2018-2019 SOUTHWESTERN LAW SCHOOL STUDENT HANDBOOK 2018-2019 Southwestern Law School is approved by the American Bar Association1 and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Since 1911, Southwestern Law School has served the public as a nonprofit, nonsectarian educational institution. Southwestern does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, veteran/military service, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law in connection with admission to the school, or in the administration of any of its educational, employment, housing, financial aid, scholarship, or student activity programs. Non-discrimination has been the policy of Southwestern since its founding. Southwestern’s policy on non-discrimination is to comply fully with applicable state and federal law. The law school also requires employers using its Career Services Office services and facilities to abide by these standards and to insure that no such discrimination occurs in hiring, promotion, or compensation for work assignments. It is the policy and practice of Southwestern Law School to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and state and local requirements regarding students and applicants with disabilities. Under these laws, no qualified individual with a disability shall be denied access to or participation in services, programs and activities of Southwestern Law School. Copies of the complete policy regarding students and applicants with disabilities may be obtained from the Dean of Students and Diversity Affairs Office. Southwestern Law School is a qualified exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Gifts to the law school are deductible from state and federal taxes. The Southwestern admissions catalog/viewbook, Southwestern website, MySWLAW Student Portal, and the Southwestern Student Handbook have been designed to answer frequently asked questions concerning the admissions process; academic, financial aid, and placement and career development programs; and general policies and regulations of Southwestern Law School. Publications have been prepared with the best data available as of July 2018 regarding these matters as well as course offerings, tuition, fees, faculty, and administration. In accordance with American Bar Association Standard 509, consumer information is available on the Southwestern website at http://www.swlaw.edu/aba-disclosures. Notwithstanding anything contained in the catalog/viewbook, website, MySWLAW or handbook, the administration, faculty, and Board of Trustees of the law school expressly reserve the right, whenever it deems advisable, to (1) modify the schedule of fees and tuition charges and to make such changes applicable to all students; (2) change instructors or cancel, withdraw, reschedule or modify any course or program of study, or any requirement in connection therewith; and (3) change any regulation affecting the student body. WHILE EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO PROVIDE COMPLETE AND CURRENT INFORMATION, THIS HANDBOOK IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A CONTRACT. ALL INFORMATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, STATEMENTS OF FEES, COURSE OFFERINGS, AND ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Copyright © 2018 Southwestern Law School 3050 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90010-1106 All rights reserved. 1 American Bar Association/Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, 321 North Clark Street, 21st Floor, Chicago, IL 60654-7598; (312) 988-6738 ii INTRODUCTION The faculty of Southwestern Law School is pleased to furnish each student with a copy of the Student Handbook. The handbook outlines the policies and procedures students are instructed to follow as they enter and progress through law school. Sections 1, 3, and 4 detail the requirements for graduation and policies that must be followed by students at Southwestern. Section 2 presents policies specific for the SCALE program®, interdisciplinary programs and LL.M. These sections are to be read carefully as they are designed to answer questions which may arise during your course of study at Southwestern. They will also provide you with notice of the standards to which each student will be held. Section 5 provides an overview of special programs at Southwestern, including externships, legal clinics, and summer abroad and student exchange programs. Section 6 describes the student honors programs, including Law Review, Law Journal, Moot Court, Negotiation, and Trial Advocacy Honors Program, and extra-curricular activities, including the Student Bar Association (SBA), and the numerous student organizations. Section 7 provides an overview of financial information; Section 8 