III. Transfer, Visiting and Non Degree Students

A. Non-Degree Students

The School of Law permits non-Juris Doctor degree candidates to enroll in law school courses on a limited basis. Undergraduate UND students will generally not be permitted to enroll in law school (JD curriculum) courses. UND graduate students may be permitted to enroll in law school courses rarely and only with the permission of the Dean upon appropriate petition. The petition must be filed within a reasonable time prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student wishes to register in order that a timely review may be made.

The petition must provide:

1. Evidence of the applicant's admission to a degree-granting graduate program;
2. A description of student's specific graduate program;
3. The course or courses for which the graduate student is seeking enrollment;
4. A detailed explanation of how the law school course or courses will be part of the student's degree program;
5. Supporting memo by the student's graduate advisor, including the Graduate School's willingness to accept law school course credit in the student's program; and,
6. The student's acknowledgment of his or her understanding that no law school course credits will be transferable to a JD program.

Law school credit earned prior to acceptance into a Juris Doctor degree program is not permitted to be applied to such program even if the student is later admitted. American Bar Association Standard 304, Interpretation 304-3: "Credit for a J.D. degree shall only be given for course work taken after the student has matriculated in a law school."

Updated September 5, 2002

B. Transfer Students

Students transferring into the UND School of Law will be given a class rank based on their cumulative GPA earned after completing one semester as a full-time student at the UND School of Law, and each semester thereafter. Cumulative GPA calculation will include all credits accepted from the transfer institution and all credits earned at the University of North Dakota School of Law and will be based on a 4.0 grading scale.

Transfer students from any law school must successfully complete the courses in the UND School of Law’s first-year curriculum and any other required courses or have successfully completed, as determined by the School of Law, substantially equivalent courses. Any courses not taken, including those deemed not substantially equivalent, must be completed after admission to the UND School of Law J.D. program.

Faculty Committee, January 1970
Amended by the Faculty Committee, May 7, 1986
Administratively updated October 15, 2010
Amended by the Faculty Committee April 26, 2011, and effective August 15, 2011.

C. Admission with Advance Standing

A student may be admitted to the School of Law as a transfer student with advanced standing based upon credit received from another law school. No more than one-third of the credits required for graduation from this law school may be awarded as advance standing. Course grades will be transferred to UND with the grades earned or their equivalent, if such can be extrapolated. Courses in which the student was awarded a grade lower than “C” or its equivalent will not be accepted.

D. Transient or Visiting Student Status at UND

A student in good academic standing at another ABA-accredited law school may be admitted to this law school in a transient or visiting student status. Written certification of good standing and permission to enroll at UND must be provided by the student’s home law school. The courses taken and grades received at this law school will be transferred to the student's home law school.

E. UND Student Transient or Visiting at Another Law School

A UND law student may request transient or visiting student status at another ABA- accredited law school. All UND requirements for the Juris Doctor degree must be satisfied. Up to one-third of the credits required for graduation from this law school will be accepted, provided that the student's course of study at the other law school is approved by the Dean.

Approved by the Faculty Committee on March 2, 2007
effective August 20, 2007