Policies Applicable to All Students
The rules set forth in this section apply to students admitted to the Law School as transfer students, and to students permitted by the Law School to take courses at another law school or at another school or department within the University. Students should also consult the appropriate section below (“Transfer Students,” or “Courses Taken by Elon Law Students Outside the Law School”) for additional policies. Please note that all candidates for the J.D. degree graduating with the Class of May 2016 or May 2017 are generally required to complete six full-time semesters in residence at the Law School.7 Candidates for the J.D. degree graduating with the Class of December 2017 are generally required to complete seven full-time trimesters in residence at the Law School and receive at least 60 credits toward the J.D. degree at the Law School. 8
7 Winter Term and Summer Sessions do not count toward the residency requirement. Students who transfer to Elon after their first year at another law school are deemed to satisfy the residency requirement upon completion of four semesters at Elon.
8 August Terms and December Term do not count toward the residency requirement, a student’s residency-in-practice semester does. With respect to the Class of December 2017 and later classes, students who transfer to Elon after their first year at another law school are deemed to satisfy the residency requirement upon completion of four trimesters at Elon.
Students may receive credit for work at another law school only upon the receipt of an official transcript from the other school. The Law School will not request the transcript; the student has the responsibility to do so.
No credit toward the Elon J.D. degree will be given for any course taken at another law school or another school or department within the University in which the grade received is less than a “C.” No quality points will be awarded for grades for any course taken at another law school or another school or department within the University; this means that such credits for any course taken outside the Law School, if applicable toward the Elon J.D. degree, will apply on a pass/fail basis. Students should be aware that if they take a course outside the Law School in their final term and fail to earn a “C” or higher, no credits will be granted toward the J.D. degree for that course. If this occurs, a student may fall short of the 90 credits required to graduate. The Law School reserves the right to require a grade higher than a “C” for courses taken elsewhere if the particular circumstances warrant.
Transfer Students
The Law School welcomes applications from students who have compiled strong academic records at other law schools and wish to transfer to the Law School. A transfer application will be considered only if the applicant has attended a school accredited by the American Bar Association. Up to 30 academic credits may be recognized for courses taken by a transfer student at another law school. Transfer students who have completed more than one full year of law study will generally be limited to a maximum of no more than 30 credits for work at the other law school.
Whether a particular course or courses a student has taken at another law school may be used to satisfy the specific J.D. course requirements of the Law School will be determined upon admission. Transfer students are not automatically eligible for membership on Law Review on the basis of class rank at another law school. The editorial board of the Law Review may, at the transferring student’s request, review the transfer student’s transcript and invite an exceptionally well-qualified transfer student to become a member without participating in the writing competition.
Courses Taken by Elon Law Students Outside the Law School
In limited circumstances, the Law School permits students to receive credit towards their J.D. requirements for courses that are not taken at the Law School, whether at another law school or at another school or department within the University. In all cases, students must obtain advance permission from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs if the student wishes to receive credit towards the J.D. degree for courses taken outside the Law School. If advance permission is not obtained, no credit will be granted toward the J.D. requirements. Under no circumstances will permission be granted retroactively.
Summer Sessions at Other Law Schools
Generally, a student may receive a maximum of six credits for courses taken during the summer at another accredited law school toward his or her J.D. requirements (for a total of twelve credits taken over two summers). A request to receive credit towards the J.D. degree for courses taken during the summer school of another accredited law school must be submitted to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to taking those courses. The form is available online.
Whether a particular course or courses a student takes during summer school at another law school can be used to satisfy the specific J.D. course requirements of the Law School will be determined in the discretion of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. As previously stated, any student with a GPA below 2.50 must have his or her summer course registration (whether such course or courses are taken at the Law School or elsewhere, including any registration to study abroad) approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. See Academic Regulations and Procedures—Academic Standards.
Visiting Status During a Regular Academic Term
If a student has a strong academic record and presents a compelling educational reason involving rigorous curricular offerings that are not available at the Law School, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs may permit the student to attend another accredited law school for one regular academic term as a visiting student, while still receiving the J.D. degree from the Law School (assuming satisfactory completion of all J.D. degree requirements). The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs may, in rare circumstances, consider a petition to visit another law school based on extraordinary compelling personal circumstances that make such visit necessary.
Petitions for permission to visit another law school must be submitted to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to attending the other law school. Students submitting such petitions must
- Demonstrate compelling reasons to attend the other law school; and
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above immediately before attending the other law school.
Students who are granted permission to visit another law school must complete their last term at the Elon Law, except in extraordinary circumstances. If permission is granted for a student to visit another accredited law school, the term of the visit is deemed to satisfy the general six semester/seven trimester “in residence” requirement set forth above. See Curriculum—General Juris Doctor (J.D.) Requirements, above.