Law Academic Regulations Shortcuts
Designation of Years in College of Law
Employment Limit on Law Students - ABA Standard
Enrollment at Other Law Schools
Enrollment in Other Loyola Divisions
Five-Year Limit to Complete Law Program
Petition to Waive a Regulation
Policy on Intellectual Property Rights
Policy on Release of Information (FERPA)
Policy on Release of Information - Deceased Students
Residence Requirements & Course Loads
Suggested Courses for Common Law Bar Exams
Suggested Courses for the Louisiana Bar Exam
University Policies and Procedures for Students with Disabilities
Withdrawal from the University
Academic Regulations Overview
Honor Code
Students in the College of Law are governed by the Honor Code. An elected student committee acts as a fact-finding committee for Honor Code purposes. The committee reviews complaints and conducts hearings. If a complaint is found to be substantial and if it is sustained after a hearing, the student may appeal to the Dean.
Knowledge of Regulations
Students are responsible for compliance with the regulations of the university and should familiarize themselves with the provisions of this bulletin, the registration schedules posted on the Loyola University New Orleans Office of Academic Affairs website, the Student Code of Conduct posted on the Office of Student Affairs website, posted official notices, and instructions given to students.
The university reserves the right to clarify and change its regulations in the course of the student’s enrollment. Faculty advisors, deans, and associate deans are available to assist students regarding compliance with current regulations. However, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to comply with the regulations and completion of requirements for his or her chosen program of study.
Upon enrollment, it is understood that both the student and the parents or guardians of a dependent student agree that the student will be governed by the university regulations and will abide by decisions made by proper authorities of the university regarding the individual student.
Petition to Waive a Regulation
The faculty Petitions Committee receives petitions from students seeking variances from the rules and policies of the College of Law. Requests must be made in a timely manner. Students should see the Petitions Committee Standards for guidance on how to petition. For more information, please contact the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
Curricula
Loyola offers curricula leading to a juris doctor degree, an LL.M. in United States law for foreign-trained lawyers, an LL.M. with specializations for U.S. lawyers, and masters degrees in Health Law and Administration and in Environmental Law. Full-time and part-time programs are offered. J.D. students enrolled in the day program may focus on the tradition of the civil law when they expect to practice in Louisiana or in other civil law or mixed jurisdictions or on the common law when they expect to practice in other U.S. states or common law jurisdictions. The part-time evening program offers only the civil law curriculum leading to the juris doctor degree.
Residence Requirements and Course Loads
The curriculum for full-time J.D. students covers a period of six (6) semesters of resident study. Full-time J.D. students will not be permitted to schedule more than 16 hours of law work in any semester without special permission from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of the College of Law. ABA Accreditation Standard 311(c) prohibits students from enrolling in more than 20 percent of the credits needed for graduation in one semester. For Loyola, that maximum is 18 hours. Full-time first-year J.D. students must schedule 15 hours in the first semester and at least 14 hours in the second semester. The normal time frame for completion of the juris doctor degree is three (3) academic years. Students are forewarned that this is a minimum time frame and the program may not be completed by acceleration in two and one-half years. Part-time J.D. students are not permitted to complete their degree in fewer than four (4) years of part-time study; a part-time J.D. student may complete the degree in fewer than four (4) years if the student transfers to the full-time program.
Part-time day J.D. students may register for more than 12 hours only with the permission of the Petitions Committee or the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. All first-year part-time day J.D. students are required to schedule 12 hours in the first semester and 11-12 in the second semester. Anyone who begins in the part-time day program must stay with that program through the first year.
Students enrolled in Loyola's part-time evening program follow a prescribed curriculum that covers a period of 4 years, including 3 summer semesters. Students in this program are billed by the credit hour. Fall and spring semesters will include 8-10 credit hours, and summer semesters will include 3-6 credit hours. Anyone who begins in the part-time evening program must stay with that program at least for the first two years. An evening student wishing to switch to a day program, full- or part-time, may apply to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to make a switch after the second year of study, though this will only be allowed in compelling circumstances, considering the needs of the student and the law school's commitment to maintaining the strength of the evening cohort.
See Tuition and Fees for applicable residency requirements.
ABA Standard Regarding Determination of Credit Hours for Coursework
In accordance with ABA Standard 310, students are expected to attend and adequately prepare for classes and other activities for which they receive academic credit. To that end, one credit hour shall reasonably approximate:
(1) at least one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and at least two (2) hours of out-of-class student work per week for fifteen weeks, including the exam week, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time, for at least 42.5 total hours; or
(2) at least an equivalent amount of work for other academic activities such as law review activities, moot court activities, independent studies, simulations, field placements, clinical work, and any other work leading to the awarding of credit hours. For the work covered by this subsection, students must comply with the supervising faculty member’s rules for successfully completing the other academic activity, including rules governing keeping track of student’s time on the task, giving interim reports, meeting with the supervising faculty member, and providing drafts.
To ensure compliance with ABA Standard 310, the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs shall ensure that the policy is posted on the College of Law website in the section on Academics maintained by the Law Records office and in the Law Bulletin. Moreover, all courses taught in the College of Law will be reviewed on a regular basis by the faculty teaching the courses and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to ensure that the amount of credit hours awarded is consistent with the amount of work required of students. Faculty teaching courses will review their courses for coverage and student work every time they teach them to ensure that credit hours earned by students is commensurate with the work assigned to and completed by the students. Faculty must complete a “310 form” for each of their courses and submit that form, along with a syllabus if applicable, to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs by the second week of the semester. Faculty should survey students near the end of the semester to determine the amount of time spent on coursework during the semester to ensure the accuracy of information provided on the 310 form and update the form when necessary.
