instructions a day or so before the exam about the specific room where their exam will be administered.  Upon completion of the exam, students must return the questionset to a box in the distribution room or to Student Records if the box has been removed.  Students should not leave the Law School with the exam questionset.
2. FLEX EXAMS Unlike fixed exams occurring on a specific date and time, flex exams are distributed during a pre-announced window of availability.  Flex exams are distributed and administered in accordance with instructions and procedures announced by Student Records on LawWeb prior to the start of the exam period.  

G. Late Exams

In accordance with guidelines adopted by the faculty, late exams will be evaluated as follows:

1. If an exam is submitted less than five minutes late, a faculty member may, at their discretion, penalize that late exam. For example, if an exam falls on the borderline between two grades, the faculty member may use the fact that the exam was late as a basis for awarding a lower grade.
2. If an exam is submitted more than five minutes late, the grade shall be reduced according to the following schedule of penalties, unless the faculty member concludes that there is good cause to do otherwise.

• If the exam is 5 to 10 minutes late, the grade will be reduced one gradation (i.e., an A is reduced to A-, B+ to B, etc.);
• If the exam is 10 to 15 minutes late, the grade will be reduced two gradations (i.e., an A is reduced to B+, B to C+, etc.);
• If the exam is 15 to 20 minutes late, the grade will be reduced three gradations (i.e., an A is reduced to B; etc.);
• If the exam is more than 20 minutes late, the grade will be reduced four or more gradations.

H. Fire Alarms and Power Outages

In the event a fire alarm is activated at the Law School or there is a power failure at the Law School while a final exam is in progress, the following procedure will be used.

1. Students taking exams at the Law School will evacuate the exam rooms, leaving all exam materials and computers in the exam rooms. 
2. The exam administration staff will note the time and lock the exam rooms if it is safe to do so.
3. When re-entry to the exam rooms is allowed, a member of the exam administration staff will notify students of the adjusted times. The assistant dean for academic services and registrar or Student Records Office personnel will determine if, and how much, extra time will be allowed for completion of exams due to the disruption.

I. Exceptions

Law School faculty policy requires all students to adhere to the exam schedule and procedures described herein and delegates administrative responsibility for these matters solely to the assistant dean for student affairs and assistant dean of academic services and registrar. Exceptions may not be granted by individual faculty members. There is no appeal from a determination regarding exceptions.

1. The Law School expects students to take their exams on schedule and under standard procedures.  Exceptions are granted only in extraordinary circumstances arising outside the student’s control (e.g., hospitalization of the student or death of an immediate family member).  Under no circumstances will the following justify an exam exception: vacations, honeymoons, employment-related activities, lower airfares, weddings, and similar events.  Any request for a disability accommodation should follow the Disability Accommodation policy (see Section I.F), not this Exception policy.
2. Students requesting an exception to the exam schedule and/or procedures must complete a written petition located on LawWeb. In most circumstances, petitions for exceptions require supporting documentation.
3. Exceptions to the exam schedule and/or procedures must be sought in advance, except when circumstances beyond the student’s control occur and make it impossible to seek the exception in advance. In cases of emergency, call 434-924-1363 (assistant dean for student affairs) or 434-924-6024 (assistant dean for academic services and registrar).
4. If an exception to reschedule an exam is permitted, it will result in the student taking the same exam taken by the other students in the class. All rescheduled exams shall be taken at the Law School, and shall be administered on the first business day the student is no longer suffering from the circumstances giving rise to the exception. All rescheduled exams must be completed during the exam period.   
5. If a student fails to complete an exam during the exam period, the student will receive a grade of F for the class unless the student submits a petition for relief based on extraordinary circumstances that establishes that the student could not have taken the exam during the exam period.  If that petition is granted, the student will receive the grade of “W” for the class.
6. Exceptions will not be granted to permit a student to take a fixed exam earlier than scheduled.

