Grade Conversion Policy

1. A law student may not choose to take a regularly graded course pass/fail.  The Law School permits only a grade conversion of a single earned grade.

2. Course eligibility and exceptions to the policy:

  • J.D. degree seeking students may not convert a grade earned in any required class, including any first year class, professional ethics, courses applied to meet the three additional hours of experiential work, or a course taken to meet the writing requirement. Courses used to meet a J.D. concentration requirement may be converted. J.D. students may convert an Advanced Writing & Practice course, as long as there is an alternate option to fulfill the graduation writing requirement.
  • LL.M. degree seeking students may not convert a grade earned in the required writing course, LAW 701, Legal Writing and Research, nor courses used to meet an LL.M. concentration requirement.

3. The option to convert a single grade must be exercised in the final semester of study (for J.D. seeking, typically the spring semester of the third year, for LL.M. seeking typically the second semester, or for third semester students their final semester.

  • J.D. seeking, the request for conversion should be submitted by the third week of the final semester to have the conversion included in the new semester class rank. If not submitted by the third week, the request must be made no later than April 1, if spring is the final semester; November 1, if fall is the final semester; or July 1, if summer is the final semester.
  • LL.M. seeking, the request for conversion must be submitted by November 1 if student’s final semester is fall, by April 1 if student’s final semester is spring and July 1 if student's final semester is summer.

4. The grade must have been earned:

  • J.D. seeking, after the first year and before the final semester of law school.
  • LL.M. seeking, during any semester at the Law School except the final semester of study. Note, for third semester LLM students, deadlines listed above in policy number 3 apply.

5. Once exercised, the conversion is irrevocable.

6. The option can only be exercised by submission of the Grade Conversion survey, made available to students in their final semester.

7. A “pass” is defined as a grade of "C" or higher.

8. In exercising this option, a student must adhere to any other restriction governing eligibility for earning pass-fail credits.