Additionally, the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will review courses taught in the College of Law every five years as follows: 2022-23, all general law required courses; 2023-24, all civil law required and pool courses; 2024-25, all common law required and pool courses; 2025-26, all courses required or in the pool for certificates that have not been reviewed from 2022 fall-2025 spring; and 2026-27, all courses identified as experiential courses, including law clinic courses and externship courses and all general law courses that have not yet been reviewed. Newly proposed courses will be reviewed by the Faculty Curriculum Committee and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the number of credit hours and how those hours will be awarded before course approval. This schedule will be repeated every 5-year cycle, and courses may be reviewed more often when determined to be necessary by the Dean, the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, or the Faculty Curriculum Committee.
Reviews will include a consideration of the following: the course syllabus and all 310 forms submitted regarding the course. Reviews of courses that involve substantial work to be completed outside of the classroom, including law clinic, externships, independent studies, advocacy competitions, and service on journal boards and advocacy boards, will include a review of the number of hours logged by students for this work, a consideration of the number of pages assigned or necessary to be read to complete the projects required for the course, a review of the types of projects and activities completed for the course, and consideration of the number of pages of written work created by the student (when applicable). Professors of these courses should require students to log hours in which they are involved in course work, either using an electronic system or in print, and professors must review students’ hours to ensure that students are involved in a minimum of 42.5 hours per credit hour over the course of the semester.
Employment Limit on Students - ABA Standard
Loyola requires, “A student may not be employed more than 20 hours per week in any week in which the student is enrolled in more than twelve class hours.” In addition, ABA Accreditation Standard 304(d) requires “regular and punctual class attendance.”
Five-Year Limit to Complete Law Program
Students must complete their requirements in five calendar years. For example, if you begin your program in the fall of 2024, you must complete your program before the start of the fall of 2029. An absolute limit of 84 months for completion will be enforced, absent compelling circumstances.
Enrollment in Other Loyola Divisions
Students registered in the College of Law will not be permitted to register for courses in any other college of the University without special permission from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of the College of Law. Permission will be granted only to upperclass students in special instances. Except for those students enrolled in the joint degree programs, no one will be permitted to take more than three (3) hours of work in another school while enrolled in the College of Law.
Graduation Requirements
All Juris Doctor students must complete the following requirements to graduate:
- A minimum of six (6) semesters in residence (full-time), eight (8) semesters in residence (part-time day), or eleven (11) semesters in residence for part-time evening (which includes 3 summer semesters)
- 90 academic hours with at least a 2.0 or C average
- Eight (8) skills credits
- Satisfy all financial obligations to the Law School and the University
As part of the 90 academic hours needed to graduate, J.D. students must complete the following:
- All required courses as listed in the program of study
- Writing Requirement (2 hour requirement)
- Law and Poverty Requirement
- LAW L770 Lawyering III (must be completed by students before they can participate in clinic)
- Experiential Requirement (9 hour requirement)
- Cultural Competence Requirement as required by ABA Standard 303(c)
Writing Requirement (2-hour requirement)
As a requirement of graduation, each student must submit a piece of legal writing in which the student exhibits the ability to perform legal analysis, in addition to the writing done in the Lawyering I and Lawyering II classes. No paper will fulfill the upper-level writing requirement unless it has been preceded by a bibliography, outline, and at least one rough draft. Any faculty member supervising the paper must give the student feedback on at least one draft.
General guidelines for preparing a paper that satisfies the writing requirement are available from the Law Records Office or online here. The writing requirement is satisfied when a paper receives a grade of "C" or higher and the professor who grades the paper reports to Law Records that the paper met the writing requirement standard. Students must tell the professor at the beginning of the project the paper will be used to satisfy the writing requirement.
Papers written in the following courses, when taught for at least two (2) hours, may be used to satisfy the writing requirement, with prior approval by the professor:
LAW L782 - Law and Poverty Seminar (except when taught as Social Justice Lawyering)
LAW L784 - Diversity in the Legal Profession
LAW L802 - Law and Education Seminar
LAW L813 - Arbitration Law and Practice
LAW L816 - Comparative Law Seminar (2- or 3-hour credit assignment)
LAW L819 - Construction Industry and Sustainability Seminar
LAW L826 - Advanced Torts Seminar
LAW L827 - Contracts/Commercial Law Seminar
LAW L831 - Advanced Torts: Class Actions
LAW L832 - Immigration and Citizenship Law
LAW L837 - Property and Land Use Seminar
LAW L834 - Environmental Justice
LAW L846 - Seminar in Scholarly Writing
LAW L847 - Legislation and Regulation
LAW L853 - Family Law Seminar
LAW L855 - Children and the Law
LAW L859 - Regulation of Sports Industry Seminar
LAW L862 - Criminal Law Seminar
LAW L877 - Constitutional Law Seminar
LAW L884 - International Law Seminar
LAW L885 - Gender Law in Practice
LAW L886 - Environmental Law Seminar
LAW L898 - Legal Research Paper (minimum 2-hour credit assignment)
LAW L905 - Advanced Legal Writing
LAW L916 - Disability and the Law
LAW L918 - Law and Literature Seminar
Any new seminar, course, or existing course, that is at least two (2) credit hours and in which a paper of suitable length and quality is either required or offered by the professor is an option with the professor's permission.
In accordance with ABA standard 303, a student may not use one course to satisfy both the Writing Requirement and the Experiential Requirement, although the Law Bulletin may identify some courses as eligible to satisfy both because of the nature of the courses. If the Law Bulletin classifies a course as satisfying both of these requirements, a student must choose the requirement the student plans to satisfy by enrolling in and completing the course and must notify the professor at the beginning of the semester or as soon thereafter as is required by the professor. If no designation is made the course will be treated as satisfying the Experiential Requirement.
