Degree Requirements
To be recommended by the faculty for receipt of the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, a student must meet the following requirements:
1. Completion with passing grades of all required courses and 88 credit hours. Of these 88 credits, 76 must be earned in graded classes as distinguished from honors/pass/no credit/fail offerings.
2. Demonstrated competence in legal research and writing by:
| a. | Receipt of a passing grade in Appellate Advocacy or International Advocacy, or | |
| b. | Receipt of a passing grade as a staff writer on the McGeorge Law Review or Pacific McGeorge Global Business & Development Law Journal. |
3. Attainment of a cumulative grade point average of 2.30 or better on a 4.3 grading scale in all graded courses taken at the law school.
4. Attendance in residence for six academic semesters in the Day Division or eight academic semesters in the Evening Division (fall and spring semesters). A minimum number of units must be taken for credit in each of those semesters to receive full residency credit for the semester in the Division in which the student is enrolled (Day Division minimum, 12 units; Evening Division minimum, 8 units). Information regarding residency requirements upon a change of program from one Division to another or for an Evening Division accelerated program may be obtained from the Dean of Students' office.
A student who sits for a bar examination prior to completion of all degree requirements is ineligible to receive a J.D. degree under regulations of the University of the Pacific.
The School of Law may require a leave upon specified terms, terminate a student's enrollment, or decline to award a degree if the Administration determines that this is in the best interests of the School or that a student is not qualified for admission to the legal profession because of factors other than academic standing. Determinations about academic standing are made in accordance with the Grading and Advancement Committee Rules, Regulations, and Procedures. Determinations about the occurrence of conduct described in the Code of Student Responsibility are made in accordance with the procedures of that Code. Copies of both documents are distributed to all students at the beginning of the academic year and are available at the Dean of Students' office.