VI. Courses and Course Enrollment

A. Adding and Dropping Courses

Students enroll in courses initially via a course “lottery” administered by the Student Records Office and Law IT several weeks prior to the start of the semester, and thereafter, students can make course enrollment adjustments via their Student Information System (SIS) accounts during an announced “Add/Drop” period.  Students are strongly advised to review their schedules in SIS at the end of each add/drop period to confirm that their course schedules match their intentions. Once the add/drop period has ended, students are expected (absent compelling and exceptional circumstances justifying withdrawal) to complete the requirements for all courses in which they are enrolled.

NOTE: The add/drop policy governing January Term and short courses is different (see Sections VI.I and VI.N).

NOTE: Students who have added a clinical course to their schedule cannot add a second clinic until (1) after the add/drop deadline passes and a seat remains open in the second clinic, AND (2) both clinic directors have signed SRO’s form authorizing the dual enrollments.

B. Auditing Courses

Students wishing to enroll in courses as an auditor must obtain instructor authorization and submit a request form to the Student Records Office before the close of the Add/Drop period. If open seats in the course are plentiful, the Student Records Office may approve the request earlier than the add/drop deadline. If seats in the course are competitive, the Student Records Office will wait until the add/drop deadline to prioritize those students who seek to take the class for credit. Approvals to audit will be on a first-come, first-served space-available basis. 

No credit (degree credit or otherwise) is awarded for an audit; the annotation “AU” will appear on the student’s transcript noting the audit. To secure such a notation, students must attend at least 80 percent of the scheduled class sessions.

The credit values of audited courses are not included in calculating the minimum course load of 12 credits or in calculating the maximum load of 17 credits. Students may discontinue auditing a course at any time during the semester by notifying the Student Records Office.

NOTE: An audit enrollment may not be changed to a graded enrollment; similarly, a graded enrollment may not be changed to an audit enrollment.

C. Course Load

J.D. STUDENTS

J.D. students must not be enrolled in coursework in a single semester that exceeds 20 percent of the total coursework required for graduation. Accordingly, law students at the Law School are limited to a maximum of 17 credits to be applied toward the degree during any semester. To satisfy residency semester requirements, students must enroll in a minimum of 12 “degree” credits each semester. Students who wish to enroll in fewer than 12 credits must petition the assistant dean for student affairs; such petitions are granted only for exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control.

1. FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS - All first-year students must enroll in the required fall curriculum. In the spring semester, first-year students must enroll in required and elective courses totaling at least 15, but not more than 17, credits.  First-year students cannot drop or withdraw from any of the required courses.  First-year students may not enroll in more than 17 credits in either semester, nor may they enroll in clinical courses or non-law courses. Exception: First year students who are admitted or have applied to a combination degree program may enroll in one spring elective course that is taught by another department or school and cross-listed at the Law School with the express permission of the faculty advisor for the combination degree program and the assistant dean for academic services and registrar. This exception does not void the 17-credit limitation. Consult the Student Records Office for details.
2. UPPER-LEVEL STUDENTS - All second- and third-year students must enroll each semester in at least 12 credits to be applied toward the degree and no more than 17 credits to be applied toward the degree each semester. Note that taking only 12 credits per semester as an upper-level J.D. student will not make a student eligible to graduate in three years; a student must average between 14 and 15 credits to be applied toward the degree per semester to complete the J.D. degree in three years.
3. LL.M. STUDENTS - All LL.M. students must enroll in at least 12 credits to be applied toward the degree and no more than 14 credits toward the LL.M. degree each semester. Students who wish to enroll in more than 14 credits must obtain the approval of the assistant dean for graduate studies. Students who wish to enroll in fewer than 12 credits (on a part-time basis) must demonstrate exceptional circumstances and obtain the approval of the Vice Dean. LL.M. students are strongly advised to study and adhere to the credit hour and credit type (such as in-classroom vs. non-classroom credits) eligibility requirements of any jurisdiction where they may seek bar admission.