Law and Poverty Requirement
The Loyola College of Law mission statement provides: “In the Jesuit tradition of academic rigor, pursuit of justice, and service to others, the College of Law has as its mission to educate future members of the Bar to be skilled advocates and sensitive counselors-at-law committed to ethical norms in pursuit of dignity for all.” As part of carrying out this mission, Loyola students must satisfy a Law and Poverty requirement, which is rooted in learning about the detrimental effects of poverty on individuals and on society. Through a variety of courses, through work as a student practitioner in one of the College's Law Clinics, or through work in the Gillis Long Student Pro Bono Program, students will critically examine the needs of the economically disadvantaged, the legal system’s responses to the economic, social, and human problems of poverty, and the impacts that factors such as race, ethnicity, and gender have on law and poverty.
A minimum of two (2) hours of course credit in a course designated to satisfy the Law and Poverty requirement or 50 pro bono hours is needed to satisfy this requirement. Students may satisfy the Law and Poverty requirement by fulfilling any one of the following options:
- Take one of the following courses:
- Law and Poverty (LAW L781)
- Law and Poverty Seminar (LAW L782)
- Diversity in the Legal Profession (LAW L784)
- Incarceration Law and Policy (LAW L814)
- Street Law (LAW L833)
- Environmental Justice (LAW L834)
- Property & Land Use Seminar (only when taught as Property, Land Use, & Justice) (LAW L837)
- Children and the Law (LAW L855)
- Criminal Law Seminar (only when taught as Death Penalty Seminar) (LAW L862)
- Gender Law in Practice (LAW L885)
- Disability and the Law (LAW L916)
- Death Penalty Defense Seminar (LAW L926)
- Asylum and Refugee Law (LAW L933)
- Represent low-income people in the Clinical Seminar (LAW L897);
- Participate in the Human Rights Advocacy Project (LAW L924);
- Perform 50 hours of volunteer pro bono legal services for the poor in one academic year in a setting approved in advance by the coordinator of the pro bono program. Students do not receive academic hours of credit for performing the pro bono services. Students interested in pursuing this option should visit the Pro Bono Program website.
Experiential Requirement
As a requirement of graduation, each student must earn at least nine (9) hours of credit from any combination of the following courses:
LAW L765 Lawyering II 3 hrs. (required)
LAW L814 Incarceration Law and Policy
LAW L817 Mediation and Arbitration 3 hrs.
LAW L833 Street Law 3 hrs.
LAW L841 Appellate Advocacy Seminar: Moot Court Teams 2 hrs.
LAW L843 Contract Drafting 3 hrs.
LAW L861 Pretrial Litigation 3 hrs.
LAW L867 Business Planning 2 or 3 hrs.
LAW L879 Admiralty Law Seminar (only when taught as Practice and Procedure) 2 or 3 hrs.
LAW L880 Entrepreneurship 2 or 3 hrs.
LAW L883 Critical Justice and Systemic Advocacy 3 hrs.
LAW L885 Gender Law in Practice 3 hrs.
LAW L895 Divorce and Family Mediation 1 hr.
LAW L896 Professional Seminar: Advanced Appellate Advocacy 2 hrs.
LAW L896 Professional Seminar: Negotiating Real Estate Leases 1 hr.
LAW L896 Professional Seminar: DWI Practice and Procedure 2 hrs.
LAW L896 Professional Seminar: Cross Examination 1 hr.
LAW L896 Professional Seminar: Advanced Trial Advocacy 3 hrs.
LAW L897 Clinical Seminar - Live Client Clinic 5 or 10 hrs.
LAW L900 Academic Externship 1, 2, or 3 hrs.
LAW L905 Advanced Legal Writing 3 hrs.
LAW L906 Advanced Legal Research 3 hrs.
LAW L924 Human Rights Advocacy Project 3 hrs.
LAW L926 Death Penalty Defense 3 hrs.
LAW L928 International Dispute Resolution 2 or 3 hrs.
LAW L933 Asylum and Refugee Law 3 hrs.
LAW L961 Trial Advocacy 3 hrs.
LAW L974 Advanced Legal Research: Community-Based Research Lab 3 hrs.
LAW L976 Environmental Law and Policy 3 hrs.
LAW L977 Environmental Litigation: Theory and Practice 3 hrs.
In accordance with ABA standard 303, a student may not use one course to satisfy both the Writing Requirement and the Experiential Requirement, although the Law Bulletin may identify some courses as eligible to satisfy both because of the nature of the courses. If the Law Bulletin classifies a course as satisfying both of these requirements, a student must choose the requirement the student plans to satisfy by enrolling in and completing the course and must notify the professor at the beginning of the semester or as soon thereafter as is required by the professor. If no designation is made the course will be treated as satisfying the experiential requirement.
Skills Curriculum Requirement
Each student is required to earn eight (8) skills credits to be certified for graduation by the Office of Skills and Experiential Learning. Students are responsible for consulting the skills website for specific requirements and rules.
Any elective LAW course approved for experiential credit currently or in the future shall also be approved for skills credit and included in the inventory of LAW courses conferring skills credit.
Beginning Fall 2023, one semester of any LAW L897 Clinical Seminar earns four (4) skills credits and satisfies all of the required skills competencies: (SKR1) Client Interviewing; (SKR2) Negotiation; (SKR3) Cultural Competence; and (SKR4) Law Office Management/Professionalism. A second semester of LAW L897 Clinical Seminar earns an additional four (4) skills credits, which completes a student's skills graduation requirement.
