School of Law Policies

Academic and Student Policies

William & Mary Law School students are subject to the academic policies of the School and of the individual programs in which they enroll as well as the rules and regulations of William & Mary. Policies for individual programs are included in the description for that program. In accordance with William & Mary’s academic policies, it is the student’s responsibility to know and meet the academic requirements of the program.

Academic Continuance & Standing

How to maintain good standing:

Attend class

The American Bar Association requires students to attend class regularly and punctually. Many of your professors will have specific attendance requirements (e.g., a maximum of only 3 absences is permitted). Students who are identified as having missed an excessive number of classes may be withdrawn from the class or the course grade may be adjusted if attendance is a factor in determining the final grade.

If you find you must be absent from your courses for an extended period of time, contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Academic Support who, in turn, will contact your professors.

Conduct yourself professionally

It’s your obligation to conduct yourself in a manner commensurate with the educational purposes of our school. You are required to adhere to the Code of Student Conduct as well as any Law School specific policy. Infractions can result in disciplinary action by the Law School, the University or both.

Follow the Honor Code

The Honor System at William & Mary Law School is one of the oldest in higher education. It exists to provide a living and learning environment that reflects the values of the Law School community, including those of academic integrity, personal integrity, and personal and professional responsibility. Our students do believe in and cherish this system.

Be a full-time student

We are a full-time law program and J.D. students must successfully complete between 10 and 17 credit hours each term.

Eligibility to Continue as a Law Student and Terms Related to W&M Law Study

To be a full-time student in good academic standing

• Commence the first year of study in the fall term.
• Complete all degree requirements by the end of the third consecutive spring term following commencement of study.
• Take courses totaling at least 10 academic credits in each term.
• Take courses totaling at least 20 credits in each academic year.
• Register for no more than 17 credits in any term.

Taking courses
A student is deemed to have taken a course if that student was properly registered in a course, for the required number of academic credit hours, and received a grade, including a failing grade. A student is not deemed to have taken a course when a student withdraws from a course prior to its completion. A failing grade in a course is included in calculating a student’s grade point average but results in zero credits awarded toward the number of credits required to graduate.

Academic year
The academic year is the period beginning with a summer session and ending with the next succeeding spring term.

Effective for students entering fall 2022 or thereafter, eligibility to continue in residence is governed by the following grade point average requirements:

• A student who does not achieve a 2.0 grade point average at the end of the first semester of legal study will be dismissed permanently for academic deficiency. The student may not petition for the right to continue or for reinstatement.
• A student who does not achieve a 2.5 grade point average at the end of the first semester of legal study will be placed on academic probation.
• A student who has not achieved a 2.5 cumulative grade point average at the end of the first year of legal study will be dismissed permanently for academic deficiency (whether or not the student was previously placed on academic probation). The student may not petition for the right to continue or for reinstatement.
• To be able to continue in residence at the Law School as a 2L and 3L, a student must maintain a semester and cumulative grade point average of 2.3. To clarify, the student must maintain the minimum grade point average of 2.3 for each semester in the second year and each semester in the third year; as well as a cumulative grade point average of 2.3 at the conclusion of both the second and third year of legal study.
• GPA shall be truncated at the 100th and rounded to the nearest tenth and otherwise calculated according to the normal conventions of the Law School. The Academic Advisory Committee has the authority, in its discretion, to interpret and implement the eligibility criteria set forth herein.
• These regulations apply to all degree candidates. Exceptions are granted only when approved in advance by first the Academic Advisory Committee and then the Dean.

Petition for Reinstatement Requirements and Process

American Bar Association (ABA) Standards

The Law School invites students to share any concerns about the Law School’s program of education as it relates to compliance with the ABA’s Standards. Any student who has such a concern should submit the concern in writing either to the Vice Dean or the Associate Dean for Student Services, identifying the ABA Standard at issue. The submission must be signed by the student and, if sent by e-mail, must be sent from the student’s W&M e-mail account.  The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Associate Dean for Student & Academic Services will confirm receipt of the submission within five business days and will work with the appropriate individuals to investigate the issue and take appropriate action. The Vice Dean or the Associate Dean for Student Services will notify the student about the status of the investigation within 30 days of receipt of the submission. A record of all such submissions and their resolutions will be kept on file for ten years in the office of the Vice Dean.

