Student Handbook

Cornell Law School students are held by faculty and administration to the standards of two comprehensive and complementary documents regarding Academic Integrity: the Law School Code of Academic Integrity (also known as the Cornell Law School Honor Code), and the Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity. In commencing and continuing their studies at Cornell Law School, students agree to abide by these codes and refrain from any and all academic dishonesty, including but not limited to the examples offered in these documents. The Law School Honor Code also governs procedures for those charged with violations of these standards, and the outcomes of being found guilty of misconduct.

The Faculty and Administration certify candidates for the receipt of a Cornell Law School degree, both to University and State Bar officials. Academic honesty and competency are key components of the character, fitness, and integrity necessary for degree conferral and entrance to the profession.

Students should familiarize themselves with both documents, as ignorance of the policies held in each is not an adequate defense. Questions about the Honor Code should be directed to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Examples of Violations of the Code of Academic Integrity

Acknowledging the Work of Others

Course credit hours are determined using American Bar Association (ABA) Standard 310. The Law School ensures compliance with the ABA’s credit-hour guidelines through the curricular review undertaken for all courses by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, through the supervision of clinics and simulation courses by the Associate Dean for Experiential Education, and through the oversight of field placements by the Externship Director. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs assesses how many credits are appropriate for the hours of instruction and out-of-class workload based on the course description and syllabus faculty submit.

Courses for Credit in Other Cornell Divisions

In addition to courses that are part of the Law School curriculum, courses relevant to legal careers are sometimes offered in other colleges in the University. All Cornell University courses are listed in Courses of Study, available at the University Registrar’s Office website. J.D. students may not elect courses outside the Law School during their first year. Thereafter, students may enroll in university courses, subject to limitations placed by the associated colleges.

All courses are recorded on the student’s Official University Transcript. Students who want to receive Law School credit for courses offered in other departments or schools at Cornell must complete the Law Credit for Non-Law Courses form with the Law Registrar, prior to the start of the semester the course is taken. Students who submit the required forms after this deadline will not be approved to apply the credits toward Law School degree requirements.

The application will be reviewed by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and must show:

(1) that the outside course offers an educational opportunity not available in the Law School

(2) that the course is significantly related to the student’s Law school program

(3) that the substantive content and approach of the outside course are sufficiently rigorous and sophisticated to make a significant contribution to the law student’s professional education.

Students may be granted up to 12 hours of credit for approved outside courses. Grades for courses taken outside the Law School are not included in merit point computations on the Law School grade report. A student electing a course outside the Law School, for credit or otherwise, must be registered for at least 9 credit hours in the Law School each term.

Standards

Grades in seminars, problem courses, and clinical courses are generally based upon written projects, oral presentations, and class participation, according to instructor preference. Grades in most other courses are based upon an exam and other written and oral projects if the instructor so chooses. In addition, class participation and attendance may be elements of a student’s final course grade.

Merit Point Ratio

A student’s merit point ratio (MPR) is based on courses taken within Cornell Law School and is determined by dividing the total number of merit points awarded by the number of credit hours of law school coursework taken for a letter grade. Credit hours of coursework for which a grade of F was given are included in the computation. Courses taken on an S/U basis, mandatory or elective, are not included in the merit point ratio calculation. Grades on coursework outside Cornell Law School are not included in the merit point ratio. The Merit Point Ratio is similar to Grade Point Average (GPA) at other schools.

Grade Confidentiality

All student grades are considered by Cornell Law School to be strictly confidential information. Release of grade information to faculty members and administrators is granted only for bona fide educational purposes. The Law School Registrar will release grade information to prospective employers, investigators, or any other person only with the written permission of the student.

This policy reflects that of the University and the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), which gives students the right to:

(1) inspect their own records;
(2) challenge incorrect information in those records;
(3) keep their records private;
(4) file a complaint with the U. S. Department of Justice. (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). Up-to-date versions of currently recognized University policies

Grade Review

No grade may be changed after submission by the instructor of the final grade except to correct a computational or clerical error by the instructor or the administration. The Law School has no formal grade appeal procedure.

Class Attendance

Students are required to maintain regular in-person classroom attendance.  Students are advised that excessive absences can result after reasonable written warning by: 1) grade lowering; 2) removing a student from the course; 3) denial of permission to complete course work and/or sit for the exam; or 4) another mechanism announced in the course syllabus prior to the end of the add/drop period. Missing more than one-fifth of classes for any reason is presumptively excessive. Students who are ill or have another valid reason for missing class are encouraged to contact the instructor directly. Students are required to notify the Dean of Students if they miss three or more days of class in a row. If a student is excluded from an exam, a grade of F is presumptively entered, or in the case of a clinical course, the student may receive a lowered grade or grade of U.