Certificate Requirements
The College of Law offers seven (7) certificate programs for our J.D. students; click the links below to review each certificate's requirements:
- Certificate in International Legal Studies
- Certificate in Environmental Law
- Certificate in Taxation
- Certificate in Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship
- Certificate in Social Justice
- Certificate in Health Law
- Certificate in Immigration and Citizenship Law & Practice
Registration
Loyola's Online Records Access (LORA)
Early registration, registration, late registration, and drop/add are conducted through LORA Self-Service. Actual dates and times are listed on the Office of Student Records registration page. By registering through LORA Self-Service, the student’s registration is automatically confirmed and he or she will be billed accordingly.
Day students may register for day classes and evening classes, though spots are held for evening students in evening classes. Evening students wishing to enroll in day classes must seek permission from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
Students with appropriate accommodations who notify the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs or Law Records will be assisted in their registration by a staff member.
Through LORA Self-Service, students are also able to view their complete law school academic records and their financial obligations to the university.
Early Registration
Enrolled students may participate in early registration for the subsequent term. Early registration is conducted through LORA Self-Service beginning in November for the spring term, March for the summer term, and April for the fall term. The Office of Law Records registers first-year students in their fall and spring first-year courses. Upper-division students wishing to register for first-year courses must contact the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
In courses in which J.D. and non-J.D. students are permitted to enroll, J.D. students will have the opportunity to register before non-J.D. students. Registration times will be posted before each registration period ensuring that J.D. students have priority registration.
Registration remains open on LORA Self-Service until the deadline for drop and add designated for each term. Drop and add deadlines are listed on each term’s academic calendar.
If a student decides not to return to the university in the semester for which he or she early registered, the student must officially withdraw before the semester begins. (See Withdrawal from the University.) Students with financial obligations to the university are subject to having their early registration canceled according to the student's accepted Registration Agreement with the Student Financial Services Office. Failure to have this hold removed will result in the cancellation of the early registration schedule. Students with a health hold due to remaining immunizations will not be allowed to register early.
Drop/Add Period
Because of external and internal reporting on enrollments, deadlines for drop/add activity must be strictly enforced. A dropped course is removed from the student’s record.
Auditing
Students who do not want to earn university credit for a course may elect to audit the course. Such courses are considered part of the student's term course load and are recorded on the transcript. To audit a course, a student should request permission to audit from the professor. The professor must contact the Law Records Office to request the student be added to the course Canvas page. The instructor of the course will advise the student on what is expected as an auditor in the class. A course previously audited may be taken for credit by enrolling in the course in a subsequent term.
Withdrawal From Courses
Prior to the deadline for withdrawal stated in the academic calendar, students may receive an administrative withdrawal from a course. Students receive a "W" in the course(s).
After this administrative withdrawal period, students may petition their instructors no later than two weeks before the last class day. Based on the student’s petition, a faculty member may award a "W" or require the student to complete the course. Failure to obtain an administrative withdrawal or to petition the instructor may result in the grade of "AF." The decision of the faculty member is recorded on the final grade roster.
Permission to drop Legal Research (LAW L898) or Independent Study (LAW L899) shall require prior written permission of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
First-year students ordinarily are not permitted to drop courses.
Withdrawal From the University
A student who withdraws from the university during a term before taking the final examinations for the term forfeits all credit work done in that term.
To withdraw officially from the university a student must:
- Obtain a withdrawal form from the Office of Law Records, in the College of Law.
- Meet with and obtain the signature of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
- Students should consult the College of Law academic calendar for the tuition refund schedule. Those students who withdraw officially from the university on or before the last day for dropping courses as recorded in the academic calendar will have the courses removed from their records. Students withdrawing from the university after the drop period but in the withdrawal period will receive 'W' grades. After the withdrawal period, a grade is assigned by the instructor. Students who have not completed at least two terms at the time of withdrawal must complete the degree requirements in effect at the time of their re-entry.
Medical Withdrawal
If a student is unable to complete the coursework or other course of study for a semester due to medical and/or mental health reasons, the student may request a medical withdrawal from the University. Medical withdrawal requests must be supported by appropriate documentation from a licensed care provider and be submitted to the Associate Director of Academic Affairs. Any student receiving a medical withdrawal during the term may be required to remain out of class the succeeding term. This decision will be based on seriousness of illness and time of withdrawal. There are no partial medical withdrawals for a term. The institutional refund policy applies. Medical withdrawals must be made within the term being requested (during illness) unless the student was unable to withdraw. For example, students who were hospitalized or were seriously debilitated by mental illness may be unable to withdraw during the semester in which they are enrolled. Detailed written documentation must be submitted by a licensed care provider to the Director for Counseling & Health Services and approved by the Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Provost. The request for a medical withdrawal must be submitted once the student is able, but no later than three months after the student is able to make the request. Students who have not been enrolled at the University for a period of two semesters or more must re-enroll and follow the degree requirements in effect at the time of their reentry.
Leave of Absence
Students enrolled in a term may apply to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for a leave of absence for either the next term or the next academic year. Application requires the completion of a leave of absence form available on the Academic Affairs website page under the "Forms" tab. Students returning from a leave of absence are subject to the policies of the bulletin under which they were originally admitted. A leave of absence is not granted to a student transferring to another school.
Suggested Courses for the Louisiana Bar Exam
Below, in numerical order, are the courses suggested to prepare for the Louisiana Bar Exam. Those courses in boldface are the suggested elective courses.