(ABA Req’d Disclosures)

Auditing Law Courses

All audit requests must be approved by the instructor, and will be confirmed only at the end of the Add/Drop period for each semester, contingent upon seat availability. Registration for Degree-seeking J.D. and LL.M. students enrolling in classes for credit takes priority over auditors. Auditors are not to create work for the professor (i.e., may not turn in assignments to be graded), are expected to attend class and have read the materials, do not take the exam or submit a final paper, and credit hours are not earned. If space is available following the end of the add/drop period and if the professor gives permission, the auditor will be administratively registered for the course. Upon successful completion the course title will show on the auditor’s transcript and reflect a grade of ‘O.’

Degree-seeking J.D. or LL.M. students may audit a course by completing the appropriate form and submitting to the Law School Registrar.

Non-law students who wish to audit a law course may do so provided 1) it is not a required course, nor a “skills” class, nor a pass/fail course; 2) the auditor is not taking a seat from a degree-seeking student; 3) the instructor gives permission. Non-law students, other than Visiting Scholars, should contact the Law School Registrar if interested in auditing a law class.

Visiting Scholars have the option to audit one law course per semester. The Law School provisions on auditing courses apply. For the avoidance of doubt, Visiting Scholars should note the following:

• In order to audit a course, the Visiting Scholar fees for the semester have been paid.
• The Visiting Scholar must be able to participate from the first day of class and should complete the entire course term.
• The Visiting Scholar has discussed the audit course selection with the Director of LL.M. Programs, and has received permission from Dean of Academic Affairs and the faculty member teaching the course.
• Audit requests will be confirmed only at the end of the Add/Drop period in each new semester.  Course registration of J.D. and LL.M. students takes priority over Visiting Scholars. Therefore, if all seats in a course are taken, Visiting Scholars may not audit that course. 
• If seats remain open after J.D. and LL.M. students are registered, and following the end of the Add/Drop period, the Visiting Scholar’s audit request will be confirmed. Visiting Scholars are strongly advised not purchase books for any course until the law course registration is confirmed.
• A limited number of courses are not open to Visiting Scholars’ participation, these include:  clinics, externships, J.D. Legal Practice courses: Leadership and Professional Development (LAW 100); Legal Writing & Research courses (LAW 130); J.D. Lawyering Skills (LAW 131); and J.D. Advanced Writing Practice (LAW 140); courses required for the J.D., which are: Professional Responsibility (LAW 115); The Legal Profession (LAW 117); and courses designated as experiential.
• Visiting Scholar auditors may not create work for the professor (i.e., may not turn in assignments to be graded), are expected to attend class and have read the material, will not take exams, and will not receive credit hours for the course.  
• Visiting Scholars who do not follow the formal audit request process will be provided one warning. If the Visiting Scholar audit policy is violated, the Visiting Scholar is at risk of dismissal from the International Scholar-in-Residence Program.

Class Rank for JD Students

How we calculate your law GPA

• Statistically, there is little significant difference in a cumulative grade point average that extends beyond one decimal point. Therefore, the Law School uses only a rounded GPA as the law cumulative grade point average. The cumulative GPA reported to a third party by either the Law School or you is that which is rounded from the hundredths place to the tenths place.

Examples of rounding: 
3.05 rounds to 3.1
3.04 rounds to 3.0
2.99 rounds to 3.0

• It is this rounded GPA that is used for rank purposes.

