Registration takes place according to a schedule pre-arranged in advance by the Office of the University Registrar. JD students receive priority registration for all JD courses. A student’s enrollment date is based on seniority according to the number of cumulative credits earned. Registration for the Summer and Autumn semesters takes place in the Spring. Registration for the Spring semester takes place in the Autumn. Students must use Campus Connect to register, add or drop a course.
Add/Drop Deadlines
Once registration begins, it remains open until the end of the add/drop period, which is two weeks after the beginning of Autumn and Spring semesters and one week after the beginning of the Summer semester.
Course Changes after Add/Drop Deadline
A class may not be added after the add deadline, which is published in the Academic Calendar of the College of Law. A student shall not receive retroactive credit for any work completed by the student. A student must register in advance, within the applicable registration period, to receive credit for any work completed.
A student may withdraw from a class on Campus Connect up until the end of the eighth week of the semester (the withdrawal deadline). Thereafter, a student who wishes to withdraw from a course must contact the College of Law Office of Student Affairs to request approval for a late withdrawal. Simply not attending class does not constitute a withdrawal.
For any course dropped after the deadline to drop a class, but before the withdrawal deadline, a grade of "W" will appear on the student's transcript. For any course that is approved to be dropped after the withdrawal deadline, a grade of WA (“administrative withdrawal”) will appear on the student’s transcript. W and WA grades do not affect the student’s GPA.
Deadline for Tuition Refunds
Students withdrawing from a course at a date which is after 20% of the scheduled term will not receive any tuition refund. The deadline is published in the Academic Calendar for the College of Law.
Non-Classroom Credit Hours: 12-Credit Limit
With the exception of students enrolled in the Third Year in Practice (3YP) program, a JD student may earn a maximum of 12 credit hours for non-classroom courses. Courses that count toward the 12-credit non-classroom limit include the following:
| Course | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LAW 114 | LEGAL ANALYSIS RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATIONS TEACHING ASSISTANTS | 1-2 |
| LAW 204 | LAW REVIEW | 1-3 |
| LAW 217 | JOURNAL FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE | 1-2 |
| LAW 224 | ASP TA | 1-2 |
| LAW 236 | JOURNAL OF SPORTS LAW AND CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS | 1 |
| LAW 298 | GENERAL TEACHING ASSISTANT | 1-2 |
| LAW 303 | BUSINESS AND COMMERCIAL LAW JOURNAL | 1-2 |
| LAW 336 | JOURNAL OF ART TECHNOLOGY & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY EDITORIAL BOARD | 1-2 |
| LAW 411 | GUIDED RESEARCH | 1-2 |
| LAW 428 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 3 |
| LAW 436 | JOURNAL OF HEALTH CARE LAW EDITORIAL BOARD | 1-2 |
| LAW 524 | EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM | 2-3 |
| LAW 536 | NATIONAL MOOT COURT COMPETITION | 2 |
| LAW 537 | INTERNATIONAL MOOT COURT COMPETITION | 3 |
| LAW 538 | NATIONAL TRIAL TEAM | 3 |
| LAW 539 | INTERSCHOLASTIC COMPETITION | 2-3 |
| LAW 961 | INTENSIVE FIELD PLACEMENT | 5-9 |
| LAW 962 | ADVANCED INTENSIVE FIELD PLACEMENT | 5-9 |
Distance Education Credit Limit
American Bar Association rules specify that JD students may earn a maximum of 28 credit hours toward the JD degree for distance education courses. The College of Law offers both fully online and hybrid courses. A hybrid course is a course in which some, but not all, of the instructional time is online. All fully-online courses, and some hybrid courses, qualify under the ABA rule as distance education courses.
Journal Credit Policy
Students may receive credit for their participation on one of DePaul's approved law journals. For minimum and maximum credits allowed per journal, consult the designated Faculty Advisor or the journal handbook. Students may opt to receive fewer than the maximum allowable credits per semester, but all editorial board members must receive at least one credit for each semester of work on the journal. Journal credit is granted only to third-year members of journal editorial boards with the exception of the DePaul Law Review; second-year editors of the DePaul Law Review register to receive credit.
Competitions: Credit and Approval Process
The College of Law provides students with opportunities to participate in simulated skills competitions and to receive course credit through the following approved courses:
| Course | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LAW 536 | NATIONAL MOOT COURT COMPETITION | 2 |
| LAW 537 | INTERNATIONAL MOOT COURT COMPETITION | 3 |
| LAW 539 | INTERSCHOLASTIC COMPETITION | 2-3 |
| LAW 751 | HEALTH LAW MOOT COURT | 2 |
Any student team or student organization that wishes to participate in a skills competition outside of these approved courses must first receive permission from the Dean of the College of Law by submitting the Competition Statement of Interest available in the Student Resources section of the College of Law website. Each team must have a designated Faculty Advisor. DePaul students who participate in competitions are representing the College of Law and are subject to the policies and procedures of DePaul University.
All participants in competitions must register for credit unless the competition is one for which credit is not granted. Course credit will not be awarded if the appropriate registration is not completed.
Auditing Classes
A JD or LLM student may audit a course only if the student registers to do so with the Office of Student Affairs.
The following courses may not be audited: courses required for graduation, advanced writing courses, litigation skills courses, practice skills courses, clinics, externships, guided research, independent study and non-classroom pass/fail courses.
An auditor does not receive a grade in or credit for the course. Students may not convert from auditing to graded status or vice versa. A student who has audited a course may not thereafter take that course for credit. A person not enrolled as a student at the College of Law may audit a course only with the permission of the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs.
To register to audit a course, students register for the class via Campus Connect and file a request form in the Office of Student Affairs.