*LAW L705 Torts I
*LAW L710 Torts II
*LAW L725 Civil Procedure I
*LAW L730 Civil Procedure II
*LAW L735 Criminal Law
*LAW L740 Constitutional Criminal Procedure
*LAW L746 Business Organizations I
LAW L747 Business Organizations II
*LAW L750 Constitutional Law
*LAW L760 Evidence
*LAW L770 Lawyering III
LAW L823 First Amendment
LAW L842 Courts in a Federal System
LAW L876 Conflict of Laws
LAW L955 Advanced Constitutional Law - 14th Amendment
*LCIV L706 Civil Law Property
*LCIV L710 Conventional Obligations
*LCIV L715 Successions and Donations
*LCIV L725 Sales and Leases
p*LCIV L900 Civil Law of Persons
*LCIV L920 Probate and Trusts
p*LCIV L930 Community Property
p*LCIV L935 Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure
p*LCIV L940 Security Rights
* = required, p* = pool required
Suggested Courses for Common Law Bar Exams
Below, in numerical order, are the courses suggested to prepare for the Multi-State Bar Exam (MBE). Those courses in boldface are suggested elective courses.
*LAW L705 Torts I
*LAW L710 Torts II
*LAW L725 Civil Procedure I
*LAW L730 Civil Procedure II
*LAW L735 Criminal Law
*LAW L740 Constitutional Criminal Procedure
*LAW L746 Business Organizations I
LAW L747 Business Organizations II
*LAW L750 Constitutional Law
*LAW L760 Evidence
*LAW L770 Lawyering III
LAW L810 Negotiable Instruments
LAW L823 First Amendment
LAW L836 Real Estate Transactions
LAW L842 Courts in a Federal System
LAW L876 Conflict of Laws
LAW L955 Advanced Constitutional Law - 14th Amendment
*LCOM L700 Contracts I
*LCOM L701 Contracts II
*LCOM L705 Common Law Property
LCOM L715 Wills, Trusts & Estates
LCOM L920 Commercial Transactions
LCOM L921 Secured Transactions
* = required
Check with your individual state about any requirements unique to your state.
Learning Outcomes
The College of Law has developed a statement of educational goals, objectives, student competencies and student learning outcomes central to a comprehensive legal education for students at Loyola College of Law.
Institutional Learning Outcomes for the College of Law
Enrollment at Other Law Schools
The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs may give written permission for a student to take courses at other law schools, thus assuring the student that the courses will be applied toward the student’s current program. An official copy of the transcript from the other school must be submitted to the Office of Law Records in the College of Law prior to the completion of Loyola’s next term. No credit will be awarded for a course taken at another law school unless the grade in that course is at least equal to the minimum grade point average required for graduation at that school. If a student fails to earn such a grade in a course required for graduation from Loyola, the course must be repeated. (See Academic Standards.) Credit earned at other schools will count toward total earned hours but will not affect the student’s cumulative grade point average.
Students are cautioned that the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will only grant permission to take courses elsewhere when compelling reasons are demonstrated. Rarely will permission be granted to take a required course at another law school. At a minimum, two years of residence (60 credit hours at any time or, if they are the last remaining hours, 45 credit hours) in the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is required of students in order that they may be eligible for a Loyola degree.
Summer School Policy
Loyola students desiring to attend summer sessions must adhere to the summer classes tuition policy:
a. Students will ordinarily be allowed to enroll in a maximum of eight (8) hours total in summer classes. Permission of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs is required to exceed this number, to ensure compliance with ABA Standard 310.
b. Summer classes in the domestic summer school will be billed at the current hourly tuition rate.
c. Summer classes in the international programs will be billed at the per credit rate as established for each program.
Loyola students desiring to attend summer sessions elsewhere must have prior written permission from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs if they want such credits to apply toward a Loyola degree.
Students are cautioned that the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will only grant permission to take courses elsewhere when compelling reasons are demonstrated. Rarely will permission be granted to take a required course at another law school.
Designation of Years in the College of Law
Degree-seeking students are admitted to a degree program and classified, only after the spring semester, as follows:
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Attendance
Regular and punctual attendance is required. No student will be given credit for work done in any course in which he or she has failed to attend at least 80 percent of the scheduled classes. Each professor determines the effect of canceled classes on the total number of classes for the course. Excessive absences will result in a grade of UW. The student has the primary responsibility to keep a record of absences, along with the professor.
This attendance requirement is a “no fault rule”—that is, the professor shall not take account of any medical or other excuses in computing the number of absences that any student may have accumulated in the course. Upon a showing of compelling hardship and in exceptional circumstances, however, the Petitions Committee may relieve a student of the attendance requirement. Petitions for this purpose must be submitted in a timely manner to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs—ordinarily within three (3) days of notification of excessive absences. The committee may permit the student to take the examination or give no relief, in its discretion.
Final Examinations and Grades
Final examinations are given at the end of each semester. The alphabetical system of grading is used. The quality of work indicated by these grades is as follows:
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An incomplete grade may only be given for Legal Research (LAW L898) upon presentation of written evidence of a medical or other handicap or compelling reason preventing the timely completion of the project. Incomplete grades must be approved by the faculty member supervising the project, and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs must be notified that the incomplete grade is being given.
In the case of a student who fails to appear for an examination without officially withdrawing, the following action will be taken:
- Upon timely petition addressed to the Faculty Petitions Committee, the student, when he or she presents evidence of sufficient cause, such as personal illness, death in the immediate family, or unavoidable detention out of town, may be permitted to take a deferred examination. In the interim, the record of the student will list the course(s) as “Incomplete” until the examination has been completed.
- In all other cases, the record will be marked "AF." This grade will be considered as an "F" in determining the grade point average and will indicate nonfulfillment of the examination for required course purposes.
- If a student is present to take an examination, but for serious medical reasons believes that he or she is unable to take or complete it, the student should immediately advise the Dean’s Office of the circumstances.
Rank in class, probationary status, exclusions, and eligibility for courses and programs are based on coursework completed at the time the Law Records office officially determines class rank. Completion of incompletes after this time will not retroactively change this status.