How you are ranked

• JD Class ranks are based on the rounded GPA defined above.
• Because it is difficult to obtain meaningful percentage ranks above 3.6, students holding a GPA of 3.6 or higher will be given a numerical rank. All ranks of 3.5 and lower will be a percentage. The majority of the class will receive a percentage rather than individual class rank. In either case, it is conceivable that multiple students will share the same rank.
• Your first class rank is at the conclusion of one full year of legal study at William & Mary. Thereafter, you are ranked only at the conclusion of the fall and spring terms (i.e., no re-ranking will occur following a summer term).
• Your class rank is emailed to your William & Mary email address. We do not print class ranks on either the unofficial or official transcript.
• Graduates and, in rare cases, current students may require a statement of class rank. This is obtained through the Law School Registrar.
• LL.M. students are not ranked, and transfer students (to include LL.B to J.D. students) are not ranked until the end of their first full-year of law school at W&M Law.
• Rank information is released to students within the context of their own record only. If a student earns a tied rank, the number of students tied at a particular rank is not disclosed or made available to students; only individual students’ rank and rank GPA information is disclosed. 

Classroom Participation

Classroom participation may be defined solely as class attendance; solely as your interaction during class periods; or both interactions during class and attendance. 
The professor must include in the course syllabus how participation will be graded and what effect it will have on the final grade. Notification of the grading procedure must also be announced in writing (preferably) or verbally during the class(es) of the add/drop period. 

Including participation in the final grade will not affect your anonymity in the course grading period if the exam or paper is graded anonymously. School policy requires faculty using participation and grading exams or papers anonymously to submit to the Law School Registrar the list of student names with their participation grade. The Registrar will match the student name to the anonymous student exam code number and return to the professor a list of participation grades by exam code rather than student name. The faculty member can then combine the participation grade to the exam or paper grade and calculate the final grade for the course. The final grade is input by the faculty member to Banner using only the anonymous exam code number.

Course Overlap Policy

• Students may register for classes that have a time conflict (overlap) as long as the overlap is for no more than two class sessions. Law students may miss no more than two total classes of a single semester long class in order to enroll in short or week(s)-long mini class(es) or externship class. As a mandatory prerequisite, students must obtain the permission of the professor of the class that they will miss and forward to the Law School Registrar before registering for the overlapping courses (this is required whether a student will miss one class or two). You may not request permission nor be registered for two classes that have:
• an ongoing conflict (for example, ten minute overlap throughout the semester).
• two classes scheduled at the same time, regardless whether class(es) meet in person or online.

A student may not request to miss a class of a short- or mini-course or externship class to attend another class, as those classes meet very few sessions. Faculty are under no obligation to give such permission, they often have sound pedagogical grounds for refusing to permit you to miss even one class session, and they may impose an additional assignment to ensure you have grasped the material missed by your absences. The administration will not accommodate any request to modify this policy.

Law School Credit Hour Policy

The American Bar Association and the College of William & Mary require not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and two hours of out-of-class student work per week for each credit awarded for a class over fifteen weeks, including a final exam week, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. According to ABA standards, fifty minutes suffices for one hour of classroom time, while an hour for out-of-class time is sixty minutes. All faculty must inform students in their syllabi about the expectation regarding time spent preparing for class. Students will also be asked in end-of-semester course evaluations to estimate the amount of time they spent on out-of-class work, on average, each week.

Distance Education Policy

At the Law School, a “distance education course” is defined as a course in which more than one-third of the required classroom minutes are delivered from outside the classroom and/or a course in which William & Mary Law students participate from remote locations. “Distance education courses” do not include courses in which an occasional guest speaker appears via technology from a remote location; courses in which an instructor uses technology to teach an occasional class from a remote location; or courses in which an instructor prerecords material to be viewed or heard by students in advance of a class session.

All distance education courses offered for credit at the Law School shall be in full compliance with all ABA Standards governing distance education (currently Standard 306). In addition to compliance with any applicable ABA Standards, all distance education courses offered for credit at the Law School must comply with the following requirements:

