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Enrollment Status, J.D. Program
Length of Program: Students cannot remain enrolled in the J.D. program for longer than 84 months after they begin their J.D. studies. (See ABA Standard 311(c))
Full-Time Status: Students are identified as full-time students for tuition and other purposes if they are enrolled as follows:
- 12-16 credits in fall and spring semesters
- 6-8 credits in summer term
- 1-3 credits in January term (J-term)
Part-Time Status: Students are identified as part-time students for tuition and other purposes if they are enrolled as follows:
- 8-11 credits in fall and spring semesters
- 1-5 credits in summer term
Classifications for Organizations Outside Hamline: Third parties, such as government and private agencies, may use different criteria determining part-time and full-time status; for example, see the section on classification by the Veterans’ Administration. Students should become familiar with non-Hamline Law status classifications that affect their student status and financial aid eligibility.
Limited Credit Loads: In extremely limited circumstances, the Dean or Associate Dean for Academic Affairs may approve the enrollment of a J.D. degree-seeking student for fewer than eight credits. The student will be considered a part-time student, but tuition will be determined by the actual number of credits in which he or she is enrolled. Students must receive permission in advance to enroll for fewer than eight credits and should review any financial aid or other considerations before enrolling for less than part-time.
Maximum Credit Loads: In no event may a law student exceed seventeen credits per semester, ten credits per summer term, or three credits per January term. (AR 104)
Full-Time and Part-Time
Weekday Entering Students Presumed Full-Time: Students in the weekday program matriculate as full-time students and remain full-time students throughout the first year unless they receive permission from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Assistant Dean for Students and Diversity to go part-time. (AR 104)
Weekend Entering Students Presumed Part-Time: Incoming students in the weekend program are presumptively part-time students. (AR 104) They may petition to overload to full-time status or transfer to the full-time weekday program after their first year of classes.
Transfer Between Weekday/Weekend Programs or Full-time/Part-time Status:
Students who wish to move from weekend to weekday after their first year must apply for approval of a transfer by completing a Petition for Internal Transfer form in the Office of the Registrar. The petition is acted upon by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or Assistant Dean for Students and Diversity.
Weekend students must petition for an overload to register for a full-time load and weekday students must petition for an underload to register for a part-time load in each semester they want an overload or underload. The Overload/Underload Status Request form is available in the OTR.
Limits on Transfer Between Weekday and Weekend Curricular Options: While full-time weekday students may drop to part-time with permission, the number students attending the weekday program part-time may not exceed fifteen percent of the total number of weekday program students. (AR 104) Admission to the weekend program is contingent upon available spots and appropriate courses available in the weekend section for that term.
Course Registration and Status for Weekday and Weekend Options
First Year Students: First-year students must register for all their required classes within the curricular option for which they are officially enrolled (weekday or weekend). (AR 104)
Class Schedules: Classes for the weekday curricular option are scheduled Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Classes for the weekend curricular option are scheduled on Saturday and Sunday, with some upper-class courses scheduled Friday after 5 p.m.
Retaining Weekday or Weekend Status: After the first year, more than half of a student’s classes must be in the weekday schedule in order for the student to retain weekday status, and more than half of a student’s classes must be in the weekend schedule in order for the student to retain weekend status.
Registration Priorities: Students designated as weekend students have priority when registering for weekend classes.
Class or Year of Study
Class Designation: Class is determined by the time elapsed since matriculation. Class for a first-year student is L1, for a second-year L2, for a third-year L3, and L4 for all others.
Change to Next Class: A student’s class designation is rolled to the next class after completion of two terms, usually the end of each spring.
Class Status When Visiting Away or on Leave: Visiting away does not toll the rolling of a student from one class to the next. A student’s leave of absence does toll the rolling of his or her status.
