University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

The urban public law school with a small liberal arts feel

COURSE REGISTRATION INFORMATION Spring 2010 Introduction & Information about Mini-Terms Advisement Convocations Faculty Advisement Statement of Financial Responsibility Elective Course Information "Handbook" Questions? Course Request Timetable Matters to Consider When Deciding Which Courses to Request:      (1) Degree Requirements and Courses that Are Required      (2) Credit Hours Per Semester      (3) Six Semesters in Residence      (4) Residency for Purposes of Tuition      (5) 80 Hours in Courses Requiring Attendance at Regularly Scheduled Law Class Sessions      (6) To graduate you must satisfy the School's Jurisprudence requirement      (7) To graduate you must satisfy the School's Uniform Commercial Code requirement      (8) To graduate you must satisfy the School's Advanced Torts requirement      (9) To graduate you must satisfy the School's R & W requirement      (10) To graduate you must satisfy the school's Professional Skills Requirement      (11) Emphasis Area Designation on Transcript      (12) How to fill out the Course Request Form      (13) Courses Oversubscribed      (14) Wait list      (15) Financial Aid The Next Steps After You Have Received an Approved Schedule of Courses      (1) Registering for a normally graded course on an ungraded basis      (2) Adding and Dropping Classes: Graduating 3Ls: Special Information Requirements for a J.D. Degree Graduation in Two and One Half Years Interdisciplinary Courses Taken in Other UMKC Schools Journal-Staff Participation (Law Review/Urban Lawyer) Auditing Courses Bar Examination Information Disabled Student Services R&W Information, Standards & Criteria       Standard       Criteria       How Satisfied       Form to Designate the Manner of Satisfying the requirement       Adjunct Professors       Enrollment in Law 746 The School's Trial and Appellate Advocacy Programs Introduction & Information About Mini-Terms The course registration process will begin Wednesday, October 21, 2009. See the Course Request Timetable below. (1) Students with 70 or more credit hours after the fall 2009 semester will submit their spring 2010 Course Request Form according to the timetable for 3Ls (blue form). Students planning to graduate May 2010, July 2010 or December 2010 are required to attend the 3L Advisement Convocation (see below) before submitting their course request forms. . (2) All other students, except 1L students, will submit their spring 2010 Course Request Form according to the timetable for 2Ls (yellow form). (3) 1L full-time students' spring 2010 schedules are set, with the exception of the possibility of taking Intro Plus and an Advanced Torts class and mini-term courses. Further information about 1L course selection and registration will be provided at the 1L Course Registration Convocation on October 28, 2009. (4) 1L Part-Time students should submit their course requests to Dean Berman when 2L students submit theirs to Carol Pegues using the white form.  See Course Request Timetable below. (5) There will be two mini-terms during the spring 2010 semester. The first will be held 2/15-19/2010; the second, 3/29-4/2/2010 (the week of spring break). During each mini-term, students may, but are not required to, enroll in one, one credit hour course. Classes will not be held for the regular spring 2010 courses during the mini-terms. Advisement Convocations A mandatory 3L Course Registration Convocation is scheduled for Monday, October 19, 2009 in the Courtroom at Noon.  This is only for students who  plan to graduate May 2010, July 2010 or December 2010. The convocation is to provide detailed information regarding this year' registration process, required classes for graduation, residency requirements, R&W explanations, hours needed for graduation, credit in lieu of grade option, commencement, and to answer any questions you may have. If you are not able to attend, you will be required to view the video of this Course Registration Advisement before submitting a spring 2010 course request form. A mandatory 1L Course Registration Convocation is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, 2009 in the Courtroom at Noon.  This is for full-time 1L students and part-time 1L students who will be taking Introduction to Law II during the Spring 2010 semester to learn about the details of Intro Plus, the Advanced Torts option, mini-term information & course enrollment for spring 2010. Faculty Advisement Before students submit their Course Request Form, they must show the administration that they have visited with their faculty advisors to discuss career goals, course selection, etc. That this has occurred is shown by having their faculty advisor's signature on their Course Request Form. Accordingly, a student's form will not be accepted that does not contain an advisor's signature on it signifying advisement has occurred. Students are assigned faculty advisors during their first semester of law school. If students change faculty advisors because they have elected to pursue an emphasis, they should notify their former faculty advisor of the change. If you are unsure who your faculty advisor is, please contact Adela Fleming in the Administrative Suite; email: flemingad@umkc.edu. Statement of Financial Responsibility When you submit your Course Request Form, you must also submit a completed and signed Statement of Financial Responsibility form. The campus will not allow a student to be enrolled and/or registered for classes unless that form is filled out and signed. The Statement of Financial Responsibility form may be obtained from Carol Pegues in the administrative suite. Elective Course Information "Handbook" The "handbook" arranged by course number, contains specific information about elective courses offered during the spring 2010 semester, including prerequisites, method of grading, course summary, books used and relevance of the course for career purposes. It is designed to assist students in course selection and may be found at:  www1.law.umkc.edu/academic/courses.htm Questions? We know that questions often arise regarding meeting degree requirements, including meeting residency and research and writing requirements. Feel free to e-mail Dean Berman and/or Carol A. Pegues for answers to questions you may have.  