UPPER LEVEL COURSE REGISTRATION

UPPER LEVEL COURSE

REGISTRATION

Units Required for Graduation

• Students must complete 86 units to graduate

– At the end of the first year, students will have 33 units.

– Typically, upper-level students sign up for one

semester of 14 units and three semesters of 13 units

to graduate on time.

– You should consider signing up for two semesters of

14 units so that you can take the minimum load (12

units) the semester you are enrolled in your clinic.

• There’s no extra charge for exceeding 86 units

Minimum/Maximum

Units in a Semester

• The maximum number of units/semester = 16

• Need special permission from Dean of Students

to take 17 (ABA maximum)

• Must file Academic Rules Petition (on-line under “Forms”)

• Granted if student is applying summer externship credits to

fall semester

• The minimum number of units/semester = 12

Course Registration

• Two-step process:

– Bid on classes with enrollment caps of 24 or under

• Done through Symplicity (be sure to set up a Symplicity account)

– Enroll in all classes, including successful bids

• Done through LawReg

– DO NOT TRY TO ENROLL THROUGH THE MAIN CAMPUS SYSTEM (WebReg). NO LAW

CLASSES ARE LISTED.

• Students are responsible for the accuracy of their enrollments. Be

sure to check your on-line study list to ensure that you:

– Enrolled in the correct courses

– Enrolled for the correct number of units in a class that offers variable

units

– Have accurately chosen to take the class for a grade or S/U

*****Watch the on-line Registration Videos!!*****

On-Line Registration Videos

Are There Any Mandatory

Upper Level Classes?

• NO

• Must fulfill the ULWR and a core clinic

• As a practical matter, to be certified by the

State Bar to represent clients in a clinic, you

must have completed or be concurrently

enrolled in Evidence.

– Exceptions: Appellate Litigation and International

Justice Clinics do not require Evidence

Upper Level Writing Requirement

(ULWR)

• Upper level writing requirement (ULWR)

– Criteria

• Frequent feedback from faculty member

• Multiple drafts

• Substantial original analysis and research

• Certified by faculty member as meeting the requirement.

– Can be fulfilled by

• Taking a class that meets the requirement

• Writing a paper in an Independent Study class

– Usually 2 or 3 units of credit

– Student makes arrangements with a faculty advisor

– Typically done in the spring semester of 2L year but can be fall semester of 2L or 3L year

• Re-drafting moot court brief

– It is up to the faculty advisor, but typically students earn 0-1 units of credit

• Arranging to re-write a paper turned in for credit in a class that did not meet the ULWR

– It is up to the faculty advisor, but typically students earn 0-1 units of credit

– Does not have to be an academic-style paper as long as criteria are met

– Deadline to complete is the first working day on or after February 1 of third year

**YOU** are responsible for submitting the ULWR sign-off form to the faculty member and turning it in to the Law School

Registrar. Even if you are taking a class that fulfills the ULWR it is YOUR responsibility to get the form signed and turned in.

How Can I Tell Which Classes Fulfill the

Upper Level Writing Requirement?

Sample of Spring 2014 Courses That

Fulfill the ULWR

Where Do I Find the Independent Study and

ULWR Sign Off Forms?

• All forms are on-line in the Student Portal

Clinics

• Students must complete at least 6 units of clinical education through

either:

– A core law school clinic (such as the Community and Economic Development,

Environmental Law, or Appellate Litigation clinics, to name a few)

– OR in an Alternative Field Placement approved to meet this requirement

• The Associate Dean for Clinical Education and Service Learning approves alternative

clinical placements.

• Core clinics are typically completed in Fall or Spring of 2L, or Fall of 3L year

• 2Ls and 3Ls may enroll in elective clinics that are not required for

graduation (such as the DFEH clinic)

– A student cannot enroll in an elective clinic or an externship at the same time

s/he is enrolled in a core clinic.

Add/Drop/Change Period

• Up through the second week of the semester you can add

or drop a class, or change from a grade to S/U (or vice

versa).

– Without charge

– Without getting anyone’s permission

• From the third week of the semester through the end of

the sixth week you can:

– Add or drop a class with the instructor’s written permission.

Must file an Academic Rules Petition.

– Change from a grade to S/U (or vice versa). Does not require

instructor’s permission. Must file an Academic Rules Petition.

– Charge of $3 for each change (will appear on ZotBill).

• Watch out for special Drop deadlines.

Summer Externship Credit

• Externships completed in the summer will

appear on the fall semester study

list/transcript

• Summer Externships are 4 units of credit

WHY OPT FOR EXTERNSHIP CREDIT?

Do the math!