1. All distance education courses shall provide for significant synchronous interaction between the instructor(s) and the students. “Synchronous interaction” means that the instructor(s) and the students engage with one another at the same time despite spatial separation.
2. A student may receive credit for no more than two distance education courses and for no more than a total of six credit hours of distance education courses.
3. Credit toward the J.D. degree for study offered through a distance education course will be awarded only where (1) the academic content, (2) the method of course delivery, and (3) the method of evaluating student performance are approved as part of the Law School’s regular curriculum approval process. Approval must be sought for all distance education courses even if a course with the same name and content is already part of the approved J.D. curriculum.
4. If an instructor for a proposed distance education course is not a member of the full-time faculty, his or her appointment as an adjunct faculty member must be approved in the same way as other adjunct faculty members.
5. The Vice Dean shall work closely with instructors of distance education courses to ensure that such courses provide (a) ample interaction with the instructor(s) and other students both inside and outside the formal structure of the course throughout its duration, such that students in distance education courses have opportunities to interact with the instructors and other students that equal or exceed the opportunities for such interaction in a traditional classroom setting; and (b) ample monitoring of student effort and accomplishment as courses progress.
6. The Associate Dean for Administration, the Vice Dean, and the Registrar are responsible for maintaining an effective process to verify the identity of students taking distance education courses and to protect student privacy.

Exams

• Exam Conflicts
• Rules and Policies about Exams

Exams conflict when:

• Two exams with start times scheduled within 23 hours. For example, an exam that begins at 8:30 am followed by an exam that begins at 1:30 pm.
• Two exams with start times scheduled at the same time. 
• Three or more exams scheduled on consecutive days.

Students may move an exam in conflict but must take the conflicting exam on the first available make-up date that breaks the conflict. Under no circumstances is a student allowed to take a make-up exam earlier than the scheduled exam date. The Law School Registrar will post the exam conflict form via survey, at the appropriate time each semester (typically November for fall, April for spring).

Rules and Policies about Exams

• The presumption is that all exams are closed-book. Individual faculty may choose to give open-book exams. However, unless a faculty member specifically announces an open-book exam, you should assume the exam is closed-book.
• The preferred method of writing in-class exams is on computer. The use of computers on exams is governed by policy. But, you may choose to write your in-class exam in blue books. These are available in the College Bookstore. Get an ample supply early on. All take-home exams or exams in excess of 4 hours in length are expected to be typed.
• Exams are identified by examination number only. You are assigned one random seven-digit number each semester. This exam code number will be emailed to you after it is generated. The examination numbers for each current semester will be generated after add/drop of that semester.
• Your exam code number is to be placed as a header on each exam answer page and to be written on the exam question sheet.
• By default, Microsoft Word saves the author’s name with all documents that that author creates. Word does allow you to disable this feature for a particular document to ensure the anonymity of exams. Though this is no longer necessary with MyLaw uploads, you can still take these steps to remove this identifying information.
• Read all directions carefully. Some exams are open book, some are closed book; some questions have word limits, some do not. Be certain you know the rules before beginning the exam. When in doubt, ask. 
• Each scheduled examination is administered in an assigned room. One classroom is designated for make-up exams. Some faculty ask that you take the examination in the assigned room only, others allow you to go to the other designated areas, and still others allow you to take the exam anywhere within the building. BE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT RESTRICTIONS EXIST. Do not assume that because you were able to take exam “a” in the library that you can take exam “b” there as well. Regularly scheduled exams must be taken within the Law School building.  The start time for all scheduled exams is noted on the exam schedule.  The start time is not the time you should arrive to the scheduled exam classroom. Arrive to the assigned classroom at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the scheduled exam.If you are permitted to take your exam in the library and you elect to do so, please remember that the normal activities of patrons and staff will continue as usual. Do not expect or request complete silence. 
• All exams are to be uploaded to MyLaw no later than the stated end time of the exam.
• If you begin to feel panicky about exams you may want to call the College’s Counseling Center at 221-3620. The staff there is very experienced and helpful. They are located in McLeod Tyler Integrated Wellness Center. 
• If you feel ill before the exam, contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Academic Support immediately. Once you begin an exam, it is difficult to accommodate your health condition. If you become ill during the exam, contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Academic Support immediately. 
• If you are unable to take your exams due to an unforeseen emergency or health issue, contact Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Academic Support to arrange a make-up date. Typically, students must make-up an exam at the earliest practicable time and within 5 weeks of the originally scheduled exam date. If the disabling condition continues past the fifth week, the student shall take the exam as soon as reasonably practicable following the termination of the disability, but in no event later than the end of the exam period for the succeeding fall or spring term. If the disability continues beyond that period, the student shall receive a withdraw for all courses for which an exam was not taken.

