Subject to rules and regulations of the University of Hawai'i, the Juris Doctor degree will be awarded upon completion of the following requirements:

A. All students are required to maintain full-time study in the school subject to specific exceptions noted.

1. To be considered "full-time" for law school enrollment purposes, a student must register for at least 12 credits and receive a passing grade for at least 9 of those credits. Withdrawal from a course prior to the completion of the semester that causes the student to fall below twelve credits will result in failure to be considered full-time.

2. After the first year, a student in good academic standing may enroll in less than 12 credits after completion of an approval form and prior written permission of the Associate Dean. Part-time study is less than 12 law credits a semester. Part-time enrollment may only be approved in the following situations:

a. Under exceptional circumstances, a student may register for less than 12 credits. "Exceptional circumstances" might include parenting, health, care giving and pregnancy.

b. A student in a dual degree program or enrolled in an ABA approved summer law program.

3. A first year student is one who has earned 1 - 30 credits.

A second year student is one who has earned 31 - 60 credits.

A third year student is one who has earned 61 - 89 credits.

B. Eighty-nine or more semester credit hours earned.

C. A cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or better in all work taken after the first semester of the first year.

D. Completion of the pro bono requirement.

E. All required courses including the first year curriculum, Constitutional Law I, Second Year Seminar, Professional Responsibility, and a clinical or skills course from a list of courses satisfying that requirement maintained by the Associate Dean. The requirements are more fully described in the official School of Law Catalog. Required courses cannot be taken at another law school.

F. A student must complete the requirements in subparagraphs A-E, above, no earlier than 24 months and not longer than 84 months after commencing law study at the law school or a law school from which the school has accepted transfer credits. PreAdmission semester(s) do not count toward full-time study.

Subject to limitations imposed by accrediting institutions or the University of Hawai'i, the faculty may permit exceptions to certain of the above requirements in individual cases for reason of illness or family emergency.

Degree-seeking students must give careful attention to graduation requirements. Although students may receive counsel from the School of Law administration and faculty, they are personally and directly responsible for meeting their graduation requirements. These requirements are set forth in further detail in the Academic Regulations of the School of Law which every law student should study carefully.

(link to Academic Regs section of Student Handbook)