Academic Policies And Procedures

Academic Integrity

The faculty certifies candidates for receipt of a Cornell degree. Academic integrity is a component of receipt of a Cornell Law degree, as well as academic competence. In addition, the Dean of the Cornell Law School certifies to bar examiners that a graduate possesses the good character necessary to be a member of the bar. The Law School’s Code of Academic Integrity and the Campus Code of Conduct are included in this Student Handbook and available under Policies and Requirements on the Registrar’s website.

Auditing Courses

With the permission of the instructors, law students may register for law courses as auditors. Auditors may not sit for exams. The courses will appear on official transcripts. The majority of non-law courses may not be audited. Audited courses will not count toward the law degree.

Class Attendance

Regular and punctual class attendance, beginning on the first day of the semester, is required of all students. Faculty members monitor attendance and may enforce the rule by reporting the student to the Dean of Students; by removing a student from the course or excluding a student from an exam (after reasonable written warning); or by another mechanism announced in the course syllabus prior to the end of the add/drop period. If a student is excluded from an exam, a grade of F is entered, or in the case of a clinical course, the student may receive a lowered grade or a grade of U. Faculty members are encouraged to utilize photo seating charts which will be prepared at instructor request by administrative assistants. 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.

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. 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, Registrar’s Office, and Student Disability Services Office subject to approved accommodations.

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 advance 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.

Course Evaluation

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.

Courses for J.D. Credit at Other Institutions

A student may not spend more than a total of one upper-class semester away in our off-campus programs including, but not limited to a term away for educational reasons, study abroad, or full-term externship, except for participation in a special Cornell Law School degree program such as the J.D./Master en Droit, that itself extends for more than a semester.

In-Absentia Study

All Cornell law students must complete two full academic years in residence at Cornell and six (6) full semesters to qualify for the Cornell J.D. degree. Subject to administrative limitation, 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. Decisions are made by the Administrative Committee.

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. 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.

Study Abroad

Students in the J.D. program have an opportunity to study abroad for a semester with law faculties at partner institutions around the world. More information about the law school’s exchange programs is available at Semester Abroad – Cornell Law School Community. Students seeking to participate in the study abroad programs are encouraged to do so in the Fall Semester of the third year. Students are generally not approved to study abroad in their final semester. Any student with extenuating circumstances that may warrant an exception to this practice should consult with the Assistant Dean of External Education prior to petitioning for approval. Students participating in the study abroad program must register at the host institution for the equivalent of 12 Cornell Law credits. If, due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control, the equivalent of 12 Cornell Law credits is not offered or available, the Dean of Students may authorize a lower credit load, in which case no less than the equivalent of 10 Cornell Law credits will be approved, as required for full-time status. A student must receive a passing grade, as determined by the host law school’s grading scale, in order to receive Cornell credit for a course.

J.D. Program in Information and Technology Law at Cornell Tech Campus

J.D. students in good academic standing may apply to spend a semester in their second or third years studying in the Program in Information and Technology Law at the Cornell Tech Campus (the “JD Tech Program”). Students may select from the available law courses at the Tech Campus and may also take Johnson School courses offered at the Cornell Tech campus, subject to the usual restrictions on the number of credits that may be taken outside the Law School, and any prerequisites or instructor permission that may be required by the course. Students are eligible for and encouraged to seek out part-time in-person externships in New York City at technology companies, with judges, or in legal aid organizations. Application processes for the Program in Information and Technology Law are announced each year by e-mail and usually run in the early part of the spring semester for attendance the following academic year.

Cornell A.B.A. Approved Summer Study Program (Cornell-Paris I Summer Institute of International and Comparative Law in Paris)

Cornell Law School jointly sponsors a four-week program held at the Université Paris I every July. Six to eight Cornell Law School courses are offered each summer. All instruction is in English. Students in the summer program come from Cornell, other U.S. law schools, and from 15-20 other countries. The Program is open to J.D. Students and Non-U.S. Law Students who have completed at least one year of law studies and are in good standing, students preparing to study for an LL.M. degree in the United States, graduate students in good academic standing, who demonstrate an interest in the law, attorneys who have been licensed or admitted by the appropriate professional entity in their respective home countries and academics, practitioners, and other professionals seeking knowledge of American, international, and comparative law. For more information about the Paris Institute, please visit Cornell-Paris 1 Summer Institute – Cornell Law School.

