Law School Registrar

Registrar Policies & Procedures

Graduation Requirements

• Juris Doctor Degree - Application for Graduation

(the following is adapted from the Academic Bulletin)

A candidate for the degree of Juris Doctor must have satisfied all academic requirements for graduation, must be of good moral character, must have satisfied all indebtedness to the University, must have made formal application for his/her degree to the Registrar prior to the date listed in the School of Law calendar (applications are available in the Registrar’s Office), must be recommended to receive the degree of Juris Doctor by the Faculty, and must be present at Commencement.

Upper Division Writing Requirement

To reinforce and expand the skills learned in the basic Legal Research and Writing Course and to develop the techniques necessary for in-depth analysis and organization of a large body of material, a student is required to produce and submit prior to graduation an original work of acceptable professional quality involving a significant exploration of a single major topic. This requirement must be satisfied for Full-Time Day Division students during the final four (4) semesters prior to graduation including the Summer Session and for Evening and Part-Time Day Division students during the final five (5) semesters prior to graduation including the Summer Sessions.  

More information is available at Upper Level Writing Requirements »

Residency

A student in the Full-Time Day Division is required to complete his/her course work within three academic years from the date of matriculation and must have been in residence on a full-time basis for three (3) academic years [not less than ten (10) credit hours per semester]. A student in the Evening Division or the Part-Time Day Division is required to complete his or her course work within four academic years from the date of matriculation and must have been in residence on a part-time basis [not less than eight (8) credits per semester and not more than twelve (12) credits per semester] for four (4) academic years. Transfer students must have been in residence for a minimum of two (2) academic years on a full-time basis or the equivalent on a part-time basis.

Auditing a course during any semester will not reduce a student’s residency credit requirement.

A candidate for the degree of Juris Doctor must complete his or her final year of study in residence at the School of Law and may not enroll in less than eight (8) credit hours per semester for Part-Time students (Day or Evening) or ten (10) credit hours per semester for Full-Time Day Division students regardless of the number of credits earned during prior semesters or any Summer Sessions. Subject to the approval of the Faculty, a student may be permitted to complete his/her final year at another accredited law school upon a showing of compelling circumstances. Summer Session credits earned in the amount of six (6) credits shall be considered one-fourth (1/4) of an academic year of residency. Any Summer Session credits earned less than six (6) shall not be considered for purposes of earning time in residence. Residency may not be satisfied solely by the number of credits completed.

All J.D. candidates are subject to the same degree requirements, academic requirements and academic regulations. All J.D. candidates must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 86 credit hours of study, including required courses. The terms and conditions for this program may be modified by the School of Law at any time. The Law School offers a bar preparation examination course worth two credits. However, these credits will not be counted towards the minimum 86 credits need for graduation.

Part-Time Day and Evening students, while normally on a four-year program, may, by petition to the Academic Status Committee, extend their course of study to five years. Such extensions shall only be granted by the Committee after the successful completion of the first year of study.

Credit Hours and Grade Point Average For Students Admitted to the Law School Before the 2004-2005 Academic Year

A candidate for the degree of Juris Doctor must have earned eighty-six (86) credits [for transfer students, at least fifty-seven (57) credits must have been earned at the School of Law] and must have successfully completed all course work with no grade lower than “C,” have a cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.975 (rounded to the nearest thousandth) and have a grade point average of not less than 2.975 (rounded to the nearest thousandth) for course work completed in the final year of study (last two semesters). In addition, a candidate must have satisfactorily completed the upper-level writing requirement, and any other assignments which may be required. It is the responsibility of each student to make certain that he/she will have earned the appropriate number of credits needed to graduate at the conclusion of his/her last year of study.

Credit Hours and Grade Point Average For Students Admitted to the Law School Beginning with the 2004-2005 Academic Year and Thereafter

A candidate for the degree of Juris Doctor must have earned eighty-six (86) credits [for transfer students, at least fifty-seven (57) credits must have been earned at the School of Law] and must have successfully completed all course work with no grade lower than “D,” have a
cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.000 (rounded to the nearest thousandth), have a grade point average of not less than 2.000 (rounded to the nearest thousandth) for course work completed in the final year of study (last two semesters), and must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.000 (rounded to the nearest thousandth) for all required courses during his/her matriculation. In addition, a candidate must have satisfactorily completed the upper-level writing requirement, and any other assignments which may be required. It is the responsibility of each student to make certain that he/she will have earned the appropriate number of credits needed to graduate at the conclusion of his/her last year of study.

Transfer Credits

Credits earned at an ABA-accredited law school will be accepted for credit by the School of Law providing a grade equivalent to the School of Law’s grade for minimum professional competence has been earned. All grades earned at an another accredited law school will be entered as “Passes” on a student’s transcript, rather than with the letter grade actually earned. The School of Law will accept a maximum of twenty-nine (29) credits from another accredited law school in satisfaction of the degree requirements for any transfer student wishing to earn a J.D. degree from the School of Law. Duquesne law students are not permitted to enroll for more than six
(6) Summer Session elective credits either at the School of Law or another accredited law school(s) during their period of matriculation at Duquesne. Duquesne law students must receive approval to attend a summer session at another accredited law school. Approval will not be granted to enroll in any course which is part of the Law School’s required curriculum.

Honors for Students Admitted to the Law School Before the 2004-2005 Academic Year

In recognition of exceptional academic achievement, the degree of Juris Doctor may be conferred cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude. No student who has been disciplined pursuant to the Disciplinary Code may graduate with honors. If a student completes his/her course of studies with the following cumulative grade point average, the degree of Juris Doctor will be conferred as follows. Rounding is not permitted in order to qualify for honors.

Honors for Students Admitted to the Law School Beginning with the 2004-2005 Academic Year and Thereafter

In recognition of exceptional academic achievement, the degree of Juris Doctor may be conferred cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude. No student who has been disciplined pursuant to the Disciplinary Code may graduate with honors. If a student completes his/her course of studies with the following cumulative grade point average, the degree of Juris Doctor will be conferred as follows. Rounding is not permitted in order to qualify for honors.