Their email addresses are: bermanj@umkc.edu and peguesc@umkc.edu. IMPORTANT NOTE: Law students do not register for courses in Pathway. Registration is done by the law school administration. Course Request Timetable 3L's completed Course Request Forms due in Administrative Suite. Wednesday, October 21st  (By 12:00 Noon) 3L's "approved" or "disapproved" Course Request Forms returned to students' mailboxes. Monday, October 26th (After 3:00 p.m.) 3L's revised Course Request Forms due in Administrative Suite for second and final approval. Wednesday, October 28th (By 12:00 Noon) 3L's revised approved/disapproved course request forms returned to students' mailboxes AND, if approved, copy sent to Registration for enrollment. Friday, October 30th (After 3:00 p.m.)     2L's completed Course Request Forms due in the Administrative Suite. Monday, November 2nd (By 12:00 Noon) 2L's "approved" or "disapproved" Course Request Forms returned to students' mailboxes. Friday, November 6th (After 3:00 p.m.) 2L's revised Course Request Forms due in Administrative Suite for second and final approval. Tuesday, November 10th (By 12:00 Noon) 2L's revised approved/disapproved course request forms returned to students' mailboxes AND, if approved, copy sent to Registration for enrollment. Thursday, November 12th (After 3:00 p.m.) It will take a week or two following the completion of the law school course approval process for actual enrollment to be entered into the campus Pathway system. Enrollment should be visible in the system by December 1.   Matters to Consider When Deciding Which Courses to Request: (1) Degree Requirements and Courses that Are Required See these topics covered below. Click on Requirements for a J.D. Degree and Required Courses. (2) Credit Hours Per Semester A full-time student must take at least 13 credit hours per semester (except during the last semester) and may not take more than 16 credit hours per semester, except with the permission of Dean Berman. A student will never be permitted to enroll in more than 18 hours, including graduate courses taken in other units of the university. (3) Six Semesters in Residence A student must complete six semesters "in residence." This means that a student must carry at least 10 credit hours each semester in courses requiring attendance at regularly scheduled class sessions. For residency purposes, two UMKC summer sessions may count together to form one residency semester (except with respect to our summer abroad courses). Thus, students taking five regular semesters and two summer sessions at the School totaling at least ten residency hours may graduate in 2 1/2 years. A student desiring to attend a summer abroad program offered by another school should check with Associate Dean Berman to see if the program may count as 1/2 of a residence semester (needs 7 weeks to so count). The fact that a course is not a graded one (e.g., Trial Advocacy I & II) does not mean that it is a non-residency course. It is a residency course if there are regularly scheduled class sessions for it at the law school. If you are in doubt as to whether a course meets the requirement, see Questions? above. Courses that carry partial residence credit toward minimum of 10 (except in last semester when they count in full toward the 10): Law 8656 Public Defender Trials Clinic 3 hr credit/ 1 hr residency Law 8656P Jackson County Prosecutor's Clinic 3 hr credit/ 1 hr residency Law 8705 Trial Advocacy III 2 hr credit/ 1 hr residency Law 8745 Law Review 1 hr residency per semester on staff Law 8745R Law Review Board 1 hr residency each semester on Board Law 8748 Appellate Advocacy III 2 hr credit/ 1hr residency Law 8750 Urban Lawyer 1 hr residency each year on staff Law 8750B Urban Lawyer Board 1 hr residency each semester on Board Law 8775 Appellate Advocacy IV 1-2 hr credit/1 hr residency credit No residency credit ever toward minimum of 10: Law 8747 Appellate Advocacy II Law 8746 Legal Research Law 8746R Independent Study Law 8800 Legal Research Thesis   Any course taken in another part of the university (unless cross listed) Courses that are considered residence courses during a student's last semester:   All for credit clinics, competitions & journal participation Law 8638R Entrepreneurial Lawyering: Solo & Small Firm Practice Full residency credit for in-house clinics: Law 8713P Innocence Project Clinic Law 8752S Child & Family Services Clinic Law 8757R Entrepreneurial Law and Practice Clinic Law 8834R Tax Clinic Law 8638R Solo & Small Firm Practice but only if taken with another summer session residence course (4) Residency for Purposes of Tuition The residency requirement, provided above, should not be confused with the issue of whether or not someone is a resident of Missouri for purposes of tuition and fees. Information concerning residency for purposes of tuition and fees may be obtained from the UMKC Cashier's Office (816-235-1365). (5) At Least 80 Hours in Courses at Regularly Scheduled Class Sessions Only courses requiring attendance at regularly scheduled class sessions at the law school (or at other schools or in summer abroad programs, in the case of a student visiting at another school or attending a summer abroad program) may meet this requirement. Thus, credit for clinics, research & writing, independent study, courses taken in other units of the university (unless cross listed) journal participation and competitions do not count toward the 80 hours. A student desiring to attend a summer abroad program offered by another school should check with Dean Berman to see if the