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ATTENDANCE AND EVALUATION POLICIES
Attendance and Participation
The Law Center must be satisfied at all times of the serious purpose of each student. Any student will be withdrawn if it is found that the student is not giving proper time and attention to his or her studies.
Regular and punctual attendance at all class sessions is required of each student. Student participation is expected in all courses. A student who, even though registered for a course, has not regularly attended and participated may, at the professor’s option, be withdrawn, excluded from the course or examination (with the same consequences as a voluntary failure to appear for a final examination), or receive a lowered grade in the course. Even if a student has passed all examinations, academic credit will not be awarded and no student will be advanced, nor will his or her degree be conferred, if attendance or participation is unsatisfactory.
A student who has not properly registered for a course may not take the final examination or receive any credit for participation in the course.
Examinations
Written examinations are held at the end of the class work in all courses unless otherwise indicated on the course schedule. No examination will be given prior to its originally scheduled date. Curricular offerings designated as “seminars” generally do not have examinations; instead, substantial written work is required. Clinical programs do not have written final examinations.
The Law Center requires students to take their examinations at the regularly scheduled time. Dates for all examinations are announced at the time the course schedule is released so that students may anticipate the date of their examinations and schedule personal, travel and employment commitments so as not to interfere with the announced dates of their examinations. If, however, a student experiences a serious medical or personal situation that makes it impossible to take an examination on the scheduled date, a deferred examination may be requested. (See Exam Deferral Policy in the General Administrative Policies section of this Bulletin.)
A student failing to present himself or herself for any examination because of illness or other extraordinary cause must contact the Registrar prior to the start of the examination. If the Registrar is satisfied that the absence is legitimate and supported by appropriate documentation (such as a doctor’s note), permission may be given for the student to take a deferred examination. The requirements of a student’s employment will not be regarded as an “extraordinary cause.” If the Registrar does not permit a deferral, the student must take the examination as originally scheduled.
Any student who does not take an examination as originally scheduled, and who does not obtain permission from the Registrar prior to the start of an examination to take a deferred examination, will receive a grade of “F” in the course. A student who presents himself or herself for examination in a course but fails to submit that examination for grading will receive a grade of “F” for that course. No post-examination relief will be granted. If a student becomes ill during the examination, the student must immediately make the proctor aware of the situation and follow the instructions of the proctor or Registrar
No re-examination will be given in any course for the purpose of raising a grade obtained in a previous final examination in that course.
Students may review their graded exams during specified exam review periods by completing a request form at the Office of the Registrar. The Library contains copies of past examinations administered at the Law Center. Students may use these prior examinations as study aids in preparing for examinations. In many cases, model or “best” answers to past examinations are also on file in the Library.
Examinations
Written Work
Final papers in seminars and other courses are normally due on the date announced in the academic calendar. By announcement at the beginning of the semester, a professor may advance or extend for up to a maximum of 60 days in the Fall semester and 45 days in the Spring semester the due date of all papers for the seminar (except for those of graduating students). All final papers must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar and not to the professor.
Due dates for papers are as firm as the dates of examinations. Individual extensions for less than the maximum allowable (mentioned above) may be granted by the professor, provided the student submits an Individual Extension Form to the Office of the Registrar. The form, available at the Office of the Registrar, must be signed by the professor. Extensions for more than the maximum are rare and not granted solely by the professor. Any request for an extension beyond the maximum is effective only upon review and signature of the Individual Extension Form by the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs.
If a student fails to submit a final paper by the due date (including any extension), the student will receive a grade of “F” for the course. Once a final paper is submitted for grading, a revised version of that paper may not be substituted for the final paper.
Note: for International Students: U.S. visa restrictions dictate that extending the paper due date beyond the expected date of graduation as listed in the certificate of eligibility (I-20 or DS-2019 form) can be permitted only for compelling academic and/or medical reasons. Any such paper extension must be approved in writing by an international student advisor in the Office of Graduate Programs in consultation with the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs in advance of the paper submission deadline. The faculty member must agree to the extension but cannot grant the extension.
Grading System
Final grades are given on a letter system: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+,
C, C-, D and F.
The following numerical equivalents are assigned to each letter
grade:
A 4.00 C+ 2.33
A- 3.67 C 2.00
B+ 3.33 C- 1.67
B 3.00 D 1.00
B- 2.67 F 0
A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in all courses and seminars taken is required each semester a student is enrolled in the LL.M. program.
If a student repeats a failed course, both grades will be entered on the student’s transcript and will be included for the purpose of determining the cumulative grade point average of the student.
Any student accumulating three failures will be dismissed for defective scholarship.
Grade Review Policies
Any student who has received a failing grade on an examination or paper, after first discussing the matter with the professor who submitted the failing grade, may request the Registrar to submit that examination or paper for review by another professor teaching in the field. The other professor serves merely in a consulting capacity. The final decision for the course grade rests with the professor conducting the course, but the course professor shall give due and appropriate consideration to the views of the consulting colleague. A request for review must be made by the student within the time period allowed for review of students’ examinations and papers. Only grades of “F” may be reviewed.
Grade Change Policy
A faculty member may change a reported passing grade for an examination or paper only upon proof of demonstrable clerical error in the grading or grade reporting process.
Probation
LL.M. students who fail to achieve a 2.00 cumulative grade point average at the end of any semester will be placed on academic probation. If the student’s cumulative grade point average remains below 2.00 after the next semester in residence (after at least 4 credits of coursework), he or she will be dismissed for defective scholarship.
Ranking of Students
The Law Center does not provide ranking information with respect to its students’ academic performance, whether in an S.J.D., LL.M. or J.D. degree program.