Grading Policies

How We Grade

• Grade Conversion Policy
• Grade Review Policy
• LL.M. Student Grading Policy
• Mandatory Grade Policy
• Transferring Grades

How we grade

In the first year, faculty may grade solely on examinations or may also consider class participation when assigning the final grade. In upper-level elective and seminar courses, your academic work may be graded entirely by an exam or paper; or the professor may factor with the exam or paper grade, any of the following or combination of the following:    

• in-course assignments
• quizzes
• classroom participation

If a professor bases the final grade in a course in whole or in part on written assignments other than “traditional” exams, these written assignments should be graded anonymously except where the assignment involves student-faculty interchange that in the faculty member’s judgment makes anonymity for all students impossible.  Professors must announce their grading practices during the add/drop period.

In clinical, externship and skills courses, how your grade is determined will be announced by the instructor prior to the end of add/drop. In most of these types of courses, your grade predominantly will be a matter of your participation and may include written work or an exam. Naturally, these courses will have an attendance requirement. If unable to meet the attendance requirement, you should consider dropping the course before the end of add/drop.
 
Since 2004, law faculty are required to adhere to a mandatory grade curve and in 2012, the law faculty modified the grading policy. You can find the new policy here.  Only the Vice Dean can grant an exception to the policy and only then for good cause shown by the faculty member.

Once a student’s degree has been conferred, the academic record is closed and it cannot be changed or amended.

What types of grades are given

Law grades in courses graded by standard letter grade have quality points from which your grade point average is determined:

“A+” (4.3) “A” (4.0), “A-” (3.7)
“B+” (3.3), “B” (3.0), “B-” (2.7)
 “C+” (2.3), “C” (2.0), “C-” (1.7), “D” (1.0) and
“F” (fail – 0 quality points that will factor into your grade point average, no credit is earned).

As an alternative to these standard letter grades, pass/fail grades may be used in certain Law School courses as approved by the Vice Dean. The following four grades are available: “H” (honors), “P” (pass), “LP” (low pass), and “F” (fail).  A grade of honors, pass, or low pass will not affect a student’s grade point average but will count toward the total number of credits required for graduation. A grade of “fail” will affect a student’s grade point average. With the exception of Lawyering Skills courses, the number of honors grades cannot exceed 10.0% of enrolled students under any circumstance.

Absent a controlling language in a course description, instructors may select which grading system they use in a given course.  If the course description does not specify a grading system and the instructor does not specify a grading system before the end of the add/drop period, Standard Letter grading will be used.  If a course description or an instructor indicates that some form of pass-fail grading will be used, but does not use the exact phrase “Standard Pass-Fail” or “Extended Pass-Fail” or is otherwise ambiguous, Extended Pass-Fail grading will be used.

Other grades that have no effect on your grade point average may be on your transcript:  

“T”     (transfer credit from another institution – students must request permission to “visit” another institution or an   institution’s abroad program and must seek approval to register in specific courses.  To transfer, grades in approved credits must be a “C” or better and will come to the W&M transcript as a “P”)
“NG”  (no grade or credit earned - when a faculty member has not yet submitted your grade)
“I”       (incomplete-can only be given with permission of the Associate Dean for Administration and is never given to a graduating student in the semester they are graduating)
“O”      (audit-no credit earned)

You may not elect to take a regularly graded course pass/fail. You may only convert a grade earned (subject to the policy) to a “pass.” You may, if in good standing, elect to convert to a “pass” one course grade that was graded by a letter grade. This option is governed by the Grade Conversion Policy.

You can request that a faculty member explain how you were graded but there is no appeal process for a grade. We do encourage grade review.

