Columbia Law School Academic Rules

Part I: J.D. Rules

Section 1: Course of Studies
1.1: Point Credit and Academic Course Requirements
1.2: Residence Credit
1.3: Moot Court Requirements
1.4: Legal Writing Requirements—Major and Minor Writing Requirement
1.5: Supervised Research or Experiential Study
1.6: Research as Unpaid Faculty Assistant
1.7: Seminars
1.8: Work Under Other Faculties of the University
1.9: Work in Other Law Schools
1.10: Pro Bono Service Requirement
1.11: Service as a Teaching Fellow
1.12: Second- and Third-Year Moot Court Activities
1.13: Faculty-Directed Reading Groups

Section 2: Examinations
2.1: Regular Examinations
2.2: Unexcused Absence From Examination
2.3: Excused Absence From Examination

Section 3: Letter Grades
3.1: Letter Grades
3.2: Academic Standing (Honors system in place through J.D. Class of 2024/LL.M. Class of 2022)
3.2: Academic Standing (Honors system in place beginning with J.D. Class of 2025/LL.M. Class of 2023)
3.3: Satisfactory Progress
3.4: Disclosure of Grades

Section 4: Degrees
4.1: University Action
4.2: Application for the Degree
4.3: Diplomas

Section 5: General Regulations
5.1: Students
5.2: Academic Discipline
5.3: Class Attendance and Preparation
5.4: Demeanor
5.5: Withdrawals and Leaves of Absence
5.6: Registration of Student Organizations

Section 6: Admission to the Bar
6.1: Rules Governing Admission to the Bar

Section 7: Supplement: Rules Regarding Written Work

Part II: LL.M. Rules

Section 8: LL.M. Program Degree Requirements
8.1: Degree Requirements

Section 9: Degree Conferral Dates
9.1: Degree Conferral Dates
9.2: Postponement of Degree Conferral
9.3: Withdrawal and Leave of Absence

Section 10: Full-Time Residency Requirement and Points of Academic Credit Limits Per Term
10.1: Residency Requirement
10.2: Academic Credit Limits Per Term
10.3: Part-time Basis
10.4: Transfer Credits

Section 11: January Term (J-Term) Credit
11.1: January Term

Section 12: LL.M. Essay
12.1: LL.M. Essay
12.2: Requirements for the LL.M. Essay
12.3: Length of the LL.M. Essay
12.4: LL.M. Essay and the New York Bar Exam
12.5: Additional LL.M. Essay Information

Section 13: LL.M. Supervised Research
13.1: Supervised Research
13.2: Stages of Supervised Research
13.3: Supervised Research and the New York Bar Exam
13.4: Supervised Research: Course Related

Section 14: LL.M. Experiential Requirement
14.1: LL.M. Experiential Requirement
14.2: Options to Fulfill the Experiential Requirement

Section 15: LL.M. Research Assistant
15.1: Research Assistant

Section 16: LL.M. Teaching Fellow
16.1: Teaching Fellow

Section 17: LL.M. Grading and Academic Honors
17.1: Grading
17.2: Failing Introduction to American Law
17.3: Failing Legal Research & Writing
17.4: Failing a course graded on the A-F scale
17.5: LLM Academic Support Plan
17.6: Academic Honors

Section 18: Cross-Registration in Other Graduate Schools at Columbia or at NYU Law
18.1: Cross-Registration

Section 19: Courses Previously Taken at U.S. Law Schools
19.1: Courses Previously Taken at U.S. Law Schools

Section 20: Courses at CLS with the Same Law School Course Number
20.1: Law School courses with the same course number

Section 21: Executive LL.M. Courses
21.1: Executive LL.M. Courses

Section 22: Email Communications
22.1: Email Communications

Section 23: Academic Rules, Policies, and Procedures
23.1: Academic Rules, Policies, and Procedures

Section 24: General Regulations
24.1: Students
24.2: Academic Discipline
24.3: Class Attendance and Preparation
24.4: Demeanor
24.5: Registration for Student Organizations

Section 25: Supplement: Rules Regarding Written Work

Part III: ELL.M. Rules

Section 26: Executive LL.M. Program Degree Requirements
26.1: Degree Requirements

Section 27: Degree Conferral Dates
27.1: Degree Conferral Dates
27.2: Postponement of Degree Conferral

Section 28: Residency Requirement and Points of Academic Credit Limits Per Term
28.1: Residency Requirement
28.2: Postponement of Summer Residency
28.3: Cross-Registration
28.4: Transfer Credits

Section 29: Withdrawal and Leave of Absence
29.1: Withdrawal and Leave of Absence

Section 30: Registration for Courses and Add/Drop Periods
30.1: Registration and Add/Drop

Section 31: Supervised Research
31.1: Supervised Research
31.2: Stages of Supervised Research
31.3 Supervised Research: Course Related

Section 32: Research Assistant
32.1: Research Assistant

Section 33: Executive LL.M. Grading and Academic Honors 
33.1: Grading
33.2: Academic Honors

Section 34: Other Courses
34.1: Other Courses

Section 35: Email Communications
35.1: Email Communications

Section 36: Academic Rules, Policies, and Procedures 
36.1: Academic Rules, Policies, and Procedures

Section 37: General Regulations
37.1: Students
37.2: Academic Discipline
37.3: Class Attendance and Preparation
37.4: Demeanor
37.5: Registration of Student Organizations

Section 38: Supplement: Rules Regarding Written Work

Part IV: JSD Rules

Section 39. Academic Requirements for Fulfilling the Degree
39.1: Degree Requirements

Section 40: Degree Awarded
40.1: Degree Awarded

Section 41: Co-Authored Works
41.1: Co-Authored Works

Section 42: Advisory Committee
42.1: Advisory Committee
42.2: Emeritus Status

Section 43: Withdrawals and Leaves of Absence
43.1: Withdrawals and Leaves of Absence

Section 44: Termination 
44.1: Termination

Section 45: Email Communications
45.1: Email Communications

Section 46: Academic Rules, Policies and Procedures
46.1: Academic Rules, Policies, and Procedures

Section 47: General Regulations
47.1: Students
47.2: Academic Discipline
47.3 Class Attendance and Preparation
47.4 Demeanor
47.5  Registration of Student Organizations

Section 48: Supplement: Rules Regarding Written Work