Jump To
- 2.1 First-Year Courses: Introduction
- 2.2 Second and Third-Year Courses
- 2.3.1 Registering for Fall Semester of the First Year
- 2.3.2 Registering for Spring Semester of the First Year
- 2.3.3 Registering for the Fall Semester of the Second and Third Years
- 2.3.4 Wait-Lists & Courses that are “Full”
- 2.3.5 Determining if Seats are Still Available
- 2.3.6 Second and Third-Year Students in 1L-only Electives
- 2.3.7 Registering for the Spring Semester of the Second and Third Years
- 2.3.8 Registering for "Consent of Instructor" Courses
- 2.3.9 Registering for Clinical Programs
- 2.3.10 Summer Law Courses
- 2.3.11 Directed Reading & Directed Research
- 2.3.12 UW Law Registration while Studying Abroad or Visiting another US Law School
- 2.3.13 Registering for Abnormally High Course Loads
- 2.3 Registering
- 2.4 The Online Course Schedule
- 2.5 Non-Law Courses
- 2.6 Withdrawing from Law School
- 2.7 Auditing a Law School class
- Table of Contents
2.1 First-Year Courses: Introduction
The First-Year Program at the University of Wisconsin Law School is designed to teach the fundamentals of legal analysis and reasoning and to introduce foundational substantive material.
For students matriculating in fall 2023 and thereafter, all full-time students take the same four courses (totaling 15 credits). These courses are:
-
- Contracts (4 credits)
- Criminal Law & Procedure (4 credits)
- Civil Procedure (4 credits)
- Legal Analysis, Advocacy & Writing I (3 credits) (formerly "Legal Research & Writing I")
For students who matriculated prior to fall 2023, all full-time students took the same four courses (totaling 15 credits) each fall semester. These courses are:
- Contracts I (4 credits)
- Introduction to Substantive Criminal Law (4 credits)
- Civil Procedure I (4 credits)
- Legal Research and Writing II (3 credits)
Three of the above courses will normally be taught in a larger lecture format; Legal Analysis, Advocacy & Writing I will be taught in sections of approximately 20 students each. Generally, the students from your Legal Analysis, Advocacy & Writing I section are also in your larger classes; a side-benefit of the smaller legal writing sections is that it helps you more easily meet your classmates and form study groups. To learn how to register for the first-year fall semester courses discussed above, please follow closely the instructions provided by email from the Law School during the summer prior to your arrival at the Law School. Also, see the UW Registrar's "How To" for Enrollment & Academic Records to learn how to enroll in your courses and for other helpful guides.
For students matriculating in fall 2023 and thereafter, all full-time students in the spring semester take the same four courses (totaling 15 credits). These courses are:
- Property (4 credits)
- Torts (4 credits)
- Constitutional Law (4 credits)
- Legal Analysis, Advocacy & Writing II (3 credits) (formerly "Legal Research and Writing II")
For students who matriculated prior to fall 2023, all full-time students in the spring semester took the following three courses (totaling 11 credits):
- Property (4 credits)
- Torts (4 credits)
- Legal Research and Writing II (3 credits)
Full-time students also took one elective course. Although students matriculating in fall 2023 and thereafter no longer have a first-year elective, formerly the first-year electives included:
- Civil Procedure II (3 credits)
- Introduction to Criminal Procedure (3 credits)
- Constitutional Law I (3 credits)
- International Law (3 credits)
- Contracts II (3 credits)
- Business Organizations I (3 credits)
- Administrative Law (3 credits)
- Legislation and Regulation (3 credits)
- other electives as available
A student whose weighted average is less than 2.0 (on the 4.3 scale) on completion of the first two semesters is ineligible to continue unless the student petitions the Retentions Committee for permission to continue and the Retentions Committee permits continuation. See Chapter 7 of the Law School Rules.
2.1.1 First-Year Part-Time Schedules
If, because of personal or employment requirements, you need to attend the Law School part-time, you must complete the First-Year Program courses discussed above within two years from the date of matriculation (see Law School Rule 3.02 and Law School Rule 7.06(1)).
It follows that if you take a part-time schedule in the fall semester of your first year, you will have to complete the remaining first-year fall semester courses in the following fall semester. The same is true for the first-year spring semester courses.
