JD Pass/Fail Policy

The pass/fail option is intended to encourage students to be adventurous in their course selection and not be deterred from taking a course out of concern for their GPAs.  J.D. students who have completed their first year are permitted to take a maximum of 7 credits pass/fail in elective courses that are available on a pass/fail basis.  Mandatory pass/fail courses (e.g., upperclass Week One courses) and the pass/fail components of experiential learning offerings (field placements in practicum courses and externships) do not count against the 7-credit pass/fail limit.  In other words, the 7-credit ceiling applies only to classroom courses that students elect to take on a pass/fail basis.  Note that courses taken on a mandatory pass/fail basis in an approved study-abroad program or at another ABA-approved law school (e.g., while the student is a visiting student) also do not count against the 7-credit ceiling.

Eligible Students

Upperclass J.D. students are eligible to use the pass/fail option for upperclass electives at the Law Center and at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies, and for cross-listed Law Center graduate (LL.M.) courses that are available for pass/fail.  The pass/fail option is not available to LL.M. students.  Students sign up for the pass/fail option online and receive instructions on how to do so from the Office of the Registrar.

Non-Eligible Courses

The following courses are not eligible for the pass/fail option:

• Courses in the required first-year program, including the first-year elective;
• Any course that meets the Professional Responsibility requirement;
• Upperclass legal writing requirement seminars;
• Supervised Research projects;
• Clinics;
• Law Center graduate (LL.M.) courses that are not cross-listed;
• Courses for which the faculty member has elected not to make the pass/fail option available, as indicated in the “Course Requirements” for the course in the Curriculum Guide; and
• For students pursuing a J.D./LL.M. joint degree, any courses that are considered “specialization credits” pursuant to the LL.M. degree requirements.

Other Restrictions

Students may exercise the option to take an otherwise graded course on a pass/fail basis only once a semester.  This does not apply to mandatory pass/fail courses, which do not count against the 7-credit pass/fail limit (i.e., students may only elect to take one course pass/fail in a semester but may take any number of mandatory pass/fail courses in the same semester).

Grading

By the end of the fourth week (second week of Summer session), a student who wishes to use the pass/fail option must designate to the Office of the Registrar: (1) the course; and (2) the grade the student hopes to receive in the course (this is referred to as the “target” grade). Students are encouraged to speak to an Academic Advisor about selecting a target grade. No changes to the pass/fail designation or target grade will be permitted after the deadline.

If the student earns the target grade or above, the actual grade will appear on the student’s transcript and will be included in calculating his or her cumulative grade point average.  If the student earns a grade below the target but a grade of at least a C, a pass will appear on the transcript.  If a student earns a grade of C- or lower, the actual grade will appear on the transcript and will be included in calculating his or her cumulative grade point average.  Whether a student receives a pass or the grade, the academic credits associated with the course will count against the 7-credit pass/fail limit.  If a student withdraws from a course taken on a pass/fail basis, the academic credits associated with the course will still count against the 7-credit pass/fail limit. Faculty are not informed of who is taking their course on a pass/fail basis, and students should not inform them.