Individually Designed International Terms Away

Each year, up to one or two students may obtain permission to enroll at a non-partner institution abroad. In order to be considered:

the proposed program must be in a country where Cornell Law School does not have a current exchange partner, and the student must provide a detailed program proposal with their study abroad application, including:
Confirm that the proposed host institution accepts visiting students and is of comparable quality to Cornell Law School.
a detailed statement of the student’s educational and professional objectives for studying at the other institution, and how they will be met by that institution.
Confirm that a significant portion of the credits to be earned at the host institution are in courses not offered by Cornell and relate to the clearly defined educational or professional objectives above and the cost of tuition for a semester of study at the non-partner institution.

Students should not apply to the proposed law school in advance of being selected by Cornell for an individually designed program slot.

Term Away for Educational Reasons

Each year a few students may obtain permission to enroll at another law school for the fourth or fifth semester of their J.D. program. The Term Away for Educational Reasons is at an institution other than a Cornell Law School study abroad partner institution. 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 or 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 student. In addition to the requirements noted above, if the proposed host school is in the United States, permission will be granted only to students who demonstrate a firm commitment to practice in a particular specialized area of law as evidenced by:

a job offer in a specialized area.
a written statement of serious interest from a prospective employer in the specialized area; or,
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 request permission from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Before submitting a request, students wishing to pursue a term away at a U.S. law school should contact the Dean of Students, and students wishing to pursue a term away at a non-U.S. law school should contact the Assistant Dean for International Programs. Students wishing to pursue this option at a foreign law school should contact the Assistant Dean for International Programs. Because the number of terms away approved by the school is very limited, students should submit their written request as early as possible and, in any event, no later than October 1 for the following spring semester and January 20 for the following fall semester.

The written statement 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 actually being admitted to the courses they claim to need. 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.

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 the first year. Thereafter, students may enroll in any university course subject to certain

limitations. The course is recorded on the student’s transcript. Students who want to receive Law School credit for courses offered in other departments or schools at Cornell must apply to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to the add/drop deadline in 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.

Forms are available online under Forms and Requests. The application must show:

that the outside course offers an educational opportunity not available in the Law School
that the course is significantly related to the student’s Law school program
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. No credit is available for undergraduate-level courses.

Grades for courses taken outside the Law School are not included in merit point computations. 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. Regardless of the number of courses taken outside the Law School, a student must earn at least 72 semester credit hours in the Law School.

Exams

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 (see Computers Used 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 included in this Student Handbook. The Code is also 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.

Exam Deferrals and Accommodations

A scheduled examination may be deferred in advance only 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. The Law School Registrar will provide information regarding Exam Deferrals mid-semester. Students who experience unusual problems 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.

Law School policies

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, below, 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.

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.

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. In any event, even 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.

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

Faculty Advisors

In general, students are welcome to call on members of the faculty in their offices for discussion and assistance in connection with problems arising in their program of study. First-year J.D. students are assigned an advisor during Orientation. Many faculty have regular office hours posted on their office door. The Dean of Students serves as general academic advisor to all J.D. students. For an appointment, call or stop by the Dean of Students office (126 Hughes Hall,1-607-255-0565). J.D., LL.M, and J.S.D students also may schedule online.

Grades

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 may be an element of a student’s final course grade.

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:

inspect their own records;
challenge incorrect information in those records;
keep their records private;
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.

Incomplete Grades

An incomplete grade for a law course may be submitted by an instructor only if the student has substantial equity at a passing level in the course with respect to work completed and also has been prevented by circumstances beyond the student’s control from completing all course requirements on time. An incomplete grade must be removed by the student:

at the next regular examination in the subject (providing such examination is taken within one calendar year from the entry of the incomplete grade), or
in the case of courses in which the grade is based in whole or in part on written work, no later than the end of the semester following that in which the incomplete was entered.

Failure to remove the incomplete grade within the specified time limit will result in an automatic entry of an F on the student’s transcript.

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.

J.D. Grading Policy

Faculty grading policy calls upon each faculty member to grade a course, including problem courses and seminars, so that the mean grade for J.D. students in the course approximates 3.35 (the acceptable range is 3.2 to 3.5).

Faculty are not obliged to adhere to the 3.35 goal in grading courses with fewer than ten J.D. students receiving letter grades. They are expected, however, to be mindful of the goal.

