Financial Responsibility

Students assume responsibility for all costs incurred as a result of enrollment at Santa Clara University. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of their student account balance, financial deadlines, refund policies, and maintain valid contact information at all times to ensure receipt of all University correspondence in a timely manner. All major correspondence is sent to the student’s SCU gmail account which is the official email system used by the University. Students are responsible to check their Santa Clara gmail regularly for important information and updates.

Financial Terms and Conditions

Students are required to accept the financial terms and conditions outlined by the University in order to continue their enrollment at SCU. Students will be prompted to accept the terms and conditions, on an annual basis, upon their login to Workday. Students will not have access to their Student Center until they have read and agreed to the information contained on the page(s) prompted. By accepting SCU’s financial terms and conditions, students are agreeing to pay and to abide by all policies and procedures as published.

Tuition and Fees

The Board of Trustees, upon the recommendation of the President and the Provost, sets the annual academic year tuition rate and the summer session tuition rate for all programs. Students are charged tuition based on the rates approved by the Board of Trustees. Please refer to the Bursar website at: www.scu.edu/bursar/tuition for details. Tuition and fee rate differences found in other publications will not be honored.

Application Fee (nonrefundable)	$75
Deposits
Initial tuition deposit	$250
Final tuition deposit	$550
Tuition and Fees
First-year full-time J.D. students annual tuition (28 units at $2,172 per semester unit)	$60,816
First-year FLEX J.D. students annual tuition (22 units at $2,172 per semester unit)	$47,784
J.D. students (tuition per semester unit)	$2,172
LL.M. students (tuition per semester unit)	$2,432
Student Health Insurance (annual fee)	$3,695*
Late payment fee (per billing statement)	$100
Student Success and Wellness Fee	$395 per semester/$790 annual

 

*All insurance coverage is subject to applicable state form and rate filing approval and once approved to the terms of the Master Policy.  We have not yet received approval from the state insurance department for the 2024-2025 benefits and rates described in this document.  As part of the approval process, the State may require us to make changes to the benefits and/or rates.  We will notify you if that happens.

Students in the Law School/Business School combined degree program are charged Law tuition rates for Law courses and MBA or MSIS tuition rates for Business courses.

SCU students studying at an international exchange institution pay tuition to SCU at standard rates. Students from international exchange institutions studying at SCU pay tuition to their home institution.

SCU students studying at a domestic visiting institution pay tuition to the institution they are attending. Students from a domestic visiting institution studying at SCU pay tuition to SCU at the standard applicable rate.

Students in the Law School consortium (SCU, USF, Golden Gate University, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley) take courses at their home institution and can take a class at a consortium institution. Students from consortium schools taking classes at SCU pay tuition to their home institution.

Health Insurance

Santa Clara University requires all degree seeking students enrolled at least half-time in their school or college to have health insurance (excluding certificate programs and online programs).   As FLEX students do not need the eligibility requirements to enroll in the SCU sponsored student health insurance plan due to the nature of their program; FLEX students do not need to submit a health insurance waiver. In addition, all F-1 and J-1 visa students must have health insurance regardless of type of degree or number of units.  This requirement helps to protect against unexpected high medical costs and provides access to quality health care.

Students may purchase the university sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan, but are not required to if they can provide proof by completing the online waiver form, of other insurance coverage comparable to the school sponsored plan. The school sponsored insurance plan begins on August 15, 2024 and terminates on August 15, 2025.  The 2024/2025 premium is $3,695* (All insurance coverage is subject to applicable state form and rate filing approval and once approved to the terms of the Master Policy.  We have not yet received approval from the state insurance department for the 2024-2025 benefits and rates described in this document.  As part of the approval process, the State may require us to make changes to the benefits and/or rates.  We will notify you if that happens). Students with comparable health insurance must complete the Online Waiver Form with their own insurance information prior to the August 23, 2024 FINAL waiver deadline date.  The waiver can be completed on your MySCU Portal by clicking the Gallagher tile.

All students (except 1L) will be subject to the waiver and insurance billing process as outlined below:

• By June 22, 2024– Health Insurance Waiver must be completed to avoid having your student account charged the annual premium on June 24, 2024.
• After June 24, 2024– Online Health Insurance Waiver form must be completed by the Law waiver deadline date of August 23, 2024  in order to have the health insurance charge reversed from your student account within 3-5 business days.
• By July 21, 2024– If the health insurance credit is not posted to your student account and financial arrangements to cover health insurance charge are not completed, then a late payment fee will be charged and a hold will be placed on your student account.
• By August 23, 2024– The Online Health Insurance Waiver must be completed in order to have the health insurance charge reversed within 3-5 business days. 
• After August 23, 2024– The health insurance charge will remain on your student account.  THIS CHARGE WILL NOT BE REVERSED. 

The following types of insurance plans/programs are not acceptable and will not be considered:

• Insurance plans called Travel Insurance do not provide acceptable coverage and may not be used for insurance coverage while at Santa Clara University.
• Short Term Medical Plans that are available to purchase on a weekly or monthly basis.
• Socialized medicine policies, including Canadian policies are not acceptable as insurance coverage while at Santa Clara University.
• Insurance plans that do not provide comprehensive coverage while studying at Santa Clara University.
• Cost-sharing ministry plans.
• International insurance plans that are underwritten in a country outside of the United States.
• California Medi-Cal health plans that do not have assigned benefit coverage in Santa Clara County, California, US. Your Medi-Cal must have assigned benefits in Santa Clara County, California, US.
• Out-of-state Medicaid insurance plans do not cover students in California and thus is not eligible coverage to complete the waiver form.
• Health Insurance plans must be in place for the entire time you are an enrolled student at the university.

In addition, your health insurance plan must include the following benefits/services:

• Health insurance plans must provide benefits for Medical Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains. A minimum of $50,000 is required for Medical Evacuation and a minimum of $25,000 is required for Repatriation of Remains. (F-1 Student requirement)
• Health insurance policy must provide unlimited lifetime maximum coverage. Benefits cannot have a specific maximum amount.
• Pre-existing conditions must be covered (with no waiting period).
• Health insurance plans must provide coverage for inpatient and outpatient hospitalization in Santa Clara County, California, US.
• Health insurance plans must provide access to local doctors, specialists, hospitals and other health care providers in emergency and non-emergency situations in Santa Clara County, California, US.
• Health insurance plans must provide coverage for lab work, diagnostic x-rays, emergency room treatment, ambulance services and prescription coverage in Santa Clara County, California, US.
• Health insurance plans must provide coverage for inpatient and outpatient mental health.

F-1 VISA STUDENTS

All F-1 visa international students, regardless of number of units, must be enrolled in the SCU-sponsored health insurance plan unless the student meets the waiver exception below. 

• Currently an enrolled dependent on a spouse/parent/partner or employee US based and Affordable Care Act compliant plan.

Please see Cowell website at www.scu.edu/cowell/insurance for detailed information.

J-1 VISA STUDENTS

All J-1 visa international students, regardless of number of units, will be automatically enrolled into the SCU-sponsored health insurance plan. There is no exception to this rule.

All Law students, regardless of their insurance, are welcome to use the Cowell Health Center at any time. The Cowell Center does not bill insurance companies.  All charges will be posted to your student account. Students may request a receipt for charged services to submit to their insurance company for any reimbursement according to their plan benefits.

Immunization Requirements

All incoming students (undergraduates, graduates, transfers, and re-admits) are required to comply with the Santa Clara University immunization requirements. New students are required to provide their full immunization record online through the Cowell Center My Student Health Portal from the MySCU Portal.

An official immunization record from your doctor/medical facility is required.  The deadline to submit your immunization record is August 1, 2024.

See requirements below:

• All students:
  • Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR)
  • Varicella (Chickenpox)
  • Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap)
  • Hepatitis B vaccine (Hep B)
  • Meningococcal conjugate (Meningitis) Menactra or Menveo or MenQuadfi (not required if 21 or older)

• Students living on-campus:
  • Meningococcal B – Bexsero or Trumenba. (not required if 26 or older)
• Students from outside the US (email cowellcenter@scu.edu for a list of high burden TB countries): Tuberculosis Screening (Blood Test): Tspot or Quantiferon Gold.

Detailed information on vaccination requirements can be found on Student Health, Counseling, and Well-Being website. 

Self-Reported Medical History Form

New students are required to complete their Medical History Form online through the Cowell Center, My Student Health Portal from the MySCU Portal.  The deadline to submit your Medical History Form is August 1, 2024.

How to Submit Immunization Record and Self-Reported Medical History Form

An official immunization record from your doctor is required and can be uploaded through the COWELL CENTER, My Student Health Portal, at MySCU Portal. 

The required Medical History form is located within the COWELL CENTER, My Student Health Portal.

To upload and complete both documents, please follow the steps below. 

To access the MY SCU Portal you will need your SCU username and password.

1. Once inside the MY SCU Portal, please click on the COWELL CENTER, My Student Health Portal.
2. Once inside COWELL CENTER, My Student Health Portal, please confirm your date of birth.
3. Once inside your portal, please proceed to MEDICAL CLEARANCES and follow instructions for submitting records and entering vaccine information. 

Parking Permits

Parking permits are required for all users of University parking facilities. Permits can be purchased at Transportation Services.

Housing Plans

Housing plans are available at www.scu.edu/housing/.

Billing and Payment Procedures

Student Accounts and Billing

Students assume responsibility for all costs incurred as a result of enrollment at Santa Clara University and agree to abide by applicable University policies and procedures. Students may designate a third-party (e.g., parent, family member, spouse) to be an Authorized Payer for the purpose of reviewing student account and billing information, and remitting payment on the student’s behalf. However, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to make sure all financial obligations are completed by the published deadlines. 

Students receive monthly billing statements electronically that are accessible through Workday. A billing notification email is sent to the student’s SCU gmail account and to the email address of any Authorized Payer. Students may also forward their billing statement(s) electronically to any third-party they authorize for remitting payment. Please note that information on a student’s account cannot be provided to any third-party payer unless a completed Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) form authorizing its release by the student is on file with the University.

Students are obligated to pay their applicable tuition and fees by the published term payment deadline, regardless of receiving a billing statement. Students enrolling after the initial payment deadline may be required to pre-pay for their enrollment.  Registered students who do not formally withdraw from the University are responsible for all tuition and fees assessed to their account, as well as any penalty charges incurred for nonpayment. Nonattendance does not relieve the student of his or her obligation to pay tuition and fees.

Additional information, including detailed instructions on Santa Clara’s billing and payment procedures, is located on the Bursar’s Office website at: www.scu.edu/bursar.

Billing dates and deadlines

Fall 2024 – Billing available July 1st, 2024; payment due July 21,2024  

Spring 2025 – Billing available December 1st 2024; payment due December 21st, 2024

Summer 2025 – Billing available May 1st, 2025; payment due May 21st, 2025*

*(Summer Abroad program tuition is due April 15)

Payment Methods

Santa Clara University offers a variety of payment methods to assist students with their financial obligations. Please visit our Bursar’s office website for additional payment information: https://www.scu.edu/bursar/paymentoptions/

Payment by Electronic Check

A student or Authorized Payer can make online payments by processing a fund transfer directly from their personal checking or savings account through a third-party website accessible via the University Workday system or SCU Pay site. Please note that a bank may reject a fund transfer if it exceeds a specific amount. Check with your bank about daily limits to prevent returned payment transactions. Payers are able to make electronic payments without incurring a transaction fee.

Term Payment Plan

Students currently enrolled at SCU may be eligible to enroll in an online monthly payment plan to assist with budgeting needs. There is a $40 non-refundable enrollment fee per term and students must have a US bank account to enroll in a term plan. The first payment along with the enrollment fee are due upon enrollment and all subsequent payments will be processed automatically each month thereafter. Plans are subject to rebalancing based upon changes in enrollment and/or financial aid. Participants must enroll each term. There is no automatic re-enrollment. Please note there are no payment plans for the summer session.

Payment by Mail

Payment for student account charges are accepted by mail utilizing the University’s cash management service lock box. Please ensure your student’s name and SCU ID number is located on the check or remittance advice for accurate and timely posting. You can send a copy of the billing statement with your paper check or cashier’s check made payable to Santa Clara University and mail it to: SCU Payment Processing, P.O. Box 550, Santa Clara, CA 95052-0550.

Payment in Person

Payment for student account charges may be made in person by check only at the OneStop Office, located in the Admissions and Enrollment Services Building. The OneStop Office is not able to accept any electronic forms of payment. However, there are computer kiosks located within the office for the convenience of students and their payers who wish to make electronic payment. Regular business hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm.

International Payment by Wire Transfer

International students may submit payment quickly and securely through Workday Authorized Payers and other third-party payers can make payments by accessing the following link: https://payment.flywire.com/pay/payment. Students are able to benefit from excellent exchange rates and payment can often be made in the student’s home currency. 

Delinquent Payments

If all charges on a student’s account are not cleared by payment, financial aid, enrollment in the online monthly payment plan, or loan disbursement by the payment deadline, a late payment fee will be assessed to the student’s account and a hold will be placed on the student’s record. A hold on a student’s record prevents the release of diplomas and certifications, prevents access to any registration services, and may limit access to other University services. Students who have unpaid accounts at the University or who defer payment without approval are subject to dismissal from the University. All unpaid balances will accrue ten percent interest per annum on the balance remaining from the date of default in accordance with California State law. 

Delinquent student accounts may be reported to one or more of the major credit bureaus and may be forwarded to an outside collection agency or an attorney for assistance in recovering the debt owed to the University. The student is responsible for all costs incurred to collect outstanding debt, including but not limited to accrued interest, late fees, court costs, collection fees, and reasonable attorney fees. All outstanding bills and costs of collection incurred by the University must be paid in full prior to a student re-enrolling at the University.

Billing Disputes

If a student wishes to dispute any charges on his or her billing statement, a written explanation should be forwarded to: Santa Clara University, Bursar’s Office, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053-0615. The Bursar’s Office must receive written correspondence within 60 days from the billing statement date on which the disputed charge appeared.

Communication should include the student’s name, SCU identification number, the amount in question, and a brief explanation. Payment for the amount in question is not required while the investigation is in progress. However, all other charges must be paid by the due date. If the disputed amount is deemed to be invalid, then an adjustment will be made to the student’s account. If the disputed amount is found to be valid, payment must be submitted to the Bursar’s Office immediately upon notification.

Tuition Insurance Protection

Students and families may protect themselves against financial loss from an unexpected complete withdrawal from the University by purchasing tuition insurance coverage. The University has partnered with A.W.G. Dewar Inc., to provide an optional tuition insurance plan. This plan is designed to protect from loss of funds paid for tuition should it be necessary to completely withdraw from the University during the term for diagnosed medical or mental health reasons.  Information on the tuition insurance plan can be found at www.collegerefund.com and available on the Bursar’s Office website at www.scu.edu/bursar/tuitionprotection.

Credit Balance Refund Process and Policy

Process – Students may be eligible for a refund if there is a credit reflecting on their student account. The refund process will begin after the add/drop period of every term. Below are the criteria for refunding purposes:

• Account must reflect a credit balance
• Student cannot be enrolled in a monthly payment plan
• Encumbered time has lapsed (10 calendar days for paper check, 7 calendar days for online payment)
• Payment by wire transfer will be returned via the same method
• Payment from third parties will be refunded to the originating source

Tuition Refund Process and Policy

Policy – Students who formally withdraw from the University or drop courses are eligible for a tuition refund in accordance with the policies outlined below.  No refunds are made for any fees.

The effective date used for the determination of any refund of tuition is the date on which notification of withdrawal is received by the student’s respective Records Office, not the last date of attendance by the student. Neither dropping all courses via Workday nor informing an individual faculty member, an academic department, or the Dean’s Office constitutes an official withdrawal from the University. The official date of withdrawal from the University cannot be backdated prior to the date on which the student submits the applicable withdrawal form or notification to Law Student Services. The Records Office for the Law School is Law Student Services (lawstudentservices@scu.edu or 408-554-4766).

Fall and Spring Semesters

Students who withdraw from the University, drop courses, or are approved for a leave of absence, during the fall or spring semester, will receive a tuition refund in accordance with the following:

The start of the semester is considered to be the first date on which instruction begins in the School of Law.

– Students who withdraw from the University or drop courses by the end of the first week of classes will receive a 100% tuition refund, less any applicable fees, for the semester.

– Students who withdraw from the University or drop courses by the end of the second week of classes will receive a 95% tuition refund, less any applicable fees, for the semester.

– Students who withdraw from the University or drop courses by the end of the third week of classes will receive a 40% tuition refund, less any applicable fees, for the semester.

– Students who withdraw from the University or drop courses by the end of the fourth week of classes will receive a 20% tuition refund, less any applicable fees, for the semester.

– Students who withdraw from the University or drop courses after the fourth week of classes will not receive a tuition refund for the semester.

Please note: Students may drop courses on Workday until 11:59 p.m. on the Sunday immediately following the beginning of the semester and still receive 100% refund. However, this is only valid if a student has no registration holds and does not require assistance from a staff member. All other transactions must be completed by 5 p.m. on the first Friday of the semester.

Summer

Students who formally withdraw or drop courses during the summer term are eligible for a refund of tuition charges in accordance with the policies outlined below. No refunds are made for any fees.

– Students who withdraw from the University or drop courses by the end of the first week of classes will receive a 100% tuition refund, less any applicable fees, for the term.

– Students who withdraw from the University or drop courses by the end of the second week of classes will receive a 50% tuition refund, less any applicable fees, for the term.

– Students who withdraw from the University or drop courses after the second week of classes will not receive a tuition refund for the term.

Weekend/Off Cycle/Short-Term Courses

Students must provide the Law Student Services Office with a written request to drop these courses. To receive tuition refunds, these course drops must be handled administratively. Students should NOT drop these classes themselves through Workday after the first week of the semester. Consult the schedule of classes for refund options for individual off cycle courses.

Financial Hardship

Students who withdraw from the University or drop courses due to an illness, injury, or psychological/emotional condition are eligible for a tuition refund in accordance with the schedules above. Tuition insurance may be purchased to cover tuition charges for medically related withdrawals that occur after the first week of the semester.

Santa Clara University degree students who withdraw from the University or who are administratively withdrawn from the University after the fourth week of the semester due to a qualifying financial hardship not covered by the Dewars Tuition Insurance may be eligible for an allocation from the student hardship fund for 20 percent of the tuition charges for that term. Qualifying financial hardships include: (1) death, disabling injury, medical emergency, (2) loss of job by an independent student, (3) medical or other emergency involving a dependent of an independent student, and (4) student deployment for active military duty. The Vice Provost for Student Life or designee, in consultation with the Financial Aid Office, will determine qualifying financial hardships and any allocation from the student hardship fund.  Students must submit a request for an allocation from the student hardship fund by the end of the applicable term.

Santa Clara University reserves the right to change tuition, room and board, fees, or other costs, to modify its services, or change its programs at any time. In addition, no refunds of tuition, room and board, fees or other costs will be made because of curtailed services resulting from strikes, acts of God, civil insurrection, riots or threats thereof, changed economic conditions, national emergency, or other causes beyond the control of Santa Clara University.

Financial Aid

Santa Clara University School of Law offers financial assistance to law students administered through the Law Admissions and Financial Aid Office and the University’s Financial Aid Office. Students’ financial aid packages may include a combination of scholarships, student loans, and Federal Work-Study, depending on student eligibility.

Santa Clara University School of Law Scholarships

For information on Santa Clara University School of Law scholarship programs, refer to the Law Admissions and Financial Aid website. Students should refer to their original scholarship notifications for terms and conditions for renewal.

Students awarded scholarships from any other school at the University (e.g., the Leavey School of Business) should refer to their original scholarship notifications for terms and conditions for renewal and should address questions to those schools.

Outside/External Scholarships

There are additional, external scholarships sponsored by corporations, civic organizations, religious organizations, foundations, and other groups.

Students awarded an external scholarship should provide the donor or agency with the University’s contact information. All correspondence and scholarship checks should be sent to the Law Admissions and Financial Aid Office. Outside scholarship funds may impact your federal aid eligibility, causing a reduction in federal loan eligibility in some cases.

Enrollment Status and Financial Aid Eligibility

The U.S. Department of Education has basic eligibility requirements for financial aid, which must be met and maintained in order for a student to be eligible to receive aid. These requirements apply to all federal, state, and Santa Clara University–funded aid. A student must “be enrolled in an eligible program as a regular student seeking a degree.” Students cannot be awarded aid for classes that do not count toward their degree. In short, students are only eligible for federal, state, and University-funded aid when taking classes that are required to complete a degree. Once those degree requirements have been met and a student is eligible to graduate, he or she is no longer entitled to receive aid. This holds true even if the student has been here fewer than 6 semesters for full-time and 8 semesters for part-time.

Students who are able to graduate because they have completed all of their degree requirements but decide to enroll for an additional semester, are not eligible to receive federal, state, or University-funded aid for the additional term. Students who believe that they may be adversely impacted by the U.S Department of Education regulations should reach out to the Law Admissions and Financial Aid Office to discuss their particular circumstances.

Federal Student Aid Eligibility

To be eligible for federal student aid, students must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• demonstrate financial need (for some programs);
• be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen;
• have a valid Social Security number (with the exception of students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau);
• enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program;
• be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Direct Loan Program funds;
• maintain satisfactory academic progress;
• provide consent and approval to have your federal tax information transferred directly into your 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, if you’re applying for aid for July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025;
• sign the certification statement on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form stating that
  • the student is not in default on a federal student loan,
  • the student does not owe money on a federal student grant,
  • and the student will use federal student aid only for educational purposes

Additional eligibility requirements can apply in certain situations including for non-U.S. citizens, students with criminal convictions, and students with intellectual disabilities.

Students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually. Santa Clara University’s school code is 001326.

Half-time Status (J.D. and LL.M. Students)

Fall and Spring Semesters: 6 units per semester*

Summer: 3 units

*NOTE: Other School of Law academic policies require enrollment above these minimums, per semester. Please consult the Degree Programs section of the Bulletin for more information.

Eligibility for scholarships and student loans may be affected by changes in enrollment. Financial aid recipients who switch from a full-time to part-time course load, or vice versa, must inform the Law Admissions and Financial Aid Office.

Students who drop below half-time must notify the Law Admissions and Financial Aid Office immediately. Students who drop below half-time for more than six months, or take a leave of absence for more than six months may need to begin making payments on their student loans. Students who have received an unsubsidized or PLUS loan(s) under the Direct Loan Program must complete exit counseling each time they drop below half-time enrollment or leave school. Students must complete exit counseling at studentaid.gov.

Students may contact their loan servicers to request deferment or forbearance if they cannot afford to make payments during this period.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

What is SAP?

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) are the standards students must meet to ensure that they are successfully completing coursework and can continue to receive Title IV and SCU financial aid. To remain eligible for Title IV programs and institutional aid, students must be making satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the U.S. Department of Education regulations.

Who does SAP apply to?

All professional students who are applying for financial aid must adhere to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy across all programs and enrollment levels. This policy holds students accountable for meeting academic progress requirements, regardless of whether or not they have previously received financial aid. If a student fails to meet these requirements, they will not be eligible for financial assistance. 

How often are students evaluated?

Professional students are evaluated at the end of Spring term and Summer term after the Registrar has released official grades.

Evaluation

SAP is comprised of three components GPA, PACE and MAX. After the review of all standards at the end of each term, there are two possible outcomes.

PASS: Student Passes SAP, they meet all standards and are in good standing. There is no communication between FAO and a student with this outcome.

FAIL: Fail status is assigned if a student fails to meet the standards for the last SAP review of enrollment. Students with this status are not eligible for Title IV and SCU financial aid. The student will receive notification via Workday account notifying them that they have failed to meet SAP standards. It is important to note that students can appeal their SAP status.

Standards Evaluated

Qualitative Standard (GPA). Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher. On a 4.3 scale.

NOTE: Some Santa Clara University graduate programs (e.g., MBA) require a higher cumulative grade point average than the federal minimum (academic purposes not aid eligibility). Students must check with the graduate program office. 

Quantitative Standard (PACE). Students must maintain a cumulative 67% completion rate for all units attempted toward their academic programs. Pace is determined by dividing the cumulative number of units you have earned by the cumulative number of units you have attempted.

Maximum Attempted Units Allowed (MAX). Students must complete the requirements for their academic programs within 150% of the minimum units required to complete their academic programs (varies by program). Students who have reached their maximum attempted units allowed are ineligible for additional financial aid. Students may appeal for financial aid probation status if they believe their circumstances warrant an exception to this standard.

Pass/No Pass

Courses with Pass grades will count toward your total hours for the cumulative completion rate for federal financial aid. However, Pass grades will not count in the GPA calculation. Courses that earn NP grades will count as attempted but not completed, and could impact your eligibility for federal aid. P/NP options may not be available in all law courses. 

Courses Incompletes, Withdrawal, Failures, and/or Repetitions

Incompletes (I), Withdrawals (W), Failures (F), and/or repeated courses will adversely affect a student’s completion rate. Students must complete the minimum number of units to fulfill federal, state, and University requirements. Completion rates are calculated cumulatively and will include all quarters/semesters that the student was enrolled, whether or not the student received financial aid.

Incompletes

(I) grades are not included in the GPA calculation and are considered a non-completion of attempted coursework (for PACE) until the grade is replaced with a permanent grade and academic progress can be re-evaluated.

