Academic Affairs
Everything You Need To Succeed!
Academic Affairs is your go-to resource for navigating the many of the administrative details of law school. Our staff assists students with registration, academic regulations, exams, grading, enrollment verification, bar certification, academic records, graduation requirements, and bar certifications. Together we are committed to getting you the information you need so you can focus on studying and practicing law, whether you are a student or an alum. Please see below for an extensive array of resources available to help you be successful in law school and in your career.
- Academic Success Program
- Attendance and Enrollment Standards
- Bar Exam Preparation Program
- Financial Aid and Scholarships Information
- Residency Requirements, Course Loads, & Credit Hours for Coursework - ABA Standards 311(c) and 310
- Testing Accommodations & Learning and Study Accommodations
- J.D., LL.M., and M.A. students wishing to apply for standard (ADA) testing accommodations & learning and study accommodations should contact the Office of Accessible Education for more information.
- J.D., LL.M., and M.A. students wishing to apply for language accommodations for testing should contact Assistant Dean Tori Luwisch-deLaureal at valuwisc@loyno.edu for more information.
Spring 2021
Fall 2020
Spring 2020
Fall 2019
Spring 2019
Fall 2018
Spring 2018
Fall 2017
Spring 2017
Fall 2016
Exam Schedule
Exam Conflict Form
Honor Code
Current College of Law Honor Code Information
Testing Accommodations & Learning and Study Accommodations
- J.D., LL.M., and M.A. students wishing to apply for standard (ADA) testing accommodations & learning and study accommodations should contact the Office of Accessible Education for more information.
- J.D., LL.M., and M.A. students wishing to apply for language testing accommodations for testing should contact Assistant Dean Tori Luwisch-deLaureal at valuwisc@loyno.edu for more information.
Loyola's Online Records Access (LORA)
Early registration, registration, late registration, and drop/add are conducted through LORA. Actual dates and times are listed on the Office of Student Records registration page. By registering through LORA, the student’s registration is automatically confirmed and he or she will be billed accordingly.
Students should note that if they are full-time day students, they can register for day classes. Day students may register for evening classes without the permission of the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. We hold some spots for evening students in evening classes, but day students routinely are allowed to register for evening classes. Evening students wishing to enroll in day classes must seek permission from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
Disabled students who notify the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs or Law Records will be assisted in their registration by a staff member.
Through LORA, students are also able to view their complete law school academic records and their financial obligations to the university.
Early Registration
Enrolled students may participate in early registration for the subsequent term. Early registration is conducted through LORA beginning in November for the spring and summer terms and April for the fall term. The Office of Law Records registers first-year students in their fall and spring first-year courses. Upper division students wishing to register for first-year courses must contact the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
In courses in which J.D. and non-J.D. students are permitted to enroll, J.D. students will have the opportunity to register before non-J.D. students. Registration times will be posted before each registration period ensuring that J.D. students have priority registration.
Registration remains open on LORA until the deadline for drop and add designated for each term. Drop and add deadlines are listed on each term’s academic calendar.
If a student decides not to return to the university in the semester for which he or she early registered, the student must officially withdraw before the semester begins. (See Withdrawal from the University.) Students with financial obligations to the university are subject to having their early registration cancelled according to the promissory note signed with the Student Financial Services Office. Failure to have this hold removed will result in the cancellation of the early registration schedule. Students with a health hold due to remaining immunizations will not be allowed to register early.
Drop/Add Period
Because of external and internal reporting on enrollments, deadlines for drop/add activity must be strictly enforced. A dropped course is removed from the student’s record.
Registration for the audit grading option may be selected by students during any registration activity or the drop/add period and may not be changed at a later date.
Auditing
Students who do not want to earn university credit for a course may elect to audit the course. Such courses are considered part of the student's term course load and are recorded on the transcript. Regular tuition and fees apply for audited courses. To audit a course, a student should request permission to audit from the professor. The professor must contact the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to request the student be added to the course as an auditor. The instructor of the course will advise the student what is expected as an auditor in the class. A course previously audited may be taken for credit by enrolling in the course in a subsequent term. A student may not change his or her status from audit to credit or from credit to audit without permission from the professor and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Upon completion of the semester, the audited course will receive a final grade of (AU) Audit, (AI) Audit Incomplete, or (FA) Failed Audit.
Withdrawal From Courses
Prior to the deadline for withdrawal stated in the academic calendar, students may receive an administrative withdrawal from a course. Students receive a W in the course(s).