Students who opted for Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading in the class should be awarded a grade of S if they would have received a C- or better. A grade of U is given to any student who would have received a D+ or worse. Grades awarded are in the table below.

Letter Grade	Value
A+	4.33
A	4.0
A-	3.67
B+	3.33
B	3.0
B-	2.67
C+	2.33
C	2.0
C-	1.67
D+	1.33
D	1.0
D-	0.67
F	0.00

J.D. Grading Option

Each J.D. student, after the first year, may elect to take up to two upper-class courses at Cornell Law School on an S/U basis. Students must make this election to the Law School Registrar’s Office using during the S/U election period for the semester immediately following the end of the course add/drop period. If made, the election shall be irrevocable. Students may not make this election in courses that they use to satisfy the law school’s upper-class writing requirement.

In addition, instructors may designate specific courses that they teach as not eligible for the S/U election. Instructors of courses offered solely within the Cornell Law School program may not require S/U grading for students, except when expressly approved by the faculty for distinctive courses such as directed reading and writing, supervised teaching, multicultural work environment, and full-term externships.

J.D. Class Rank

As a matter of faculty policy Cornell Law School does not release the academic rankings of our students. Interested individuals, including employers, have access to the top 10% approximate cumulative grade point cut for the most recent semester of completion for the J.D. students. In addition, at the completion of the second semester and every semester thereafter the top 5% approximate cumulative grade point average is also available. In general, J.D. students are not ranked. However, the top five students in each class are ranked and are notified of their rank. Current information is available on the Law School Registrar’s website at Current Law School Grading.

J.D. Academic Honors

The faculty awards academic honors at graduation as follows: The faculty awards the J.D. degree summacum laude by special vote in cases of exceptional performance. The faculty awards the J.D. degree magnacum laudeto students who rank in the top 10% of the graduating class. Students who rank in the top 30% of the class receive the J.D. degree cumlaude unless they are receiving another honors degree. Thirty-two graded credits in Cornell Law School classes are required for honors eligibility. Of these, at least twenty graded credits must be obtained in upper-level courses. Recipients are notified by a letter from the Dean of Students and a notation on their official and unofficial transcripts.

The Order of the Coif

This honorary scholastic society’s purpose is to encourage excellence in legal education by fostering a spirit of careful study, recognizing those who as law students attained a high grade of scholarship, and honoring those who as lawyers, judges, and teachers attained high distinction for their scholarly or professional accomplishments. The Order of the Coif is granted to those J.D. students who rank in the top 10% of the graduating class. To be eligible for consideration for the Order of the Coif, a graduate must take 63 graded credits in law school. This is a national organization that determines its own rules.

Dean’s List

Each semester in the 2024-2025 academic year J.D. students whose semester grade point average places them in the top 30% of their class will be awarded Dean’s List status. Students are notified of this honor and a notation on their official and unofficial transcripts.

Myron Taylor Scholar

This honor recognizes students whose cumulative MPR places them in the top 30 percent of their class at the completion of their second year of law school. Students are notified of this honor by the Dean of Students and a notation on their unofficial transcripts.

J.D. Academic Prizes

A number of prizes are awarded each year at the law school. Many are based on academic achievements. The Dean of Students notifies prize recipients by letter as soon as the awards are made. The list of currently awarded prizes can be found here.

J.D. Academic Deficiency

A J.D. student who receives a grade of D+ or below in a first-year course will be regarded as having an academic deficiency in that course that must be remedied. The student must either repeat the course or take an upper-class course or courses to be designated by the Dean of Students in order to remedy this gap in the student’s legal education.

A J.D. student will be placed on informal academic probation if, at the close of the first year of law study or the end of any subsequent term, the student’s semester merit point ratio is less than the bottom 5% of the class. Informal probation is neither reported on the student’s transcript nor to employers but rather requires that the student meet with the Dean of Students to approve the student’s course selection and planning to achieve the faculty-adopted learning outcomes.

The faculty Administrative Committee will consider whether a J.D. student should be dropped for scholastic deficiency: a. if at the close of the first year of law study or at the end of any subsequent term (not including the student’s final term), the student’s cumulative merit point ratio is less than 2.8 or b. if in the judgment of the Administrative Committee of the faculty, the student’s work at any time is markedly unsatisfactory. Work is considered markedly unsatisfactory if, in each of two successive terms, the merit point ratio for the work of each term (considered separately) is lower than 2.8.