Withdrawal

Students who wish to withdraw from Santa Clara University must contact the Law Student Services Office. Depending on the date of withdrawal, a student may automatically be assigned a withdrawal grade (W) and may not be eligible for a tuition refund. Law Student Services staff will advise students on what to expect and /or what to be prepared for. Students who abandon their classes will receive a failing grade, impacting their qualitative and quantitative SAP requirements. Students who withdraw from their program are still responsible for any financial commitment made to both the university and loan provider(s).

IMPORTANT: Any student leaving Santa Clara University at the conclusion of any semester should contact Law Student Services.

Repetition of Courses

Please reference the School of Law Student Bulletin.

Appeal Process

There could be extenuating circumstances encountered by students that may affect their ability to be academically successful during an enrollment period. These circumstances include personal injury or illness that occurs during an enrollment period; death of an immediate family member or legal guardian during an enrollment period; or other documented circumstances that were unexpected in nature and beyond control of the student. In these cases, cumulative grade point average or completion rate may decline resulting in the student not meeting the minimum qualitative and quantitative standards previously described. If a student wishes to appeal financial aid suspension, a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal must be submitted to the Law Financial Aid Office. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on financial aid probation (separate from academic probation) and will be notified of the appeal results in writing. 

Loss of Eligibility 

Students who have lost eligibility to participate in federal, state, and University aid programs for reasons of academic progress, can regain that eligibility only by enrolling at Santa Clara University at their own expense. The mere passage of time will not restore eligibility to a student who has lost eligibility for failure to make satisfactory academic progress. Students who have been dismissed from Santa Clara University for academic reasons, but who are subsequently readmitted are not automatically eligible to participate in federal, state, or institutional aid programs and will be placed on financial aid warning/or suspension. Re-admission decisions are separate from funding decisions.

Regaining Eligibility 

Students who failed to meet satisfactory academic progress and who choose to enroll without financial aid may request a review of their academic record after any term in which they are enrolled without the receipt of financial aid. If the standards are met at the time of review, eligibility may be regained for subsequent terms of enrollment in the academic year.

Verification

Verification is the process established by the U.S. Department of Education to check the accuracy of aid applications. Students selected for verification will need to provide the specific documentation required for independent students.

Participation in the verification process is not optional. Students who do not submit the requested documentation will not be eligible to receive federal student aid.

NOTE: Failure to meet the verification deadline may result in aid not being reinstated. Any delays in sending documentation may result in students not having aid by the beginning of the academic term. In this case, it is the student’s obligation to pay the account balance on their student account.

Determining Federal Student Aid Amounts

Student eligibility depends on Expected Family Contribution, year in school, enrollment status, and the cost of attendance. The Law Admissions and Financial Aid Office will determine how much federal student aid students are eligible to receive.

• The Law Admissions and Financial Aid Office determines students’ cost of attendance (COA)
• Student Aid Index (SAI) is also considered
• SAI is subtracted from COA to determine students’ financial need and eligibility for any need-based aid
• To determine students’ non-need-based aid eligibility (i.e., amount of student loan eligibility), the Law Admissions and Financial Aid Office will take students’ total cost of attendance and subtract any other awarded financial aid (e.g., scholarships).

Cost of Attendance (COA)

Cost of Attendance is the estimated amount it will cost to attend Santa Clara University School of Law. The School of Law publishes its cost of attendance on the Law Admissions and Financial Aid website.

For students attending at least half-time, COA is the estimate of

• tuition and fees;
• the cost of housing and food;
• the cost of books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and miscellaneous expenses (including a reasonable amount for the documented cost of a personal computer);
• an allowance for childcare or other dependent care;
• costs related to a disability; and/or
• reasonable costs for eligible study-abroad programs.

Student Aid Index (SAI)

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is not the amount students will have to pay towards their educational costs, nor is it the amount of federal aid students receive. It is an index number used to determine how much financial aid students will receive. Information reported on the FAFSA is used to calculate SAI. SAI is calculated according to a formula established by law. Students’ (and their spouse’s) taxed and untaxed income, assets, and benefits (such as unemployment or Social Security) all could be considered in the formula. For students with dependents, family size and the number of family members who will attend college or career school during the year will also be considered.

Need-based Aid

Calculating Financial Need

Cost of Attendance (COA) – Student Aid Index (SAI) = Financial Need

Need-based aid is financial aid that students can receive if they have financial need and meet other eligibility criteria. The only need-based federal student aid program available to students at the School of Law is Federal Work-Study.

Federal Work-Study

Federal Work Study provides part-time jobs for law students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student’s course of study. It is available to full-time or part-time students. Santa Clara University has limited Federal Work-Study funds. Federal Work-Study is not offered to incoming law students. Continuing students interested in Federal Work-Study can email onestop@scu.edu to request information about the work-study process & eligibility.

Non-need-based Aid

Calculating Non-need-based Aid

Cost of Attendance (COA) − Financial Aid Awarded So Far* = Eligibility for Non-need-based Aid

*includes aid from all sources, including School of Law scholarships, external scholarships, etc.

Non-need-based aid is financial aid that is not based on SAI. What matters is COA and how much other assistance has been awarded so far. For example, if a student has a COA of $50,000 and has been awarded scholarships totaling $30,000, the student can get up to $20,000 in non-need-based aid.

The following are non-need-based federal student aid programs available to School of Law students:

• Direct Unsubsidized Loan
• Direct PLUS Loan

Direct Unsubsidized Loan

Direct Unsubsidized Loans are loans made to eligible graduate or professional students. Eligibility is not based on financial need. The U.S. Department of Education is the lender. Students must accept or decline an offered Direct Unsubsidized Loan on Workday.

• no requirement to demonstrate financial need (students must still file a FAFSA)
• must be enrolled at least half-time
• amount determined by cost of attendance and other financial aid
• must complete Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN)
• students are responsible for paying the interest on a Direct Unsubsidized Loan during all periods
• students who choose not to pay the interest while in school and during grace periods and deferment or forbearance periods, will accrue (accumulate) interest which will be capitalized (added to the principal amount of the loan)
• Current interest rate and origination fee information can be found at studentaid.gov)
• Annual limit: $20,500
• Aggregate limit: $138,500 (includes all federal loans received for undergraduate study)

Students who are eligible for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan will be required to sign a loan contract called a Master Promissory Note (MPN), agreeing to the terms of the loan. Students who have not previously received a Direct Unsubsidized Loan will also be required to complete entrance counseling.

Direct PLUS Loan

Direct PLUS Loans are loans made to graduate or professional students to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. A Direct PLUS Loan is commonly referred to as a grad PLUS loan when made to a graduate or professional student. Eligibility is not based on financial need, but a credit check is required. Borrowers who have an adverse credit history must meet additional requirements to qualify. The U.S. Department of Education is the lender. Students may review their Direct PLUS Loan eligibility on Workday, but due to the required credit check, they must apply for the Direct PLUS Loan at studentaid.gov.

• no requirement to demonstrate financial need (students must still file a FAFSA)
• must be enrolled at least half-time
• amount determined by cost of attendance and other financial aid
• must complete Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN)
• must not have an adverse credit history 
• students are responsible for paying the interest on a Direct PLUS Loan during all periods
• students who choose not to pay the interest while in school and during grace periods and deferment or forbearance periods, will accrue (accumulate) interest which will be capitalized (added to the principal amount of the loan)
• Current interest rate and origination fee information can be found at studentaid.gov)
• Annual limit: cost of attendance (COA) minus any other financial assistance received
• Aggregate limit: currently none, but schools may limit excessive borrowing

Direct PLUS Loan Application Process

After completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and receiving a financial aid award notification from the Law Admissions and Financial Aid Office, students must apply for a Direct PLUS Loan at studentaid.gov (students cannot accept a Direct PLUS loan on Workday, they can only review their Direct PLUS eligibility to determine how much they may borrow when applying for the loan at studentaid.gov).

Students who are eligible for a Direct PLUS loan will be required to sign a Direct PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN), agreeing to the terms of the loan. Students who have not previously received a PLUS loan will also be required to complete entrance counseling.

A credit check will be performed during the application process. Students who have adverse credit may still receive a Direct PLUS Loan through one of these two options:

1. Obtaining an endorser who does not have an adverse credit history. An endorser is someone who agrees to repay the Direct PLUS loan if the student does not repay it.
2. Documenting to the satisfaction of the U.S. Department of Education that there are extenuating circumstances relating to the adverse credit history.        

With either option 1 or option 2, students must complete credit counseling for PLUS loan borrowers. Direct PLUS Loans and Adverse Credit is an online resource that answers common questions about how an adverse credit history affects Direct PLUS Loan eligibility.

Understanding Federal Student Loan Terms and Repayment Options

When considering borrowing a federal student loan, students should also understand interest rates and fees, as well as their student loan repayment options. Under certain conditions, students may be eligible to have all, or part of their loan discharged or forgiven (canceled). Students should find out about loan cancellation, discharge, or forgiveness provisions. First-time borrowers may want to review Federal Student Loans: Basics for Students. Members of the military may be eligible for special interest benefits relating to federal student loans.

Exit Counseling

Students who have received unsubsidized or PLUS loan(s) under the Direct Loan Program must complete exit counseling each time they drop below half-time enrollment, graduate, or leave school. Students must complete exit counseling at studentaid.gov.

Private Educational Loans

Private Educational Loans allow law students who have exhausted or who are ineligible for federal aid an alternative means of borrowing to help pay for their educational expenses. Law students often borrow private loans to help cover expenses while studying for the bar exam. Private loan providers have their own application and repayment terms. Students should review all terms and disclosures before applying for one of these credit-based loan alternatives. Students should review the differences between federal and private student loans before borrowing a private loan.

Financial Aid Cancellation and Return of Funds

Students who withdraw from the University and who have federal student aid are subject to the federal regulations applicable to the return of Title IV funds (R2T4). This R2T4 regulation is based on EARNED and UNEARNED aid at the time of total withdrawal from all classes for a term. These regulations assume that a student earns his or her financial aid based on the period of time he or she remains enrolled during a term. A student is obligated to return all unearned federal student aid funds governed under Title IV other than those earned under the college work-study program.

Unearned federal student aid is the amount of disbursed Title IV funds that exceeds the amount of Title IV aid earned in accordance with the federal guidelines. During the first 60 percent of the term, a student earns Title IV funds in direct proportion to the length of time he or she remains enrolled. That is, the percentage of time during the term that the student remains enrolled is the percentage of disbursable aid for that period that the student has earned. A student who withdraws after the 60 percent point of the enrollment term earns all Title IV aid disbursed for the period. The amount of tuition and other charges owed by the student plays no role in determining the amount of Title IV funds to which a withdrawn student is entitled. Please note this policy is separate and distinct from the Santa Clara University credit balance refund policy.

All funds must be returned to federal programs before funds are returned to University financial aid programs or to the student. The return of funds allocation will be made in the following order for students who have received Federal Title IV assistance.

• Direct Unsubsidized Loan
• Direct PLUS Loan

For the complete federal student aid Cancellation of Financial Aid and Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) policy, please review our full Return of Title IV Policy.

Veterans and Veterans’ Dependents Assistance

Santa Clara University has been certified by the California State Approving Agency for Veterans Education (CSAAVE) as qualified to enroll students under applicable federal legislation and regulations, including Chapter 35 (child of a deceased or 100 percent disabled veteran, widow of any person who died in the service or died of a service-connected disability, or wife of a veteran with a 100 percent service-connected disability), Chapter 31 (rehabilitation), Chapter 30/1606 (active duty Montgomery G.I. Bill®), Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GI Bill®), and Yellow Ribbon. Individuals interested in attending under any of the veteran assistance programs should contact the Veterans Administration and the University Office of the Registrar.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

For more information on SCU Veterans Support Services: https://www.scu.edu/diversity/veterans-support-services/

International/Foreign-Born/Naturalized Students

Questions regarding visa status and international student status should be directed to Santa Clara University’s Global Engagement Office.

Getting Answers to Financial Aid Questions

Students with questions about financial aid should contact the Law Admissions and Financial Aid Office at lawfinancialaid@scu.edu.

Juris Doctor Program

To be eligible for the Juris Doctor degree, students must satisfy the requirements set forth below:

1. Complete 86 semester units
2. Maintain a cumulative grade point average that places the student in academic good standing
3. Complete the required course of study
4. Have no pending question of academic dishonesty or moral turpitude that would preclude granting of the degree
5. Complete at least 64 credit hours in regularly scheduled class session at the law school
6. Complete the Experiential Course Requirement
7. Earn at least 4 upper division proficiency points
8. File a completed petition to graduate

Full-Time Status

First-year full-time students are automatically registered for only the required courses offered in the first-year full-time curriculum. After the first year, full-time students are expected to enroll in no fewer than 12 units and no more than 17 units.

Please refer to the Financial Information section for rules governing federal financial aid eligibility.

Part-Time Status
Applicable to students admitted prior to 2023-2024

Upper division part-time students are expected to enroll in no fewer than 8 units and no more than 11 units.

Please refer to the Financial Information section for rules governing federal financial aid eligibility.

Flex J.D. Program

First-year Flex J.D. students are automatically registered for only the required courses offered in the first-year Flex J.D. curriculum. After the first year, Flex J.D. students are expected to enroll in no fewer than 8 units and no more than 11 units. All continuing Flex J.D. students must take the remaining classes through the Flex J.D. program. Law Student Services will enroll second year Flex J.D. students in Civil Procedure 1 (2 units) and Critical Lawyering Skills II (1 unit) in Fall and Civil Procedure 2 (3 units) in Spring. 

Please refer to the Financial Information section for rules governing federal financial aid eligibility.

Summer Sessions

Summer session courses may be credited toward the professional degree. Students may find it advantageous to take one or more courses offered in the summer so they may elect advanced or specialized courses in the third or fourth years.

Summer session consists primarily of evening classes and usually includes several Bar or required classes. On-campus and Summer Abroad courses are open to students who have completed one year of study at the law school. Students may enroll in a maximum of 8 units during a summer session.

Grades earned in on-campus summer sessions or overseas summer programs are not used in calculating a student’s cumulative grade point average for purposes of academic qualification or disqualification at the end of the immediately preceding academic year.

J.D. Admissions Standard

To gain admission to the Santa Clara University School of Law’s Juris Doctor program, an applicant must exhibit a demonstrated capacity to successfully complete the School of Law’s program of legal education and thereafter pass a state bar examination. In evaluating applications, the School of Law assesses each applicant’s attributes and qualifications holistically, without any single criterion being determinative. Admissions decisions therefore depend upon consideration of a variety of factors. These factors include the applicant’s performance on ABA-approved admission tests; undergraduate academic record and course of study; academic performance in graduate or professional programs; demonstrated writing ability; extracurricular and volunteer activities; work experience; obstacles overcome; and potential contribution to the diversity of the student body. In addition, the School of Law considers evidence of an applicant’s character and moral fitness in an attempt to assess the applicant’s suitability to practice law and qualification for admission to a state bar.

To be considered for admission as a first-year student, applicants must (i) register with the Law School Admission Council’s (LSAC) Credential Assembly Service (CAS), and (ii) take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or other ABA-approved admission test. (These steps are preferred but not required for applicants seeking admission as transfer students.) All applicants must demonstrate that they have earned (or will earn prior to matriculation) a bachelor’s degree that has been awarded by an institution that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Applicants who have graduated from an institution outside the United States may apply if the quality of the program of education of their degree-granting institution is equivalent to that of institutions accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Foreign applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and are proficient in English are eligible to apply. Applicants who have completed all of their undergraduate work at institutions outside of the United States, its territories, or Canada must have those institutions send their transcripts directly to LSAC.

First-Year Program (Full-time J.D.)

The first year of law school introduces students to the fundamentals of legal analysis and to the substantive law in several basic subjects. First-year J.D. courses are listed below.

LAW 101A: Legal Research and Writing 1
LAW 101B: Legal Research and Writing 2
LAW 102A: Contracts 1
LAW 102B: Contracts 2
LAW 103: Torts
LAW 104: Property
LAW 106: Criminal Law
LAW 114A(n): Civil Procedure 1
LAW 114B(n): Civil Procedure 2
LAW 465A: Critical Lawyering Skills Seminar 1
LAW 465B: Critical Lawyering Skills Seminar 2

Coursework totaling 28 units is prescribed for full-time JD students.

First-Year Program (Flex J.D.)

LAW 101C: Legal Research and Writing 1F
LAW 101D: Legal Research and Writing 2F
LAW 102E: Contracts 1F
LAW 102G: Contracts 2F
LAW 103A Torts F
LAW 104A: Property F
LAW 106A: Criminal Law F
LAW 465C: Critical Lawyering Skills Seminar 1F

All continuing Flex J.D. students must take the remaining classes through the Flex J.D. program. Law Student Services will enroll second year Flex J.D. students in:

LAW 114C: Civil Procedure 1F
LAW 114D: Civil Procedure 2F
LAW 465D: Critical Lawyering Skills Seminar 2F

Advanced Curriculum

The School of Law offers a wide range of one-semester advanced courses. See the complete list at law.scu.edu/course-listing/. Required courses are listed below.

– LAW 105. Advocacy 
– LAW 200. Constitutional Law: Governmental Structure (formerly Constitutional Law I)
– LAW 201. Constitutional Law: Individual Rights (formerly Constitutional Law II)
– LAW 302. Professional Responsibility
– LAW 320. Evidence

Upper Division Proficiency (UP) Points

1. The UP system will not apply to first-year students. The system focuses exclusively on

the upper division.

2. Upper division courses eligible for proficiency points:

– LAW 200: Constitutional Law: Government Structure (formerly Constitutional Law I) (Required Course)
– LAW 201: Constitutional Law: Individual Rights (formerly Constitutional Law II) (Required Course)
– LAW 207: Administrative Law (effective Fall 2024)
– LAW 248: Business Organizations
– LAW 281: Wills & Trusts
– LAW 290: Community Property
– LAW 302: Professional Responsibility (Required Course)
– LAW 310: Criminal Procedure: Investigation
– LAW 320: Evidence (Required Course)
– LAW 324: Remedies
– LAW 540: Advanced Torts
– LAW 543: Real Estate Conveyancing

3. The minimum grade necessary to earn a point: Students must receive a C+ or better in an

UP-eligible course to earn one UP point.

      4. Expected number of UP points: Students are expected to earn at least 4 points in UP-eligible courses. A student must continue attempting to earn UP points each semester until they have earned 4 points. In the final semester, a student who has not earned four points must enroll in either one or two UP eligible courses such that the student is able to satisfy the policy. If the student earns the remaining UP points or course credit in the UP-eligible course(s), the student will be deemed to have satisfied the policy’s requirements for the sake of earning their degree.

     5. Monitoring Student Progress Toward Completion of the UP Requirement:

a) All upper division students are required to enroll in four or more UP-eligible classes prior to the completion of 54 units. The typical full-time student will enroll in two UP-eligible classes each semester until the UP point requirement is satisfied. The typical part-time student will enroll in one UP-eligible class during their 2L fall semester, and two UP-eligible classes each semester thereafter until the UP point requirement is satisfied. Students who have earned exactly three UP points are required to enroll in at least one UP-eligible class in the following semester. Deviations from this typical approach must be approved by Law Student Services in consultation with the Office of Academic & Bar Success. All JD/MBA and JD/MSIS students must seek approval for their course schedules by Law Student Services each term.

b) Students must take all UP-eligible courses for a grade until after they have successfully earned four UP points.

c) For students who have completed 54 units or more, the Law Student Services Office will compute the number of UP points that each student has earned in upper division courses as of the first day of each new semester. Any student who has earned fewer than three points in upper division courses will be required to enroll in at least two UP-eligible classes during that semester. Students who have earned exactly three UP points are required to enroll in at least one UP-eligible class in the following semester.

d) All students who fail to earn at least three UP points in upper division courses by the time they have completed 54 units will be required to complete 373b, Advanced Legal Writing: Bar Exam in their final semester before they graduate from law school, and receive individual counseling from a faculty member from the Office of Academic and Bar Success.

Transfer students may receive UP credit for course work completed at their home school as long as they have taken an UP-eligible class and received a C+ or higher as an upper-division student. Students may not receive UP credit for a course, even if it is categorized as UP-eligible, if it was taken as part of the first-year curriculum at the school from which they transferred. 

With prior approval from the senior assistant dean for student services, students may enroll in a course at another law school that would be UP-point eligible at the School of Law. Such students may receive UP credit for this course work so long as they have taken a course geared towards upper-division students and received a C+ or higher. Students may not receive UP credit for a course, even if it is categorized as UP-eligible, if it was taken as part of the first-year curriculum at the other law school. Please refer to the section titled, Visiting at Other Law Schools  (under Academic Policies 2 section) for details.

Experiential Course Requirement

As a condition to graduation, each student must successfully complete one or more experiential course(s) totaling at least six credit hours. An experiential course is a simulation course, a law clinic, or a field placement that focuses on professional skills needed for competent and ethical participation as a member of the legal profession.

1. Experiential courses are determined by the law school and may include skills such as interviewing, counseling, negotiation, fact development and analysis, trial practice, document drafting, conflict resolution, organization and management of legal work, collaboration, cultural competency, and self-evaluation.
2. The Associate Dean for Experiential Learning in collaboration with the professor will determine which courses satisfy the experiential course requirements and they will be designated as such in the course description.
3. A student may not use a course to satisfy more than one requirement for graduation.

Regular Classroom Instruction Requirement

The law school’s accrediting agency requires that students complete at least 64 credit hours in courses that require attendance in regularly scheduled classroom sessions or direct faculty instruction. The credit hours may include credit hours earned by attendance in regularly scheduled classroom sessions or direct faculty instruction and credit hours earned by participation in a simulation course or law clinic.

Course units awarded for all field placements, Juvenile Justice courses, the Panetta Fellowship program, independent research, coursework completed in another department and co-curricular activities such as journals, moot court, and trial competitions will not meet this requirement.

Distance Education Credit Limitations

Student participation in online courses is subject to limitations set forth by the ABA. Specifically, ABA Standard 306 provides that a law school may grant a student up to 50 percent of the credit hours required for the J.D. degree through Distance Education Courses. To assist students in complying with the ABA Distance Education standards, starting in Summer 2023, the law school will designate courses as Distance Education at the time of registration. Faculty teaching those courses which have not been designated as Distance Education at the time of registration will make every attempt to ensure any remote instruction does not exceed one-third of the class time. However, in rare extenuating circumstances, a course may need to be moved to online, and changed to a Distance Education course, mid-semester. If that occurs, students will be notified immediately. The ABA Standards provide an exception for students attending courses remotely with accommodations provided under law (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act) or other exceptional circumstances. If you wish to seek an accommodation, contact the Office of Accessible Education at Santa Clara University.

Academic Progress Report

Students should check their degree progress regularly by reviewing the Graduation Requirements Worksheet in the Pink Book and their Academic Progress Report in Workday.

For more information regarding the Juris Doctor program of study, contact the Student Services Office.

J.D./MBA or J.D./MSIS Program

Santa Clara Law and the Leavey School of Business offer two joint degree programs for eligible law students. The J.D./MBA and J.D./MSIS joint degree programs are designed to be primarily 3.5- to 4-year full-time programs. The programs are available only to SCU School of Law and Leavey School of Business students who have been accepted by both schools for participation in one of the programs. Law students must apply to the Leavey School of Business during their first year of law studies. Students must enter the program before they have completed 45 law school units.

• While enrolled in the program, students must:

1. Maintain a satisfactory grade point average in each school
2. Satisfy the academic requirements of each school
3. Complete the same number of courses in the business school and semester units of credit in the law school as other recipients of the respective degrees
4. Complete all courses identified as required by both schools
5. Work out a specific, individualized academic program with the Law School Registrar and the business school program director

• With the approval of any such individualized academic program, permission may be granted to count certain specified courses for credit toward both degrees. Business School units must have grades of C or better and will transfer to the law transcript as CR/NC grades.
• Under a typical schedule, students complete the program and receive both degrees in 3.5 or 4 years. The first year is spent exclusively in the law school. During the second year, students are required to take primarily business classes. Thereafter, work is taken concurrently in both schools.
• To receive credit toward the J.D. degree from courses taken in the business school, students must have completed 78 units of law courses and be within two courses of completing the business degree.
• In no event may students receive credit for more than 12 quarter units at the business school for which credit is also obtained at the law school, or more than 8 semester units at the law school for which credit is also obtained at the business school. (3 quarter units at the business school count as 2 semester units at the law school; 2 semester units at the law school count as 3 quarter units at the business school.)

J.D./LL.M. Program in Intellectual Property Law

The J.D./LL.M. joint degree program is designed to primarily be a 3.5 year full-time program available only to SCU School of Law students who have been accepted for participation in both programs.

• While enrolled in the program, students must:
  • Maintain a satisfactory grade point average in each degree program
  • Satisfy the academic requirements of each degree program
  • Complete all courses identified as required for both degrees
  • Work out a specific, individualized academic program with a member of the Law Student Services staff
• With the approval of any such individualized academic program, permission may be granted to count 12 units of specified courses for credit toward both degrees.
• Under a typical schedule, full-time students complete the program and receive both degrees in 3.5 years. Students must declare their intent to participate in the program no later than 12 months before graduation and complete the requirements for both degrees prior to graduation.
• The joint J.D/LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law requires the completion of 98 units, of which (a) 24 units must satisfy the prevailing LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law requirements, including the writing requirement; and (b) 21 units must be IP/High Tech designated classes. (The remaining 3 units necessary for the LL.M. degree are LL.M. elective units.)

LL.M. Program in United States Law

Graduation Requirements

All participants seeking the LL.M. degree must do the following:

Successfully complete 24 semester hours of class credit

– Successfully complete Introduction to US Law (LAW 700). This course is designed to give participants an intensive overview of the basic elements of the United States substantive and structural law.