Faculty members may establish a higher standard of regular attendance than that described above, and may also take this higher standard of attendance into account in determining the student’s grade as long as the faculty member has, before the end of the add/drop period, announced an intention to do so or has included that intention in the syllabus or other class materials distributed in the first week of class. The student’s obligation to be in regular attendance derives both from faculty rule and the rule of state bar examiners. As a prerequisite to a student’s admission to the bar, the Dean must certify to state boards of law examiners that the student has been in regular attendance. The Law School must be the student’s principal commitment during each semester. Extensive outside employment by students is also disfavored because of its tendency to interfere with the student’s academic life at the Law School.

In-Absentia Study

All Cornell J.D. students must complete five full academic semesters in residence at Cornell (or four in the case of transfer students) and six (6) full semesters total to qualify for the Cornell J.D. degree. Upon petition to the Administrative Committee, permission may be granted for a student to spend the second or third year of the J.D. program at another law school for a reason of extreme personal hardship. Applications for in-absentia study should be submitted to the Dean of Students, as soon as the hardship arises.

Term Away for Educational Reasons

Students may petition for permission to enroll at another law school for the fourth or fifth semester of their J.D. program. Known as Term Away for Educational Reasons, this option is specifically for study at an ABA accredited, domestic institution, and does not include Cornell Law School study abroad partner institutions. The program is not available to students who have already spent a term away from Cornell’s Ithaca campus or who plan to do so on a study abroad program, Pro Bono Scholars Program, or a full-term externship placement outside of Ithaca.

To qualify a student must have unique educational objectives that can be met at the other institution, but not at Cornell. A significant portion of the credits to be earned at the host institution must be in courses not offered by Cornell and must relate to a clearly defined educational or professional objective. The proposed host school must be of comparable quality to Cornell Law School and must be willing to entertain an application for admission as a special or visiting student. Permission will be granted only to students who demonstrate a firm commitment to practice in a particular specialized area of law as evidenced by:

1. a job offer in a specialized area.
2. a written statement of serious interest from a prospective employer in the specialized area; or,
3. a written statement from one of the Law School’s career counselors that the student has actively and vigorously pursued employment in the specialized area.

Students who wish to pursue this option must first contact the Dean of Students to determine eligibility, review program requirements, and discuss their plan for degree completion in relation to the Term Away. The student must then request permission from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.  

Because the number of Term Away petitions approved by the school is very limited, students should submit their written request via email to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as early as possible but no later than October 1 for the following spring semester and January 20 for the following fall semester.

The written petition should address the criteria indicated above for approval of a term away. The student is responsible for securing any information from the proposed host school that may be needed to act on the request for the term away. Any details of applying to the host school are also the student’s responsibility to ascertain and address.

Permission to study at another school is contingent upon the student being admitted as a visiting or special student to the host law school, and the ability to be actively enrolled in the courses for which a need is claimed.  Credit for the term away is granted when the student submits satisfactory evidence of completing a semester’s coursework of 12 to 17 credit hours. Because grading systems vary, coursework completed at the host school is not included in computing the student’s Merit Point Ratio at Cornell.

Intersession Coursework at Other ABA-Approved Law Schools

Candidates for the various J.D. degrees may obtain up to six (6) credits for satisfactory work done in summer or winter programs sponsored by American Bar Association-approved law schools, including ABA-approved programs in foreign countries. Credit will not be awarded unless the work done is completed at the C or better level and is in an upper-level course. Receipt of such credit must be approved in advance by the Dean of Students. For Students in the J.D./LL.M. program, these credits may be in addition to the required Cornell-Paris I summer credits. Specific requests regarding the Cornell-Paris I program should be directed to Dawne Peacock, Co-Director, Cornell–Paris I Summer Institute.

Law School Registrar’s Office

The Law School Registrar and staff handle all aspects of course registration and maintain the student educational records. The staff also administers all Law School exams. The Law School Registrar’s Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., and longer hours during exam periods. Questions regarding registration, exams, and educational records can be directed to the Registrar’s office by email, or, at (1-607-255-7190)  during regular business hours, or at the Law School Registrar’s website.

University Registration

All students must register with Cornell University each semester. To become a registered student at Cornell University, a person must: settle all financial accounts, including current semester tuition, satisfy New York State and University health requirements, and have no registration holds from the Law School, the Office of the Judicial Administrator, Cornell Health, or the Bursar. Students must accomplish the above requirements by the end of the third week of the semester.

