I. Standards of Academic Performance

No student may be awarded a J.D. degree who does not, at the time of the awarding of the degree, have at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on law school work according to the grading system utilized within the law school. The minimum standard of academic performance while in the law school is 1.90. Any student whose cumulative grade point average falls below that minimum for work on law studies is not in good standing and subject to academic exclusion according to the procedures herein.

B. Standards of Performance for First-year Students

Any student whose first-year grade point average at the end of the first year of law school is under 1.58 shall be dismissed from school with no right to petition for readmission.  Any student whose grade point average at the end of the first year is at least 1.58 but less than 1.90 shall be placed on probation and required to repeat all of the first year courses.  The student may choose to repeat the first year courses immediately or may remain out of school for one academic year and then repeat the first year courses.  The student will have only one opportunity to successfully repeat the first year courses with a grade point average of at least 1.90.  Upon successful completion of the first-year courses with a grade point average of at least 1.90, the grades from the initial attempt at the first year shall be expunged from the student's record and not included in calculating the student's grade point average. 

C. Standards of Performance for 2nd and 3rd year Students

1. A student whose cumulative GPA after the first two semesters is above 1.90 is in good standing.

2. If at any time after the first two semesters a student's cumulative GPA falls below 1.90, the student will be so notified by mail that he or she will be excluded from the class in the next academic semester unless regularly readmitted as herein provided. That notice shall be entered in the student's academic record.

3. Upon receipt of the notice, the student may complete the semester then enrolled. However, the student will not be allowed to enroll in the next semester following the receipt of notice of exclusion unless that student is readmitted as herein provided.

4. That the student is enrolled in or has completed work which may, when the grades are received, increase the grade average above 1.90 does not dispense with the necessity to seek readmission, nor will such actual or potential grades guarantee readmission.

5.  Any student readmitted under this provision will be on academic probation for the first semester of attendance after readmission.  During that semester, the student must raise his/her cumulative grade point average to 1.90.  Failure to do so will result in permanent academic exclusion from the law school, unless an exception is made by the readmissions committee either at the conclusion of that semester or at some later time.

II. READMISSION STANDARDS

1. The applicant must present and document specific unusual or unique circumstances, not common to a large number of students or inherent in the academic process, which reasonably could produce inferior academic performance.

a. The following are illustrative of specific unique circumstances: serious illness or injury to the applicant or death, serious illness, or injury to a member of the applicant's family; unusual and unanticipated financial developments; serious personal problems such as divorce.

b. The following are typical examples of vague, non-unique circumstances which will not justify readmission: difficulty of law school work, poor or unsuccessful study habits, lack of emotional maturity, financial worries, social relationship problems, lack of total commitment to the profession.

c. Risks willingly assumed, such as part-time work, that could and did disrupt the applicant's work and study habits will not disqualify an applicant for readmission, but will militate against readmission.

B. The applicant must present evidence establishing that the unique circumstances did, in fact, contribute to the poor performance. Post hoc rationalizations will not justify readmission.

C. The applicant should present evidence that there are excellent prospects for satisfactory performance in the future.

III. READMISSION PROCEDURES

All requests for readmission shall be made to the dean. Requests must be made in writing and mailed within 15 days from the dean's mailing of the notice of academic exclusion, or no later than 60 days prior to the scheduled first day of classes for which the student desires to be readmitted. The request for readmission generally must set forth evidence suggesting satisfaction of the readmission standards found in II. Specifically, the application shall contain:

1. Law school academic record and history of applicant.

2. Perceived reasons why performance was unsatisfactory.

3. Evidence that the reasons for unsatisfactory performance have been removed.

4. Evidence that the applicant can perform in a competent manner for the balance of his/her law school career.

5. Evidence of academic accomplishment or potential not reflected in the law school record, e.g., graduate school, relevant work record, letters of recommendation, etc.

6. Courses in which applicant plans to enroll if readmitted.

7. Proposals to remedy past defects and improve future performance.

8. Any past petitions for readmission and action thereon.
 

B. Committee Procedures

The following procedures shall be followed by any committee charged by the dean with readmission decisions.

1. All applicants who have a right to petition for readmission shall, upon request, be given a personal hearing.

2. The personal appearance shall not substitute for or excuse the complete written application. The hearing will be informal. The applicant should briefly outline points not made in the application, present any written or oral evidence supporting his or her application and be willing to answer any questions or supply any information requested by the committee.

3. The applicant may be represented by a person or attorney of his choice, but the hearing will be closed to any other person not on the committee.

4. The committee will debate the application outside the presence of the applicant and vote by secret ballot. Readmission will be granted only by affirmative vote of a majority of the members present.

5. Applicant will be informed in writing of the committee action within three days following the hearing. The applicant cannot expect to be informed of the committee action personally on the day of the hearing.