If you intend to be part-time at any point while you are completing the First-Year Program, please note the following:
- If, in your first fall semester, you were assigned to a small section of any first-year course, you are not entitled to a second small section class. Exceptions to this rule will be made only on the basis of extreme hardship and on a space-available basis.
- Students largely limited to attending courses in the late afternoons/evenings should note that one-half of the first-year program courses are generally offered later in the day in alternating years, thus making it easier to complete the first-yearprogram within the requisite two years.
- Part-time students are strongly urged to take Legal Analysis, Advocacy & Writing I and II during the first and second semesters of attendance, respectively, rather than delaying these courses until the third and fourth semesters of part-time attendance.
- Part-time students who are on-track to complete the 1L curriculum in 2 years (i.e., at least 7-8 credits of first year required courses per semester) may enroll in upper level courses only after consulting with the Academic Advisor, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, or other Academic Affairs staff. Any part-time student who wishes to take any upper-level law course prior to completing the entire first-year program, who is not on-track to complete the 1L curriculum in 2 years, or who has failed a course, or whose GPA for any semester has been below a 2.0 must first meet with the Law School’s Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.
2.2 Second and Third-Year Courses
In your second and third years at the Law School, you will have time to explore the curriculum both to determine your interests and to develop the lawyering skills you will need when you graduate. Although you will need to keep in mind the Juris Doctor (JD) degree requirements and Diploma Privilege requirements (see sections 4.2 and 4.6, respectively), you will be free to choose from a wide range of courses, clinical programs, journals and other credit-earning experiences, such as externships, moot court, mock trial, directed research and directed reading. For helpful information on how to make Law School curricular decisions, view “Planning Your Academic Program.”
If you plan to practice law in a state other than Wisconsin, you will most likely need to take a bar exam after graduation. Many students find that it is useful to consider and plan for the bar exam when selecting second and third-year courses. Students frequently find that they have an easier time studying for the bar exam if they have had some exposure to the bar exam subjects through basic law school courses (for example, Business Organizations I & II, Conflict of Laws, Federal Jurisdiction, Tax, Secured Transactions, and Family Law) and if they have developed strong writing skills. Students who intend to take a bar exam should also be aware that certain courses may be prerequisites to taking some states' bar examinations. Finally, some jurisdictions may limit the number of clinical credits that can be applied toward a law degree. Information about these and other bar admission requirements is available at NCBE.
2.2.1 Second-Year and Third-Year Status
The official distinction between a second and third-year law student is based on the number of completed credits. Once a student has completed 56 credits, that student is viewed by the University as a third-year law student, regardless of how long it has been since the student matriculated (i.e., first enrolled) at the Law School.
As stated above in section 2.1.1 above, any student who has yet to complete the First-Year Program must first consult with the Law School’s Assistant Dean for Student Affairs before registering for any upper-level law course.
2.2.2 Planning Your Second-Year Curriculum
In the spring semester of your first year, you will choose your courses for fall semester of your second year (for a discussion of the registration process for “rising 2Ls,” see 2.3.3 below). As a general matter, in the fall semester of the second year, you should be mindful of courses that are sequential as you begin to think more intentionally about your interests and goals. For example: Trusts & Estates I is a required course for Diploma Privilege and preliminary to advanced estate-planning courses; Business Organizations I and/or Business Organizations II are preliminary to other advanced business law offerings such as Securities Regulation; Federal Income Taxation (“Tax I”) is a useful preliminary to many course offerings, such as Tax II; Evidence is a required course for Diploma Privilege as well as a prerequisite, e.g., for Trial Advocacy; Constitutional Law II (or an equivalent) is a required Diploma Privilege course and is also useful as a preliminary for many courses and a prerequisite for others.
In addition to being aware of course prerequisites and the sequential aspect of certain courses, it is also necessary to understand which courses are required for the JD degree (see 4.2) and for Diploma Privilege (see 4.6). You should also try to anticipate when you would like to take required and non-required courses (see 2.2.4 below). Thus, you can begin to develop a curricular plan for yourself and continue to implement it in spring semester of your second year and on into your third year.
For more information on course sequencing, view Planning Your Academic Program. This site also contains Curriculum Guides for various areas of law practice.
