Academic Rules of the College of Law

ACADEMIC RULES OF THE COLLEGE OF LAW

(as amended November 29, 2023)

ARTICLE I. GENERAL

Section A. Definitions.

1. Dean. “Dean” means the Dean of the College of Law or someone designated by the Dean to act for

the Dean.

2. Faculty. “Faculty” means all full-time instructors in the College of Law.

3. Instructor. “Instructor” includes Professors of Law; Associate Professors of Law; Assistant

Professors of Law; Adjunct Professors of Law; Lecturers in Law; Instructors of Law; emeritus

professors; and visiting professors of any rank.

4. Law work attempted at this College. “Law work attempted at this College” means courses in

which a student has registered and been taught by instructors at this College and received a grade

other than W or IW. This does not include grades earned before a student was reinstated in this

College on a fresh start basis.

5. Professional higher education grade point average. “Professional higher education grade point

average” is the average obtained by computing the hours of work and grades obtained for all law

work attempted at this College or equivalent grade in any other law school, including grades earned

before a student was reinstated in this College on a fresh start basis. This definition also includes

hours of work and grades obtained in any other College of the University of Toledo that has been

applied towards such student’s law degree pursuant to Article III, Section N.

Section B. Scope. These rules cover only the subjects enumerated and do not govern or limit the existing

and customary authority of the Faculty and the Dean in other respects. These rules shall be construed in

harmony with the rules and standards of the American Bar Association and the Association of American

Law Schools.

Section C. University Regulations. All law students are subject to general regulations of the University

on matters not specifically covered by the rules of this College, and to the authority of the University

administration and officials.

Section D. Changes in Rules. All law students are subject to any change in the rules of the College,

including any change relating to requirements for the J.D. degree, imposed after his or her original

admission to the College.

Section E. Waivers. All requests for waiver of these rules must be presented in writing to the Dean who

shall refer them to the appropriate committee, which shall decide whether to grant the waiver.

ARTICLE II. ADMISSIONS

Section A. Application and Credentials. To be considered for admission to the College, an applicant

must submit a completed application in the form, and with the supporting materials, required by the

College.

Section B. Pre-Legal Education. Except as provided by the terms of a 3+3 program or Section E of this

Article, no person is eligible for admission unless he or she shall have received, or completed all

requirements for and be entitled to receive, a bachelor's degree based upon a four-year curriculum at an

institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Section C. Transfer Students.

1. At the discretion of the Dean, an applicant for admission who attempted or completed work in any

law school approved by the American Bar Association may be admitted as a candidate for a degree

in the College, provided the candidate appears capable of satisfactorily completing the College’s

educational program and being admitted to the bar. The admission of any such persons shall be

conditional until the Dean has received full transcripts of the applicant’s legal and pre-legal work

and all other conditions have been met. The Dean may deny admission to any such applicant whose

record or character, in the Dean’s judgment, suggests a poor scholastic performance or a lack of

capacity to contribute usefully to the morale and well-being of the student body.

2. A transfer student may receive advanced standing credit for work in which the student earned a

grade of at least C or its equivalent at another law school. In determining whether to award advanced

standing credit, the character of the courses previously studied, the comparability of those courses

and credits to the curriculum and requirements of this College, and the grades received in those

courses shall be considered, to the end of preserving the plan of instruction and standards of this

College.

3. All grades earned at a student’s former law school are included in the student’s professional higher

education grade point average but are not included in the student’s University of Toledo cumulative

grade point average nor for purposes of determining class rank.

Section D. Special Students. The Dean may admit persons at least twenty-three years of age to the

College as special students. Any person wishing to be so admitted must file with the Dean an application

for admission to the College and written evidence establishing that he or she has had special experience of

such character and extent as to make the study of law profitable. Special students shall be subject to all

requirements prescribed for regular students. Credits earned by a special student shall not be accepted

toward a degree in law.

Section E. International Students.

1. An applicant who has not earned or substantially completed a post-secondary degree from an

institution whose primary language of instruction is English may be required to take the Test of

English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an equivalent recognized test of English language

proficiency and to demonstrate an acceptable proficiency level. The Admissions Committee may

in its discretion require, in addition to or substitute for a standardized English language

proficiency examination, an in-person or telephonic interview, written essay, or other proof of

adequate English language proficiency to succeed in the study of law.

2. An applicant whose pre-US law school study was undertaken at an institution located outside the

United States must have his or her record evaluated by an appropriate agency. The applicant may

be admitted only if the applicant’s record meets the substance of the requirements for regular

students and if the applicant provides satisfactory evidence of his or her ability to speak,

understand, read, and write English.