number of class sessions in the program meet the requirements for the program's courses to count toward the 80 hours. The only exceptions are: Law 8638R Entrepreneurial Lawyering: Solo & Small Firm Practice full residency credit Law 8656 Public Defender Trials Clinic 3 hr credit/ 1 hr residency Law 8656P Jackson County Prosecutor's Clinic 3 hr credit/ 1 hr residency Law 8705 Trial Advocacy III 2 hr credit/ 1 hr residency Law 8713P Innocence Project Clinic full residency credit Law 8745 Law Review 1 hr residency per semester on staff Law 8745R Law Review Board 1 hr residency each semester on Board Law 8748 Appellate Advocacy III 2 hr credit/ 1hr residency Law 8750 Urban Lawyer 1 hr residency each year on staff Law 8750B Urban Lawyer Board 1 hr residency each semester on Board Law 8752S Child & Family Services Clinic full residency credit Law 8757R Entrepreneurial Law & Practice Clinic full residency credit Law 8775 Appellate Advocacy IV 1-2 hr credit/1 hr residency credit Law 8834R Tax Clinic full residency credit Note: JD/MBA students & JD/MPA students only have to have 76 residency hours (6) In order to graduate you must take at least one course as a 2L or 3L that meets the School's Jurisprudence requirement The schedule of courses indicates courses that meet the requirement with a "J" in the "Notes" section of the listing of courses. (7) In order to graduate you must satisfy the School's Uniform Commercial Code requirement All students must take at least one course designated as one that satisfies this requirement. The courses meeting this requirement are Commercial Transactions, and Secured Transactions. "UCC" appears in the "Notes" section of the schedule indicating that a course meets the requirement. (8) In order to graduate you must satisfy the School's Advanced Torts requirement All students must take at least one course designated as one that satisfies this requirement. "AdvT" appears in the "Notes" section of the schedule indicating that a course meets the requirement. A 1L may (provided he/she is not taking Intro Plus), but is not required, to take the course during the spring semester of his or her first year. (9) In order to graduate you must satisfy the School's R & W requirement This requires students to have a rigorous writing experience evidencing legal analysis resulting in a paper of professional quality. For more information about the requirement, including the criteria for satisfying it and the methods that may be used, please click on R&W Information, Standards & Criteria (10) Professional Skills Requirement: All students, as a condition of graduation, are required to successfully complete a substantial professional skills certification. The certification may be obtained in one of the following ways: 1. Completion of one credit hour of professional skills education. This requirement may be completed by successfully completing one or more courses designated as meeting all or a portion of the professional skills education requirement. 2. Completion of a one credit hour independent study providing professional skills education (Law 746R), which independent study is certified to the School’s Records Office as meeting the one credit hour professional skills education requirement. 3. Participation in law school programs that, even if not for credit, provide professional skills education (this would primarily consist of the various advocacy, counseling and negotiation competitions which do not provide course credit). Designation of courses: The Schedule of courses will indicate the courses designated as meeting all or a portion of the professional skills education requirement. If a course meets it totally it will be listed as 100% PSC; if it meets ¾ of the requirement, as 75% PSC; if 1/2, as 50%; if ¼, as 25% PSC. Thus, the requirement may be met by taking two courses designated as 50% PSC courses; or four courses designated as 25% PSC courses. (11) Emphasis Area Designation on Transcript The School has five emphasis areas; they are Business & Entrepreneurial Law; Child & Family Law; International, Comparative & Foreign Law; Litigation; and Urban, Land Use & Environmental Law. Students may apply for admission into one of the emphasis areas and, if admitted, be assigned a concentration advisor; and, after satisfactorily completing the requirements for the emphasis area (including completing the number of required and elective courses, a research and writing project, a practical skills component, and an ethics component) will receive a designation on their transcripts that that have done so. Applications for admission into the emphasis areas and specifics regarding each, including when application must be made, is posted on the web at http://www1.law.umkc.edu/academic/emphasis.htm.  Students should familiarize themselves with these matters so that their requested courses as 2L and 3L students will track emphasis area needs. (12) How to fill out the Course Request Form You may obtain the Course Request Form from the Administrative Suite. The white Course Request Form is for 1Ls and 1L part-time students, yellow for 2L students and blue for 3L students. The same form is used for a student’s spring 2010 and spring mini- term course requests. First, complete the top portion, providing name, address, etc. Be sure to indicate when you plan to graduate (e.g., May 2010, July 2010, Dec. 2010, etc.) and the number of credit hours that you will have completed at the end of the Fall '09 semester, so that when your sheet is reviewed we can be sure that your total cumulative credit hours is accurate. Second, list each course requested, starting with the lowest to the highest catalog number requested (e.g., list Law 8731 before Law 8754, etc.). The first box for each course ("apvd") is for completion by the administrative office, so leave that box blank. List all courses you wish to enroll in for the 2010 semester including graduate courses offered by other UMKC units. This is important because