2.2.3 Planning Your Third-Year Curriculum
Most law students, upon reaching the third year, will still have a few JD degree and Diploma Privilege requirements yet to fulfill. It is a good practice to try to complete these requirements in the fall semester of your third year, or at least leave as few required courses as possible for spring semester of the third year. Doing so will reduce your anxiety over the need to get into a required course in the final semester. It will also allow you greater flexibility in taking non-required courses that interest you.
For more curricular planning information, view Planning Your Academic Program. This site also contains Curriculum Guides for various areas of law practice.
2.2.4 Upper-Level Course Offerings By Semester
For planning purposes, you will find below a basic list of when courses are typically offered, broken down by semester.
The Law School endeavors not to deviate too often from this scheduling regimen, but you need to remember that this list constitutes a prediction, not a promise.
Upper-level courses typically offered in both fall and spring:
- Administrative Law
- Advanced Legal Writing (occasional)
- Bus. Orgs: Partnership, LLC, Closely-held Corps (formerly Business Organizations I)
- Civil Procedure II (in academic year 2024-2025, spring only)
- Criminal Procedure
- Constitutional Law I (fall 2024 will be the final time the 3-credit "Constitutional Law I" will be taught)
- Constitutional Law II
- Evidence
- Taxation I [Federal Income Taxation]
- Negotiation/Mediation
- Pretrial Advocacy
- Professional Responsibilities
- Trial Advocacy
- Trusts & Estates I (2-credit)
Upper-level courses typically offered in fall only: (Note: some of these courses are only offered in alternate years)
- Asset Management & Financial Planning
- Bankruptcy
- Bus. Orgs: Public Corporations (formerly Business Organizations II) (in academic year 2024-2025, this will be a spring term course)
- Conflict of Laws
- Domestic Violence
- Environmental Law (in academic year 2024-2025, this will be a spring term course)
- Intro to Estate Planning
- Employment Law
- European Union Law
- Family Law: Marriage & Divorce
- Federal Law & Indian Tribes
- Food Systems Law & the Environment (occasional)
- Immigration Law
- Insurance Law
- International Law
- Introduction to Intellectual Property Law
- International Business Transactions
- International Commercial Arbitration
- Patent Law
- Real Estate Transactions I
- Secured Transactions
- Taxation of Mergers & Acquisitions (not in fall 2024)
Upper-level courses typically offered in spring only: (Note: some of these courses are only offered in alternate years.)
- Adoption Law & Policy
- Antitrust (occasional) (in academic year 2024-2025, this will be a fall term course)
- Construction Law (occasional)
- Contracts II (occasional)
- Copyright Law (occasional) (may alternate with Trademarks)
- Equal Employment Law/Employment Discrimination
- Estate & Gift Tax
- Family Law: Parent & Child
- Federal Jurisdiction
- Health Law & Administration
- International Tax
- International Trade Law
- Islamic Law and Jurisprudence (occasional)
- Labor Relations
- Land Use Controls
- Law of Democracy
- Lawyering Skills Course
- Marital Property
- Natural Resources Law (occasional) (in academic year 2024-2025, this will be a fall term course)
- Patient Advocacy
- Real Estate Transactions II
- Securities Regulation
- State & Local Taxation (occasional)
- Tax II
- Use of Trusts in Estate Planning
- Water Rights Law
- Workers Compensation (occasional)
Some courses taught at the Law School from time to time are not included on the above lists. With such courses—usually smaller, seminar-like courses—it is often difficult to predict if and when they will be offered again. Some courses are offered only every other year or so; sometimes faculty themselves do not know what they intend to teach in the succeeding year. Thus, if a course not listed above (and therefore perhaps irregularly offered) is of particular interest to you and is being offered in an upcoming semester, you might want to consider taking it, if your schedule allows.
For a brief discussion of Clinical Programs, see section 2.3.9 below, as well as Chapter 13 (“13. Clinical and Other Experiential Learning Programs at the Law School"); for a discussion of directed reading/directed research, see section 2.3.11, below.
2.2.5 Curricular Concentrations
The Law School faculty has established Curricular Concentrations in seven areas of studies:
- Business Law
- Criminal Law
- Estate Planning
- Family Law
- International Law
- Labor and Employment Law
- Real Estate Law
Qualifying students are awarded a certificate reflecting this curricular achievement if they have satisfied the requirements for the concentration upon graduation. View Certificate Programs & Curricular Concentration options.