3. A student who has substantially completed the requirements for or is a graduate of a non-U.S. law

program that initially qualifies a student for the practice of law in that country may be admitted to

the Juris Doctor degree program with advanced standing.

a) The Dean shall review the student’s transcript and determine which courses, if any, and

the number of credit hours, if any, that the College of Law may accept.

b) The Dean shall evaluate whether the content of the course is such that it represents the study

of law on the level of a professional degree; and

c) The Dean may evaluate courses offered by a non-US law school that cover material tested on

that country’s bar examination or similar qualifying examination for the practice of law or

courses required as a prerequisite for admission to the practice of law as presumptively

equivalent of College of Law courses.

4. A student admitted with advanced standing shall be granted up to 29 credit hours towards advanced

standing for law studies completed outside the U.S. and thereby be eligible to earn the J.D. degree in

two academic years.

5. Unless granted permission by the Dean, a student admitted with advanced standing must complete all

first year required courses at the College of Law prior to taking elective courses.

6. A student admitted with advanced standing must obtain the permission of the Dean before registering

for, adding, or dropping classes.

7. A student admitted with advanced standing must complete a minimum of 45 graded credit hours at the

College of Law.

8. A student admitted with advanced standing who elects not to earn the J.D. degree may withdraw as a

candidate for the J.D. degree; and with permission of the Dean, the student may be considered as a

candidate for other non-degree or degree options such as a certificate or a Masters of Legal Studies.

The Master of Legal Studies degree may only be awarded as a terminal degree. No credits earned at the

College of Law that were used towards earning the MLS degree may be subsequently used towards the

J.D. degree at the University of Toledo College of Law.

9. The Dean may enter into agreements with law programs that qualify a student to take the bar

examination or to practice law in other countries, to create joint-degree programs to permit

international students to complete the Juris Doctor degree and their non-U.S. law degree

simultaneously, and to otherwise facilitate the admission of international students to the College of

Law.

Section F. Members of the Bar. Upon an application showing their pre-legal and legal education and

admission to the bar, members of the bar may be admitted to classes in the College on a non-credit basis. If

they desire credit, they must qualify in the usual manner as regular or special students.

Section G. Auditors. Individuals with an adequate background of experience or study who have special

need for a limited acquaintance with a field of law may be admitted to one or more classes in the College

upon application with an accompanying statement of their situation and needs. Unless the applicant seeks

admission as a regular or special student, his or her status and privileges shall be those of an auditor as

defined by University rules and practice, and he or she shall receive no credit for attendance or work done

pursuant to such enrollment.

Section H. Readmission.

1. Any student who is not academically deficient and who discontinues his or her attendance in the

College for more than two regular semesters, including the semester of discontinuance, shall be

considered to have withdrawn from the College. Such a former student may apply for readmission

to the College by submitting a petition to the Academic Policy Committee, which may readmit the

student if he or she appears capable of satisfactorily completing the College’s educational program

and being admitted to the bar. The student must submit the petition to the committee by the

following dates:

a) June 1, for readmission for the following fall semester,

b) November 15, for readmission for the following spring semester, or

c) April 1, for readmission for the following summer term.

2. A petitioning student must disclose any character and fitness issues that arose in the student’s time

away from the College of Law (or affirm that no character and fitness issues exist). A petitioning

student is entitled to furnish the committee with information pertinent to his or her petition and to a

personal appearance.

3 The committee may grant a rehearing only after a student files a “petition for rehearing” which

shows that the petitioner has evidence that

a) is relevant to the issues in the petitioner's case,

b) could not have been available at the time of the petitioner's original hearing,

c) and is of such a nature that it reasonably could have caused a different decision in the

petitioner's case.

4. A student is entitled to petition the Academic Appeals Committee for review of an Academic Policy

Committee decision regarding readmission. The student must submit to the Academic Appeals

Committee within 30 days of the date of the Academic Policy Committee's decision a short, concise

writing which states facts demonstrating significant error in the Academic Policy Committee’s

decision. The Academic Appeals Committee may overrule or modify the Academic Policy

Committee's decision if there is clear and convincing evidence that the Academic Policy Committee

committed significant error in procedure or in its decision on the merits.

Section I. Good Character. The Dean may deny admission, reinstatement, or readmission to, or dismiss,

any applicant or student who, in the Dean’s judgment, is unfit in character to engage in the study or practice

of law.

Section J. Financial Aid

1. Application. Students must be admitted to the College of Law before any type of financial aid is

processed. To determine federal financial aid eligibility, students must complete a FAFSA each year.

Students must submit all requested documentation before disbursement of financial aid funds.

2. Enrollment. Students must be enrolled at least 6 credit hours to receive federal financial aid. Private

loans are available to all students regardless of enrollment. According to University regulations, full-time

status for purposes of federal financial is considered at least 12 credit hours; half-time is 6 credit hours.