– Writing Requirement. Students must complete a written research paper either in conjunction with a 2–3 unit class or as an independent research paper (LAW 298) under the supervision of a faculty member.

– Be in residence for a minimum of two regular semesters (not including summer sessions).

– Enroll in a minimum of 8 units per semester and complete the degree requirements within a maximum of two academic years from the date of matriculation.

Completion of the course, Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing for U.S. Law LL.Ms (LAW 376) is highly recommended, but not required. The purpose of this course is to enhance the students’ skills in the area of legal research and writing.

While students are not required to declare a specialization, Santa Clara Law does provide a variety of coursework that would allow for the student to enhance and develop his or her understanding of a specific area of law.

U.S. Law Specializations

In addition to the General Studies LL.M., the School of Law offers three specializations in areas of its internationally recognized strengths. To complete a specialization, the participant must enroll in 12 credit hours of courses within the specific curriculum of the selected specialization. The specialization offerings include:

Intellectual Property

The 12 credit hours of specialized study must include Intellectual Property Survey and International IP Law. The remaining units must be taken from the Intellectual Property/High Tech Law curriculum.

Human Rights

Within the 12 credit hours of specialized study, participants must select courses from social justice courses listed under the general certificate requirements. Note: LL.M. students are not eligible to apply for certificates.

International and Comparative Law

The 12 credit hours of specialized study must be taken from the International Law Curriculum.

Grades and Grade Requirements

Current Policies:

Students in the Exchange-to-LL.M. program in U.S. Law are graded on a Standard Letter Grade basis.

Students in the LL.M. program in U.S. Law are graded on a Pass/No Pass basis in all courses.

Students in the LL.M. program in U.S. Law for whom English is a second language in which they have not reached academic competence may request additional time, up to time and a half, for exams. These students may also request the use of a translating dictionary. Absent an approved request for language accommodations, students are required to follow standard exam rules.

Exchange-to-LL.M. program in U.S. Law students are not eligible to petition for language accommodations.

Grade Option Petition:

Students in the LL.M. program in U.S. Law may petition to be graded with regular letter grades (A, B, etc.) instead of Pass/No Pass. To do so:

1. Secure all necessary approval signatures on the LL.M. in US Law Grade Option Petition form
2. Submit the form to the Law Student Services Office by the end of the 4th week of classes during the fall and spring semester and by the end of the 2nd week of classes in the summer term
3. Students can rescind this request until the end of the 10th week of classes during the semester and by the end of the 3rd week of classes in the summer term. After this time, students may not elect or rescind a grade option change
4. Summer term deadlines will apply to off-cycle and short-term courses

Some classes are only offered on a Credit/No Credit basis and the option cannot be changed. These are designated as Credit/No Credit on the schedule of classes.

Contact Information

For information regarding LL.M. admissions, please contact lawadmissions@scu.edu or 408-554-5048.

For information regarding LL.M. graduation requirements, please contact LawStudentServices@scu.edu or 408-554-4766.

LL.M. Program in Intellectual Property Law

Graduation Requirements

Total Units Required

Successfully complete 24 semester units.

The program assumes as a minimum one academic year in residence. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 8 units per semester and the requirements for the degree must be completed within two academic years from matriculation.

Core Courses (required)

– IP Survey (LAW 388)
– International IP Law (LAW 439)

One or more of these courses may be waived for candidates who have previously taken the course and received at least a B minus grade. A course waiver does not decrease the number of units that must be completed within this program.

Writing Requirement

Students must complete a written research paper either in conjunction with a 2-3 unit class in a high-tech topic or as an independent research paper (LAW 298) under the supervision of a faculty member.

Electives – 18 units (minimum)

– 15 of the 18 units must be taken from any of the approved IP electives in the intellectual property or high-tech law curriculum.
– Courses are taught during the day and evening. Some courses are available on Saturdays.
– Courses taught in SCU Law summer abroad programs may be applied to the graduation unit requirement.

Grades and Grade Requirements

Candidates must receive a grade of C or better in the course to receive credit toward the degree requirement. Course examinations are graded anonymously and are non-curved. A letter grade is awarded each student.

Additional or “Overload” Courses

While 24 semester units are required for the degree, candidates may take additional classes in any area of the law by paying the per unit tuition for the course.

Contact Information

For information regarding LL.M. admissions, please contact lawadmissions@scu.edu or 408-554-5048.

For information regarding LL.M. graduation requirements, please contact LawStudentServices@scu.edu or 408-554-4766.

LL.M. Program in International and Comparative Law

Graduation Requirements

Total Units Required

Successfully complete 24 semester units.

The program assumes as a minimum, one academic year plus one summer in residence. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 8 units per semester and the requirements for the degree must be completed within two academic years from matriculation.

Course Requirements

1. Successful completion of the academic portion of at least one Santa Clara University School of Law summer study abroad program; OR enrollment as a full-time law student for one semester at a law school with which the School of Law has a cooperative agreement. These classes will satisfy part of the 24 units required for the degree, and satisfy one or more of the area of study requirements outlined in II below.
2. To achieve a well-balanced background in international and comparative law, students should take at least one course from each of the following categories of classes: (i) public international law; (ii) private international law; and (iii) comparative law. Please refer to the complete list of approved International and Comparative Law courses.

Writing Requirement

Students must complete a written research paper in conjunction with a 2–3 unit class in an international law topic or as independent research paper (LAW 298) under the supervision of a faculty member.

Electives

Most upper-division courses are open to enrollment by LL.M. candidates.

Grades and Grade Requirements

Course examinations are graded anonymously and are non-curved. A letter grade is awarded each student.

Additional or “Overload” Courses

While 24 semester units are required for the degree, candidates are free to take additional classes in any area of the law by paying per unit tuition for the course.

Contact Information

For information regarding LL.M. admissions, please contact lawadmissions@scu.edu or 408-554-5048.

For information regarding LL.M. graduation requirements, please contact LawStudentServices@scu.edu or 408-554-4766.

Centers – Academic-focused centers that promote scholarship.

Center for Global Law & Policy

Center for Global Law & Policy promotes scholarship in the field of international and comparative law and provides a variety of educational opportunities for law students.

Center for Social Justice and Public Service

Center for Social Justice and Public Service is a community for all who share the commitment to giving voice in the legal system to marginalized, subordinated, or underrepresented clients and causes.

High Tech Law Institute

The High Tech Law Institute helps coordinate Santa Clara Law’s many high tech and intellectual property law programs, initiatives, and events to foster strong ties among our faculty, students, alumni, and the thriving high tech community.

Clinics – Faculty-supervised opportunities to develop lawyering skills.

Entrepreneurs’ Law Clinic

The Entrepreneurs’ Law Clinic focuses on the needs of early-stage Silicon Valley companies, serving the dual purposes of providing SCU-affiliated startups with high-quality, affordable legal help, and giving Santa Clara Law students real-life exposure to legal issues that confront high-tech or other Silicon Valley companies.

Immigration Appellate Practice Clinic

Students represent individuals seeking review of deportation orders before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The students communicate with their clients, research the law and develop arguments, write a brief, and present oral argument before the Court.

International Human Rights Clinic

International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) provides Santa Clara Law students with unique, practical, and supervised real-life experiences in international human rights litigation and advocacy, and represents victims of human rights violations in partnership with regional and international human rights organizations.

Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center

The Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center provides pro bono advice and representation in several areas including workers’ rights, consumer rights and immigration rights.

Northern California Innocence Project

The mission of the Northern California Innocence Project is to promote a fair, effective and compassionate criminal justice system and protect the rights of the innocent.

Other Skill-building Opportunities – Additional ways to develop essential lawyering competencies.

Environmental Justice Law & Advocacy

From climate change to food deserts to sustainable water management, Santa Clara Law provides students opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills needed to tackle the most pressing environmental issues of our time.

Externship Program

An externship allows students to learn and enhance their legal skills by combining classroom work with practical legal experience with an approved sponsoring organization and supervisor.

Conflict Resolution Program

Conflict Resolution Program offerings include academic courses, student competitions, workshops, conferences, and faculty scholarship emphasizing high tech, international law and social justice.

Honors Moot Court

Honors Moot Court gives law students the means to showcase their legal skills and advocacy abilities while developing professional law practice skills.

Institute for Lawyer Leadership Education

Promotes the development of leadership education for law students by working with academics and members of the legal profession.

Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing (LARAW)

LARAW helps get you practice-ready by providing three semesters of legal analysis, research, and writing courses, designed to allow you to acquire and hone your skills.

Privacy Law Program

Learn more about Santa Clara Law’s robust privacy law program, including the Privacy Law Certificate.

Scholarly Journals

Santa Clara Law Review is a legal periodical edited by the law students of Santa Clara University and is the only legal periodical officially sponsored by the Santa Clara University Law School Administration.

Santa Clara High Technology Law Journal is an independent scholarly legal publication founded in 1984 by the students of Santa Clara University School of Law. The Journal has achieved national and international circulation and recognition as a leading forum for multidisciplinary discourse on emerging issues at the juncture of technology, the law, and public policy.

Santa Clara Journal of International Law was founded in 2002. The Journal is committed to publishing articles that are at the forefront of scholarly debate in the field of international law and to create the best environment for the open exchange of diverse ideas.

SCU uses Workday for student registration. For inquiries regarding School of Law registration and class changes, including use of the Workday system, please consult the Student Services Office.

Academic Calendar

Please refer to the Academic Calendar.

Course Credit

Students must be officially registered in any course or clinical program to receive credit. Academic credit for courses and individual research is given during regular academic semesters only. Students who register for academic credit in a course and do not formally withdraw before the last day of the semester or summer session in which the course was taken shall be liable for tuition and may receive a failing grade. As used here, the word “course” is meant in its most inclusive sense and refers to classes, seminars, clinical research projects, and any other undertakings in which a student is registered for academic credit.

Course Loads

First-year students must take the full schedule of courses prescribed by the faculty. Upper division students must enroll in no fewer than 8 and no more than 17 units in both the fall and spring semesters of each academic year. 

Students enrolling in no fewer than 8 and no more than 11 units during a semester are part-time students during that semester. Students enrolling in no fewer than 12 and no more than 17 units are full-time students during that semester.

JD/MBA and JD/MSIS students are not permitted to make a status change as long as they are enrolled in the joint degree program. Students in the joint degree programs must be registered in a minimum of 8 units in Fall and Spring following their second year of law school.

Time Conflicts

Students may not register for courses if meeting times overlap in whole or in part. SCU does not allow even a five-minute overlap.

In addition to the meeting days and times, students are advised to read the course “Notes” for semester specific instructions.

Adding Classes

1. Students may add classes through the last day of the add/drop period. Flex format courses will close on Thursday at 5pm prior to the start of the semester. Students who wish to add Flex format courses during the first week of the semester will need approval from the instructor and the Director of the Flex JD program.
2. Some classes require instructor approval to enroll and may be added only with the necessary permissions. Some classes have special enrollment procedures as noted in the course “Notes” on Workday. Students should add these courses at any time after the initial registration period, but no later than the last day of the add/drop period.
3. The law school has established wait list procedures for adding closed classes. Students must follow these procedures and should not seek instructor approval for adding a class.
4. For late adds use the Late Registration form available from the Student Services Office. Students will be required to pre-pay for any units added after the add/drop period.

Dropping Classes

1. Students may drop upper-division courses without professor approval through the fourth week of the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to know the tuition and fee refund provisions.
2. After the fourth week of the semester, students may drop a class only with the approval of the professor and the senior assistant dean for student services. 
3. After the 10th week of the semester, students may drop a class for good cause shown and only with the permission of the senior assistant dean for student services. The cause need not be grave, but it should not appear to the dean that the student is dropping the class for an inappropriate reason.
4. During the last week of classes, the senior assistant dean will give permission to drop a course only upon a student’s written petition documenting reasons why taking the scheduled exam or requesting a delayed exam would impose an undue and unforeseen hardship on the student.
5. After the last class day of the semester, but before and up to the date of the regularly scheduled final exam, all requests to drop a course are referred to the dean or the dean’s delegate. The dean will grant permission to drop a class after classes have ended, but before the scheduled exam only after consultation with the instructor and only for extraordinary circumstances.
6. Students may not drop a class after the regularly scheduled final exam is administered. In the case of courses requiring a paper or other non-exam requirement, students may not drop the class after the last day of classes.
7. First-year students may not drop classes except in extraordinary circumstances, and only with the permission of the senior assistant dean for student services.
8. Students who stop attending a class and do not complete the formal drop process are subject to receiving an F grade and are liable for tuition.
9. Students who do not take a final exam or complete required work will receive an F, NP or NC grade, depending on the grading basis.

Flex JD Format Courses

Flex JD courses are in-person courses and do not count as distance education units. However, the workflow and meeting pattern is quite different from a traditional in-person class. Flex JD courses meet 3-4 times during the first week of the semester, then again 1-3 classes over a long weekend each remaining month (see the course description in Workday for the exact days and times of each class meeting). Attendance is critical in Flex JD classes because Flex courses cover about 3 weeks of material during every on-campus meeting. Prior to the first week of classes, you can expect to complete about 3 weeks’ worth of reading for every Flex class you enroll in. In between the monthly in-person meetings, students are required to engage in independent learning in an asynchronous mode. Flex JD courses often have assignments and deadlines during the asynchronous weeks that count toward the final grade. For additional information or questions about the individual course’s expectations, please reach out to the professor teaching the course. 

Tuition Liability

Please consult the Financial Information section for refund dates.

Registration Priority

J.D. students have priority registration in courses in which J.D. and non-J.D. students are permitted to enroll.

Wait Lists

During the initial registration period, students confronted with a closed class should waitlist themselves in the class. Once on a waitlist, students should register for an alternate class. If a seat becomes available, an email will be sent from lawwaitlists@scu.edu to eligible students’ SCU e-mail accounts informing them of their eligibility and the expiration date of their eligibility status. Failure to respond by 11:59 p.m. on the eligibility date indicated, will result in removal from the waitlist and the available seat will be offered to the next eligible student.

Enrollment by Permission

Individual Research

Students may receive academic credit for research under the supervision of a faculty member. To do so, students must select, contact, and reach agreement with the faculty member on the topic, unit value, time of completion, and other expectations for the project prior to beginning project work.

Students may take no more than 3 units of individual research with any particular faculty member in any particular semester or summer session. Work is graded on a CR/NC basis only. Students must register for individual research as follows:

1. Up to the end of the second week of classes, students may add Individual Research (298) through the Student Services Office with instructor permission if (a) the student has satisfied the provisions relating to prior consultation with the instructor to define the project, and (b) there appears to be no positive reason for denying the request. Students must obtain the professor’s signature on the Individual Research agreement form and submit it to the Student Services Office.
2. Beginning with the third week of classes, students may add Individual Research (298) only with the written approval of the senior assistant dean for student services. The dean will consult with the instructor and approve the addition of Individual Research if the project has been fully defined, the student has made substantial supervised progress on the project, and it appears that the student will be able to complete the project by the end of the semester or within a reasonable time immediately thereafter. Students may not add Individual Research after the semester has been completed.

Students who register for Individual Research and do not formally withdraw before the last day of the semester or summer session in which the course was taken shall receive a CR/NC grade in the course. Students must submit all material that will be the subject of the Individual Research grade at a time specified by the professor. In no event shall this be later than the end of the exam period of the semester during which Individual Research was undertaken.

Courses Requiring Applications

Some clinics, all externships and a few courses have limited enrollment and require an application. Details will be provided in the course “Notes” section in Workday. Forward completed applications to the appropriate department.  If approved, the department/instructor will notify the Student Services Office and students will receive an email from lawpermissions@scu.edu giving them enrollment access to the class.

Restricted Courses

Students subject to the Directed Study policy are required to enroll in Legal Analysis (373a). Eligible students will be permitted to register for this course after meeting with a faculty advisor from the Office of Academic & Bar Success. Students not subject to the Directed Study policy may petition the director of the Office of Academic & Bar Success to enroll in this course.

Bar Courses

Students subject to the Directed Study policy and third or fourth year J.D. students in need of courses to satisfy the Upper-Division Proficiency (UP) requirement will be given priority registration for some Bar courses. These students should contact their faculty advisor in the Office of Academic & Bar Success for assistance.

Academic Holds

Students with registration holds on their records or accounts may not register. It is the student’s responsibility to clear holds with the appropriate office. Students who miss registration priority due to holds will not be given special consideration. Possible holds are

1. Bursar holds due to an unpaid balance on the student’s account
2. Financial aid holds due to missing information or paperwork
3. Cowell Health Center holds due to missing insurance information or waiver forms
4. Student Services holds due to missing transcripts or other required paperwork
5. Student Services holds due to leaves of absence or visiting-away status
6. Campus Safety Services holds due to on-campus parking tickets
7. University Immunization holds due to missing vaccination documentation

Status Changes (effective Spring 2025)

Transfer from Full-Time to Flex JD Status

Upon satisfactory completion of the first year of study, students currently in full-time status who wish to change their status to Flex JD, must first meet with the Senior Assistant Dean of Student Services. During this meeting, the expectations and conditions for approval will be discussed. The Senior Assistant Dean of Student Services will grant final approval for the status change.

Transfer from Flex JD to Full-Time Status

Upon satisfactory completion of the first year of study, students currently in Flex JD status who wish to change their status to full-time JD must first meet with the Director of the Flex JD program. During this meeting, the expectations and conditions for approval will be discussed. The Senior Assistant Dean of Student Services will grant final approval for the status change.

We strongly recommend that any student who is enrolled in a full-time course load (12 – 17 units), limit their work to 20 hours per week or fewer.

General Conditions for Status Changes

Students must have their status change request form signed two weeks prior to the beginning of the registration period for the intended term. Only timely requests for status changes will be accepted. 

Important: Students can change their status only once during their law school career. 

Students are responsible for understanding and managing the financial, health insurance, and graduation implications of any status changes.

Non-SCU Law Students

Visiting Law Students

Students in academic good standing at another American Bar Association-approved law school may apply to be a visiting student at SCU for one or two semesters. Applications should be submitted to the Office of Admissions.

Students applying for summer session courses only should complete the Application and Registration for Summer Visiting and Special Students and provide a letter of good standing from their home school.

Visiting students must pay the current applicable SCU School of Law tuition and applicable course fees. Visiting students are registered on a space-available basis only.

Students visiting the School of Law in their final semester of law school should be aware that final grades may not be available for 20 -30 days after the final exam period. It is not possible to provide earlier grades, pass notifications or certifications of completion for students visiting SCU from another law school. Students who will be visiting the semester prior to graduating should check graduation grade deadlines with their home school.

Non-Law Students

This section does not apply to Santa Clara University students enrolled in a graduate/professional degree program. Students enrolled in a graduate/professional degree program at Santa Clara University who are interested in taking a law class should refer to the section, “Enrolling in a Course Outside One’s Graduate/Professional Program”, below.

Non-law students wishing to take law courses must secure approval from the instructor and the senior assistant dean for student services. The instructor may deny permission to any non-law student applicant (a) whom the instructor believes will not be capable of meeting the expectations of the course or (b) whose presence in the course may undermine the instructor’s education goals. Non-law students should familiarize themselves with the law school’s regulations, grading system, and calendar prior to enrolling. In particular, students from other schools within the University should note that the law school is on the semester system, and so beginning and ending dates for law courses differ from those of the University as a whole. Class schedules also differ from those of the University, and time conflicts are possible. Graduate and professional school students at Santa Clara University interested in taking a law class should refer to the section, “Enrolling in a Course Outside One’s Graduate/Professional Program.”

Non-law students may take no more than a total of two courses in the law school. Enrollment as a non-law student will not be a method by which a student secures admission to the law school. Successful completion of a course as a non-law student will not be considered in the admissions process. A student who is later admitted as a candidate for the J.D. degree will not receive credit toward the J.D. degree for any courses taken as a non-law student. A student may not retake for credit toward the J.D. degree in the law school any course previously taken as a non-law student.

The following courses are not available to non-law students: first-year courses, clinics, externships, skills training courses (such as trial practice, appellate practice, moot court, etc.), courses that have limited enrollment and are fully subscribed by law students, courses that have enrollment that meets or exceeds room capacity (or are believed by the instructor or the senior assistant dean for student services to be over-enrolled), and courses in which the instructor has limited enrollment to students seeking a J.D. degree.

Non-law students should consult the current schedule of classes and complete and submit the Application and Registration for Summer Visiting and Special Students. Non-law students must pay the current law school tuition and applicable course fees. Students in this category earn a grade of Audit only.

Auditors

Practicing attorneys or judges may audit a course at Santa Clara Law. Tuition is charged at the same rate as current law students. Audited courses will be designated as such on the transcript. Attorneys or judges interested in auditing a course should consult the current schedule of classes and complete and submit the Application and Registration for Summer Visiting and Special Students.

Enrolling in a Course Outside One’s Graduate/Professional Program

To provide graduate and professional school students at Santa Clara University with the opportunity to explore fields and disciplines outside their degree programs, Santa Clara University students in graduate and professional schools may apply to enroll as non-degree students in classes offered by another graduate and professional school of the University. There are a number of policies that are associated with the decision to enroll in a course outside of one’s program. Please contact the Law Student Services Office for additional information.

Undergraduate Transcript Requirement

The School of Law requires that all students hold a baccalaureate degree before matriculation at Santa Clara. Newly admitted students must have their undergraduate college or university forward an official transcript showing the date the degree was conferred, directly to the Law Admissions Office. Absent extraordinary circumstances, we must receive the transcript no later than the first day of orientation. Students who fail to resolve an outstanding transcript issue by October 1 may complete the fall semester, but will not be eligible to register for the Spring semester and will be responsible for all tuition due as a result of the withdrawal at the end of the fall semester. Note that students who are administratively withdrawn will have their scholarship offers rescinded, and their federal aid subject to Return to Title IV calculations, which could result in an outstanding tuition balance.

Attendance

Regular and punctual class attendance is required of all students in all classes. Individual faculty members may utilize class attendance and punctuality in assessing grades or granting credit for a course.

Professors will take attendance in first year classes. Students not regularly attending classes will be referred to the office of the senior assistant dean of student services. Generally, a student is not deemed to have satisfactory attendance if the student misses more than 20% of the class minutes.

In upper-division courses, individual faculty members are responsible for monitoring attendance and punctuality as each deems appropriate. Students unable to attend class regularly and punctually should consider petitioning to take a leave of absence.

Student Employment

The law program is predicated on full-time students holding minimal employment and part-time/Flex JD students holding only ordinary employment. First-year full-time students are advised not to seek employment. If they do choose to work, we recommend hours be limited to 10 hours per week. We strongly recommend that any student, who is enrolled as a full-time student, limit their work to 20 hours per week or fewer. A part-time/Flex JD student should not accept employment that exceeds 40 hours per week. The School of Law is sympathetic to students with limited funds, but its full-time program cannot be varied to accommodate working students.

Graduation

Petition to Graduate

Students entering their final year of law school must complete the petition to graduate by the first Monday in October. The petition to graduate is available online.

Academic Progress Report

Students should check their degree progress regularly by reviewing the Graduation Requirements Worksheet in the Pink Book and their Academic Progress Report in Workday.

For more information regarding the Juris Doctor program of study, contact the Student Services Office.

Number of Units Required

Students must successfully complete 86 units of study while maintaining academic good standing to earn the J.D. degree and graduate. Students must successfully complete at least 56 of these units in courses offered by the School of Law. Transfer students from CBA-approved schools must complete 58 units at Santa Clara Law. A student successfully completes units by earning a grade not lower than D- in a graded course, a grade of “pass” in a graded course for which the student has elected the P/NP option, or a grade of “credit” in a course graded CR/NC.

Period of Study and Distribution of Units

Students pursuing the J.D. degree must complete the course of study within 48 months of matriculation. The senior assistant dean for student services may extend this period not to exceed 12 months for good cause. Students pursuing the joint J.D./MBA or J.D./MSIS degree must complete the course of study within 60 months of matriculation. Matriculation means the date on which a student first begins studies for the J.D. degree at any law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Unless granted a leave of absence by the senior assistant dean for student services, students must enroll in no fewer than 8 and no more than 17 units in both the fall and spring semesters of each academic year. After completing the first year of law study as either a full- or a part-time student, a student may enroll either full or part time in any succeeding semester. Students may also enroll in summer session classes.

Academic Good Standing

Students must be in academic good standing to be eligible for graduation. This requires a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above (GPA effective 2022-2023), at the end of each academic year.

Courses Required for Graduation

A student must successfully complete the following required courses:

Legal Research and Writing 1 and 2
Contracts 1 and 2 
Torts
Property
Criminal Law
Civil Procedure 1 and 2
Critical Lawyering Skills Seminar 1 and 2
Advocacy
Constitutional Law: Governmental Structure (formerly Constitutional Law I)
Constitutional Law: Individual Rights (formerly Constitutional Law II)
Professional Responsibility 
Evidence

See “Juris Doctor Program of Study” for rules on when these courses are to be taken.

Upper-Division Proficiency (UP) Points

Students are expected to earn at least 4 points for proficiency in UP-eligible courses before they graduate. See “Juris Doctor Program of Study” for more information on this requirement.

Experiential Course Requirement

Each student must successfully complete one or more experiential course(s) totaling at least six credit hours. An experiential course is a simulation course, a law clinic, or a field placement that focuses on professional skills needed for competent and ethical participation as a member of the legal profession. See “Juris Doctor Program of Study” for more information on this requirement.