2.3 Registering
2.3.1 Registering for Fall Semester of the First Year
To learn how to register for the first-year fall semester courses discussed in section 2.1 above, please follow closely the instructions provided by the Law School during the summer prior to your arrival in Madison. If you have trouble, see the UW Registrar's "How To" for Enrollment & Academic Records to learn how to enroll in your courses and for other helpful guides.
2.3.2 Registering for Spring Semester of the First Year
Important Note: In early November, first-years may receive an email from the University assigning a registration time for your spring semester courses. Please disregard the registration date on the email, as you will not be able to register until the Law School sets your schedule. As with fall course enrollment, the Law School will let you know about when and how to register for your spring semester courses.
If you have trouble managing the online enrollment system, see the UW Registrar's "How To" for Enrollment & Academic Records to learn how to enroll in your courses and for other helpful guides.
[First year students matriculating prior to 2023 will select one elective for the spring semester. The one mandatory elective will be taken in addition to the required first-year spring semester courses (discussed above in section 2.1). Students matriculating prior to 2023 will receive a scheduling form by email asking them to indicate their elective preference - in recent years, all students have received their first elective choice. On this scheduling form, students will also have the opportunity to indicate whether you have any extraordinary scheduling needs. Based on these forms, the Law School will determine second semester schedules and will advise you on when and how to register for your first-year Spring Semester courses.]
2.3.3 Registering for the Fall Semester of the Second and Third Years
In mid-spring, the fall semester schedule for the next academic year will be available on the Courses & Schedules page. (The online course schedule is discussed below in section 2.4). Any new course that may be added subsequent to registration will be announced by email. Prior to registration for the fall semester, all law students will receive an email from the University Registrar (typically in late March or early April) informing them when their earliest registration time will be. Registration for rising 3Ls (that is, 2Ls who will soon become 3Ls) generally commences on a given date in early April.
- Important Notes: Any rising 3L who does not register on that precise date will be competing for courses with the rising 2Ls, whose registration generally begins one day after that of the 3Ls. Registration for rising 2Ls (that is, 1Ls who will soon become 2Ls) likewise generally commences one day after the 3L registration on a date in early April. As stated, it is in your best interest to register for courses at your earliest available opportunity.
- Do NOT register for courses whose meeting times overlap. Instructors are free to forbid students from leaving class early or arriving late in order to attend overlapping courses; moreover, overlapping courses sometimes have conflicting final exam times, and an exam rescheduling accommodation will not be granted on the grounds that a student has two final exams at the same time.
If you have trouble with the online registration, see the UW Registrar's "How To" for Enrollment & Academic Records to learn how to manage your enrollment and how to use the Course Guide.
A discussion of how to register for “Consent of Instructor” courses and Clinical Programs follows below in section 2.3.8 and section 2.3.9, respectively.
2.3.4 Wait Lists & Courses that are “Full”
The number of students who can enroll in a particular course is governed by two factors:
- The classroom’s seating capacity, and/or
- Any particular enrollment cap requested by the instructor.
The Law School creates wait lists for courses that it believes will be particularly popular. If a course is full for either reason when a student attempts to register, and a wait list has been enabled, then a student may put his or her name on the wait list for the course. For more information, view the UW Registrar's KB Article on Wait Lists.
The Law School monitors enrollment in courses with wait lists on a daily basis, and if and when a seat becomes available, if you are first on the wait list you will receive an email message from the Academic Advisor notifying you that you have 48 hours to enroll in the course. If you do not register for the class within the 48 hour period, we delete your name from the wait list and offer the seat to the next student on the wait list.
If an open-enrollment course (i.e., one that does not require consent of instructor) that does not have a wait list becomes full, the best way to get into it is to continue to try to register for the course. As students add and drop courses, seats will often become available. Persistence frequently pays off!
Of course, an instructor whose course is “consent of instructor” (see section 2.3.8 below) may certainly add interested students to the list of those the instructor has already approved for the course (as long as there are enough seats in the classroom). This is possible because it is the faculty member who is effectively controlling the enrollment. Similarly, an instructor whose class is full because of an instructor-set enrollment limit can ask the Law School to lift the enrollment cap (again, as long as there are enough seats in the classroom) to let in more students.
