Academic Policies

1. Members of the Law Review staff shall be eligible for this research credit so long as the work done for this credit is not also submitted to fulfill the requirements for Law Review credit.
2. Students must have credit for RWA I and II and must have a minimum of 28 hours of law school credit to enroll for Independent Study.
3. No student may enroll for more than one hour of Independent Study in any single academic year, except that the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs may allow two hours in special cases.
4. No student may earn more than a total of two hours credit in Independent Study.
5. Each hour of Independent Study shall consist of:
   1. Exhaustive library or other approved investigation under the supervision of a faculty member of a legal problem to be approved by such faculty member.
   2. Preparation of a legal essay based on the investigation in 5(a), above, the length thereof to depend on the scope of the problem and suggestions of the faculty supervisor, but generally to fall within a twenty to thirty page range (typewritten).
6.  It is expected that a minimum of seventy hours of work will be necessary to fulfill the combined requirements of 5(a) and 5(b) above. The faculty supervisor may require such additional work as is deemed necessary if, in the opinion of the faculty supervisor, the legal essay submitted is unsatisfactory.
7. Students enrolled in Independent Study shall submit a project outline prior to the end of the fourth week of the semester, a first draft prior to the end of the ninth week of the semester, and a final draft prior to the first day of the final exam period. Students enrolling for Independent Study during a summer session should consult with their faculty supervisor in regard to deadline requirements. However, the final draft of papers undertaken during a summer must be submitted prior to the first day of the final examination period for the session in which the student enrolled in Independent Study.
8. Each Independent Study student shall develop a detailed bibliography (no particular form) indicating the full extent of his/her research and showing “unproductive” investigation as well as that which produces materials bearing on the problem. The record shall be submitted with the first draft to the faculty supervisor for his/her approval.
9.  The faculty supervisor shall assign a final grade for each semester’s or term’s work done under his/her supervision in accordance with the normal grading system at the law school. The grade will represent a composite appraisal of (a) thoroughness in investigation and (b) quality of the legal essay.

If a professor has already approved a legal research topic for your independent study, complete Independent Study Form and return it to the Office of the Registrar and you will be enrolled in the course. 

If you do not have an approved topic, but have an interest in writing your paper in a general subject area of the law, you should make an appointment with the professor who teaches in that subject area to discuss the selection of a specified topic. After a professor has approved your topic and agreed to work with you on the independent study, complete and return Independent Study Form to the Office of the Registrar and you will be enrolled in the course. 

The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will review all requests submitted for Independent Study topics. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will attempt to honor all requests from students whose topics have been approved in advance by faculty members. However, there is a limit to the number of papers an individual faculty member can supervise. If a request for a particular faculty member is denied, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will assign students to work under the supervision of another faculty member. 

Unless you receive permission from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, you may not register for more than one hour of Independent Study in one academic year, in accordance with Rule III.A.5 of the Academic Rules.

A student who wishes to file a grade appeal should contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.  Grade appeals are governed by the following policy approved by the Faculty of the School of law in September 1986 and amended in September 2003:

Any student seeking to appeal a grade given him or her by a faculty member may make his or her appeal to the Dean and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, but no change in the grade will be made unless the Dean and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs agree that the faculty member was arbitrary and capricious in awarding the grade. Students must file their appeal no later than April 15 for grades received for the previous fall semester and November 15 for grades received for the previous spring or summer semesters. In the case of a grade change (including completion of an incomplete), after March 15 for the previous fall semester or after October 15 for the previous spring and summer semesters, the student must file an appeal within thirty days of the entry of the grade.

This policy requires that the grade will stand unless both the Dean and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs agree the faculty member was arbitrary and capricious. The decision of the Dean and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs is final.

Grade appeals are conducted on a written record. The student shall submit to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs a written statement setting forth in detail the basis for the appeal. The student’s statement will be provided to the faculty member whose grade is the subject of the appeal. The faculty member shall then submit to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs a written statement setting forth the basis for the grade given. The Dean or Associate Dean for Academic Affairs may request additional information from either the student or faculty member. The decision reached shall be in writing and shall be provided to both the student and the faculty member.

Amended: September 11, 2003

Section 1: The Associate Dean for Academic Programs may permit persons who are not candidates for a J.D. degree to enroll in courses at the School of Law under the following conditions:

1. A person licensed to practice law by the Arkansas Supreme Court, a graduate of another law school approved by the American Bar Association, or a student enrolled at another law school approved by the American Bar Association may enroll in a School of Law course as an auditor.
2. A student enrolled in any college, school, or department of the University of Arkansas may enroll in a School of Law course as an auditor upon a showing that the course will be of benefit to the student’s studies in the other college, school, or department.
3. A person may enroll in a School of Law course as an auditor upon a showing that the particular course will be of benefit to  the person in the person’s work or occupation and that the person has the ability and aptitude to engage in the study of the particular course.
4. A student enrolled in a degree program at any university, college, school, or department of the University of Arkansas may enroll in a School of Law course for credit if the college, school, or department in which the student is enrolled certifies that credit for the course may be applied toward a degree other than a degree from the School of Law.
5. A student who is enrolled in a degree program at any qualified institution, as defined in Standard 502 of the American Bar Association Standards for Approval of Law Schools, may enroll in a School of Law course for credit if the institution in which the student is enrolled certifies that credit for the course may be applied toward a degree from such institution.

Section 2: A person who desires to enroll in a School of Law course as a non-degree candidate shall submit a written application to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs which shows that the person meets one or more conditions for such enrollment.  Before granting an application to enroll as a non-degree candidate in a particular course, the Associate Dean for Academic Programs shall obtain the approval of the professor teaching the course.

Section 3: A person permitted to enroll in a School of Law course as a non-degree candidate may not apply any credit earned while in a non-degree status toward a degree from the School of Law.

Note: You may be entitled to receive Arkansas Continuing Legal Education hours as a result of auditing a law school course.  In order to apply for CLE hours, a Certificate of Attendance, furnished through the office of the Associate Dean, must be completed by you, signed by the Associate Dean and filed with the Office of Professional Programs, Justice Building, 625 Marshall Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201.

Adopted by Faculty on 10/20/87