D. Course Withdrawal

Once the add/drop period has ended, students are expected to complete the requirements for all courses in which they are enrolled. Course withdrawal petitions will be considered only for good cause, such as illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control. Being enrolled in too many credits, journal participation, not needing a course to graduate, not attending the first class session, faculty changes, changes in course expectations, extracurricular or job-related activities, etc., do not justify withdrawing from a course after the add/drop period has ended. Withdrawal petitions must be submitted to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar. Students receiving veteran benefits are strongly encouraged to meet with the Office of Financial Aid before petitioning to ensure that a reduced credit load arising from a course withdrawal will not detrimentally impact their benefits.  Students granted course withdrawals will be assigned W (withdrawn) grades unless it is determined in consultation with the course instructor that a WF (withdrawn failing) grade is appropriate. 

E. Courses in Other University Departments

Students may supplement their Law School curriculum with courses from other schools and departments in the University.

Enrollment in non-law courses is subject to the following:

1. To qualify for credit toward the J.D. degree, the course must be a graduate level, in-person, non-language course numbered 5000 or higher, and not graded on a pass/fail (or similar) basis.  The course must also be directly relevant to the student’s intellectual development in the study of law.
2. Students who wish to enroll in a non-law course must submit a completed non-law course request form to the Student Records Office. If seeking degree credit, the petition must include a copy of the course syllabus and a statement of its direct relevance to the student’s intellectual development in the study of law.
3. Except for combination degree participants, no more than one non-law course may be taken in a given semester. J.D. students may not enroll in more than a combined total of 17 law and non-law credits toward the J.D. degree at any time. Exception: Some combination degree students enrolled exclusively in a required first-year program in another department or school may enroll in more than 17 credits in a semester. Consult the Student Records Office for details.
4. With the approval of the assistant dean for academic services and registrar, students may apply up to six non-law credits toward the J.D. degree. Students who wish to receive more than six non-law degree credits must submit a petition to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar, to be approved by the Curriculum Committee. This petition must describe not only the direct relevance of the additional non-law courses to the student’s intellectual development in the study of law, but also must make the case that the particular set of non-law courses selected forms part of a coherent educational plan. A maximum of 12 non-law degree credits may be applied toward the J.D. degree.
5. With the approval of the assistant dean for graduate studies, LL.M. students may apply a total of three non-law credits toward the LL.M. degree.
6. Unlike Law School courses, many courses in other schools and departments require the permission of the instructor to enroll. The Student Records Office will accept e-mails from non-law course instructors as authorization for enrollment.
7. Non-law courses often begin and end on different dates than Law School courses, and they may have different exam periods. Students taking non-law classes are responsible for knowing and adhering to the calendar promulgated by the department hosting the class.  
8. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange courses so that full attendance is possible.
9. Nothing in this Section is meant to discourage students from taking courses in other schools and departments of the University and not applying the resulting credit toward the J.D. degree. For example, fluency in a foreign language can be of obvious value in many types of legal practice and scholarship. Language courses, however, are not directly relevant to a student’s intellectual development in the study of law and do not qualify for degree credit.
10. Non-law course grades are not included in the calculation of Law School grade point averages or in the consideration of Law School honors.

F. Directed Research

Eligible students may receive credit for directed research projects supervised by eligible Law School faculty members. This opportunity differs from independent research credit in that it does not necessarily result in a formal research paper authored solely by the student. Work that might qualify for directed research credit could include research and writing that lead to an article co-authored by a professor and a student, sustained library research on discrete topics for an ongoing scholarly or pro bono project of a professor, or the interviewing of witnesses in connection with a professor’s public interest work. For credit to be awarded, the student must complete at least 42.5 hours of work per credit during the semester, and the supervising faculty member must certify that the experience was sustained, productive, and educationally valuable. Directed research projects are subject to the following restrictions:

1. First-year students are not eligible to enroll in directed research projects.
2. Enrollment in directed research must be completed through the Student Records Office by timely submitting the required form to the Student Records Office. (The form is available in Student Records or on LawWeb.) A completed form requires a summary of the research project to be undertaken and the signature of an eligible supervising faculty member.
3. Only full-time resident Law School faculty may supervise directed research projects (see Section I.G). Emeriti and visiting faculty members may supervise with the permission of the vice dean.  Students cannot use Directed Research to work with an eligible faculty member on a clinic-related matter.
4. Students may apply to enroll in directed research projects for one or two credits. Students will be graded on a Satisfactory (S)/Unsatisfactory (U) basis only.
5. Students may earn a maximum of three credits of directed research over their law school careers. Directed research credits will be combined with independent research credits for purposes of applying the overall ceilings on independent research credit (see Section VI.H.M); i.e., students may earn a maximum of eight credits, a maximum of four credits per academic year, and a maximum of six credits under the supervision of any one faculty member.
6. Students may not engage in a directed research project and be a paid research assistant for the same professor in a given semester.
7. Any work applied toward directed research credit may not be counted toward the pro bono hours registered with the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center.

G. Course Enrollment Procedures

Except for required first-year courses and other specified courses, all students enroll in courses using the Law School’s online lottery course enrollment system (the Lottery Course Selector (LCS)) and the University’s Student Information System (SIS). These systems require a computer with Internet access and a Web browser. The Student Records Office sets the Course Enrollment Schedule  and announces enrollment instructions.

Students who have not satisfied all student health, financial, or other administrative requirements of the University or Law School may have “negative service indicators” placed on their University records in SIS, which display as “holds.” Registration blocks may preclude course enrollment via the LCS, access to other University services, and course enrollment in SIS. The Student Records Office cannot remove or override registration blocks in SIS.

H. Independent Research

Eligible students enrolled in a degree program at the Law School may receive degree credit for independent research projects resulting in substantial research papers supervised and graded by eligible Law School faculty.

NOTE: Independent research projects are subject to the same policies as other courses. Policies governing withdrawal, paper deadline extensions, the upper-level writing requirement, grading, etc. (with the exception of class attendance) all apply. 

Independent research projects are subject to the following restrictions:

1. First-year J.D. students are not eligible to enroll in independent research projects.
2. Only resident Law School faculty may supervise independent research projects (see Section I.G). Part-time resident faculty, and visiting faculty members may supervise with the permission of the vice dean. Supervision by a member of the faculty of another school in the University is permitted with consultation by a member of the law faculty and with permission of the assistant dean for academic services. Instructors at the JAG School are not authorized to supervise independent research.
3. Enrollment in semester-long and fall/spring yearlong research projects must be completed through the Student Records Office by submitting a form (available in Student Records or on LawWeb). NOTE: The form requires confirmation from the supervising faculty member that he or she is willing to supervise the project. 
4. Students may earn one, two, or three credits for each project based upon the substantiality of the paper produced. The student specifies the number of credits to be earned at the time of application. Students must realistically plan the number of credits a given research project can support. 
5. Credit for a single independent research project of two or three credits may be spread over two consecutive semesters for students whose actual work on the project extends over this period.
6. The supervising faculty member, in consultation with the assistant dean for academic services and registrar, may approve credit and time period changes to the project. However, no changes can be made after November 1 for projects due in the fall or April 1 for projects due in the spring.
7. Unless the supervising faculty member establishes an earlier deadline, the research paper must be submitted no later than noon on the day before the last day of the exam period in the semester in which the paper is to be graded. If the supervising faculty member establishes an earlier deadline, that deadline must fall during Law School business hours.  Exceptions to this deadline may be granted only by the assistant dean for academic services and registrar or the assistant dean for student affairs.

8. Guidelines for paper length by number of credits are provided here. Typed, letter-sized (8 1/2” x 11”), double-spaced pages, footnotes included, are assumed. These are intended only as guidelines; final determination of requirements is left to the supervising faculty member.