Grading Guidelines
The faculty of the College of Law has adopted suggested grading guidelines for all first-year courses except for Lawyering I, Lawyering II, Principles of Legal Analysis, and the 1L elective. These guidelines became effective in the fall of 2008. Faculty who deviate from these guidelines must provide justification to the Dean’s Office. The grading guidelines are:
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Ranking System
Students are ranked within their class at the end of each fall and spring semester. Grade point average and rank-in-class vary slightly from year to year. The range for the class of Spring 2024 graduating class was:
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The College of Law suggests that prospective employers look primarily at the class rank of student/graduate applicants and not only at grade point averages.
- No grade is appealable unless it is at least 1.5 points lower than the student’s overall grade point average or semester grade point average—whichever is lower, exclusive of the challenged grade. Any appeal is waived unless the appeal form is submitted within three weeks of the posting of a student’s last grade, except that the period is interrupted after the spring semester until the first day of fall classes.
- To effect an appeal of a grade, a student must:
- Have discussed the examination and the grade with the professor unless the professor is unable or unwilling to do so prior to the waiver date,
- Have an honest and mature intellectual conviction that he/she deserved a higher grade than that received, and
- Have presented the examination to a student committee for the purpose of determining whether or not the appeal is frivolous. The student committee shall be appointed by the vice president of the Student Bar Association. A majority vote of the committee shall decide the issue. If the appeal is deemed frivolous, the student shall not be allowed to continue his or her appeal.
As a practical matter, it may be several weeks before students can meet with professors to discuss an exam and grade. Therefore, we recommend students file the appeal form very early in the waiver period to preserve the right to appeal, even if a student has not yet met with the professor.
- To appeal, the student should obtain an appeal form available in the Office of Law Records and complete the applicable portions. The completed form should be returned to the Office of Law Records.
- If the student committee determines that the appeal is not frivolous, the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs shall appoint a committee composed of two faculty members who, if feasible, either teach the same course or have recognized expertise in the same field. The faculty committee will read the examination in question and shall have the option to read other papers from the same course for purposes of comparison. The faculty committee may allow both the student and the professor of the course in question to meet with them to present any relevant information.
- If both faculty members agree that there is no reasonable basis for the grade assigned, it shall be changed to the nearest grade that is reasonable.
Grade Point Averages
A student’s grade point average is based on the credit hours, grading method, grade awarded, and quality points. The following definitions apply:
- QUALITY HOURS are the units upon which a student’s grade point average is calculated. They differ from earned hours because quality hours do not include the pass grade and do include failed courses.
- LOYOLA EARNED HOURS are the credit hours earned while taking courses at Loyola.
- TOTAL EARNED HOURS are the credit hours earned while taking courses at Loyola as well as the hours awarded for transfer work toward a student’s degree.
- COURSE QUALITY POINTS are calculated by multiplying the quality points associated with a grade (A = 4, etc.) by the quality hours. (A three-credit-hour course with a grade of A will result in 12 quality points.)
- LOYOLA GRADE POINT AVERAGES are calculated by dividing the Loyola quality points by the total quality hours.
- LOYOLA CUMULATIVE GRADE POINT AVERAGES include only the coursework taken at Loyola.
Grade Reports
A report of the grades (unofficial transcript) made by a student in his or her scheduled courses is available through LORA Self-Service.
Loyola’s grade reports (unofficial transcript) list the courses, grades, Loyola grade point average (both cumulative and term), and the total earned hours. Discrepancies must be appealed according to the grade appeal system.
Change of Grade
A professor may change a grade previously assigned by submitting a completed change of grade form to the Office of Student Records. The professor must request the grade change form, cite the reason for changing the grade, and obtain the signed approval of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
Academic Standards
A student is expected to do satisfactory work and, therefore, to maintain a minimum average of 2.0 at all times.
A student who has failed a required course must repeat that course. A student who fails an elective course may repeat that course, but in any event, must make up the credit hours for the failed course. A student who has earned a grade of less than "C" may repeat the course for credit. In such cases, both grades will be posted on the student’s transcript. A student may not repeat a course in which the grade received was a "C" or above.
In the case of repeated courses, both grades are used to compute the cumulative grade point average but only the earned hours from the original course are used in the calculation of Loyola cumulative earned hours, except where the original grade was an "F."
Academic Probation
A student will be on academic probation at any time the overall average is less than 2.0. Students on academic probation may not hold office or otherwise participate in formal extracurricular activities of the College of Law.
Academic Success Program
The Academic Success Program is a tutorial/practical program open to all Loyola College of Law students who wish to participate, and it is geared toward those whose grade point averages have fallen below the required 2.0, or whose grade point average puts them in the bottom 25% of their classes. The program’s aim is to increase students’ understanding of the material, enhance classroom comprehension, and improve law exam performance. Individual and group tutoring is available, and both essay and multiple choice practice exams are given weekly with answer reviews. Contact the Academic Success Program at (504) 861-5689.
Exclusions
A student will be academically suspended from the College of Law if:
- at the end of the first fall and spring semesters of College of Law work the student’s overall average is less than 2.0; or
- at any time thereafter the overall average of a full-time or part-time student is less than 2.0, provided the student has been on academic probation for the semester immediately preceding suspension.
Rank in class, probationary status, exclusions, and eligibility for courses and programs are based on coursework completed at the time the Office of Law Records officially determines class rank. Completion of incompletes after this time will not retroactively change this status.
