General Academic Requirements and Regulations

Effective August 20, 2007

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1. Credits Required for J.D. Degree
Candidates for the degree of Juris Doctor must successfully complete a minimum of 90 credit hours with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 ("C"). A minimum of 76 credit hours must be in courses involving attendance at regularly scheduled class sessions at the School of Law. Certain special programs and internships do not meet the requirement of regularly scheduled class sessions.

2. Required Courses
All courses in the first year curriculum are required.  Students must successfully complete Law 160 (Legal Process or Lawyering Skills I), Law 162 (Brief Writing & Appellate Advocacy or Lawyering Skills II), Law 232 (Professional Responsibility), and a substantial writing project after the first year.

3. Standard Course of Study
The School of Law ordinarily expects students to complete their degree requirements within three years.  Those who wish to extend or shorten this period may only do so after consultation with and approval (possibly with conditions) by the Dean and in compliance with any applicable readmission policies.

4. Minimum/Maximum Periods of Course of Study
In accordance with current ABA Standard 304(c), the School of Law requires that the course of study for the J.D. degree be completed no earlier than 24 months and no later than 84 months after a student has commenced study at the law school or a law school from which the school has accepted transfer credit.

5. Credits per Semester
Students may not take fewer than 12 credits or more than 17 credits of course work during any semester except with the permission of the Dean.  No more than 18 credits of course work to be applied to the degree requirement may be taken in any semester.

6. Graduation With Distinction
The degree of Juris Doctor, With Distinction, is conferred upon those students who complete their course of study with a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 ("B") or higher.

7. Grading System
The system of grading in courses is as follows:

8. Cumulative Grade Point Average
The cumulative grade point average (GPA) is calculated in two steps: First, multiply the quality points for the grade received in each course times the number of credit hours associated with that course to determine the total quality points for the course. Second, divide the total quality points for all courses by the total credit hours for all courses attempted.  Grades of I, S, or U are not a part of this calculation.  A law student's GPA is based on all course work.  This includes all work completed at UND, whether in law school courses or in approved courses in other departments or colleges of UND, and all law school courses completed at other institutions and accepted by the School of Law in satisfaction of the requirements for graduation.

9. Pass/Fail Option
A faculty member may offer specific courses on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis.

10. Grades of “Incomplete”
A temporary grade of "Incomplete" may be awarded by the instructor teaching  the course.  A grade of Incomplete is convertible to a permanent grade upon completion of the work in a manner satisfactory to the instructor within five weeks of the beginning of the semester following the semester in which the Incomplete grade was awarded, or by the date set by the instructor, whichever date occurs first.  If not converted by the instructor, the Incomplete grade becomes an F at the end of the semester in which the work should have been completed. 

11. Credit for Courses Outside the Law School
Unless otherwise provided in the requirements of a joint degree program, students may take up to six credits of undergraduate or graduate courses in other departments or colleges of the University of North Dakota, with the approval of the Dean.   The student's petition must indicate how the requested course(s) will contribute to the student’s professional education.

12. Class Attendance
Regular and punctual class attendance is required.  Faculty members have discretion to enforce this policy as each determines best serves its purpose.  Faculty members taking attendance into account in the grading of the course shall indicate the policy and its method of enforcement in the course syllabus.  At the request of the faculty member, excess absences from class may result in the student being administratively withdrawn from the course by the Dean.

13. Employment Outside the Law School
A student may not engage in employment for more than 20 hours per week in any semester in which the student is enrolled in more than 12 class credits.   Student employment must be reported to the Office of the Dean at the beginning of each semester and updated if there are changes during the semester.  Student employment is strongly discouraged during the first year of law school.

14. Admission with Advance Standing
A student may be admitted to the School of Law as a transfer student with advanced standing based upon credit received from another law school. No more than one-third of the credits required for graduation from this law school may be awarded as advance standing. Course grades will be transferred to UND with the grades earned or their equivalent, if such can be extrapolated.  Courses in which the student was awarded a grade lower than "C" or its equivalent will not be accepted.

15. University of Oslo Exchange Students in the J.D. Program
Law graduates of the University of Oslo who have completed a semester in residence at UND in the Norwegian Exchange Program may apply for admission to the J.D. program with advanced standing.  Credit may be given to such students for one-third of the J.D. degree requirements, but such students must complete the first year curriculum after admission to the J.D. program.

16. Transient or Visiting Student Status at UND
A student in good academic standing at another ABA-accredited law school may be admitted to this law school in a transient or visiting student status.  Written certification of good standing and permission to enroll at UND must be provided by the student’s home law school.  The courses taken and grades received at this law school will be transferred to the student's home law school.

17. Transient or Visiting Status at Another Law School
A UND law student may request transient or visiting student status at another ABA-accredited law school. All UND requirements for the Juris Doctor degree must be satisfied. Up to one-third of the credits required for graduation from this law school will be accepted, provided that the student's course of study at the other law school is approved by the Dean.

Approved by the Faculty Committee on March 2, 2007

effective August 20, 2007