the School may not allow a student to enroll in more than 18 hours (A.B.A. accreditation rule) and the School needs to know if a student desires a graduate course offered by another unit to count toward the J.D. degree. Be sure to provide the class number for each course in the class # box. Class numbers for Law 8746, which is used for R&W enrollment and Law 8746R which is used for other independent research/study projects are the class numbers of the individual faculty members overseeing the R&Ws and independent research/study projects. The class numbers are listed at www1.law.umkc.edu/academic/courses.htm  for Law 8746R (Independent Study) and for Law 8746 (R&W). Remember, before the course request form will be accepted by Carol Pegues, the form must be signed or initialed by your faculty advisorand the Financial Statement must be filled out and turned in together with the Course Request Form. When you receive a copy of the form back, it will be checked if the course is approved for you to take, otherwise the course will be lined through. Since some courses will be oversubscribed (closed) (see Courses Oversubscribed/Closed, below), it is important that you indicate how important the course or section of a course is for you to take in your mind. Show this by placing a number in the box labeled "Pref". A "1" means it is the course you most want to take, a "2" the next in importance, etc. Please do not leave the space blank or it will be assumed that you have no preference. Likewise, do not place a "1" for every course, for that will indicate that you have no ranked preferences among the courses. Be sure to also list your alternate selections, since some of the courses you request may be oversubscribed. Also, indicate for the alternates which course each is an alternate for--do that in the box labeled "For." Thus if you request Law 8765 and want Law 8867 to be an alternate choice for that course, indicate in the "For" box, "8765." A copy of your request form will be returned to you--see Course Request Timetable, above. It will either indicate that the courses are approved or will indicate that a resubmission is required. The comment section will explain why a resubmission is required if it is not obvious from the changes made to your request on the form. In some cases, an administrative change will be made on the form, such as moving a 2L to a different section of a required course. (13) Courses Oversubscribed/Closed When requesting a course, consider the possibility that the course may be oversubscribed, i.e. more students may request the course than will be approved to enroll in it (due to number of seats, limited enrollment course, etc.) In such an event, enrollment preference will be given to third year students. In the event there is more than one section of a course, such preference will only be in regard to course enrollment, not section enrollment. Where insufficient seats are available for all members of a class (second year or third year) desiring to take that course, students will be selected for enrollment based upon priority requests and, where necessary, based on random assignment. (14) Wait list. A list of closed classes (and nearly closed classes) will be posted on the web after they close and a waiting list process will begin for each closed class. Students on the wait list will be contacted by telephone and/or email as seats become available in the order in which the wait list request was made, with priority given to 3L students. A wait list request form may be obtained from Marcia Pinkman in the Administrative Suite. (15) Financial Aid The number of credit hours taken per semester often impacts the eligibility for financial aid. Be sure to check with the Student Financial Aid Office in regard to such eligibility. The Next Steps After You Have Received an Approved Schedule of Courses After your schedule has been approved, the school will forward it to the campus Registrar for processing.  After being processed, students will see their spring 2010 courses in Pathway. Refer to timetable.  Information regarding adding & dropping courses is listed below. Fee payment arrangements: All fees must be paid and/or arrangements made by Wednesday, January 6, 2010 for the spring 2010 semester. If fees are not paid, or arrangements not made, you will be dropped from your classes by the campus. If you have any questions about this, please contact the Cashier's Office at 816-235-1365. (1) Registering for a normally graded course on an ungraded basis. After completion of the first year, a student may take one elective course ordinarily graded (except a 4-credit-hour class) on an ungraded basis. For a "credit" to be posted on the student's record, work done for the course must be equivalent to a grade of C- or better; otherwise, the actual grade received will be posted. A student must make this election before the beginning of the semester by filling out an additional form that can be picked up in the administrative suite. You must hand carry this completed form to the campus registration and records office at the Administrative Center, since the Credit/Grade option must be exercised in person. The Credit/Grade option form must be filed with the campus registration office no later than Wednesday, January 6, 2010 for the spring 2010 semester and the elected option may not be revoked thereafter. NO EXCEPTIONS. (2) Adding and Dropping Classes: Drop/adds may be requested by completing a drop/add form available from Carol Pegues in the administrative suite. The form will be given to Dean Berman for approval or disapproval and returned to the student.  