Academic Regulations

HONOR CODE

Students in the College of Law are governed by an 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 hearing, the student may appeal to the dean. (Click here to view the Honor Code.)

KNOWLEDGE OF REGULATIONS

Students are responsible for compliance with the regulations of the university and should familiarize themselves with the provisions of this bulletin distributed by the Office of Admissions, the Registration Schedules distributed by the Office of Student Records, the Student Handbook distributed by the Office of Student Affairs, 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 advisers, 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.

PETITIONS COMMITTEE

This faculty 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. For more information, please see the associate dean of students.

CURRICULA

Loyola offers three curricula. In the full-time day program, Loyola offers two curricula leading to the juris doctor degree: in the tradition of the civil law for Louisiana students; in the common law for those students who will practice in other states. The part-time evening program offers only the civil law curriculum leading to the juris doctor degree. The requirement for the degree of juris doctor is 90 credit hours of work earned in the College of Law over a period of at least three academic years.

The curriculum for full-time students covers a period of six semesters of resident study. Full-time 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 304(e) 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 students must schedule 16 hours in the first semester and 15 hours in the second semester. The normal time frame for completion of the juris doctor degree is three 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.

The curriculum for part-time students covers a period of usually four academic years plus one or two summer sessions. By attending three summer sessions and taking full loads each semester, it is possible to accumulate sufficient hours to graduate in three and one-half years. Part-time students may register for more than 12 hours only with the permission of the Petitions Committee. All first-year part-time students are required to schedule 11 hours in the first semester and 10 in the second semester. Legal Profession must be completed and scheduled during the second year. Anyone who begins in the part-time program must stay with that program in the first year.

All students, full-time and part-time, should be aware of the ABA Accreditation Standard 304(f) which provides: “A student may not engage in employment for more than 20 hours per week in any semester in which the student is enrolled in more than 12 class hours.” In addition, ABA Accreditation Standard 304(d) requires “regular and punctual class attendance.”

Students must complete their requirements in five calendar years. For example, if you begin your program in the fall of 2004, you must complete your program before the start of the fall of 2009.

Students registered in the College of Law will not be permitted to register for courses in any other college of the university without the special permission from the associate dean for 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 hours of work in another school while enrolled in the College of Law.

 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

All law students must complete the following requirements to graduate:

- All required courses as listed below
- The writing requirement
- One perspective course
- The law and proverty requirement
- Eight skills credits

A description of each of these requirements follows below.

Required courses for full-time

First Year

Fall Semester	Hours	Spring Semester	Hours
LCIV L702—Common Law Contracts for Civil Law Students or LCOM L700—Contracts I	3	LCIV L710—Conventional Obligations or LCOM L701—Contracts II	3
LAW L705—Torts I	3	LAW L710—Torts II	2
LAW L725—Civil Procedure I	3	LAW L730—Civil Procedure II	3
LCIV L706—Civil Law Property I or LCOM L705—Common Law Property I	3	LCIV L707—Civil Law Property II or LCOM L710—Common Law Property II	3
LAW L735—Criminal Law	2	LAW L765—Moot Court	2
LAW L715—Legal Research and Writing	2	LAW L770—The Legal Profession	2
Total Hours	16	Total Hours	15

Second Year

LAW L750—Constitutional Law	4	LAW L740—Administration of Criminal Justice I	3
LCIV L715—Successions or LCOM L715—Trusts and Estates	3	LAW L745—Business Organizations	4
LAW L760—Evidence	3	LCIV L725—Sales and Leases	3
Elective or Civil Law “Pool” Courses	5 or 6	Electives or Civil Law “Pool” Courses	5 or 6
Total Hours	15 or 16	Total Hours	15 or 16

Third Year

LAW L781—Law and Poverty	2	Electives	14 to 16
Electives or Civil Law “Pool” Courses	14 to 16
Total Hours

Civil law students must also take at least two of the four “pool” courses listed below. These are:

LCIV L900—	Civil Law of Persons	3
LCIV L920—	Louisiana Donations and Trusts	3
LCIV L930—	Community Property	3
LCIV L940—	Security Rights	3

As a matter of sequencing, we recommend that Civil Law of Persons and/or Louisiana Donations and Trusts be taken in the second year and that Community Property and/or Security Rights be taken in the third year.