Regular Classroom Instruction Requirement

Students must complete at least 64 credit hours in regularly scheduled class sessions at the law school. See “Juris Doctor Program of Study” for more information on this requirement.

Academic Dishonesty

Students must be in ethical good standing at the time of graduation. Graduation may be denied or delayed based on charges or findings of academic dishonesty or moral turpitude. A student may not graduate while there is a pending charge of academic dishonesty or moral turpitude.

Commencement

Commencement typically is the second or third Saturday in May. Caps and gowns are required for participants. Students who file a petition to graduate by the October deadline will receive information by e-mail for ordering caps and gowns, announcements, and other such paraphernalia. Students who fail to turn in the petition by the deadline will not receive information and may not be included in the commencement program. December graduates may participate in the commencement ceremony either immediately before or after they graduate.

Graduation with Honors

Students must have received letter grades in graded courses totaling at least 65 units (50 units for transfer students and for students spending one year visiting at another law school) to graduate with honors. The categories are as follows:

– Top 2 percent of combined full- and part-time class = summa cum laude
– Next 3 percent of combined full- and part-time class = magna cum laude
– Next 5 percent of combined full- and part-time class = cum laude

– Order of the Coif: The School of Law is a member of the Order of the Coif, a nationally recognized legal honor society. Students receiving honors at graduation will be inducted into the Order.

Grades

Grading System

General grading scale effective 2022-2023

A+ = 4.33	CR Credit
A = 4.00	NC No Credit
A- = 3.67	P Pass
B+ = 3.33	NP No Pass
B = 3.00	I Incomplete
B- = 2.67	AUD Audit
C+ = 2.33	N Continuing Work (e.g., year-long courses)
C = 2.00	NR Not Reported
C- = 1.67
D+ = 1.33
D = 1.00
D- = 0.67
F = 0.0

A grade of A+, A, or A- indicates that a student’s performance in the course was excellent and significantly exceeds the level of competence in the course. A grade of B+, B, or B- indicates good performance that exceeds the level of competence in the course. A grade of C+ or C indicates satisfactory performance that meets the level of competence in the course. A grade of C-, D+, D, or D- indicates less than satisfactory performance that falls below the level of competence in the course, but nonetheless is sufficient for unit credit. A grade of F indicates unsatisfactory performance that falls significantly below the level of competence in the course and is insufficient for unit credit.

LL.M. in U.S. Law Grades

Current Policies:

Students in the LL.M. program in U.S. Law are graded on a Pass/No Pass basis in all courses.

Students in the LL.M. program in U.S. Law for whom English is a second language in which they have not reached academic competence may request additional time, up to time and a half, for exams. These students may also request the use of a translating dictionary. Absent an approved request for language accommodations, students are required to follow standard exam rules.

Students in the Exchange-to-LL.M. program in U.S. Law are graded on a Standard Letter Grade basis and are not eligible to petition for language accommodations.

Grade Option Petition:

Students in the LL.M. program in US Law may petition to be graded with regular letter grades (A, B, etc.) instead of Pass/No Pass. To do so:

1. Secure all necessary approval signatures on the LL.M. in US Law Grade Option Petition form
2. Submit the form to the Law Student Services Office by the end of the 4th week of classes during the fall and spring semester and by the end of the 2nd week of classes in the summer term
3. Students can rescind this request until the end of the 10th week of classes during the semester and by the end of the 3rd week of classes in the summer term. After this time, students may not elect or rescind a grade option change
4. Summer term deadlines will apply to off-cycle and short-term courses

Some classes are only offered on a Credit/No Credit basis and the option cannot be changed. These are designated as Credit/No Credit on the schedule of classes.

Credit/No Credit

In certain elective courses, no letter grades are awarded. Students are evaluated in terms of whether their work meets the level of competence in the course. (In a graded course, this would be a grade of C or above.) Students who perform at or above the level of competence receive a grade of “credit.” Students who perform below this level receive “no credit”, and the course does not count toward the hours required for graduation. CR/NC units are not counted toward the maximum number of units permitted on a P/NP basis.

Pass/No Pass

Students may choose to take non-required courses that are normally graded A through F on a P/NP basis.

For the fall and spring semesters students must elect the P/NP option within the first four weeks of the start of the semester and for the summer session, students must elect the option within the first two weeks of the start of the session. The election must be made in writing and submitted to the Student Services Office. The P/NP election is irreversible after the fourth week of fall or spring or after the second week of summer class.

J.D. students may take no more than two elective courses on a P/NP basis in any one semester and no more than 12 units on a P/NP basis during the entire program of study. More such units are recorded on student transcripts but do not count toward graduation.

Students in the LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law and LL.M. in International and Comparative Law programs may take no more than 4 units on a P/NP basis during the entire program of study. More such units are recorded on student transcripts but do not count toward graduation.

Students who achieve a grade of C or better in a course for which they have elected the P/NP option receive a grade of “pass”. Students who achieve a grade of C-, D+, D, or D- receive a “no pass”. Failing students receive an F.

Transcript posts indicate P, NP, or F. Grades posted as NP do not count toward the minimum units required for graduation. Under no circumstances should a student ask to see the actual grade received.

For honors consideration, J.D. students must have a minimum of 65 units of traditionally graded credit (i.e., excluding both P/NP and CR/NC units). Transfer J.D. students must have 50 units of traditionally graded credit.

Audit

Generally, the right to audit courses is limited to practicing attorneys and judges. Current students may petition to audit a course on a space-available basis. Tuition is charged for audited courses which are designated as such on students’ transcripts.

GPA Requirements

A student’s academic standing is determined by the cumulative grade point average (GPA), which is calculated by dividing the total grade points scored, in accordance with the above norms (e.g., A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, etc.), by the number of units of graded work attempted. A student’s cumulative GPA is expressed as a number carried out three decimal places.

To be in academic good standing, students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 (GPA effective 2022-2023) at the end of the spring semester of any attended year. Each student must maintain satisfactory academic standing as a prerequisite for continued attendance in the law school. Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher in order to graduate (GPA effective 2022-2023). For purposes of determining academic standing, a student’s cumulative GPA is computed only after the spring semester of each academic year.

Grade Curve and Normalization
Effective 2022-2023

It is the School of Law’s policy that grades in required and bar-tested courses fall within a norm (e.g., that grades in various sections are similar). The policy is as follows:

1. First-Year Substantive Courses

Instructors in Contracts (102), Torts (103), Property (104), Criminal Law (106), and Civil Procedure (114) shall give final grades that fulfill the following grade distribution obligations:

A+
No minimum percentage requirement.
No more than 2%

A+/A/A–
No fewer than 20%
No more than 25%

A+ through B–
No fewer than 75%
No more than 80%

C+ and below
No fewer than 20%
No more than 25%

C– and below
No fewer than 5%; unless the number of students registered in the course at the end of the grading period is 25 or fewer, in which case there is no minimum percentage requirement.
No more than 10%

In addition:
The median grade must be a B.
The number of grades of B+ or higher and the number of grades of B- or lower may differ by no more than 2.

2. Legal Research and Writing (101)

Instructors shall give grades in Legal Research and Writing that fulfill the following grade distribution obligations:

A+
No minimum percentage requirement.
No more than 2%

A+/A/A–
No fewer than 20%
No more than 25%

A+ through B–
No fewer than 75%
No more than 80%

C+ and below
No fewer than 20%
No more than 25%

C– and below
No minimum percentage requirement.
No more than 10%

In addition:
The median grade must be a B.
The number of grades of B+ or higher and the number of grades of B- or lower may differ by no more than 2.

3. Advocacy (105)

Instructors shall give grades in Advocacy that fulfill the faculty policy mandating a median grade between B and B-.

4. Upper-Division Proficiency Points Eligible Courses, Upper-Division Required Courses and Courses Tested on the California Bar Exam

Courses tested on the California Bar Exam and all courses required for graduation with the exception of those set forth above shall be subject to the following grade distribution obligations:

A+
No minimum percentage requirement.
No more than 2%

A+/A/A–
No fewer than 20%
No more than 25%

A+ through B–
No fewer than 75%
No more than 80%

C+ and below
No fewer than 20%
No more than 25%

C and below
No fewer than 16%
No more than 23%

C- and below
No fewer than 5%; unless the number of students registered in the course at the end of the grading period is 25 or fewer, in which case there is no minimum percentage requirement.
No more than 10%

In addition:
The median grade must be a B.
The number of grades of B+ or higher and the number of grades of B- or lower may differ by no more than 2.

Current Upper-Division Proficiency Points Eligible Courses, Upper-Division Required Courses and Courses Tested on the California Bar Exam subject to the grade normalization policy:

– 200. Constitutional Law: Governmental Structure (formerly Constitutional Law I)
– 201. Constitutional Law: Individual Rights (formerly Constitutional Law II)
– 207. Administrative Law (effective Fall 2024)
– 248. Business Organizations
– 281. Wills and Trusts
– 290. Community Property
– 302. Legal Profession
– 310. Criminal Procedure: Investigation
– 320. Evidence
– 324. Remedies
– 540. Advanced Torts
– 543. Real Estate Conveyancing

5. Exceptions

   i) In courses subject to grade normalization, the dean may, for good cause, approve a deviation from the required distribution of grades if the number of students registered in the course at the end of the grading period is 25 or fewer and the instructor requests such an exception.
   ii) In upper division bar and required courses, grades of C- or below must be assigned to all students who perform below the level of competence in the course. If fewer than 5% of the students in a class perform below this level of competence then the professor may assign fewer grades of C- or below.

    

6. Rounding and Assigning the Median Grade

In determining compliance with the required array of grades, fractions may be rounded up or down or both. For example, in a class of 73 students, 20 percent equals 14.6 students and 25 percent equals 18.25 students. By rounding up and down, the instructor in a first year class of 73 students may give 14-19 grades of A+/A/A- and 14-19 grades of C+ or below.

In determining compliance with grade normalization, the median grade is defined as follows:

 – In a class with an odd number of students registered in the course at the end of the grading period, the median grade must be assigned to the student in the middle of the distribution when all grades are sorted from highest to lowest (or lowest to highest). For example, in a class with 65 students, the median grade must be assigned to the student ranked 33^rd when all 65 grades are sorted from highest to lowest (or vice versa). In general, for a set of N grades sorted in order from highest to lowest (or vice versa) where N is odd, the median grade must be assigned to the student ranked .(N+1)/2

 – In a class with an even number of students registered in the course at the end of the grading period, the “median” grade must be assigned to both students closest to the middle of the distribution when all grades are sorted from highest to lowest (or lowest to highest). For example, in a class with 66 students, the “median” grade must be assigned to the 33^rd student and the 34^th student when all 66 grades are sorted from highest to lowest (or vice versa). In general, for a set of N grades sorted in order from highest to lowest (or vice versa) where N is even, the “median” grade must be assigned to the student ranked  N/2 and the student ranked N/2+1.

Class Rank

Percentile rankings are computed annually based upon the relevant cumulative grade point averages at the end of the spring semester. Effective Fall 2017, full-time and part-time students are ranked together. The levels are First Year (FY), Upper Division (UD) and Graduating Class (GC). The level is based on the level of completion of the juris doctor program of study.

The level of First Year (FY) is assigned to students who started their first year of law school in the fall semester of the current academic year.

The level of Upper Division (UD) is assigned to students who are not in the First Year class (FY) or the Graduating Class (GC).

The Graduating Class (GC) is assigned to students who have petitioned to graduate for the current academic year no matter how many years they have been enrolled. Class rank at the time of graduation is computed for the entire graduating class combined (December, May, and July graduates).

Students in the top 20 percent of their level, based on GPAs, are recognized on the Dean’s List. Students’ current and cumulative GPAs are available on Workday.

Spring rankings are usually available late July and graduating class rankings are usually available early September.

Faculty Submission of Grades

Fall and spring semester grades are due 20 days from the date that the bulk of the exams are available for grading. Grades for courses with papers are due 20 days from the end of the exam period. Once grades are submitted to the Student Services Office, there is usually a delay of several days before the grades are posted to individual student records.

Summer session grades are due 14 days from the date that the bulk of the exams are available for grading. Grades for courses with papers are due 14 days from the end of the exam period.

It is not possible to provide earlier grades for students visiting SCU from another law school. Students who will be visiting the semester prior to graduating should check graduation grade deadlines with their home school.

 Grade Changes

Once submitted to the Student Services Office, a grade may not be changed except to rectify a computational error in deriving the grade or a clerical error in recording the grade. Computational or clerical errors do not include a subjective re-evaluation of the content of student work.

Faculty members who seek a grade change for the cause named must present a written petition to the associate dean for academic affairs. Before taking effect, all grade changes must be signed by the instructor and approved by the associate dean.

Continuing Grades in Year-long Courses
Effective 2022-2023

A grade of “N” (continuing work) may be assigned by an instructor when course requirements span more than one semester. When the course requirements are complete, the instructor assigns a standard letter grade. A student may not graduate and receive a degree with a grade of “N” on their academic record.

This presently applies to two upper-division courses:

• LAW 505A, Northern California Innocence Project A
• LAW 331, Advanced Trial Techniques

The content of certain first-year classes, such as Legal Research & Writing, Contracts and Civil Procedure, extends over a full year; however, these courses are formally divided into separate, semester-long courses. Thus, final grades are assigned for all first-year courses at the end of each semester.

Incomplete Grades

For compelling reasons, instructors may award a grade of I (“Incomplete”). The instructor may not award a grade of Incomplete for students in their final semester of law school or in courses in which the grade is determined by final examination. Both the student and instructor should sign the Incomplete Grade form.

When a grade of Incomplete is authorized by the above rule, work required to remove the grade of Incomplete must be submitted to the instructor no later than the last day of classes of the next following semester or by an earlier date specified by the instructor. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in an automatic conversion of the incomplete grade to a grade of F. See “Fulfillment of Course Requirements” below.

Availability of Grades

The Student Services Office posts grades to Workday. Under no circumstances will Student Services personnel give out grades via phone or e-mail.

Information on ordering official transcripts is posted on the Office of the University Registrar’s FAQ page.

Individual professors may, at their discretion, use supplemental grade posting or grade availability including a summary of grades awarded.

Fulfillment of Course Requirements

It is the policy of the law school faculty that all course requirements be completed in a timely manner. All students enrolled in a course for which there is a final exam must complete all assignments made by the professor and take the exam at its scheduled time.

If completion of the course requirement takes the form of a paper or series of papers in place of a final exam, students must submit material at the time specified by the professor. In no event shall this be later than the end of the exam period of the semester during which the course is taken, absent prior approval by the faculty member and the senior assistant dean for student services. Eligible students who are not able to complete requirements by the deadline should complete an Incomplete Grade form, obtain the professor’s signature of approval, and return the form to the Student Services Office.

Limitation on Units

In calculating the 86 units required to graduate, a student may count no more than 16 units from any combination of fieldwork (i.e., not including the seminar units earned in conjunction with the field work) from the following:

– All Externships, including summer abroad externships
– The Panetta Fellowship Program
– Credit for classes taken in the interdisciplinary program with the School of Education and Counseling Psychology
– Juvenile Justice courses

Students are limited to a maximum of 4 externship placements.

Any additional field work units may be reflected on a student’s transcript, but will not count toward graduation.

For more information, contact the Externship Program Office at (408) 551-3266.

Distance Education Credit Limitations

Student participation in online courses is subject to limitations set forth by the ABA. Specifically, ABA Standard 306 provides that a law school may grant a student up to 50 percent of the credit hours required for the J.D. degree through Distance Education Courses. To assist students in complying with the ABA Distance Education standards, starting in Summer 2023, the law school will designate courses as Distance Education at the time of registration. Faculty teaching those courses which have not been designated as Distance Education at the time of registration will make every attempt to ensure any remote instruction does not exceed one-third of the class time. However, in rare extenuating circumstances, a course may need to be moved to online, and changed to a Distance Education course, mid-semester. If that occurs, students will be notified immediately. The ABA Standards provide an exception for students attending courses remotely with accommodations provided under law (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act) or other exceptional circumstances. If you wish to seek an accommodation, contact the Office of Accessible Education at Santa Clara University.

Limitation on Honors Moot Court and Honors Trial Team Units

Students may earn no more than 8 units of academic credit in all Honors Moot Court and Honors Trial Team activity (including Honors Moot Court Internal, Honors Moot Court External, Honors Trial Team External, and all Honors Moot Court Boards.)   All units are graded CR/NC.

Students who complete Advanced Trial Techniques have earned two units that apply towards this limitation, allowing for six more units in other activities.  

Limitation on Journal Credit

Students may earn no more than a total of 4 units of academic credit from journal work. All units are graded CR/NC.

Academic Disqualification

General Standard of Academic Good Standing

At the end of the first academic year of two semesters and every academic year thereafter, students must achieve and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 for all completed courses (GPA effective Fall 2022-2023). Grades earned during a summer session may not be used to raise a student’s GPA from the prior academic year. Failure to achieve or maintain a 2.0 GPA will result in academic disqualification (GPA effective Fall 2022-2023).

Grades earned in on-campus summer sessions or Summer Abroad programs are not used in calculating a student’s cumulative GPA for purposes of academic qualification or disqualification at the end of the immediately preceding academic year.

Santa Clara Law students who have a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 upon registering for summer courses will not be eligible to register for summer courses, including Santa Clara Law summer abroad programs.

Students who are academically disqualified after registering for and attending the on-campus summer session courses will be immediately administratively withdrawn from the summer session and receive a full tuition refund for that session. 

Students enrolled in Summer Abroad courses will be immediately administratively withdrawn and will not receive any refund of tuition or reimbursement for any incidental expenses such as transportation, housing, or meals.

Students using federal student aid (student loans) to pay for summer tuition should contact Law Admissions and Financial Aid to discuss the consequences of withdrawal. Students who withdraw or are academically withdrawn may have to repay a portion or all of the federal student aid disbursed for the summer term.

Upper-division students who are academically disqualified for the first time with a GPA below 2.0 (GPA effective 2022-2023) are permanently disqualified and not eligible for readmission. 

Students who are academically disqualified after completion of 86 units may not petition for readmission.

Readmission on Directed Study following the California First-Year Law Students’ Examination

Students with a GPA below 2.0 (effective 2022-2023)

Students who are academically disqualified at the end of the first two semesters of law school with a GPA below 2.0 may be readmitted to the law school by passing the State Bar of California First-Year Law Students’ Examination administered in October or June following the disqualification (readmitted for either the spring semester following the disqualification or the following fall semester). Students may be readmitted no more than once. It is the student’s responsibility to register for, pay for, and complete the exam, all within a timely manner. Students who do not take and pass the State Bar of California First-Year Law Students’ Examination within this time frame are permanently disqualified and not eligible for readmission.

Readmitted students are subject to the Directed Study policy. They must achieve a 2.0 GPA at the end of the first year of the academic year following readmission. In determining whether a student qualifies to continue study at the law school, only those grades earned subsequent to the first year of law school are considered. For all other purposes (class rank, journal eligibility, etc.) the cumulative GPA, including the first-year grades, is used.

Students who are readmitted following academic disqualification are not eligible for federal student aid. Students may appeal that result based on injury or illness, the death of a relative, or other special circumstances. The appeal must explain why the student failed to make satisfactory progress and what has changed in their situation that will allow them to make satisfactory progress at the next evaluation.

There are additional requirements to reestablish federal student aid eligibility. Appeals will be reviewed by the Law Admissions and Financial Aid Office and may be denied or approved. For the complete federal student aid satisfactory academic progress policy and appeal process, please visit the Law Admissions and Financial Aid website.

Directed Study

Students with a GPA of 2.0-3.0 after their first year (effective 2022-2023)

Students finishing the first year of law study with an unrounded cumulative GPA of 2.0-3.0, and students readmitted to the Law School following successful completion of the California First-Year Law Students’ Examination after first year disqualification, are subject to the Directed Study policy. Students subject to the Directed Study policy remain subject to the policy until graduation regardless of improvements in their GPA.

Students subject to the Directed Study policy must, like all students, successfully complete all required courses and other graduation requirements and in addition, must:

1. Successfully complete Legal Analysis (373a) by the end of their second year in law school (for full-time students) and by the end of their third year in law school (for part-time/Flex JD
   students).
2. Meet with a faculty member from the Office of Academic and Bar Success as soon as feasible after being identified as subject to the policy, to discuss (a) the reasons for their being subjected to the policy, (b) the purpose of the policy, and (c) class scheduling for their ensuing years in law school.

Repeating Courses

Required Courses

Students who receive a grade of F in a required course and are otherwise eligible to continue legal studies must repeat the course; that is, must re-register for the course, pay tuition, regularly 

 attend class, and successfully complete all course requirements. Upon completion of the repeated course, the grade and units earned replace the initial grade and units in the GPA calculation, although the initial grade and units will still appear on the transcript, and a transcript notation will indicate that the course has been repeated. Students may not repeat a required course in which a grade of D- or higher was received.

Elective Courses

Students who receive a grade of F, No Pass (NP), or No Credit (NC), in an elective course need not repeat the course. Students may make up the units necessary to fulfill graduation requirements by taking another course or, space permitting, repeating the original course.

Elective courses originally graded A-F may be repeated on a P/NP basis only. Elective courses originally taken for a grade or for P/NP can be repeated on a P/NP basis only. Students must earn a grade of C or better to pass. P/NP grades received for repeated courses will be counted toward the maximum P/NP grades allowed each semester and cumulatively. Elective courses originally taken for CR/NC may be repeated on that basis only.

A notation on the transcript will indicate that a course has been repeated. Students who repeat a course will not receive double credit for the course. The units for the course are counted only once.

Determination of Units Awarded for Courses Offered by the Law School

One academic unit of study is an amount of work that reasonably approximates:

1. not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and two hours of out-of-class student work per week for fifteen weeks, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
2. at least an equivalent amount of work as required in subparagraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including simulation, field placement, clinical, co-curricular, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

For purposes of this policy, fifty minutes suffices for one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction. An “hour” for out-of-class student work is sixty minutes.

For purposes of paragraph (1), as applied to a fourteen-week semester, this standard means as follows:

1. a one-unit class will meet 50 minutes per week, to equal 700 minutes in total for the semester;
2. a two-unit class will meet 100 minutes per week, to equal 1,400 minutes in total for the semester;
3. a three-unit class will meet 150 minutes per week, to equal 2,100 minutes in total for the semester; and
4. a four-unit class will meet for 200 minutes per week, to equal 2,800 minutes in total for the semester.

In addition to the classroom instruction hours set forth above, each course shall include at least an additional fifty-minutes-per-unit for formative or summative assessments.  The following scenarios exemplify some ways to comply with this policy:

• a three-unit course with a 150-minute final exam;
• a four-unit course with one 50-minute midterm and one 150-minute exam;
• a two-unit seminar course where the instructor meets with the student for two 50-minute meetings to talk about the final paper or project; and
• a two-unit course where the students participate in a 100-minute simulation exercise or final presentation, with faculty feedback, outside of regular class time.

The Dean’s Office and the Office of Student Services will work with Law School faculty to ensure that the appropriate number of units is assigned to each of their course offerings.

Determination of Units Awarded for Other Activities

“Other Activities,” as used in this section, shall include all units awarded for activities outside of Courses. This includes, but is not limited to:

– Clinics
– Externships, including summer abroad externships
– Student competitions, such as moot court and trial team
– Journals
– Individual Research
– The Panetta Fellowship Program| 
– Credit for classes taken in the interdisciplinary program with the School of Education and Counseling Psychology
– Juvenile Justice courses which include fieldwork

The formula used to award credit for Other Activities will ensure that the student works at least 50 hours of work per semester for each unit awarded. Where time tracking is not used as a basis to substantiate this requirement, the responsible faculty member will ensure that the work assigned per unit granted is commensurate with the 50-hour work requirement. Particular programs may have per-unit requirements higher than 50-hours; students are responsible for understanding the particular requirements of their program.

SCU Law Competency Model

Santa Clara Law is one of the first law schools in the country to adopt a competency model designed to provide students with the building blocks they need as they move through their law school experience to practice. Simply, competencies are observable knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors critical to successful performance. The SCU Law competency model provides students with a road map that articulates and makes transparent what they need to enter practice.

Many legal organizations use competencies in developing their lawyers. A competency model framework is a structure that articulates core competencies and defines each individual competency (such as legal writing or problem-solving) required for entry-level professional practice in terms of performance factors and observable behavioral elements, so they can begin to understand what it looks like and what is expected. Performance factors are the specific skills and behaviors that together fully describe the core competency. Behavioral elements are simply descriptions of the observable behaviors that would be exhibited by students who have mastered a performance factor.

The competency model framework primarily focuses on skills and is not structured around traditional subject areas, but instead emphasizes foundational competencies that are important to everyone in the field and that students can obtain across a wide selection of Courses, Clinics, Externships and extra-curricular activities inside and outside of the law school.

Altering the Academic Program

Leave of Absence

Any law student considering requesting a leave of absence, and receiving financial aid, should consult with the Law Financial Aid Office to determine how their financial aid will be affected.

Registered students in good academic standing may petition for a leave of absence for up to one year. The Leave of Absence request form should be submitted to the senior assistant dean for student services. Full or partial tuition will be assessed, depending on the requested date of the leave. Students on leave of absence are expected to register for the term immediately following the expiration of the leave. Returning students should contact the Student Services Office prior to the registration period to ensure that they have a registration appointment. Returning students are required to meet with a faculty advisor in the Office of Academic and Bar Success within the first month of the semester.