2.3.5 Determining if Seats are Still Available
To determine if seats are still available in certain courses, go to the enrollment module on your My UW page, select the "class search" function, select the department ("Law"), then select "show open courses."
2.3.6 Second-Year and Third-Year Students in 1L-only Electives
Students with 2L or 3L standing may not take courses that are identified as 1L-only electives. In the spring term there may be special sections of certain courses available for 1Ls only to take as electives. These courses are specifically designed and offered for the first-year law students. These are not open-enrollment sections; 2Ls and 3Ls may not register for them.
2.3.7 Registering for the Spring Semester of the Second and Third Years
In mid-to-late fall, the spring semester schedule for the next academic year will be available on the Courses & Schedules page. (The online course schedule is discussed below in section 2.4). All law students will receive an email from the University Registrar (typically in early November) informing them when their earliest registration time will be. Any new course that may be added subsequent to registration will be announced by email.
Registration for 3Ls generally commences on a given date in mid-November. Important Note: Any 3L who does not register on that precise date will be competing for courses with the 2Ls, whose registration generally begins one day after that of the 3Ls. Registration for 2Ls, likewise, typically commences one day after the 3L registration on a date in mid-November. Just as in the case of registering for the fall semester, it is in your best interest to register for courses at your earliest available opportunity. Similarly, as with the fall semester, do NOT register for courses whose times overlap. Instructors are free to forbid students from leaving class early or arriving late in order to attend overlapping courses; moreover, overlapping courses sometimes have conflicting final exam times and an exam rescheduling accommodation will not be granted on the grounds that a student has two final exams at the same time.
A discussion of how to register for “Consent of Instructor” courses and Clinical Programs follows below at section 2.3.8 and section 2.3.9, respectively.
2.3.8 Registering for "Consent of Instructor" Courses
The online course schedule (see section 2.4 below) will indicate which courses require "Consent of Instructor" in the Notes column. If you want to take one or more of these courses, contact the instructor(s) concerned. Instructors offering "consent" courses will create a list of approved students and forward it to Law School Academic Affairs staff. Approved students will be contacted by email and informed that they may register for the course. The process will normally take a few days, depending on how quickly the faculty member produces the list.
2.3.9 Registering for Clinical Programs
Students interested in any clinical program must apply to that program by contacting the clinical supervisor. Clinical courses are not open-enrollment courses; rather, they are the functional equivalent of “Consent of Instructor” courses —that is, you will need the permission of the clinical supervisor in order to register.
After Law School Academic Affairs staff receive a clinical supervisor’s list of approved students, students will be contacted by email and informed that they may register for the clinical.
Students should be aware, when determining how many credits to take in a particular clinical, that Law School Rule 3.14 mandates that a student should work “no less than 45 hours per semester” for each credit earned. Also, please note that students are not free to “construct their own” clinical program or receive academic credit for any internship or externship that has not been approved by the Law School.
Note, however, that students can apply to set up and receive academic credit for a broad array of externship opportunities. See section 13.3 ("Externships").
2.3.10 Summer Law Courses
Each summer a few courses from the law curriculum may be offered. The courses offered depend on faculty availability in any given summer, although typically required courses (both for the JD degree and for Diploma Privilege) are offered. Courses that form part of the first-year program are not offered during the summer.
Additional Note: It may be technically possible for a full-time student starting in September to complete degree requirements by August two years later (i.e., precisely 24 months later--and no earlier); this would entail taking, after the first year, approximately 18 credits in each of the 2L semesters, plus approximately 22 summer credits over two summers. Be advised, however, that:
- Sufficient variation in summer course offerings in subsequent summers is not guaranteed; and
- Completing JD degree work in 24 months is difficult and not necessarily advisable for most students
2.3.11 Directed Reading & Directed Research
Directed reading and directed research are governed by Law School Rule 3.13. Note that no more than eight credits of directed reading and six credits of directed research can be applied to the 90 credits required for the JD degree. Letter grades are not authorized for directed research or directed reading; grading will be simply “satisfactory/unsatisfactory.”