3. Eligibility. Students will not be eligible for federal financial aid if they have defaulted on federal

student loans, owe an overpayment on a federal grant or exceed the aggregate federal loan limits as set

forth by the US Department of Education. Federal loans are disbursed in two equal disbursements; loans

for one semester are also subject to this disbursement rule. One semester only loans may also be disbursed

as late as the first day of a flex course.

4. International Students. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid unless they are

considered “eligible non-citizens” as determined by the FAFSA. Private loan programs are available to

international students.

5. Guest Students. Guest students must arrange for financial aid through their home institution. The

University of Toledo College of Law will not process financial aid for guest students.

6. Federal Work Study. Students must be enrolled at least half-time and demonstrate financial need as

determined by the FAFSA for Federal Work Study funds. Through this program, students may work up to

20 hours per work through approved Federal Work Study positions. Students interested in Federal Work

Study must contact the College of Law Financial Aid Office to determine eligibility.

7. Study Abroad. Students must complete the first year of law school prior to study abroad programs.

Students may use federal financial aid for study abroad programs upon completion of the FAFSA and a

College of Law Consortium Agreement.

8. Pro-Rata Adjustments. Students who register for classes and then drop or withdraw from a class will

have their financial aid reviewed and adjusted. The University of Toledo Bursar’s Office completes this

adjustment and will notify the student if he/she owes money back to the University. Students dropping

FLEX courses should contact the College of Law Registrar and Financial Aid Office for more information.

Regulations affecting Federal, State and Institutional programs are subject to change at any time.

ARTICLE III. SCHOLARSHIP

Section A. Course Load.

1. Regular Semester.

a) Minimum Course Load. No student is entitled to enroll in any regular semester for less than

the following minimum course load without the Dean’s written permission:

Full-Time Student 10 hours

Part-Time Student 8 hours

b) Maximum Course Load. No student is entitled to enroll in any regular semester for more

than the following maximum course load without the Dean’s written permission.

Full-Time Student 16 hours

Part-Time Student 11 hours

2. Summer Sessions.

a) Minimum Course Load. There is no minimum course load for students enrolling in a

summer session.

b) Maximum Course Load. No student is entitled to enroll in any summer session for more

than the following maximum course load without the Dean’s written permission.

Full-Time Student 10 hours

Part-Time Student 7 hours

In addition, no student is entitled to enroll in more than three (3) courses for credit in the College’s

summer session without the Dean’s written permission.

3. Financial Aid. Students are advised that according to University regulations full-time status for

purposes of federal financial aid is 12 credited hours, and 6 credited hours is the minimum load to

receive federal financial aid.

Section B. Grading System.

1. Grades reflect scholastic attainment as determined by written examination, except where academic

credit has been earned by substantial written work, as in drafting, research, or seminars. In any

course, however, the determination of the grade may include consideration of such other written

work as may be required by the instructor and such factors as class attendance and participation.

2. Classes are graded on the grading system in effect at the time that the class was taken. When

calculating GPAs, a letter grade is worth the number of honor points that it was worth at the time the

class was taken.

3. The College uses the following grading and honor point system:

Letter Grade

Honor Point

4.00

A-

3.67

B+

3.33

3.00

B-

2.67

C+

2.33

2.00

C-

1.67

D+

1.33

1.00

0.00

***

*S – Credit earned; no effect on grade point average

**U – No credit; hours calculated into grade point average

*** No effect on grade point average

4. A student receives a grade of PR for any course in which: (i) his or her absence from the final

examination has been excused under these Rules, or (ii) the instructor has granted additional time to

complete course requirements other than the final examination. Within the time fixed by the

instructor, a student is entitled to replace a PR grade by taking an examination or completing other

course requirements.

5. Withdrawal.

a) A student is entitled to withdraw from a fall or spring regularly scheduled term course from

the 16th calendar day of the term through the Friday of the 10th week of the term. A grade of

“W” will appear on the student's transcript.

b) A student is entitled to withdraw from a summer term or special session (flex) course with

deadlines proportional to those for regularly scheduled terms. Students who wish to withdraw

from courses scheduled in a summer term or special session should check with the College of

Law Registrar's Office to determine the withdrawal deadlines. A grade of “W” will appear on

the student's transcript.

c) A first-year student seeking to withdraw from a required course must obtain the Dean’s

written authorization.

d) A student seeking to reduce his or her course load below the minimum required by these rules

must obtain the Dean’s written authorization.

6. Repeating Courses.

a) A student is entitled to repeat any course in which he or she received a grade of W.

b) A student who received a grade of C-, D+, D or F in a required course must repeat the course.

c) A student is entitled to repeat any non-required course in which the student received a C-, D+,

D or F. No student is entitled to repeat any course in which a grade of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+

or C was received without the approval of the Academic Policy Committee upon written

request.

d) In the case of repetition of a course, both the original grade earned and the grade earned on

repetition are reported on the transcript and computed into the student’s University of Toledo

cumulative grade point average. In the case of repetition of a course in which the original

grade was D or above, no additional credit toward graduation is earned by repeating the

course.

e) A student repeating a course may not enroll in a section taught by the professor who taught

the student in the course being repeated in any semester in which another professor is

teaching a section of the same course without approval by the Associate Dean for Academic

Affairs.