A student who takes a leave of absence after receiving a grade of “C” or lower in any course offered as a Fall one-semester course during the first year must retake the one semester course upon his or her return. Upon completion of the repeated course, the grade and units earned replace the initial grade and units in the GPA calculation, although the initial grade and units will still appear on the transcript and a transcript notation will indicate that the course has been repeated.

After a leave of absence has been granted, if a student does not return by the date specified, the law school may permanently withdraw the student. A student will not be readmitted without submission of an application for admission that will be reviewed by the appropriate faculty committee.

Withdrawal

Any law student considering a withdrawal, and receiving financial aid, should consult with the Law Financial Aid Office to determine how their financial aid will be affected.

Students who wish to withdraw from the law school must submit the Withdraw Request Form to the senior assistant dean for student services. A student’s account balance must be cleared of all charges before diplomas will be released to the student or other outside agencies. 

Students who do not register for classes and meet the financial clearance deadline for any regular academic period will be administratively withdrawn from the law school.

After withdrawal from the law school, a student will not be readmitted without submission of an application for admission; a student must reapply through the Office of Admissions and complete the formal competitive admissions process. The Student Services Office advises the appropriate campus offices regarding student withdrawals. Withdrawing students should contact the ACCESS Card Office for information regarding the process of canceling their card. 

Bay Area Consortium

After satisfactory completion of one year of law study, subject to the limits stated below, students may enroll in not to exceed one course each semester offered by the following schools which have joined the SCU School of Law in a Bay Area consortium: University of San Francisco School of Law, Golden Gate University School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law and University of California, Davis, School of Law.

Absent prior approval by the senior assistant dean for student services based on good cause shown, students may not enroll in a course covering substantially the same subject matter as a course designated as “required” by the School of Law. Further, students may not enroll in any externship course offered by another law school, if that course is comparable to an externship course offered by SCU School of Law. Students pay tuition to SCU for courses taken at a consortium school.

Students receive credit toward the 86 units needed for graduation for courses completed at consortium schools only if the School of Law receives an official transcript from the consortium school reflecting a grade of C or better in a graded course. Consortium course grades of C or better will be reflected as “credit” on the SCU transcript.

Transfer Units

Students who have successfully completed one year of study at another law school accredited by the American Bar Association may apply to transfer to Santa Clara. The Admissions Committee will consider whether their qualifications are such that they would have been admitted to enter Santa Clara Law as a first-year student. Letters of recommendation from law school professors are often helpful. Admission decisions also weigh heavily a student’s law school performance.

We typically reserve seats for 10-20 talented students each year. Final decisions about admission to the fall semester are not made until the summer months, after the School of Law has received an official transcript showing final semester grades and a dean’s letter of good standing.

To enroll in fall, students must apply by July 1.

To enroll in spring, students must apply by November 1.

To apply for admission students must complete the application and return it with the nonrefundable application fee.

To apply, students must supply:

1. An official transcript from their undergraduate degree-granting school
2. An official transcript from their law school
3. A letter from their dean saying they are in good standing and eligible to return
4. Their JD-CAS report sent directly from LSAC

Note: Applications are not considered complete until an official transcript for all coursework taken (including current semester) is received.

Upon acceptance, a student’s law school record will be evaluated. A Santa Clara required or elective course is satisfactorily completed if the student has received a grade of C or above for a course with similar content and unit value. To meet residency requirements, transfer students from ABA-approved schools must complete 56 semester units at Santa Clara Law. Transfer students from CBA-approved schools must complete 58 units at Santa Clara Law. Eighty-six units are required for graduation.

Transfer students may receive UP credit for course work completed at their home school as long as they have taken an UP-eligible class and received a C+ or higher as an upper-division student. Students may not receive UP credit for a course, even if it is categorized as UP-eligible, if it was taken as part of the first-year curriculum at the school from which they transferred.

Transfer students must have completed courses totaling 50 graded units at Santa Clara to be eligible for honors at graduation. Transfer students are eligible to participate in the Santa Clara Law Review and the Santa Clara Computer and High Technology Journal.

For more information, contact the Law Admissions Office at lawadmissions@scu.edu or 408-554-5048.

Visiting Students

Students who would like to apply Santa Clara course work toward a degree at another law school accredited by the American Bar Association should follow the same admissions procedures as transfer applicants. In addition, applicants should provide a letter from the dean of the law school attended certifying that credit earned while attending SCU Law will be accepted toward the student’s degree requirements and that the home school understands that grades at SCU Law will not be available for a month after the end of final examinations. At the end of each semester, SCU Law professors are allowed 20 days from the date that exams are available for grading to turn in final grades. It is not possible to provide earlier grades, pass notifications or certifications of completion for students visiting SCU from another law school. Students who will be visiting the semester prior to graduating should check graduation grade deadlines with their home school.

Summer Courses and Programs

Students may enroll in law courses offered by SCU School of Law during the summer, either at the University or in a Summer Abroad program. Units successfully completed count toward the 86 units needed to graduate.

Subject to exceptions stated in the next sentence, a student may count toward the 86 units needed to graduate no more than a cumulative total of 4 units successfully completed during one or more summers in summer law courses, either domestic or foreign, offered by another ABA-accredited law school.

The School of Law will not recognize credit for any summer course taken elsewhere covering substantially the same subject matter as a course designated as “required” by the School of Law, and will not recognize credit for any summer course taken elsewhere if that course is comparable to the externship courses offered by SCU School of Law. The dean may lower the number of units permitted to transfer under this rule based upon fiscal or operational concerns of the law school.

Students pay tuition charged by the ABA-accredited law school that they attend to that school.

Students must check with the senior assistant dean for student services prior to registering for another school’s summer class or program to ascertain the fee and must obtain that dean’s approval prior to registering for another school’s summer class or program. Units earned in such a class or program will not be counted toward the 86 units needed to graduate absent such prior approval.

Units completed in a summer program offered by another ABA-accredited law school will be counted toward the 86 units needed for graduation provided that the School of Law receives an official transcript from the school at which units were taken that reflects a grade for the units of C or better in a graded course. A letter grade of C or better will be reflected as “credit” on the SCU transcript.

Non-Law Courses

Enrolling as a Non-Degree Student in a SCU Graduate/Professional Program

To provide graduate and professional school students at Santa Clara University with the opportunity to explore fields and disciplines outside their degree programs, Santa Clara University students in graduate and professional schools may apply to enroll as non-degree students in classes offered by another graduate and professional school of the University. There are a number of policies that are associated with the decision to enroll in a course outside of one’s program. Please contact the Law Student Services Office for additional information and the registration from.

Enrolling in Selected Counseling Courses offered through the School of Education and Counseling Psychology (not available in 2024-2025).

With prior approval from the senior assistant dean for student services, law students may enroll for credit in selected counseling courses offered through the School of Education and Counseling Psychology. These courses include:

– CPSY 200. Psychology of Interpersonal Communication
– CPSY 216. Psychology of Human Development
– CPSY 275. Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling

To receive credit, students must earn a grade of C or better. These units transfer as Credit/No Credit grades. A 3-unit quarter-long course counts toward 2 semester units of credit when the grade is transferred. These units count toward a maximum of 12 allowable field units. See the section on Limitation on Cumulative Units above

Visiting at Other Law Schools

With prior approval from the senior assistant dean for student services, a limited number of students who have successfully completed the first year of study at the School of Law may visit away at another ABA-accredited law school, including in semester-abroad programs offered by such schools. Notwithstanding such a visit, students must still successfully complete 56 units of credit toward the J.D. degree in courses offered at the School of Law.

Approval of such a visit is given to students demonstrating serious and unforeseen hardship, including but not limited to medical emergency, unexpected relocation of a family member or life partner, or severe financial difficulty. The dean may deny any other request for a visit based upon educational, fiscal, or operational concerns of the School of Law.

To obtain approval, students must submit a petition to the senior assistant dean for student services identifying the school at which the student desires to visit, the student’s proposed course of study, the unit value of the course of study, the dates of the visit, the student’s reason for seeking approval, and any other information the dean deems necessary or appropriate. In deciding whether to grant or deny a petition, the senior assistant dean for student services may also consider the student’s academic record. The senior assistant dean may also impose appropriate conditions on the visit (e.g., a “required” course may not be taken, or certain courses must be taken at the School of Law upon completion of the visit).

With prior approval from the senior assistant dean for student services, students may enroll in a course at another law school that would be UP-point eligible at the School of Law. Such students may receive UP credit for this course work so long as they have taken a course geared towards upper-division students and received a C+ or higher. Students may not receive UP credit for a course, even if it is categorized as UP-eligible, if it was taken as part of the first-year curriculum at the other law school.

Students will receive credit toward the 86 units needed for graduation for courses completed during a visit elsewhere only if the School of Law receives an official transcript from the other law school reflecting a grade of C or better in a graded course A letter grade of C or better will be reflected as “credit” on the Santa Clara University transcript. Students visiting away during their last semester must ensure that official transcripts are submitted to the Student Services Office as soon as possible to ensure that the J.D. degree is posted in time to certify the student for the bar exam.

Students must pay the tuition charged by the other law school to that school.

Students with Disabilities

Admissions

The School of Law does not discriminate on the basis of disability. Any information concerning an applicant’s disability provided during the admissions process is strictly voluntary and will be kept in accordance with state and federal laws relating to confidentiality. No limitations are placed on the number or proportion of disabled persons who may be admitted or enrolled.

Educational Program

The School of Law strives to ensure that enrolled disabled students be given equal opportunity for full participation in all of its programs without discrimination based on disability¹ and with the aid of reasonable, effective, and appropriate accommodations or adjustments in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended (ADAAA). In accordance with those statutes and their implementing regulations, the School of Law does not provide accommodations to students who have not registered with the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) and requested accommodations. The School of Law is not obligated to provide accommodation(s) if they are unreasonable and therefore, result in an undue financial or administrative burden or hardship; require a fundamental alteration to the program, service, or activity; violate accreditation requirements; or require the waiver of essential program or licensing requirements.

¹A ‘disability’ is a physical, medical, intellectual, psychological, or other type of impairment that significantly impacts or substantially limits one or more major life activities; a record (or past history) of such an impairment; or being regarded as having a disability. Students with various types of diagnoses and conditions may qualify as a student with a disability. They include, but are not limited to: learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorder, blind or low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, mobility or chronic health conditions, and psychological disorders.

 Administration

The Office of Accessible Education (OAE) has been designated by the University to ensure compliance with federal and state civil rights statutes that protect SCU’s disabled community. The OAE strives to support disabled students with equitable access to all academic and University programs so they can participate fully in campus life, programs, and activities. In an effort to build a more inclusive and accessible campus community, the OAE coordinates disability-related educational programming, connects students to ancillary University services, supports faculty and staff through the HR process with digital accessibility accommodations, and collaborates with the Office of Administrative Services and Assessment in the provision of academic accommodations. For more information and registration, please visit: https://www.scu.edu/oae/register-with-oae/

The Dean of the School of Law is the senior administrative officer responsible for law school policies affecting disabled students. With the advice of the appropriate faculty committee, and the administrative staff responsible for implementing policy, the dean ensures that these policies are both educationally sound and responsive to the needs of disabled students.

Santa Clara University School of Law Student Learning Outcomes

The Santa Clara University School of Law seeks to achieve nine essential student learning outcomes through its academic program:

1. Santa Clara Law graduates shall know the relevant substantive and procedural rules of law in those subjects constituting the core of the curriculum, and shall be capable of assimilating new information into the structure of the law.
2. Santa Clara Law graduates shall use analytical skills, logic, and reasoning to evaluate legal questions.
3. Santa Clara Law graduates shall know how to find the legal and factual information appropriate to evaluate a legal issue or problem.
4. Santa Clara Law graduates shall write in an organized, accurate, well-reasoned, clear, and concise manner.
5. Santa Clara Law graduates shall know the legal rules governing the ethical obligations of lawyers, and shall exercise those responsibilities.
6. Santa Clara Law graduates shall demonstrate compassion and concern for others and act to promote equity, diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination.
7. Santa Clara Law graduates shall be capable of using their creativity to devise solutions to problems.
8. Santa Clara Law graduates shall communicate and collaborate effectively with others.
9. Santa Clara Law graduates shall take responsibility and proactively manage their work.

Formal Student Complaints

As an ABA-accredited law school, Santa Clara Law is subject to the ABA Standards for Approval of Law Schools. The ABA Standards may be found at http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/standards.html. Any student at the law school who wishes to bring a formal complaint to the administration of the law school of a significant problem that directly implicates the school’s program of legal education and its compliance with the ABA Standards should do the following:

1. Submit the complaint in writing to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Senior Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. The writing may consist of e-mail, U.S. mail, or fax.
2. The writing should describe in detail the behavior, program, process, or other matter that is the subject of the complaint, and should explain how the matter implicates the law school’s program of legal education and its compliance with a specific, identified ABA Standard(s).
3. The writing must provide the name, official law school e-mail address, and street address of the complaining student, for further communication about the complaint.
4. The administrator to whom the complaint is submitted will acknowledge the complaint within three business days of receipt of the written complaint. Acknowledgment may be made by e-mail, U.S. mail, or by personal delivery, at the option of the administrator.
5. Within three weeks of acknowledgment of the complaint, the administrator, or the administrator’s designee, shall either meet with the complaining student, or respond to the substance of the complaint in writing. In this meeting or in this writing, the student should either receive a substantive response to the complaint, or information about what steps are being taken by the law school to address the complaint or further investigate the complaint. If further investigation is needed, when the investigation is completed, the student shall be provided either a substantive response to the complaint or information about what steps are being taken by the law school to address the complaint within three weeks after completion of the investigation.
6. Appeals regarding decisions on complaints may be taken to the Dean of the law school. Any decision made on appeal by the Dean shall be final.
7. A copy of the complaint and a summary of the process and resolution of the complaint shall be kept in the office of the senior assistant dean for student services for a period of ten years from the date of final resolution of the complaint.

1. Introduction

This university is committed to academic excellence and integrity. Honesty and integrity are cornerstones of the legal profession. Students preparing to enter this profession must conduct themselves in accordance with these qualities in all of their professional activities, including with respect to the School of Law. Accordingly, law students shall act with honesty and candor, and shall fulfill obligations of good faith and fair dealing in their relations with their peers, University faculty and staff, and the professional legal community at large.

This Academic Integrity Policy spells out the School of Law’s expectations for law students in this regard. In particular, it addresses the rules governing dishonest conduct, such as cheating, plagiarism, and unauthorized collaboration. The policy also makes clear that serious administrative, academic, and other consequences will flow from any breach of these rules. These consequences may inhibit a law student from being admitted to the practice of law in the State of California or elsewhere.

This policy will be enforced regardless of a student’s actual knowledge or awareness of the provisions. Each student has the responsibility to understand and follow these rules.

Law Students are also subject to the University Student Conduct Code. (www.scu.edu/osl/.)

2. Prohibited Conduct

The following conduct violates the Academic Integrity Policy:

• Cheating on tests or assignments
• Plagiarism
• Unauthorized collaboration
• Multiple submissions of the same work product (“double dipping”)
• Any other dishonest behavior concerning academic work
• Unauthorized use of AI Technology

3. Definitions and Examples

3.1 Cheating

Cheating can take many forms and includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, and “double dipping.”

Examples:

1. In an exam or test-taking environment, bringing, referencing or using prohibited materials or information (e.g. unauthorized notes, hornbooks, study aids) or accessing websites or unauthorized sources.
2. Bringing unauthorized electronic devices into a test-taking environment or using unauthorized devices during an exam.
3. Seeking any unauthorized assistance from another person during an examination.
4. Copying from another student during an examination.
5. Continuing to write any exam answer when the exam time has expired.
6. Gaining access to exam materials prior to the administration of the exam without authorization.
7. Receiving information about or offering to provide information about a re-scheduled exam to someone who is a late test taker.
8. Obtaining an unfair academic advantage through any other means.

Cheating does not include authorized assistance given to accommodate an approved disability.

3.2 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of the words or ideas of another without appropriate attribution.

Any academic work that is submitted must be the student’s own work product. This includes drafts of assignments turned in for review, final versions of any work product, articles submitted to journals or any other work produced for an academic purpose.

Research papers naturally include references to cases, law review articles, books, statutes, internet resources, and other sources. “You must acknowledge all material quoted, paraphrased, or summarized from any published or unpublished work. Failing to cite a source, deliberately or accidentally, is plagiarism—representing as your own the words or ideas of another.” Harbrace College Handbook 412 (12th ed., 1994). When using such materials, writers should err on the side of providing, rather than omitting, reference information. Students must ensure that all submitted works are original and produced solely by them. The use of AI technologies, chatbots, or language models to write all or a portion of the submitted work is not considered original work. Students must receive explicit permission and follow guidelines set out by their instructors to facilitate the responsible use of AI in a professionally responsible and ethical manner. Where permitted by an instructor, use of written material that was generated by AI technology should be cited to avoid claims of plagiarism.

Avoiding allegations of plagiarism requires knowing when to provide a citation or attribution. Here are important rules to follow when working with authority:

1. Acknowledge direct use of someone else’s words.
2. Acknowledge any paraphrase of someone else’s words.
3. Acknowledge direct use of someone else’s idea.
4. Acknowledge a source when your own analysis or conclusion builds on that source.
5. Acknowledge a source when your idea about a legal opinion came from a source other than the opinion itself.

Material obtained through any source must be attributed, including material obtained from electronic databases such as LexisNexis®; Westlaw®; and the Internet. Review the ALWD Citation Manual Rules 38, 39, and 40, and The Bluebook 17.3 for the rules on properly citing electronic sources.

However, “[i]tems of ‘common knowledge’ can be indicated without citation, that is, facts most readers would already know, and facts available from a wide variety of sources, for instance, the date of D-Day or the name of the previous U.S. President. Common knowledge is distinguished from a unique set of words or a unique idea.” The New St. Martin’s Handbook 495 (4th ed., 1999).

The following examples are illustrative only. Numerous others could be provided.

Examples of Plagiarism

1. Using someone else’s words without quotation marks.
2. Using someone else’s words without quotation marks, even if you footnote or attribute the source.
3. Turning in a rough or final draft of a work product that includes material cut and pasted from other sources without proper attribution or quotation marks.
4. Paraphrasing without acknowledgment.
5. Representing another person’s work (including that of another student or former student) as your own.

3.3 Unauthorized Collaboration

Unauthorized collaboration involves working with others in the production of a work product without prior authorization from the professor, including but not limited to AI technologies. Students must receive their instructor’s express permission and follow their instructor’s guidelines for using AI in a professionally responsible and ethical manner.

Students must work independently on all course assignments and exams, unless they have prior approval to collaborate. Students may share work products only up to the point that their professor authorizes teamwork.

This section is not intended to cover study groups, working together to prepare study aids, or otherwise collaborating in order to better understand the course material or prepare for an exam. Such collaboration is encouraged. This section bars unauthorized collaboration in relation to a work product that is going to be turned in, whether for credit or no credit.

Examples:

1. Providing, receiving or using instant messaging or other communication devices to provide unauthorized assistance to another student who is on-call.
2. Working with classmates, attorneys or other outside resources to complete an assignment without the approval of the professor.
3. Undertaking any acts that exceed the outside assistance permitted by the professor.
4. Receiving assistance on research or writing from students or other outside resources when not specifically permitted by the professor.
5. Working with another student or students, or obtaining other outside assistance, on a take-home/remote exam when such collaboration is not permitted.

3.4 Multiple Submission of Work Product (“Double-Dipping”)

Multiple submission of work product (“double-dipping”) is submitting substantially the same work product in more than one course without prior authorization from the professor.

To obtain credit for any course, a student must do original work equivalent to the work demanded for the credits awarded to that course. A student who has submitted a work product for one course may not submit, in substance, that same work in another course. For example, a student who completes a research paper on a topic for one course cannot use substantially the same paper for another course, even if the topic would be appropriate.

Under certain circumstances: (1) students may use research completed for a moot court competition or clinical course as the basis for a research paper in an academic course with prior approval of the professor, and (2) a student may expand upon a shorter research assignment completed in one course provided the professor in the second course is given a copy of the prior paper and gives his or her approval.

3.5 Other Dishonest Behavior

Other dishonest behavior includes but is not limited to:

1. Providing false or misleading information to a professor or law school official or in any other way misrepresenting the reasons why one is unprepared, cannot participate in class, or is unable to complete the requirements for a class.
2. Appropriating or interfering with the work of others, including removing, altering, destroying, or concealing any library or other relevant law school material.
3. Providing false or misleading information or records to the University or law school in an admission or scholarship application, a job resume or job application, or any other document to be used to assess a student’s qualifications.
4. Forging or using any law school document or record in an unauthorized manner.
5. Seeking to invade privacy by gaining access to another student’s social security number, campus ID number, anonymous grading ID number, resume, records, or grades.

4. Procedures

During the student’s orientation to law school, each student will acknowledge a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), attesting that he or she has read and agreed to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy. An electronic copy of this MOU will be maintained by Law Student Services.

Students will be given training on proper attribution and citation in their Legal Analysis, Research and Writing class. In addition, students will be responsible for learning and using rules on proper attribution and citation throughout law school.

The School of Law reserves the right to use electronic means to detect and help prevent plagiarism. By submitting work product to law school personnel, students consent to have the work product submitted to plagiarism detection software. This submission is solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism.

5. Protocol

Reports of suspected violations of this policy will be reported to the senior assistant dean for student services according to the procedure below. Professors may, at their discretion, consult with students directly, but, if a professor concludes that an intentional or substantial violation has occurred, he or she must, at the conclusion of these conversations, report the suspected incident to the senior assistant dean of student services along with his or her findings and recommendations. The determination of whether to classify the violation as intentional or substantial is within the professor’s discretion. If the professor is uncertain as to how to categorize a violation, he or she should consult with the senior assistant dean for student services.

Once a report of suspected violation of this policy is made, the procedures detailed below will be followed.

1. Initial proceedings before the senior assistant dean for student services

Any person may refer allegations of violation of these rules, orally or in writing, to the senior assistant dean for student services, who has the sole authority to initiate proceedings hereunder. If the senior assistant dean decides to initiate proceedings, he or she shall either resolve the matter or refer the matter for hearing to (a) the Panel on Student Conduct or (b) an outside hearing officer appointed for that purpose. If forwarded to the Panel on Student Conduct or to an outside hearing officer, the protocol detailed in the Addendum will apply.

Any meeting requested by the law school administration, including but not limited to meetings with academic advisors, the Dean’s Office, or disciplinary committees, is mandatory for all students. These meetings are not optional and must be attended as scheduled.

In resolving the matter, other than by its dismissal, the senior assistant dean shall provide the accused student an opportunity to respond in writing to the allegations. The senior assistant dean may impose any of the sanctions authorized by these rules or make such other disposition as is deemed appropriate. Formal suspension or dismissal shall be noted in the student’s official record and will be reported to the Bar. The senior assistant dean shall determine whether or not other sanctions shall be noted in the student’s official record and whether the violation will be reported to the Bar.

If the accused student disagrees with the senior assistant dean’s resolution of the matter, a hearing before the Panel on Student Conduct shall be convened at the student’s written request. This request must be received by the senior assistant dean within 15 days of written notice of the disposition. The hearing is de novo.

Before final action on an alleged violation, the senior assistant dean may take any appropriate action on an interim basis when there is reasonable cause to believe that such action is needed to avoid disruption of the academic process. Written notice of action hereunder shall be given expeditiously. When interim action is taken, the disciplinary process shall proceed expeditiously.

2. Report of disciplinary procedures

The senior assistant dean for student services shall issue separate reports to the faculty and student body describing the disposition of matters arising hereunder, not including the names of the parties. These reports will be issued at the beginning of each semester and will provide information about violations of this Policy during the preceding relevant period. These reports shall be available for general inspection at the office of the assistant dean.

6. Discipline and Sanctions

Violating the Academic Integrity Policy is a serious matter. If a violation is proven, the faculty and/or administration may impose severe academic or institutional sanctions or both. These sanctions could affect a grade or academic credit or result in suspension or expulsion from the law school.

Possible sanctions include:

1. Informal warning: oral or written notice to the student that a future violation of this policy will be cause for disciplinary action as herein provided.
2. Exclusion from activities: exclusion from participation in designated classes or activities for a specified period.
3. Censure: written reprimand for a violation of this policy.
4. Grade reduction at professor’s discretion: denial of course credit by mandated withdrawal or failing grade (“No Credit” or “F”) or grade reduction on the assignment in question or the course as a whole.
5. Formal suspension: termination of student status for a specified period.
6. Dismissal: permanent termination of student status.
7. Any other sanction appropriate to the violation.

Remedies provided herein are not exclusive of the right of a faculty member to make his or her own determination of grades.

7. Violation of the Academic Integrity Policy and Bar Admission

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Qualities of honesty and integrity are crucial to the practice of law and, therefore, are carefully scrutinized by bar examiners. To be admitted to the bar in any jurisdiction, an applicant has the burden of demonstrating that he or she is of “good moral character.”

According to California State Bar, Rules of the State Bar, Rule 4.40 (2008): “‘Good moral character’ includes but is not limited to qualities of honesty, fairness, candor, trustworthiness, observance of fiduciary responsibility, respect for and obedience to the law, and respect for the rights of others and the judicial process.” 

A student’s conduct in law school may result in denial or delay of admission to the Bar. As noted by California State Bar, Factors Regarding Moral Character Determination: “An act of misconduct may include, but is not limited to violations of a school’s honor code that involve moral turpitude….” Santa Clara Law School reports all violations of its policy involving moral turpitude to State Bar admission officials.

