As a condition for graduation, each student must be a full-time student in residence for a period of not less than six semesters. To receive residence credit for a semester, a student must be registered for and complete the work in a minimum of 10 credits for that semester. Regular and punctual class attendance is necessary to satisfy residence and credit requirements. Regular attendance is attendance at and preparation for not less than 80 percent of the classes held in each course or seminar. These requirements are absolute minimums, and the instructor in any course may establish more demanding standards for class attendance and preparation. Failure to meet the class attendance and preparation requirements will subject the student to academic sanctions including being awarded an F or a U (unsatisfactory completion of course requirements) at the faculty member's discretion.
A student who completes the first year of law school may petition the Office of the Dean for a leave of absence. This petition must be in writing, setting forth the circumstances of the request and the length of leave desired. Approval is only granted in unusual circumstances and normally not for more than one year. The approval may be conditional. A petition for a leave of absence will not be considered during an examination period.
It will be the student's responsibility to meet the conditions of his or her leave. The student must submit a letter to the Dean's Office at least two months prior to the end of leave, or when otherwise requested, indicating his or her intention to return to the school. If the student fails to submit a letter or goes beyond the time of leave granted, the student will not be eligible to return automatically. The student must petition the Faculty Committee on Petitions and Academic Standards for readmission. In addition, the student must complete the University Student Resignation Form if he or she pre-registered for the term in which the leave has been granted.
Leaves of absence are not available to students during their first year. A student who cannot complete the first year must file a University Student Resignation Form with the Office of Student Accounts and must go through the admissions process again if he or she wishes to return to the school.
A student can officially resign in good standing from the School of Law and the University by submitting a letter to the Office of the Dean stating the reason for resignation and by completing the University Student Resignation Form at the Office of Student Accounts. R grades will be issued for all courses in which the student registered, and tuition and fees may be prorated. See "Termination of Registration/Resignation," for details.
In accordance with the School of Law policy, a student cannot officially withdraw during an examination period. Once an examination period starts, all scheduled examinations must be taken before the student can withdraw. A first-year student who withdraws prior to completion of first-year final examinations will have, in accordance with University policy, an official transcript record showing W grades for all courses in which the student registered. However, for such students, the School of Law Records Office can furnish upon request a letter containing the grades received on mid-terms and the student's dates of attendance.
A student who seeks readmission to the school after academic exclusion, withdrawal, or failure to return after a leave must file a petition with the Faculty Committee on Petitions and Academic Standards. The petition should state what equities, if any, speak for the petitioner's readmission, and why the committee should grant the petition.
A decision by the committee to deny a petition is final if unanimous. A non-unanimous decision by the committee may be appealed to the Faculty Steering Committee.
If readmission is granted, the Faculty Committee on Petitions and Academic Standards has the authority to place the student on probation and to impose conditions that must be met by the student for advancement.
If the conditions of probation are not satisfactorily met, the student will be excluded automatically. The student does have the right to petition again.
A student in good academic standing may request to take the second or third year at another law school. This request must be in writing and submitted well in advance to the Office of the Dean. If the request is approved, the student must submit the course offerings and descriptions of those courses intended for transfer of credit. The Office of the Dean will review the course offerings for approval.
It is the responsibility of the visiting student to submit an official transcript of grades received to the Registrar of the School of Law. The student must earn a grade of C (or its equivalent) or better for credit to be transferred. All transferred courses will be noted on the University of Pittsburgh law school transcript with the credit notation. The student will be required to furnish an official copy of the transcript from the law school attended to the State Board of Law Examiners.
Students who expect to receive Juris Doctor degrees from Pitt must meet all conditions and requirements imposed by this school (such as the course in Legal Profession and the faculty-supervised writing requirement) even though they have taken their second or third year elsewhere.