Student Forms | University of Minnesota Law School (2024)

The Academic Declaration Form should be completed by any student pursuing a Supplemental Academic Option, such as a Concentration, Dual Degree, or Study Away while working towards their primary degree at Minnesota Law. Before completing the form, please review the policies governing the specific Supplemental Academic Options that apply to you. Links to more information about individual Supplemental Academic Options are provided below.

Students are responsible for carefully reviewing and completing requirements for any supplemental academic option, as well as their primary degree. Completion of this Academic Declaration Form DOES NOT guarantee you will attain the declared option. Consult relevant rules and/or an advisor in Student Affairs to determine required steps and deadlines for verifying completion of the associated requirements.

Supplemental Academic Options

A "Supplemental Academic Option" is a non-required academic opportunity authorized by Law School rules or policy that students may choose to pursue in addition to, or as part of, their primary degree.

Dual Degree

Students should carefully review the Law School's Dual Degree Policies. Dual degrees require significant planning and time to ensure requirements are met in both programs. Students are encouraged to consult Student Affairs and their Career Counselor at the Law School, and the appropriate adviser in the Partner Degree program, as they move through the dual degree program.

Concentration(s)

Carefully review the information on the Law School's Concentrations website, and specifically the Policy on Concentrations linked there. Advising for each Concentration is through the current Faculty Chair for each Concentration.

In order to receive a Concentration transcript notation at the time of graduation, students must submit and receive approval for their completed Concentration. Concentrations do not appear on a transcript until after graduation.

Study Away

Students may enhance their law school education and experience by visiting away at another law school. There are several programs through which students may study away. Students should visit the Study Abroad page and the Study Away section of the Student Forms page for more information.

• Summer Study Abroad
• Semester Exchange Programs
• Self-initiated Study Abroad
• Semester Study Abroad Programs (offered by another law school)
• Domestic Study Away at ABA-accredited law school

If you have previously completed this form and no longer intend to pursue a supplemental academic option, please notify our office atlawreg@umn.edu.

VisitMyUand click on My Info on the left. You may use this link to add your preferred name, your diploma name, and to change your address.

To make a legal name and/or gender change, students must complete the electronic form located on One Stop's Student Record Forms page.

In applications to the University of Minnesota Law School, students have a continuing duty to provide accurate, candid, and complete responses to all required questions. Applicants must fully disclose all past legal or academic misconduct, even if it occurred when the student was a minor or if records have been expunged. This disclosure obligation continues throughout a student’s legal education.

A student’s admission to the Law School may be revoked, or registration canceled, on the grounds of: providing false, misleading, or evasive responses on the initial application; or failure to formally report and amend an application to correct inaccuracies, omissions, or new incidents of misconduct.

Requests to amend an application to the Law School, whether to correct the initial application or to disclose misconduct that occurred after admission, must be made in writing through theApplication Amendment Request, and should be directed to the Assistant Dean of Students Office (scan and send tolawdos@umn.eduor direct hardcopies to our office). These requests for amendment, which may include supporting documentation where appropriate, should provide:

• A complete statement of the updated or corrected facts;
• A full explanation regarding why the information was not accurately or timely disclosed;
• Additional documentation, if applicable; and
• Any additional information that would permit the Law School to make a determination whether to accept the requested amendment or to cancel a student’s enrollment.

Students should be aware that in bar applications, they may be required to provide supporting documentation, or explain why such documentation is not available. If a student's recollection of past misconduct is incomplete, due diligence should be employed to obtain documentation, and the student should keep a record of steps taken to contact the appropriate authority in the location where the incident took place, even if such documentation no longer exists.

Responses to requests to amend an application are made upon review of the amendment request, supporting documentation, and a review of the entire student file.

Bar Applications

Applying for the bar in Minnesota and other states is an extensive and time-consuming process. Admission requirements vary by state, and students are urged to research the requirements, timelines, and standards for the bar(s) of the state(s) in which they intend to apply at least six months in advance of the scheduled exam date. For a comprehensive guide to the bar application process from the National Conference of Bar Examiners, and for a list of links to bar admissions offices in all 50 states, visit:http://www.ncbex.org/bar-admissions/

For information about application to the Minnesota bar, see:https://www.ble.mn.gov/frequently-asked-questions/application/

Certificates of Graduation (See Academic Rules 2-5)

State bars require that the Law School certify applicants as having met all Juris Doctor degree requirements in order to sit for the bar exam. The Law School Registrar’s Office tracks the deadlines and certification requirements for each state to which graduates intend to apply, and keeps detailed lists of certifications by state and by student. State bar certification forms are prepared by the Registrar’s Office based on students’ Graduation Assessment forms and their transcript records. Certifications are forwarded to the Dean or Dean’s delegate for signature, and then submitted directly to the bar examiners in each state.

Students applying for the bar outside of Minnesota should submit the appropriate state bar certification form(s) - with all necessary applicant information completed - to the Registrar’s Office (lawreg@umn.edu) no later than May 1st for summer bar exams, or January 10th for February bar exams. Students applying for the Minnesota bar only need to notify the Registrar (via the spring survey) of their intent to take the exam. The Registrar’s Office carefully tracks the bar certification deadlines for each state bar in order to ensure that completed certifications are received in a timely fashion.

