1.01. Academic Performance

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A. Academic Standing, Probation, and Dismissal

  1. Good Academic Standing
    All J.D. and LL.M. students having at least a 2.2 cumulative grade point average are in good academic standing. For all students, cumulative G.P.A. is determined for the first time at the end of a student’s first academic semester, and at the end of each fall and spring semester thereafter. A student must be in good academic standing to be eligible for student practice.

    Unless otherwise authorized by the Vice Dean, Academics, a student must be in good academic standing to participate in “non-classroom credits” courses, for which credit is based substantially on time spent outside a regularly-scheduled law school class. “Non-classroom credits” courses include:
    • Field placements, such as externships and residencies
    • Moot court and other competitions
    • Publications
    • Independent studies, including the Independent Long Paper and Internships with Faculty
    • Dual degree (graduate school) courses
    • Teaching Assistant courses, including Learning Community Leader credits
    • Any courses for credit based substantially on time spent outside a regularly-scheduled class at MHSL or another ABA-accredited law school

      “Non-classroom credits” courses do NOT include:
      • Seminars or clinics that require a substantial classroom component. Students must be in good academic standing to register for or participate in clinics
      • Foreign study programs approved by MHSL or another ABA-accredited law school. Students must be in good standing to register for a study-abroad program
      • Courses conducted by MHSL or another ABA-accredited law school in accordance with ABA standards for distance education
         
  2. Requirement for Additional Curricula and/or Academic Support Programming
    Students matriculating in fall 2022 or later with a cumulative grade point average under 3.0 and/or students in the bottom quartile of the class at the end of a student’s second academic semester will be required to complete curricula and/or academic support programming.

    Academic Support curricula includes the following courses:
    • 2418-Bar Preparation Strategies: MPT (offered only fall semester)
    • 1204-Constitutional Criminal Procedure: Investigation and Interrogation
    • 2500-Evidence
    • 4001-Bar Preparation Strategies: MBE and MEE (offered only spring semester; must be taken in the final spring semester of law school)
       
  3. Probation: J.D. Students
    A student whose cumulative grade point average is below 2.2 is on academic probation. A probationary student has one semester to raise their cumulative grade point average to at least 2.2. An academic semester does not include a summer or January term.
     
  4. De Novo Program
    First-year students whose fall GPA is under the GPA standard for academic good standing, are eligible to enroll in the De Novo program in lieu of continuing to the spring semester of their 1L year. By agreeing to participate in the De Novo program, the student agrees they will be withdrawn from the JD program, not in good standing, and conditionally readmitted as a new, incoming student, pending successful completion of the De Novo program and update of their character and fitness application questions as necessary. Tuition will be credited for the first repeat fall semester following the De Novo program, and any tuition scholarship in place at the time of original admission will be honored in all subsequent semesters at the law school.
     
  5. Academic Dismissal
    A J.D. student will be subject to dismissal in any of the following circumstances:
    • A J.D. student is dismissed with no right of appeal to the Academic and Student Affairs Committee if the student has a cumulative G.P.A. below 2.0 after completing the probationary semester.
    • A J.D. student is dismissed with a right of appeal if that student achieves a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 2.0 but fails to achieve a cumulative 2.2 G.P.A. after completing the probationary semester.
    • A J.D. student is dismissed with a right of appeal if that student has earned at least 86 credits and has a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 2.0 but below 2.2.
    • A J.D. student is dismissed with a right of appeal if the student fails to complete the requirements of the J.D. law program within 84 months. Academic Rule 1.06 D rather than Academic Rule 1.01 A.6 applies in these circumstances.
       
  6. Right of appeal
    Students with a right of appeal must submit appeals in writing to the Dean of Students. The Academic and Student Affairs Committee will consider the appeal. The student must explain the conditions that contributed to the student’s probation and dismissal.

    The American Bar Association requires students to make an affirmative showing to the law school that the student’s dismissal “does not indicate a lack of capacity to complete its program of legal education and be admitted to the bar.” The Committee strongly presumes that a student’s academic record is the best evidence of the student’s capacity to complete the J.D. and pass the bar examination. Upon a proper showing, the student may rebut this presumption if the student produces clear and convincing evidence that the conditions contributing to the probation and dismissal have been or will be ameliorated, and that the student will be able to achieve and maintain a cumulative GPA that will keep the student in good academic standing for the remainder of law school, and that the student can pass the bar examination.