After this administrative withdrawal period, students may petition their instructors no later than two weeks before the last class day. Based on the student’s petition, a faculty member may award a W* or require the student to complete the course. Failure to obtain an administrative withdrawal or to petition the instructor may result in the grade of AF. The decision of the faculty member is recorded on the final grade roster.
Permission to drop Legal Research (LAW L898) or Independent Study (LAW L899) shall require prior written permission of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
First-year students ordinarily are not permitted to drop courses.
Withdrawal From the University
A student who withdraws from the university during a term before taking the final examinations for the term forfeits all credit work done in that term.
To withdraw officially from the university a student must:
- Obtain a withdrawal form from the Office of Law Records, in the College of Law.
- Meet with and obtain the signature of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
- Students should consult the College of Law academic calendar for the tuition refund schedule. Those students who withdraw officially from the university on or before the last day for dropping courses as recorded in the academic calendar will have the courses removed from their records. Students withdrawing from the university after the drop period but in the withdrawal period will receive 'W' grades. After the withdrawal period, a grade is assigned by the instructor. Students who have not completed at least two terms at the time of withdrawal must complete the degree requirements in effect at the time of their re-entry.
Medical Withdrawal
If a student is unable to complete the coursework or other course of study for a semester due to medical and/or mental health reasons, the student may request a medical withdrawal from the University. Medical withdrawal requests must be supported by appropriate documentation from a licensed care provider, submitted to the Director for Counseling and Health Services and approved by the Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Provost. Any student receiving a medical withdrawal during the term may be required to remain out of class the succeeding term. This decision will be based on seriousness of illness and time of withdrawal. There are no partial medical withdrawals for a term. The institutional refund policy applies. Medical withdrawals must be made within the term being requested (during illness) unless the student was unable to withdraw. For example, students who were hospitalized or were seriously debilitated by mental illness may be unable to withdraw during the semester in which they are enrolled. Detailed written documentation must be submitted by a licensed care provider to the Director for Counseling & Health Services and approved by the Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Provost. The request for a medical withdrawal must be submitted once the student is able, but no later than three months after the student is able to make the request. Students who have not been enrolled at the University for a period of two semesters or more must re-enroll and follow the degree requirements in effect at the time of their reentry.
Leave of Absence
Students enrolled in a term may apply to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for a leave of absence for either the next term or the next academic year. Application requires the completion of a leave of absence form available in the Law Records Office. Students returning from a leave of absence are subject to the policies of the bulletin under which they were originally admitted. A leave of absence is not granted to a student transferring to another school.
Spring 2022
Fall 2021
As an ABA-accredited law school, the College of Law is subject to the ABA Standards for Approval of Law Schools.
Under ABA Standard 510, any student at the College of Law may bring a formal complaint to the College of Law administration "of a significant problem that directly implicates the school's program of legal education and its compliance with the ABA Standards." This may include concerns about curriculum; academic standards and achievements; course of study; externships; distance education; and study abroad programs.
Students seeking to file a formal complaint related to the program of legal education and compliance with the ABA Standards shall do the following:
- Submit the complaint in writing to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The complaint may be made by email, U.S. mail, or personal delivery.
- Describe in detail the behavior, program, process, or other matter that is the subject of the complaint, and explain how the matter implicates the law school's program of legal education and compliance with specific ABA Standard(s).
- Provide the name, official College of Law email address, and street address of the complaining student, for further communication about the complaint.
When the Associate Dean receives a student complaint, the following procedures will be followed:
- The Associate Dean will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within five business days. Acknowledgment may be made by email, U.S. mail, or personal delivery, at the option of the administrator.
- Within twenty days of acknowledgment of the complaint, the Associate Dean, or his or her designee, shall either meet or correspond with the complaining student, providing a written response to the substance of the complaint or informing the student that additional investigation is needed. If further investigation is needed, the student shall be provided with information about what steps are being taken to investigate the complaint and an estimated date for the completion of the investigation by the College of Law. The written response to the complaint will specify what steps are being taken to address the complaint.
- After the student receives the written response to the complaint, an appeal may be taken to the Dean of the College of Law within ten days. The appeal must be in writing and should identify the basis for questioning the original response. Any decision made on appeal by the Dean shall be final.
- A copy of the complaint and a summary of the process and resolution of the complaint shall be kept in the Dean's office for a period of 10 years from the date of final resolution of the complaint.
For information on how to file a complaint/report regarding the following matters, please click the link for each policy.