JD Pass/Fail Policy

Pass/Fail Policy (effective Spring 2011)

In May 2002, the faculty adopted a new pass/fail policy.  The policy is intended to encourage students to be adventurous in their course selection and to not be deterred from taking a course out of concern about their GPAs.  The details of the policy were developed by the Academic Standards Committee which includes both faculty and student members.  That committee considered a range of issues, including possible impact on placement of students' taking courses Pass/Fail and how to create incentives for students to continue to work hard even in courses they are taking Pass/Fail.  In order to accommodate a range of concerns, the new policy has some complexities.  The basic rules are listed below:

• Upperclass JD students are eligible to use the Pass/Fail option for upperclass electives and cross-listed Law Center graduate courses that are available for Pass/Fail.  The option is not available to first-year JD students or LLM students.

• In addition to courses for which students exercise the Pass/Fail option, some courses are offered on a mandatory Pass/Fail basis.

• Students may take a maximum of 7 credits Pass/Fail.  All mandatory Pass/Fail courses that a student takes as well as all courses for which the student exercises the Pass/Fail option count towards the 7 credit maximum.

• The option can only be exercised in one course a semester.  However, this limitation does not apply to mandatory Pass/Fail courses for which students do not exercise an option.  For example, in one semester, a student could take one mandatory Pass/Fail course plus an additional course for which the student exercised the Pass/Fail option.

• The option is contingent in the following manner.  A student, during the first two weeks of the semester, will have to designate the class as one in which the option is being exercised online through the Pass/Fail Option Selection (click here).  By the end of the sixth week of the semester, the student will indicate to the Registrar's Office the target grade the student hopes to receive in the course (the timing of this target grade selection gives the student the opportunity to take into account grades received in the prior semester).  If a target grade is not chosen by the deadline, the student will be assigned a target grade based on the student's cumulative GPA.
  

• Faculty are not informed of who is taking their course on a Pass/Fail basis. If the student earns the targeted grade or above, the actual grade will appear on the student's transcript.  If the student earns a grade below the target but at least a grade of C, the student's transcript will reflect a pass.  If the student earns a grade of C- or lower, the actual grade will appear on the transcript.  In short, the actual grade appears on a student's transcript if it is the student's target grade or above or if it is a C- or lower.
  

• Whether a student receives a pass or the grade, the academic credits associated with the selected course will count toward the 7-credit Pass/Fail limit.  If a student receives a "W" in a course taken on a Pass/Fail basis, the academic credits associated with the course will count toward the 7-credit Pass/Fail limit.  If a student receives an "EW" in a course taken on a Pass/Fail basis, the academic credits associated with the course will not count toward the 7-credit Pass/Fail limit.

• The following courses are not eligible for the Pass/Fail option since a major goal is to encourage students to take courses they might not otherwise take: (1) all required courses: first-year courses, including the first year elective; any course that meets the Professional Responsibility requirement; and Writing Requirement seminars and Supervised Research projects; (2) clinics; (3) Law Center graduate courses which are not cross-listed; and (4) courses where the faculty member has elected not to make a course available for the Pass/Fail option.  Students pursuing a JD/LLM joint degree may not take courses counting toward this degree on a Pass/Fail basis.

• The presumption will be that all upperclass courses (except required courses) will be available to be taken Pass/Fail but faculty members have the right to exclude their courses. 

 A list of courses that cannot be taken Pass/Fail is listed in the course schedule and on the lists available to the right.

Pass/Fail Exceptions

The credits from the following mandatory Pass/Fail courses will not count against the limit of seven credits that can be taken Pass/Fail:

• Applying an International Skill Set (1 credit) (for Global Law Scholars)

• Building an International Skill Set (1 credit) (for Global Law Scholars)

• Courses taken in an approved study abroad program

• Upperclass Week One courses taken before the Spring 2011 semester

• Week One Global Teaching Fellows

• Week One: Law in a Global Context (1 credit) (for all first-year students)

Information from Career Services: Employers and taking a course Pass/Fail

One issue you will want to consider before you elect to take a class Pass/Fail is whether prospective employers will be concerned about your taking a course Pass/Fail.  Before making its recommendation, the Academic Standards Committee consulted with Marcia Shannon, Assistant Dean for Career Services.  Ms. Shannon concluded there would probably not be much impact on large firm hiring, although students should be aware that some might view negatively a Pass/Fail grade in a core course.  Similarly, government agencies and boutique law firms would be concerned if a student had a Pass/Fail grade in a course relevant to the primary focus of the firm or agency's work.  Finally, Ms. Shannon thought that there might be some impact on judges who are grade conscious and who hire clerks in their 3L/4E year.  Before you have to make any decision on whether to take a course Pass/Fail, you will have an opportunity to consult with Career Services so that you can make a thoughtful, informed decision.

For more information on the Pass/Fail Policy and Grading, please see the Juris Doctor Program Academic Requirements & Policies section of the Georgetown University Law Center Bulletin (beginning on p.18).