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STUDENT HANDBOOK
POLICIES, ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS, AND INFORMATION
Non-Discrimination Policy
Accessibility to all Law School programs is guaranteed to all otherwise
qualified persons. There shall be no discrimination on the basis of
race, national origin, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age,
disability, or veteran status, either in admission to the Law School,
or as to any aspect of the program; provided, however, that with
respect to disability, the disability must not be such as would, even
with reasonable accommodation, preclude the student's effective
participation in the program. This non-discrimination policy also
applies to the hiring practices of employers using the resources of the
Legal Career Services Office.
Juris Doctor Degree (J.D.)
Requirements for the Juris Doctor degree are: 1) successful completion
of no fewer than 88 credit hours, including all required courses; 2)
six resident semesters as a full-time student; 3) cumulative grade
point average of at least 2.0. 4) satisfaction of the writing
requirement; 5) satisfaction of the Practical Skills training
requirement; 6) completion of JURI 4300, Legal Profession. No student
shall graduate or participate in commencement if a disciplinary action
or hearing is pending.
Graduation candidates within 15 semester credit hours of completing
degree requirements may participate in the School of Law Commencement,
unless the Associate Dean finds such participation inappropriate.
Degree With Honors
The Law School recognizes scholastic attainment of genuine distinction
by awarding the degree of Juris Doctor summa cum laude, magna cum
laude, or cum laude based on cumulative grade-point average.
Honors are bestowed on the following basis: top 2% of each graduating
class will be awarded the J.D. degree summa cum laude; the next 8.5% of
the class will be awarded the degree magna cum laude; the next 37.5% of
the class will be awarded the degree cum laude.
Class Attendance
Standard 304(d) of the ABA Standards for Approval of Law Schools
requires regular and punctual class attendance as a means of fulfilling
residency and class hour requirements. Regular and punctual class
attendance is an integral part of the learning process.
The Law School adheres to ABA Standard 305(c). In compliance with the
foregoing standard, it is Law School policy that students should
undertake to attend classes regularly. A student should not incur
during a semester a number of absences in excess of twice the number of
times a particular course meets per week and in any event no more than
six absences per semester.
An instructor may, but is not required to, establish his or her own
more demanding attendance policy at the beginning of a particular
course. Any such policy shall be announced and enforced by the
instructor.
Remunerative Employment
Consistent with sound pedagogical practice and regulations of the
Association of American Law Schools, students should devote
substantially all working hours to law study and shall not engage in
more than 20 hours of remunerative employment per week while school is
in session, whether inside or outside the law school. First-year
students are strongly discouraged from engaging in any such work. While
school is in session, law school research assistants may not be paid
for more than 20 hours per week for work done. Students found to be
violating this rule shall not be considered full-time students for
purposes of satisfying the requirement of six full-time semesters for
graduation.
Accommodations for Disabled Students
Consistent with its obligations under federal and state law, the Law
School makes reasonable accommodations in the academic program for
disabled students. To obtain any such accommodations, a student shall
submit evidence of a learning disability to the Associate Dean for
Academic Affairs, who shall determine what accommodation, if any, is
appropriate. Evidence of disability shall consist of a recent
diagnostic evaluation by the UGA Learning Disability Adult Clinic or
other reliable diagnostic evaluation.
Academic Courseload
The normal full-time credit load is 12 to 17 semester credit hours in
the fall and spring semesters and 6 to 8 credit hours in the summer
term. Under special circumstances, the Associate Dean for Academic
Affairs may grant permission to undertake more or fewer hours.
In the final semester of study, enrollment in as few as 10 semester credits qualifies for full-time student status.
Courses Outside the Law School
Up to six semester hours of credit for graduate-level courses outside
the Law School may be applied toward the J.D. degree. Registration for
such courses requires permission of the Associate Dean for Academic
Affairs and is limited to one course per semester. Students must
demonstrate the relevance of an outside course to their legal education
and/or career plans. This privilege is not granted to first-year
students.
Students enrolled in dual-degree programs such as the J.D./M.B.A.
program are governed by separate policies which are available from the
law school registrar.
Course Registration
Fall-semester course registration for first-year students takes place
before or during orientation. First-year students register for spring
semester at the end of fall semester. Second- and third-year students
complete registration near the end of each semester for the following
semester or summer term.
Although first-year sections and courses are assigned, there is wide
latitude in course selection in the final two years. A course
preference point allocation system is used to determine enrollment in
potentially over-subscribed courses. Information about the course
registration system is posted
at
http://www.law.uga.edu/facstaffstu/students/semesters/index4semesters.html .
Students may access the OASIS on-line registration system by computer.
Students who have unpaid parking fines, library fines, health service
fees, etc. will have a "flag" placed on their registration by the
University. Registration cannot be accomplished while a flag exists on
a student's record.
Registration for Supervised Research and Independent Project require
approval by the supervising faculty member prior to course
registration. The form is available at the Law School Registrar's
Office. Students are not permitted to register for courses whose class
meetings overlap. Approval for registration in situations where the
overlap is minimal can be obtained from the Associate Dean for Academic
Affairs. The form for seeking such permission is available online at
the Law School Registrar's page and at the office.
Drop-Add Schedule Adjustment
A drop-add period is provided early in each semester. Courses deleted
during this period will not appear on a student's academic record.
Drop/add is accomplished through the OASIS on-line course registration
system.
Withdrawal from a Course / Withdrawal from School
A student may withdraw from a course without penalty during the first
half of each semester with approval of the instructor and the Associate
Dean for Academic Affairs. A grade of "W" is assigned if the student is
doing satisfactory work and follows withdrawal requirements. Until the
midpoint of a semester, withdrawal from a course is accomplished online
through the University OASIS e-withdrawal system.
