• Independent Study must be arranged prior to the beginning of term
  • Only Students ranked in the top 75% of their class are eligible.
  • Submit the Independent Study Form to the Registrar by the first day of the term.

Registration policy

  1. No student may take more than 2 credits during their law school career.
  2. Faculty members may supervise a maximum of three independent studies per semester.
  3. Students must complete at least 42 hours of research and writing for each IS credit
    • 1 credit: 15-20 page paper
    • 2 credits: 20-30 page paper
  4. To initiate the study, students and supervising faculty members must complete a form contract that contains:
    • Topic statement and project description
    • Statement of student’s objective
    • Weekly meeting schedule (regular day and time)
    • Presumptive deadlines for completion of:
      • topic development
      • consultation with assigned librarian
      • bibliography of possible topic sources
      • thesis statement
      • research plan
      • outline
      • draft(s)
      • final paper
    • Credit allocation and grade or pass/fail designation
    • Signature of research librarian who will work with the student (to be assigned by Library Director)
    • Signatures of student, supervising faculty member, and associate dean (if necessary)