In general, a course may not be added after the class has met for one week. Carol Pegues will inform students of the next steps to take in regard to enrollment or disenrollment after drop/add requests are approved. Graduating 3Ls: Special Information Students planning to graduate in May 2010 or July 2010 should please note: 1. Graduation takes place three times per year at UMKC, at the end of each Spring, Summer and Fall semester. An application for graduation form is required of all students. The website for this form is http://web2.umkc.edu/registrar/forms/application%20for%20graduation.pdf . Also, Carol Pegues has the form at the counter where she sits. The form should be completed and submitted at the beginning of the academic year prior to graduation to Carol Pegues. If for any reason the graduation date changes after the filing, another application for graduation must be filed. The deadline dates for each semester are as follows:  February 5, 2010 Last Day to File for May 2010 graduation June 8, 2010 Last Day to File for Summer 2010 graduation September 20, 2010 Last Day to File for December 2010 graduation 2. The University will not permit the Law School to certify your graduation or provide the student transcripts to the bar authorities if you have a balance due on your University account, e.g., for parking fines, outstanding fee balances, etc. 3. Your Research & Writing (R & W) paper must be approved by your supervising faculty member, and a signed R&W completion form turned in to Carol A. Pegues, according to the following timetable: Semester Graduating Last Day to Turn in R&W Completion Form Signed by Professor May 2010 May 28, 2010 Summer 2010 August 6, 2010 December 2010 January 7, 2011 NOTE: Most faculty members do not have much time to review R & W papers during the final exam period (because of grading) so you should plan on submitting your final draft well before the last day of class if you want to meet the certification deadline. The faculty member, of course, may provide for the exact date when the final draft is due, which may be much earlier. 4a.  Missouri Bar Examination The Missouri Board of Law Examiners requires that you submit an official transcript as proof that the J.D. degree has been conferred. It is due on July 1, 2010 for the July examination and February 1, 2010 for the February examination. In those few cases where a student will complete degree requirements prior to the bar exam but the degree will not be conferred until after the bar exam, the board will need a letter from the School verifying that the student has met all of the degree requirements. To be sure that receipt of the official transcript is timely, be sure to request a transcript prior to graduation from the UMKC Registrar's Office with the instruction that it be sent to the office of the Missouri Board of Law Examiners immediately after the degree is awarded. See 4c, below. 4b.  Kansas Bar Examination To take the Kansas Bar examination, the School must certify that you have completed all degree requirements by June 14, 2010 for the July, 2010 Kansas Bar Examination and January 15, 2011 for the February Bar Examination. The deadline is final. 4c.  Official Transcripts Showing J.D. Degree Has Been Conferred Bar officials will want to receive an official transcript from UMKC showing that the J.D. degree has been conferred. To be sure that receipt of the official transcript is timely, be sure to request the transcript prior to graduation with an instruction that it be sent to the Board of Law Examiners immediately after the degree completion is posted. You need to provide the UMKC Registrar's office with the name and address of the Bar office to receive the official transcript. The request form may be obtained at http://web2.umkc.edu/registrar/forms/transcript_request.pdf.  Be sure to check the item on the form that indicates "Hold the transcript until degree is posted.” 5. Faculty CANNOT extend the graduation/bar certification deadlines. 6. (R&W) If you haven’t done so already, (you were supposed to have filed a completed R&W Record’s Office Form (gold form) with the School’s Record’s Office (Carol A. Pegues) prior to the start of the fall semester). The form indicates how you intend to satisfy the R&W requirement and contains dates when aspects of the paper are due. Both the student and the supervising professor must sign it. The form may be obtained from Carol A. Pegues in the Administration Suite. For more information, click on In order to graduate you must satisfy the School's R & W requirement The requirements for a J.D. degree: 1. Completion of 91 credit hours, 80 of which must be classroom credits (76 if a JD/MBA or JD/MPA student) 2. A cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.0. 3. Six semesters in residence carrying not less than 10 classroom credit hours each semester, i.e, in courses requiring attendance at regularly scheduled class sessions in the law school. (see (3) Six Semesters in Residence, above) 4. Completion of all required courses (see Required Courses, below); 5. Fulfilling the school's research and writing requirement. This requires students to have a rigorous writing experience evidencing legal analysis resulting in a paper of professional quality. 6. Completion of the school's advanced torts requirement. This requires students to take at least one 3-hour course from a designated list of advanced torts courses offerings;  7. Completion of the school's jurisprudential requirement. This requires students to take at least one course from a particular group of jurisprudential elective course offerings;  8. Completion of the School's Professional Skills Requirement. This requires students to successfully complete a substantial professional skills certification. 