Section C. Grade Review Procedure.

1. General Policy. The individual instructor is primarily responsible for each course or other academic

activity to which he or she is assigned. The instructor has the primary authority, subject to

established College and University rules, regulations and policies, in all matters pertaining to the

course or activity.

2. Procedure.

a) A student who believes that an instructor has exceeded his or her authority in academic

matters must discuss the problem with that instructor no later than the end of the fifth week of

regular semester immediately following the term in which the grade was entered. If the

instructor is unavailable to meet with the student, the student must transmit a written

statement regarding the problem to the instructor within the time limit specified above.

b) If discussion and correspondence between the student and the instructor do not resolve the

matter, the student may then request review by the Dean. The request for review must:

(i) be written, dated and signed by the student,

(ii) specify the action which the student believes to have been improper,

(iii) include all other information the student deems relevant,

(iv) be filed by the end of the seventh week of the regular semester immediately following the

term in which the grade was entered.

c) The Dean shall forward a copy of the request to the instructor.

d) The Dean may require that the instructor (i) respond to the request for review in writing and

(ii) meet with the student and the Dean. The Dean will seek through such correspondence and

meetings to reach a resolution acceptable to both the instructor and the student. The Dean’s

decision shall be the final resolution of the matter.

Section D. Class Attendance and Remunerative Employment.

1. Regular and punctual class attendance is required of all students. No absences will be permitted in

FLEX courses. Instructors will take attendance in each class and will withdraw students from any

course in which the student is absent more than the amount of classes permitted by the instructor.

2. The College expects students registered for 12 or more credit hours to devote substantially all

working hours to the study of law; such students are not entitled to engage in remunerative

employment for more than twenty hours per week, whether outside or inside the College.

Furthermore, first year students registered for 12 or more credit hours are strongly discouraged

from working at all.

Section E. Leave of Absence. Any student who is not academically deficient and who discontinues his or

her attendance in the College of Law for no more than two regular semesters, including the semester of

discontinuance, may resume law studies upon the Dean’s approval.

Section F. Transient Students. Upon good cause shown, the Dean may permit a student who is not

academically deficient to attend another ABA-accredited law school, subject to whatever conditions the

Dean may impose. All law work attempted at such institution shall be included in the student’s professional

higher education grade point average but shall not be included in the student’s University of Toledo

College of Law cumulative grade point average nor for purposes of determining class rank.

Section G. Final Examinations.

1. A student absent from a final examination receives a grade of F unless the Dean has excused such

absence. Except in rare cases, such excuse will be granted only if the cause of the absence is

reported prior to the examination.

2. A student whose absence from a final examination is excused by the Dean receives a grade of PR

and is subject to these rules with respect to replacement of the PR grade.

3. No student is entitled to be re-examined in any course that he or she does not repeat without the

approval of the Academic Policy Committee upon written request. The Committee may grant the

request only upon a finding of extraordinary and unavoidable circumstances affecting the student's

examination performance. The grade earned on re-examination replaces the earlier grade.

Section H. Academic Deficiency.

1. A student is academically deficient if the student at any time fails to have a cumulative grade point

average of at least 2.000 for all law work attempted at this College.

2. A student who is academically deficient may not participate in Moot Court, Law Review, or any

other student organization. Such a student should relinquish all other voluntary outside activities

including, in the case of a full-time student, employment. These restrictions apply only during the

period a student’s status is one of academic deficiency.

Section I. Academic Success Contracts

1. For students entering after August 2015, the following must sign an Academic Success Contract

each semester with the College’s Director of Academic Success and Bar Preparation (or with another

appropriate person, as designated by the Dean), prior to a deadline announced by the Dean:

a) Full-time students with a cumulative grade point average of 2.70 or below at any time,

including after their first semester.

b) Part-time students with a cumulative grade point average of 2.70 or below at any time after

their second semester.

2. The Academic Success Contract must identify courses in which the student will enroll in the next

regular semester and may contain any other measures designed to prepare the student for success on

the bar examination. The Contract may also include requirements that the student continually update

the Director of Academic Success on the student’s compliance with the Contract.

3. A student’s breach of an Academic Success Contract can constitute a violation of the College’s Code

of Professional Conduct. The Dean may note any breach in the student’s College file.

4. A student whose cumulative grade point average rises above 2.70 may petition the Associate Dean

for Academic Affairs for release from the requirements of an Academic Success Contract.

