Academics
Registrar


The Registrar's Office maintains student academic files, grades, processes academic information requests, administers the registration process, and various other student-oriented services. It is important for students to familiarize themselves with the academic rules and policies and the Student Handbook.

Below is some general information on topics that are addressed by the Registrar's Office.  Please refer to the Student Handbook for specific student policies and processes regarding student academic records and registration. All forms that require signoff from the Registrar's Office or the Assistant Dean for Academic Administration can be found on Juristec. Registrar Forms

Minimum/Maximum Credit Load

• Students may not take less than 7 credit hours during a semester.
 
• Students may not take more than 16 credit hours during a semester.
 
• Exceptions to these limits must be approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Administration.
 
• Permission to take less than 7 hours will rarely be given. You may be granted only one semester waiver to this policy only under the most extreme circumstances.


A student wishing to request permission for a schedule that does not meet the minimum/maximum guideline must submit the appropriate form available on the Registrar's intranet page.   Registrar Forms

Prerequisites

Students must check the course descriptions for every course before registering to determine if the course carries a prerequisite. 

Advanced Writing Requirement

 
Students must satisfy the Advanced Writing Requirement to graduate. Reference the Student Handbook for further details.

Independent Study

 
Students must obtain the approval of the sponsoring faculty member after which they need to submit the form available on the Registrar’s website. The Independent Study paper must be finished during the semester the student is registered for the project. In addition:

 
• No student may receive credit for more than one Independent Study Research while at the law school.
 
• The Independent Study completed in conjunction with the Advanced Writing Requirement satisfies the graduation requirement.
 

Enrolled Students - Audits

A student registering for a course as an audit must obtain permission from the Assistant Dean for Academic Administration. A student auditing a course is expected to prepare for and attend class regularly. The class to be audited may not have a time conflicts with another class the student is registered to take. Typically, the auditing student will not take the exam. The audited course will appear on the transcript with the notation "AU". No credit or grade will be awarded, and the student may not later take the course for credit. Professors may impose additional requirements to audit their class.

Attendance

Regular attendance is required in all courses. Failure to maintain regular attendance may be grounds for exclusion from the school or a course. Attendance and preparation, or lack thereof, and class participation may be considered by the individual faculty member with regard to grades and by the Faculty and the Dean with regard to honors, awards, scholarships and similar matters.

Schedule Conflicts

Students may not enroll in courses where the class schedules conflict.  Overlaps in class times are not allowed.  Full attendance in all classes is required.

Transfer Credit

New Students: A student who has transferred from another law school must successfully complete at least 45 credit hours at PhoenixLaw, attain a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or better for at least 87 credit hours, complete all required courses or their substantial equivalent, satisfy the advanced writing requirement, and satisfy all other applicable degree and School requirements to receive a degree from PhoenixLaw.

The Registrar will evaluate credits for courses completed at another approved law school on a case-by-case basis.  Students may transfer only courses completed with a grade of C or better on the first attempt.  Students must have obtained all transfer credits within four academic years prior to matriculation at PhoenixLaw.


Current Students:  Under limited circumstances, students may earn up to a total of six credits for attending an ABA approved Law School, accredited university or summer abroad program offered by an ABA approved law school. Details regarding taking classes outside of Phoenix School of Law can be found in the Student Handbook. Check this information carefully before applying to any programs outside of Phoenix School of Law. Forms are available on the Phoenix Law website.

Drop/Add Withdrawal

Students may drop or add courses until the end of the first week of classes each semester. After the end of the first week, students wishing to drop or add classes must obtain permission the Associate Dean of Academic Administration. Please see the forms page on the Registrar’s Intranet site for the appropriate form. Registrar Forms

Request a Transcript

All transcripts issued by the Phoenix School of Law - Registrar's Office, are considered "official". Transcripts are issued on our transcript paper and bear the signature of the Registrar and the seal of the Law School.  The purpose for which you need the transcript determines the manner in which we handle your request.

The most common type of transcript request is for what we call an "unofficial transcript". These are transcripts you use for resume drops or to apply for jobs, clerkships, externships, or other similar circumstances. These transcripts are printed on paper that can be copied, and you can reproduce them as many times as is necessary.  If you are a current student you can print these directly from the student portal.The less common type of transcript is the "official transcript". These transcripts cannot be conveyed by you to a third party. Official transcripts must be sent directly from this office to a third party. Official transcripts are printed on specially treated paper that prevents them from being copied. All transcripts are issued in hard copy. We do not issue transcripts in an electronic format. Students must fill out an official Transcript Request form. These can be faxed or emailed to the Registrar’s office. Once received there is a 48 hours turn-around time on processing the request.

Official transcripts are required when applying to academic institutions. Some employers may request an official copy of your transcript AFTER you have been hired.  Please use the transcript request form found on the Phoenix School of Law Intranet (Registrar Forms).