9. Regular and punctual class attendance. Required Courses First Year Required Courses: All students must complete the following required courses during the first year: Full-Time Program Fall Semester Credit Hours Contracts I 3 Criminal Law 3 Intro. to Law and Lawyering Processes I 3 Property I 3 Torts 3 TOTAL 15 Winter Semester Credit Hours Contracts II 3 Constitutional Law I 3 Intro. to Law and Lawyering Processes II 2-3 Property II 3 Civil Procedure I 3 TOTAL 14-15 Part-Time Students Flex students must take three of the required courses, including Introduction to Law and Lawyering Processes, in their first year. The remaining courses must be completed in their second year of study. Other Required Courses Students must complete the following courses as a condition of graduation: Required to be Taken During the Summer Preceding or Fall of Second Year Course Credit Hours Business Organizations 4 Civil Procedure II 2 Federal Taxation 3 Required to be Taken During the Summer Preceding or Winter of Second Year Course Credit Hours Evidence 3 Required to be Taken During the Second or Third Year: Course Credit Hours Criminal Procedure I 3 Commercial Transactions, Sales & Leasing or Secured Transactions 3 Professional Responsibility 2 A course that fulfills the Schools Jurisprudence requirement 1-3 Completion of the School's R&W requirement (See R&W Information, Standards & Criteria, below) Required to be Taken at any Time Prior to Graduation and May be Taken During the Second Semester of the First Year: A course that fulfills the School's Advanced Torts requirement. (3 credit hours) Other Information Graduation in Two and One Half Years Despite the six semesters in residence requirement, provided above, students may graduate in two and one half years. To do so requires attending at least two UMKC summer sessions (not including the School's two summer abroad programs, which, although they may count toward the 91 hours needed to graduate and the 80 hour residency rule can not be used for this purpose) in order to accumulate enough credit hours to meet the graduation credit hour requirement. Each summer session may be considered half a semester for purposes of the residency requirement. Thus, at least 10 credit hours in courses requiring attendance at regularly scheduled class sessions in the law school must be taken in two summer sessions to satisfy the residency requirement. Students desiring a lighter load in their sixth semester may combine the last semester with a previous summer semester to accumulate the required ten "in residence" hours. Interdisciplinary Courses Taken in Other UMKC Schools A law student may enroll in up to 10 hours of graduate level courses in other UMKC schools and colleges (and courses in graduate programs at other schools or colleges if the student is enrolled in a graduate program there not offered at UMKC )and apply such hours toward the J.D. degree. The course(s) must be an appropriate upper‑level (500 or above) interdisciplinary course. The Associate Dean must approve the course (in advance of enrollment) as an appropriate one for law credit. A request to enroll in such course (indicating why you believe the course is appropriate for law school credit and your career objectives) must be provided by email to the Associate Dean during the course request process. Grades earned in such courses will not count in your law school GPA (even though a grade will appear on your official UMKC transcript), nor will the credits count toward the residency requirements, unless the course is cross-listed. Journal-Staff Participation (Law Review/Urban Lawyer) Students depending on journal-staff participation credit hours to meet the credit hour graduation requirement should indicate on their course request sheet for each semester the number of credits they will be receiving for each such participation. Students are responsible for making certain that at the appropriate time the Records Office is advised of the credits for journal staff participation. Students seeking credit for such participation are specifically directed to two faculty policies impacting the receipt of credit for such participa­tion. A student may NOT serve concurrently as an editor of the Law Review and Urban Lawyer Two students may NOT hold the same editorship on a journal (except for Urban Lawyer Assistant Editors). Auditing Courses Law students may audit a course only with the written approval of the professor offering the course. The approval must be transmitted by email to the associate dean. Regular and punctual attendance is required in audited courses. An audited course may not thereafter be taken for credit. An Audit course WILL NOT count toward the 91 hour degree requirement. Bar Examination Information Click on www1.law.umkc.edu/academic/barexam.htm, for detailed information about the Missouri and Kansas bar examinations, including past Missouri Bar Examination questions. Disabled Student Services UMKC endeavors to make all activities, programs and services accessible to students with disabilities. A Coordinator for Disabled Student Services is available to advise students and arrange for reasonable accommodations concerning all aspects of campus life. It is important that students contact the Coordinator at least six weeks prior to the beginning of classes to arrange for providing appropriate documentation and the prescribing of reasonable accommodations in the classroom. For information call (816) 235-5696. Speech and hearing impaired use Relay Missouri, 1-800-735-2966 (TT) or 1-800-735-2466 (Voice.) THE BOARD OF CURATORS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-KANSAS CITY ARE COMMITTED TO THE POLICY THAT THERE SHALL BE NO DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, AGE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, DISABILITY, OR VIETNAM ERA VETERAN STATUS. THIS POLICY PERTAINS TO EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, ADMISSIONS, ACTIVITIES AND EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES. THE VICE PROVOST FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, LOCATED IN ROOM 354 ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER (5115 OAK), IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL RELEVANT PROGRAMS AND MAY BE CONTACTED AT (816) 235-1323, 235-2721. SPEECH AND HEARING IMPAIRED USE. RELAY MISSOURI: 1-800-735-2966 (TT) OR 1-800-735-2466 (VOICE). R&W Information, Standards & Criteria Standard: Each law student shall have a rigorous writing experience evidencing legal analysis resulting in a paper of professional quality. Criteria: The student's written work should meet the following criteria: 1. Analysis: Does the piece reflect an informed understanding of the doctrines and theories used? Has the author critically appraised the case(s), doctrines, statues or ideas developed? Does the piece include a thorough presentation of the relevant available resources? Does the piece show creativity and original work? Is the analysis thorough, well written and organized? 