In addition to the required and “pool” courses listed above, students must take one of six courses emphasizing philosophical or historical perspectives on law and a course satisfying the writing requirement. These courses and the courses that satisfy the writing requirement are set forth in section on Writing Requirement. Furthermore, students must satisfy the requirements of the skills training program in order to graduate. All freshman students are required to schedule and complete the full academic load listed for their respective curricula during the first year of study.

Students are cautioned to register for required courses in the years and semesters listed on this and the following page. Failing to do so may create a scheduling conflict in a subsequent semester which could delay graduation.

Required courses for part-time

First Year

Fall Semester	Hours	Spring Semester	Hours
LCIV L702—Common Law Contracts for Civil Law Students	3	LCIV L710—Conventional Obligations	3
LAW L705—Torts I	3	LAW L710—Torts II	2
LCIV L706—Civil Law Property I	3	LAW L765—Moot Court	2
LAW L715—Legal Research and Writing	2	LCIV L707—Civil Law Property II	3
Total Hours	11	Total Hours	10

Second and Third Year 2008-2009

LAW L750—Constitutional Law	4	LAW L740—Administration of Criminal Justice I	3
LCIV L715—Successions	3	LCIV L725—Sales and Leases	3
LAW L735—Criminal Law	2	Electives or Civil Law "Pool" Courses	4 or 5
LAW L770—The Legal Profession (Second Year) or Elective (Third Year)	2
Total Hours	11	Total Hours	10 or 11

Second and Third Year 2009-2010

LAW L760—Evidence	3	LAW L745—Business Organizations	4
LAW L725—Civil Procedure I	3	LAW L730—Civil Procedure II	3
LAW L770—The Legal Profession (Second Year)*	2	Elective	3 or 4
Elective or Civil Law "Pool" Courses	3 or 5
Total Hours	11 or 12	Total Hours	10 or 11

*LAW L770, The Legal Profession, offered each year, must be taken by second-year students. The other second-year courses alternate from one year to the next.

Fourth Year

Electives or Civil Law “Pool” Courses	11	LAW L781—Law and Poverty	2
		Electives or Civil Law “Pool” Courses	9
Total Hours	11	Total Hours	11

To earn the 90 credit hours required for graduation, students in the part-time curriculum must earn additional hours by attending summer sessions or by obtaining permission to schedule more than 12 hours during fall or spring semesters.

Civil law students must also take at least two of the four “pool” courses listed below. These are:

LCIV L900—	Civil Law of Persons	3
LCIV L920—	Louisiana Donations and Trusts	3
LCIV L930—	Community Property	3
LCIV L940—	Security Rights	3

As a matter of sequencing, we recommend that Civil Law of Persons and/or Louisiana Donations and Trusts be taken in the second year and that Community Property and/or Security Rights be taken in the third year.

In addition to the required and “pool” courses listed above, students must take one of six courses emphasizing philosophical or historical perspectives on law and a course satisfying the writing requirement. These courses and the courses that satisfy the writing requirement are found below. Furthermore, students must satisfy the requirements of the skills training program in order to graduate. All freshman students are required to schedule and complete the full academic load listed for their respective curricula during the first year of study.

Students are cautioned to register for required courses in the years and semesters listed in this bulletin. Failing to do so may create a scheduling conflict in a subsequent semester which could delay graduation

WRITING 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.

Guidelines for preparing a paper that satisfies the writing requirement are available from the Law Records Office or online at www.law.loyno.edu/resources.html. Students will receive writing requirement credit when their paper receives a grade of C or higher and the professor who grades the paper indicates on LORA or to Law Records that the paper met the writing requirement standard. Students must tell the professor at the beginning of the project that the paper will be used to satisfy the writing requirement. Students must attach the writing requirement form to the paper when the paper is submitted for grading. The form serves to instruct professors to indicate on LORA or report to Law Records that the writing requirement was satisfied by the student's paper.

