School of Law Handbook

Preamble

• All students enrolled at Willamette's Law programs are subject to the requirements listed in the School’s Programs and Academic Policies.

• It is the responsibility of each student to be thoroughly familiar with the School’s Programs and Academic Policies and to comply with the relevant requirements. We encourage all students to review the full program requirements regularly.

• Willamette University and the College of Law reserve the right to change the Academic Policies at any time.

Our Commitment to Students

Our dedication to our students’ success extends beyond the classroom. The journey through law school is both challenging and transformative, and we are committed to providing an environment that nurtures your academic, professional, and personal development. Whether you need academic guidance, career advice, or personal support, we are committed to your success. Together, our community can help you to achieve your goals and make a meaningful impact in the legal profession.

Your relationship with the College of Law doesn’t end at graduation. We encourage alumni to remain connected with our community by mentoring the next generation of lawyers, and by returning to visit throughout their careers.

Thank you for being a part of the College of Law. Our doors are always open. We look forward to seeing the incredible things you will accomplish during your time here and as members of the legal profession.

Student Conduct

Standards of Conduct

Willamette University College of Law expects a high standard of conduct from its students. A student's enrollment is a pledge to abide by the WUCL Honor Code. The faculty, in consultation with students, adopted these standards of conduct, and meeting these standards is a critical component of our academic program.

The Code is reproduced in the Student Honor Code General Principles section of this Handbook.

Of immediate importance: Students have a continuing duty to report any arrest, plea of guilty or "no contest," or conviction of any crime or traffic violation (except parking citations). The report must be made to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Administration within 5 business days of any arrest, charge, plea of guilty or "no contest," or conviction. If appropriate, the Associate Dean will inform the Director of Campus Safety and other university officials. Information regarding any such incident may be evaluated and reviewed by the university. Disclosure is required whether the crime or violation occurred in or outside of Oregon. Failure to report this information may constitute grounds for immediate dismissal from the university.

Willamette University College of Law students are also subject to the Willamette University Code of Student Conduct. 

Class Attendance Policy

The Principle:  Willamette University College of Law is committed to providing a rigorous, sophisticated educational program designed to effectively prepare its students for successful and satisfying legal careers. Regular and punctual class attendance, thorough preparation for each class, and active participation in class discussion are not only indispensable elements of this program but are also extremely beneficial to each student. Consequently, students are expected to attend all class sessions.

Nevertheless, recognizing that in some cases circumstances beyond a student’s control may prevent attendance in all classes, the Faculty adopted the Class Attendance Policy reproduced below, which sets the maximum number of permissible absences. This number is deliberately set high so as to take account of all possible reasons for which a student might miss classes while obviating the need for individual ad hoc exceptions. A student who misses more than the permissible number of classes (without formal university accommodations in place allowing for additional absences) will be administratively withdrawn from the course because the student has not participated in the educational process to a degree sufficient to permit the award of academic credit. The College of Law has adopted this policy to assure compliance with ABA accreditation standards.

The Class Attendance Policy 

• Attendance at 75% of regularly scheduled class hours is essential to learning the course material. Attendance tracking begins on the first day of classes. If a student chooses to add a course during the Add/Drop period but after the first meeting date, any classes missed will count as an absence. Any student who does not satisfy this minimum, regardless of reasons, at any point during the semester, will be administratively withdrawn from the course. That administrative withdrawal will be noted on the students transcript with the symbol: “X”.

• Each instructor may record attendance in class each day and may submit records to the Office of Student Services (OSS) at the end of each week. A student should regularly review their attendance record on SAGE to ensure accuracy.

• Students have an affirmative obligation to report and resolve any discrepancies in their attendance tracking. (See Student Honor Code.) It is the student’s responsibility to track attendance and avoid administrative withdrawal. SAGE attendance tracking is a courtesy and shall not be relied upon by students. An instructor may impose a stricter attendance policy, and may impose additional sanctions for non-attendance.

Employment During Law School

A student may not engage in employment for more than 20 hours per week in any semester in which the student is enrolled in more than 12 class hours. Upper-division students shall strictly comply with this requirement. Furthermore, first-year students are strongly advised not to engage in any employment while law school is in session. Students who wish to seek a waiver of these provisions must apply to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Administration for permission to adjust these work hour limitations.