In 1990, the California Legislature enacted a statute expressly dealing with conduct in violation of law school rules. According to Business & Professions Code Section 6060.1: Violations of university or law school rules; use in denying admission to practice law:

(a) Any disciplinary action taken against an individual at a university or an accredited law school for violation of university or law school rules of conduct shall not be used as the sole basis for denying the individual admission to practice law in the State of California.

(b) This section shall not apply to university or law school violations which involve moral turpitude or that result in criminal prosecution under the laws of the State of California or any other state. [Emphasis added.]

In addition to reporting by the law school, all bar applicants must themselves report any discipline imposed upon them while in school. American Bar Association, Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 8.1; California Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1-200(A). A failure to disclose relevant information can be the basis for denial of admission. According to the California State Bar, Statement on Moral Character Requirement: “An applicant’s candidness in revealing any moral character related problems when completing the moral character application is extremely important and will serve to expedite the processing of an application. Lack of candor in and of itself as it relates to moral character problems, past and present, may be enough to deny certification on moral character grounds.” 

An applicant who has succeeded in being admitted to the Bar despite his or her failure to disclose serious law school discipline may be disbarred when the Bar later learns about the nondisclosures.

Addendum

Formal Hearing Procedure and Mediation

1. Panel on Student Conduct
   
   Each year, the dean shall appoint seven persons (faculty and students) to serve as members of the Panel on Student Conduct. The dean shall appoint one member to chair the panel. When a hearing is required, the panel chair shall appoint three members of the panel to serve as a hearing committee, designating one member as committee chair. The three-person committee shall be composed of two faculty members and one student.
2. Hearing

   The accused student shall be given written notice, within a reasonable time period prior to the hearing, including a brief statement of the factual basis of the charges, the law school policies or regulations allegedly violated, and the time and place of the hearing. The student may be represented by counsel or other representatives of the student’s choice. The law school shall be represented by the senior assistant dean for student services or his/her designate.

   The student and the law school shall have the opportunity to present documents and witnesses and to confront and cross-examine witnesses. The law school shall bear the burden of proof by clear and convincing evidence. The law school shall make an adequate record of the hearing by written memorandum, tape recording, or otherwise. The hearing shall be open unless the student, the law school, or a majority of the hearing committee requests that it be closed. The hearing committee shall have the discretion to prescribe its procedures for matters not addressed herein. For example, the hearing committee may require that

   (i) Oral evidence shall be taken only on oath or affirmation.

   (ii) Any relevant evidence shall be admitted if it is the sort of evidence on which responsible persons are accustomed to rely in the conduct of serious affairs, regardless of the existence of any common law or statutory rule which might make improper the admission of the evidence over objection in civil actions. Hearsay evidence may be used for the purpose of supplementing or explaining other evidence but shall not be sufficient in itself to support a finding unless it would be admissible over objection in civil actions. The hearing committee may impose any of the sanctions authorized by these rules or make such other disposition as is deemed appropriate. The hearing committee’s disposition shall indicate whether or not the sanctions other than formal suspension or dismissal shall be noted on the student’s transcript. If the student does not appeal the hearing committee’s disposition as described below, such disposition will be final.

3.  Appeal to the Dean
   
   A disciplined student may appeal the decision of the hearing committee to the dean of the law school in writing. Appeal must be made within 30 days of the date of the decision.

    

   On appeal, the dean shall review the written decision of the hearing committee. The dean may reverse the hearing committee’s findings, or reduce the sanctions it imposed, only if he/she strongly disagrees with the committee’s decision. The dean may not assess a greater sanction than that imposed by the committee.

   The dean shall issue a written decision affirming or overruling the findings and/or modifying the sanction of the hearing committee. A copy shall be sent to the student and the committee members. If the dean overrules or modifies in any respect the decision of the committee, the written decision shall include the reasons for this action. The dean’s decision is final.

   Mediation
   
   At any time before the start of a hearing concerning a violation of this policy, the senior assistant dean for student services or the individual(s) involved may request mediation. Both the senior assistant dean and the individual(s) must agree to the mediation. The mediation shall be informal and confidential. A mediator may be chosen jointly by the parties from a list of (a) law school faculty who have volunteered to be part of the mediation process or (b) qualified members of the University community. The mediator may also be any other person agreed upon by the parties. If the matter is not resolved to the satisfaction of the parties within a reasonable time, the alleged violation will be processed pursuant to the procedures in sections 2 and 3 above.

The final exam schedule with exam dates and times is published in each semester’s registration materials. By registering for a class, students agree to take the exam at the designated time. All students are expected to take their exams at the times scheduled, except as provided in the Examination Rescheduling Policy. Individually approved rescheduled exam dates and times are not reflected in Workday.

The School of Law rarely makes changes to the announced exam schedule. When revisions to the exam schedule are necessary, an Official Announcement email is sent as soon as they are made.

Exam room locations are posted two-three weeks before the beginning of the exam period on the exam webpage.

Exam Rules

These rules apply to all exams. Exceptions may be posted by the instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to check for posted notices prior to an exam. Students should be familiar with and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy.

• Students must write or type all answers on the materials provided by the law school or on the student’s laptop computer using the Examplify software program. Students may not bring any blue books, scratch paper, or other paper into the exam rooms. Most professors require the use of Examplify for exams. If a student must handwrite a multiple-choice exam due to technical issues, they must record answers in a law school-provided blue book unless instructed otherwise by their proctor.
• Students may not bring cellular telephones or other programmable electronic devices into the exam rooms unless these items can be turned off. This includes programmable watches, calculators, or any device that can connect to the internet.  The items must be turned off and stored in student backpacks/bags in the front of the classroom during exams. Anyone causing a disruption will be reported to the Dean of Students. Materials found to be causing disruption at the front of the room will be placed outside of the room by the exam proctor until a staff member is able to retrieve them. The student may contact the head proctor following completion of his/her exam to collect his/her things.
• Students may bring in pencils, and blue or black pens.
• Students must present their SCU Law Identification Card or a photo ID at the time of their exam.
• No desk accessories are permitted (e.g., a desk lamp, laptop riser, etc.)
• Students may use non-programmable laptop accessories such as a separate keyboard or mouse (wired or wireless) at their own risk. Compatibility with exam software is not guaranteed or supported by SCU technical staff. If the accessory creates an audible nuisance and is found to be disruptive by testing staff, the student will be asked to disconnect and accessories will be placed with the proctor until the end of the exam.  Students will not receive additional time on their exams due to technical issues.
• Students may not discuss the exam questions with each other during the exam. Faculty will not be available to answer questions directly during exams. Faculty will only be available to answer questions from the head proctor or dean on duty. Proctors are responsible for being aware of instructions given by faculty, which are printed under “Professor’s Instructions” on the exam cover sheet to determine if the professor has given instructions regarding errors on exams. If there are such instructions, proctors may merely point them out. If there are no instructions, proctors will use the following default instructions:

“Answer the examination as written. If you believe a mistake has been made in drafting the examination or that a question is ambiguous, state your assumptions in your answer. Your professor will review your stated assumption in grading the examination. Do not attempt to contact the professor to secure a clarification.”

• Students may not refer to notes, casebooks, textbooks, study aids, or other references during the exams unless approved by the professor on the exam instructions. If class notes are permitted, students may not use additional laptops, tablets, and/or e-readers to access notes unless expressly permitted by the professor’s instructions. Students may utilize the Internet at the discretion of the professor. Please note that e-texts will not be available for use with the exam software settings of semi-secured or secured exams. Examplify will block all access to the internet and cloud-based platforms.  Students who purchase electronic tests must print out any needed materials for their final exams that allow for access to notes.
• Students may only use foam ear protection. SCU Law provides ear plugs in the exam classroom. Noise-canceling headphones are not permitted. Students may not wear anything over their ears during an in-class exam. This includes hats or hoodies that cover the ears.
• All testing materials are provided by the exam staff. No outside scratch paper is permitted in the exam room.
• Students may leave the exam rooms for restroom breaks but must return to complete the exam. Students must sign in and out of testing rooms. No exam material is to leave the testing room. The Law Library is off-limits during in-class exams.
• No aromatic or noisy food or drink is permitted in the exam room.  Only beverages in spill-proof containers are permitted.
• Due to allergies and other sensitivities, we ask that students refrain from using perfumes, cologne, aftershave scented lotions, essential oils, in the testing room.
• To protect anonymity, students should use only their SCU School of Law anonymous grading ID number (AGID) on exam questions and answers. Prior to the posting of final grades on the Workday system, students may not reveal their anonymous grading ID number to their professors. Students should not include their names on any exam materials. In the case of Research Papers where the nature of the course requires self-identification names may be used.
• When finished with an exam, it is the student’s responsibility to place all the exam components, questions, used and unused scratch paper, and all other specified exam materials, in the plastic exam bag provided. Each item should be identified with the student’s anonymous grading ID number. It is also the student’s responsibility to ensure that all testing materials are returned to the proctor. Professors may refuse to accept any portion of an exam that is missing or taken out of the testing room.
• Time is called at the end of the exam period by the exam proctor. If a student continues to write after time is called, it is a breach of the law school policy, and the proctor will report that fact to the professor and the Dean of Students.
• If the proctor observes a student who appears to be using unauthorized materials, looking at another student’s work, talking with another student, or otherwise behaving in a manner suggestive of cheating, the proctor is obligated to submit a written description of the behavior observed to the head proctor, professor, and Dean of Students.
• In order to begin exams at the time designated, proctors begin reading exam instructions ten to fifteen minutes prior to the exam start time. Students arriving late to an exam must enter quietly. No extra time will be given to launch their exam software or complete the exam. Students who arrive significantly late for an exceptional reason should petition to reschedule the exam.  Students who arrive more than 15 minutes late will not be permitted to sit for their exam without speaking with the head proctor.
• In the event an exam is turned in late, a faculty member is not required to accept it. If a faculty member chooses to accept a late exam, absent an acceptable excuse, the faculty member is free to reduce the student’s score as they see fit in consultation with the head proctor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
• Students who finish earlier may turn in their exams to the proctor and quietly leave the building. To avoid undue confusion, disruption, and noise, students who finish their exam within the last five minutes of the allotted time must remain in their seats until time has expired. When the final time is called, students should remain in their seats to allow the proctor to collect the exams in an orderly manner.

Exam Rescheduling Policy

Students may only request to reschedule an exam due to either an administrative or personal conflict, as defined below:

• Administrative Conflict
  • Two exams scheduled to start less than 24 hours from each other.
    • Valid example: 1:30PM exam on Monday followed by a 9:00AM exam on Tuesday.
    • Invalid example: 9:00AM exam on Monday followed by a 9:00AM exam on Tuesday. 
  • Three exams scheduled over three consecutive days (72 hours).

It is at the discretion of the Office of Assessment which exam is rescheduled. Priority is set at a senior administrative level.

Deadline to submit: For the fall and spring semesters, students must request an administrative reschedule within the first eight weeks of the start of the semester. Summer students must request a reschedule within the first four weeks of the start of the session. Late requests may not be approved.

• Personal Conflict
  • The student’s serious illness or other documented medical emergencies
  • Extraordinary and compelling reasons beyond the student’s control

Documentation verifying the need to reschedule is required.

Deadline to submit: Students must submit a request to reschedule as soon as possible, but prior to the scheduled start of the exam.

Students who are ill at the time of their exam should consult the head proctor prior to opening their exam packet. Once students see the exam, it is not possible to reschedule.

Rescheduled Exam Dates
Exams are rescheduled for a date following the original exam date and are moved to the next available time that does not create a conflict.

For midterms and quizzes, only:

• The rescheduled quiz or midterm must be taken within one week (seven calendar days) of the original exam date.
• If the student fails to take the rescheduled exam within one week of the original date, the professor has the option to assign a score of zero. The student’s final exam score will be duplicated to replace the zero for the missed exam. This means the score achieved on the final exam will also count as the score for the missed quiz or midterm.
• In rare cases of extraordinary hardship beyond the student’s control, the Director of Assessment may grant exceptions to the one-week deadline. Such exceptions will require appropriate documentation and prompt communication from the student.

All exams must be completed within 30 days of the original exam date.

NOTE: Under no circumstances should the rescheduling of an examination be discussed with the instructor of the course.

Academic Integrity
All rescheduled exams are subject to the same academic integrity standards as regularly scheduled exams. Any form of dishonesty surrounding a rescheduled exam will result in disciplinary action as outlined in the course syllabus.

It is the student’s responsibility to understand and adhere to this policy. Students are encouraged to proactively manage their schedules and communicate concerns to the Office of Assessment as early as possible. Failure to promptly communicate with the Office of Assessment regarding missed exams will result in forfeiture of the opportunity to reschedule.

Use of Laptop Computers

Law students use personal laptops for taking exams. The machines must meet minimum requirements necessary for accessing and running the required exam-taking software, Examplify from ExamSoft, which provides a simple and secure word processor.  Exams require Examplify to take the multiple-choice portion of the exam. All students are provided an account to download Examplify and use the “Drop Box” (Performance Assessment) feature for take-home exams. Each year in the fall, students must login to the ExamSoft website at www.examsoft.com/sculaw, download and install the latest version of Examplify, then register their copy using the credentials they are emailed early in the semester. The software vendor may require updates or re-installation at any time during the school year.

Examplify versions are available for 64-bit Windows 10 and Windows 11. Only genuine, U.S. English versions of Windows operating systems are supported. Surface Pro and tablets are not supported.

Macintosh operating system versions Monterey, Ventura or later are supported. Only genuine versions of Mac Operating Systems are supported. Apple iPad Tablets are not supported.

When a new version of an operating system is released, either Windows or Mac OS, students should not upgrade their computers until informed it is safe to do so by Office of Assessment, University Academic Technology, and/or Law Technology Support.

Examplify cannot be used on virtual operating systems such as Microsoft’s Virtual Machine, Parallels, VMware, VMware Fusion or any other virtual environments.

PDF readers such as Adobe Reader (11 or later) are required for exams containing PDF attachments.

Examplify should be installed, and exams should be taken using an account that has Administrator-level account permissions on both Windows and Mac OS-based computers. Students who wish to use their laptops for exams are responsible for installing the latest version of Examplify ahead of time. These files may be downloaded from www.examsoft.com/sculaw. Students must ensure that the date and time on their computer match the date and time in California; failure to do this may prevent the exam from being taken and force the student to handwrite it.  Support for installation and setup for exams is available from Law Technology and the vendor, Examsoft.

Any attempt to disable or tamper with the security features of Examplify will be prosecuted as a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy. The software itself records all keystrokes, and any attempts to override the system’s security will be noted.  Attempts to start the exam before the proctor starts the exam or to continue after the official time has elapsed are also recorded.

Students must be familiar with their equipment by the time of the exam. Students are not permitted to delay the start of an exam due to computer problems. In the event of a computer malfunction, proctors and other support staff will provide a limited amount of support. Students should be prepared to complete the exam by handwriting if the problem cannot be resolved in a timely fashion. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that she or he is familiar with Examplify, the software used to take exams, by taking one or more of the mock exams that are available.  The mock exams all have a password of “Bronco5,” not including the quotes or comma.

The option of using a computer to take exams is offered to students as a convenience and a privilege, not as a right. Students assume all risks of equipment or power failure and should take appropriate steps to aid in completing their exams. Students should bring a power cord for their computer and not rely on its battery.  Students should make sure their computer’s battery is well-charged.

Wireless network connectivity is available and very reliable in our exam rooms, there is a slight possibility that an Internet outage can occur. In the event of an Internet outage or loss of access to the campus WiFi, you will be instructed by the proctor to seek other Internet access sources at your convenience. The exam-taking software, Examplify, saves your exam every 30-60 seconds during the exam. At the end of your exam, makes a local encrypted copy to your local storage drive on your computer. At the conclusion of your exam and during the exam submission process, if Examplify does not detect a WiFi connection, then Exampify will simply retry until an Internet connection is made.

All computers are subject to inspection before and after an exam. See law.scu.edu/exams  for more information about laptop use and support.

Students should not make significant changes to their laptops, such as updating the operating system or replacing any of its hardware on removing Examplify, until all of their grades are in.

Some classes are graded based on a take-home exam or assignment.  Take-home exams are downloaded from the ExamSoft website using a web browser such as Firefox or Google Chrome. Take-homes do not require the use of Examplify but do require an ExamSoft portal account.  The answer file is uploaded to the ExamSoft website using a web browser. It is the student’s responsibility to upload the answer by the deadline that the professor has specified.  The answer file is time-stamped by the ExamSoft website. This timestamp is irrefutable evidence of the time that the take-home final was submitted.

LL.M. in U.S. Law Student Exams

LL.M. in United States Law students for whom English is a second language in which they have not reached academic competence may request additional time, up to time and a half, for exams. These students may also request the use of a translating dictionary. No legal dictionaries or electronic dictionaries are permitted.

Absent an approved request for language accommodations, students are required to follow standard exam rules. Language accommodations may only be requested for exams in courses that are being graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. Students taking exams in courses on a graded basis are not eligible to petition for language accommodations. Students are required to follow standard exam rules.

IMPORTANT: For the fall and spring semesters students must request language accommodations within the first eight weeks of the start of the semester. Summer students must request language accommodations within the first week of the start of the session. Summer session deadlines will apply to off-cycle and short-term courses.

Accommodated Exams

Students with disabilities may receive accommodation in the assessment process. Students must submit requests for accommodation to the Office of Accessible Education (OAE)  as soon as possible, no later than the end of the fourth week of classes. All registration and accommodation procedures are housed with the OAE, and will take 14-21 business days to review.  Late requests may not be possible to accommodate. All requests must be supported with appropriate documentation in keeping with the law school’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) policy. Further information for documentation requirements is located on the OAE website.

Accommodations cannot be retroactively applied.

Distribution of Graded Materials

Faculty members individually determine if and how their graded exam materials may be returned or accessed by students. They may distribute the materials to the students, meet with students on an individual basis to review the exam, or return materials to the students through the Office of Assessment Exam Return process. Exam materials are retained for a period of one year only.

Charney Hall

Faculty, staff, and current students can access Charney Hall for the Fall 2024 semester. Contact Charney Hall Operations for more information.

Charney Hall Community Lounge and Terrace

The lounge and outdoor patio space are intended for law students, staff, and faculty private use only. Student groups, outside vendors, and for-profit organizations may not table in the lounge or outside patio space to sell event tickets or promote other activities.

Charney Hall Tabling/Solicitation Policies

1. Reservation of tables on the first floor in the Mabie Grand Atrium is permitted for faculty, and staff and partners of Santa Clara Law only.  External groups who wish to reserve space for tabling; may do so on the second floor in the recessed bench areas outside of rooms 205, 206, and 207 must schedule with Law Student Services by emailing this reservation request form. 
2. Reservations: Students, faculty, and staff may reserve tabling space by emailing this reservation request form to Law Student Services. External tabling spaces may be reserved in 3-hour increments for up to 6 hours if there is not conflict.  External vendors must work with an SCU contact to reserve space in Charney Hall. Proof of the approved reservation must be available during your tabling appointment.
3. Locations: There are three areas in which tabling is permitted on the first floor in the Mabie Grand Atrium. This includes the recessed bench area outside of room 103 and the high top tables in front of 104 and 106. Each location has a designated table. External vendor tabling is permitted on the second floor in Charney Hall. There are additional tabling spaces in the recessed bench areas outside of rooms 205, 206, and 207. Each location has a designated table.
4. Event Signage: Event signage is permitted, but only in clear plastic standing holders that may be checked out from the Charney Information Services Desk or displayed on an easel. Signage may not be taped to walls, tables, or doors. Signage must be removed within 24 hours after the event date advertised. 
5.  Music, media, or voice amplification is not permitted while tabling.
6. Charney Hall Information Services Desk will not store tabling items.
7. Tables may only be reserved in designated areas. No chairs or tables may be added to create a tabling set-up; individuals are restricted to the provided seating only.
8. Distribution of food and beverages that conflict with the University’s contracted vendors is prohibited.
9. All refuse must be disposed of appropriately and the table must be reset to the condition in which it was found. The Law School reserves the right to charge any incurred custodial or facilities fees to the responsible organization/party.

Law Student Services reserves the right to define appropriate behavior as needed to ensure a peaceful academic environment. We encourage all students to familiarize themselves with the Student Code of Conduct (pg. 11-14).

Cell Phone Policy

The following policy applies to the entire law school community:

1. Cell phones are allowed in the classrooms and library only if all forms of audible ringing and/or beeping are turned off. In these two locations, all cell phones may be operated in vibrating mode.
2. If a call is received on a cell phone in the library or the classrooms, it should be taken outside. Speaking on a cell phone, no matter how quietly, is not allowed in the classrooms or the library.

Policy Regarding Pets Brought to the School of Law Campus

Purpose and General Statement

From time to time, School of Law staff, faculty, and students may bring their pets to the School’s campus. Presently, the only pets permitted on the Santa Clara University School of Law campus are dogs. 

Bringing one’s dog to campus is a privilege, not a right or entitlement. This privilege may be revoked at any time, without prior notice, pursuant to the provisions of this policy. 

The School of Law and the University are obliged to ensure that no dog poses a threat, nuisance, or significant distraction, or interferes in any meaningful way with the School’s operations. The School and University must also ensure that all persons are protected from potential health and safety hazards posed by dogs on the campus. 

Service dogs that have been properly trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability are NOT regulated by this policy. For more information about Santa Clara University’s Service Animal Policy, see https://www.scu.edu/disabilities/policy-and-procedures/

Policy

No dog is permitted on the School of Law’s campus, either inside the building or on any of its exterior premises, except pursuant to the following terms and conditions:

1. All dogs must be registered with the School of Law. Registration may be accomplished through the Dean’s Office, as specified below.
2. The Dean (or his/her designee) shall have the discretion to prohibit any dog from being present on the School of Law campus, if the Dean (or his/her designee) determines that the dog poses a threat, nuisance, or significant distraction, or interferes in any meaningful way with the School’s operations.
3. Any Director or Manager of an office within the School of Law shall have the authority to exclude dogs generally, or a particular dog, if the Director or Manager believes that their presence unduly interferes with the operations of that office.
4. Any dog that is brought to the School of Law campus must be properly vaccinated, flea-free, and licensed with the appropriate authority.
5. No dog shall be permitted in any classroom, conference room, collaborative learning space, or bathroom, or in any area (or in close proximity to any area) in which food is regularly served or prepared, or is being served or prepared.
6. No dog will be permitted in the law library except, as necessary when owned by a staff or faculty member, to take the dog to or from the staff or faculty member’s office.
7. The owner is responsible for the remediation or cleaning, or paying for the remediation or cleaning, of any mess attributable to the dog or the dog’s condition (such as fleas).
8. While within the Law School building, all dogs must be on a leash held and controlled by a responsible person, the length of which the leash cannot exceed six feet.

Registration

In registering a dog with the School of Law’s Dean’s Office, all owners must agree to the following:

1. That they will indemnify and hold harmless the University from any and all personal injuries and property damages caused by their dogs.
2. That they will provide a small mat or rug for the dog, for purposes of protecting the carpet.
3. That they will not permit the dog to run loose in the law school building.
4. That they will bathe and groom the dog regularly to avoid complaints regarding the dog’s odor, or the presence of fleas.
5. That they will ensure that the dog’s identification is visible at all times while the dog is on campus.
6. That they will be respectful of the fact that others on campus may be allergic to dogs, may be scared by dogs, or may simply dislike dogs.
7. That they will immediately cease bringing the dog to campus if, pursuant to the provisions of this policy, either the Dean (or his/her designee) or the Manager or Director of the relevant office, determines that the dog poses a threat, nuisance, or significant distraction, or interferes in any meaningful way with the school’s or office’s operations.

Policy on Curbing Alcohol Use at Law School Events

At Santa Clara Law, wellness matters.  Inspired by the Jesuit value of cura personalis or “care of the whole person,” Santa Clara Law is committed to the active process of developing the potential of all members of its community in each of these eight pillars of wellness – physical, social, emotional, occupational, financial, spiritual, intellectual, and environmental.

Of particular concern within the legal community is the prevalence of substance abuse issues.  The ABA’s National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being, in their recent report The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change, noted that 

• “…a law school sends a strong message when alcohol-related events are held or publicized with regularity. 
• Students in recovery and those thinking about it may feel that the law school does not take the matter seriously and may be less likely to seek assistance or resources. 
• Events at which alcohol is not the primary focus should be encouraged and supported.
• Law school faculty should refrain from drinking alcohol at law school social events.”

In reviewing our policies and assumptions around the use of alcohol, we have come to the conclusion that any institutional actions that reinforce or normalize the concept of a “work hard, play hard” legal community are contrary to our wellness mission.  We understand that this might seem drastic to some members of our community, but we are committed to being leaders in the national efforts to prioritize the well-being of our students. 