Until a bar applicant has completed all Juris Doctor degree requirements, the Law School cannot forward a bar certification, and the applicant may not be able to sit for the bar exam. Students with incomplete coursework are responsible for finishing all required assignments, and for following up with the faculty member and Registrar’s Office to ensure a grade is entered.

A Certificate of Graduation is a formal certification signed by the Dean of Academic Affairs certifying a student’s dates of enrollment, graduation date, degree, and attesting to the student’s character fitness. Certificates of Graduation are typically submitted to a states’ bar examiner’s office in order to verify a student’s /alumni’s legal education.

Character and Fitness

The Character and Fitness evaluation process is a critical part of bar admission in most states, and students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the expectations for practice early in their law school careers. To help with this, representatives of the Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners address first-year students at Orientation and again prior to students’ graduation in the third year. For information on their evaluation process, visitMinnesota’s Character and Fitness Requirements website. For admissions standards in other states, consult the applicable state bar admissions website.

Student records, including law school applications, may be reviewed by the Board of Law Examiners as part of the Character and Fitness evaluation process. Inconsistencies between the information disclosed on a student’s law school application and his or her bar application may subject the applicant to further scrutiny, and require an amendment to his or her law school application. Students seeking to amend their law school application should consult the Assistant Dean of Students.

Other bar admission questions and concerns of a confidential nature also may be addressed to the Assistant Dean of Students. Students are especially encouraged to meet with the Assistant Dean of Students early in their law school career if they have a history of alcohol or chemical dependency, criminal matters, academic misconduct, significant mental health impairments, or other concerns that may relate to the ability to meet requirements of practice. Students should note that no single condition or incident will automatically prevent admission to the bar; rather, bar examiners encourage students to directly address and treat any condition that may lead to a conduct concern or impair an individual’s ability to comply with practice standards.

Some states, including Minnesota, have also introduced a Conditional Admissions process, which allows a bar applicant with recent impairments to be admitted to practice under certain conditions and supervision. Evidence of current fitness and rehabilitation from past impairments are often important considerations in the Character and Fitness evaluation process. Therefore, seeking appropriate support or treatment is strongly encouraged.

Percentiles for Top 10% and Top Third

Students may report their academic performance by stating their cumulative GPA and noting whether they fall within the Top 10% or Top Third of their respective class.

Historical Percentiles 2022 - Present

Historical Quartiles 1990 - 2021

From 1990-2021, the Law School reported final quartiles for each graduating class. Threshold GPAs for Top 10% and Top Third started for the Class of 2022, pursuant to Academic Rule 12.5.

Download theCredit Transfer Request Form.

Final Exam Variance Application

Persons requiring an accessible version of the form for disability-related reasons should contact the Dean of Students Office atlawdos@umn.edu, or 621-625-2456.

TheFinancial Aid Consortium Agreementis a three part document that allows the University of Minnesota’s Office of Student Finance (OSF) to calculate your financial aid award while you are on an approved course of study at another institution, either domestic or abroad. Even though you will be paying tuition to another institution, the University OSF will use the cost-of-attendance estimate from the other school when factoring your aid award. Please note that if you have been receiving scholarship funds for study here at the University of Minnesota Law School, these will not apply while you are enrolled through another institution. Questions about scholarship implications for study away can be referred to the Law School Admissions office.

Directions for Completing the Law School Consortium Agreement

1. When the student has been accepted to a host institution and is fairly certain he or she will attend that program, the student completes all student portions of the 3-part Consortium Agreement, then routes as appropriate for additional information and signatures as follows:
   • Consortium Agreement Law: this page summarizes information about the host program, and reflects the number of credits you are approved to pursue at the other institution. This page requires a signature by the Law School’s Assistant Dean of Students;
   • Consortium Student Responsibilities: this form is reviewed and completed by the student studying away;
   • Cost Estimate - Fall, Springor Cost Estimate - Summer, as appropriate: this form is forwarded to the host institution, which completes the information about cost of attendance and then returns with a signature to the student.
2. Once all three portions of the Consortium Agreement are complete and signed, they should be routed to Jim Parker in the University of Minnesota’s Office of Student Finance:

   Jim Parker
   Office of Student Finance
   Graduate/Professional Unit
   University Of Minnesota, Twin Cities
   200 Fraser Hall
   106 Pleasant Street S.E.
   Minneapolis, MN 55455-0422
   j-park1@umn.edu
   612-626-0750
   

3. The student should retain a copy of the Consortium documents for his or her records, and provide a copy to the Law School Office of Student Affairs to be placed with the student file. Questions regarding completion of these forms can be directed tolawdos@umn.eduor Jim Parker atj-park1@umn.edu.

Under Academic Rule 10.5, JD students who have completed their first year of law school may earn a limited number of credits for unpaid independent study. Generally, "independent study" includes exercises that permit or require student participation in law-related writing, research, or other activities away from or outside the Law School, or in a format that does not involve attendance at regularly scheduled class sessions. The total number of independent study credits a student may earn is limited by Academic Rule 3.1. Independent study may include legal research and writing projects, or field placement projects in a legal setting. While similar to externships, field placements are set up on an ad hoc basis, usually with a faculty member who has some experience or expertise in the field placement practice area.