provides an overview of the law library, student services, administrative offices, and student housing; and Section 9 summarizes general information. Southwestern reserves the right to amend any of its policies or procedures at any time. Any notice of policy or procedure change will be posted on the administrative bulletin board, located in the first-floor lobby of the Westmoreland Building. All students are required to read and comply with all of the policies and procedures set forth in this handbook, including any subsequently posted changes or amendments. Any ambiguities which may appear in this handbook will be clarified only by the Office of the Dean. The faculty hopes each student will take advantage of the many opportunities available at Southwestern. Becoming involved will help you become an integral part of this academic community and in that challenging and rewarding discipline you have chosen for your career, the law. This handbook is designed to aid Southwestern in providing you with the finest legal education possible. Good luck in your studies at Southwestern. iii SUMMARY OF CONTENTS SECTION 1 - Academic Standards and Procedures 1 SECTION 2 - SCALE, Interdisciplinary Programs and LL.M. 39 SECTION 3 - General Law School Policies 50 SECTION 4 - Student Conduct 81 SECTION 5 - Special Programs 90 SECTION 6 - Honors Programs and Extra-Curricular Activities 92 SECTION 7 - Financial Information 105 SECTION 8 - Library, School Administration and Student Housing 110 SECTION 9 - General Information 119 APPENDICES 129 INDEX 132 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION iii SECTION 1: Academic Standards and Procedures 1 I. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS 1 A. Overview 1 B. Residency Units 2 C. Upper Division Writing Requirement 2 1. Seminar Standards and Guidelines 2 2. Courses That Meet the Upper Division Writing Requirement 3 D. Professional Skills Requirement (Students who matriculated before August 2016) 3 E. Experiential Requirement (Students who matriculated after August 2016) 3 F. Bar Readiness Curriculum 4 G. Career Services Exit Interview 4 II. ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 4 A. General Policies 4 1. Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirements 4 2. Computation of Units 4 3. Repeated Courses 4 4. Course Sequence 5 5. Prerequisites 5 6. Unit Overload, Unit Underload 5 7. Changing from the Traditional Part-Time Program to the Full-Time Program 5 8. Length of Course of Study 6 9. Bar Exam Policy 6 10. Leave of Absence 6 B. Registration 7 1. Registering for Courses 7 a. Adding Courses 7 b. Dropping Courses 7 2. Cross Registration 7 3. Auditing Courses 8 4. Withdrawal 8 5. Student Action Report (SAR) 8 C. Southwestern Summer Courses and January Intersession 9 1. Summer Courses 9 2. January Intersession 10 D. Employment Policy 10 E. Attendance Policy 11 F. Religious Observance 11 G. Public Service Policy 12 H. Faculty Office Hours 12 III. EXAMINATION POLICY 12 A. Examination Procedures 12 1. Administrative Change of Exam Date or Time 12 2. Deferment of Examination for Exigent Circumstances 12 3. Examination Room Policies 13 B. Criteria for Final Course Grade 13 C. Examination Review 14 1. Grades Below C+ 14 2. Grades of C+ and Above 14 3. Examination Retention Policy 14 v IV. GRADING POLICIES, HONORS, AND SPECIALIZED COURSES 14 A. General Procedures 14 1. Course Syllabus and Grading Criteria 14 2. Anonymous Grading Rule 14 3. Time Limits for Turning in Grades 15 4. Issuing of Final Grades 15 5. Policy on Changing Grades 15 B. Grading System 15 1. Alphabetical Grading System 15 2. Class Rank 15 3. Transcript Symbols 16 4. Administrative Fail (*F) 16 5. Incomplete Policy 17 C. Scholastic Honors 18 1. Graduation Honors 18 2. Dean's List 18 3. Other Academic Honors 18 4. Scholarships, Grants and Fellowships 18 a. General Scholarships 18 b. Public Interest Law Grants and Fellowships 19 c. Outside Scholarships 20 d. Fellowships 20 5. Writing Competitions 20 D. J.D. Concentrations 21 E. Credit/No Credit Courses 21 F. Independent Study 21 G. Distance Education Policy 23 V. ACADEMIC SUPPORT 24 A. Academic Support Courses in the Curriculum 24 Academic Skills Labs 25 Defenses in the Law 25 Remedies 25 B. Academic Support for SCALE Students 25 Academic Skills Labs 25 C. Bar Preparation Programs 25 Multistate Bar Exam: Skills and Strategies 25 Cal Bar Writing: Skills and Strategies 26 Southwestern’s Bar Pass Program 26 VI. ACADEMIC DISQUALIFICATION, ACADEMIC PROBATION, AND ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS 26 A. Overview of Academic Policies 26 1. Academic Disqualification 26 2. Academic Probation 26 3. Academic Improvement Program 27 B. Academic Disqualification 27 1. Disqualification Procedure