Cornell University does not allow persons who are not registered with the University in a given semester to attend classes. The University reserves the right to require unauthorized, unregistered persons who attend classes or in other ways seek to exercise student privileges to leave the University premises. The University does not permit retroactive registration and does not record courses or grades for unregistered persons.

Registrar Communications

All law students must have a complete admissions file and provide proof of prior study and degree(s) in the form of an official transcript before matriculation with Cornell Law School.

Students at Cornell Law School are required to provide the law school administration with an accurate email address, local mailing address, and working phone number that is checked regularly. These contact points must be kept in working order so that the law school faculty and administration are able to contact students within a short period of time. It is a student’s ongoing obligation to regularly check for emails or phone calls from the faculty or administration and to respond to them within 24 hours or sooner during the academic year.

Required Submission of Prior Transcripts

All admitted students must submit a final transcript from their undergraduate institution as required by ABA Standard 502(d). Failure to submit the final transcript will result in a registration hold, barring the student from registering for spring term courses, including the 1L elective. Students who have not submitted a final transcript will be administratively withdrawn at the end of the fall term and will lose access to Cornell University facilities, financial aid, and other resources, including free transportation access on TCAT.

Official University Transcript

Official transcripts are available only from the Office of the University Registrar and may be ordered through your Student Center. An official transcript does not post a Law School MPR.

Unofficial Grade Report

Unofficial grade reports are available from the Law School on the Registrar’s Office website at Forms and Requests. This unofficial grade report may not fully reflect external courses taken in other divisions of the university. If you have questions or concerns about this grade report, please contact the Law Registrar at law.registrar@cornell.edu.

First-Year J.D. Students

First-year J.D. students are enrolled in courses by section. Sections are assigned by the Law School Registrar. Students are notified of their section assignment and are enrolled in their courses before Orientation. First-year students are not permitted to change assigned sections, course schedules, or course sequencing. During their second term, 1Ls will select an elective from a pre-approved list of upper level courses along with their required 1L courses.

Course Selection for Second- and Third-Year J.D. Students, General LL.M. Students, and Exchange Students

Pre-registration enrollment at Cornell Law School generally takes place in June for the fall semester and October for the spring semester, typically lining up with University registration dates. Dates are announced in advance and are published in the weekly newsletter, Scoops, on the student registration site and by email. Upper-level students are able to check the status of the satisfaction of degree requirements prior to each semester’s registration by using the online Degree Audit page under My Information. Students are also provided with detailed information about the course offerings and registration procedures, including procedures for enrollment in seminars. Course enrollment may be limited by classroom capacity or by instructor choice.

Course Selection for Tech LL.M. Students and J.D. Tech Students

Tech LL.M. Students and J.D. Students studying at the Cornell Tech Campus for a semester will follow Cornell Tech’s registration procedures and schedules. Students are responsible for ensuring that they are enrolled in courses needed to satisfy their requirements. Details are available on the Cornell Tech Student & Academic Affairs curriculum page. Cornell Tech LL.M. Students will use the Cornell Tech / University registration system for pre-enrollment, course adds and drops, and waitlists. Students should be familiar with those policies as posted by Cornell Tech’s Office of Student & Academic Affairs. Students should especially note that LAW classes follow the Law School add/drop period, which is generally shorter than the University period. More details about Cornell Tech course registration policies can be found here.

Course Selection for Clinics, Practicum Courses, Supervised Experiential Learning, and Externships

J.D. students and General LL.M. students may enroll in “community-engaged” experiential courses pursuant to the following guidelines. Most of the opportunities are only available to J.D. 2Ls, 3Ls, and LL.M. students, though a small number of 1L students may enroll in the spring 1L Immigration Law and Advocacy Clinic. The law school attempts to provide every J.D. student the opportunity to enroll in a clinic or practicum course during their time at Cornell Law (although not necessarily their course of choice). Note that in addition to the live-client courses described here , simulation courses satisfy the experiential learning requirement.

Add/Drop Policy

All course changes are made through your Cornell Student Center. The Law Registrar will notify students of the beginning and end dates of each Add/Drop period via email, Scoops, and Law Registrar’s website, so adhering to those deadlines is the responsibility of the student. Students are reminded to review all course enrollment, including law courses and any non-law courses, immediately following the Add/Drop period to confirm their finalized course schedule.

Requests for permission to drop courses after the deadline are approved by the Dean of Students. Any course drop requested after the Add/Drop deadline are not guaranteed, and if granted will result in a Withdraw (W) on your official transcript.