Courses of Study
Students may have an undergraduate, graduate, and/or professional course of study at Loyola University. Each course of study results in a separate grade point average which will not reflect courses taken in other programs. Therefore, for students who receive bachelor’s degrees and return to take undergraduate courses as a law or graduate student, their grade point averages at the time of the awarding of the undergraduate degree will not be affected by this later coursework. In addition, the graduate or law grade point average will not include quality points for undergraduate courses. Students in joint J.D./M.B.A. programs have their law and graduate grade point averages computed separately.
Change of Division
Students may request a change of division (Civil Law Full-time, Civil Law Part-time Day, Civil Law Part-time Evening, Common Law Full-time or Common Law Part-time) by completing the appropriate form and submitting it to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for approval. Submission of this form should be done prior to registration for the term in which the change is to take effect. Evening division students may request a change of division after completing two years in the evening division. Such requests will only be granted in compelling circumstances, considering the needs of the student and the Law School's commitment to maintaining the strength of the evening cohort.
Eligibility for Graduation
Students must meet the specific requirements of their degree programs as set forth in this bulletin. The university, through the deans, may authorize changes and exceptions where it finds them desirable and consistent with the continuous and orderly review of its policies.
To be eligible for graduation, students must have fulfilled their specific degree program requirements and college requirements, have a 2.0 Loyola cumulative grade point average, and have been certified to graduate by their dean. Students who are short fifteen (15) or fewer hours of fulfilling their degree program requirements will be allowed to participate in the May Commencement.
To be certified for graduation and to be certified to the appropriate bar admission authorities for eligibility to take a bar exam, the student must satisfy all financial obligations to the university. Graduating students are expected to complete an exit survey, a Career Development survey, and a Bar Preparation survey before graduation.
In the fall semester prior to the calendar year in which a student expects to graduate, he or she must apply for graduation with the Office of Law Records. If unable to graduate in that calendar year, the student must reapply for graduation.
To be certified to graduate at the end of the term for which the student applied, all degree requirements must be completed no later than May 25 for spring candidates, October 1 for summer candidates, and February 1 for fall candidates.
Commencement/Graduation
Loyola confers degrees in December, May, and August. However, a commencement ceremony is only held in May. Students who are candidates for May, August, or December of the current year will participate in that ceremony. The commencement program is not a certification document of the university. After grades are received, the university determines graduation grade point averages and distinctions. Subsequently, the Office of Student Records posts the degrees and distinctions to transcripts. Diplomas and transcripts are not released until the student has discharged all financial and contractual obligations to the university and has completed the required exit surveys. After a student has graduated, no change may be made in the student's record, except to correct a discrepancy.
Graduation Distinctions
Graduation distinctions are determined on the basis of the student’s Loyola cumulative grade point average.
A student who has made a cumulative average of 3.4 graduates cum laude; one who has made an average of 3.6, magna cum laude; and one who has made an average of 3.8, summa cum laude. These distinctions are inscribed on the diplomas, noted in the list of graduates published for the commencement exercises, and listed on the transcripts.
Crowe Scholars
In 2000, the faculty of the College of Law established an honor, in memory of their late colleague, for students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class. These students are designated the William L. Crowe, Sr. Scholars. This determination is based on cumulative grade point averages after the previous fall semester are updated by changes in grades received by March 1.
Transcripts
Loyola is authorized to distribute only Loyola’s own transcripts, not transcripts from other universities. Only the Office of Student Records may issue transcripts. Students may have four records at Loyola which comprise the official transcript: undergraduate, graduate, law, and continuing education. Upon a student’s signed request, all official transcripts are sent by the Office of Student Records to others. Transcripts marked, “Issued to the Student,” are given by the Office of Student Records to students. In accordance with recommendations of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, official transcripts issued to students should not be treated as an official academic credential. Transcripts carry notations identifying major, degree program, Loyola term and cumulative statistics, degrees earned at Loyola and other institutions, date of birth, and prior academic level. Academic exclusion and dismissal are indicated on the transcript for students placed in this status. Loyola will withhold transcripts, diplomas, and statements of honorable dismissal until indebtedness to the university has been discharged.
Bar Examination Eligibility
Students are strongly advised to consult the state bar in which they plan to sit for a bar exam for student registration requirements. Students are urged to do this during the first semester of their first year.
Policy on Release of Information (FERPA)
Loyola makes every endeavor to keep the students’ educational records confidential and out of the hands of those who would use them for other than legitimate purposes. All members of the faculty, administration, and clerical staff respect confidential information about students that they acquire in the course of their work. At the same time, Loyola tries to be flexible enough in its policies not to hinder the student, the institution, or the community in their legitimate pursuits.
Documents submitted by or for the student in support of an application for admission or for transfer credit are not returned to the student nor sent elsewhere by request. In exceptional cases, however, when another transcript is unobtainable, copies may be prepared and released to prevent hardship to the student. The student should present a signed request. Usually, the copy, marked as a certified copy of what is in the student’s file, is released.
The complete policy on release of student information follows.
Public Law 93-380 (also known as the Buckley Amendment and as the Privacy Rights of Parents and Students—Section 438 of the General Education Provisions Act) permits only the release of “directory information” about students without the student’s written consent. Directory information includes:
Student’s name, address, telephone number, place of birth, college, major, awards, photo, classification, dates of enrollment, degrees conferred, dates of conferral, any graduation distinctions, and the institution attended immediately prior to admission.
The law further provides that any student may, upon written request, restrict the release of or the printing of such directory information in the student address directory. The student may so indicate at each registration.
The law requires written consent of the student for the release to anyone (including parents) of other than directory information with the following exceptions: (a) other school officials within the educational institution who have legitimate educational interests; (b) officials of schools to which the student seeks to transfer; (c) the comptroller general of the United States, the HEW secretary, the administrative head of an education agency, or state educational authorities; (d) in connection with a student’s application for, or receipt of financial aid; (e) state and local officials or authorities to which such information is specifically required to be reported under state statute adopted prior to November 19, 1974; (f) organizations or educational agencies conducting legitimate research, provided no personal identifiable information about the student is made public; (g) accrediting organizations; (h) in connection with an emergency when such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other persons; and (i) the Veterans Administration.
