Course Selection, Limited Enrollment, Examinations and Papers

Course Selection

During the first five days following registration all J.D. students, except first-term students, and all graduate students may sample courses and rearrange course selections. After that time period, a student may not add or drop a course or seminar unless (a) on application to the instructor, the student can establish good cause for adding or dropping the course; (b) the registrar concurs in the recommendation of the instructor; and (c) the student retains at least 12 units and no more than 16 units for the term, unless approval is given by the appropriate dean and the registrar.

Forms for adding and dropping courses must be signed by a member of the faculty and filed with the registrar’s office. A course in which an examination is required must be added or dropped by the final day of classes. In fall 2007, the deadline for adding or dropping such a course will be Thursday, December 20; in spring 2008, the deadline will be Friday, May 9. A fee of $15, $30, or $75 will be charged for each late course change, depending on the time of the change. A fee of $150 will be charged for any course change that occurs in a term subsequent to the term in which the course was offered. In the absence of written permission, a course or individual work elected but not completed will, at the close of the term, be deemed a Failure. No degree will be awarded with incomplete work remaining on a student’s record.

Limited Enrollment

Faculty members may set limits or special qualifications for a course and these will be specified in the course description. If no such limitations have been set, enrollment in a given course will be limited only by the availability of classroom space. If enrollment is limited, then students must apply during a special sign-up period that usually occurs in June for fall-term courses and in December for spring-term courses.

A student applying for more than one course in which enrollment is limited must indicate preferences among these courses by designating a first choice, a second choice, and up to three third choices. This ranking may be used by faculty in making selections among students. A student who is accepted in such a limited enrollment course will be enrolled in that course during the first online enrollment period. A student who declines a place in such a limited enrolllment course must remove that course from her or his schedule during the open enrollment period and notify both the professor and the registrar, so that the student’s place in the course may be offered to someone else.

Examinations and Papers

Examinations for all degree students at the Law School are given during a period (normally two weeks) at the end of the term. All papers assigned during the term, and all papers submitted in lieu of examinations in courses where that is authorized, shall become due, unless otherwise indicated in writing by the instructor, on the final day of the examination period for that term.

The registrar may, for good cause shown, permit students to take an examination at a time different from that indicated on the official examination schedule. Requests for such permission may only be made during the last week of classes, except in case of sudden emergencies, such as illness. In fall 2007, requests for rescheduled examinations must be made between December 13 and 20; in spring 2008, between May 5 and 9.

The registrar may permit extra time on examinations for students in their first year at the Law School whose native language is not English and if the language of instruction at the undergraduate institution they attended was not English. No extra time will be permitted for any student who attended an undergraduate institution where the language of instruction was English.

For good cause, instructors may authorize extensions of time for the completion of papers. The authorization must be in writing, and extensions will be permitted for no more than sixty days after the close of the term in which the paper is assigned.

Approval for extensions of time beyond these limits shall be given only where the student obtains, in writing, permission from both the instructor and the registrar. Such permission must include a specific due date and must be filed with the registrar. If the student does not meet regular or extended deadlines for papers and examinations, the professor may award a grade of Failure for such papers and examinations.

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