Student Handbook

  1. Curriculum: Juris Doctor (J.D.) Program
    1. First Year Curriculum
    2. Required Courses
    3. Upper Level Writing Requirement (ULWR)
      1. Standards and Procedures for Fulfilling the ULWR
      2. Vehicles for Fulfilling the ULWR
      3. Faculty Supervision for the ULWR
  2. Additional Policies & General Information
    1. Academic Records
    2. Attendance Policy
      1. Student Responsibility
    3. Auditing of Courses
    4. Bar Admissions, Exam, and Preparation
      1. Certification for the Bar
      2. Character and Fitness Application
      3. Duty to Report and Amend/Update
      4. Amendment/Update Student File Requests
    5. Certificate Programs
    6. Class Rank and Honors
      1. Interim Class Rank
      2. Final Class Rank and Honors
      3. Decile Calculations
      4. Cohorts
    7. Clinical Programs
    8. Commencement Information
    9. Communications
      1. E-mail
    10. Complaints
      1. Informal Student Complaints
      2. Student Accreditation Standard Complaints
    11. Course Evaluations
    12. Course Selection
      1. First Year
      2. Second Year and Beyond
      3. Course Descriptions and Requirements
      4. Scheduling Electives
      5. Preparing for the Bar Exam
      6. Professional Responsibility and the MPRE
      7. Advising
    13. Coursework – Appropriate Number of Credit Hours, Credit Hour Maximums, Limitation on Study Outside Classroom, and Online Course Enrollment
      1. Appropriate Number of Credit Hours for Coursework
      2. Requirements for Faculty Compliance
      3. Credit Hour Maximum Per Semester
      4. Limitation on Study Outside Classroom
      5. Non-regularly Scheduled Classes
      6. Online Course Enrollment (Limitations on Distance Education)
    14. Credit/No Credit Grading Option
      1. Credit Hour Limitation
      2. Requirements and Rules
      3. Notice to Graduating Students
    15. Dean’s List
    16. Directed Study
    17. Disability Services
    18. Dual Degree Programs
      1. Dual Professional Degrees with MSU Graduate Programs
      2. Dual Degree Student Policies
    19. Enrollment Status (Full-Time) Determination
    20. Examination Policies and Procedures
      1. Exam Permits
      2. Exam Conflicts
      3. ExamSoft
      4. Exam and Paper Retention Policy
      5. Identification
      6. Make-Up Examinations and Grade of Incomplete
      7. Non-Laptop Exam Preference
      8. Paper, Directed Study, or Project Courses
      9. Religious Observance
      10. Examination Policies
      11. Testing Accommodations under the ADA
      12. Testing Accommodations for ESL Students
      13. Withdrawal
    21. Faculty Committees
    22. Grade Change Policy
    23. Good Standing/Satisfactory Academic Progress
    24. Grade Point Average Computation
      1. Honor Points
      2. Transfer Students
      3. Rounding of GPA
    25. Grading - Anonymous
    26. Grading System
    27. Grade Curve Policy
    28. Graduation Requirements and Degrees
      1. Juris Doctor (J.D.)
        1. Requirements
        2. Application for Graduation
        3. Honors and Final Class Rank
        4. Honors for Graduation
      2. Master of Jurisprudence in Legal Doctrine and Analysis (M.J.)
      3. Master of Laws (LL.M.) and other Master of Jurisprudence (M.J.) Degree Programs
    29. Jurisprudence Achievement Award (JP Award)
      1. Issuance
      2. Course Eligibility Guidelines
    30. Leave of Absence
      1. Readmission after Leave of Absence
    31. Online Course Enrollment (Limitation on Distance Education)
    32. Pass/Fail Option
    33. Probation - Dismissal
      1. Scholastic Dismissal - Upper Level Students
      2. Scholastic Dismissal - First-year Students
      3. Appeal to the Dean
      4. Academic Probation
    34. Program Completion Timetable
    35. Repeated Courses
      1. Policy and Procedure
    36. Religious Observance Policy
    37. Study Abroad Programs
    38. Visiting Other Colleges, MSU Colleges, & ABA Law Schools
      1. Other Colleges or at Michigan State University
      2. Other Law Schools
      3. Rules Governing Class Rank and Class Honors
      4. Additional Reminders about Visiting Out
    39. Withdrawal
      1. Complete Withdrawal
      2. Course Withdrawal
        1. Final Examination Course
        2. Paper Course
        3. Research, Writing, and Advocacy (RWA)
        4. Course with Multiple Writing Arguments
        5. Attendance
      3. Grade
      4. Excessive Use and Consequences of Electing to Withdraw
    40. Work Limitation
      1. Standard
      2. Affidavit of Student Enrollment Status
      3. Waiver
  3. Scholarships
  4. Student Conduct
    1. Code of Student Discipline
      1. Standing to assert violations
      2. Relationship between this Code and the Bar
      3. Jurisdiction
      4. Investigation and Determination of Probable Cause
      5. Hearing
      6. Argument and Decision
      7. Spartan Life/MSU Student Handbook
      8. Academic Hearing Procedures under LSRR for Michigan State University College of Law
      9. Recognition and Enforcement of MSU Student Discipline
      10. Effect of Withdrawal
  5. Plagiarism Policy
  6. Journals and Competition Teams
    1. Journals
    2. Competition Teams

Student Handbook Updated August 15, 2022.
Table of Contents Updated August 15, 2022.