Directed research will result in the production of a research paper; a student’s directed reading will be tested by some form of written work. To register, you must find a faculty member who will agree to supervise your work, obtain and complete a Directed Reading or Directed Research form (available at Forms for Current UW Law Students), obtain the supervising faculty's signature, and return the form to academicaffairs@law.wisc.edu or Room 5110A.
2.3.12 UW Law Registration while Studying Abroad or Visiting another US Law School
Preliminary note: UW Law students who will be studying abroad should see generally Chapter 12 (“Dual Degrees, Study Abroad, and Certificate Programs”), as well as section 9.5.1. Law students who will be visiting at another US law school should also see section 10.2.
UW Law students who are not in their last semester of law studies and who are currently studying abroad or visiting at another US law school may face special difficulties in registering for their return semester at the UW Law School. If you are on a UW-Madison approved study abroad program, you may still be technically enrolled in the Law School in the current semester and thus eligible to web-enroll for the following semester (and may have a registration time assigned by the University Registrar). If you are able to web-enroll, you should do so at the appointed time.
If your study abroad or visiting-student status means you are not able to web-enroll for the following semester at the same time as your classmates, you may contact the Academic Advisor in advance of the date your classmates can first register; on the registration date itself, they will attempt to “reserve” seats (if available) for you in your preferred classes until such time as you can web-enroll (which is typically after you have submitted a “Re-entry Form”). Note that this service is provided merely as a courtesy to students studying abroad/visiting elsewhere who are without the ability to web-enroll; such students are not guaranteed seats in their preferred classes and seats will not be set aside in advance.
2.3.13 Registering for Abnormally High Course Loads
Students are currently prohibited, by Law School rule, from taking more than 19 JD degree-applicable credits per term; this includes any non-Law credits that may otherwise qualify to be applied toward the total credits necessary for the JD dgeree. For more information, see “Credit Limitations” at section 4.3 infra. (Note that Law School Rule 3.09, which contains this 19-credit limit, was, until recently, supplanted by an ABA limitation of 18 credits. The University’s registration technology currently has the default limit set at 18 credits. The matter reverting the Law credit limit back to 18 credits is under review by the Law School).
Students who have questions concerning their credit-load or related concerns should see the Academic Advisor.
2.4 The Online Course Schedule
An online course schedule for current and, at times, prospective semesters is available through the Courses & Schedules page. In viewing the online schedule, you will note that it is divided into a number of columns. The purpose of some of these columns is self-evident; however, a few (listed below) merit some elaboration.
- Call Numbers: Five-digit Call Numbers are codes needed for registration. You do not register using the Course and Section Number, but they can help you to determine the Call Number.
- Degree Credits: The Degree Credits column indicates how many credits count toward the total credits needed for the JD degree (90-credit rule - see section 4.4.1) If the course is offered for variable credits (i.e., 1 - 3 credits), the number of credits selected is the number of credits applied to the JD degree.
- In-Class Credits: The In-Class column indicates how many credits, for any given course, will count toward the "64-credit rule." The 64-credit rule is an ABA requirement, contained in Standard 311(a), which requires at least 64 credits of the 90 credits required for the JD degree to be completed in courses with regularly scheduled class sessions or direct faculty instruction. See section 4.3.
- Experiential Learning code: The "Experiential Learning" column indicates whether the course can be used to satisfy, in whole or in part, the 6-credit Experiential Course requirement applicable to students matriculating in Fall 2016 and thereafter. See section 4.4.2(5) for a discussion of this requirement.
- Dip. Priv. 60 Credit Rule: The Dip. Priv. 60 Credit Rule column indicates how many credits, for any given course, will count toward the 60-credit rule (see section 4.6.2).
- If a course is marked by an asterisk in the Dip. Priv. 60 Credit Rule (see section 4.6.4) column, one of the following is being indicated:
- Clinicals (a maximum of five clinical credits total, even if multiple clinics are taken, count toward the 60-credit rule)
- Professional Responsibilities (one credit counts toward the 60)
- Trial Advocacy (four credits maximum count toward the 60)
- Lawyering Skills (five credits count toward the 60)
- If a course is marked by an asterisk in the Dip. Priv. 60 Credit Rule (see section 4.6.4) column, one of the following is being indicated:
- Pass-Fail code: This is found in the "Notes" column. If the course is a mandatory Pass-Fail course, or the instructor has indicated that the Pass-Fail option is available, the notation “PF” will appear. (The notation for mandatory Pass-Fail courses is typically “PF only”). If the instructor has indicated that the Pass-Fail option will not be available, “No PF” will appear. If no Pass-Fail information is recorded for a course, this means the information is not currently available; you should check with the instructor if this information is important to you. (Read more about Pass-Fail grading in section 9.3.)