    Interpretive note: Among the factors that the Committee considers in making that assessment are the assessments of the faculty and staff members who have worked with the student, which are given significant weight; whether the student was able to achieve the required GPA for good standing in any previous semesters; and the reasons for the failure to achieve good standing, including whether the student chose to assume personal and professional responsibilities inconsistent with the ability to be successful in law school.

    The decision of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee granting or denying the appeal from dismissal is final. A dismissed student may apply for re-admission under Section A.7. of these rules.
     
  7. Readmission
    A student previously dismissed from MHSL may seek readmission after two or more academic semesters have elapsed since the dismissal. The student must demonstrate that the nature of the interim work, studies, activities, or other experiences indicates a stronger potential for the study of law. Any student readmitted to MHSL after previous academic dismissal must start anew as a first-semester, first-year law student, with no credit given for any course previously taken at MHSL or at any other law school, no matter what grade the readmitted student received in such a previous course. The student’s 84-month period within which to complete the requirements of the J.D. law program begins again in the month in which the readmitted student rematriculates at MHSL. The same rules for readmission apply to any student applying and admitted to MHSL after previous academic dismissal from any other law school.

B. Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Federal financial aid regulations require all students who receive Title IV federal financial aid (loans and or work-study) and/or Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) funds to maintain good academic standing (qualitative) and a satisfactory pace (quantitative) in the progress toward their degree. These regulations apply to all coursework including coursework for which the student did not receive financial aid. A student who does not meet Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress standards (FA SAP) may lose financial aid eligibility but may regain eligibility when the standards are again met, or with an approved appeal as described below. FA SAP determined independently from academic satisfactory progress.

FA SAP review is based on two components of a student’s academic performance. The first component is qualitative, represented by a student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA). The second component is quantitative and is determined by students’ credit completion ratio. The completion ratio is determined by dividing the number of credits completed by the number of credits attempted. FA SAP standards are applied consistently for both full-time and part-time students, and both components of the standard must be met to ensure satisfactory academic progress.

All J.D. and LL.M students having at least a 2.2 cumulative grade point average are in good academic standing.

A credit completion ratio of 60% of attempted credits meets the quantitative standard.

Results of FA SAP Reviews

FA SAP review occurs after each semester when Mitchell Hamline’s Registrar certifies all cumulative GPAs. A student not meeting one or both of the FA SAP standards after any fall, spring semesters or the optional summer term is placed on financial aid warning status and will receive notice of the status sent by email to the student’s mitchellhamline.edu address. Financial Aid Warning status begins immediately if the student is currently enrolled, or with the next enrolled semester or term. Financial aid eligibility continues in the warning period and no action is required of the student. FA SAP standards must be met at the close of a warning semester or term. Failure to meet FA SAP standards at the close of a warning semester, or term, advances the student’s status to financial aid ineligible in the following semester of enrollment.

Financial Aid ineligibility prevents receiving federal and state financial aid. If academically eligible for registration, a student may attend the college at his/her own expense until FA SAP standards are met. A student who is ineligible for financial aid may appeal the ineligible status.

A completed and approved FA SAP appeal can restore financial aid eligibility in the ineligible semester or term. An appeal completed after the close of an ineligible semester will not restore aid retroactively.

Financial aid ineligibility may be imposed immediately in extraordinary circumstances, such as a student who registers and then earns failing grades (F, WA) for all classes in a semester, or a student whose attendance pattern abuses receipt of financial aid.

Qualitative Review Standards: Cumulative GPA

A student whose cumulative GPA is below 2.2 is not meeting the FA SAP qualitative standard. Qualitative standards apply to all attempted credits independent of the receipt of Title IV aid.