A grade of "WF" is assigned if the student is doing unsatisfactory work
at the time of withdrawal, if the withdrawal is initiated after the
midpoint of the semester, or if the instructor initiates the withdrawal
because of irregular attendance by the student. If there are health
reasons or other extenuating circumstances, a student should consult
with the Director of Law Student Affairs.
A student against whom disciplinary charges are pending cannot withdraw
from the University with a satisfactory record until such charges are
resolved.
Generally, a student who voluntarily withdraws while in good standing
may return without penalty at a later time. An extended absence,
however, may warrant reconsideration of eligibility to return as
well as standing. Generally, no J.D. degree will be awarded
more than 5 academic years after the student's matriculation.
Each law student who withdaws from the School of Law is expected to consult with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Electronic Recording of Classes
Unless a contrary policy is announced in a particular course,
electronic recording of class discussions is not permitted without the
express permission of the instructor.
Exam Period
1. Students shall take exams at their scheduled time
except in unusual circumstances. A student scheduled to take two exams
on the same day may request that one exam be re-scheduled to another
time. The procedure to follow is outlined below.
(a) A student with an exam conflict
should contact the professors involved to determine which professor
would be willing to give a make-up exam on an alternate date. The
alternate date ordinarily will be the make-up day(s) at the end of the
exam period, although the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs may
authorize another make-up date.
(b) The student then will submit an exam conflict
form to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, who will inform the
student and the professor if the change has been approved.
2. In limited circumstances, exam conflicts with
important outside activities (family weddings, etc.) may be resolved by
a change of the exam. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs should be
consulted concerning such situations as soon as they become apparent.
3. When emergencies, i.e., personal illness, severe family illness, or
death in the family, arise during the exam period or during an exam,
the student should contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
immediately. The instructor should not be notified.
Grade of Incomplete
An Incomplete (I) is a temporary grade assigned when a student doing
satisfactory work is unable, because of unusual circumstances, to
complete course requirements (e.g., turn in a paper or course project)
by the end of the semester. The student must complete the course,
seminar, or research requirements during the following semester.
There is no entitlement to an I grade, which requires the instructor's
permission. It is a student's responsibility to inform the instructor
as to personal circumstances that might warrant assignment of an I
grade. If an I is sought for inability to take an examination,
the student should seek permission from the Associate Dean for Academic
Affairs, not the instructor.
Any grade of I that is not converted to a letter grade by the end of
the subsequent resident semester (summer school is not a resident
semester) becomes an F.
Transfer Admission
Persons who have completed course work at another law school are
eligible to transfer to UGA if they have completed first-year studies
and are in good academic standing at a law school approved by the ABA
and a member of the AALS. In making transfer decisions, the admissions
committee relies heavily upon four criteria:
(1) academic record at the law school from which transfer is desired;
(2) reasons for seeking transfer;
(3) number of places available in the class; and
(4) strength of original law school application.
UGA students seeking to transfer to other schools should consult with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Visiting Students
Persons in good standing at a law school approved by
the ABA and a member of the AALS may be admitted to UGA as visiting
students. Admission is granted for one academic term at a time. UGA
students seeking visiting status at other law schools should consult
the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Faculty and Course Evaluations
Near the conclusion of each course, students have the opportunity to
evaluate the course and instructor. Evaluations are completed
anonymously. The primary goal of this process is improvement of
instruction. To this end, evaluations are available to the instructor
only after grades have been submitted for the class.
Paid Entertainment in Classes
The faculty believes that class time must be reserved for instruction.
Students should not arrange for paid entertainment of any kind to take
place during classes at the law school.
Class Cancellation
In the event a class session must be cancelled or postponed, a note
will be posted on the door of the room in which the class is regularly
taughtand on the official law school bulletin boards. As soon as it is
determined that a class must be cancelled or postponed, the note will
be posted by the professor, a secretary, or another staff member.
Students should not post class cancellation notices.
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
ABA-Approved Summer Study
Many American law schools sponsor American Bar
Association-approved educational programs either on their campus or in
other countries. The Law School normally will accept transfer credits
(but not grades) for courses in which students earn the grade of C or
better. Completion of a form (available at the law registrar office)
and permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs is required.
Prior approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs is necessary
for summer study at another school. A Study Abroad Credit Approval
form, necessary for international study and student financial aid, is
available at the Law School Registrar’s Office.
Brussels Seminar
Environmental Ethics Certificate
Law students may enroll in the Environmental Ethics
Certificate Program for the graduate-level certificate. For a law
student to receive the certificate, the student must complete, with
permission of the Associate Dean, two required courses outside of
the Law School, namely Ecological Concepts (EETH/ECOL 6200) and
Environmental Ethics (EETH/PHIL 6220). A candidate for an
environmental certificate must also enroll in an additional course in
environmental ethics; law students can satisfy that requirement by
taking the Law School's Environmental Dispute Resolution course
(EETH/JURI 7870). The student must also attend a series of Tuesday
evening seminars (EETH 6000), which is an ungraded weekly seminar and
will not count as credit toward the J.D. Finally, the certificate
recipient must complete two additional courses and complete a
significant paper about an environmental subject. Most of the classes
in the Law School's environmental curriculum qualify as EECP electives,
and students may choose to satisfy the EECP required paper with the
same paper that they use to satisfy the Law School's advanced writing
requirement. For further information about the EECP, please call its
office at (706) 542-0935, e-mail eecp@uga.edu or visit http://www.phil.uga.edu/eecp.
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