Section J. Advanced Legal Analysis Requirement for At-Risk Students

1. Beginning with students commencing study in May, 2016 or later, students who earn below a 2.30

GPA at the end of their first regular semester (if starting in May or August) or at the end of their first two

regular semesters (if starting in January) are required to take Advanced Legal Analysis in the spring

semester in lieu of a course identified by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Students failing to

enroll in the course as directed, unless granted a deferment or waiver by the Associate Dean for Academic

Affairs, will have their registration cancelled pursuant to Section O of this Article and will not be permitted

to re-enroll in the College until the following spring semester, when they must enroll in Advanced Legal

Analysis.

Section K. Dismissal.

1. Except as otherwise directed by the Academic Policy Committee, the Dean will review the records

of all eligible students after each semester. A student who is academically deficient at the time of

review is dismissed from the College.

2. A student is eligible for this review once they have completed two semesters of study at the College.

3. Students enrolled in summer courses. A student dismissed from the College during a summer session

on the basis of grades earned prior to that session shall be administratively withdrawn from summer

courses at the College and is entitled to a full refund of summer tuition. The student may not earn

credit for course work at the College or another institution in that summer session even if the student

is later granted reinstatement.

Section L. Reinstatement.

1. A dismissed student (or an academically-deficient student who voluntarily discontinued his or her

attendance in the College) is entitled to petition the Academic Policy Committee for reinstatement to

commence no sooner than the semester beginning 12 or more months after the dismissal or

discontinued attendance. A petitioning student must disclose any character and fitness issues that

arose in the student’s time away from the College of Law (or affirm that no character and fitness

issues exist). A petitioning student is entitled to a personal appearance and to furnish the committee

with information pertinent to his or her petition.

2. The student must submit the petition to the committee by the following dates:

a) June 1, for reinstatement for the following fall semester, or

b) November 15, for reinstatement for the following spring semester.

3. No dismissed student is eligible for reinstatement unless a majority of the Academic Policy

Committee present at the hearing on the petition for reinstatement determines that:

a) the petitioner's efforts to achieve a 2.000 cumulative grade point average were substantially

hindered by the operation of facts and circumstances generally regarded as detrimental to

good academic performance,

b) the petitioner will not be subjected to such conditions if reinstated;

c) if reinstated, the petitioner will be able to achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.000

or higher;

d) if reinstated on a fresh start basis, the petitioner meets the admission standards for the class

which he or she proposes to enter; and

e) the petitioner’s reinstatement would be in the best interests of the petitioner and the College.

4. The committee may impose conditions for reinstatement.

5. The committee may grant a rehearing only after a student files a “petition for rehearing” that shows

that the petitioner has evidence that

a) is relevant to the issues in the petitioner’s case;

b) could not have been available at the time of the petitioner’s original hearing; and

c) is of such a nature that it reasonably could have caused a different decision in the petitioner’s

case.

6. A student is entitled to petition the Academic Appeals Committee for review of an Academic Policy

Committee decision regarding reinstatement. The student must submit to the Academic Appeals

Committee within 30 days of the date of the Academic Policy Committee’s decision a short, concise

writing which states facts demonstrating significant error in the Academic Policy Committee’s

decision. The Academic Appeals Committee may overrule or modify the Academic Policy

Committee decision if there is clear and convincing evidence that the Academic Policy Committee

committed significant error in procedure or in its decision on the merits.

7. The final admission decision for any student deemed eligible for reinstatement by vote of the

Academic Policy Committee or by action of the Academic Appeals committee, shall be made by the

Dean. The Dean’s admission decision, like all admission decisions, is not subject to review or

appeal.

Section M. Dean’s List. Notations of Dean’s List honors will appear on a student’s transcript for any

term in which the student earns a College of Law grade point average of 3.5 or higher if:

a) A full-time student has earned 10 or more quality credit hours in a semester;

b) A part-time student has earned 8 or more quality credit hours in a semester; or

c) A student in the summer term has earned 6 or more quality credit hours.

“Quality credit hours” refer to credit hours in courses for which the student received a letter grade and not

courses that are graded on a Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory basis.

Section N. Registration In Non-Law Courses.

1. Not for College of Law Credit. A law student is not entitled to register for any course in other

divisions of the University or in other educational institutions without the approval of the Dean of

the College of Law.

2. For College of Law Credit.

a) A student is entitled to enroll in graduate level courses in other colleges of the University for

up to six semester hours of credit towards fulfillment of the requirements of the J.D. degree if

the student:

(i) has completed at least 30 hours of credit in the College;

(ii) is not academically deficient;

(iii) has obtained a faculty member’s recommendation that the specific course(s) sought is

relevant to the student’s program at the College of Law; and

(iv) has obtained the permission of the Dean of the College of Law and the college or

department offering the course.

b) Joint Degree Credit. A student who enrolls in and successfully completes a joint degree

program with another college at the University may earn credit towards the J.D. degree for

graduate-level courses taken in that other college. The terms of the particular joint-degree

program determine which courses may be taken, and the number of semester hours of credit,

up to a maximum of twelve, that may be applied towards the fulfillment of the J.D. degree.