9. The final research paper must be submitted through the Law School’s online exam/paper submission system in accordance with the announced deadline. Late paper submissions will be penalized in accordance with Section IV.D. of the Academic Policies.

10. No independent research credit may be earned in an academic year during which the student is enrolled in a third-year thesis (see Section III.D).

11. Any paper submitted for academic credit as independent research and also to satisfy membership or publication requirements of a journal must be completed and submitted before the editorial process begins. Papers submitted after a journal’s editorial work has begun will not be accepted for academic credit. This does not mean a student cannot discuss the project with anyone; quite the contrary. It is desirable to discuss the research and findings with others, including the journal editor, who might know about the topic. The writing, however, should be exclusively the student’s own work.

12. Independent research credits will be combined with directed research credits for purposes of applying the overall ceilings on independent research credit (see Section VI.E.F); i.e., students may earn a maximum of eight credits; a maximum of four credits per academic year; and a maximum of six credits under the supervision of any one faculty member. The hour limits described above are prescribed by the faculty and will not be waived except in very unusual circumstances, and then only upon request of the supervising professor to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar.

I. January Term Courses

The January Term is a distinct short course term separate from the fall and spring semesters. As such, January Term courses are not included in calculating course loads for the fall or spring semesters, but the credits are included in calculating the 86 credits required for graduation. January Term courses are offered each year during the weeks immediately preceding the start of spring semester courses. Typically, they meet for 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours) per day for five consecutive days or 180 minutes per day for four consecutive days, and students earn one credit for the course. Courses are offered in both the morning and the afternoon, but a student may enroll in only one January Term course each year.

Exams and papers for January Term courses are due by noon on a business day for the Law School no later than two weeks after the course ends, unless the instructor sets an earlier deadline.  If the instructor sets an earlier deadline, it must fall during Law School business hours.  Instructors may not grant deadline extensions; all authority in this matter is delegated by the faculty to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar and the assistant dean for student affairs.  Final grades are due no later than six weeks after the last class session.

Students are expected to attend 100 percent of J-term class sessions. An instructor may take absences into account for grading purposes, and an instructor shall notify the Student Records Office if a student’s absences make it impossible to meet the Law School’s minimum attendance requirements (see Section I.A).

1. Adding a January Term Course: A student can self-add a J-term course via SIS from mid-November until the announced add/drop deadline in SIS. Once the SIS add deadline passes, if seats are available in a J-term course, students seeking to enroll must submit a request form to the Student Records Office before the start of the course.
2. Dropping a January Term Course: A student can self-drop a J-term course via SIS during the Add/Drop period (from mid-November until the announced add/drop deadline). After that, a student must submit a drop request form to the Student Records Office no later than the start of the second class session.  

J. JAG School Courses

Each year the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School invites law students to request to enroll in a few of their courses. The Student Records Office administers the enrollment and waitlist process for these courses, but it is ultimately within the discretion of the JAG School to approve a student’s enrollment in one of its courses. While the JAG School is not a department at the University, its courses are akin to courses in other University departments (Section VI.E) as follows:

• Students who wish to enroll in a JAG School course must submit a completed JAG School course application form.
• Students may enroll in a maximum of three one-credit JAG short courses in a given semester, or in a single semester-long course.
• JAG School course forms will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis and are always subject to JAG School approval.
• With the approval of the assistant dean for academic services and registrar, students may apply up to six JAG School credits toward the J.D. degree. Students who wish to receive more than six JAG School degree credits must submit a petition to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar, to be approved by the Curriculum Committee. This petition must describe the direct relevance of the additional JAG School courses to the student’s intellectual development in the study of law. A maximum of 12 JAG School course credits may be applied toward the J.D. degree.
• With the approval of the assistant dean for graduate studies, LL.M. students may apply a total of three non-law/JAG School credits toward the LL.M. degree.
• JAG School courses often begin and end on different dates than Law School courses. The JAG School may, at times, need to adjust the schedule or meeting pattern for its courses.
• It is the student’s responsibility to arrange courses so that their full attendance is possible.
• JAG School courses shorter than a full semester in length are considered “short courses.” Students may add and drop JAG short courses in accordance with Law School short course policy (Section VI.N).
• JAG School course grades are not included in the calculation of Law School grade point averages or in the consideration of Law School honors.

