Admitted Students | Emory University School of Law | Atlanta, GA

JM and LLM Programs

JM and LLM students are expected to maintain at least a B (3.0) average. If a student’s cumulative GPA should fall to a 2.50 or less at any time, he/she will automatically be placed on academic probation, effective immediately.* Students on academic probation must petition the Academic Standing committee for permission to enroll in new classes, and may not do so until their petition is granted. Further, while on academic probation, JM and LLM students must regularly meet with the Assistant Dean for Student Engagement or the Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, respectively, to discuss the status of their classes, their proposed course selections, and their progress toward a return to good standing.

If a JM or LLM student fails either of the required foundational courses (i.e., Introduction to the American Legal System, and their required legal writing course), they will be required to immediately re-take it. If they fail the course a second time, they will be dismissed from the program. (For part-time students who fail either of the required foundational courses, enrollment in other coursework should ordinarily await successful completion of the relevant course.)

*Students who began the JM program prior to Fall 2014 will be placed on academic probation if their cumulative GPA falls to a 2.25 or less.

SJD Program

Any grades earned by SJD students will be evaluated by the student’s faculty supervisor/dissertation committee on an ongoing basis. The SJD student’s faculty supervisor/dissertation committee will determine whether the student’s performance meets the necessary standard for continuation in the SJD program.

Grade point average (GPA) will be determined for graduate students, although class rank is not calculated. Because graduate students are graded separately from J.D. students, they do not impact the J.D. grading curve or class rank.

When a student, without permission or a valid excuse, fails to appear for an examination, or appears for an examination and fails to turn in the examination, they will receive a course grade of F. Before the time indicated on the Academic Calendar for final examinations, a schedule of examinations will be published. Special scheduling or deferral of a final examination is permitted only when the cause is beyond the control of the student and only with approval of the Dean or Dean's designate. A grade of I (incomplete) is given to indicate an authorized deferral of examination or required course work. Required course work or a deferred examination must be completed by the close of the term in which the course is next offered or the grade of I (incomplete) will automatically be converted to a final grade of F.

Examination papers are identified solely by randomly selected student examination numbers and not by student names. New numbers are issued each semester.

All students are reminded that it is faculty policy that examinations are to be taken on the day and at the time scheduled, unless an individual is excused by emergency, illness, or involuntarily assumed obligations on the day of the examination. Students in joint programs who find that they have a conflict with another school AT THE TIME OF THE EXAMINATION in the Law School should advise the office of the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs in advance of the examination period, so that the conflict can be resolved. Every effort must be made to eliminate the conflict in the other school, as law school exams are rescheduled only as a last resort.

If the exam conflict occurs during the first week of exams, the make-up will be on the first make-up day. Likewise, exams which conflict during the second week are to be made up on the second make-up day. Any student with three 9 a.m. exams on three consecutive days is permitted to move the third 9 a.m. exam to the first make-up day AFTER the exam. When a student has two examinations within a 24-hour period, such as at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the same day, or at 2 p.m. and 9 a.m. the next day, he/she may postpone one exam to the next make-up day. While it is often the 2 p.m. exam that is rescheduled, these conflicts are all evaluated by the Office of Student Affairs and rescheduling is done to create the most efficient make-up exam schedule. All exam conflicts should be raised with, and must be resolved with the consent of the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Exams scheduled for the same time slot pose a conflict that will be resolved by the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Make-up exams are never scheduled before the exam is administered on the scheduled date. Take-home exams are not considered to pose a conflict.

In the event of illness or emergency on the day of an examination, the student must contact the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to request deferral. Emergency exam deferrals are dealt with by the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and the faculty concerned on a case-by-case basis. A STUDENT REQUESTING DEFERRAL ON THE BASIS OF ILLNESS WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A CERTIFICATE FROM A PHYSICIAN TO SUBSTANTIATE THE REQUEST FOR DEFERRAL, WHICH IS NORMALLY JUSTIFIED ONLY IF THE STUDENT IS ACTUALLY SEEKING AND GETTING MEDICAL CARE AT THE TIME OF THE EXAM. Make-up examinations for students ill on the day of the examination will be administered on the make-up day(s) as outlined above.