Registration Information:

For information on how to register, see the Course Guide pages fortheIndependent Researchcourse and theRules for Supervised Field Placements.

To qualify, a student must have a cumulativenumerical GPA of 2.600or higher, have not received a grade of "D" or "F" in a required course, or received a grade of "LP" in First Year Legal Writing and/or Law in Practice; or received two or more grades of "D" or "F" in a single semester, to be in good academic standing. A Letter of Good Standing is printed on Law School letterhead. The letter confirms attendance, satisfactory progress and estimated term of graduation. Use therequest a Letter of Good Standing online form(UMN.EDU login required)or download and complete theLetter of Good Standing request formand mail or fax to:

Office of Student Affairs
University of Minnesota Law School
229 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Fax: 612-625-2824

Pursuant to Academic Rule 3.3(c), students who wish to apply non-Law coursework toward their degree must submit theNon-Law Course Approval Form(UMN.EDU login required) documenting that the coursework is "substantially law-related."

Note that if you are a combined degree student seeking to transfer six credits from your partner program under Rule 3.3(d), then you should instead complete the "Credit Transfer Request" available elsewhere on this webpage.

The University of Minnesota is supported by state taxes, and therefore gives tuition preference to residents of Minnesota. However, the University of Minnesota has tuition reciprocity agreements with several states and the Canadian province of Manitoba.Download information about residency and reciprocity and the Resident Classification form.

The Supervised Practice Rules adopted by the Minnesota Supreme Court allow current students to participate in practice placements and clinical programs, and recent graduates to engage in legal employment, under the supervision of a licensed attorney. The Supervised Practice Rules can be found at theState Board of Law Examiners Supervised Practicewebsite.

Certification for Current Students
Current students may be certified as Law Student Practitioners. To be eligible for certification, a student must be currently enrolled, have completed at least two semesters of full-time study (24 credits), and be in good academic standing (2.600GPA). The rules also state that students must identify themselves as a student and be accepted by the client.

To be certified, the student's supervising attorney must submit aLaw Student Practitioner Request lettertolawreg@umn.edu. In addition, the studentmust complete theRequest for Certification/Re-Certification as a Law Student Practitioner formand submit it tolawreg@umn.edu.Once both documents are received, certification takes approximately one week.

If a certified student changes employers, they must be re-certified under the new employer per Rule 11(c).

Clinical Student Practice
Names of eligible students enrolled inclinic courses where they may have the opportunity to represent a clientare automatically submitted to the Minnesota Supreme Court for Law Student Practitioner certification. Students will not be personally notified of their certification.

Multiple Certifications
Students may seek practice certification for both an employment opportunity and a clinic course, but must be certified individually for each.

Certification for Recent Graduates
Recent graduates may be certified asor converted to Supervised Practitioners. To be eligible for certification as a Supervised Practitioner, a student must have graduated from the law school within 18 months of the request date. To be certified, the graduate'ssupervising attorney must submit theSupervised Practitioner Request letter. Graduates must also complete theRequest for Certification as a Supervised Practitioner formand submit it tolawreg@umn.edu. Once both documents are received, certification takes approximately one week.

Length of certification
Law Student Practitioner certifications remain in effect for 12 months unless any of the events listed in Rule 11(a) occur. Law Student Practitioners may be re-certified for an additional 12 months by request. Supervised Practitioner certifications remain in effect for 18 months from conferral of degree date unless any of theevents listed in Rule 11(b) occur.

Student Practice Certification—Other States
Most states have court rules and procedures to certify an eligible law student to appear on a client’s behalf, under the supervision of a licensed attorney in that state. Students seeking practice certification outside of Minnesota are responsible for researching the certification requirement for the state in question, and submitting to the Law School Registrar’s Office (lawreg@umn.edu) all relevant forms and instructions. The Registrar will obtain the Dean's signature. Questions regardingstudent practice certification outside of Minnesota should be directed to the Registrar’s Office atlawreg@umn.edu.

Use this form for routine requests from the Student Affairs division, such as letters of good standing, copies of your law school application, etc. Launch theonline Student Records Request form(UMN.EDU login required)or download and print theStudent Records Request form.

Students wishing tostudy abroador take part in off-site summer study courses must submit an approval form in advance. Below are the forms relating to specific Study Away situations:

• Semester Exchange ProgramCourse Approval Form
• ABA-approved Study Away Course Approval Form
• Self-Initiated Direct EnrollmentCourse Approval Form

Class of 2006 through current class
Unofficial transcripts are available online in MyU or in person by visiting any One Stop Student Services Center office.

Official transcripts can be obtained online by logging into Parchment or creating a Parchment account.

Alumni of classes 2005 and earlier
Both official and unofficial transcripts may be obtained from the Law School by completing aTranscript Request Formor by sending a written, signed request to the Office of Student Affairs. There is no charge for official or unofficial transcripts.