Pass/Fail Option Not Available
The pass/fail option (available to students in the J.D. program) is not available to S.J.D. or LL.M. students. However, LL.M. students enrolled in the Externship Program are graded on a pass/fail basis, and certain LL.M. courses open exclusively to foreign-trained lawyers, including U.S. Legal Discourse and U.S. Legal Methods, may be graded on an honors/pass/fail basis.
Academic Honors
GRADUATING WITH DISTINCTION
To graduate with distinction, an LL.M. student must attain a minimum cumulative grade point average that places the student in the top one-third of the entire graduating LL.M. class. Grades transferred from any other law school, while displayed on the Law Center transcript, will be excluded from the computation of this average. Distinction will be granted only where a student has completed a minimum of 20 academic credits in an LL.M. degree program at the Law Center.
DEAN’S LIST
An LL.M. student who graduates in the top one-third of the graduating students in his or her specific LL.M. degree program will be designated as a Dean’s List graduate for that specific LL.M. degree program. Dean’s List designation will be granted for the following LL.M. degree programs: Individualized, International Legal Studies, General Studies, Global Health Law, Securities and Financial Regulation, and Taxation. Grades transferred from any other law school, while displayed on the Law Center transcript, will be excluded from the computation of this average. Dean’s List designation will be granted only where a student has completed a minimum of 20 academic credits in an LL.M. degree program at the Law Center.
Note: The difference between graduation with distinction and Dean’s List is that graduation with distinction is calculated based upon the entire graduating LL.M. class and then printed on the diploma and the student’s transcript, whereas Dean’s List is calculated based upon the graduating class within each respective LL.M. degree program and then printed on the student’s transcript only.
THE THOMAS BRADBURY CHETWOOD, S.J., PRIZES
Founded by the Law Center Class of 1928, these prizes are given in honor of Reverend Thomas B. Chetwood, S.J., a former Regent of the Law Center. Plaques are awarded to the students who both graduate with distinction and have the best academic records for that academic year in the following LL.M. degree programs: International Legal Studies, Global Health Law, Securities and Financial Regulation, and Taxation. At the discretion of the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, a prize may be awarded for the most outstanding work in an approved individualized Master of Laws program and for an international student in a general studies Master of Laws program.
OTHER PROVISIONS
Specific Visa Reporting Requirements for International Students
By provision of federal law, any school that enrolls foreign nationals is required to comply with strict reporting requirements. Before the start of each semester, all newly enrolled international students (including U.S. permanent residents) at the Law Center are required to provide documentation proving they are legally permitted to be in the country and attend school. Students who fail to provide such documentation will not be permitted to complete registration or attend classes. Students in F-1 or J-1 status are additionally required to attend a Visa Information Session given by the Graduate Programs Office. The Graduate Programs Office will provide all new international students with detailed information concerning the time, date, and location of the session prior to the start of the semester. Visa and regulatory information is also available at the Graduate Program's website.
Tuition
See the Tuition and Fees section of the Bulletin.
Note: Full-time LL.M. students who have paid two consecutive semesters of full-time tuition may enroll in the immediately following Summer or Fall session at the Law Center to complete their degree requirements at no additional charge. Tuition will be charged on a per-credit basis for any credits exceeding the credits required for the degree.
Students Auditing Courses
Enrolled degree students may audit additional courses with the permission of the professors at no additional charge. Non-degree students desiring to audit a course must pay the usual per-credit fee. Auditors receive no transcript notation of their attendance in class.
Restrictions on Student Employment
The program of instruction in the full-time program is a demanding one designed to command substantially all of the student’s time during the academic year. Experience indicates that a student frequently cannot successfully carry a full-time course load if substantially employed in an outside job. Devoting too much time to employment is a frequent cause of disappointing academic performance and sometimes of academic failure. For these reasons, professional organizations, including accrediting agencies, require that a student enrolling in the full-time program be in a position to devote substantially all of his or her working hours to the study of law.
The Law Center strongly urges full-time students not to accept outside employment. All full-time students should carefully restrict their hours of employment and in no event may a full-time student exceed 20 hours of employment per week during the academic year. A student enrolled in the full-time program who is contemplating substantial employment should request a transfer to the part-time program, which is structured to accommodate those who have significant employment responsibilities during their period of study at the Law Center.
Note: International students in the U.S. on student visas are very restricted with respect to on- and off-campus employment. For more information, students should check the website regarding visas and employment issues. Although on-campus employment is permitted, the opportunities are very limited and few students are selected for these few positions. In any event, an international student advisor from the Office of Graduate Programs must give written permission for the student to seek on-campus employment. Students cannot rely on the possibility of on-campus employment when determining their financial resources for the year.
www.law.georgetown.edu/intl/visa.html
Student Conduct in the Job Search Process
Students are expected to exhibit high standards of professional responsibility in all of their job-seeking activities. Students are cautioned to avoid even the appearance of impropriety in the preparation of their job resumes, letters and application forms. Misleading, inaccurate, or false information on these materials is viewed as a violation of the Student Disciplinary Code. Students are also expected to honor commitments to an employer or prospective employer. Students are expected to attend all scheduled interviews, unless cancelled in a timely and appropriate manner. If a student accepts an offer for employment, he or she should not thereafter solicit or consider other offers of employment that would require revocation of the offer previously accepted. Students should consider acceptance of a volunteer or public interest position as binding as acceptance of a position with greater remuneration; the expectations of professionally responsible behavior are in no way diminished because a position provides less by way of financial compensation.
Post-Graduation Employment
The professional development staff of the Office of Graduate Programs assists student in identifying potential employment opportunities. However, all of the steps in securing employment are ultimately the responsibility of each student and the Law Center does not guarantee that a graduate from its LL.M. program will secure post-graduation employment.
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