- Required Courses: The "Notes" column also contains information about whether a course meets one of the Diploma Privilege or Graduation requirements.
- Prerequisite courses/ “or consent”: In the “Notes” column, some courses are listed as requiring a certain prerequisite course; others are similarly listed, but are also available for students not having the prerequisite if they secured the prior permission of the instructor. Such a course listing will indicate the pre-required course followed by the words “or consent.”
- Legal Writing code: This code, which appears as the letters “LW,” is also found in the "Notes" column. Per Law School Rule 3.11.1, JD candidates have an “Upper-level Writing Requirement” and are required to complete one rigorous writing experience subsequent to the completion of the first year. Students matriculating in Fall 2010 and 2011 satisfied this requirement with the course Legal Research & Writing II. For students who matriculated in Fall 2012 or later, curricular activities meeting this requirement will be designated by the Dean and are denoted in the Notes column with “LW eligible.” Students, however, are urged to check with the course instructor to ensure that they will indeed be able to fulfill the Upper-level Writing Requirement in the course.
- Course Descriptions: Any currently available Course Description can be accessed by clicking on the title of a course as it appears on the Course Title column. Please note that updating the Course Description function is a continual process. If a Course Description is missing, this means attempts are being made to secure it from the instructor concerned. If there is scheduling information in the description that conflicts with the online course information, rely on the online course schedule information rather than the description.
- Conflicts Between Your “My UW” Schedule and the Online Course Schedule: Due to computer interface problems, on rare occasions your individual “My UW” course information might not coincide with that on the Law School’s online schedule. The Law School’s online schedule is kept constantly up-to-date and contains correct, current information. If there is a conflict between information contained on these two databases, you should rely on the Law School’s online schedule.
2.5 Non-Law Courses
Of the 90 credits required for the JD degree, law students are allowed to apply up to six credits of graduate level or foreign language course work completed at other schools at the University (Law School Rule 3.08). Before any non-law credits can be applied toward the JD degree, however, the requirements of Law School Rule 3.08 must be strictly observed, with the single exception that language courses (the only undergraduate courses allowed under the rule) need not necessarily be “conversational Spanish.” Study of other languages within the University will also be acceptable. Note that Rule 3.08(1)(d) requires a “B” or better (on the University’s 4.0 scale) for the credit to be counted toward the JD degree. Grades of BC (campus grading scale) or lower do not qualify.
Grades earned in non-law courses do not factor into one’s Law School 4.3-scale GPA. Non-law courses do not count toward the 64-credit rule or the 60-credit rule for diploma privilege.
To take a non-law course for Law School credit, complete and submit the Permission To Take a Graduate Level Non-Law Academic Course for Law Credit form that may be found on the Forms for Current Students page.
Note: Among other non-qualifying courses, "enrichment courses" (such as ballroom dance, yoga, golf, etc.) will not count toward the 90 credits needed for the JD degree.
2.6 Withdrawing from Law School
If you are cancelling your enrollment or plan to withdraw from Law School, either temporarily or permanently, please contact the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Find more information on the deadlines for withdrawals on the UW-Madison Registrar's page.
2.7 Auditing a Law School Class
UW Law students are not permitted to formally audit law courses. (A formal audit involves enrolling in a course on an audit basis; the course appears on the transcript.) Law School policy prohibits matriculated students from enrolling in law courses on an audit basis. However, students wishing to "sit in" on a course (that is, informally 'audit' a course) may, in all courses except first-year courses, seek the instructor's permission to do so. Informal auditors do not take examinations or receive course credit, and are expected to comply with any participation/attendance ground-rules set by the instructor agreeing to the informal audit arrangement.
2.8 Retaking a Course
Retaking a course is considered in the Law School Rules as rewriting an examination. See Section 7.4, Law School Rule 6.04, Law School Rule 6.05 and Law School Rule 6.09 for specific information.