GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
This page describes the graduation requirements for students seeking to receive their Juris Doctor degree from The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Please refer to the Academic Regulations for additional and more thorough information about other academically-related matters. Please note that the Academic Regulations, including the graduation requirements set forth therein, are subject to change.
Course Requirements
A student is required to complete coursework for a total of at least 90 credit hours for all courses.
Required Courses and Course Sequencing for Full-Time Students
A student enrolled in the full-time program is required to complete the specified courses in the sequence indicated, unless an exception is granted by the Dean or the Dean's designee. Please note that the required courses and course sequencing depend on a student's matriculation date.
16.1.a.3. FULL-TIME students who matriculate after August 1, 2022, and before August 1, 2023
16.1.a.4. FULL-TIME students who matriculate after August 1, 2023
Required Courses and Course Sequencing for Part-Time Students
A student enrolled in the part-time program is required to complete the following courses in the indicated sequence unless an exception is granted by the Dean of the Dean's designee. Please note that the required courses and course sequencing depend on a student's matriculation date.
16.1.b.2. PART-TIME students who matriculate after August 1, 2020, and before August 1, 2022
16.1.b.3. PART-TIME students who matriculate after August 1, 2022, and before August 1, 2023
16.1.b.4. PART-TIME students who matriculate after August 1, 2023
Other Required Courses for Full-Time and Part-Time Students
In addition to the above-listed courses, a student is required to satisfy both the advanced writing and the experiential requirements as outlined in Academic Regulation 16.1.c. Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation may also be required to complete additional courses or take courses in a specific sequence as set forth in Academic Regulations 14.4 and 14.5.
Limitations on Courses for Credit toward Graduation
1. Not more than a total of twelve (12) credit hours may be utilized toward satisfying graduation requirements by satisfactorily completing the following courses:
- (a) Any externship,
- (b) Law Review and Law Review Board,
- (c) Moot Court (including Moot Court Board, Moot Court Executive Board, and inter-school or intra-school competition credit),
- (d) Independent Research, and
- (e) Advanced Clinic.
2. To satisfy graduation requirements, a student is permitted a total of three (3)
externships, two (2) clinic courses, or a combination of (1) clinic and (2) two externship
courses. Absent permission from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, a student
may not repeat a clinic or externship, may not enroll in both a clinic and externship
in the same semester or summer session and may not enroll in more than one clinic
or more than one externship in any semester or summer session. For enrollment purposes
in these limited enrollment courses, a student who has taken one clinic will not receive
priority for a second clinic, and a student
who has taken one externship will not receive priority for a second externship.
Waiver of Course Requirement
For good cause shown and to avoid hardship, waiver of completion of any required course may be permitted only with the approval of the Academic Affairs Committee and on conditions set by the Committee.
Twenty-four Month Requirement
A student may complete the law school's degree requirements no earlier than 24 months after a student has commenced law study at the law school or a law school from which the school has accepted transfer credit.
Six-Year Requirement
A student must complete all of such student's graduation requirements within six (6) calendar
years from the date of the student's initial enrollment in law school or forfeit all hours
earned during this period. The student will, however, be allowed to reapply for
admission as an entering student and compete with other applicants for a position
in the entering class, with no credit allowed for prior work. The Academic Affairs
Committee may make an exception to the foregoing rule if the student submits a proposed
course
of study for approval, but in no event may a student extend study so that the J.D.
degree is not completed within 84 months of the time the student commenced law study.
Work at Other Schools
Any work to be taken at another law school on a transient basis must be approved by
the Dean before the student attends another law school. Once approved, a student may
not utilize more than 30 semester hours toward the student's degree at this
law school, unless an exception is granted by the Academic Affairs Committee.
Grade Requirement
A student must have a grade point average of 2.00 or better in all work undertaken at the University of Memphis to graduate.
Completion of Work
All required courses must be completed. Completion of a course consists of sufficient
attendance in class, the performance of all required work, the taking of all examinations,
making a passing grade (D or above or, in the case of a non-graded course, a grade
of E or S), except the research requirement which requires a grade of C or above.
(See Section 12.5.) Failure to complete work in any course as it is required, or to
take an examination when required, will result in a grade of F in the course. Delay
in completing the work in a course may be permitted, as outlined under Delay in Completing
Required
Work. (See Section 10.)
Pro Bono Requirement
A student must complete forty hours of pro bono service to graduate. Please see the Pro Bono Program Handbook for more information.
Applying to Graduate
The Law Registrar is responsible for determining that a law student has satisfied all their requirements to graduate. Before a student's final semester of law school, they will be contacted via their memphis.edu email by the Law Registrar. The student will be asked to complete the steps to graduate. Students must complete a graduation checklist, receive feedback, and apply to graduate.