1. 1. General Policies
      1. A Responsible Use of Alcohol Agreement Form needs to be filled out and approved by the Dean of Students, Law School Dean, or designee prior to any Law School event where alcohol will be served. 
      2. No Open Bars or Cash Bars will be allowed.  If alcohol is permitted, it will be limited to beer and wine.
      3. Alcohol consumption will be monitored through the use of Wristbands or Drink Tickets with a limit of two attached drink tickets per attendee.  Additional tickets will not be made available. The use of drink tickets will be approved for events involving primarily alumni or faculty.
      4. Alcohol service will end at least 30 minutes before the scheduled ending time of the event.
      5. All events with alcohol must include food and non-alcoholic beverages.
      6. No pitcher, keg, or bottle service will be available.
      7. Alcohol may not be the primary focus of the event and may not be used as an inducement to participate in the event. 
      8. Serving donated alcohol must be approved by the Dean of Students or Law School Dean prior to being served.
      9. Advertising for the event may not portray symbols of alcohol or alcohol consumption, may not include any form of excessive alcohol consumption (i.e. drink specials, drinking contests or competitions), and may not emphasize frequency or quantity of alcohol consumption. 
      10. All advertising of SCU-sponsored events should include the following statement, “At Santa Clara Law, Wellness Matters. In solidarity with our wellness efforts, this event (a) does not include alcoholic beverages or (b) will have limited alcohol available.”
   2. Additional Policies Governing Student-Sponsored Events
   1. School funds may not be used to purchase alcohol.
   2. All LSO officers present at the event will act as hosts at all times during the event.  
   3. LSO officers and host volunteers may not consume alcohol before or during the event.  
   4. Hosts must participate in Sober Monitor Training
   5. Students may not sign any contracts with food or beverage providers.  All contracts must be reviewed and signed by the office of the Senior Assistant Dean for Law Finance & Administration. Alcohol must be listed as a separate line item on contracts and invoices.
   6. Banquet Security Requirements:
      1. If the event venue does not provide security, LSOs must hire trained security personnel. One security guard should be hired for every 50 attendees. 
      2. Security to police all entrances and exits. 
      3. Security to deny entrance to any guests who are intoxicated. 
      4. All law students attending must sign Moral Character Memorandums of Understanding.
      5. All law students attending must register and provide contact information for any non-affiliated guests. 
      6. The number of guests must not exceed the recommended space capacity. 
      7. Law students and guests must show identification when entering the venue.
      8. Four hours is the maximum length of an event. 
      9. LSO must ensure that the food service provider or designated licensed agent will check for proper identification and uses employees that are TIPS trained (Training for Intervention Procedures by Servers) or similar training.
   7. Barristers’ Ball:
      1. Ticket sales to be limited to graduating students and their one guest only. Exceptions will be made for the SBA Board.
      2. The SBA Board each year will include a Risk Manager position beginning in the 23-24 academic year, who will work with Student Services and University personnel to ensure the event is safe. If this position is not filled, the SBA Board must rotate this responsibility.
      3. An area will be set aside with food and non-alcoholic beverages for intoxicated students to rest before leaving the venue.  A member of the SBA Board will staff this area and ensure that intoxicated students have a “buddy” who is sober and who will see them safely home. 
      4. For further information on the Substance Abuse Problems in the Legal Profession:

• The Path to Lawyer Well-Being Report, 2017: https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/images/abanews/ThePathToLawyerWellBeingReportRevFINAL.pdf, Page 40 Recommendations for Law Schools, #34. Discourage Alcohol-Centered Social Events. 
• Suffering in Silence: https://jle.aals.org/home/vol66/iss1/13/

Law Student Organizations (LSOs)

Law students are free to organize and join organizations whose stated purposes are consistent with the University and School of Law missions. Registration carries certain rights and responsibilities. Registered groups can be held accountable to the norms and standards of conduct and civility that exemplify the law school and university community.

All student organizations seeking recognition by the Law School and the Student Bar Association (SBA) and seeking eligibility for University benefits must be appropriately registered and must follow the procedures detailed in this policy. 

All Law Student organizations must:

1. Have a purpose consistent with the mission and educational goals of Santa Clara Law.
2. Limit membership to current law students of Santa Clara University.
3. Have at least 8 members; with a President and Treasurer as part of the executive board.
4. Maintain an up-to-date online profile as approved by Student Life Director for their organization on the Law Student Life web page.
5. Secure and obtain the signature from a Faculty Advisor.
6. Submit the Law Student Organization Registration Form each academic year.
7. Ensure an up-to-date club constitution is on file with the Law Student Services office.
8. Ensure that all executive officers complete the Officer Agreement.
9. Comply with the policies listed below.

Financial and Budget Information

All SCU law students contribute to the SBA and LSO budget through their tuition dollars.  The funds are allocated to the Student Bar Association by the Dean through the annual Law School Budget process.  The Student Bar Association uses 30% of these funds for their operations.  The remaining 70% is divided among the approved Law Student Organizations, following the budget process outlined in the SBA Constitution and with the approval of the Senior Assistant Dean for Administration.  LSO’s can request up to $50 per event to purchase food for events. For more information on financial and budget information contact the SBA Treasurer or the Law Finance Office.

Student Travel

1. Driver Agreement
   The University Vehicle Driver Agreement Form is required for each student driving a vehicle as part of a University-sponsored trip, including off-campus events planned by student organizations. This form must be filled out and turned in to Law Student Services, Charney 114 prior to the event.
2. Participant Agreement
   The University Participant Agreement Form is required for each student participating in potentially risky activities on or off campus. This form must be filled out and turned in to the Law Student Services Office, Charney 114 prior to the event.
3. Transportation Statement
   This statement should be added to any publicity about off-campus events that do not have organized transportation: “SCU is not responsible for transportation to and from this event.”
4. Travel Reimbursement
   Review the Law Finance Office’s detailed student travel reimbursement policy prior to your travel. Contact Law Finance for questions regarding reimbursements.

Fundraising

LSO’s wishing to reach out to lawyers or law firms for fundraising must first consult with the Law Alumni and Development Office. To do so, please follow these steps:

1. Send an email to lawalumni@scu.edu with your proposed outreach plan, potential donors, and timeline.
2. Communicate results with the Law Development Office.
3. Gifts over $250.00 must be reported to the Law Development Office within three (3) days of receipt, including the name and contact information of the donor.
4. Advise the Law Development Office when any alumnus will be attending events on campus. Include alumni graduation years in any promotional flyers or website advertising to acknowledge alumni participation.
5. All donations received must be submitted to the Law Finance Office for deposit into LSO’s fundraising account.

Payments and Reimbursements

Invoices and reimbursement requests must be submitted to the Law Finance Office for payment. Please email SCU Law Finance at lawfinance@scu.edu for reimbursement forms and other information.  For more details, refer to the frequently asked questions. If an alcohol agreement is not filed with the Director of Student Life prior to incurring event expenses or hosting an event, you may not be reimbursed for the event.

Events

Students are required to follow the procedures and guidelines contained in the Law Student Organization Guide.

Shielded Date

Each LSO will select one date during the Super Draft event each semester for one full day. Another LSO may share your date if they do not have a competing audience. LSOs and Academic Departments are encouraged to work together, co-sponsor, and collaborate on events.  LSOs requesting an additional event must get permission from the LSO that has ownership of the shielded date to hold a concurrent event.  The LSO with the shielded date has the right not to grant permission.  Once you receive permission, send the email notification to Law Student Services. An LSO’s shielded date does not override or prevent law school programming from occurring on the same date; faculty and staff may offer programming on shielded dates.  

Advertising an Event

Advertising of events is limited to digital media, the Grapevine, and the bulletin board in the Charney Hall Community Lounge. Signage is prohibited under the atrium stairs, as this space is not available for advertisements. This area is reserved for single-day use only due to its popularity and must be shared equitably. 

Bulletin Boards

Flyers may only be posted on the board in the Community Lounge.  No signage of any kind may be taped to walls, windows, whiteboards (in classrooms of study rooms), tables, or doors. 

Advertising of events may not be written on whiteboards. 

Disability Statement

The following statement about the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 (ADA/504) must be included in all marketing for an event:

“In compliance with the ADA/504, please direct your accommodation requests to NAME at EMAIL ADDRESS.”

For NAME fill in the name of the primary student organizing this event, and for EMAIL ADDRESS fill in that student’s email address.

Email Lists

The SBA Director of Internal Communications reviews proposed emails and approves use of the SBA email list, which includes all law students. Each LSO is to work within the format set by Law Student Services as a guide for the frequency of email distribution community-wide. 

The Grapevine is a weekly email newsletter sent to the law community by the SBA. To include your information, email a PDF version of your flyer to sbagrapevine@scu.edu no later than 5pm on the Friday prior to the week of publication.

Digital Signage

If you would like your poster posted on the Charney Hall TVs please email them to lawmedia@scu.edu. Make sure you follow the instructions below.

Creating Digital Signage

Digital signs in Charney Hall will be used to communicate events and information that relate to Santa Clara Law students, staff, faculty, alumni, and guests of the School and University. Non-law school-related digital signs may be accepted at the discretion of the Director of Marketing and Communications if the information is relevant to the community. Display priority will be given to those submitted from within Santa Clara Law.

Two high-resolution digital displays are located throughout Charney Hall, and content is supervised by the Director of Marketing and Communications.

All digital signs must be of high-resolution quality, have 1″ borders, and text must be kept to a minimum. Digital signs on law school monitors will run for a maximum of 7 seconds each, so keep a copy to a minimum (that can be read easily in 7 seconds).

Signage MUST abide by University Marketing and Communications Visual Identity elements. (https://www.scu.edu/umc/visual-identity-elements/)  

Personal messages, philosophical statements, and other messages beyond these areas will not be included.

Classroom Use for Events

Classrooms must be returned to the order in which they were found. Standard room format can be found posted in each Charney Hall classroom. Remove all food and trash from the classrooms at the end of your event. The hosting department will be responsible for any custodial charges. 

Food and Drink

Outside vendors can only be used for events scheduled in Charney Hall and only if the food purchase is under $750. Bon Appetit or Adobe Lodge must be used if the event is outside of Charney Hall, the food purchase is over $750, or if alcohol will be served. All student organizations must follow SCU’s food policy.  If alcohol will be served, you must adhere to the Santa Clara Law Alcohol Policy.

Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression 

Effective legal education and the development of the law require the free, robust, and uninhibited sharing of ideas reflecting a wide range of viewpoints. Becoming an effective advocate or counselor requires learning how to conduct candid and civil discourse in respectful disagreement with others while advancing reasoned and evidence-based arguments. Concerns about civility and mutual respect, however, do not justify barring discussion of ideas because they are controversial or even offensive or disagreeable to some.

Accordingly, Santa Clara University School of Law has adopted, published, and adhered to written policies that encourage and support the free expression of ideas. Santa Clara University School of Law’s Academic Freedom and Freedom of expression applies: to all full and part-time faculty, as well as to all others teaching in law school courses; to conducting research, publishing scholarship, engaging in law school governance, participating in law related public service activities, curating library collections and providing information services, and exercising teaching responsibilities, including those related to client representation in clinical programs; and afford due process, including notice, hearing, and appeal rights, to assess any claim of a violation of the academic freedom policies.

The School of Law’s freedom of expression policies:

(1) Protect the rights of faculty, students, and staff to communicate ideas that may be controversial or unpopular, including through robust debate, demonstrations, or protests; 

(2) Proscribe disruptive conduct that hinders free expression by preventing or substantially interfering with the carrying out of law school functions or approved activities, such as classes, meetings, library services, interviews, ceremonies, and public events;

(3) Restrict expression that violates the law, that falsely defames a specific individual, that constitutes a genuine threat or harassment, or that unjustifiably invades substantial privacy or confidentiality interests; and 

(4) Allow reasonable, viewpoint neutral regulations of the time, place, and manner of expression. 

Santa Clara University School of Law’s Freedom of Expression Policy

Santa Clara University School of Law steadfastly encourages and supports the free expression of ideas. The law school’s policies, procedures, and practices protect the rights of faculty, students, and staff to communicate ideas that may be controversial or unpopular, including through robust debate and non-disruptive demonstrations and protests. 

In keeping with its commitment to protecting the robust exchange of ideas, the School of Law may reasonably regulate the time, place, and manner of expression. It may proscribe disruptive conduct that hinders free expression by preventing or substantially interfering with the carrying out of law school functions or approved activities, such as classes, assessments, meetings, interviews, counseling, individual or group studying, ceremonies, and public events. 

The law school also may proscribe expression that, regardless of its content or viewpoint, violates the law, falsely defames a specific individual or group of individuals, is made with conscious disregard for the likelihood that it will cause harm to others, constitutes a genuine threat or harassment, or unjustifiably invades substantial privacy or confidentiality interests.

To view the Expressive Activity Regulations Policy in its entirety, see pages 59-62 in the Student Handbook.

Facilitating the Free Expression of Ideas by External Guest Speakers and Panelists 

As an important part of its dedication to fostering an environment in which ideas are freely exchanged, the School of Law has promulgated the following procedures, which facilitate the expression of ideas by external guest speakers and panelists.

Prior to the event

1. Approval: Any student or Law Student Organization that seeks to host an external speaker who will be speaking on any topic other than academic counseling or career planning must consult with Law Student Services four weeks prior to the proposed event date. All potential speakers will be reviewed based on the Santa Clara University criteria listed on pages 57-63 of the University’s Student Handbook. 
2. Period of Additional Expression, Communication, and Dialogue:Absent exceptional circumstances, a student or Law Student Organization that seeks to invite a speaker must share material information about the speaker and the proposed event with all other student organizations and the Senior Assistant Dean of Student Services or that Dean’s designee at least two weeks prior to the scheduled event. This notice period is designed to facilitate additional constructive dialogue between the members of the student organizations regarding the time, place, and manner of the event so that they may minimize conflicts with other events that might otherwise be scheduled at the same time, encourage greater student, faculty, and staff attendance at the event, and foster additional respectful discourse at the event. This period of dialogue and communication between student organizations does not give to any student organization a veto power over the proposed event, and may not be used to restrain expression at the event based on its content or viewpoint. 
3. Preparing to ensure the safety of attendees:The safety of attendees is the first priority. The Student Bar Association (SBA) and Law School Organizations (LSOs), in partnership with the administration, may work with law enforcement and security personnel to maintain order and ensure the safety of everyone on campus. Regardless of the viewpoint expressed by the speaker, if the administration reasonably forecasts that the speaker may cause substantial disruption to the work of the school or harm the rights of others, the Senior Assistant Dean of Student Services, the Assistant Director of Student Life, or their designees may put in place proportionate safety and security measures which may require adjusting or canceling the event. 
4. Communicate with event organizers: The Senior Assistant Dean of Student Services, the Assistant Director of Student Life, or their designees may work in consultation with the event organizers to assess the situation and discuss potential solutions. If the event is determined to be unsafe or disruptive, the law school may impose reasonable time, place, or manner restrictions for the event. 
5. If necessary to help prevent disruption or protect the safety of participants or property, the Senior Assistant Dean of Student Services, the Senior Director of Student Life, or their designees may send a message to all potential attendees before the event and/or make an announcement at the start of the event that states the following in sum and substance:

“We would like to inform you that an upcoming event featuring a speaker will take place on [date and time]. We recognize that this event may be of interest to some members of our community, while others may have concerns or objections regarding the views expressed by a speaker or panelist. In our professional community, we value and encourage the robust exchange of ideas, and we will not curtail the expression of ideas, even if some members of our community find them to be discomforting or offensive. 

We would like to remind all attendees that disruptive behavior by any participant or audience member is not acceptable and will not be tolerated in this community. In the event that attendees are unable to refrain from disrupting this event, the law school may act to remove the disruptive attendees, change the time, place, or manner of the event, or cancel the event. 

We expect all attendees to behave in a manner that is respectful of the diverse viewpoints held by our professional community. Our community ensures that all members can express their views without fear of harm or intimidation.​ ​We encourage everyone to engage in respectful and constructive dialogue, regardless of their views on this or any other topic. 

Regardless of the content or viewpoint of the ideas expressed at the event, however, the law school may curtail expression that violates the law, falsely defames a specific individual or group of individuals, is made with conscious disregard for the likelihood that it will cause harm to others, constitutes a genuine threat or harassment, or unjustifiably invades substantial privacy or confidentiality interests. 

6. Alternative venues: If the law school or the university decides to cancel the event due to a safety risk, they may work with the event organizers to find alternative dates and venues to hold the event safely and without disruption.
7. Review policies and procedures: After the event, the law school and the university may review their policies and procedures to determine whether changes need to be made to ensure future events run smoothly and without incident. This could include changes to security protocols, event planning procedures, or communication strategies.

Speakers

The following statement must be read at the beginning of an event featuring a speaker who will be presenting content that may incite or offend others:

“The presence of a guest speaker on the campus of SCU does not necessarily imply approval or endorsement by the University of the views expressed by the guest speaker or by anyone else present at the event.”

To view the Speakers Policy in its entirety, in the Student Handbook.

Please consult with Law Student Services if you are hosting a speaker who may be considered controversial two weeks prior to the event date.

Safety and Risk Management

The purpose of safety and risk management is to minimize and prevent accidental loss and to ensure that all student organization events are fun and safe.  Law Student Services and Law Administrative Services can help guide you through the event planning process to determine which areas of safety and risk management apply to your event.  Examples of when to use risk management:

• Review of contracts (SCU students can’t sign contracts). Clarification of travel and University vehicle policies
• Review of fire and safety regulations, including emergency procedures
• Insurance review of outside agency
• Safe service of alcohol at events
• See the SCU Safety and Risk Management website for more info.

Email Accounts

Students are expected to activate their SCU email account. Official administrative announcements are sent via SCU email, and students are responsible for checking their email regularly and keeping themselves informed. Once an email has been sent to a student’s SCU email account, the student is considered to have been officially notified.

Name and Address Changes

Address, email address, and phone number changes should be made through the Workday system. All changes should be made immediately to ensure that students receive important information from the law school in a timely manner. Name changes must be submitted to the Santa Clara University Office of the Registrar. Please refer to https://scu.edu/registrar/frequently-asked-questions/  for additional information.

Student Lockers

Contact the SBA with questions and for pricing information.

Notice of Student Rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is the federal law that protects the confidentiality of the educational records of students maintained by the University and affords students certain rights with respect to those records. A student is any person who attends or has attended a class at the University, which includes courses taken through videoconference, satellite, internet, or other electronic and telecommunication technologies. Students’ rights under FERPA include:

The right to inspect and review educational records

Students have the right to inspect and review their education records. Students should submit a written request to the Office of the Registrar that specifies what records the students would like to inspect and review. Within 45 days of receipt of the request, the Office of the Registrar will make arrangements for access and will notify students of the time and place where the records may be reviewed.

Law Students have the right to inspect and review their educational records at the following offices:

• Official academic records, including application forms, admission transcripts, letters of acceptance, and a student’s permanent academic record are on file and maintained in the Office of the Registrar and the Student Services Office.
• Working academic files are maintained by the Office of Academic & Bar Success.
• Records related to a student’s nonacademic activities are maintained in the Office of the Senior Assistant Dean for Student Services.
• Records relating to a student’s financial status with the University are maintained in the various student financial services offices.

Certain records are excluded by law from inspection, specifically those created or maintained by a physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist in connection with the treatment or counseling of a student. Parents’ financial information, including statements submitted with scholarship applications, is also excluded by law from inspection. Third parties may not have access to educational records or other information pertaining to students without the written consent of the student about whom the information is sought.

The right to seek an amendment to educational records

Students have the right to request the amendment of their educational records to ensure that those records are not inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of students’ privacy or other rights. Students who wish to seek an amendment to a record should write to the University Registrar, clearly identify the part of the record they want to be changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the University decides not to amend the record as requested, the University will notify students in writing of the decision and their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to students when notified of the right to a hearing.

The right to consent to the disclosure of educational records

Students have the right to consent to the disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in their educational records. In some instances, the University may disclose personally identifiable information from a student’s educational record without the student’s consent. One such instance is a school official who has a legitimate educational interest in the record. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position; a person elected to the Board of Trustees; or a person or entity under contract with the University who has been designated a school official by the University and is performing specific duties for the University that require a legitimate educational interest.

A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review any educational records in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

The University is authorized under provisions of FERPA to release directory information without the student’s prior consent unless a student explicitly requests in writing that the University not do so and keep directory information confidential.

Directory information is designated as follows:

• Name
• Address: Campus post office box, local, and permanent addresses (residence hall and room numbers are not disclosed)
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Photograph
• Date and place of birth
• Major field of study
• Classification level/academic standing
• Dates of attendance (defined as academic year or quarter)
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of members of athletic teams
• Degrees (including expected or actual degree date), honors and awards received, and dates
• Most recent educational agency or institution attended

Students may submit a Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information form to the Office of the Registrar, which directs the University not to disclose directory information. Law students may also submit the form to the Law Student Services office. Once filed, the nondisclosure remains in effect until the beginning of the next academic year or a shorter period if designated by a student. Graduating students must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing to remove the nondisclosure from their record.

Former or current borrowers of funds from any Title IV student loan program should note carefully that nondisclosure will not prevent the University from releasing information pertinent to employment, enrollment status, current address, and loan account status to a school lender, subsequent holder, guarantee agency, the United States Department of Education, or an authorized agent.

The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education

Students have the right to file a complaint with the United States Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. Written complaints should be directed to the Family Policy Compliance Office, Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-5920.

For further information regarding Santa Clara University’s FERPA policy, please refer to www.scu.edu/ferpa/scu-ferpa-policy/, or contact the Office of the Registrar.

Honors at Graduation

Students who have received letter grades in at least 65 units (50 units for transfer students) are eligible to graduate with honors. The top 2 percent of the combined full- and part-time class is designated summa cum laude. The next 3 percent is magna cum laude and the next 5 percent, cum laude.

Order of the Coif

The School of Law is a member of the Order of the Coif, a nationally recognized legal honor society. Students receiving honors at graduation will be inducted into the Order.

Dean’s List

Students in the top 20 percent of their level (First-Year, Upper-Division, or Graduating Class), based on GPAs, are recognized on the Dean’s List. Students’ current and cumulative GPAs are available on Workday.

• Scholastic Awards

The CALI Excellence for the Future Award®
The CALI Excellence for the Future Award® program recognizes excellence achievement by law students in their studies. The award is given to the student with the highest grade in the class as determined by the instructor.

Generally, the faculty member picks one student to receive the highest grade in a course and therefore the CALI Excellence award. If, in extraordinary circumstances, in the opinion of the faculty member teaching the course, there is a “tie” for the highest grade, the faculty member may submit two students to receive the same award for the same course.

Witkin Award for Academic Excellence
For each qualifying course, the award should be given to the student designated by the instructor as attaining the highest grade in the course. In the event of a tie for the highest grade, the faculty member should select a single winner by considering class performance, additional work, attendance, and overall grade point average. Qualifying courses are those offered for academic credit in a JD program. Performance must be graded by a letter grade. Courses graded pass/no pass or credit/no credit do not qualify and students receiving pass/fail or credit/no credit in graded courses do not qualify. A qualifying course must have an enrollment of at least 10 students. Courses with fewer than the requisite number of students (including seminars) do not qualify.

Nominating students to receive awards is at the instructor’s discretion. Instructors may give out 2 awards to the students who received the highest grades in a class; 1 Witkin and 1 CALI. Instructors may give both awards to the student in a class who received the highest letter grade. Only one student is eligible for the Witkin. In case of a tie, instructors may give out two CALI awards. Instructors may decide to give the Witkin Award to the top student and the CALI Award to the second student. In case of a tie, instructors may give out two CALI awards.

• Deans’ Leadership Award

These awards are selected by the Deans and given to students in each graduating class who exemplify our motto of “Lawyers Who Lead” and who have served other students, the school, and the community.

• Mabie Outstanding Law Graduate Award

Through the generosity of the Inez Mabie Foundation, this award is presented every year by the Mabie Family Foundation, to the graduating student who best represents in his/her class the type of student SCU Law is most proud to graduate by reason of demonstrated qualities of scholarship, community leadership, and a sense of professional responsibility.

• John Bates Jr. Award in Conflict Resolution

The award is given by the generosity of our prominent alumnus and ADR expert, John Bates, Jr.  The criteria the selected Committee considers for the award follows; the nominee has distinguished herself or himself through (1) coursework in dispute resolution classes; (2) academic publications addressing pressing issues in dispute resolution; (3) performance in dispute resolution scholastic competitions; (4) externships or work experience focusing on dispute resolution, and (5) public service relating to dispute resolution.

• Art Gemmell Prize

A benefactor of the Law School (Ted Biagini BSC ’62, JD ’64, LLM ’08) has endowed an annual prize in honor of the late Art Gemmell, who was a long-time adjunct professor at Santa Clara Law and who taught International Commercial Arbitration at the Law School. The Art Gemmell Prize honors the best student paper in International Arbitration/Conflict Resolution.

Faculty

The foundation of any law school is its faculty. Not only do the faculty constitute the school’s academic “soul,” but the faculty also are the primary source of the students’ professional training. SCU’s full-time faculty is composed of teaching scholars. They are excellent teachers who are involved in the legal profession and in legal scholarship in ways that enhance their effectiveness as teachers.

The full-time faculty is the governing body of the law school and is responsible for the adoption and revision of the curriculum, entrance requirements, academic standards, disqualification policy, and other general rules and procedures relating to the law school’s operation.

For a list of faculty members, please refer to: http://law.scu.edu/faculty/

Faculty Judicial Committee

The faculty judicial committee is the judicial arm of the faculty. Except as provided below, the committee has jurisdiction, in highly extraordinary circumstances, to grant a student petition for relief from the application of any rule of the law school, including the rule concerning grade changes.

The faculty judicial committee does not have jurisdiction to consider the following matters:

1. allegations of unlawful discrimination or sexual harassment, which are subject to consideration pursuant to University procedures
2. requests for relief from the rules governing academic disqualification
3. matters of academic dishonesty delegated to the Panel on Student Conduct
4. matters of accommodations delegated to the Disabilities Review Committee
5. allegations challenging a faculty member’s evaluation of the quality of a student’s work and consequent judgment in determining a grade.