Please note that some courses have differing Add/Drop deadlines as noted in their course descriptions, for example accelerated or Tech courses.

Waiting Lists

Students will be automatically added to courses as space becomes available in classes for which they are waitlisted. Students must check their schedules every day during the Add/Drop period for waitlist status to make sure they are attending all classes in which they are enrolled.

Withdrawals

Withdrawals after the end of the add/drop period will be recorded as a “W” on the student’s transcript.

Course Evaluations

Toward the end of every semester, students have the opportunity to evaluate each course through completing a course evaluation. The results give valuable feedback to the instructor, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and the Dean of the Law School. Aggregate evaluation scores are available on the Registrar’s website at Student Login and are accessible with Net ID authentication.

The majority of courses at the Law School’s Ithaca campus, except seminars and problem courses, have an examination. Exams are scheduled and administered by the Law School Registrar’s Office. The exam schedule is generally available before course registration.

Students may only use approved technological devices for exams . Materials permitted in the exam room vary widely according to instructor preference. Students are expected to pay close attention to the instructor’s announcement as to materials that are permitted in the exam room. It is a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity to have unauthorized materials in an exam room as well as to fail to observe scrupulously other exam procedures such as precise time limits.

The Code of Academic Integrity is available at the Registrar’s Office under Policies and Requirements. It is a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity for any student to contact the course instructor about an exam after the exam has begun or at any time until grades are final. Any problems or issues should be addressed in writing to the Law School Registrar.

Law School course examinations are graded by the course instructor on an anonymous basis. Identification of the student with their grade is made only after the anonymous exam grades have been recorded with the Law School Registrar. The course instructor may exclude a student, after a reasonable written warning, from any examination because of irregular attendance or neglect of work during the term. Exclusion from an examination will result in a failing grade for that course.

A collection of prior Law School exams is available in the exam archive database. A selection of prior exams also is available in the Law Library.

Practice Exam for J.D. Students Enrolled in First-Year Courses

A practice exam is given each year in late October or early November for students enrolled in first-year courses during the fall semester. Each student will be given an opportunity to take a practice exam in Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, or Torts prepared by the student’s instructor in that course. An announcement informing each student of the subject of his or her practice exam will be posted prior to the practice exam. Students may not choose the topic of their practice exam.

The time for taking the practice exam is 50 minutes, and like all examinations at the Law School, the practice exam is given anonymously. Students are encouraged to take the practice exam, but they are not required to do so. The practice exam is intended entirely as a learning experience. It should give students a sense of exam procedures. Additionally, the practice exam should give students a sense of the type of questions that appear on law school exams and the type of answers that are expected.

Faculty members typically write comments on the practice exams rather than assign letter grades. If the faculty member gives the practice exam a grade, the grade is not officially recorded and will have no effect on the student’s final grade in the course.

Exam Deferrals and Accommodations

If a student has examinations scheduled in direct conflict with each other, two exams in one day, more than two exams in the first week, three exams in three days (same week), or four exams in one week, they may request a Policy Based exam deferral. The Law School Registrar will provide information regarding Exam Deferrals mid-semester.

Students who experience illness or personal crises during exams may submit an Emergency Exam Deferral form on the Exams and Grading page. Under no circumstances should a student contact a course instructor to request or arrange a deferred examination. In all cases, deferred examinations must be taken at the earliest available time under the deferral policy.

Students are never permitted to take an exam before the scheduled exam date. It is a violation of the Code of Academic Integrity to discuss an exam with a student who has not yet taken the test, to discuss a deferred exam with other students, or to notify the course instructor of deferred status. The Code of Academic Integrity is included in this Student Handbook.

Students seeking exam accommodations subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act must comply with the procedures explained in the section on support services for Law Students: Disability Services, and meet with the Dean of Students or the Assistant Dean for External Education depending on the student’s degree program.

Exams and Dictionaries

Two (2) non-legal dictionaries will be provided in each exam room for any student in that room to use. Online dictionaries will not be accessible and electronic dictionaries are not allowed during exams.

Computers Used for Exams

Students may use only approved technological devices for proctored exams, which are approved by the Registrar’s Office. All electronic devices, except those approved for use in taking the examination, must be turned off and then stowed away in a backpack or the like, so as to be inaccessible to the student during the examination.  Most exams are taken using Exam4 software

Having a laptop computer is required for Law School. Students purchasing a laptop computer for school should review the student computer recommendation page for more information, particularly concerning exams and online instruction.