Electronic Device Use in Classrooms

Students may use electronic devices in class only for permitted educational purposes, such as taking notes or accessing materials that are necessary for the particular class. The use of electronic devices, including cell phones, for other purposes, such as reading, composing, or sending email, text or other instant messages, watching video, playing games, or displaying websites not deemed necessary by the instructor for the class is prohibited. Each instructor retains the right to establish a more restrictive policy.

Academic Program

Credit hour and course requirements for degrees conferred by the College of Law are listed on the Program Page for their relevant degree.  First year students all take a common curriculum as listed on the relevant Program Page.  

The College of Law’s upper-division JD curricular requirements balance the need to ensure that all students receive a common foundation in fundamental subject matter and legal skills, while supporting students in exploring their areas of interest. Students are encouraged to make a complete curricular plan in SAGE in spring of their 1L year, review their plan against the requirements below, and continue to adjust their plan as needed throughout their 2L and 3L year in consultation with their advisor and their certificate program director, if applicable.  Upper class course requirements are listed on the relevant Program Page.

Degree requirements listed on the program pages will reflect requirements for students entering Willamette in the current academic year. For students entering in prior years, please see Past Catalogs for your degree requirements. 

Maximum Number of Credit Hours Per Semester.

A student may not enroll in more than 18 credit hours per semester. Enrollment of 17 or 18 credits must be approved by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Administration and will be billed at the per credit rate for each credit in excess of 16 credits for that semester in addition to the full-time tuition rate. This includes credit received from all sources, including externships, co-curricular credits such as moot court competitions, law journals, and courses taken at AGSM or other institutions.

Registration for Classes

Variable Credit Courses

Students may opt to register for between 3 and 12 credit hours for LAW 480 - Externship. Academic credits will be determined by the number of hours the student is scheduled to work at their externship site in consultation with the Director of Externships. When permitted by the instructor, students may opt to register for between 2 and 4 credit hours for the clinical law courses - LAW 618 and LAW 634. Academic credits will be determined by the number of hours the student is scheduled to work in the clinic in consultation with the Director of the Clinical Law Program. Academic credits to be awarded must be finalized no later than the add/drop deadline for the semester in which the student is registered. Adjustments to credit hours cannot be made after that time.

Double Registration

Students may not register for two or more courses that meet simultaneously. A student who attempts to take two or more courses that meet at the same time will be registered for and receive academic credit for only one course.

A student may not enroll in both the Externship Program and any Clinic during the same semester.

Deadline for Adding and Dropping Courses

Unless approved by the professor and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Administration, the last day for second- and third-year students to add and drop courses is 4:00 p.m. on the last day of the second week of classes. A withdrawal after the add/drop deadline, but before the withdrawal deadline, will result in a "W" on the transcript. Students may not withdraw from any course after the withdrawal deadline, unless the student receives an approved medical withdrawal. See the academic calendar for specific deadlines each semester.

Summer School

Summer coursework runs from mid-May to mid-August and consists of two May intersession periods, Summer Session I, and Summer Session II. Summer I is six weeks starting after graduation, and Summer II four weeks starting in mid-July. Students are only permitted to take one credit per intersession period. In the Summer I and II sessions, students may register for up to 7 credit hours of regularly scheduled summer school courses in each session. Students registered for a summer Externship (LAW-480) may rarely be permitted to register for up to 10 credits, including Externship, though students registering for more than 7 credits will need permission from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Administration, who evaluates, in light of past student performance, whether students can successfully complete all required work in Summer I and Summer II.

Students must enroll in 3 credit hours to qualify for financial aid in the summer. Summer Financial Aid is requested separately from Fall and Spring. A student who is on academic probation may enroll in the summer WUCL program only with prior permission of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Administration.

Priority for Registration

If demand for any required course exceeds the available enrollment capacity, JD students will receive priority for registration and enrollment over MLS, LLM, JD-for-Life, and all other students outside the JD program.  OSS may return non-JD students to the waitlist for a course if necessary to prioritize JD enrollment.