K. Exclusive Courses

Mutually exclusive courses are two courses that cover material so duplicative of each other that only one of the courses may be completed for credit.  A single course may also be exclusive with another but not mutually (e.g., a semester-length course exclusive with a short version of the course).  Students may not enroll in exclusive courses, including multiple sections of the same course (e.g., two sections of Evidence). Exclusive courses are listed in the online course descriptions on the Law School’s website.

L. Prerequisite Courses

Many courses have prerequisites (or, in a few cases, concurrent requisites or “co-requisites”). Pre- or co-requisites (“Concurrencies”) are listed in the online course descriptions on the Law School’s website. Students must meet all such requirements for courses they wish to enroll in or obtain an appropriate written waiver placed on file in the Student Records Office in order to be enrolled.

M. Repeating Courses

Students may not repeat courses in which they earned passing grades. Students may re-enroll in courses in which they earned failing grades. Each enrollment will appear, with associated grades, on the student’s transcript. All grades received are included in GPA calculations. A student who earns a failing grade in a required course may elect to re-enroll in the course with any instructor she or he chooses unless the faculty member assigning the failing grade requires otherwise.

N. Short Courses

Short courses, typically noted with “SC” in the title, are specialized courses typically offered by visiting experts in a given area of the law. While most short courses are scheduled for a consecutive two-week period, some may be structured differently.

Exams and papers for short courses are due by noon on a business day for the Law School no later than two weeks after the course ends, unless the instructor sets an earlier deadline.  If the instructor sets an earlier deadline, it must fall during Law School business hours.  Final grades are due no later than four weeks after assignments are due (six weeks after the course ends) or by the school-wide grading deadline, whichever is earlier.

Students are expected to attend 100 percent of short course class sessions. An instructor may take absences into account for grading purposes, and an instructor shall notify the Student Records Office if a student’s absences make it impossible to meet the Law School’s minimum attendance expectations (see Section I.A). Special add/drop rules apply to short courses, including JAG School “short courses,” as follows:

1) Adding a Short Course: A student can self-add a short course via SIS until the add/drop deadline identified on the Academic Calendar. After the add/drop period ends, and if seats are available, students may make a request to the Student Records Office to add the course any time before the start of the course.

2) Dropping a Short Course: A student can self-drop a short course via SIS until the add/drop deadline identified on the Academic Calendar. Exception: if a short course starts during the first week of the semester, and its second class session starts before the add/drop deadline, students must submit a drop request to the Student Records Office before the start of the second class session instead of self-dropping via SIS.  Short courses starting after the passage of the add/drop deadline on the Academic Calendar can be dropped by submission of a request form to the Student Records Office by the earlier of the start of the second class session or noon the day after the first class session. 

O. Time Conflicts

Students may not enroll in courses with overlapping class meeting times no matter how minuscule the overlap. In addition, no credit will be granted for courses scheduled so close together that full attendance is unlikely. Please note that other schools’ enrollment schedules may differ from the Law School’s, and the Student Records Office may not learn of a time conflict until after the add/drop period has ended. Students will be dropped from one of the conflicting courses when a conflict is discovered.

P. Yearlong Courses

Yearlong courses are designated “(YR)” at the end of the course title. Students typically receive a “Satisfactory” (S) or “Unsatisfactory” (U) grade after the first semester (and are awarded partial credit), and then receive a letter grade (and the remaining credit) after completing the second semester of the course. After the add-drop period deadline passes in the fall, students cannot drop either the fall or spring portion of the course.  Students cannot add the spring half of a year-long course at any time after the add/drop deadline passes in the fall. 