Papers written in the following courses may be used to satisfy the writing requirement:

LAW L782 - Law and Poverty Seminar
LAW L802 - Law and Education Seminar
LAW L809 - American Legal History Seminar
LAW L813 - Evidence/Procedure Seminar
LAW L816 - Comparative Law Seminar (2- or 3-hour credit assignment)
LAW L819 - Construction Industry Law Seminar
LAW L822 - Capital Punishment and the Constitution
LAW L826 - Advanced Torts Seminar
LAW L827 - Contracts/Commercial Law Seminar
LAW L831 - European Union Law Seminar
LAW L834 - Environmental Justice Seminar
LAW L846 - Seminar in Scholarly Writing
LAW L853 - Family Law Seminar
LAW L855 - Child Advocacy Seminar
LAW L859 - Regulation of Sports Industry Seminar
LAW L862 - Criminal Law Seminar
LAW L865 - Juvenile Law Seminar
LAW L867 - Business Planning Seminar
LAW L877 - Constitutional Law Seminar
LAW L883 - Dialogues in Law and Ethics
LAW L884 - International Law Seminar
LAW L885 - Sex Discrimination Law Seminar
LAW L886 - Environmental Law Seminar
LAW L887 - Federal Taxation Seminar
LAW L890 - Regulation of Entertainment Industries Seminar
LAW L892 - Law Review Seminar
LAW L893 - Public Interest Law Journal Honors Tutorial (only for comment)
LAW L894 - Public Interest Law Journal Seminar
LAW L898 - Legal Research (2-hour credit assignment)
LAW L910 - Law and Religion Seminar

Any new seminar, course, or existing course in which a paper of suitable length and quality is either required or offered by the instructor as an option.

PERSPECTIVE COURSE REQUIREMENT

The faculty has also established a requirement that students take one of the following courses which give a philosophical or historical perspective on law: Jurisprudence, Western Legal Tradition, Comparative Law, Comparative Law Seminar (when taught for three hours of credit), American Legal History Seminar, or Law of European Union I. Other courses from time to time may be added to this list. Only Western Legal Tradition and Comparative Law fulfill the perspective requirement for Civil Law and Common Law certificates.

LAW AND POVERTY REQUIREMENT

Students may satisfy the Law and Poverty requirement by fulfilling any one of the following options: take the Law and Poverty course (LAW L781); take the Law and Poverty Seminar (LAW L782); take Street Law (LAW L833); Environmental Justice Seminar (LAW L834); represent low income people in the Clinical Seminar (LAW L897); or perform 50 hours or volunteer pro bono legal services to 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.

SKILLS CURRICULUM AND REQUIREMENTS

The Loyola skills curriculum offers courses that teach the practical lawyering skills that students will need to effectively do the work of their lifetime. Skills curriculum courses are completed in one to four class meetings and are scheduled each semester. Practicing attorneys and judges teach the courses which are designed to provide an overview of specific areas of the law.

History

The skills curriculum was approved by the College of Law faculty and instituted during the 1985 – 86 academic year. In 1992, the American Bar Association published the Report of the Task Force on Law Schools and the Profession: Narrowing the Gap, also known as the MacCrate Report, which outlines and analyzes the fundamental lawyering skills that students must learn to do the work of their lifetime. Over the years, the Loyola skills curriculum has been referred to as a model for structuring law skills instruction. During the 1998 – 99 academic year, skills advisory boards have reviewed and revised the curriculum so that categories and courses meet the recommendations made in the MacCrate Report.

Requirements

Each student is required to earn eight skills credits to be certified for graduation by the skills curriculum office. The required eight skills credits should be distributed with two courses in each of the first four categories for a total of eight credits.

Categories I through IV are:

Category I—Factual Investigation and Counseling

Category II—Trial Practice Skills

Category III—Communication and Negotiation

Category IV—Administrative Boards and Law Office Management

Category V is an elective category which will not be credited to the required eight courses, but which will be recorded on the official academic transcript.

Students are encouraged to attend more than the required eight courses. No tuition fee is charged for skills curriculum courses. The specially designed skills curriculum courses are taught by practitioners and judges from the local legal community. Students will examine and practice fundamental lawyering skills, including problem solving, legal analysis and reasoning, legal research, factual investigation, communication, counseling, negotiation, litigation and alternative dispute resolution procedures, organization and management, and recognizing and resolving ethical dilemmas.