2. Authority: Are the assertions supported? Is the support more than a single source? Does the authority come from a variety of sources? Is interdisciplinary support offered when appropriate? Does the student over-rely on a single source? 3. Format: The research and writing requirement is intended to focus on legal analysis. That analysis can come in a variety of forms from an interoffice memorandum, an advocacy brief, or a scholarly article. While that analysis underlies legal drafting, drafting legal documents would not meet the criteria. A piece satisfying the research and writing requirement should be approximately thirty (30) pages, evidencing sufficient use of authority and encompassing multiple drafts. How Satisfied: The requirement may be satisfied by writing one of the following: Seminar Paper: Whether a seminar paper meets the R&W requirement is a decision for the law professor teaching the course/seminar. If the R&W requirement is met by the seminar paper as required by the professor, the student does not also register in Law 8746 Legal Research (2 hrs). If the seminar paper meets the R&W requirement only if the paper is longer than that required for the seminar itself, than the student must also enroll in Law 8746 Legal Research (2 hrs.). Elective Course Paper: Whether a paper in an elective course meets the R&W requirement is a decision for the law professor teaching the course/seminar.  If the R&W requirement is met by the course paper as required by the professor, the student does not also register in Law 8746 Legal Research (2 hrs.).  If the course paper meets the R&W requirement only if the paper is longer than that required for the course itself, than the student must also enroll in Law 8746 Legal Research (2 hrs.). Independent Study Paper: If the R&W is to be satisfied in this way, the student must register in Law 8746 Legal Research (2 hrs.). The paper can not be on a topic encompassed within the course description of an available seminar or elective course and a designated professor must agree in writing to supervise the paper and to certify to its fulfilling the R&W requirement. Note: All students planning to complete their R&W requirement through independent study or in conjunction with a course or seminar, must obtain a designated faculty supervisor no later than the start of the semester before their final semester. Law Review Comment/Urban Lawyer Annotation/Matrimonial Law Journal Project: Can be used to satisfy the R&W requirement, provided a faculty member supervises the writing and certifies to the Records Office that the work meets the R&W requirement. Although a student may receive additional academic credit for satisfying the R&W requirement with Urban Lawyer written work (in addition to any staff/editor hours received), neither a Law Review Note or Comment nor a Matrimonial Law Journal Project may be so used to obtain additional academic credit hours. Students desiring to obtain two R&W credit hours for faculty supervised and certified Urban Lawyer written work should enroll in Law 8746 Legal Research (2 hrs.). Appellate Advocacy III or National Team Brief: Satisfactory completion of Appellate Advocacy III and rewriting the brief so that it is of professional quality; or satisfactory completion of Appellate Advocacy IV and writing an Appellate Advocacy IV brief of professional quality. The Appellate Advocacy professor must certify to the Records Office that the student has fulfilled the R&W requirement in this manner. If the requirement is to be satisfied in this way, the student will not register in Law 8746 Legal Research (and will not receive additional credit), but need only be enrolled in the Appellate Advocacy course. A brief used in other competitions, including the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition, the Giles Sutherland Rich Moot Court Competition and the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, may be used to satisfy the criteria if a faculty member certifies to the Records Office that the student has fulfilled the requirement in this manner.  Students desiring to obtain two R&W credit hours for writing such a brief should enroll in Law 8746 Legal Research (2 hrs.). Form to Designate the Manner of Satisfying the requirement All students must identify the method by which they propose to satisfy their R&W requirement before the start of their last semester of law school. This is done by submitting a completed R&W Record's Office Form (gold form) to Carol Pegues in the administrative suite. Please pick up the gold form in the Records Office for this purpose. It provides the various options available to fulfill the requirements and asks for dates when aspects of the paper must be completed. The form must be completed and filed as soon as possible after the professor agrees to oversee the R&W project. Note: It is impermissible and considered an Honor Code violation to use the same paper for academic credit in more than one course, seminar, or after using it to fulfill a journal requirement without disclosure and permission to do so—normally permission will only be given if the paper is lengthened and/or substantially changed. Accordingly, the R&W Record’s Office form requires that you either sign the following statement or, disclose that you have used or plan to use the paper or portion of the paper in another context, providing the course, seminar or journal to which it was or will be submitted: "I understand that, unless disclosed, no