Cornell University and Cornell Law School provide students with a variety of computer services. All students have access to the wireless network, e-mail and calendar, and printing. For more information on these, and other services available to students, please review Student IT Resources.

All students are required to own a laptop to take exams, which are administered electronically at Cornell Law School via Exam4 by Extegrity. Minimum requirements for Exam 4 can be found here, though we encourage you to make sure your system has at least 16GB of RAM and at least a 256GB hard drive. While Cornell Law School does not recommend a make, model, or source for laptops, the Cornell Store offers computers for purchase. More information can be found here.

For additional information, please contact the IT Service Desk online or at (607-255-5500).

Computers and Other Technology in the Classroom

Many instructors (but not all) allow students to use laptop computers to take notes in class. However, some instructors impose particular seating requirements on laptop users, due to noise disruption to other students. Students are not allowed to record classes using a computer or any other device without the instructor’s advanced permission.

Because of the Law School’s anonymous grading policy, faculty are not aware of which students receive accommodations. Accordingly, students seeking to use a laptop as a disability accommodation must do so by coordinating with the Dean of Students, Registrar, and Student Disability Services Office subject to approved accommodations.

Class Recordings

Students are not allowed to record classes using a computer or any other device without the instructor’s express permission. Recordings of classes arranged by the Law School’s IT Department will only be released to students in the event of unavoidable absences and only with the professor’s express permission, unless otherwise authorized by the SDS Accommodations process. Students do not have permission to disseminate classroom recordings. The availability of classroom recordings does not alter Cornell Law School’s or the ABA’s policies. Students seeking classroom recordings as a disability accommodation must do so by coordinating with the Dean of Students and Student Disability Services Office subject to approved accommodations.

It is our intention to provide reasonable accommodations for students with qualifying disabilities. The policy outlines procedures for applying for an accommodation(s) due to such a disability. They apply to classroom accommodations, exam accommodations, and accommodations relating to our building.

Students who believe they are entitled to an accommodation should communicate with the Dean of Students as soon as possible. I If at all possible, you should initiate the process before your matriculation, or, if later, as soon as the disability arises. Students enrolled in non-law courses for which accommodations are needed should consult with University Student Disability Services.

1. To initiate working with Student Disability Services (SDS) visit their website and select Register for Accommodations. You will be directed to fill out the Disability Self-Disclosure Form. If you have questions about the process, you may contact SDS for assistance. They can offer you advice and guidance on the services available to students at the University. Students requesting disability accommodations must submit the Disability Self-Disclosure Form along with any supporting documentation of your disability. The form and guidelines for disability documentation are available on the Student Disability Services website.
2. Once you have filled out the Disability Self-Disclosure form, SDS will arrange for a meeting between you and a counselor. After gathering sufficient information, SDS will forward a written recommendation regarding possible accommodations for your disability to the Law Dean of Students for consideration by the Administrative Committee. Due to the academic calendar, the Committee must have the written recommendation by the beginning of the fourth week of the semester for which accommodations are being requested. This recommendation is a precondition to action by the Law School’s Administrative Committee on any request for an accommodation. The Administrative Committee may request additional documentation or clarification of your records.
3. SDS will ask you to make a written request regarding any specific type of exam accommodation or other academic accommodation which you believe to be appropriate. In this regard, they will request proof of the accommodations which you have been granted in the past. While your prior testing history and other accommodation history are relevant to the SDS determination of reasonable accommodations in Law School, it is important that you realize that SDS will not necessarily agree to grant the particular accommodations that you have been given in the past. r SDS and the Administrative Committee  will thoroughly consider your request for an accommodation given your disability and the essential components of our academic program. It is important for you to realize that an important feature of that program is the comparative grading of students based on examinations that are time-pressured, competitive, and occasionally stressful.
4. Once DOS has received:

(a) written recommendations from Student Disability Services, regarding any suggested accommodations and

(d) any additional information requested by the Administrative Committee, the Committee will consider the request and respond. A student should not discuss his/her need for classroom or exam accommodations directly with a particular law faculty member, unless asked by the Dean of Students on behalf of the Committee to do so. The Administrative Committee may on occasion feel it is appropriate to discuss a particular accommodation request with an individual faculty member.

• If the specific accommodations that you requested are denied, you may appeal that decision to SDS if any new or differing medical documentation is available.
• If you wish to request an accommodation on bar examinations, you must direct your request to the state or states to which you are applying for admission. Each state has its own procedures for bar admission.

If you believe you are being discriminated against because of your disability, you have the right to file a grievance under Cornell Policy 6.4,