SUMMER SCHOOL

A limited number of courses are offered each summer in an eight-week session. Schedules are available in the spring. A maximum of six credit hours may be earned in New Orleans in a summer session.

All students, after completion of their freshman year, are permitted to enroll in summer school classes.

CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

Certificate in Civil Law—Requirements for Common Law Students

Common law students are eligible to receive the Certificate in Civil Law Studies at graduation upon the successful completion of all requirements for common law students plus three additional courses:

1. LCIV L706 Civil Law Property I	3 hrs.
2. LCIV L710 Conventional Obligations	3 hrs.
3. and one of the following courses:

	LCIV	L715 Successions	3 hrs.
	LCIV	L725 Sales and Leases	3 hrs
	LCIV	L900 Civil Law of Persons	3 hrs.
	LCIV	L920 Louisiana Donations and Trusts	3 hrs.
	LCIV	L930 Community Property	3 hrs.
	LCIV	L940 Security Rights	3 hrs.

In addition, in order to be eligible to receive the certificate, a student must satisfy the “Perspective Course” requirement by taking either Western Legal Tradition (3 hrs.—LAW L803) or Comparative Law (3 hrs.—LAW L881).

Certificate in Common Law—Requirements for Civil Law Students

Civil law students are eligible to receive the Certificate in Common Law Studies at graduation upon the successful completion of all requirements for civil law students plus three additional courses:

1. LCOM L710 Common Law Property II .	3 hrs
2. LCOM L920 Commercial Transactions	3 hrs.
3. and one of the following courses:

	LCOM	L701 Contracts II	3 hrs.
	LCOM	L705 Common Law Property I	3 hrs.
	LCOM	L715 Trusts and Estates	3 hrs.
	LCOM	L921 Secured Transactions	2 hrs.

In addition, in order to be eligible to receive the certificate, a student must satisfy the “Perspective Course” requirement by taking either Western Legal Tradition (3 hrs.—LAW L803) or Comparative Law (3 hrs.—LAW L881).

Requirements for Certificate in International Legal Studies

Students are eligible to receive the certificate upon the successful completion of all requirements for graduation in either the civil law curriculum or the common law curriculum plus four additional courses aggregating at least 10 credit hours selected from the following list of elective courses.

LAW L803 - Western Legal Tradition — 3 hrs.
LAW L805 - Law of European Union I — 3 hrs.
LAW L811 - Law of European Union II — 3 hrs.
LAW L832 - Immigration and Nationality Law — 3 hrs.
LAW G842 - Comparative Judicial Process — 1 hr.
LAW L876 - Conflict of Laws — 3 hrs.
LAW L878 - International Law — 3 hrs.
LAW G879 - International Trade Regulation — 2 hrs.
LAW L881 - Comparative Law — 3 hrs.
LAW G884 - Latin American Law Seminar — 2 hrs.
LAW L884 - International Law Seminar — 2 hrs.
LAW G890 -Current Issues in Japanese Law — 2 or 3 hrs.
LAW L925 - International Trade Law — 2 or 3 hrs.
LAW L926 - International Investment Law — 2 or 3 hrs.
LAW L927 - International Financial Services Law — 2 or 3 hrs.
LAW L928 - International Dispute Resolution — 2 or 3 hrs.
LAW L929 - Selected Topics in International Environmental Law — 2 hrs.
LAW L974 - Canon Law 1 or 3 hrs.
LAW L981 - International Taxation — 3 hrs.

Other comparative or international law courses offered by Loyola or other accredited American law schools may be approved by the associate dean for academic affairs for partial fulfillment of the requirements of the certificate program.

Requirements for Certificate in Environmental Law

Students in their second and third year may elect to specialize in environmental law, earning a Certificate in Environmental Law. To do so, a student must apply no later than the end of the second year with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Students who have met the certificate requirements by the time of graduation will have this distinction noted on their transcripts and receive a certificate.