General LL.M. Grading Policy

LL.M. candidates are graded on the scale of High Honors (HH), Honors (H), Satisfactory (S), and Unsatisfactory (U), except that an LL.M. student may, after consultation with a Dean of Students advisor, elect to be graded on the J.D. scale and curve. This election applies to the entire academic year and must be made by notifying the Law School Registrar within the first four weeks of the date fall semester classes begin.

would have received a grade in the range of C- to B, and U is appropriate for students who would have received a D+ or lower grade. There is no faculty policy regulating the proportion of HH, H, S, and U grades that faculty may give to LL.M. students.

Merit points are not assigned to HH, H, S, and U grades. For General LL.M. candidates, the Law School faculty determines whether the student’s course work meets the necessary standard for the award of the LL.M. degree.

General LL.M. Academic Deficiency

Depending on the grade scale elected, a General LL.M. student who receives a U or grade of D+ or below at the close of the first semester of law study will be placed on informal probation and must meet with

the Dean of Students prior to continued enrollment. An LL.M. student will be dropped for scholastic deficiency if, in the judgment of the faculty, the student’s work at any time is markedly unsatisfactory. Work may be considered markedly unsatisfactory if, for example, the merit point ratio for work in the first semester is lower than 2.00 or two or more U grades are received.

Cornell Tech LL.M. Grading Policy

Candidates for the Cornell Tech LL.M. degree shall be graded in accordance with the same standards as J.D. candidates, with the mean grade calculated separately for J.D. students and Cornell Tech LL.M. students in any particular class. Cornell Tech LL.M. students may not take required courses on an S/U basis unless those courses are offered S/U only. (Students participating in the 3-semester Tech LL.M. Program may also not elect to take courses on the General LL.M. grading scale unless those courses are offered exclusively on that scale.)

Cornell Tech LL.M. Academic Deficiency

A Cornell Tech LL.M. student will be placed on informal probation if, at the close of the first semester of law study, the student’s merit point ratio is less than 2.50, and must meet with the Program Director prior to continued enrollment. A Cornell Tech LL.M. student will be dropped for scholastic deficiency: if in the judgment of the faculty, the student’s work at any time is markedly unsatisfactory. Work may be considered markedly unsatisfactory if, for example, the merit point ratio for work in the first semester is lower than 2.30. Students should see their Cornell Tech curriculum sheet, available at Cornell Tech Student & Academic Affairs. for further information about academic requirements.

Course Selection for Cornell Tech LL.M. Students

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.

Add/Drop Policy for Cornell Tech LL.M. Students

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.

Certain accelerated courses will have different add/drop periods. Students are responsible for adhering to those periods.

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

J.S.D. Grading Policy

J.S.D. candidates enrolled in law courses are graded on the J.D. scale.

J.S.D. Academic Deficiency

Each student’s Special Committee determines whether the student’s coursework meets the necessary standard for the award of a graduate degree. A J.S.D. student will be dropped for scholastic deficiency if, in the judgment of the faculty, the student’s work at any time is markedly unsatisfactory.

Non-Degree Exchange and Visiting Student Grading Policy

Exchange students are graded on the J.D. scale, but if allowed by their home institution they have the option to have all of their grades (for that semester and, if applicable, for the following one) converted to the General LL.M. grading scale (HH/H/S/U).

A grade of HH is appropriate for students who would have received an A or higher, H is appropriate for students who would have received a grade in the B+ to A- range, S is appropriate for students who would have received a grade in the range of C to B, and U is appropriate for students who would have received a D+ or lower grade. Merit points are not assigned to HH, H, S, and U grades.

Students who elect to be graded on the General LL.M. scale must confirm their election within the first four weeks of their first semester at Cornell. Students must receive written confirmation from the home school advisor that the General Studies LL.M. grading scale is acceptable prior to confirming the selection to be graded on that scale.

Non-Degree Exchange and Visiting Student Academic Deficiency

Exchange and visiting students may be dropped for unsatisfactory scholastic work at any time.

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 (160 Myron Taylor Hall) 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.

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.

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.

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.

University ID Cards

The Cornell University identification card serves principally to identify persons as faculty, staff, or students currently employed or registered at Cornell University, as well as access to university services. The identification card is the property of the University. Upon matriculation with Cornell University, each student is issued an identification card.