No externship units:

Units needed for graduation = 86

1L units - 33

2L and 3 L units needed 53

(one semester of 14 and three semesters of 13 units)

…With Externship Units

Units needed for graduation = 86

1L units - 33

2L and 3 L units needed 53

Externship units -4*

2L and 3L units needed 49

(one semester of 13 and three semesters of 12 units)

*Appears on fall transcript. Students with summer

externships can enroll in up to 17 units in the fall, but 4 of

those units will already have been completed!

Can I Take a Class S/U?

• You may take up to 8 self-selected units S/U

– The 8 self-selected units applies to classes normally taken for a grade

– The 8 self-selected units are in addition to classes offered only for S/U,

such as:

• Externships

• Research Fellowships

• Classes designated by faculty as S/U

• A small number of classes must be taken for a grade (including core

clinics).

• Must earn a minimum of a C- to pass

• The Course Catalogue lists whether a class is offered only S/U or

only for grades in the notes section of the course description.

Should I Take a Class S/U?

• Be honest with yourself about your study habits.

• Will you do the same amount of work anyway?

• Will you slack off in a subject that is important to learn (especially heavily tested

bar topics)?

• Are you trying to raise your GPA?

• S/U units count toward graduation requirements, but will have no effect on your

GPA.

• Is this class that is important to your career goals (i.e., Patent Law if you

want to be a patent lawyer)?

• You are responsible for keeping track of your eligibility for graduation

honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude):

– To be eligible, at least 75% of law studies must be in graded courses

(64.5 units if you graduate with 86 units)

Can I Take a Class Outside the

Law School?

• Yes

• Classes through ABA approved summer programs

– Count toward graduation units but grades will not count in your UCI Law GPA

– Discuss financial aid options with Nasreen Zia

• Upper division and graduate level classes at UCI

– Count toward graduation units but grades will not count in your UCI Law GPA

unless the instructor has a joint appointment with the Law School

– Need permission of the instructor and Law School Dean of Students

– Law students cannot enroll themselves in main campus classes – must go

through Law Registrar’s Office

– No additional charge for Fall, Winter, Spring quarters

– Pay fees for Summer quarter; check with Nasreen Zia on financial aid options

• See Academic Rules for specifics

Non-Regularly Scheduled Law Classes

• Students may take up to 18 units of non-

regularly scheduled law classes

– Independent Study

– Non-law classes on main campus

– Research Fellowships

– Externships (other than those deemed Alternative

Field Placements)

– Advanced Clinics

What Classes Should I Take?

• Take the classes that interest you, even if you never intend to practice in that field.

• Take classes from professors you would like to study with, even if the subject matter is not

one you think will appeal to you. There are practice fields you have not considered that will

actually capture your interest.

• Take classes from professors you enjoyed and whose teaching style matches your learning

style.

• Take classes that will give you a strong foundation in the practice field you intend to enter.

• Takes classes with a mix of different methods of evaluation (e.g., exams, papers, in-class

exercises).

• Take a mix of skills and doctrinal courses.

• Take a broad range of classes. Life is unpredictable. You may discover you do not enjoy the

work you do, or business in your practice area may dry up. Choose courses that will expose

you to various methodological approaches to the law and that prepare you to be a well-

rounded lawyer able to take advantage of opportunities as they appear.

Faculty Have Prepared Course Selection Guides by

Practice Areas:

Resources

• I offer individual, half-hour academic advising sessions with each

student.

– Begins March 18

– Available Cesar Chavez Day if enough student interest

• Two lunch-time panels scheduled

• Full-time Faculty/Adjuncts Panel -- March 19 at noon

• Business Law Panel – April 13 at noon

• Read the course descriptions and prerequisites in the course

catalogue!

• Course evaluations from previous years are available on line.

Tentative Registration Schedule

• March 18: Course Catalogue goes live

• March 30: Notification of clinic assignments

• March 31: Pre-enrollment bidding for small

classes opens*

• April 6: Bidding ends

• April 10: Students notified of winning bids

• April 16: Rising 3Ls begin to enroll

• April 17: Rising 2Ls begin to enroll

*It is an Honor Code violation to “game” the bid

system.

Subjects Tested on Every Bar Exam

MBE – Multi-State Bar Exam

Civil Procedure - Federal

Constitutional Law (including First Amendment)

Contracts (including the UCC)

Criminal Law

Criminal Procedure

Evidence

Real Property

Torts

Subjects Tested on the

California Bar Exam

MBE and Essay Essay Only

Civil Procedure – Fed’l

Constitutional Law (incl. 1

Amend.)

Contracts (including the UCC)

Criminal Law

Criminal Procedure

Evidence

Real Property

Torts

Business Associations (incl.

Agency/Partnership and Corporations)

Civil Procedure – CA and Federal

Community Property

Evidence – CA and Federal

Professional Responsibility

Remedies

Wills and Succession