This certificate program is designed to recognize students who commit themselves to this fascinating and challenging area of study. But it is also intended to leave room to take other important core courses. We strongly believe that one must first be a good lawyer before one can become an effective environmental lawyer.

Requirements

1. Curriculum. Students must complete the following courses, totaling 13 hours

(a) LAW L858 Environmental Law - 3hrs.
(b) LAW L835 Natural Resources Law - 3hrs., or
LAW L836 Land Use Law - 3hrs.
(c) seven additional hours from the courses listed below

LAW L844 Administrative Law -3hrs.
LAW L905 Advanced Legal Writing (with approval of program chair) - 3hrs.
LAW L879 Advanced Legislative and Administrative Advocacy - 3hrs.
LAW L900 Clinical Externship (with approval of program chair) -1-2hrs.
LAW L835 Environmental Justice Seminar - 2hrs.
(This seminar also satisfies the Law & Poverty requirement)
LAW L886 Environmental Law Seminar - 2hrs.
(may take more than one; seminar topics include: Animal Law,
Brownfields, Redevelopment, Clean Air Act, Coastal Management,
Energy Law, International Environmental Law, Toxic Torts, etc.)
LAW L836 Land Use Law - 3hrs.
LAW L898 Legal Research (with approval of program chair) - 1-2hrs.
LAW L841 Legislative and Administrative Advocacy - 3hrs.
LAW L835 Natural Resources Law - 3hrs.
LAW L929 Selected Topics in International Environmental Law - 2hrs.
LAW L838 Mineral Law - 3 hrs.

2. Writing Requirement. Students must complete an academic research paper of high professional quality concerning environmental law. They may fulfill this requirement in conjunction with an environmental course listed above, as part of LAW L898 Legal Research, LAW L905 Advanced Legal Writing, or through one of the College of Law's journal offerings. This paper must be written for a grade and must be advised or co-advised by one of the designated environmental faculty. Advance approval of the topic is required.

3. Grade Point Average. Students must complete the certificate requirements with a combined grade point average of 2.5 or higher, and with no individual grade below C.

Requirements for Certificate in Taxation

Students are eligible to receive the certificate upon successful completion of all requirements for graduation plus:

Requirements

1. Take twelve credits of taxation classes;

2. Maintain an average of “B” or better in tax classes;

3. Obtain at least a graduating g.p.a. of 2.5;

4. Complete fifty hours (over two (2) filing seasons) of volunteer work for the VITA Program which would also satisfy the Law and Poverty requirement.

The taxation classes are:
LAW L804 Legal Accounting
LAW L869 Taxation of the Family
LAW L870 Federal Taxation of Wealth Transmission
LAW L871 Advanced Federal Income Taxation
LAW L872 Federal Income Taxation of Corporations
LAW L873 Taxation of Partnerships and Other Pass-through Entities
LAW L874 Federal Tax Procedure
LAW L875 State and Local Taxation
LAW L887 Federal Taxation Seminar
LAW L898 Legal Research
LAW L980 Income Taxation
LAW L981 International Taxation

ELECTIVES

In order to provide a greater degree of predictability in regard to the scheduling of courses, the electives offered in the College of Law are divided into three categories.

CATEGORY I consists of those courses which the College of Law seeks to offer each year. Insufficient faculty or extraordinary circumstances may make it impossible to adhere to this plan, but whenever there is a conflict, these courses will be given first consideration.
CATEGORY II consists of those courses the College of Law will attempt to offer every other year. The same caveat applies as in Category I.
CATEGORY III consists of those courses which will be offered whenever student interest and faculty availability permit. Student interest will be consulted in determining which of these courses will be offered in any given semester. Courses in Category III will be offered only when arrangements have been made to offer those in the first two groups. They may, however, be offered frequently, even yearly, if student interest and faculty availability permit.