portion of this paper may be used to fulfill academic requirements in any other context. I also understand that my failure to disclose that any portion of this paper has or will be used to fulfill academic requirements in another contest violates the School of Law Honor Code." Upon completion of the R&W requirement, the supervising faculty member shall submit to the Records Office a copy of the paper/brief (in written or electronic format) and a certification that the R&W requirement has been met by the student. The Records Office will retain the signed approval forms and the R&W papers/briefs. Adjunct Professors While adjunct professors may supervise an R&W paper, they may not do so alone. A regular faculty member must also be willing to co-supervise and to oversee the proper performance and completion of the paper, and to certify that the paper fulfills the requirement. The name of the co-supervising faculty member must be provided to the Records Office at the time of registration. Enrollment in Law 8746 All students who enroll in Law 8746 (R&W Requirement) must provide the reference number of the faculty member supervising the research on the course request sheet.   The Law 8746 reference numbers for the faculty are listed at  www1.law.umkc.edu/academic/courses.htm  The School's Trial and Appellate Advocacy Programs There has been much interest regarding our trial and appellate advocacy programs. Because these are areas in which we excel and in which there is traditionally strong student interest, we would like to explain how these programs work so that you can make scheduling decisions. Introduction: Both appellate and trial advocacy are taught in sequenced courses. The Appellate Advocacy sequence begins first. In fact, you have already begun that sequence, because Introduction to Law II (in which you write a brief and do an appellate argument) serves as Appellate Advocacy I. Therefore, if you are interested in continuing to develop appellate advocacy skills and, perhaps, participating in our competitive program, you should enroll in the Fall in Appellate Advocacy II. The Trial Advocacy sequence begins in the Winter semester of the second year and is a prerequisite for participation in the trial advocacy competitions. Appellate Advocacy Sequence Appellate Advocacy II is a one-credit course. It meets for class sessions during the first half of the semester and culminates in student presentation of oral arguments. The course introduces students to a unique Missouri appellate process and students are required to write Points Relied On and a Summary of Argument (3 page total) on each side of a case set in the Missouri Supreme Court. They then argue the case twice (once on each side) in front of panels of lawyers. The arguments take place in the Jackson County Courthouse two Saturdays in October or early November. The top 16 students in Appellate Advocacy II will be invited to participate in the Ellison Moot Court Competition (Appellate Advocacy III) in the Winter Semester. That course involves a problem set in the United States Supreme Court and requires that students write a full brief and argue before actual judges one Saturday in March or early April at the federal courthouse. Appellate Advocacy III is a two-hour course. Awards are given for the Top Oralist, Best Brief and Best Advocate Overall. In addition, the top six students from Appellate Advocacy III are chosen to be members of the National Moot Court Team (and to enroll in Appellate Advocacy IV, a 1-2 credit hour course) during the Fall of their third year. All participants in Appellate Advocacy III are invited and expected to join the Moot Court Board Trial Advocacy Sequence Trial Advocacy begins in the Winter of the second year. Students enroll in Trial Advocacy I (2 credit hour course), which involves one weekly large class presentation/demonstration and one small group session in which the skills learned are practiced. Dean Berman oversees the course and local litigators and trial judges conduct the assessments. The class culminates in trials held at the courthouse in April. Any student who takes Trial Advocacy I and desires to do so may then enroll in Trial Advocacy II, which focuses more on strategy development and skill refinement, in the Fall of the third year. Certain "accelerated" sections of Trial Advocacy II may only be enrolled in by students who have excelled in Trial Advocacy I who are invited to enroll in those sections. Trial Advocacy II meets once per week and receives two credits. Full trials are conducted at the end of the semester. Members of the National Trial Teams are selected from those participating in the accelerated sections of Trial Advocacy II. They enroll in Trial Advocacy III and compete in regional and national trial competitions during the Winter semester of the third year. Summation Both our appellate and trial advocacy programs help prepare students to practice law. Students who complete our Advocacy programs should be able to pick up a file of a case being litigated, organize it and present it before a court and a jury in a persuasive way. Similarly, if unsuccessful in the trial of a case, they will be prepared to present the case properly and persuasively before an appellate court. Both our trial and appellate programs have been successful in recent years in producing teams that have been very competitive at Regional and National competitions. There are additional opportunities for participation in interschool moot court competition, including the Jessup International Moot Court Competition, Frederick Douglass Moot Court (sponsored by National BLSA), and other specialized moot court competitions. Students interested in these programs are strongly encouraged to take Appellate Advocacy II in the Fall. Whether you have a desire to be a trial or appellate advocate, compete for your school, or merely want to overcome the fear of speaking in front of others, these courses are for you. 10/21/2009