  • Transfer credit grades are not counted towards the cumulative GPA. Transfer credits are counted in the quantitative calculation.
  • Repeated classes are eligible for financial aid and are counted in both qualitative and quantitative calculations.
  • Grade point values which determine the GPA are found in the Mitchell handbook, Chapter 5, Section 7.1. The cumulative GPA is maintained by the Mitchell Hamline School of Law Registrar.
  • A grade of S (satisfactory) or P (pass) is not counted toward a student’s cumulative GPA, however the credits earned are counted as completed.
  • A grade of I (incomplete), W (withdrawal) or WA (Administrative Withdrawal) is not counted in the student’s cumulative GPA, but the credits for these classes are counted as attempted in the quantitative FA SAP calculations. See Student Handbook Chapter 5, Section 6, subpart G: Incomplete Grades for further information.
  • Academic probation or dismissal status is determined separately from FA SAP status.
  • A student academically dismissed without right of appeal has no financial aid eligibility and no right to appeal financial aid ineligibility.
  • A student academically dismissed with right of appeal may appeal financial aid ineligibility on reinstatement.

Quantitative Review Standards: Percentage of Completed Attempted Credits

A student whose credit completion ratio is less than 60% is not meeting the quantitative standard. The credit completion ratio is found by dividing the number of successfully completed credits by the number of attempted credits. Successfully completed credits require a grade of A, B, C, D, S or P. Quantitative standards, including maximum time frame limits, apply to all attempted and transferred credits independent of the receipt of Title IV aid.

  • Transfer credits are counted in the quantitative calculation, including maximum time frame calculations.
  • Audited classes are not eligible for financial aid and do not count as attempted or completed credits.
  • Repeated classes are eligible for financial aid and do count as attempted or completed credits. The grade is counted toward the student’s GPA.
  • Classes with a grade of S (Satisfactory) or P (Pass) are counted as completed credits in the quantitative review.
  • Incomplete (I), Fail (F), Withdraw (W) or Administrative Withdraw (WA) class credits are counted as attempted credits for FA SAP quantitative review. See Student Handbook Chapter 5, Section 6, subpart G: Incomplete Grades for further information.
  • Students who fail to complete/pass 60% of their attempted credits will be placed on Financial Aid Warning or Ineligibility and will be alerted by an email to their mitchellhamline email accounts.
  • Financial aid SAP quantitative standards allow students to attempt up to 167% of the total number of credits required to complete the degree.
  • The Mitchell Hamline School of Law J.D. completion requirement is a maximum time frame of 5 years from the first date of registration.

Right to appeal FA Ineligibility

On determination of Financial Aid ineligibility, a student has the right to submit a FA SAP appeal. An approved FA SAP appeal provides one semester of FA probation and is independent of any academic appeal process. An FA SAP appeal requires a student to complete and submit:

  • A statement regarding the circumstances that caused the failure to meet FA SAP standards including third party documentation if relevant. Circumstances may include and are not limited to illness of the student or close family member, death of a relative, divorce, personal problems or issues.
  • A statement of changes which will result in achieving FA SAP standards at the end of the probation semester or by the end of the specified time frame.
  • A semester-by-semester academic plan, developed with the Dean of Academic Excellence that shows how the student will progress to meet FA SAP standards. The plan should include clear and specific semester goals to aid determination of continued progress at the close of each semester.

The Financial Aid Director and Assistant Director will review the submitted appeal and will communicate the appeal decision to the student through the mitchellhamline.edu email address.

If a student’s appeal of the ineligible status is approved, the student’s financial aid status will be one semester of Financial Aid SAP Probation with financial aid eligibility. Failure to meet FA SAP standards at the end of the probation semester, or to meet the semester goals stated in the academic plan will result in financial aid ineligibility until FA SAP standards are met or a new appeal with a new academic plan is submitted and approved. If academically eligible, students may attend the college at their own expense until FA SAP standards are met.

Delays in Grading

Delays in grading may prevent the disbursement of federal loans. Students who have just completed a warning or probationary semester will not have their loans disbursed for the next semester until after a new SAP review can be completed. If grades are not submitted in a timely manner for whatever reason and no SAP review can be performed, the student loan disbursements for the new semester will be delayed until after the grades are posted and a new SAP review can be completed.