INDIVIDUAL EXAMINATION SCHEDULES WILL NOT BE CHANGED FOR ANY REASON OTHER THAN THE FOREGOING. IF THE TIME OF THE EXAMINATION IS OF IMPORTANCE TO YOU IN CHOOSING YOUR COURSES, PLEASE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION BOTH AT PRE-REGISTRATION AND AT FINAL REGISTRATION.

Any Graduate Programs student who was required to submit a TOEFL score for purposes of admission consideration will receive additional time on their examinations. If the TOEFL requirement was not required or was waived for a student – even if English is not their first language – that student will not receive additional time.

If you have any questions or concerns, please see Jessica Dworkin.

LLM and JM Law students may credit one course taken elsewhere in the University toward their graduation requirements. The proposed course must have a direct connection to the student’s course of study. Students should obtain permission from the non-law course professor, and submit

• confirmation of the professor’s permission
• a letter of petition, (c) non-law course syllabus
• current transcript to the Graduate Programs Office no later than July 15 for the fall semester, and November 15 for the spring semester.

Non-law courses will be graded on a pass / fail basis. Contact the Graduate Programs Office for questions about registration procedures for these courses.

Students in good standing may elect to withdraw between semesters after notifying the Graduate Programs Office and the Emory Law Registrar. Upon deciding to return to the law school, students must notify the Graduate Programs Office and the Emory Law School Registrar.

Students in the J. program must complete all degree requirements within four years of the date of first matriculation into the program.

Students in the LLM program must complete all degree requirements within four years of the date of first matriculation into the program. (Students in the LLM program interested in sitting for a U.S. bar examination should consult the program completion and bar examination requirements for the state(s) in which they desire to sit for the bar examination. For example, as of 2013, LLM students desiring to sit for the New York Bar examination must complete all LLM degree requirements within two years of the first date of matriculation into the program.)

Students in the SJD program must complete all degree requirements within five years of the date of first matriculation in the program, unless an extension has been granted by the student’s dissertation committee and the Graduate Legal Studies Committee.

Readmission of students following withdrawal for medical reasons requires medical clearance by designated university health officials.

If, in the opinion of the Dean ('Dean' as used in this statement always refers to the Dean or Dean's designate), a student demonstrates evidence of an emotional disorder and has engaged in, or threatened to engage in, conduct that poses a threat to the mental, emotional, or physical well-being of self or others, or to property, and/or impedes the lawful activity of others, the student may be referred to the University Student Health Service for psychiatric evaluation. Refusal to obtain a psychiatric evaluation when properly requested to do so, or determination by the University Health Service that withdrawal would be in the best interest of the student and the university, shall be cause for involuntary withdrawal of the student by the Dean. Withdrawal in such cases shall normally incur no academic penalty for the term in which the student is enrolled, and tuition refund, if any, shall be based on the schedule established for voluntary withdrawal. The Dean shall inform the student in writing of the effective date of the involuntary withdrawal, and shall explain, in writing, the procedure for application for readmission to Emory University. Application for readmission after withdrawal for psychiatric reasons will require evaluation by the university psychiatrist. Persons seeking readmission may choose to submit a written report from their own psychiatrists at their own expense. In no case shall readmission be granted after psychiatric withdrawal without the approval of the University Student Health Service.

Juris Master (JM) students in the on-campus format are allowed to take a maximum of three (3) iLaw online courses during their JM program, but must pass Introduction to the American Legal System, Analysis, Research and Communication for Non-Lawyers, and at least one first-year foundational course prior to taking any online course. A JM student may not take an online course when that course is being offered on campus the same semester unless he or she first obtains a waiver according to the following process: submit a request to the director of the JM program, explaining his/her reasons for preferring the online format, for review and approval by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs or his/her designee.

Master of Laws (LLM) students may enroll in online courses only in exceptional circumstances, and only during the summer.  LLM students who wish to do so must submit a request to the Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs, for review by the Assistant Dean, as well as the Vice Dean or his/her designee.