CATEGORY I
Admiralty Advanced Constitutional Law American Legal History Seminar Civil Law of Persons Commercial Transactions Community Property Comparative Law Comparative Law Seminar Conflict of Laws Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy Income Taxation Independent Study International Law Journal of Public Interest Law Honors Tutorial Jurisprudence	Labor Law Law Review Honors Tutorial Law Review Seminar Legal Accounting Legal Research Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Louisiana Donations and Trusts Mediation and Arbitration Negotiable Instruments Secured Transactions Security Rights Title Examination Trial Practice Seminar Western Legal Tradition
CATEGORY II
Administration of Criminal Justice II Administration of Criminal Justice III Administrative and Legislative Advocacy Administrative Law Antitrust Law Business Planning Seminar Constitutional Law Seminar Copyright Law Corporate Finance Courts in a Federal System Dialogues in Law and Ethics Employee Remedies (Maritime) Environmental Law Environmental Law Seminar Estate Planning Family Law Family Law Seminar First Amendment Injured Employee Compensation and Tort Remedies Insurance International Dispute Resolution	International Financial Services Law International Investment Law International Law Seminar International Taxation International Trade Law Law of European Union I Law of European Union II Legislation Maritime Personal Injury Mineral Law Patent Law Products Liability Regulation of the Entertainment Industries Seminar Regulation of the Sports Industry Seminar Securities Regulation Sex Discrimination Law Seminar Street Law Taxation of Partnerships and Other Pass-through Entities Workers’ Compensation
CATEGORY III
Advanced Federal Income Taxation Advanced Legal Writing Advanced Torts Seminar Canon Law Capital Punishment and the Constitution Child Advocacy Seminar Civil Rights Actions Under Section 1983 Communications Law Computer Law Construction Industry Law Seminar Consumer Law Contracts/Commercial Law Seminar Criminal Law Seminar Employment Discrimination Evidence/Procedure Seminar Federal Appellate Advocacy Federal Criminal Law Federal Tax Procedure Federal Taxation Seminar	Financial Institutions Law Immigration and Nationality Law Immigration Law Seminar Intellectual Property Law Seminar on Digital Delivery of Entertainment Products Juvenile Law Seminar Land Development Law Law and Education Seminar Law and Medicine Law and Religion Seminar Law Workshop Louisiana Probate Louisiana Probate Seminar Marine Insurance State and Local Government Law Trademark, Trade Name, and Unfair Competition Law

LEGAL RESEARCH (LAW L898) and INDEPENDENT STUDY (LAW L899)

Students wishing to register for these courses should obtain a copy of the current rules and regulations governing the courses from the law records coordinator.

For Legal Research (LAW L898), a brief outline and brief bibliography approved by the professor under whom the paper is to be written should be submitted when the independent study form is submitted to the Associate Dean.

LL.M. for INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

LL.M. in United States Law

The LL.M. in United States Law is primarily (but not exclusively) designed for lawyers who have obtained their first degree in law from a law school in a Civil Law country.  A concept of the program is that Louisiana’s Civil Law or perhaps more accurately “Mixed Jurisdiction” background will be attractive to lawyers from Civil Law countries.  The Loyola College of Law Civil Law faculty will be available for these students as interpreters and “mediators” to assist them in better understanding unfamiliar Common Law concepts and techniques and other aspects of American public and private law. By achieving this familiarity foreign lawyers can become more comfortable in those areas of their future practice when they interact with U.S. lawyers, businessman, government officials or other legal institutions.

A total of twenty-four credit hours is required for this degree.  It is anticipated that the degree will be completed in one academic year (two semesters), but students may take longer if they wish with the permission of the Director.  For example, it maybe possible to finish the few remaining hours in the summer following the academic year by taking summer courses either in New Orleans or one of several study-abroad programs.

The only specific required courses for this degree will be the three credit course in “Introduction to United States Law” and the two credit course in “Legal Research and Writing for Foreign Lawyers.”  There is also a separate research and writing requirement which may be fulfilled by taking a two hour law school seminar for credit or a two hour independent legal research project (LAW L898) under the supervision of a faculty member.  An LL.M. student may be able to complete a more extensive thesis under faculty supervision for up to a total of six hours credit.  (This would be instead of the two hour project, not in addition to it.)

The remaining credits of the twenty-four credit hours may be taken from among any other courses in the College of Law’s course catalog except for the “Legal Research and Writing” for JD students, as well as, courses that are associated with service on the school’s four officially recognized law journals.  The candidate should have a coherent plan of electives and have the approval of the director for all elective courses. 