Grade Conversion Policy

1. A law student may not choose to take a regularly graded course pass/fail. The Law School permits only a grade conversion of an earned grade.
2. A law student may not convert a grade earned in any required class, including a course taken to meet the writing requirement.
3. The option to convert a grade must be exercised in the final semester of study (for JD seeking, typically the spring semester of the third year, for LL.M. seeking typically the second semester, or for third semester students their final semester).
   • JD seeking, the request for conversion should be submitted by the third week of the final semester to have the conversion included in the new semester class rank. If not submitted by the third week, the form must be submitted by either Nov 01 or Apr 01 of the final semester to cause a grade conversion.
   • LL.M. seeking, the request for conversion must be submitted by Nov 01 if student’s final semester is fall, or by Apr 01 if student’s final semester is spring.
4. The grade must have been earned:
   • JD seeking, after the first year and before the final semester of law school.
   • LL.M. seeking, during any semester at the Law School except the final semester of study. Note, for third semester LL.M. students, deadlines listed above in policy number 3 apply.
5. Once exercised, the conversion is irrevocable.
6. The option can only be exercised by submission of the Grade Conversion survey, made available to students in their final semester.
7. A “pass” is defined as a grade of “C” or higher.
8. In exercising this option, a student must adhere to any other restriction governing eligibility for earning pass-fail credits.

Grade Review Policy

You have the right to review with your professor your examination, paper, presentations, class participation,  externship or clinic journals, or any other work submitted in partial or complete satisfaction of the requirements for credit in any course offered in the William & Mary Law School. It is not the obligation of the faculty member to justify or to document in detail the grade given. However, you are entitled to meet with or, in any other means (e.g., phone or email), communicate with your faculty to discuss the following:

• The particular strengths and weaknesses of your examination, paper, presentations, class participation, externship or clinic journals, or any other work.
• The general grading scale utilized to evaluating your work.
• The relative ranking of your work when measured against the quality of all other work in the class.

The review shall be conducted in a timely manner.

In the event you believe a member of the faculty has not complied with your substantive right to review (as described above) in some material respect, a formal notification of dissatisfaction may be filed in writing with the Vice Dean. 

• Upon receipt of a formal notice of dissatisfaction, the Vice Dean will take immediate steps to ascertain whether
  • there has been a failure by the faculty member to adhere to the substantive standards prescribed above, or 
  • whether the formal notice of dissatisfaction is without reasonable foundation. 
• In the event that the faculty member is determined to have not complied with the substantive standards prescribed above, the Vice Dean will make all reasonable efforts to secure compliance satisfactory to both the student and the faculty member concerned.

If a student is dissatisfied with a determination by the Vice Dean that a faculty member is in substantive compliance, or if the student believes that efforts to remedy an asserted noncompliance by a faculty member have not produced satisfactory results, the student may write an appeal to the Academic Advisory Committee of the Law Faculty. 

• Such appeal must be filed with the Chairman of the Academic Advisory Committee and must include a full statement of the events which, in the student’s view, justify the appeal.
• In considering a properly filed appeal, the Academic Advisory Committee is limited to determining whether the student has been afforded the procedural rights provided in this regulation.
• The Committee is not authorized to review the justification for the particular grade given a student.  
• The Committee may not direct any member of the faculty to change a grade. The Committee’s function is to insure that the procedural rights outlined in this regulation are not denied to any student.  
• The Committee must inform both the faculty member and student concerned whether the standards provided for in this regulation have been observed.  
• If the Committee concludes that there has been a material noncompliance, the faculty member, subject to a right of protest outlined below, should take whatever action is necessary to effect compliance with this regulation as interpreted by the Academic Advisory Committee.

If either the faculty member or the student concerned is dissatisfied with the action taken by the Academic Advisory Committee, a protest of the Committee’s action may be filed in writing with the Dean of the Law School. 

• Upon receipt of the protest, the Dean is empowered to review the entire case with a view to determining what action is appropriate under the circumstances. 
• The Dean’s decision will be the final adjudication of this dispute between the faculty member and student concerned.

