Degree Requirements
Honors and Recognition
Bar Requirements
Degree Requirements
A student who has received a bachelor's degree from an approved college or university will be granted the degree Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) upon completion of the degree requirements in the School of Law.
At registration all entering students are provided with the detailed requirements for graduation and honors, as well as other academic and administrative regulations of the school. Copies of the school's academic regulations may be obtained before that time from the School of Law Admissions Office.
Graduation requirements include:
- completion of 86 credit hours;
- a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.30;
- completion of all first-year courses listed in this bulletin;
- completion in the second or third year of a Perspectives course, chosen from a wide array of courses emphasizing the perspectives of nonlegal disciplines (e.g., psychology, history, economics, sociology) on legal problems;
- completion of an upper-level course, during the second year, in which writing is used as a means of instruction;
- completion of a research seminar in the third year;
- completion of The Legal Profession or its equivalent;
- completion of all degree requirements within six semesters of full-time resident study or their equivalent, unless special permission for a longer term of study is obtained.
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Honors and Recognition
Students who meet the requirements for graduation with honors will receive recognition as follows:
Honor Rank in Class
| Summa Cum Laude | Top 1% (1st percentile) |
| Magna Cum Laude | Top 10% (2nd-10th percentile) |
| Cum Laude | Top 30% (11th-30th percentile) |
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is a national law school honor society. Members are selected by the faculty from the top 10 percent of the senior class.
Order of Barristers
The Order of Barristers is a national honorary organization whose purpose is the encouragement of oral advocacy and brief-writing skills. Ten members of the senior class are selected by the faculty based on performance in trial and appellate advocacy programs.
Dean's Honors
A student may earn Dean's Honors in the fall or spring semesters (not in the summer) if both of the following are met:
- a grade point average for the semester in the top 30 percent of one's class for that semester; and
- completion of at least 12 credit hours of law school work during a semester, for which at least 10 credit hours are graded. First-year students must complete the prescribed first-year sequence of courses. Joint degree students must complete at least 9 credit hours of graded law courses during a semester, and a total of at least 12 credit hours.
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Bar Requirements
Applicants should be aware that state bar requirements include character and fitness qualifications. Before entering law school, applicants should write to the bar examiners of the state in which they intend to practice if they have any doubt about meeting those requirements.
The bar passage rate has varied from a low of 80 percent in some states to a high of 100 percent in others. Graduates typically take the bar exams in 25 to 30 states each year. Overall, the passage rate of graduates has ranged between 87 percent and 96 percent for the past five years.
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