Up to four credit hours may be earned through a pass-fail internship with a law firm, court or government agency.  The College of Law does not promise that an internship will be available to the potential LL.M. candidate, but will make best efforts to arrange one for interested candidates. 

If a candidate chooses to write a thesis this may be completed after the candidate’s one year period of residency on the Loyola campus, but the LL.M. degree will not be awarded until the thesis is satisfactorily completed. 

Students who have their first degree in law from a common law country other than the United States may elect, as part of their required twenty four credit hours, to take a limited concentration in Civil Law courses offered at Loyola and receive a certificate in Civil Law Studies reflecting this concentration. The additional requirements for the certificate in Civil Law Studies are that the candidate take one of the following Civil Law courses in our curriculum: Civil Law Property or Civil Law Conventional Obligations plus one other Civil Law course, i.e., one of those designed "LCIV" in the Law Bulletin. (see Academic Regulations and Requirements.)

ENROLLMENT AT OTHER LAW SCHOOLS

The associate dean for 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 year’s 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

Students pursuing degrees at Loyola are encouraged to advance their progress toward completion by attending Loyola’s summer sessions. 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 COLLEGE OF LAW

Degree-seeking students are admitted to a degree program and classified, only after spring semester, as follows:

Freshmen	Total Hours	Juniors	Total Hours
Day Program	0 – 18	Day Program	19 – 54
Evening Program	0 – 14	Evening Program	42 – 66
Sophomores		Seniors
Evening Program	15 – 41	Day Program	55 – 90
		Evening Program	67 – 90

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.

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—ordinarily within three 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:

A	Excellent	This grade is assigned 4 quality points per semester hour.
A-	Excellent	This grade is assigned 3.7 quality points per semester hour.
B+	Good	This grade is assigned 3.3 quality points per semester hour.
B	Good	This grade is assigned 3 quality points per semester hour.
B-	Good	This grade is assigned 2.7 quality points per semester hour.
C+	Average	This grade is assigned 2.3 quality points per semester hour.
C	Average	This grade is assigned 2 quality points per semester hour.
C-	Minimally Passing	This grade is assigned 1.7 quality points per semester hour.
D+	Minimally Passing	This grade is assigned 1.3 quality points per semester hour.
D	Minimally Passing	This grade is assigned 1 quality point per semester hour.
F	Failure or failure to withdraw	No quality points are assigned.
I	Incomplete	This grade is to be assigned only when the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Instructor has been presented with serious and compelling reasons why the student should be allowed to complete the course at a later date. These reasons are customarily medical. The I grade is not an automatic extension. If the I grade is not made up by the end of the term subsequent to the term in which it was incurred, it can only be made up by special permission of the dean. A permanent I is not included in tabulation of hours or grade point average.
P	Pass	Pass/fail grades are available only in courses designated as pass/fail. Grades of P are not counted toward quality point averages.
X	No Grade Submitted
W	Withdrawal	Indicates that the student withdrew by the tenth week of class in the Office of Student Records. No credit is awarded.
AF	Absent from Examination
AU	Audit Complete
AI	Audit Incomplete
AP	Advanced Placement
EX	Exempted from course requirement
FA	Audit Failed
IP	In Progress	An IP grade may be granted for certain courses that typically are longer than a normal semester.

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 for 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:

1. 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.
2. In all other cases, the record will be marked AF. This grade will be considered as an F in determining grade point average and will indicate nonfulfillment of the examination for required course purposes.
3. 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.

GRADING GUIDELINES

The faculty of the College of Law has adopted suggested grading guidelines for all first-year courses. These 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:

Grade	At Least	But Not More Than
A	3⅓%	10%
A-	3⅓%	10%
B+	3⅓%	10%
B	7½%	22½%
B-	7½%	22½%
C+	7½%	22½%
C	7½%	22½%
below C	5%	20%

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 2008 graduating class was:

GPA	RANK
3.565	Top 10%
3.348	Top 20%
3.247	Top 25%
3.148	Top 33%
2.974	Top 50%

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.

