8.01 Procedures

Law School scholarships and loans from Law School sources shall be made in accordance with procedures established by the Financial Aids Committee.

8.02 Awards to be Based on Need

1. Except as provided in 8.02(2) scholarship awards shall be based upon need for financial assistance and academic achievement. No scholarship or loan awards will be made except upon application.
2. Grants to continuing students shall be made on the basis of need only except where the terms of the fund from which the grant is made require other criteria be considered.

8.03 Prizes

The Financial Aids Committee is authorized to award such prizes as it deems appropriate from funds available for such purposes.

8.04 GRADUATION Honors

1.  Students graduating in May 2023 and August 2023 with a weighted average of 3.85 or better on reported 4.3-scale letter grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, summa cum laude. Students graduating in December 2023, May 2024, and August 2024 with a weighted average of 3.90 or better on reported 4.3-scale letter grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, summa cum laude. Students graduating in December 2024 and thereafter with a weighted average of 3.95 or better on reported 4.3-scale letter grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, summa cum laude.
2. Students graduating in May 2023 and August 2023 with a weighted average of 3.65 or better on reported 4.3-scale letter grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, magna cum laude.  Students graduating in December 2023, May 2024, and August 2024 with a weighted average of 3.70 or better on reported 4.3-scale letter grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, magna cum laude. Students graduating in December 2024 and thereafter with a weighted average of 3.75 or better on reported 4.3-scale letter grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, magna cum laude.
3. Students graduating in May 2023 and August 2023 with a weighted average of 3.35 or better on reported 4.3-scale letter grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, cum laude. Students graduating in December 2023, May 2024, and August 2024 with a weighted average of 3.45 or better on reported 4.3-scale letter grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, cum laude. Students graduating in December 2024 and thereafter with a weighted average of 3.5 or better on reported 4.3-scale letter grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, cum laude.
4. Students matriculating at the Law School in Fall 2023 and thereafter must, in order to qualify for the above graduation honors, have a minimum of 45 credits in Law courses for which 4.3-scale letter grades were reported; however, students who transfer to the Law School after first commencing a JD degree program at another law school must have a minimum of 30 credits in Law courses for which 4.3-scale letter grades were reported.

NOTE: Amended by Law Faculty action 7 April 2023. [Due to raise in average grade range commencing in the Fall 2022 Term, qualifying weighted averages for respective honors level raised for December 2023, May 2024, and August 2024 graduates, with the final adjustment for students matriculating in Fall 2022 and graduating in December 2024 and thereafter. Section 4 (minimum number of regularly graded Law credits required for graduation honors) is a new addition to this rule.] Further amended by Law Faculty action 3 May 2024 [re Rule 8.04 (4): transfer students only need minimum of 30 graded credits for graduation honors].

NOTE: Under the previous 65-95 numerical grading regimen, the following were applicable for honors:
* Students graduating with a weighted average of 90 or better on reported numerical grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, summa cum laude. 
* Students graduating with a weighted average of 87.5 or better on reported numerical grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, magna cum laude. 
* Students entering the UW Law School prior to the 2000-2001 academic year who graduate with a weighted average of 85 or better on reported numerical grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, cum laude. Students entering the UW Law School from the 2000-2001 academic year until the 2004-2005 academic year who graduate with a weighted average of 85.5 or better on reported numerical grades may be recommended by the faculty for graduation, cum laude.

Administrative Interpretation applicable to 65-95 numerical grading. A student’s weighted average for purposes of determining honors does not include grades of 70 or above (on the 65-95 scale) which were earned in courses selected by the student to have the grades reported as stated in Rule 4.03.

Cross-reference. See Coif eligibility rules summarized in Appendix D, p. 44.

8.05 Dean's Honor List

1. A JD candidate student is eligible for the Dean's Honor List if the following requirements are met:
   1. Registration for and completion of at least 12 new credits in spring or fall semester (these credits may include qualifying non-Law credits pursuant to Rule 3.08 or qualifying non-Law credits taken as part of a Dual Degree program of study pursuant to Rule 3.16; no other non-Law credits will be considered).
   2. At least 8 of the new credits must be Law credits graded on the 4.3 scale, with a weighted average of at least 3.5 on those Law credits.
   3. Completion of those credits by the due date for turning in grades at the end of the particular semester.
2. No exception will be made to these rules for hardship or other reasons, except as provided in (3) below.
3. Students with disabilities.
   1. In the event a student has been certified by the Associate Dean, after consultation with the appropriate professional sources, as affected by a disability defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act which precludes the student from carrying 12 credits during a semester, that certification shall indicate the number of credits which are the equivalent of a full time load for that student considering the student's disability.
   2. A student designated under (3)(a) is eligible for the Dean's Honor List if the following requirements are met:
      1. registration of and completion in the spring or fall semester of the number of credits certified under (3)(a);
      2. a weighted average of at least 3.3 (on the 4.3 scale) on those credits, of which at least 66% (the equivalent of 8 out of 12 credits) must be graded on the 4.3 scale; and
      3. completion of those credits by the due date for turning in grades at the end of the particular semester.

NOTES: Rule 8.05 is policy adopted by the Dean's Office rather than faculty legislation. Amended by Dean's Office action 28 July 2014 (14 new credit/10 graded credit requirements changed to 12 new credit/8 graded credit requirements). Amended by Dean's Office action 15 February 2016 (qualifying non-Law credits per Rule 3.08 and Rule 3.16 are counted toward the 12 new credits required). Amended by Dean's Office action 8 February 2023 (qualifying weighted average raised from 3.3 to 3.5 effective for the Spring 2023 Term).