LL.M. Student Grading Policy

LL.M. students may elect, in any semester, to be graded on an Honors/Pass/Fail scale, rather than on a letter-grade scale, for all coursework in that semester other than Legal Research and Writing. LL.M. students who wish to avail themselves of the Honors/Pass/Fail grading option must communicate that intention by submitting a Grading Election Form to the Law School Registrar, by the end of the Add/Drop week.  If a form is not submitted by the deadline, the student will be subject to the standard grading scale in all courses that semester. Courses that are offered to all students only on a Pass/Fail basis will not award Honors grades. 

Such an election, once made, is irrevocable and it must be exercised with respect to all coursework in a semester. Courses that are offered to all students only on a Pass/Fail basis will not award Honors grades.

Pursuant to Law School policy, LL.M. students may also convert to a Pass/Fail grade one grade in a course taken during any semester at the Law School except the final semester of study. Students may not convert a grade earned in any required class, including a course taken to meet the writing requirement (e.g. Legal Research and Writing). Students wishing to convert a grade must communicate that intention by submission of the Grade Conversion survey, made available to students during their final semester of study at the Law School. The deadline for submitting a Grade Conversion request is November 1 if the final semester of study is the fall semester, and April 1 if the final semester of study is the spring semester.

Students considering either of these grading options should be aware that eligibility for admission to a state bar, to a J.D. or other educational program, for third-party funding, or for other programs may be affected by the number of courses taken for any basis other than a letter grade. Questions should be directed to the Director of the LL.M. Programs.

Grade Point Average

LL.M. Degree candidates must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 to earn the LL.M. Degree. They must also pass any pass-fail classes if those credit hours are needed to meet the minimum required credit hours to graduate with the LL.M. Degree.

Mandatory Grade Policy

Limits on Mean GPA

• Faculty shall ensure that the mean grade for each class falls between the maximum and minimum grade means described above.
• Faculty should not treat the upper (or lower) bounds as the target grade mean for their classes and should seek a target mean of 3.30 in classes enrolling 10 or more students.

Distribution of Grades

Legal Practice Program

Grading in all first-year Lawyering Skills classes shall be on an Honors/Pass/Low Pass/Fail scale.

The Director of the Legal Practice Program shall supervise and coordinate grading in the Program and seek substantial uniformity in distribution across its sections.

Grade of A+

A single grade of A+ may (but need not) be awarded in a class with 30 or more students. No grade of A+ may be awarded in a class of fewer than 30 students.

Certain Students Not Counted

Solely for purposes of establishing compliance with the Grading Policy, faculty shall disregard the following students:   

• LL.M. students
• Other non-J.D. students
• Students awarded a grade of D or F.

Example: 32 students are enrolled in Taxation of Derivatives. Of the 32 students, one is an LL.M. student and one is a non-J.D. graduate business student. The faculty member awards one J.D. student a grade of D. All other students receive grades of C- or better. In order to satisfy the Grading Policy, the grade mean of the 29 J.D. students receiving a C- or better must fall between 3.20 and 3.40 (the range for a 29-student class).

The Grading Policy does not establish standards for grading LL.M. and other non-J.D. students.

Grades may be based on the results of assigned written work wholly or may include class participation.

Transferring Grades

We will accept as transfer credits no more than one-third of the credits required for the William & Mary law degree and then only those credits where the grade earned is a “C” or better.  The grade of “P” will be applied to the W&M transcript for all accepted credits earned. Credits will not be accepted for courses that are determined to be substantially equivalent to a William & Mary Law School course that the student has also taken.

Students who choose to visit away during their third year must request permission to do so by following specific instructions. Students who choose to study abroad have several methods of doing so. In both cases, course selection must be approved through the Vice Dean prior to the conclusion of the host school’s add/drop period and an official transcript showing courses taken and grades and credits earned must be sent to the Law School Registrar before the approved credits can be applied to the W&M law degree. Please contact the Law School Registrar for more information.

Latin Honors

Beginning spring 2012, the Law School faculty instituted the awarding of Latin Honors to the JD graduating class. This notation will appear both on the transcript and the diploma. The honors are designated as:

• Cum Laude, meaning “with honor;” awarded to the those students whose rounded rank GPA places them in the top 25% of the graduating class.
• Magna Cum Laude, meaning “with great honor;” awarded to the those students whose rounded rank GPA places them in the top 10% of the graduating class.
• Summa Cum Laude, meaning “with highest honor;” awarded to the those students whose rounded rank GPA places them in the top 3% of the graduating class.

