Degree of JD

Over the duration of their program students in a JD must register in and be assessed fees for a minimum of ★92.

In special circumstances, a student may be granted letters of permission by the Dean or the Dean’s delegate to attend another law school or law schools for a maximum of two terms (and a maximum of ★30) in the upper years of the student’s JD program. Students in the MBA-JD program may obtain letters of permission to attend another law school or law schools after completing no less than one and one-half years of the law studies portion of the program.

Required Courses for the Completion of the JD

Year 1

(See Note)

Upper Year Required Courses

Note:

Students in the first year are required to successfully complete an oral exercise, which may take the form of a moot or some other oral communication skills exercise.

Required Courses for Part-Time Students

The required units of course weight and sequence of courses for parttime students are as follows:

In the first year of Year 1, part-time students must complete LAW 401 Foundations to Law ; LAW 405 Legal Research and Writing ; and two other Year 1 ★5 courses.
In the second year of Year 1, part-time students must complete the remaining three Year 1 ★5 courses and must register in a minimum of ★6 per term.

Written Work Requirement:

A written work requirement is compulsory in the upper years of the program. The paper must constitute at least 60% of the final grade in the course, and a minimum grade of C must be obtained on the paper.

Note:

Descriptions of required and optional courses are found in the Course Listings under Law (LAW).

Marking:

Marking in the Faculty is based on the University of Alberta marking scale. See Evaluation Procedures and Grading System .

Promotion of Full-time Students

Units of course weight: After the required first year, law students must take a program of required and optional courses totalling no more than ★15 in a single Fall or Winter Term (see Course Listings for required courses, optional courses and units of course weight) and no more than ★6 credit hours in a single Spring or Summer Term. Students must accumulate a total of not less than ★92 to qualify for the degree of Juris Doctor. The Dean or the Dean’s delegate may permit a student to register for more than the prescribed maximum units of course weight in an academic year. Students must pass each course attempted with a minimum grade of D before receiving credit for the course.
The Faculty operates under a minimum grade point average system which requires that a minimum grade point average of 2.0 is required for promotion for all years. Any student failing to obtain a 2.0 average in an academic year is required to withdraw from the Faculty. Any student with a 2.0 average or better receives credit for each course in which a passing grade is obtained and receives no credit in a course or courses in which a failing grade is obtained. Any compulsory course failed must be repeated, and any noncompulsory course failed may be repeated. Students are not permitted to spend more than a total of four additional years of study after the completion of first year in the Faculty to acquire the ★92.

Part-Time Students

To the extent possible, the academic and administrative regulations and policies apply to part-time students as to full-time students.

Reexaminations:

See Examinations (Exams) .

Appeals:

A student adversely affected by the regulations or their application has a right to appeal in accordance with the Faculty’s Academic Appeals Procedure (Appeal Policies and Procedures are available on the Faculty website) with a further right of appeal to the Academic Appeals Committee of General Faculties Council (see Appeals and Grievances ). However, remedies granted on such further appeal shall not be inconsistent with the Faculty’s regulations published herein.

Viva voce (oral) examination:

All students seeking the degree of JD may be required by the Faculty to pass a viva voce examination at the end of their last year. Such an examination would be of general character covering the work of the three years of the Law program.