Pass/Fail Grading

Pass/Fail Grading

The Law School has a modified form of pass/fail grading. Under this system the grade of "Pass" indicates that a student receiving it has performed at a level equivalent to a C or higher on an A-F scale. Thus, in effect, the system is a Pass/C-/D+/D/D-/Fail grading scale. A grade of C or better is recorded as a grade of "Pass" and is not used in the computation of the student's grade point average. A grade of C- or lower is used in the computation. Student transcripts contain the legend that any course in which a grade of "Pass" was awarded did not enter into the computation of the student's grade point average, class rank, and eligibility for honors.

All Juris Doctor students must complete at least 74 of the required 86 semester hours of course credit for graduation graded on the traditional A-F scale. Thus, twelve semester hours of non-required courses taken at the Law School may be taken under the pass/fail grading option for students graduating with exactly 86 credits. LL.M. students may take 3 semester hours of non-required courses under the pass/fail grading option.However, students must complete a minimum of two graded courses per semester. All required courses taken at the Law School must be taken on the A-F basis. Pass/fail credits for individual externships, externship clinics, Lawyering Process teaching assistants, Moot Court Competition, Moot Court teaching assistants, and Legal Editorship credits are included in the number of pass/fail credits allowed.  Courses that appear on the transcript with a grade of T (Transfer), if taken for a letter grade at the other institution, are not counted as pass/fail credits.  This includes dual degree, certificate and study abroad course work.

Each faculty member reserves the option to deny students the right to take his/her classes under the pass/fail option or to limit by any reasonable method the percentage of students taking any course on a pass/fail basis.

During the fifth and sixth weeks of each semester, and during the third week of classes in the June/July Term, students must make a decision as to whether or not they are taking any course so available on a pass/fail basis. Once chosen, or once the pass/fail registration period has completed, students may not modify their pass/fail selection. 

Pass grades received as a result of course work completed outside the Law School are not included in the number of hours of pass/fail which are allowed. This assumes that the work successfully completed outside the school of law was taken on a graded basis (A-F).