Law School Courses in Washington, D.C.

Consistent with ABA requirements, students may not earn more than sixteen credits through participation in metropolitan Washington, D.C.-based courses, including externships, courses offered through the Election Law program, or any other course where instruction or field work takes place in metropolitan Washington, D.C.

Non-Degree Seeking Enrollment

Registration Rules

• Seminar - during the 24-hour priority registration period to the first day of add/drop, you may register for only one seminar; does not include one-credit short or mini courses as a seminar. If space is available during schedule adjustment period you may register for a second. Students who disregard this rule will be disenrolled from all but one seminar the day following their priority registration period. Seminar course numbers are typically numbered 500-699; however, verify schedule type in the Schedule of Classes. 
• Clinic - during the 24-hour priority registration period, you may register for only one clinic.  If space is available during add/drop, you may register for a second. Students who disregard this rule will be disenrolled from all but one clinic the day following their priority registration period.
• Advanced Practice/Writing - all second-year students will register for LAW 140 (Advanced Practice) or a course designated as meeting the Legal Writing Requirement (LWWR attribute).
• Professional Responsibility - all students must register for either LAW 115 (Professional Responsibility) or LAW 117 (The Legal Profession) or LAW 117 Legal Responsibility). LAW 115 or LAW 117 is a graduation requirement and is required for third-year practice. Students may wish to take meet this requirement as a 2L to enable them to try court cases in the summer before the 3L year or during the 3L year (LAW 309 Evidence is also required for a third year practice certificate).
• Earned Credits Requirements - you must earn a minimum of 10 credit hours in the semester and must earn a minimum of 20 credit hours in an academic year. 
• Maximum Registered Credits - you may register for no more than 17 credit hours in a semester. This 17 credit hours maximum includes both registered and waitlisted (WL) courses. Students who disregard this maximum registered credits rule will be disenrolled from WL courses until their total reaches 17 credit hours, including both registered and waitlist courses. This will occur the day following their priority registration period.
• Time Conflict - you may not register for courses that have a time conflict (courses that meet at the same time or overlap for any length of time) unless they comply with the Course Time Conflict Rule.
• Waitlist - when registering for a waitlist a course, you must affirmatively select to do so from the drop-down menu for that course. Information and guidelines available at Banner Automated Waitlisting.
• Add/drop - you may not drop a course once add/drop has ended.

Student Requesting Accommodations

Policies and Procedures for Students Requesting Accommodations

It is the policy of William & Mary to accommodate students with disabilities and qualifying diagnosed conditions in accordance with federal and state laws. Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a learning, psychiatric, physical, or chronic health diagnosis should contact Student Accessibility Services staff at 757-221-2512 or at sas@wm.edu to determine if accommodations are warranted and to obtain an official letter of accommodation.

Student Accessibility Services fosters student independence, encourages self-determination, emphasizes accommodation over limitation, and creates a comprehensively accessible environment to ensure that individuals are viewed on the basis of ability not disability. If Student Accessibility Services determines that accommodations are warranted, the staff will work with Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Academic Support to implement such accommodations at the Law School.  Please stop in to see Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Academic Support for assistance in starting the process of seeking accommodation.

Study Abroad

Educational Objective:

The modern practice of law is increasingly international in nature.  Our students may find it beneficial to devote part of their J.D. education to legal instruction in a foreign location.   The Law School supports study abroad opportunities where the instruction regularly is provided for international students and course offerings advance our educational objective of expanding student learning to encompass the study of foreign legal systems. 

If you have lived and studied abroad or if you have never been abroad before, we have suggestions for both satisfying credit requirements and doing so in a foreign country.  You may choose one of these options to taste the law of another country - in that country, to establish networking for future job opportunities, to increase your foreign language fluency (though most approved courses are taught in English), or to build your resume for the perfect job.

Semester Exchange Programs

ABA International Opportunities