Juris Doctor Honors
JD students whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) places them in certain categories graduate with honors.
- Top 5%: summa cum laude
- Top 10%: magna cum laude
- Top 20%: cum laude
The awards are given to the entire class that graduates in an academic year, full-time and part-time students combined. The awards are announced at the end of the academic year. Once the awards are announced and posted by the College of Law and the Office of the University Registrar, the awards are not affected by any subsequent grade changes.
Students who transfer to the College of Law after they complete first-year coursework at another law school are eligible for graduation honors. Grades earned at a transfer student’s prior law school are included in the GPA computation for honors eligibility. Grades earned when students visit another law school after their first year are included in the GPA for honors eligibility if they take 12 or more credits at another law school.
Order of the Coif
JD graduates who rank in the top 10 percent of their class will be elected by the faculty to the Order of the Coif. Coif awards are announced in the Summer at the end of the academic year. Once announced and posted by the Office of the University Registrar, the awards are not affected by any subsequent grade changes. The rules for honors awards for transfer students also apply to election to Order of the Coif.