THE GRADE APPEAL SYSTEM

I. 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.

II. To effect an appeal of a grade, a student must:

1. 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,
2. Have an honest and mature intellectual conviction that he/she deserved a higher grade than that received, and
3. 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 said committee shall decide the issue. If the appeal is deemed frivolous, the student shall not be allowed to continue his or her appeal.

III. In order to appeal, the student should obtain an appeal form available in the Office of Law Records and complete the applicable portions of it. The completed form should be forwarded to the associate dean of students.

IV. If the student committee determines that the appeal is not frivolous, the associate dean for 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.

V. 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 made by a student in his or her scheduled courses is available through LORA. Students requiring a “paper copy” may also request this through LORA. Grades may be released to parents or guardians if the student authorizes the university to do so. This authorization must be made each term at the time of registration in either the Office of Law Records or the Office of Student Records.

Loyola’s grade reports 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

An instructor may change a grade previously assigned by submitting a completed change of grade form to the Office of Student Records. The instructor must request the grade change form, cite the reason for changing the grade, and obtain the signed approval of the dean.

JURIS DOCTOR DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible for graduation, a student must earn 90 credit hours, have a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on all work attempted, complete the required courses, complete the period of resident study extending over a minimum of three academic years, and complete at least eight skills credits.

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 course open to all Loyola College of Law students who wish to participate, and is geared towards those whose grade point averages have fallen below the required 2.0. 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 assistant dean of admissions for more information at (504) 861-5577.

EXCLUSIONS

A student will be automatically excluded from the College of Law if:

1. 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;
2. at any time thereafter the overall average of a full-time or part-time student is less than 2.0, providing the student has been on academic probation for the semester immediately preceding exclusion.

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 Day, Civil Law Evening, or Common Law) by completing the appropriate form and submitting it to the College of Law records coordinator or the assistant dean of admissions. Submission of this form should be done prior to registration for the term in which the change is to take effect.

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, must have a 2.0 Loyola cumulative grade point average, and have been certified to graduate by their dean. Students who are short six or fewer hours of fulfilling their degree program requirements will be allowed to participate in the May Commencement.

In order to be certified for graduation and in order 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 before graduation.

In the first part of the academic year in which a student expects to graduate, he or she must apply for graduation with the law records director. If unable to graduate in that term, 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 October 15 for spring or summer candidates and March 15 for fall candidates. After that date, the original application for graduation will be deleted. If the student is unable to complete the requirements during his or her period of time, the student must reapply for graduation in a subsequent term.

GRADUATION

Loyola confers degrees in December, May, and August. However, a commencement ceremony is only held in May. 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 senior exit survey. After a student has graduated, no change may be made in his or her 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 at 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 is updated by changes in grades received by March 1.

COMMENCEMENT

Loyola will hold commencement only at the end of each spring term. 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.

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 which 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 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.

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. Additionally, all records are copied to magnetic tape on a daily basis and stored offsite.

POLICY ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

The university’s policy for students, faculty, and staff on intellectual property rights can be found on the university web page under Policies, Procedures, and Reports at http://www.loyno.edu/provost/policies.html.

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 which 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 of Disability Services 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. Disability services are housed in the Academic Resource Center which is located on the main campus in Monroe Hall, Room 405, (504) 865-2990.

Any student with a disability wishing to receive accommodations must identify him/herself as soon as possible to the associate dean of students or to the director of disability services 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 in order 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 students 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 Office of Student Records. In accordance with Title 38, United States Code, Veterans Benefits, Loyola 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.

Credit Hour Certification Rules for Veterans

Classification	Full Time	3/4 Time	1/2 Time	1/4 Time
Law
Day or Evening	9	6	3	2
Summer School	6	3	-	-

SYLLABI POLICY

Beginning fall 2004, syllabi for courses are published at the web-based schedule of classes (https://lorasec.loyno.edu/) by term and subject and are available for review and downloading. Students requiring a copy of their syllabus prior to fall 2004 should request that information from the Office of Student Records (http://www.loyno.edu/records/askstudentrecords.php).

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. It is the students’ responsibility to regularly check their e-mail account.

STUDENT ASSESSMENTS

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment 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.