Transfer Credits to and From Other Institutions, J.D. Program
U.S. Law Students Transferring Credits Into Hamline:
Number and Type of Credits That Transfer: A J.D. student in good standing at another approved law school may receive transfer credits at Hamline for courses in which the student received a grade of at least 2.000 on a 4.000 point scale or its equivalent. Courses graded “pass/no pass” do not transfer. No more than 43 transfer credits can count toward graduation. (AR 102)
Transfer credit courses will be recorded on the student’s transcript. Grades will also be recorded but will not be calculated into the student’s grade point average. (AR 112)
Upon a student’s acceptance for transfer into the J.D. program, the OTR will prepare a preliminary evaluation of the student’s transcript to determine which credits will transfer and whether they fulfill Hamline Law graduation requirements based on an official transcript sent directly from the other institution to Hamline Law. (AR 102) In accordance with ABA standards, Hamline requires that the course of study for the J.D. degree be completed no later than 84 months after a student has commenced law study at the law school or a law school from which the school has accepted transfer credit. Supporting information, such as syllabi and course descriptions, may be required to fully assess prior coursework.
Non-U.S. Law Students Transferring Credits into Hamline Law:
Evaluation of Transfer Credits: Students who wish to transfer credits from non-U.S. law schools to the J.D. program must have their official transcript from the foreign law school evaluated by WES or a similar service. (AR 102)
Numerical Limitation on Transfer Credits: The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will determine how many credits will be awarded based upon credits earned for the foreign law degree. (AR 102) In accordance with ABA standards, Hamline requires that the course of study for the J.D. degree be completed no later than 84 months after a student has commenced law study at the law school or a law school from which the school has accepted transfer credit.
Advanced standing transfer credit will be awarded for LL.B. or equivalent work at the foreign law school only for courses in which the student achieved a grade of “C” (2.000) or equivalent, or better. Courses graded “pass/no pass” do not transfer. (AR 112) A non-U.S. law student must apply for advanced standing transfer credits at the end of the first year of courses taken in the J.D. program. Advanced standing credits will be granted only if the student has achieved a cumulative grade point of 2.000 or higher during the first year of courses. (AR 102)
Transfer courses will display on the student’s transcript. Grades will also be recorded but will not be calculated into the student’s grade point average. (AR 112)
LL.M. Students Entering the J.D. Program:
LL.M. Advanced Standing Credit: No more than 29 advanced standing semester credits can be transferred from any LL.M. program to count toward the 88 credits required for the Hamline J.D. program. (AR 102)
Graduation Requirements for LL.M Transfers: LL.M. students transferring into the J.D. program must take all first-year required courses and must otherwise meet all requirements for graduation from the J.D. program. (AR 102)
Hamline Students Transferring to Other Institutions: Students who wish to transfer to another law school should notify the OTR and the Assistant Dean for Students before applying for transfer. Most schools require letters of good standing and a transcript as part of an application to transfer. The Office of the Registrar issues such documents to Hamline Law students seeking to transfer to another school, provided that they are in good standing, have no holds, and submit all the pertinent document issuance fees.
Hamline Students Visiting Away:
Prior Approval: A student at Hamline Law who wishes to take courses at another law school for credit must obtain approval in advance from the Dean’s Office. (AR 112) Students should submit their petitions through the OTR.
Visited School Limitations: Students may visit away at ABA-accredited schools only.
Visited School Limitations–Minnesota: Students may take courses at one of the other three Minnesota law schools during fall and spring semesters only as allowed in the Minnesota law school consortium agreement. (See Special Course and Curriculum Rules–Minnesota Law School Consortium Courses) To take courses at other Minnesota law schools during the summer term or J-term, students must apply to visit away at that Minnesota law school.
Visiting Away Procedures: To visit away at another law school, a student must authorize the billing of the processing fee to the student’s account and submit a Petition to Visit Away form to the Office of the Registrar for approval by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The Petition to Visit Away must include a list of all coursework to be taken at the other institution and the course descriptions for each course. Coursework that is not pre-approved will not transfer.
Visiting Away Credits: Credits earned in an approved visit at another law school will be treated as transfer credits provided the student earns a grade of “C” (or 2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better. “Pass/no pass” courses do not transfer. The grade will be entered on the student’s transcript but will not be calculated into his or her GPA. A maximum of 43 credits can be earned by visiting away. (AR 112)
No Visiting Away in Final Semester: Visiting away at another law school is not permitted during the last semester of a student’s law school career.
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