3. Additional Credit Toward J.D. Degree.

a) If the College of Law and another College of the University have not established a joint

degree program in a particular field, a student may enroll in graduate-level courses in the

other College for up to six semester credit hours in addition to the six authorized in subsection

2.a) above for application toward fulfillment of the requirements of the J.D. degree, if the

student satisfies the requirements of subsection a) as to the additional six credit hours, if the

student is enrolled in and actively pursuing a graduate degree program in the other College,

and if the Dean of the College of Law grants permission for the student to apply the additional

six credit hours towards the J.D. degree. In deciding whether to grant permission for the

student to apply the additional six credit hours towards the J.D. degree, the Dean shall

consider whether

(i) the subject-area and rigor of the graduate program make it appropriate to grant credit

toward the J.D. degree for courses taken in that program;

(ii) the particular graduate courses proposed by the student for credit toward the J.D. degree

are sufficiently and appropriately content-based, academically rigorous, and of a type

recognized as eligible for College of Law credit in formally-established joint degree

programs, so that it is appropriate to grant credit for the courses toward the J.D. degree;

and

(iii) the student’s taking such additional graduate courses may compromise the student's

academic performance or program in the College of Law.

b) Additional credit toward the J.D. degree may not be granted under this subsection for

graduate courses taken in a program in which the College of Law and the other College have

established a joint-degree program.

4. Credit toward the J.D. degree in the College of Law for graduate courses taken in other colleges of

the University will be awarded only for courses successfully completed by the student with a grade

of at least “B” or its equivalent. The College of Law will grant no credit toward the J.D. degree for

courses taken in other colleges at the University on a “pass/fail,” “satisfactory/unsatisfactory,” or

equivalent basis.

5. Any credit toward the J.D. degree in the College of Law for graduate courses taken in other colleges

of the University will only be awarded at the time that the student completes all the other

requirements of the College of Law for the J.D. degree. The College of Law will apply no more than

six semester credit hours for graduate courses completed in other colleges of the University until the

completion of all the requirements of the graduate degree program in which the student is enrolled.

6. In the discretion of the Dean and in accordance with these Rules for College of Law credit for non-

law graduate courses taken in this university, credit may be granted toward the J.D. degree in the

College of Law for non-law graduate courses taken by a College of Law student at another

institution of higher education.

7. The grades earned in all non-law courses taken pursuant to this Section will not be included in the

student’s University of Toledo College of Law cumulative grade point average nor for purposes of

determining class rank but the grades earned pursuant to this Section will be included in the

student’s professional higher education grade point average.

8. Registration in non-law courses is subject to the limits on distance education credit hours set forth at

Article IV, § A.3 herein.

Section O. Duplicate Registration. A student may not register for two sections of the same course offered

in a given academic year without the permission of the course instructor(s).

Section P. Priority enrollment and enrollment restrictions. The Dean may designate particular students

as having priority to register for a particular course. Without limitation, this could include priority for

students in a particular division (day or evening), priority for students in a particular class year, or priority

to students who have not completed a graduation requirement satisfied by the course. Without limitation,

the Dean may also for the same reasons limit enrollment in a course to particular students.

Section Q. Canceled Registration. The Dean may cancel for cause the registration of any person in any

course at any time. “Cause” includes, but is not limited to, failure to comply with mandatory professional

development measures prescribed by the Office of Professional Development.

Section R. Dictionary Usage During Exams.

1. Students may use a language translation dictionary provided by the College of Law while taking

law school examinations during their first calendar year of law school if:

a) English is not their dominant language;

b) They received a college degree in a language other than English; and

c) They have not lived in an English-speaking country for more than 5 years.

2. Students must request permission to use a language translation dictionary before each midterm and

final examination. All requests must be submitted:

a) On a form provided by the Dean; and

b) At least four weeks before the examination.

3. The Dean must approve a request before the student may use a translation dictionary.

ARTICLE IV. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Section A. Credit Hours.

1. Each candidate for the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree must have completed 89 semester credit hours, of

which a minimum of forty-five (45) semester credit hours must have been earned in courses in this

College. At least 64 credit hours must have been in courses that require attendance in regularly

scheduled classroom sessions or direct faculty instruction.