VII. Academic and Non-Academic Student Conduct Requirements

The Law School faculty expects law students to maintain high standards of academic, professional, and personal conduct in compliance with the standards of the legal profession and the policies of both the Law School and the University. Failure to comply with these standards constitutes misconduct and subjects a student to sanctions, as outlined in this section. Academic misconduct includes any type of cheating or plagiarism or the failure to adhere to the academic policies of the Law School or the University, including the Technical Standards. Professional misconduct includes conduct that violates the Law School’s Professional Expectations for UVA Law Students, which reflect the legal profession’s standards of professional responsibility. Personal misconduct includes behavior that disrupts teaching, research or other Law School or University activities; neglects financial or administrative obligations owed to the Law School or the University; or fails to abide by the standards of honesty, good moral character, and fitness to practice law as required for licensure. 

A law student is subject to these conduct requirements from the time that the student submits an application for admission to the Law School (leading to enrollment) to the time that the student receives an official degree. These policies may thus be invoked for misconduct that occurs prior to a person’s joining the Law School community, and conferral of a degree does not terminate the possibility of a sanction for misconduct that occurred prior to conferral of that degree.

Misconduct — as described in, and during the timeframe described in, this section — may be subject to sanction regardless of where it occurs. Circumstances where misconduct may give rise to sanctions include but are not limited to students’ taking classes at the Law School (including work undertaken outside the Law School for Law School credit); participating in student organizations; and performing paid or unpaid work for a law firm, government office, judge, or other organization.

The faculty reserves the right to impose sanctions on students who are found to have engaged in misconduct. These sanctions can include, but are not limited to, required withdrawal, suspension, required counseling, and other reasonable measures. Misconduct may also make it impossible for a faculty member or administrator of the Law School to endorse a student’s character and fitness as part of the bar admission process.

The faculty has delegated the authority to make these determinations to the Academic and Professional Standards Committee, consisting of the vice dean of the Law School and faculty members appointed by the dean. The actions of that committee may be reviewed by the dean, but will be reviewed by the full faculty only at the dean’s recommendation. A description of the Committee’s procedures can be found here.  

In addition to these requirements, law students, like all University students, are expected to comply with the University’s Standards of Conduct, which are enforced by the Judiciary Committee, and the Honor Code, which is enforced by the Honor Committee. See https://ujc.virginia.edu/standards-conduct and www.virginia.edu/honor. Any proceeding initiated by the Law School’s Academic and Professional Standards Committee is independent from, and therefore may be in addition to, any proceeding initiated by the Judiciary Committee or the Honor Committee.

Activities and Organizations

Virginia Law is enriched by the scope of student organizations, extracurricular activities and the community spirit that permeates student life. Opportunities include 10 student-run academic journals, more than 60 interest-centered organizations, student self-governance (both Law School and University), and a vibrant range of social and athletic activities. In addition, the University and local community are both large enough to offer something to meet anyone’s interests and small enough to make active participation compatible with a student’s rigorous academic schedule.

Degree Information

The Law School offers the first professional degree in law and two graduate law degrees:

• Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.)  
• Juris Doctor (J.D.)  
• Master of Laws (LL.M.)  

Facilities

The Law School is located on the North Grounds, about a mile from the central University Grounds, as part of a graduate-professional complex that also includes the Darden School of Business. The school includes Clay Hall, the main entrance to the Law School; Walter Brown Hall, the building to the right of the main entrance that houses classrooms, administrative and faculty offices, and the Arthur J. Morris Law Library; and Slaughter Hall, the building to the left of the main entrance that includes classrooms, student organization offices, moot courtrooms, the Law School Foundation and Alumni Association, and the Karsh Student Services Center housing the offices of Career Development (for Clerkships, Private Practice, and Public Service), Community Engagement, Financial Aid, Graduate Studies, Student Affairs and Student Records. To the back of the school, Scott Commons includes a cafeteria, dining rooms, student mailboxes and study/lounge space. The Law School has wireless Internet access available to students, staff and visitors, as well as computer lab access in the Law Library.