If a student wishes relief from any rule, the student must first consult with the senior assistant dean for student services. If the senior assistant dean or dean is unwilling to grant such relief, the student may submit a petition to the judicial committee. A petition may consist simply of a letter describing the situation and the relief requested. The letter should be delivered to the senior assistant dean for student services, who will forward it to the judicial committee.

In the event that the members of the faculty judicial committee are unable to convene or otherwise suitably communicate before the time that a judgment on a petition must be rendered, the dean is authorized to perform the functions of the committee with respect to that petition.

Decisions of the committee are final and are not reviewable by the dean, although the committee may refer matters to the executive faculty for advice or decision.

Administration

• Deans and Administrators
• Law Admissions Office
• Law External Relations
• Law Finance Office 
• Law Financial Aid Office
• Law Library
• Office of Assessment
• Office of Career Management
• Office of Academic & Bar Success
• Student Services Office

Requirements

Every state requires an individual to be licensed as an attorney to practice law. This is a separate process from graduating from law school. Each state has different requirements for licensure; almost all require an applicant to pass a general Bar examination, and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination.

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Students planning to practice in states other than California should consult the individual admissions requirements of those states. A list of state admissions offices is available from the National Conference of Bar Examiner’s website at http://www.ncbex.org.  Most individual state bar websites can also be located by searching the Internet for “Bar Exam [state name]”.

The following information applies to those intending to practice law in California. Students should review the summary and detailed requirements for California Bar admissions at http://calbar.ca.gov/admissions.

During the First Year

All law students attending law school in California must register with the State Bar of California within 90 days of beginning law study. The registration form is available on the State Bar of California website at http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Requirements.

During the Second Year

Students transferring to SCU from another law school must notify the State Bar of California within 90 days after beginning law study. The registration form is available on the State Bar of California website at http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Requirements.

During the Third or Fourth Year

Students should submit applications for their moral character review at least 9 months before their intended California Bar Exam date, to allow time for any needed follow up. The moral character investigation is a separate process from taking the California Bar Exam (separate forms, fees, and deadlines). The application for the moral character determination is available on the State Bar of California website at https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Moral-Character.

Exams

MPRE: Students must take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) to be admitted to practice law in most states, including California. The MPRE is given every August, November, and March with regular registration deadlines about two months before the test dates. We recommend planning to take this exam after completion of Professional Responsibility course in the second or third year, although students have successfully taken the exam concurrent with enrollment in Professional Responsibility. Applications are available from the National Conference of Bar Examiners at http://www.ncbex.org/exams/mpre/.

Applications for disability accommodations must be submitted about eight weeks in advance of the registration deadline.  Instructions are available at https://www.ncbex.org/exams/mpre/ada-accommodations/

California Bar Exam: Students must also apply to take the California Bar Exam. The California Bar Exam is currently administered over a two-day period at the end of February and July.  Applications are due approximately four months before each test date, and are available on the State Bar of California website at http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Examinations/California-Bar-Examination. 

Applications for disability accommodations must be submitted in advance of the registration deadline, though students are advised to submit their application a full semester before they graduate.  Instructions are available at https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Examinations/Requesting-Testing-Accommodations/

Baby Bar: The State Bar of California also administers an exam called the First-Year Law Students’ Exam, also known as the “Baby Bar.”  This exam is required for law students who attend some California law schools, but not Santa Clara Law. The only Santa Clara students required to take the First-Year Law Students’ Exam are those seeking readmission after having academically disqualified at the end of the first year.

For additional information, please refer to 
http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions/Examinations/First-Year-Law-Students-Examination and 
http://law.scu.edu/bulletin/academic-policies/#Disqualification.

For More Information

Questions concerning admission to practice in California not answered on the State Bar of California’s website at http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Admissions, should be directed to the State Bar Office of Admissions at 415-538-2300.

The Office of Academic & Bar Success offers courses, programming, and counseling to prepare students for the Bar Exam. The Office has many resources and practice tests for Bar Exam preparation. The Office maintains a resource room in Charney 216.

The Law School offers a bar preparation course, Advanced Legal Writing: The Bar Exam, available to JD students in their final semester before graduating. Some students are required to take this course under the Upper-Division Proficiency (UP) Points policy. All students are strongly encouraged to enroll in this course. Santa Clara Law has a partnership with Themis Bar Review. Themis resources are available to students during their time at law school and as they prepare for the Bar Exam. Students are automatically enrolled in Themis’ full-scale bar exam prep course which is provided to all students at a deep discount over Themis’ list price.  Questions about the Themis partnership are answered at https://law.scu.edu/admissions/faqs-about-themis/.

For the most current information on the Student Conduct Code and all policies and procedures regarding the Student Conduct System, please refer to the Student Handbook: https://www.scu.edu/osl/policies-and-protocols/.

Statement of Responsibilities & Standards of Conduct

A goal of Santa Clara University is to provide students with a general education so that they will acquire knowledge, skill, and wisdom to deal with and contribute to contemporary society in constructive ways. As an institution of higher education rooted in the Jesuit tradition, the University is committed to creating and sustaining an environment that facilitates not only academic development, but also the personal and spiritual development of its members.

This commitment of the University encourages the greatest possible degree of freedom for individual choice and expression with the expectation that individual members of the community will:

• Be honest
• Demonstrate respect for oneself
• Demonstrate respect for others
• Demonstrate respect for the law and University standards, policies, and procedures, their administration, and the process for changing them

In keeping with this commitment, this Statement of Responsibilities and Standards of Conduct and related policies and procedures have been formulated to guarantee each student’s freedom to learn and to protect the fundamental rights of others. The University administration has established standards, policies, and procedures that are necessary to achieve its objectives as a Catholic, Jesuit University. These standards, policies, and procedures are inclusive of the laws of the nation, the state of California, and the local community.

All members of the Santa Clara University community are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with the goals of the institution and demonstrate respect for self, others, and their property. Students living off campus are members of this community and, as such, are representatives of the University to the community at large. In this regard, students living off campus maintain an equal measure of accountability to the values and expectations of all members of this community as identified in the Student Conduct Code.

Whether living in or traversing through the neighborhood, or parking in the street, students are expected to adhere to the same high standards of conduct and behavior that are consistent with the students’ developing role as responsible and accountable citizens and reflect well upon the Santa Clara University community.

Student Conduct Code

All members of the University community have a strong responsibility to protect and maintain an academic climate in which the fundamental freedom to learn can be enjoyed by all and where the rights and well-being of all members of the community are protected. To this end, certain basic regulations and policies have been developed to govern the conduct of all students as members of the University community.

The University reserves the right to review student conduct that occurs on and off campus when such behavior is inconsistent with these expectations and the Student Conduct Code. In addition, students are responsible for the actions of their guests and will be held accountable for any violations of University standards, policies, and procedures by a guest. Students should accompany their guests while on campus. If necessary, the University reserves the right to limit the guest privileges of a student.

The following acts may subject students to disciplinary action:

1. Engaging in any form of academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism (representing the work or ideas of others as one’s own without giving proper acknowledgment), cheating (e.g., copying the work of another person, falsifying laboratory data, sabotaging the work of others), and other acts generally understood to be dishonest by faculty or students in an academic context. (Law students, refer to School of Law code.)
2. Illegal use, possession, or distribution of drugs. The use or possession of equipment, products, or material that is used or intended for use in manufacturing, growing, using, or distribution of any drug or controlled substance. Possessing, concealing, storing, carrying, or using any drug paraphernalia as defined in California Health and Safety Code § 11364.5, including, but not limited to, objects intended for use or designed for use in ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing marijuana, cocaine, hashish, or hashish oil into the human body. A reported violation of this section will result in the confiscation and immediate disposal of drugs and drug paraphernalia by University officials.
3. Falsification or misuse, including non-authentic, altered, or fraudulent misuse, of University records, permits, documents, communication equipment, or identification cards and government-issued documents
4. Knowingly furnishing false or incomplete information to the University, a University official, or judicial hearing board in response to an authorized request
5. Disorderly, lewd, indecent, or obscene conduct; excessive or prolonged noise; behavior that interferes with the orderly functioning of the University, or interferes with an individual’s pursuit of an education on University-owned or controlled property or during an authorized University class, field trip, seminar, competition or other meeting, or University-related activity
6. Detention, physical abuse, or conduct that threatens imminent bodily harm or endangers the physical well-being of any person, including harm to self
7. Nonconsensual physical contact of a sexual nature such as sexual misconduct, sexual assault, and rape
8. Destruction, damage, or misuse of University property or the property of any other person or group
9. Theft or conversion of University property or the property of any other person or group
10. Hazing, harassing, threatening, degrading language or actions, including stalking, or any practice by a group or individual that degrades a student or employee, endangers health, jeopardizes personal safety, or interferes with an employee’s duties or with a student’s class attendance or a person’s educational pursuits
11. Engaging in single or multiple acts – verbal, written, or physical—in violation of the Student Conduct Code motivated in whole or in part by a person or group’s actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religious creed, physical, or mental disability, medical condition, as defined by California law, marital status, citizenship status, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military or veteran status, or other status protected by law, and which has the purpose or effect of unreasonably and substantially interfering with an individual’s or group’s safety or security, or which creates an intimidating, hostile, and objectively offensive educational, living or working environment.  Bias-related conduct in violation of the Student Conduct Code on the basis of actual or perceived religious faith and political affiliation/orientation is also prohibited.
12. Making a video recording, audio recording, or streaming audio/video of private, non-public conversations and/or meetings, inclusive of the classroom setting, without the knowledge and consent of all recorded parties.¹
13. Intentional obstruction or disruption of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary procedures, or other University activities; or obstruction or disruption that interferes with the freedom of movement, both pedestrian and vehicular
14. Possessing, concealing, storing, carrying, or using any real or simulated weapons (including toy guns). The definition of weapons includes, but is not limited to, firearms (including BB/pellet, Airsoft, and paintball guns—regardless of whether they are disassembled), knives [switchblade, double-edged, hunting-style (fixed-blade) of any length, throwing, folding (pocket-style with a blade that locks into place), and knives with blades of 2.5 inches in length or greater], explosives (including, though not limited to, fireworks and firecrackers), ammunition, dangerous chemicals, or any other dangerous weapons or instruments, or chemicals as defined by, though not limited to, California State Law except if expressly authorized by University policy or procedure (see “Housing and Residence Life Policies” for information that pertains to Residence Life).  A reported violation of this section will result in the immediate confiscation and disposal of real or simulated weapons by University officials.
15. Unauthorized entry into or use or defacement of University facilities, including residence halls and other buildings and grounds, including unauthorized entry into or presence in or on a University building; unauthorized erection or use on University property of any structures including specifically but not limited to tents, huts, gazebos, shelters, platforms, and public address systems; or unauthorized use of University property for dances, concerts, assemblies, meetings, sleeping, cooking, or eating if said activity interferes with the operation of the University or surrounding community
16. Publication, posting, or distribution through the use of University resources (e.g., computer networks, telephone lines, e-mail services, Internet -connections), or at authorized University activities of material that violates the law of libel, obscenity, postal regulations, the fair use of copyrighted materials, or any law or statute or University policy
17. Failure to comply with a reasonable request or order of a University executive or other authorized official(s); refusal or failure to leave such premises because of conduct prescribed by this code when such conduct constitutes violations of this code or a danger to personal safety, property, or educational or other appropriate University activities on such premises; or refusal or failure to identify oneself when requested by a University official provided the official is identified and indicates legitimate reason for the request
18. Possession, consumption, sale, or action under the influence of alcoholic beverages by persons under the age of 21; furnishing alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21; consumption of alcoholic beverages in a public place (all areas other than individual residences, private offices, and scheduled private functions); excessive and inappropriate use of alcoholic beverages. (See also “Alcohol Policy Within the Residence Halls”)
19. Engaging in acts or deeds that may violate existing federal, state, county or municipal laws or ordinances that materially or adversely affect the individual’s suitability as a member of the Santa Clara University community.
20. Tampering with, removing, damaging, or destroying fire extinguishers, fire alarm boxes, smoke or heat detectors, emergency call boxes, and other safety equipment anywhere on University property; creating a fire, safety, or health hazard; or failure to respond to fire alarms, evacuate buildings during alarm activation, or respond to the directions of emergency personnel
21. Any behavior that disrupts or causes disruption of computer services; damages, alters, or destroys data or records; adversely affects computer software, programs, systems, or networks; or uses data, computer systems, or networks to devise or execute any scheme to defraud, deceive, extort, or wrongfully obtain money, property, or data

Students who are alleged to have violated the Student Conduct Code are subject to disciplinary action and, if applicable, may also be subject to criminal prosecution.

Student Conduct Records Policy

The Office of Student Life maintains a hard copy file and a digital record of a student’s conduct history. Conduct records are educational records, and are thereby subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the University’s Student Records Policy.

The conduct record is confidential and is only shared internally with University officials in instances when the student grants permission to release the record, or there is what FERPA defines “an educational need to know” basis for the request. The conduct record is maintained throughout the student’s enrollment and thereafter as indicated below. A student’s conduct record will only be released from the hard copy file to a person or party external to the University if the student has granted permission, where the disclosure of the record is permissible under the provisions of FERPA, or where the University is required to do so by law. The digital copy of the conduct record will only be released to an external person or party where the University is required to do so by law.

Retention of Hard Copy of Conduct Records

1. The hard copy file of a student’s entire conduct history is kept for a minimum of one (1) academic year beyond the academic year in which the date of the last violation of the Student Conduct Code occurred. When a student commits a violation of academic integrity, the hard copy file is retained for the remainder of a student’s academic career.
2. The files of any student who has received one or more of the following sanctions will be maintained for three (3) academic years beyond the academic year in which the student’s tenure in his/her current degree program at the University has ended.
3. Removal from University housing
   a. Disciplinary probation
   b. Deferred suspension
   c. Suspension
4. The conduct files of a student who has been expelled will be maintained for seven (7) years beyond the academic year in which the student’s tenure at the University has ended. The University reserves the right to change this policy at any time at its sole discretion.

¹The recording of classroom lectures, discussions, simulations, and other course-related activity is governed by this University recording policy, which balances the legitimate needs of students with disabilities that require the accommodation, the intellectual property concerns of its instructors, and the privacy of its students. Federal law states that students with documented disabilities should be allowed to record classroom activity. The Office of Accessible Education (OAE) will determine if classroom recording is an appropriate academic adjustment, auxiliary aid, and/or service with respect to each individual student’s documentation.

University policies, procedures, and standards are designed to foster a climate in which students can succeed during their time at the University. All law students are expected to familiarize themselves with these policies, procedures, and standards and adhere to them as well. University policies on the following topics can be found online in the Student Handbook: https://www.scu.edu/osl/policies-and-protocols/.

– Academic Integrity (Law students, please also refer to the School of Law Academic Integrity Policy.)
– ACCESS Credential Policy
– Office of Accessible Education
– Alcoholic Beverage Policy
– Responsible Hosting of Events Where Alcohol is Served
– Alcohol Policy Within University Housing
– Alcohol & Controlled Substance Violations: Parental Notification Policy
– Bereavement Resources
– Bias Incident Reporting
– Building Evacuation and Fire Safety
– Communicable-Diseases Policy
– Computing and Electronic Resources Policy
– Contraception Availability Policy Statement
– Crime Reporting
– Death of a Parent or a Student
– Drug-Free Policies
– Eating Disorders
– Eligibility Policy for Participation in Student Activities: Academic Standing and    Discipline Status
– Hazing Policy Statement
– Marijuana Policy
– Missing Person Notification Policy
– No Contact Directives
– Nondiscrimination Policy
– Posting Printed Material & Chalking
– Pregnancy Resources
– Gender-Based Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct Policy Purpose Statement
– Sexually Transmitted Infections
– Smoke-Free and Tobacco-Free Policy
– Solicitation Policy
– Speakers Policy
– Student Organizations
– Student Records and FERPA
– Transportation
– Housing and Residence Hall Policies, Procedures, and Standards
– Student Conduct System

For information on the Parking Policy, please visit https://university-operations.scu.edu/campus-safety/parking-and-transportation-services/parking-services/

Clery Act

Santa Clara University values the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and faculty, and visitors. The University community can only remain safe and secure through the cooperation of community members. By working together, we all can continue to make SCU a safe and welcoming university.

Under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, Santa Clara University annually collects information about campus crimes and other reportable incidents as defined by the law. This information is made available to assist current and potential students and employees in making informed decisions regarding their attendance or employment at the University. It is the policy of Santa Clara University that the campus community will be informed on a timely basis of all reports of crime and other information affecting the security of our campus and the personal safety of our students, faculty, staff, and guests.

For more information about campus safety policies, procedures, and statistics concerning campus crime, please see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (https://university-operations.scu.edu/campus-safety/clery-act-compliance).

Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA)

The University strives to safeguard the well-being of all children and encourages all members of the University community who observe, have actual knowledge of, or reasonably suspect child abuse or neglect at a University facility or perpetrated by University personnel to promptly report the concern to appropriate law enforcement, external officials, and university officials. 

The Child Abuse Neglect and Reporting Act (CANRA) requires that employers of mandated reporters promote identification and reporting of child abuse or neglect. Mandated Reporters under CANRA are responsible for reporting the incident themselves. They are not required to investigate any known or suspected cases of abuse. 

It is the policy of Santa Clara University that all university employees (as well as volunteers and independent contractors) who, in the course of their business or volunteer activity, have reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect are required to make a report. This policy applies to all Santa Clara University locations and all University-sponsored or hosted programs, events, and activities, including study abroad programs. Please note that information learned through any confidential communications made to a clergy member subject to the clergy-penitent privilege is not required to be reported. For more information or questions related to this policy, please contact the Office of the Provost (https://www.scu.edu/provost/research/research-compliance-and-integrity/human-subjects/research-involving-minors/).

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

The University does not discriminate in its admissions practices except as permitted by law, in its employment practices, or in its educational programs or activities on the basis of sex or gender.

As a recipient of federal financial assistance for education activities, the University is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to ensure that all of its education programs and activities do not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender. Sex includes sex, sex stereotypes, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and pregnancy or parenting status. Sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking are forms of sex discrimination, which are prohibited under Title IX and by University policy. The University also prohibits retaliation against any person opposing discrimination or participating in any discrimination investigation or complaint process internal or external to the institution.

To review the University’s complete policy, as well as more detailed information regarding Title IX-related procedures, please see the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX website (https://www.scu.edu/title-ix).

Americans with Disabilities Act/Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

In both practice and policy, Santa Clara University adheres to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended 2008 (ADAAA); Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and all other federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability. 

The University is committed to providing individuals with disabilities, including (but not limited to) those with learning disabilities, ADHD, chronic health conditions, traumatic brain injuries, hearing impairments, physical disabilities, psychological disorders, visual impairments, and other health impairments, equal access to the academic courses, programs, activities, services, and employment opportunities, and strives in its policies and practices to provide for the full participation of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of University life.

For information concerning policies and procedures for students with disabilities, see the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) website (https://www.scu.edu/oae). Students with disabilities who are registered with the OAE office may be qualified to receive accommodations, auxiliary aids, or services. To register with OAE, complete the Office of Accessible Education’s online application at: 

https://www.scu.edu/oae/register-with-oae/

After the OAE receives an online application, students requesting accommodations will be invited to meet with an OAE Advisor to complete an intake appointment. During this interactive conversation, the OAE Advisor will have an opportunity to better understand the impact of the student’s disability and previous accommodation experience. Relevant documentation will assist the OAE in establishing reasonable accommodations. Documentation may be provided by any qualified professional that can speak to the disability and its impact(s) on one or more major life activities.

Faculty and staff should contact Human Resources to request employee disability-related accommodations, auxiliary aids, or services. For more information, please see the Human Resources website (https://www.scu.edu/hr/). 

Students, faculty, and staff who have questions or concerns about (1) disagreements or denials regarding requested services, accommodations, or modifications to University practices or requirements; (2) alleged inaccessibility of a University program or activity; (3) alleged harassment or discrimination on the basis of a disability, and (4) any other alleged disability discrimination should contact the Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX. 

For more information or questions related to these policies, please contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX (https://www.scu.edu/title-ix).

Notice of Nondiscrimination

Santa Clara University’s fundamental principles of academic excellence through diversity and inclusion are central to our Jesuit, Catholic values. These principles and values require us to provide a workplace and educational environment free from discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. In its admission, educational and employment practices, programs, and activities, the University does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination against any individual based on race, color, ethnicity, nationality, national origin, religion, age, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, registered domestic partner status, veteran or military status, disability (including perceived disability), medical condition (including cancer related or genetic characteristics), pregnancy (including childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), or any other basis prohibited under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

The Director of Equal Opportunity serves as the University’s designated Title IX Coordinator and Affirmative Action Officer. The Director coordinates and oversees the prompt response, impartial and thorough investigation, and equitable and timely resolution to all instances of discrimination and harassment, sexual harassment, and other forms of sexual misconduct involving students, faculty, and staff. The Director also tracks incidents and trends involving sexual misconduct and serves as the principal contact for government and external inquiries regarding civil rights compliance and Title IX. 

For more detailed information regarding policies and procedures related to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination, please review the information included in the Santa Clara University Student Handbook (https://www.scu.edu/osl/policies-and-protocols) and on the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX website (https://www.scu.edu/title-ix). Inquiries regarding the University’s equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies should contact: 

Brandi Williams, Interim Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Office and Title IX Coordinator
Santa Clara University | Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX
500 El Camino Real | Santa Clara, CA 95053
Office Location: Loyola Hall, Suite 140, 425 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053
Main Office: 408-551-3043 
Email: bwilliams2@scu.edu 
Web: www.scu.edu/title-ix

Claims of discrimination or other inquiries concerning the application of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its implementing regulations may also be directed externally to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Education within the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) (https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/index.html). Inquiries regarding civil rights compliance and employment discrimination may also be made externally to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (https://www.eeoc.gov) and/or the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) (https://www.dfeh.ca.gov).

First-Year Curriculum

114A(n) Civil Procedure 1 and 114B(n) Civil Procedure 2
   (Full-time JD, first year)

114C Civil Procedure 1F and 114D Civil Procedure 2F
   (Flex JD, second year)

102A Contracts 1 and 102B Contracts 2
   (Full-time JD)

102E Contracts 1F and 102G Contracts 2F
   (Flex JD)

106 Criminal Law
(Full-time JD)

106A Criminal Law F
(Flex JD)

101A Legal Research and Writing 1 and 101B Legal Research and Writing 2
   (Full-time JD)

101C Legal Research and Writing 1F and 101D Legal Research and Writing 2F
   (Flex JD)

104 Property
(Full-time JD)

104A Property F
 (Flex JD)

103 Torts
(Full-time JD)

103A Torts F
(Flex JD)

465A Critical Lawyering Skills Seminar 1 and 465B Critical Lawyering Skills Seminar 2
(Full-time JD, first year – 2023-2024)

465C Critical Lawyering Skills Seminar 1F  

(Flex JD)

465D Critical Lawyering Skills Seminar 2F
(Flex JD, second year)

Required Advanced Curriculum

105  Advocacy

200 Constitutional Law: Governmental Structure (formerly: Constitutional Law I) 

201 Constitutional Law: Individual Rights (formerly: Constitutional Law II)

320 Evidence

302 Professional Responsibility 

Upper-Division Proficiency Points Eligible Classes

200 Constitutional Law: Governmental Structure (formerly: Constitutional Law I)

201 Constitutional Law: Individual Rights (formerly: Constitutional Law II)

320 Evidence

302 Professional Responsibility 

Additional upper-division proficiency points eligible classes are listed below:

207 Administrative Law

248 Business Organizations

281 Wills and Trusts

290 Community Property

310 Criminal Procedure: Investigation

324 Remedies

540 Advanced Torts

543 Real Estate Conveyancing

Elective Courses

For a list of required and elective courses, please refer to the Course Listing page.

University Accreditation

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Senior College and University Commission
985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100
Alameda, CA 94501
510-748-9001

Specialized Academic Accreditations

ABET, Inc.

Santa Clara University School of Law is approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association, 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-988-6738.

American Chemical Society

Association of American Law Schools

Association of Theological Schools

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business-Accounting

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business-International

California Board of Behavioral Sciences Accredited Marriage and Family Therapists

California State Commission on Teacher Credentialing

State Bar of California

University Administration

The current Santa Clara University Administration is available at: https://www.scu.edu/aboutscu/leadership/

Office of the Provost

The current Santa Clara University Office of the Provost is available at: https://www.scu.edu/provost/about-the-provost/provosts-office-directory/

Academic Deans

The current list of Santa Clara University Academic Deans is available at: https://www.scu.edu/provost/about-the-provost/academic-deans/

Finance and Administration

The current list of the Santa Clara University Finance and Administration Officers is available at: https://www.scu.edu/fa/about/

Enrollment Management

The current list of the Santa Clara University Enrollment Management Officers is available at: https://www.scu.edu/aboutscu/leadership/

Law School Officers

The current list of the School of Law Officers is available at: https://law.scu.edu/about/deans-and-administrators/

University Relations

The current list of the Santa Clara University Relations Officers is available at: https://www.scu.edu/university-relations/

The list of the Santa Clara University Board of Regents is available at: https://www.scu.edu/aboutscu/leadership/board-of-regents/

The list of the Santa Clara University Board of Trustees is available at: https://www.scu.edu/aboutscu/leadership/board-of-trustees/

The list of Law Advisory Board members is available at: https://law.scu.edu/about/law-advisory-board/