2. Credit hours.

a) A “credit hour” is an amount of work that reasonably approximates:

1) not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and two hours of out-of-

class student work per week for fifteen weeks, or the equivalent amount of work over a

different amount of time; or

2) at least an equivalent amount of work as required in subparagraph (a) of this definition for

other academic activities as established by the institution, including simulation, field

placement, clinical, co-curricular, and other academic work leading to the award of credit

hours.

b) A credit hour is one for which the candidate has:

1) earned a grade of C or higher in a required course in the College;

2) earned a grade of D or higher in a non-required course in the College;

3) earned a grade of S in a course in the College; or

4) received advanced standing credit on the basis of work at another law school.

3. “Distance Education”

a. “Distance education” is an educational process characterized by separation, in time

or place, between the instructor and student (e.g., technological transmission,

recordings, conferencing, correspondence). Courses in which more than one-third of

the instruction is outside of the residential classroom are considered distance

education. Distance education courses include (a) College of Law courses so

designated by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and (b) courses in another

college so designated by the University.

b. A student may apply no more than 29 credit hours of distance education to the 89-

hour graduation requirement.

c. No more than 10 of a student’s first 29 credit hours may be of distance education.

Section B. Required Courses.

1. Each J.D. candidate must have earned the appropriate credit hours in the following courses:

Civil Procedure

6 hours

Constitutional Law

6 hours

Contracts

6 hours

Criminal Law

4 hours*

Lawyering Skills (formerly Legal

Research & Writing)

4 hours

Property

6 hours

Torts

4 hours

Evidence

4 hours

Legal Ethics & Professional

Responsibility

3 hours

2. a. For students entering before August 2014: Each J.D. candidate must have earned two (2) hours of

credit in a course designated by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as including substantial

instruction in professional skills.

b. For students entering in or after August 2014: Each J.D. candidate must have earned six (6)

hours of credit in courses designated by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as experiential.

3. Each J.D. candidate must satisfy the Upper Level Writing Requirement (see Section C).

Section C. Upper Level Writing Requirement.

1. Each J.D. candidate is required to enroll in and pass with a grade of C or better two (2) courses in

Advanced Research and Writing.

a) Unless a student has prior written approval of the Dean, a student may not enroll in more than

1 section of Advanced Research and Writing in any one semester, nor may a student enroll in

Advanced Research and Writing simultaneously with an Independent Research project or a

seminar requiring a substantial research and writing project.

b) Students who enroll in and receive a grade of S in Law Review, or enroll in and receive a

grade of C or better in an Independent Study, Honors Independent Study or a course listed at

registration as a Seminar will be deemed to have completed one (1) of the two required

Advanced Research and Writing experiences.

Section D. Residence Credit. Each J.D. candidate must meet the resident credit requirements established

by the American Bar Association.

Section E. Grades and Fitness. Each J.D. candidate must have attained a grade point average of at least

2.000 for all law work attempted at this College and have so conducted himself or herself as to be a fit

candidate for admission to the profession of law.

Section F. Time Limits. The normal maximum period to complete degree requirements is five years for a

full-time student and six years for a part-time student.

Section G. Transfer Students. A candidate who has transferred from another law school must have

earned a minimum of forty-five (45) semester hours of credit in courses in this College.

Section H. Honors.

1. For students who commenced study in August 2022 or earlier, the faculty may recommend J.D.

candidates for honors if their cumulative professional higher education grade point average or grade

point average for law work attempted at this College – whichever is higher - meets the following

standards:

a. Cum Laude - cumulative average of at least 3.3;

b. Magna cum Laude - cumulative average of at least 3.6;

c. Summa cum Laude - cumulative average of at least 3.9

2. Valedictorian

a. After the fall semester of each academic year, the College will name as valedictorian the

student in the graduating class with the highest cumulative professional higher education

grade point average.

b. If multiple students in the graduating class have the same cumulative professional higher

education grade point average to the hundredth of a point, the College will name all of

those students as valedictorian.

c. If a student in the graduating class other than the student or students named valedictorian

under subsections (a) and (b) graduates with the highest cumulative professional higher

education grade point average, that student will also be deemed valedictorian and may use

that title.

d. For purposes of this rule, the graduating class comprises all students who have applied for

May graduation in the academic year and all students who graduated in the prior August or

December.

3. For students who commenced their study after August 2022, the faculty may recommend J.D.

candidates for honors if their grade point average for law work attempted at this College meets the

following standards:

a. Cum Laude: cumulative average of at least 3.3;

b. Magna Cum Laude: cumulative average of at least 3.6;

c. Summa Cum Laude: cumulative average of at least 3.9.

Section I. Certificates of Concentration. The College shall award a “Certificate of Concentration” in

connection with the grant of the Juris Doctor degree to each graduating student who qualifies for a

Certificate of Concentration under these rules. The certificate shall be labeled a “Certificate of

Concentration in [Subject Area].” The faculty may from time to time designate new specialties within the

law as “Areas of Concentration” or eliminate existing Certificates of Concentration. Once a Certificate of

Concentration has been approved by the faculty, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, in consultation

with the Faculty Coordinator for the Certificate of Concentration, shall designate courses for that

Certificate of Concentration.