Loyola University New Orleans administrators and faculty may have access to information contained in students’ records on a need-to-know basis.
Personal information shall only be transferred to a third party, however, on the condition that such party will not permit any other party to have access to the information without the written consent of the student and that the information be utilized only for the specific purpose for which it was released.
Under the law, any student has the right to inspect and challenge his or her own educational file, with the exception of letters of recommendation or other material when the author was guaranteed confidentiality prior to January 1, 1975. Positive identification of the student shall be required for such examination and a university official shall remain in the immediate vicinity during the examination process.
In compliance with the Solomon Amendment, Loyola University will provide the following information to any branch of the Armed Forces for the purposes of recruiting:
- Student name
- Addresses (permanent, local, & email)
- Telephone numbers
- Major
- Place of birth
- Date of birth (age)
- Classification
- Degree(s) received
- Most recent educational institution enrolled by the student
If a student requests that Student Records withhold directory information under FERPA, your restriction will be honored and not released. Please print the Authorization to Withhold Directory Information and email that authorization to the Office of Student Records
For more information on Loyola's Privacy Guidelines, please click here. For a copy of Loyola's annual notice to students, please click here.
Policy on Release of Information - Deceased Students
All requests for disclosures of non-directory information regarding deceased students must be submitted in writing to the Office of Student Records. Such requests must (1) specify the individual records requested, (2) indicate a purpose for the disclosure of the records, and (3) identify the recipients of the information requested.
The requestor(s) must be identified as a party with a legitimate interest in non-directory information regarding the decedent. A party with a legitimate interest in non-directory information regarding the decedent typically includes an executor or administrator, or if the estate has already closed, the next of kin in the context of Louisiana’s intestate statute. Additionally, the requestor(s) must also submit a certified copy of the student’s death certificate or provide an authorized court order/subpoena.
Loyola reserves the right to refuse disclosures and/or to notify the estate of the deceased student, if known, prior to releasing the information or responding to requests for non-directory information about the former student.
Medical / Psychological
The psychological and/or medical records may be released upon signed written request to the surviving spouse, the parents, executor of the will, the surviving children, or - after suit has been instituted - the defense counsel or the defense insurance company seeking any medical, hospital, or other records relating to the patient's medical treatment, history or condition, either personally or through an attorney. Only the Director for Counseling and Health Services may release the psychological and/or medical records of a deceased student.
The person requesting the records must provide the following information in a signed written request:
- Student's name
- Copy of the death certificate
- Person requesting records' name, address, phone number, evidence that he or she is qualified to receive the records based on the criteria above
- Signature
- Date of request
For educational records, please address the request to the Director of Student Records, Loyola University New Orleans, 6363 St. Charles Avenue., Box 2, New Orleans, LA 70118.
For medical records, please address the request to Director, University Counseling Center, Loyola University New Orleans, 6363 St. Charles Avenue, Box 200, New Orleans, LA 70118.
Security of Student Records
Loyola University New Orleans maintains all student records in electronic format. Such records are maintained on an administrative system housed in a secured environment. Access to all electronically stored information is controlled through the use of user IDs and passwords.
Policy on Intellectual Property Rights
Read more about the university's policy on Intellectual Property Rights.
University Policies and Procedures for Students with Disabilities
Loyola University New Orleans is committed to ensuring equal access and reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and to providing support services that assist qualified students with disabilities. The policy of Loyola prohibits and discourages discrimination against students with disabilities in all areas of the university. The Office for Accessible Education was created to ensure the careful implementation of this policy by faculty and staff and to assist students with disabilities in meeting the demands of university life. This office is housed in the Pan-American Life Student Success Center at the Monroe Library, Room 229, (504) 865-2990.
Any student with a disability wishing to receive accommodations must identify him/herself as soon as possible to the Director of Accessible Education in order to comply with the requisite time limits and other procedures related to receiving accommodations. It is incumbent on the student to meet the deadlines and to inform him/herself of procedures to ensure reasonable accommodations.
Any student with a physical disability who may have difficulty evacuating the law building in an emergency is required to make an appointment with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at his/her earliest convenience to review the Loyola University emergency evacuation procedure.
Veterans Certifications
Immediately following registration held in the beginning of each semester, students who are taking courses leading towards degree requirements are eligible for benefits through the Veterans Administration and can be certified by the Director of Student Services in the Student Records Office. In accordance with Title 38, United States Code, Veterans Benefits, Loyola University certifies only those students who are admitted to a degree program and who are making satisfactory progress as determined by the probationary and exclusion policies of the university's colleges.
Reimbursement is certified for courses only and excludes noncredit courses. All inquiries concerning the certification should be directed to the Office of Student Records, 504-865-3237 or email kgros@loyno.edu.
To access Loyola's Veteran's Information page, please click here.
Credit Hour Certification Rules for Veterans
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Syllabi Policy
Beginning fall 2022, syllabi for courses are published on Canvas. Students requiring a copy of a syllabus prior to fall 2022 may consult the College of Law Google Drive for course syllabi.
E-Mail Address Information
All students are assigned a Loyola University e-mail address. This is the only address that will be recognized and used by Loyola University. All official information from faculty, staff, and administrators will be sent to students at this address. Students are responsible for regularly checking their email accounts.
Student Assessments
The Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness evaluates student learning and student perceptions through surveys of graduating seniors and alumni. Colleges and departments may also assess student learning outcomes and their perceptions of their Loyola experience.