1. The Dean shall appoint a faculty coordinator for each Area of Concentration. Each faculty

coordinator shall be responsible for advising students concerning the certificate requirements in the

area and for general oversight of the area’s certificate program.

2. To be eligible for a Certificate of Concentration in a particular area, a student must:

a) successfully complete all Required Courses for the certificate and enough designated Elective

Courses to achieve a minimum of 10 credits in the particular area;

b) file an “Application for a Certificate in [Subject Area]” with the appropriate faculty

coordinator at least 4 weeks before the student proposes to graduate. The application must

demonstrate compliance with all the requirements for the certificate, except that the

application may designate certificate courses taken during the student’s last term in the

College to be applied to satisfy the Certificate’s requirements;

c) have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.7 in all Required Courses and in all graded

Elective Courses designated by the student to reach the required 10-credit minimum of

certificate courses; and

d) have completed one of the following research and writing components (20-page minimum):

(i) Advanced Topics/Seminar in the Area of Concentration, subject to the faculty

coordinator’s prior approval of the paper topic/project;

(ii) Independent Research paper in the Area of Concentration, subject to the advanced

approval of the paper topic/project by the faculty coordinator;

(iii) In connection with service on the Law Review, completion of a final draft note or article

in the Area of Concentration, if the faculty coordinator accepts the final draft of the note

or article as sufficient in length and quality to be counted as completion of a Certificate

Research and Writing Component;

(iv) Advanced Research and Writing paper in the Area of Concentration, if the faculty

coordinator accepts the final draft of the paper as sufficient in length and quality to be

counted as completion of a Certificate Research and Writing Component; or

(v) Participation in a Moot Court competition in the Area of Concentration, if the faculty

coordinator determines that the student’s participation on the competition brief is

sufficient in length and quality to be counted as completion of a Certificate Research and

Writing Component: and

e) file with the Registrar the appropriate faculty coordinator’s certification that the student has

met these requirements.

3. An upper-level course completed at another law school qualifies as a “Certificate-eligible” course if

the faculty coordinator determines that it is substantially similar in content and rigor to a Certificate

course taught at this College and is otherwise appropriate to be a Certificate-eligible course, as long

as the course does not substantially duplicate a course already completed by the student at this

College. A maximum of 5 credit hours in Certificate-eligible courses successfully completed at

another law school may be applied by a student to satisfy the Certificate course and credit hour

requirements for eligibility for a Certificate in a particular area. For the purpose of determining the

minimum grade point average for a Certificate in an Area of Concentration, the faculty coordinator

may normalize the credit hours and grades in such Certificate-eligible courses, if applicable. If a

student has received credit at another law school for a course determined by the Faculty Coordinator

to be “Certificate-eligible,” the student may not apply toward a Certificate the credits from a College

of Law course that substantially duplicates the course completed for credit at the other law school.

4. If a student earns a 3.3 or greater grade point average in all Required Courses and in all graded

Elective Courses designated by the student to reach the required 10-credit minimum of certificate

courses, the student will earn a “Certificate Concentration with Distinction.”

ARTICLE V. INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH

Section A. Honors Research

1. To enroll in the Honors Research Program, a student must:

a) have completed at least 30 semester hours of course credit with a professional higher

education grade point average of at least 3.000 and at least a grade point average of 3.000 for

all law work attempted at this College and

b) at least four weeks before the beginning of the semester in which the student intends to enroll,

submit a written research proposal to the faculty member agreeing to take primary

responsibility for supervising the project.

2. The supervising faculty member shall forward a copy of the proposal to the Dean, who shall appoint

two other faculty members to serve with the supervising faculty member as a Supervisory

Committee. If the committee approves the proposal, the student may then enroll for two hours of

credit for the first semester of a contemplated two-semester, four-hour program.

3. The completed project must include a significant research and writing product, and the student must

defend his or her thesis before the committee and the interested University community.

4. After the student’s defense, the committee shall decide how many and what grade should be awarded

to the project.

Section B. Independent Research.

1. To enroll in the Independent Research Program, a student must:

a) have completed at least 30 semester hours of course credit with a professional grade point

average of at least 2.000 and at least a grade point average of 2.000 for all law work attempted

at this College and

b) submit a written research proposal to the faculty member agreeing to take primary

responsibility for supervising the project.

2. The supervising faculty member shall forward a copy of the proposal to the Dean, who shall review

the proposal. If the Dean approves the proposal, the student may then enroll for two hours of credit

for one semester.

3. The supervising faculty member shall evaluate the completed project and decide what grade should

be awarded to the project.